The group chat had been silent for a while. Everyone was having a tough time, but seeing someone in an even more miserable situation still made their hearts ache.
Probably because they were all familiar with the "chasing-wife-to-the-crematorium" trope, Wen Mingyue's story gave them a feeling of oppression, a despair-laden suffocation.
And Wen Mingyue's account wasn't finished yet.
[Chasing-Wife-to-the-Crematorium Wen Mingyue: That's not even the worst of it. Yesterday, I received the plot of the novel I'm in. In just a day or two, Gu Yanxi's first love, Wen Qing, is coming back. Gu Yanxi will fawn over her like a pathetic lapdog. For her, he'll travel across half the city to buy the first batch of roasted sweet potatoes from the old vendor at the bus station. He'll squeeze out half an hour from his busiest work schedule to have a meal with her.]
[And since he can't bear to touch her, he vents all his desires on me. In the end, I get pregnant. But just when I find out I'm pregnant, his first love is pregnant too. The child is her foreign boyfriend's, but that boyfriend died, and she only returned from abroad in her grief. My once unbearably proud husband, oh, he was actually willing to be a cuckold for the woman he loved.]
[I finally reached my limit and divorced him. On the afternoon of the day I signed the divorce papers, I went to have an abortion. He found out and saw me at the hospital entrance. Do you know how despicable he was? He actually felt remorse, actually regretted it. It was as if his conscience had suddenly awoken, and he realized how terribly he had treated me before. And then? He wanted to have his cake and eat it too. He played the perfect, doting boyfriend in front of his ex-girlfriend while also showing up in front of me from time to time. He even had the delusion of having another child with me, saying that if we just had another one, the child I aborted would choose us as parents again.]
[No matter where I went, even abroad, I couldn't escape him. After him, every man I tried to date would later reveal some horrible flaw. The gentle and refined second male lead turned out to be secretly vicious and cruel, an expert at abusing small animals. The pure, puppy-like younger guy was actually a massive playboy in private. My mature, steady boss, over a decade my senior, was a "phoenix man" in his youth who abandoned his wife and child. Picking the best of the worst, Gu Yanxi was somehow the most decent man among them. The plot actually said Gu Yanxi's character wasn't fundamentally bad.]
[It's absolutely laughable. So, marital infidelity isn't considered a character flaw in the eyes of the plot writer? It's utterly disgusting.] Wen Mingyue hadn't intended to say all this, but once she started, she couldn't hold back.
Yesterday, her mood was too foul to have any desire to talk, and she didn't know how to broach this with Lu Wei. But in the Transmigrators' chat group, she could speak freely.
Because when she joined, she saw that her fellow group members' experiences were each more tragic than the last. Hers probably wouldn't even rank in the top three.
[Chasing-Wife-to-the-Crematorium Wen Mingyue: The characters in this plot are just ridiculous, it's like they've all lost their minds, including the version of me in the story. How can there be someone you literally can't escape in this vast world? What kind of bullshit logic is that? The Gu family has some money and influence, but they're far from being all-powerful. And the 'me' in the plot is just as bad—she actually softens her heart when she sees Gu Yanxi waiting for her in the pouring rain all night, and can't bear it when he gets hurt or falls ill while chasing after her.]
[Disgusting. It's just too disgusting.] Perhaps because it was so revolting, Wen Mingyue retched. The taxi driver in front immediately passed a plastic bag back to her.
Wen Mingyue took it and clutched it in her hand, softly thanking the driver.
The group chat was buzzing with messages.
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: This male lead really was scraped from the bottom of the trash bin. I can't stand this kind of belated affection. What's it called? He only remembers to wipe his nose after the snot's already in his mouth, he only brings the milk after the child has died.]
[Entertainment Industry Slacker Contrast Character Hang Xingyue: Yeah, yeah, it's truly unhinged. There isn't a single normal person in the whole plot. Those men are all scraped together from the garbage dump.]
[Ancient Farming Village Old Lady Zhong Shuyan: Poor girl @Chasing-Wife-to-the-Crematorium Wen Mingyue, cheer up. The fact that you could enter this group proves you can break free from the original plot. All those disgusting things will eventually fade away from you.]
[Entertainment Industry Slacker Contrast Character Hang Xingyue: Sister Zhong is right. Look at me—I've distanced myself from those disgusting people. Now I live in a little courtyard facing the sea amidst spring blossoms. In my free time, I grow flowers, read books, and drink tea. I feel truly happy now.]
