Chapter 1: Fiancé

Chapter 1

Winter, 1977.

The train carrying the educated youths returning to the city roared into Yanjing.

Ying Qiqiao waited at the station exit, her eyes fixed nervously on the young man not far away.

He stood in the biting wind, dressed in thin clothes, his cold, stern face looking aloof and arrogant.

This was her fiancé, Qin Yanci.

Compared to the youthful, spirited look in the photo, the current him was mature and steady, eye-catching.

One just wondered if her stepmother would regret not letting her stepsister get engaged to him when she saw him later.

Seeing people starting to leave, she stopped her wild thoughts and called out to him in a soft, coquettish voice: "Aci, Qin Yanci?"

"Who are you."

Qin Yanci sized up the girl before him.

Twenty at most, skin very fair, oval face, big eyes.

The rustic floral padded jacket and cotton trousers couldn't hide her delicate beauty.

Her voice was soft and gentle, giving listeners goosebumps.

Ying Qiqiao looked at him, summoning her courage: "I'm your fiancée, Qiqiao. Didn't Uncle and Aunt write to tell you about our engagement?"

Qin Yanci was very cold: "Now you know. Since you're my fiancée, go back and warm my bed for me."

Ying Qiqiao's face reddened: "..." Isn't this a hooligan?

She wanted to turn and leave, but feared she couldn't explain to her father. She clenched her fists, her voice tiny as a mosquito: "Okay, are you cold? This is for you."

Before coming, she had specially prepared a warm padded coat. Now she offered it with both hands.

Qin Yanci froze. For some reason, his irritated mood actually dissipated considerably because of her serious, sincere attitude toward him. He hesitated slightly, took the coat and put it on, his tone losing a degree of coldness: "Why didn't my parents come themselves?"

Ying Qiqiao's thoughts turned. If she told him his sister-in-law was giving birth and the whole family had gone to the hospital, would he feel disappointed? If he decided his parents were biased and got stuck on it, causing trouble, what then? She pursed her lips and said bashfully: "Come home with me first. I'll explain slowly when I'm warming your bed for you, okay?"

A flicker of surprise flashed in Qin Yanci's eyes. His cold face showed a trace of unnaturalness. He changed the subject: "You're called Qiqiao. Are you the fourth child in the family?"

"The character for 'woman' plus 'yi' makes Qi. Ying Qiqiao. I only have one younger half-sister from the same father."

Ying Qiqiao led him home. Just as they entered the courtyard, she ran into Li Yumei face-to-face.

Li Yumei wore the currently popular Ke Xiang tou hairstyle, a red-white-gray checkered wool coat, a white scarf, brown corduroy trousers, and small black leather shoes. Her makeup was exquisite, giving off a very fashionable air.

Her brow twitched upon seeing the two of them.

Three months ago, she had been reborn.

In her previous life, the one engaged to Qin Yanci was her.

At first, she was extremely satisfied with this marriage.

Because the Qin family lived in a siheyuan in Dongcheng District, the wealthiest area of Yanjing. Her parents had respectable jobs.

He himself had a high school education and outstanding looks.

Everyone around her envied her for marrying into a good family.

The day Qin Yanci returned to the capital, she had dressed up carefully and waited at the station for three hours in the freezing wind before he arrived.

Love at first sight.

She originally thought he would also be satisfied with her beautiful, fashionable self. Who knew he would only ask: "Why didn't my parents come?"

She forgot what she said at the time, but he slapped her until her face swelled.

She returned alone.

Her parents, far from comforting her about her ordeal, instead blamed her for being rash and useless.

Later they married.

Qin Yanci completely revealed his perverted nature, spending his days taking pleasure in tormenting her.

As for Ying Qiqiao, her mother schemed to marry her off to a good-for-nothing near her maternal grandmother's house in exchange for a bride price.

Who knew that good-for-nothing was actually a dragon among men.

After business was liberalized in 1980, he quickly became the richest man in Yanjing through his talent.

Ying Qiqiao transformed from a sparrow into a phoenix. When she went out, she was surrounded by attendants, incomparably glorious. The good-for-nothing wouldn't go west if she said east. Even because of one sentence from Ying Qiqiao saying she disliked her parents, he used his power to remove her father from his post and forced her mother into early retirement, driving them into poverty and death in the streets.

Reliving this life, she wanted to live Ying Qiqiao's life, to avenge her parents.

Persuading her father to betroth Ying Qiqiao to Qin Yanci, cutting off any possibility of her and that good-for-nothing, was only the first step.

(End of Chapter)