Moreover, in the original novel, Jiang Mengmeng only approached Lu Qiance after learning that his marriage with Sang Qing had become a complete mess. She comforted him during that difficult time.
Unfortunately, Sang Qing happened to see the two of them together. From then on, she began relentlessly targeting Jiang Mengmeng. As Lu Qiance repeatedly found himself mediating their conflicts, he gradually developed feelings for Jiang Mengmeng.
The moment Sang Qing thought of this, she frowned and shot Lu Qiance a fierce glare.
“Hmph! Scumbag!”
Lu Qiance: “???”
His mind raced, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure out why she’d suddenly called him that.
Seeing that they were almost home, Lu Qiance simply hoisted Sang Qing over his shoulder and carried her into the main room.
He settled into a chair with her securely in his arms.
“Wife, if you’re angry, you can hit me or scold me all you want. Just don’t make yourself sick from anger, okay?”
Taking her hand, he pressed it against his chest.
The next second, he reached up with one hand and started unbuttoning his collar.
Startled, Sang Qing hurriedly covered his collar with both hands.
“N-No need! I’m not angry anymore!”
She knew very well that none of the events in the original novel had actually happened.
The current Lu Qiance indulged her in everything.
There was no reason to punish him for something his novel counterpart had done.
Still, many of the original plot points had indeed come to pass. Before she’d awakened, most events had unfolded exactly as they had in the book.
When Lu Qiance saw her fall silent again after saying she wasn’t angry, he hurriedly declared his loyalty.
“Wife, don’t worry. My body and my heart both belong only to you. I’m very pure! That woman only grabbed my pant leg. I’ll throw these pants away today!”
Sang Qing looked up at him.
His focused gaze always made her feel at ease, as though there was nothing in his heart or eyes except her.
“I’m not angry with you,” she said softly. “I just think Jiang Mengmeng is… strange.”
After thinking it over, she decided to tell him what she’d realized.
He was supposed to be the male lead. Maybe he could see something she’d overlooked.
“Director Zhou came with me to the Public Security Bureau because he collapsed in an alley. If I hadn’t saved him, he might have…”
She carefully chose her words.
After all, in the original novel, Zhou Zheng really had died in that alley.
But Lu Qiance didn’t know that, so she could only speak hypothetically.
Seeing that he simply watched her without interrupting, she continued,
“When we were at the Public Security Bureau, Jiang Mengmeng looked extremely shocked when she heard Director Zhou’s name. It wasn’t the kind of surprise you’d have upon hearing he was the factory director—it was more like she was shocked that he was still alive.”
Afraid Lu Qiance would dismiss it as her overthinking, she added,
“Jiang Mengmeng had never even met Director Zhou before. There’s no way she should’ve known who he was.”
Lu Qiance narrowed his dark eyes.
He had noticed Jiang Mengmeng’s strange reaction as well.
He simply hadn’t shown it because he didn’t want to frighten Sang Qing.
He hadn’t expected his wife to analyze everything so thoroughly on her own.
Gently squeezing her soft little hand, the boneless tenderness almost made every bone in his body melt.
His gaze darkened slightly before he spoke.
“Jiang Mengmeng is indeed acting suspiciously. Either she’s the mastermind behind Director Zhou’s attempted murder… or she possesses some kind of unusual ability.”
There really were people in this world with extraordinary mystical abilities.
But judging from Jiang Mengmeng’s expression just now, that didn’t seem to be the case.
Which made the fact that she somehow knew Zhou Zheng was supposed to die all the more suspicious.
Either she was a spy secretly eliminating people valuable to the country…
Or…
…she was possessed by some supernatural being—or something even stranger.
Lu Qiance recalled his earlier investigation into Sang Qingshan.
He had discovered that Sang Qingshan frequently had dealings with Jiang Mengmeng.
More importantly, it was always Sang Qingshan giving Jiang Mengmeng money.
At first, Lu Qiance had suspected Jiang Mengmeng might be Sang Qingshan’s illegitimate daughter.
Given the man’s history, it had seemed plausible, so he hadn’t looked into it any further.
Now, however…
It seemed Jiang Mengmeng might have been targeting his wife long before today.
He’d have to conduct a much more thorough investigation into her.
Hearing the words “unusual ability,” Sang Qing frowned thoughtfully.
She wrapped her slender arms around Lu Qiance’s neck and pulled him closer.
“Lu Qiance, you can only belong to me. If you ever fall for someone else, I’ll make you regret it.”
She spoke with complete seriousness.
The instant the words left her mouth, Lu Qiance sensed something was different.
His wife often acted spoiled and threatened him jokingly, but never like this.
Supporting her effortlessly with one arm, he lifted her until they were eye level.
“Wife… are you hiding something from me?”
His voice remained calm, but there was absolute certainty behind it.
Those deep eyes made it impossible for Sang Qing to come up with a convincing lie.
Pursing her lips, she looked at him—
Then suddenly bit his chin.
Lu Qiance didn’t dodge.
He simply continued stroking her back gently, patiently waiting.
After a while, Sang Qing let go and buried her entire head against his neck.
Her muffled voice finally sounded.
“Lu Qiance… I dreamed that after we got married, you bullied me. You stood up for another woman… divorced me… and married her instead. You said I was immature and always caused you trouble…”
Lu Qiance: “???”
That was supposed to be me?
What kind of idiot was that?
He had such a delicate, beautiful wife, yet he’d divorce her to marry someone else?
Was he insane?
He desperately wanted to tell her she was overthinking it.
Forget him asking for a divorce—even if Sang Qing wanted one, he would never agree.
She could only ever be his wife in this lifetime.
But seeing how serious she looked, he couldn’t shake the feeling that what she called a “dream” wasn’t merely a dream.
His normally pampered, delicate wife never did anything outrageous.
Thinking back, her recent decision to throw Sang Qingshan out of the family home was probably connected to that so-called dream.
Lu Qiance gently rubbed her back again before comforting her.
“Then… do you remember who that woman was? I promise that from now on, the moment I hear her name, I’ll turn around and leave. I won’t even spare her a second glance, alright?”
Blinking her long lashes, Sang Qing looked straight at him.
Then she quietly spoke three words.
“Jiang Mengmeng.”
Lu Qiance: “…”
Great.
Things had just become even more bizarre.
He had been wondering why his adorable little wife—normally as proud and spirited as a beautiful calico cat—had suddenly started doubting her own charm.