TPH Chapter 33

The Protagonist’s Halo [Arc 2] Chapter 33: True Love In Period Literature (16)

When Chen Xi learned that Qin Qiu had gotten a divorce, he was so happy he almost went crazy.

He kept saying at home that he wanted to go find Qin Qiu.

Old Master Chen slammed his cane down and shouted sternly, “Even if she gets divorced, it has nothing to do with you.”

“Just for a woman, and a married one at that, you’ve completely disgraced the Chen family. Do you know how much effort the family has put into cleaning up your mess?”

Actually, this matter is more serious than imagined. A teacher-student extramarital affair is just a moral issue that people talk about behind their backs, but this matter has become too big a fuss.

It has even spread to the higher-ups in the military. Breaking up a military marriage is no small matter. In the military, this is a major disciplinary violation.

To protect Chen Xi, the Chen family wanted nothing more than to sever ties with Qin Qiu. Qin Qiu and Lin Hua’s divorce was their business, but Old Master Chen wouldn’t let Chen Xi be branded as someone who ruined a military marriage. He planned to arrange for Chen Xi to join the army in the future.

This matter is now widely publicized, and Chen Xi’s reputation in the military is terrible. The military places great emphasis on discipline and reputation; with his bad name, even if he joins the army and has the Chen family’s help, he’ll find it difficult to build good relationships with superiors, colleagues, and subordinates, and to fight and carry out missions together. At that point, the higher-ups won’t care about Chen Xi’s background; at most, they’ll just remove him to save face for the Chen family.

It could be said that if this matter were handled carelessly, Chen Xi’s future would be half ruined.

Although the Chen family is large and well-established, and could go into politics or business even without joining the military, Chen Xi is the most beloved and valued grandson of Old Master Chen. From a young age, Old Master Chen felt that Chen Xi’s temperament was most like his own, and he was still waiting for Chen Xi to take over the Chen family’s position in the military.

The Chen family was generally harmonious, but this incident had truly caused them a great deal of distress, and the others inevitably harbored some resentment towards Chen Xi for causing such a mess. Moreover, Chen Xi was always causing trouble at home, and he was so resilient that even a few beatings couldn’t calm him down.

Chen Xi may know that Old Master Chen values his future, but he himself doesn’t care. Right now, all he cares about is Qin Qiu.

“I want Qin Qiu. I love her and I want to be with her.”

Chen Xi stubbornly insisted, displaying an unyielding spirit and a determination to fight for his love. The more his family pressured him to give up, the more determined he became to resist.

Old Master Chen said coldly, “Don’t even think about it.”

Not to mention that Chen Xi is his beloved grandson, and there’s no way he would let him marry an older woman who has been married before, even for the sake of Chen Xi’s future, the old man would never agree to it.

In order to quell the public outcry, Old Master Chen did not give Chen Xi any further opportunity to contact Qin Qiu. He even had to wait a few more years until the storm had passed before sending Chen Xi into the army. He swiftly and decisively knocked Chen Xi unconscious, tied him up, and put him in a car overnight.

No matter how much Chen Xi made a fuss after waking up in the car, it wouldn’t change the fact that he had been sent to the Northwest for large-scale construction.

Chen Xi never expected his family to be so ruthless this time. In order to break his mind, they sent him directly to the Northwest Dam to eat sand.

…

The Chen family handled this matter quickly and discreetly. Xiao Han only found out because Chen Zhan told her privately. Chen Zhan somehow obtained the Lin family’s address, but he didn’t dare to go directly to their door. He was also smart; he knew that the rumors outside hadn’t died down yet, and since he was a member of the Chen family, it wasn’t appropriate to associate with them, especially since Lin Hua was still at home.

So Chen Zhan wrote a letter to Xiao Han, along with a box of books, many of which were original foreign university textbooks that are now almost impossible to find on the market.

Xiao Han thought for a moment, and realized that Chen Zhan seemed to have mentioned it to her.

Chen Zhan was quite clever. If there had only been one letter, Xiao Han probably wouldn’t have even opened it. But out of respect for the books, Xiao Han opened the letter with the best intentions of the kind person.