Hang Xingyue shared her photos, each one beautiful, radiating an indescribable sense of peaceful, idyllic days. From these pictures, one could also see her satisfaction and contentment with her current life.
Wen Mingyue flipped through them one by one, and gradually, a light began to shine in her eyes. After Hang Xingyue, everyone started posting their own current photos. From Wen Mingyue's story, they all understood her state of mind. As fellow Earth natives, as fellow transmigrators, they all hoped Wen Mingyue would pull herself together.
There's a saying: a living dog is better than a dead lion. The world is so beautiful, and it would be such a shame if Wen Mingyue never got to see it.
The photos shared by the group members were mostly scenic shots, interspersed with glimpses of their current lives. Even Lin Duxi from the post-apocalyptic wasteland sent a picture of a sunset.
The sunset over the desert was breathtakingly beautiful, inspiring genuine awe. Looking at the photo, one couldn't help but marvel at the wondrous craftsmanship of nature. Lin Xi glanced at it. The second newcomer to the group, Gong Ying from the zombie apocalypse world, hadn't said a word since joining.
She didn't dwell on it, picked up her camera, and went to the guesthouse to take a picture of the lotus pond in the sunlight.
The June lotus flowers were a vibrant red, trembling slightly in the gentle breeze. Blue sky, clear water, green mountains—just looking at it filled one with hope.
Wen Mingyue's heart felt warm. She suddenly had a strong urge to pick up her paintbrush and capture this moment of inspiration. She was an art student, studying painting. But ever since marrying Gu Yanxi, because he disliked it, she went from not painting at first to finally picking up the brush only to find her mind a complete blank.
In her previous life, she had been a moderately famous comic artist. The comic she serialized, though updated infrequently and slowly, had gathered a loyal following since her sophomore year. Painting used to be Wen Mingyue's greatest source of happiness and joy.
Transmigrating into this world, her paintbrush had become associated only with pain. It was truly lamentable.
"Patient No. 003, Wen Mingyue, please proceed to Consultation Room 04." The hospital's loudspeaker sounded, repeating the announcement twice. Wen Mingyue stood up and headed toward the consultation room.
Upon entering the room, she was greeted by a woman in her thirties who looked very gentle and approachable. Wen Mingyue's heart, which had been hanging in her throat, finally settled down.
She had been terrified that the moment she pushed the door open, her psychiatrist would turn out to be Xiao Tingshen—the man from the plotline who appeared gentle and refined on the surface but was ruthless and cruel behind the scenes.
At the invitation of her psychiatrist, Ou Lan, she sat down opposite her. Under Ou Lan's patient guidance, and driven by her own desperate desire to change her current situation, she told Ou Lan everything she had experienced over the years.
There were many details she hadn't shared in the group chat. For instance, her first time with Gu Yanxi happened after he drunkenly barged into her room, and her resistance was treated by him as playing hard to get.
To this day, looking back on that night still brought Wen Mingyue immense pain. How could she not be in pain? Even though they were married, she had still been forced into having sex by her legal husband completely against her will.
Speaking of this, Wen Mingyue couldn't help but feel bewildered. Gu Yanxi had never really hidden his cruelty, so what exactly was her state of mind when she woke up the next day and still felt she loved him?
She also remembered waking up that afternoon after they had slept together; facing the mess on the floor, she had actually felt a sense of shy joy.
An hour later, Wen Mingyue walked out of the psychological counseling room. After taking a call from Lu Wei, she sent her doubts to the group chat.
Everyone felt heartbroken for her.
This was especially true for those who had also been controlled by plotlines, like Xu Huixin and Hang Xingyue.
[Stepmother in a Period Novel, Xu Huixin: You must have been controlled by the plot just like I was. That's why, no matter how Gu Yanxi treated you, you had to love him. But the 'you' on the night you two slept together was the real you. You had a moment of awakening halfway through.]
[Eldest Sister-in-law of a Wealthy Family, Ji Xinyu: I'll make a bold guess. The 'you' in the plotline probably never thought about ending your own life, no matter how miserable or desperate you felt. Think about it—how many times have you had that thought during your three years of marriage, and when did it start?]
The words of Xu Huixin and Ji Xinyu made Wen Mingyue ponder. It suddenly dawned on her that the version of herself in the plot was truly resilient. No matter what kind of unfair treatment she suffered or how she was verbally demeaned, she had never once committed suicide.
But as for the real her, ever since that night, the thought of suicide had taken root in her heart. During times of unbearable agony, she had walked up to the rooftop several times.
