Qiao Zhenzhu covered her mouth.
She had to—otherwise everyone would see the smile she couldn’t suppress at the corners of her lips!
The nurse only thought she was too shocked and heartbroken. She wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know what to say. After holding it in for a while, she finally blurted out, “It’s getting late. You should eat something soon. I still have work to do, so I’ll head out first!”
After speaking, the nurse hurried away and thoughtfully closed the ward door behind her.
Qiao Zhenzhu was the only patient in the room. Once the door shut, the noisy sounds from outside were instantly cut off.
She watched the nurse leave. The moment she withdrew her gaze, she met Lu Huai’s increasingly dark eyes.
He somehow looked even more upset than before.
Why?
“He got hurt… are you very sad about it?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Lu Huai regretted them.
Qiao Zhenzhu raised an eyebrow instinctively. “Are you jealous?”
From the sound of it, this man seemed to know something already.
But according to the novel, he was only supposed to learn the truth from Wang Sinian after the original owner died.
So why did he know now?
Could it be…
Was he a transmigrator too?
No. Probably not.
If he had transmigrated, he wouldn’t have said something like that just now.
If not transmigration, then it could only mean one thing—
He had been reborn.
After thinking it over, Qiao Zhenzhu decided to come clean.
This was a special era. As the daughter of a capitalist family, even though Director Xu’s commendation could offer her some protection, it still wasn’t enough.
But if she became a military wife, things would be different.
No matter how chaotic the outside world became, nobody would dare stir up trouble within the military.
So unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to divorce Lu Huai.
Qiao Zhenzhu sat up straighter and looked directly into his eyes.
“I’m not the old Qiao Zhenzhu anymore. And you’re not the old Lu Huai either, right?”
Lu Huai’s gaze deepened. “You’re not the old Qiao Zhenzhu? Then who are you?”
“I’m different from you. I wasn’t reborn. I lived in another spacetime, another era. I don’t know how I ended up here either. I just woke up one day and suddenly found myself at Wang Sinian and Xie Chenggong’s wedding.”
“What kind of era did you come from?”
“My world… well, history developed more or less the same as yours. But I was born thirty or forty years later. I was born in peaceful times and raised under the red flag—a model student and exemplary young citizen.
“My life had been smooth sailing… until the apocalypse suddenly arrived.”
“The apocalypse? What’s that?”
“It’s when huge numbers of people turned into zombies—basically like the undead. Plants and animals mutated too. The beautiful world became a living hell, and everyone struggled just to survive.
“There wasn’t enough food, not enough clothing, and death could come at any moment.
“But thankfully, humanity wasn’t completely doomed. Some survivors awakened special powers, and the government established survivor bases. People were barely hanging on, but at least humanity hadn’t gone extinct yet.
“Though… who knows how many more years we could’ve lasted.”
Lu Huai frowned even harder.
What was she talking about?
Was she trying to fool him?
Everything she said sounded completely absurd.
Qiao Zhenzhu could tell exactly what he was thinking from the expression on his face.
“You think I’m lying?” She raised an eyebrow. “I awakened three different abilities. One of them is a spatial ability.”
As she spoke, she leaned closer to him.
“Block the view for me.”
There was a glass panel in the ward door. If someone passed by outside, they could see into the room.
Feeling her suddenly move closer, Lu Huai’s heartbeat sped up slightly.
They had been married for eight months.
Aside from their wedding night—when she had gotten drunk and taken the initiative—they had never had any intimate contact afterward.
Forget intimacy; they hadn’t even held hands before.
She had always been wary of him, distant from him.
And now…
She was willingly moving closer to him?
Qiao Zhenzhu looked up at him and saw he was distracted. Dissatisfied, she called out, “Stop zoning out! Watch carefully!”
Lu Huai instinctively focused.
Then he saw it—
A red date suddenly appeared out of nowhere in Qiao Zhenzhu’s previously empty palm.
She lifted her brows smugly. “Do you believe me now?”
Lu Huai: “…Did you learn magic tricks?”
Qiao Zhenzhu: “???”
Magic tricks?!
A mighty max-level spatial ability user like her was being accused of performing magic?!
Her temper instantly flared.
