May 3rd, 1979.
The dim prison cell was stuffy and hot. Nan Zhu lay motionless on the bed. After five days, her tears had long run dry, and all she could do was stare blankly at the space above the iron bed.
“Nan Zhu, who said you could sleep? Get up and give Hong Jie a massage.”
A woman, also in a prison uniform, came over, yanked Nan Zhu off the bed, and pinched her arm hard.
“You bitch, do you still think you’re the Young Mistress of the Gu family? If you know what’s good for you, get over there and serve Hong Jie.”
Dragged, Nan Zhu fell to the floor. She struggled with all her might, trying to break free from the woman’s grip.
However, her resistance only fueled the woman’s violent tendencies. The woman grabbed her by the hair and began to punch and kick her.
“Bitch, now that you’re locked up, you should be serving Hong Jie properly. If you dare to disobey, no one will save you even if I beat you to death.”
“Who do you think you are? Just an orphan, yet you dare to be a homewrecker. You’re truly shameless.”
Nan Zhu wrapped her arms tightly around her stomach and subconsciously retorted, “I’m not a homewrecker. I’m Gu Shaoxuan’s wife.”
That was right. She was the wife of the Gu family’s young master, Gu Shaoxuan, and she was over three months pregnant.
But a few days ago, Gu Shaoxuan’s childhood sweetheart had returned from out of town, and for her sake, he wanted a fake divorce from Nan Zhu.
She had refused, raising a fuss at home. Then, provoked by Liang Yuruo’s feigned helplessness, she had lost her temper and slapped her twice.
Those two slaps were like poking a hornet’s nest. Liang Yuruo fell to the ground, nearly suffering a miscarriage, and Nan Zhu was forced to admit she was wrong.
She didn’t feel she had done anything wrong and stubbornly refused to apologize. As a result, she was thrown into a detention center.
He had promised he would only have her locked up for three days before getting her out, but it was now the fifth day.
For five days, she had been tormented by the two other women in her cell until she was barely recognizable.
She could only eat their leftovers, which they sometimes deliberately threw on the ground, forcing her to eat off the floor like a dog.
Every day, she had to serve that “Hong Jie” by massaging her shoulders and legs. Whether she used too much or too little force, she would be met with a scolding or a slap. Even worse, they had forced her to drink urine.
But she had endured it all, praying countless times that Gu Shaoxuan would have a change of heart, remember the child in her belly, and get her out.
“You bitch, you still dare to talk back!” Hearing her retort, the woman grew even angrier. Her eyes shifted maliciously to Nan Zhu’s stomach, and she kicked it forcefully, a sinister smile on her face. “You’re even pregnant with a bastard. You still dare to deny it?”
“Ah!” The intense pain made Nan Zhu’s face contort. She clutched her stomach and writhed on the ground.
A warm gush flowed downwards. Her face instantly turned ashen, and a wave of panic flashed in her eyes.
“My baby… save my baby, I’m begging you.”
She clutched her stomach and pleaded with the woman for help. A pool of blood was spreading beneath her, and the metallic smell quickly filled the cell.
“It’s just a bastard. If it’s gone, it’s gone. What’s the big deal?”
A gloating smile appeared on the woman’s face. She turned and walked back to her own bed, not giving Nan Zhu a second glance.
Clutching her stomach, Nan Zhu’s face was pale with pain, her forehead covered in a cold sweat. But she instinctively crawled toward the cell door and pounded on it with all her might.
“Open the door! Save my baby!”
The bright red blood gradually covered the floor. The terror in her eyes deepened as she used her last ounce of strength to bang on the door, wishing she could tear it down.
The door suddenly opened. She looked up and saw a handsome, familiar face. She raised a hand, trying to grab him.
“Xiao Jiu, save my baby.”
With those words, she could hold on no longer and collapsed.
Yuan Zheng’s expression was grim. He bent down, swept Nan Zhu into his arms, and strode outside.
…
Nan Jin’s commercial building was officially open for business. Overjoyed, she was pulled into drinking too much with her business partners and fell into a deep sleep.
In the chaos of her mind, she felt herself floating up and down through the shopping mall several times.
Then, the life of another woman was forcibly poured into her mind. The sensation gave her a splitting headache, yet she couldn’t get any proper sleep.
It was because someone was constantly cursing in her ear.
“You useless thing, you can’t even protect a child. What good are you?”
Gu Shaoxuan was irritable and annoyed. He looked at the pale woman on the hospital bed, his eyes dark. “Mom, Xiao Zhu didn’t want this to happen. If I hadn’t sent her to the detention center…”
Yuan Limei said coldly, “She hit Yuruo first and refused to admit she was wrong. Didn’t she deserve to be taught a lesson?”
“It was just a few days in there to teach her a lesson. Who knew she’d be so useless.”
“Good thing it was just a girl. If it’s gone, it’s gone. You just focus on protecting the son in Yuruo’s belly.”
Gu Shaoxuan’s expression stiffened. The son in Liang Yuruo’s belly wasn’t his.
Ten days ago, Liang Yuruo had suddenly come to him, begging for his help. All she wanted was to give her child a legal identity so he could be born safely.
Nan Zhu had come to his family when she was ten and had grown up with him. There were still feelings between them.
But his bond with Liang Yuruo was one forged since they were children, and he also owed her for saving his life. What could he do?
He had already told Nan Zhu it was just a fake divorce and that they would remarry later, but she didn’t believe him and insisted on making a scene, which led to the current situation.
“Mom, don’t say any more.” His face was full of bitterness. He didn’t want to discuss these things right now.
“Xiao Zhu, be good and rest up. We’ll remarry in six months.”
Realizing something, Nan Jin’s eyes flew open. The overly realistic memories made her subconsciously reach for her stomach.
Other than a faint ache, the slight roundness was no longer there.
“My baby! My baby,” she murmured, her face ghastly pale as she slowly turned her head to the side.
The window frames were a faded blue, their paint chipping, giving them a dated look. The floor was made of gray terrazzo.
Sitting nearby was a slender young man with a long face, wearing black-framed glasses. He had on a white stand-collar shirt with the top buttons undone.
Standing behind him was a middle-aged woman in a blue floral blouse, blue bell-bottoms, and platform shoes. Her hair was styled in big waves, held in place by a decorative clip at the front.
Weren’t these two the very people she had just seen in her dream?
This man before her, was he that woman’s scumbag husband?
And this woman, was she the mother-in-law who, for the sake of an outsider, had caused her own daughter-in-law to lose both her life and her child’s?
Had she… transmigrated?