In the letter, Chen Zhan expressed his sympathy for his cousin’s “exile” to the Northwest. He asked his father, and it seemed that the old man had specially arranged for Chen Xi to go to the dam. It was a desolate place with few people, no cars, and no people. Even if Chen Xi wanted to run away, he couldn’t run back.

Chen Zhan also hinted that the Chen family was busy calming the public opinion storm and eliminating the impact of this matter, so they would definitely not do anything to suppress Lin Hua. Otherwise, if there were any signs of this, they would only be given a handle to continue to bring this matter up.

Finally, Chen Zhan somehow found out that Xiao Han wanted to skip a grade, and in his letter, he was very enthusiastic, actively recommending Peking University High School to her. After reading the first two important things, Xiao Han glanced at this ending paragraph.

Does it matter to him which school she attends? Of course, there was no reply.

Not only that, Xiao Han also showed the letter to Lin Hua. She mainly wanted to see what Lin Hua’s expression would be when he found out that Chen Xi had been sent to the Northwest by his family—whether he would be happy or gloating.

Unexpectedly, Lin Hua’s expression was very calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever. Sigh, he’s really boring.

A virtuous person is deceived by principles. Those who are too upright and strict with themselves are more likely to suffer losses in this world than those who are selfish and self-serving. The eldest brother, Lin Hua, in the original story should be such an example.

Xiao Han then asked, “But is everything really alright in the military?”

On the worst, it seems the Chen and Qin families have been offended this time. The original storyline focused on the love story of Qin Qiu and Chen Xi; although there were some troubles, they were quickly resolved.

Even Lin Hua, the ex-husband, only appeared once during the divorce proceedings and didn’t cause such a mess. The fact that the Chen family was forced to abandon the male lead, Chen Xi, in the Northwest, with no end in sight, shows how serious the problem is now.

She was quite enthusiastic in fueling the flames, but Lin Hua is likely to bear the brunt of the pressure.

Lin Hua couldn’t help but reach out and pat his little sister’s head. “It’s okay.”

Once Xiao Han confirmed that Lin Hua’s mood was not at all heavy and that he wasn’t forcing himself to be under pressure, she stopped caring about it.

It’s best not to interfere too much in other people’s lives; everyone has to strive for their own success.

As Xiao Han was thinking this, he suddenly heard Lin Hua pause and say, “I’ll keep this letter for you.”

Lin Hua’s expression turned serious for no apparent reason. “You’re still young. You can throw away these kinds of letters later.”

Xiao Han: “…”

Brother, are you overthinking this?

Lin Hua truly no longer cared about Qin Qiu or Chen Xi. Unlike in the original story, he was the last person to be informed of the divorce. Because of the cover-up by Qin’s mother and others, he was unaware of the love between Qin Qiu and Chen Xi.

He simply assumed that Qin Qiu was unwilling to endure the cold marriage where they rarely saw each other and had little in common. Whether out of his own character and manners or to fulfill Qin Qiu’s happiness, he chose to let go and get a divorce.

This time, he was no longer completely unaware, kept in the dark until the deed was done.

Qin Qiu’s attitude and behavior made Lin Hua realize the truth about her so-called ‘perfect’ image, and Lin Hua truly gave up on Qin Qiu.

For Lin Hua, Qin Qiu and Chen Xi were no longer relevant people, and he didn’t care what their future held.

As for offending the Qin and Chen families, he had long anticipated it. His former father-in-law was also very dissatisfied with his insistence on applying for a divorce, but Lin Hua had his own principles to uphold and would not compromise or try to please others for the sake of his future in such matters.

Moreover, Lin Hua was prepared to apply for a transfer after returning this time. It wasn’t because he was afraid of being suppressed, but because he had indeed received a lot of support from Father Qin in the army. In this situation, it was better to sever ties cleanly. After all, Lin Hua didn’t get promoted because of his connections.

People with real talent will never fail to rise to the top.

In his view, these two incidents were not as serious as someone trying to steal his little cabbage. Lin Yun was young and still in school, and with the example of Chen Xi’s willful and self-centered behavior, Lin Hua had serious doubts about the Chen family’s upbringing.