She put away the red date and this time directly pulled out a giant napa cabbage.
The cabbage had been grown using her wood-element ability and was several times larger than the ones commonly sold on the market.
It weighed at least twenty pounds.
When such a massive cabbage suddenly appeared on his lap, Lu Huai was genuinely stunned.
Qiao Zhenzhu was very satisfied with his reaction. “Still think I’m doing magic tricks?”
As she spoke, she tore off a cabbage leaf and stuffed it directly into his mouth.
“Try it. See if it’s an illusion.”
With a cabbage leaf suddenly shoved into his mouth, Lu Huai instinctively chewed.
It was crisp and refreshing, carrying a faint sweetness.
Far tastier than any cabbage he’d eaten before.
The cabbage was real.
Which meant everything she’d said earlier… was real too.
Lu Huai looked at Qiao Zhenzhu.
At this familiar yet unfamiliar face.
For a moment, he felt dazed.
“She… where is she now?”
Qiao Zhenzhu knew he was asking about the original owner.
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “Maybe she’s gone. Your relationship—”
“We didn’t have a relationship,” Lu Huai interrupted, shaking his head.
Qiao Zhenzhu raised a hand and gently patted his shoulder.
“Relax. There are plenty of fish in the sea.”
She knew that even if the original owner hadn’t liked Xie Chenggong, she still wouldn’t have fallen for Lu Huai.
After the original owner’s mother died, Wang Anquan immediately remarried Chen Wan. Ten months later, Wang Sinian was born.
Wang Anquan poured all his fatherly love onto Wang Sinian, while only giving the original owner superficial concern.
As a result, the original owner became increasingly withdrawn.
Other than housework, her favorite thing was reading.
And anyone who reads a lot knows—it’s easy to develop a literary-romantic temperament.
The original owner longed for the kind of soulmate romance described in books. A connection of minds and souls.
She wanted a talented, cultured man.
Someone who could discuss literature, philosophy, astronomy, and geography with her.
Someone who could write, paint, play instruments, and compose music alongside her.
Lu Huai was not that person.
She had been destined never to develop feelings for him.
But Lu Huai…
Qiao Zhenzhu glanced at him thoughtfully.
He probably liked the original owner, didn’t he?
Otherwise, why would he rush after her immediately after being reborn?
Under her gaze, Lu Huai spoke without hesitation.
“I just didn’t want anything to happen to the children.”
Whether or not there had been feelings between them, the children were innocent.
He had come after her because he wanted her to safely give birth.
After that, if she wanted a divorce, that would be fine too.
He just hadn’t expected that she was already gone…
Qiao Zhenzhu could tell he meant every word.
He truly cared about the children’s safety.
Since both of them cared about the children, maybe they could work together.
“You don’t want anything to happen to the children, and neither do I. So how about we raise the four children together and live a good life from now on? Deal?”
“Four children?”
Shock filled Lu Huai’s eyes, and his voice rose several pitches as he stared at her stomach.
Qiao Zhenzhu nodded. “Yep. I’m carrying quadruplets.”
“How do you know?”
“I have abilities, remember? I told you already.”
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Lu Huai’s face. “I forgot… Then are the babies okay?”
“They’re perfectly fine! You can feel them—they’re awake right now.”
As she spoke, Qiao Zhenzhu grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach.
Summer clothes were thin to begin with, and through the fabric, Lu Huai could clearly feel the warmth of her belly.
The next moment, something kicked against his palm.
He jumped in surprise.
Qiao Zhenzhu’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled.
“The babies are saying hello to you!”
Lu Huai’s expression softened, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Since her pregnancy began, this was the first time he had ever been this close to the children.
He kept his hand there for a while longer before finally pulling it back and sitting up straighter.
“I agree to what you said.”
His expression was serious and resolute.
“From now on, we’ll raise the children together and live a good life.”
Qiao Zhenzhu had known he would agree, and the smile on her face brightened further.
“Then can you tell me how far you’ll rise in the future? What enemies you’ll have? What dangers we’ll encounter? We should avoid them in advance.”
Lu Huai’s expression turned strange.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Qiao Zhenzhu’s voice shot up. “Aren’t you reborn?!”