“Chen Yixue. Yixue has a pretty lively personality—you two will definitely get along, don’t worry.”
As he said that, he even patted her head.
With those words, Yang Tao knew for sure—she really had been transmigrated into a book. The male lead’s younger sister in the novel was indeed named Chen Yixue. One matching name could still be a coincidence, but with so many details aligning, it couldn’t be explained away anymore.
After seeing him off, Yang Tao closed the gate and returned to her room. She wanted some time alone.
Lying on the bed, she couldn’t help but recall the plot of the novel.
The story in the book started from 1978, when Chen Yichen returned to the city. The years in the countryside were only mentioned in passing. In that life, he never married while in the countryside. After returning to Beijing, he relied on his talent and his family’s arrangements to re-enter his original workplace—the China Ship Research Institute.
His younger sister passed the first year of the resumed college entrance examination and was admitted to Huada (Peking University), majoring in Chinese literature. The female lead, Liu Yiyi, was her classmate, and the two became close friends. On weekends, Chen Yixue would sometimes bring Liu Yiyi home for meals, and once, they happened to meet Chen Yichen returning home. That was when Liu Yiyi fell for him at first sight. Later, through Chen Yixue’s matchmaking, the two eventually got together.
Liu Yiyi was one year younger than the original host. Her parents were martyrs; she became an orphan at the age of five and was later adopted by her father’s comrade-in-arms. Her adoptive parents had two sons, both older than her. Liu Yiyi was sweet-tongued and beautiful, adored by her adoptive family. Although she had no biological parents, she grew up entirely within the military compound and never suffered hardship.
Later, she got into university, met Chen Yixue, and after graduation married Chen Yichen. She was also assigned a very good job in the Education Bureau. In short, the female lead Liu Yiyi was beautiful and intelligent, and aside from not having biological parents, she lived a life that went smoothly and effortlessly.
As for the original host, she didn’t even exist in the book—she only appeared once by name, and even that triggered a conflict between the male and female leads.
It happened after they were already married. Liu Yiyi accidentally learned that every month, Chen Yichen would send one quarter of his salary back to the place where he had been sent down. Since he never told her the reason, she didn’t feel comfortable asking directly. So she asked her sister-in-law, Chen Yixue.
Chen Yixue then told her about the original host Yang Tao—how she died saving Chen Yichen’s brother, and how the Chen family sent money every month as compensation and gratitude to the Yang family. When Chen Yichen was still in the countryside, it was his grandfather or parents who sent the money. After he returned to the city and started working, he personally sent it every month with his salary. The whole family knew about it.
Liu Yiyi, however, felt a bit upset after hearing this. She thought that something the entire family knew about had not been told to her—was she not considered family? Or were they afraid she would be stingy about money? So she argued with Chen Yichen when she got home.
Later, after she gave birth to two children, she felt that the financial burden of the family was heavier and that enough compensation had already been given over the years, so she suggested that Chen Yichen stop sending money.
When Yang Tao read the book, she had noticed the character who shared her name, but since there was very little information about her, she never thought it meant she had actually transmigrated into it.
But now, the original host had not died because of her arrival—and had instead accidentally married Chen Yichen. That meant things were already different from the original plot. So would she still die? Would the plot still happen? Would Chen Yichen and Liu Yiyi still end up together?
Regardless of whether any of that would happen, there was one thing Yang Tao was certain of—she would not hand this man over to anyone.
After all, whether in the book or in real life after interacting with him, Chen Yichen was outstanding—responsible, dependable, and trustworthy. He was exactly the kind of man worth entrusting a lifetime to.
A man that good, that handsome—even if she could only have him temporarily, she wouldn’t let go.
And now, he already belonged to her.
With that thought settled, Yang Tao stopped overthinking.
Rather than worrying, she might as well live her life well with Chen Yichen and try to make him fall in love with her sooner.
As for the female lead—well, in matters like this, first come, first served.
And right now, the man was already hers. Everything else could be decided later.