…

Mr. Qin had lost all face because of his daughter’s situation recently, and he never expected that Mrs. Qin would conspire with their daughter behind his back to get a divorce. He had managed to suppress Lin Hua’s divorce application, so did he think he could force her back to reconcile with Qin Qiu? He had also seen Lin Hua’s application for a transfer, but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Everyone knows now that his daughter’s extramarital affair led to their divorce.

“I don’t have a daughter like you. Don’t ever come back after the divorce.” Qin’s father made these harsh words as soon as he returned, and he meant it, not letting Qin Qiu enter the Qin family home again.

“I won’t regret it,” Qin Qiu said stubbornly.

Since her divorce and return to single life, Qin Qiu has felt incredibly relieved and is eagerly anticipating being with Chen Xi.

Qin Qiu learned about Chen Xi’s trip to the Northwest much later than anyone else.

Qin Qiu wanted to go to the Northwest to find Chen Xi, but the Chen family was very secretive, not revealing Chen Xi’s exact location in the Northwest, not even to his close friends or childhood acquaintances.

The official story was that Old Master Chen had sent his favorite grandson to the Northwest to endure hardship and contribute to the country’s major development in the region, and that he had been assigned to an exceptionally difficult place, without any financial support from the family.

Rumors circulated that the Chen family was of high moral character, supporting national policy and providing both manpower and resources.

Qin Qiu was surprised to find that Chen Xi had already left the capital. She mustered up her courage and wanted to go to the Northwest to find Chen Xi. No matter how her mother and aunt tried to persuade her, they couldn’t stop her. They could only watch as Qin Qiu boarded the train to the Northwest.

However, the environment in Northwest China was even harsher than she had imagined. The land was cracked and the sand was endless. Moreover, Qin Qiu had no idea where Chen Xi was, and she couldn’t find him by asking around.

Qin Qiu couldn’t stay in the Northwest aimlessly searching for Chen Xi; she only stayed for less than two days before returning.

Upon returning to the capital, Qin Qiu said, “I’ll wait for him to come back.”

Qin Qiu believed that Chen Xi would definitely come back. He couldn’t stay in that place forever, and Chen Xi loved her so much that he was willing to go against the whole world for her.

But upon returning to real life, Qin Qiu soon faced practical problems.

Peking University intended to dismiss her from her teaching position, but in order to take care of her old friend’s children, the president also told her to resign voluntarily.

Although Qin Qiu was divorced, rumors and gossip about her were rampant at Peking University, which witnessed the fight between her suitor and husband.

Many teachers and students also filed a joint protest against her, arguing that Peking University, as a top-tier university in the country, should not tolerate a teacher with such moral issues continuing to teach there.

The principal originally intended to suppress it, but some students who had shown opposition were refusing to attend Qin Qiu’s classes, and the number was increasing.

Qin Qiu attended classes at the school for a few days, but there were very few students sitting in the classrooms, which she, being proud and arrogant, could not tolerate.

Rumors don’t spread as quickly in this era, but their impact is also harder to eliminate.

If Qin Qiu stays at the school, there will likely be even more criticism. Even the principal and her aunt, who is the dean of students, can’t withstand the pressure. Qin Qiu herself will also be unable to teach normally.

Qin Qiu pursed her lips, her eyes cool and indifferent. “It’s alright, I understand.”

Qin Qiu didn’t want to put the principal in a difficult position, so she got up and left the office.

As Qin Qiu walked out of the office, she could still hear the old principal sighing behind her. She paused slightly, but continued to straighten her back.

The old principal took off his reading glasses and wiped them. Qin Qiu was a child he had watched grow up. She was already outstanding at a young age, and he never expected that Qin Qiu would make a mistake because of a momentary lapse of judgment.

Even when she was packing her things and heard sarcastic gossip, Qin Qiu’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.

Having lost her job, Qin Qiu’s father wouldn’t let her return to the Qin family home. But Qin Qiu wasn’t without a place to go, so she simply stayed at her single aunt’s house.