Su Qingli hadn’t slept a wink that night. It was already after 3 a.m., and Qingli was exhausted. She searched the home for a guest bedroom to crash in.
She wasn’t about to sleep in the master bedroom she once shared with He Tianzhuo. Just the thought of it disgusted her.
She needed rest if she was going to deal with that piece of trash in the morning.
Before bed, she turned off her phone.
It turned out that her decision had been the right one—because when she finally woke up the next day, the sunlight pouring in through the window was blinding.
As she got ready, her phone powered on slowly. When she checked the time, just as she’d guessed, it was already 3:00 in the afternoon!
Within two seconds of booting up, her phone was flooded with messages.
The incident involving He Tianzhuo had made quite a splash.
Qingli waited patiently for the notifications to finish pouring in before casually unlocking her phone to go through them.
Some messages were from the Su family. The original host had an older brother, over ten years her senior, already married, with a son named Su Yan who was now 25. He had entered the entertainment industry at 17 and, thanks to the support of both the original host and He Tianzhuo, had become a rising star.
He could sing, dance, and act—he had a great reputation.
The original host had poured her heart and soul into this family. Since she didn’t have children of her own, she had pinned her hopes for elder care on Su Yan.
But after reading all their messages, Qingli had her evaluation of the Su family: they were nothing like the harmonious bunch in the original host’s memory. In fact, despite He Tianzhuo being the one at fault, all their messages were full of concern for him, as if they were his family!
Qingli couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Then she saw that He Tianzhuo’s parents had also called and messaged her. Their tone was downright nasty. Their son had gotten himself into such a mess, and yet she hadn’t shown up or checked in—how could she call herself their daughter-in-law?
She didn’t reply to them either.
In contrast, a few of the original host’s friends had reached out, expressing genuine concern. Qingli responded seriously, explaining what had happened without sugarcoating a thing.
In her view, this wasn’t some embarrassing “family scandal”—it was purely He Tianzhuo’s disgrace.
After replying to those who deserved it, her food delivery arrived.
Once she finished eating, she sat down and began to carefully get ready.
The original host had been a bit of a homebody and rather camera-shy. Even after ten years of marriage, she rarely appeared in public with He Tianzhuo, and when she did, she often wore a mask. Most of the time, she didn’t bother dressing up, preferring loose, boho-style clothing that gave off a calm, quiet vibe, though her writing style had always been sharp and seasoned.
But today was a good day—a day worth dressing up for.
The original host had plenty of nice clothes. He Tianzhuo had never been stingy about that. She just never felt comfortable wearing them.
But Qingli had no such qualms.
She put on makeup, chose a floral dress that the original host rarely wore, even curled her hair, and finished off the look with a pop of lipstick. Bright and radiant, she walked out the door.
Word was that He Tianzhuo had made it through surgery and was now conscious, though the doctors had managed to reattach the, well, injured part; he couldn’t handle any stress.
Perfect. She was going to give him plenty of stress.
Thirty minutes later, Qingli arrived outside He Tianzhuo’s hospital room.
His parents were sitting in the hallway crying, and at first glance, they didn’t even recognize her. They were murmuring through their sobs:
“Why… why would something like this happen?”
“Our youngest, our baby boy… how did it come to this?”
The He family hadn’t always been well off, but He Tianzhuo had been a top student. His two older brothers quit school early, but he brought home awards and certificates.
The whole family had tightened their belts to send him to college. After graduating from the film academy and making a name for himself, he became the pride and pillar of the family. And now, that pillar had fallen—and for this reason. It was no wonder the elderly couple couldn’t bear it.
They cried quietly, covering their mouths so as not to upset their precious son in the room.
Dressed plainly, faces weathered with age, the two of them looked especially pitiful in that sterile hospital corridor. It made the whole space feel even heavier and hopeless.
Suddenly, a stunningly dressed woman stepped into view. The couple froze for a second and asked, “Are you here to see our son?”
Qingli smiled politely. “Mom, Dad—it’s me, Su Qingli.”
He’s mother’s face dropped immediately. She scowled and snapped, “And just where have you been?!”
Then she gave Qingli a once-over and recoiled as if burned. “Your husband’s lying in there, hovering between life and death, and this is how you dress? What kind of heart do you even have?!”
Qingli smiled sweetly. “I’m celebrating, of course.”
He’s father glared and jabbed a finger in her face. “Su Qingli, what’s that supposed to mean? You’re celebrating?! After what happened to my son? What, are you the one who had him stabbed? Just get a divorce already!”
His son had nearly lost his ability to have children, and here his daughter-in-law was celebrating?! Such a woman wasn’t fit to be a wife!
Qingli scoffed sarcastically. “Of course I’m celebrating—celebrating the fact that I survived. Do you know what your precious son did to me? I caught him with a girl sitting on his lap, and when I confronted him, he said I was overreacting and choked me! Then, when someone came in with a knife, he didn’t even try to protect me—he hid behind me!”
She sneered. “That knife almost went into me! So yes, I want a divorce. That way, I won’t have to stay married to some creep who cheats and gets stabbed by another woman’s husband!”
The faces of He Tianzhuo’s parents shifted. They stared at her, stunned, trying to process everything she had just said. Their fury faded into confusion—they didn’t even know what to say.
They looked at each other, shaken.
Their son had been picked up from a private club, and they knew what kind of place that was—those kinds of places had been targeted in police crackdowns before. Slowly, they began to accept what Qingli was saying, though their composure was slipping and their confidence had completely crumbled.
Their voices had gotten so loud that patients in neighboring rooms were now poking their heads out to eavesdrop. Murmurs and gasps filled the hallway.
A nurse came rushing over, her face stern—until she got closer and overheard enough to soften her tone.
“This is a hospital. Please keep your voices down,” she said gently.
The He’s parents flushed with embarrassment and mumbled apologies.
Qingli also apologized to the nurse, then turned back to the couple, ready to bring up the divorce again. There was no way she was staying married to that man.
But just as she opened her mouth, a voice suddenly rang out in her mind:
[Transmission error. Missioner Qingli, please refrain from making any major decisions that could disrupt the trajectory of the help-seeker.]
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152