[Earth Girl Lin Xi: It's too painful, that feeling of watching yourself sink into a swamp while completely wide awake.]
Lin Xi hit the nail on the head. Wen Mingyue had awakened since that time. For two years, she had been struggling in the swamp with a clear subconscious. This was exactly what it meant to watch oneself sink with crystal clarity.
Looking at this message, tears welled up in Wen Mingyue's eyes.
She sent a message: [I am breaking free from this swamp step by step. Tomorrow will be better.]
Everyone sent her pictures cheering her on.
She walked out of the hospital to find Lu Wei waiting for her. The moment Lu Wei saw her, she let out a massive sigh of relief.
On the way back, Wen Mingyue said to Lu Wei, "Let's go on a trip. Let's go see the mountains and rivers we talked about before graduation but never got the chance to visit."
Lu Wei came from a wealthy family and was a somewhat famous comic artist online herself. She never lacked money to spend, and she had been inviting Wen Mingyue to travel with her for three years now.
Now, hearing that Wen Mingyue wanted to go on a trip with her, she beamed with joy. "Yes, absolutely! Let's make Sichuan Province our first stop. Then we can head south all the way, going through Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Provinces, continuing south until we finally reach Hainan Province. What do you think?"
"I think that sounds wonderful." At this moment, Wen Mingyue was filled with anticipation for the trip.
Along the way, the two of them talked about nothing but their excitement for the journey.
But their excitement came to an abrupt halt when they saw Gu Yanxi standing at the door to Lu Wei's house, posing pretentiously in a three-piece suit despite the twenty-seven or twenty-eight-degree Celsius weather.
Gu Yanxi had one hand in his pocket and was holding his phone in the other, replying to a message. Hearing footsteps, he frowned and turned his head. The moment he saw Wen Mingyue—wearing a white T-shirt and cropped jeans that revealed her slender, fair calves—his frown deepened.
It was no exaggeration to say that the crease between his brows could crush a mosquito.
"Wen Mingyue, look at what you're wearing! Has the Gu family deprived you of food or clothing that you have to wear such unpresentable outfits? Go change right now." Gu Yanxi spoke with an air of absolute entitlement, not feeling the least bit out of line or overly controlling.
The smile on Wen Mingyue's face faded. Hearing his words, Lu Wei glared at him from the side. She wanted to fire back a few retorts but was afraid he would take out his displeasure with her on her best friend.
She looked at her friend worriedly, expecting to see a face full of panic and forbearance. Instead, she was met with a pair of calm, tranquil eyes.
For the first time, Wen Mingyue observed Gu Yanxi with such clarity. To her surprise, she suddenly realized that once she stepped out of the story itself and broke free from the setting of being deeply in love with him, Gu Yanxi—whom she used to think was devastatingly handsome—was actually just average.
He wasn't even as good-looking as the male members in their group chat.
The last trace of lingering attachment she had for Gu Yanxi in her heart, which she hadn't even noticed herself, vanished without a trace at this moment.
She took an umbrella from Lu Wei's hand—one that she had carried with her every time she went out since college—took a step forward, and looked at Gu Yanxi.
"Are you done?"
Gu Yanxi looked at the woman in front of him, his expression cold and his gaze aloof and arrogant. "Of course not. You don't actually think I drove hundreds of kilometers to find you just to care about what you're wearing, do you?"
Remembering how this woman had been infatuated with him since they were young, he let out a scoff. He looked at Wen Mingyue as if she were a delusional toad lusting after a swan.
"I've told you long ago, Wen Mingyue, stop your wishful thinking. In this lifetime, I will never like a scheming, vicious, and ungrateful woman like you." In Gu Yanxi's eyes, Wen Mingyue was nothing but deeply manipulative.
She was clearly just an orphaned girl, and it was already a great blessing from the heavens that she was able to grow up in his family. Yet, to stay in the Gu family forever, she even used his grandfather. She knew perfectly well that his grandfather loved her the most, and she knew perfectly well that at that time, he already had a girlfriend he had decided to spend the rest of his life with!
In Gu Yanxi's eyes, Wen Mingyue was biting the hand that fed her! Later, to secure her position as the young madam of the Gu family, she had shamelessly seduced him when he was drunk. Gu Yanxi admitted that she had succeeded. He made himself lose the qualification to be Wen Qing's boyfriend, because Wen Qing had once said that her man must belong only to her, body and soul.
