Reborn In the Eighties as a Housewife With a Space

Chapter 3

When Bai Jing first learned that Chu Molin wouldn't be marrying the terrifying Su Yun, she was so happy she wanted to dance. But that joy turned into a murderous rage when she found out why: he was marrying Qin Xue instead.

To Bai Jing, Su Yun was untouchable because of her powerful family. But Qin Xue? She was just a "shameless woman." Bai Jing couldn't stand that someone she considered inferior was reaping all the benefits of being Chu Molin's wife.

Determined to ruin her, Bai Jing had spent months acting like Qin Xue’s best friend. She fed the foolish woman terrible advice, encouraging her to act out and cause scenes. This was the real reason Qin Xue’s reputation in the residential building had tanked so quickly—Bai Jing had been pulling the strings the whole time, making sure Chu Molin grew to loathe his new wife.

Things took a dark turn when Chu Molin went away on a research mission. Su Yun approached Bai Jing and threatened her: "Lure Qin Xue out for me, or else."

Bai Jing saw a perfect opportunity. She could use Su Yun to get rid of Qin Xue, and if anything went wrong, Su Yun would be the one to take the fall.

Bai Jing lured Qin Xue out under the guise of a friendly meeting. While they waited for Su Yun to arrive, Qin Xue kept gagging and dry heaving.

Bai Jing, being more observant, realized immediately that Qin Xue was pregnant—though the "original" Qin Xue was too dense to realize it, thinking she just had a stomach bug.

When Su Yun finally arrived, Bai Jing played it cool. "I brought her here, but I think she's sick," Bai Jing whispered to Su Yun. "She keeps vomiting and won't go to the doctor. Anyway, you two talk. I’m leaving."

As soon as Bai Jing was "gone," Su Yun exploded. She had spent years waiting for Chu Molin, convinced he was hers. Now, not only had this woman stolen him, but she was carrying his child.

"You're going to the hospital and you're getting an abortion!" Su Yun screamed.

The original Qin Xue might have been foolish, but she wasn't heartless. She knew how hard she had fought to trap Chu Molin—having drugged him to get him into her bed—and she knew he hadn't touched her since the wedding. This baby was her only tie to him.

She refused to back down.

The argument turned into a physical scuffle. In the heat of the moment, Su Yun gave Qin Xue a violent shove.

Qin Xue fell backward, her head striking a sharp rock with a sickening thud. Blood began to pool on the ground.

Terrified by the sight of the blood, Su Yun turned and fled.

But Bai Jing hadn't actually left. She had been hiding behind a tree, watching the entire scene with cold eyes. She saw the fall, saw the blood, and once Su Yun was gone, she quietly slipped away too, leaving Qin Xue to die alone in the dirt.

The original Qin Xue did die that day. It was in that moment of death that the soul of the "new" Qin Xue—the surgeon from the future—entered the body.

After being found and rushed to the hospital, the doctors feared she would be a vegetable. Bai Jing had spent the last week convinced she was rid of her rival. Hearing that Qin Xue had not only woken up but was now returning home with the baby still intact made Bai Jing’s blood boil with jealousy.

Why won't she just die? Bai Jing thought, her heart twisted with malice.

If the new Qin Xue knew what Bai Jing was thinking, she would probably laugh. The woman Bai Jing hated was dead—completely and utterly gone. And the woman who had taken her place was far more dangerous than the "idiot" Bai Jing remembered.

________

Following her sisters-in-law up to the third floor, Qin Xue stepped through the front door and nearly choked. The apartment was a disaster zone. Dirt, clutter, and trash were strewn everywhere, looking more like a local dump than a home.

Did the original owner ever pick up a broom? Qin Xue wondered, her surgeon’s sense of hygiene screaming in protest. How could anyone live like this?

Fang Hong and Yu Xiu dropped the bags inside. "Go get some rest, Qin Xue," Fang Hong said, looking around the messy room with a sigh. "I’m going to head home and start dinner. I'll call you when it's ready. Since you don't have any groceries here, you'll eat with us for the next few days until you're strong enough to go to the market."

Fang Hong had considered staying to clean, but it was getting late and her husband, Lao Xie, would be home soon. Besides, Qin Xue looked pale and fragile; they didn't want to pressure her to work while she was still recovering from blood loss.

As the two older women walked away, Yu Xiu whispered to Fang Hong, "Sister Fang, that house is a wreck. Since Qin Xue is still weak, why don't we come over tomorrow after breakfast and help her scrub the place? After spending time with her in the hospital, she doesn't seem like the nightmare the rumors described. I think she might have been led astray by the wrong crowd."

Fang Hong nodded thoughtfully. She lived on the same floor and had tried to help the "old" Qin Xue before, only to be met with rudeness. But this version of Qin Xue—whether because of the amnesia or the near-death experience—was gentle, polite, and actually quite pleasant.

"You're right," Fang Hong agreed. "Chu Molin is one of my husband’s best men. For his sake, and because she seems different now, we’ll help her get her life back on track."

Inside the apartment, Qin Xue felt a wave of exhaustion. Despite her inner "clean freak" wanting to tackle the mess immediately, her body simply wouldn't cooperate. She poked her head into the two bedrooms and confirmed what she suspected: they slept in separate rooms. It made sense—no man would be happy about a marriage built on a trap.

It was easy to tell which room was whose. One was Spartan and perfectly tidy; the other—the original Qin Xue’s room—was a chaotic explosion of clothes and clutter.

With a heavy sigh, Qin Xue found a set of clean sheets in the wardrobe, swapped them out, and collapsed onto the bed. She was out within minutes, sleeping deeply until a knock on the door woke her for dinner.

She splashed some water on her face, smoothed back her hair into a simple tie, and headed over to Fang Hong’s apartment. She felt a bit guilty going empty-handed, but she promised herself she would buy them a proper thank-you gift as soon as she could get to the shops.

She took a deep breath and knocked.

"Lao Xie, get the door! That should be Qin Xue," Fang Hong called from the kitchen.

A man named Xie Jun, the Section Chief of the institute, set down his newspaper and opened the door. "Ah, Qin Xue. Come in, come in. Dinner is almost ready."

"Hello, Section Chief Xie. I’m so sorry for the trouble," Qin Xue said politely.

She knew from her hospital stay that Xie Jun was her husband's boss. In this research institute, everyone was incredibly brilliant, but Chu Molin was legendary—the brightest star of them all.

No wonder he has so many admirers, she thought. To the rest of the world, he’s a beautiful flower, and I’m the pile of cow dung he’s been stuck in.