Chapter 4: After the Story Ends, the Heroine Realizes She’s Just a Blood Bag

“Shen Zhiqing!”

“Wait a moment!”

Just as Shen Zhiyu placed her hand on the bicycle, ready to leave, Qiao Qian came rushing out of the supply and marketing cooperative.

“I… I want to talk to you!”

“You want to talk to me?”

Shen Zhiyu raised a hand and pointed to herself. “Are you alright?”

Although their earlier interactions were relatively normal, their relationship was far from harmonious.

“Yes, I want to talk to you!”

Qiao Qian suddenly looked resolute, as if she had made a firm decision.

“Alright then, but forget it, I’ll give you one popsicle!”

Uncertain about what Qiao Qian wanted to discuss, Shen Zhiyu sensed from her demeanor that it must be something important.

Shen Zhiyu’s initial thought was to completely ignore this female lead, letting her walk the sunny path while she took her own narrow bridge. But for some reason, looking at Qiao Qian, she felt it was better to listen.

As for the ice cream sticks she had planned to use as a ticket to the guesthouse, she would spare one for Qiao Qian and reluctantly keep the rest for herself—a popsicle and an ice cream bar.

“I had a dream!”

The moment Qiao Qian spoke, Shen Zhiyu’s heart skipped a beat. Could this female lead have been reborn?

After all, starting with a dream was the classic setup.

As Qiao Qian slowly recounted, Shen Zhiyu confirmed one thing: Qiao Qian really had been reborn.

“The villagers always compared you to me, saying you, a sent-down youth, weren’t as good as a simple village girl like me. You know, I was so proud!”

“So whenever I met you, I deliberately provoked you—watched you get angry, lose your temper, become more and more irritable. The more you lost control, the more satisfaction I got!”

“But when you were kicked out of the Qi family and froze to death under the bridge, I regretted it!”

“Shen Zhiyu, I’m sorry. I was blinded by my own selfishness. If you blame me or hate me, just hit me!”

“No, I wouldn’t dare!”

Shen Zhiyu rolled her eyes. “My reputation isn’t exactly stellar, and if I hit you, what reputation would I have left?”

“Besides, what you said was all just a dream!”

“No, it’s not a dream!”

Qiao Qian shook her head fiercely, grabbing Shen Zhiyu’s hand. “I feel like I lived that life!”

“I was frugal and managed the household, dutiful to my in-laws, kind to my adopted children. Everyone praised me, but when I arrived and could no longer work, I realized I had raised two ungrateful wolves!”

“They weren’t orphans of my husband’s comrades but his own children with his childhood sweetheart!”

“I worked like a beast for that family my whole life, and when I got sick and old, they locked me in a room to starve to death!”

“Do you know, when I died, I felt it was divine retribution!”

“I wronged you, so I deserve this ending!”

“At that moment, I thought if I could live life over, I would apologize to you and get along with you, restore your reputation, and give you a bright future!”

Listening to Qiao Qian’s sincere words, Shen Zhiyu sighed. “Qiao Qian, if what you say is really going to happen in the future, haven’t you thought about yourself?”

“I have,” Qiao Qian said, her eyes shining fiercely. “I want to divorce Zhou Yuhai!”

“This life, I want to live for myself!”

“Qiao Qian, aren’t you afraid that this dream is just a dream?”

“No, I’ve verified it!”

At Shen Zhiyu’s question, Qiao Qian gave a bitter smile. “Some things in the dream have come true. For example, something has changed with you.”

“Shen Zhiyu, you didn’t live that entire lifetime, did you?”

Qiao Qian asked tentatively.

Shen Zhiyu rolled her eyes. “You said I was kicked out of the Qi family early, froze to death under the bridge. If I really lived again, do you think the Lord of the Underworld would wait for both of us to die before letting us relive life together?”

“That’s true.”

Qiao Qian scratched her head. “Shen Zhiyu, there’s one more thing I have to tell you. Before I married Zhou Yuhai, I was childhood sweethearts with your husband Qi Huan!”

“I’m sorry, it was me who made him marry you!”

“...!”

Hearing this truth, Shen Zhiyu finally pieced everything together.

No wonder Qi Huan rarely came home after marrying her; though they were husband and wife, they never shared a conjugal relationship.

Her former self was so irritable and caused chaos in the Qi household; without this reason, it made no sense.

Though the former self was troublesome, such matters affected a girl’s reputation—how could she have spoken openly?

“I see.”

“Alright, after you divorce Zhou Yuhai, I’ll divorce Qi Huan, and you two can make a pair!”

“Shen Zhiyu, you misunderstand. I’m not telling you this so you’ll divorce Qi Huan!”

“I just want to tell you that after my divorce, I’ll talk to Qi Huan and admit my mistakes, so he can live well with you!”

“In the last life, both Qi Huan and I wronged you!”

“This life, I’ll make it up to you, and so will Qi Huan!”

“Shen Zhiyu, I swear I will make it up to you!”

Qiao Qian raised her hand in a solemn oath, as if thunder and lightning accompanied her vow.

“No, no, please don’t!”

Shen Zhiyu laughed softly. “Since you said in the last life Qi Huan divorced me and kicked me out of the Qi family, where I froze to death under the bridge!”

“Then let me ask you—would I have wanted a man like Qi Huan?”

At this moment, Shen Zhiyu was especially furious.

Although Qiao Qian confessed everything, her discomfort only grew stronger.

This was all Qiao Qian’s fault!

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault!” Qiao Qian felt even more ashamed.

Having Qi Huan marry Shen Zhiyu was actually out of jealousy.

Before Shen Zhiyu arrived, even the sent-down youths from the city at their commune weren’t as pretty as Qiao Qian.

But with Shen Zhiyu’s arrival, everything changed.

She became the most beautiful.

The men who used to orbit around Qiao Qian all shifted their attention to Shen Zhiyu.

When they found out Shen Zhiyu couldn’t do farm work and didn’t earn many work points, Qiao Qian deliberately created opportunities to bring Shen Zhiyu and Qi Huan together.

Eventually, Qi Huan and Shen Zhiyu got close.

But after Qi Huan started paying attention to the former self, Qiao Qian had some regrets.

“Shen Zhiyu, Qi Huan is actually a good man.”

“You just don’t know him yet!”

“When you do, you’ll see his virtues!”

“Absolutely not!”

“Qiao Qian, I’ll say it again: Qi Huan and I are definitely getting divorced!”

“He doesn’t have me in his heart, and I’m not someone to be pitied!”

Having uncovered the truth, not only did Shen Zhiyu originally plan to part ways with Qi Huan, but now she was even more determined.