Thinking of Wen Qing, who had married someone abroad not long after he slept with Wen Mingyue, a surge of anger rose in Gu Yanxi's eyes. This anger was entirely directed at Wen Mingyue, mixed with a sense of embarrassed rage, because he realized he had a physical possessiveness over this wife he absolutely loathed.
He had fallen in love with her body. To shake off this feeling, he had tried many women over the years, but none could compare to her! Gu Yanxi believed that Wen Mingyue, this deeply calculating woman, had definitely cast a spell on him.
In his view, a scheming woman like her would do absolutely anything for money and status. Gu Yanxi had seen enough of it growing up.
Before regaining the memories of her past life, hearing such words would have definitely left Wen Mingyue heartbroken and miserable.
But now, she felt nothing at all. Instead, she found Gu Yanxi utterly pathetic; he was a man who only lived in his own little world.
In Gu Yanxi's world, everyone who approached him had an agenda, and everyone who befriended him had ulterior motives. Only Wen Qing, the girl he had loved in his youth, was pure, kind, and flawless.
He had fallen into the web of love Wen Qing had tailor-made for him, unable to break free or escape. Before he truly saw Wen Qing's true colors, he believed that every other woman who got close to him was only after his money, his power, and his status.
What finally woke him up was the child he had aborted. It was so damn disgusting.
Watching Wen Mingyue walk toward him, the look in Gu Yanxi's eyes grew even more contemptuous.
Wen Mingyue swung her umbrella and smacked him with it.
"I've wanted to beat you up for a long time, Gu Yanxi. I really don't understand how a brain-dead idiot like you can exist in the new century." Wen Mingyue had taken the strength pill given by Chu Qianmo, and its effects were instantaneous.
At the very least, Gu Yanxi, who had a muscular physique befitting a male lead, was completely powerless to fight back under Wen Mingyue's umbrella.
With every word Wen Mingyue said, she struck him. In just the time it took to say that one sentence, he was beaten dizzy, and two red welts had already appeared on the face he always boasted was the most handsome in the world.
Gu Yanxi felt that he had never been a gentleman. He wanted to hit her back, but facing Wen Mingyue, who was wielding a retractable umbrella like a marksman with a long-range weapon, he was like a short-armed warrior who couldn't get close to her at all.
He was forced to stay on the defensive. The umbrella hit him so hard it hurt like hell. Had it not been to save face, Gu Yanxi would have cried out in pain long ago.
"You are just a coward, do you know that, Gu Yanxi? You didn't dare to rebel against your grandfather's arrangements, so you took all your anger out on me. Do you think you're a hundred-dollar bill that everyone loves? Let me tell you, you're just a rotten cucumber that's been used by others, and you still treat yourself like a treasure? Did your precious Wen Qing give you this confidence?"
"I really can't figure it out. If you couldn't bear to let Wen Qing go abroad, you should have just chased after her. What, the grand young master and CEO of the Gu family can't even afford a plane ticket? Or have you been blacklisted as a credit defaulter? Is it really that hard to buy a plane ticket to go see the love of your life?"
"Pining for your white moonlight in your heart while putting on a facade of deep devotion, but in reality, sleeping with one woman after another. Aren't you despicable? Aren't you disgusting, Mr. CEO? Could it be that as the CEO of the Gu family, you not only have business KPIs, but also KPIs for sleeping with women? If you don't sleep with eight or ten a month, you don't meet your quota?"
Wen Mingyue hurled sarcasm at him one sentence after another. She hit him so hard that parts of the umbrella in her hand went flying, leaving the canopy in tatters, which made the blows hurt even more.
Lu Wei was extremely surprised. She covered her mouth and hid to the side, occasionally stepping forward to help Wen Mingyue by giving Gu Yanxi a kick.
Hearing the words Wen Mingyue said, Lu Wei couldn't stop herself from clapping.
When Wen Mingyue got tired of hitting him, she conveniently pressed the elevator button. As soon as the elevator doors opened, she kicked Gu Yanxi inside and used the umbrella to press the button for the first floor.
At this moment, Gu Yanxi was already covered in injuries. Wen Mingyue's kick sent him crashing into the elevator doors, leaving him dizzy and seeing stars.
In his blurred vision, he looked at Wen Mingyue's retreating back, which seemed to come with its own halo. The umbrella that had beaten him until his whole body ached looked like Sailor Moon's magic wand.
Suddenly, Gu Yanxi felt as though he didn't hate Wen Mingyue anymore.
