Upon returning home, the protagonist learns that He Xuezhú is unexpectedly pregnant. Naturally, his mother is unwilling to let her daughter-in-law abort the baby. After all, she has been eagerly waiting for a grandchild for three long years. Despite Miao Xing being a nurse with a steady income, her family situation is quite average. More importantly, while she looks down on He Xuezhú, she holds even less respect for Miao Xing, who knowingly pursues a woman who is already married. Therefore, she adamantly refuses to allow Miao Xing into the family.
Touched that her mother-in-law, whom she thought despised her, would protect her at such a critical moment, He Xuezhú feels helpless in front of her husband. With her mother in opposition, the original protagonist takes Miao Xing back to the military, where their feelings deepen. However, unwilling to give up, Miao Xing gets them both drunk one night, leading to an intimate encounter.
Just after Miao Xing finds out she is pregnant, He Xuezhú gives birth to a daughter, much to the disappointment of her mother-in-law, who had been longing for a grandson. Her attitude changes abruptly from supportive to opposing. He Xuezhú hardly recovers from childbirth when news of Miao Xing’s pregnancy reaches them.
Though hesitant, the original protagonist’s mother still refuses to relent. Encouraged by Miao Xing, the original protagonist vows not to return home until he is divorced. Eventually, the pressure of her son’s prolonged absence forces her to concede.
He Xuezhú, with her gentle nature, finds no one willing to support her, and even her once-protective mother-in-law changes her stance. With no option left, she holds her daughter and cries as she agrees to the divorce.
Fate takes a cruel twist; while Miao Xing and the original protagonist plan to return home, a tragic car accident occurs. Instinctively, he shields his lover, resulting in Miao Xing suffering only minor injuries while he faces severe consequences, becoming paraplegic.
After the incident, Miao Xing leaves the hospital to terminate her pregnancy without a second thought, abandoning the original protagonist who has no one to care for him. With his paralysis, he can no longer serve in the military. Returning home prematurely, his mother welcomes him back, though she is left in tears.
He watches as the wife he once scorned manages household chores, raises their child, and cares for him, despite feeling guilt for not being a good husband. Their daughter grows up under her mother’s influence, idolizing her wronged father as a hero.
Despite the tension, both women share the same goal: to care for him, allowing their lives to continue despite the disagreements. His mother passes away before him, leaving him behind with the one who cared for him all along. On her deathbed, she reminisces about her dreams of a happy marriage before their tumultuous life together.
He Xuezhú endures her own hardships, growing up in a family that favored sons and later facing the burden of caring for a paralyzed husband. In her twilight years, plagued by illness and unable to afford treatment, she suffers daily.
The original protagonist leaves this world filled with guilt towards his wife. After being chosen by the task space, he makes a wish for He Xuezhú to achieve the family she had always desired, hoping she would find peace, and that both his mother and wife could coexist harmoniously. He wishes for their daughter not to be burdened by her disabled father’s legacy or be disregarded by her grandma’s traditional biases.
These are things the original protagonist could never achieve, so he trades his soul, hoping that Lin Shiheng could fulfill them with his own body.
[Ding! Memory reception complete, task completion level: 0, please complete as soon as possible.]
Lin Shiheng pulls back the covers, gets out of bed, and gazes out the window at the scenery. The original protagonist’s memories are vivid, but he has no idea that this world is actually a novel.
Set in the 1990s, the book’s author appears lazy with research, creating a world that often contradicts reality. For instance, this young body serves as a regiment commander.
In this book, the paraplegic original protagonist cannot be the main character. After his brief appearance, he becomes merely a part of the memories of the female lead, Miao Xing.
Yes, Miao Xing is the female lead this time. She is young, beautiful, and a sought-after nurse in that era. The original protagonist was her first love—young, handsome, and a regiment commander with a promising future.
Ironically, the true male lead is the deputy commander. Zhang Yanming, unlike the original protagonist who rose from humble beginnings, comes from an affluent family. He was sent to the military to discipline himself due to a spoiled youth. Unexpectedly, he excels in this environment and quickly climbs the ranks, becoming the deputy commander.
The original protagonist remembers that Zhang Yanming, since their first meeting, has always looked down upon him. Yet, he avoids conflict because he knows Zhang’s background.
The real reason Zhang Yanming resents the original protagonist is that he has fallen for nurse Miao Xing, who is devotedly in love with the married original protagonist.
Seeing his rival, how could he not feel displeased?
In the novel’s plot, upon learning that the woman he loves is pregnant out of wedlock and plans to marry the original protagonist, Zhang Yanming, fuming, hires someone to orchestrate the car accident and then takes Miao Xing to terminate her pregnancy. This leads to the centrally tragic love story of the novel, culminating in Zhang’s rise to power and Miao Xing becoming a highly envied Mrs. Zhang.
Lin Shiheng perceives from the novel’s plot that Miao Xing’s departure, abortion, and everything else were forced rather than voluntary. Even their first time together was facilitated by drugs administered by Zhang Yanming. Reflecting on the memories where Miao Xing and Zhang occasionally exchanged glances, and recalling the times he caught her acting strangely upon his return, what the original protagonist previously overlooked now appears profoundly suggestive.
In the plot, Zhang Yanming capitalizes on the original protagonist’s absence, engaging with Miao Xing in a semi-consensual manner—doing everything but going all the way, and it happens more than once.
Lin Shiheng glances down at his bandaged arm, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.