1966, Shanghai.
Xu Xiangsi (female) walked into the state-run restaurant. It was just past lunch hour; the place wasn’t crowded, though a few tables were scattered around.
The air carried a mix of aromas—partly from the food, partly from cooking oil—with people chatting in the background, making it somewhat noisy.
She immediately spotted a young man sitting by the window. His posture was straight; he wore a slightly worn dacron-cotton shirt, his elbows resting on the greasy tabletop, staring out the window.
That must be him! The matchmaker, Aunt Wang, had said he’d be a young man in a clean shirt, waiting alone.
Xu Xiangsi took a deep breath and walked briskly over.
She was frustrated!
A modern, independent woman like her had, just a few days ago, blinked and found herself inside a historical novel called “The Spoiled Beauty Adored by a Hong Kong Tycoon”, transformed into the book’s vindictive stepsister—spoiled, headstrong, big-chested, and utterly foolish! Her only role: to serve as cannon fodder for the heroine, giving warmth, opportunities, and startup capital.
What kind of nonsense was this?
Long Peiye (male) was lost in thought, waiting for his comrade-in-arms. Suddenly, the light in front of him dimmed, and a faint floral scent wafted into his nose.
He looked up. A woman had already pulled out the chair opposite him and plopped down.
She had bright, clear eyes, fair skin that almost dazzled, two glossy black braids, and finely sculpted features. Her expression… was far too serious, like she had come to settle a score.
Long Peiye frowned, certain he didn’t know this woman.
Just as he was about to ask, “Comrade, did you mistake me for someone else?”, she spoke first:
“Hello, I’m Xu Xiangsi. I’m your blind date.”
Long Peiye: “??”
He had arranged to meet his life-and-death comrade, Old Li! Since when did this turn into a blind date?
Was this woman slightly crazy?
But when the name “Xu Xiangsi” reached his ears, Long Peiye’s heart skipped a beat.
That name…
He casually sized her up again. Despite her impatient, watery almond-shaped eyes, he could still make out familiar features.
It was her!
He was almost certain that the Xu Xiangsi before him was the little girl who had once saved his life by the river!
But… a “blind date”?
After he fell into the river years ago and was rescued, his family had relocated due to their social status. He never got the chance to thank her, which had always been a regret.
Xu Xiangsi didn’t care about his recognition or lack thereof. She just wanted to resolve things quickly.
She continued: “The matchmaker should’ve told you everything about me. I have only one requirement: we marry immediately. Today! Tomorrow! The sooner, the better! After marriage, my household registration must be transferred to your home immediately.”
Long Peiye: “…”
He felt like he was hallucinating.
Xu Xiangsi paused, softening her tone slightly, though her words were still startling:
“Of course, I’m not asking for your help for free. We’ll be in a nominal marriage, nothing more. After it’s done, I can give you some money, or if you have other requests, anything within my ability, I’ll fulfill.”
At this, Long Peiye didn’t rush to explain.
A playful glint appeared in his deep eyes. Leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, he looked at her at ease:
“Oh? Since it’s a blind date, I’m obviously looking for someone to share life with. Comrade Xu Xiangsi, tell me, why should I pass up a perfectly good partner to enter a nominal marriage with you?”
This man didn’t play by the usual rules!
Xu Xiangsi muttered in her heart. Didn’t the matchmaker say his family needed money urgently and that he wasn’t picky? Why was he now being so selective?
She patiently explained: “Because we don’t know each other, and there’s no emotional foundation! If we married for real, wouldn’t that be too hasty?”
Long Peiye raised an eyebrow, teasing: “But Comrade Xu Xiangsi, I’m looking for someone who truly wants to share life with me, not a partner who only wants my household registration.”
Xu Xiangsi was speechless for a moment.
Her brows furrowed, her face fell, and she snapped: “Fine, then forget it! If we’re incompatible, I’ll find someone else willing!”
What a waste of time! She had hoped for a quick resolution.
She stood up with a whoosh, ready to leave.
“Wait, hold on!” Long Peiye’s deep voice, tinged with a faint, barely perceptible smile, called her back.
Xu Xiangsi impatiently turned: “What now? I’m in a hurry!”
Long Peiye watched her flustered expression, a corner of his mouth curling: “Tell me first, why are you in such a rush for a nominal marriage? If your reason is sufficient, I might consider it.”
He really did want to hear it—what exactly this “little benefactor” who had saved him years ago and now come knocking on her own was plotting.
Xu Xiangsi (female) froze for a moment.
She pressed her lips together tightly, her gaze flickering as she fell silent for a beat.
Forget it. At this point, there was nothing left to hide.
She lifted her head to meet Long Peiye’s (male) probing eyes, took a deep breath, and spoke with unexpected calm.
“Because something happened to my maternal grandfather’s family. You should know that in times like these, certain backgrounds are… sensitive. Before Liberation, my grandfather was a well-known capitalist in Shanghai.”
“After Liberation, he kept a low profile and responded to the calls by donating a large portion of his property. But a big tree catches the wind. Some time ago, he was still reported, and the result was that the entire family was sent down to the countryside.”
“My father immediately published a notice severing ties back then,” she shrugged. “But he still wants to move to Hong Kong.”
“I don’t want to go to Hong Kong. But given my situation, if I stay here alone, I’ll either be sent down to accept re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants, or be sent to the countryside as an educated youth to help build rural areas. I don’t want to choose either of those—so the only option left is to get married.”
Xu Xiangsi truly had no other way out.
The original body’s mother had died of illness five years ago. The following year, her father, Xu Rongchang (male), remarried Lin Jiaoyan (female) and brought back a stepdaughter three months younger than her—Xu Jingjing (female), the original novel’s female protagonist.
Once her maternal grandfather’s family ran into trouble, Xu Rongchang, afraid of being implicated, was the first to publish a notice cutting off relations. Still uneasy, he planned to move the entire family to Hong Kong to rely on Xu Xiangsi’s so‑called fiancé, Song Shengze (male)—the original novel’s male lead.
Thinking of this, a mocking smile curved at Xu Xiangsi’s lips.
In the original novel, the original body “accidentally” fell into the water on the ship bound for Hong Kong.
And it was at that moment that Xu Jingjing yanked off the jade pendant hanging around her neck, scraped her hand until it bled, and activated the spatial ability.
As for now…
The moment Xu Xiangsi transmigrated, she immediately used her blood to activate the space herself.
She had no intention of repeating history—no way was she going to end up feeding the fish the moment she arrived in this world. So she privately sought out a neighborhood matchmaker and asked her to introduce a marriage prospect.
Long Peiye didn’t interrupt, listening quietly the entire time.
Xu Xiangsi softened her tone. “Don’t worry. I already said it’s a fake marriage—only in name. Once things calm down, or I find another way to support myself, or if you meet someone you like, we can divorce at any time. I can even help explain things to the other party.”
After hearing everything, Long Peiye unconsciously tapped his fingers lightly against the tabletop, producing a soft tap, tap sound.
His gaze was deep, like an ancient well—impossible to read.
Xu Xiangsi felt a little uneasy.Was this man having second thoughts?
She had practically laid all her cards on the table.
After a long while, Long Peiye finally spoke, his voice low and steady:
“I can agree to a fake marriage with you.”
Xu Xiangsi’s heart loosened instantly—she almost cheered out loud.
But before she could celebrate, Long Peiye added calmly:
“But there’s one condition.”