1970s: The Delicate Beauty Reduced to Tears Again by the Cold-Faced Military Officer's Kiss

Wen Wan, a young woman from a modern era, finds herself abruptly transported into the body of a fictional character in a 1970s Chinese novel titled The Big Shot’s Delicate Beauty. Upon arrival at a train station, she is immediately confronted by her abusive father, Wen Qingfeng, and her stepmother, Zhao Yan, who intend to force her into a marriage with the mentally impaired son of Section Chief Wu. This marriage is a scheme to secure a factory job for Zhao Yan’s son, Wen Xiaojun. Wen Wan recognizes her situation from the novel, where the original character suffered a tragic fate involving sexual assault and death. Armed with knowledge of the plot and a mysterious jade pendant that grants her spiritual spring water and a storage space, she refuses to accept her doomed destiny.

At the station, Wen Wan encounters Xu Cheng’an, a capable and stern police officer temporarily transferred from higher authorities. She boldly clings to him, claiming her father is selling her into marriage, and successfully convinces him to intervene. Xu Cheng’an, initially suspicious of her strange clothing and sudden appearance, agrees to help her after she demonstrates her wit and desperation. He escorts her to the police station, where she spends the night. During their interactions, a complex dynamic develops; Xu Cheng’an is both frustrated by her forwardness and inexplicably drawn to her, while Wen Wan relies on him as her only ally in this unfamiliar time period.

The conflict escalates when Xu Cheng’an accompanies Wen Wan back to her family’s home in the steel factory residential compound. There, Wen Wan publicly exposes her father’s cruelty, revealing that he attempted to drug her with veterinary medicine to facilitate the forced marriage. With the help of Xu Cheng’an and Liu Tianyou, the former director of the textile factory and her grandfather’s apprentice, Wen Wan gathers evidence and witnesses. She successfully pressures the neighborhood committee and local authorities to sign documents severing her ties with the Wen family. This legal separation allows her to reclaim her inheritance, including her grandmother’s money, property certificates, and her mother’s former job position at the textile factory.

Following the separation, Wen Wan moves into her late grandfather’s house, a spacious property with a courtyard that holds significant value in the novel’s plot. She begins to establish her independence, using her spiritual spring water to maintain her health and beauty while navigating the social hierarchies of the era. Xu Cheng’an continues to play a protective role, assisting her with household repairs and offering guidance, though he maintains a professional distance. Meanwhile, Lin Zhenzhen, Wen Wan’s stepsister and the novel’s original protagonist, watches with jealousy and fear, realizing that Wen Wan’s presence threatens her predetermined path to wealth and happiness.

As Wen Wan settles into her new life, she faces ongoing challenges from her former family, who resent her loss of control over her assets. She also encounters other characters from the novel, including potential romantic interests and rivals, while continuing to develop her relationship with Xu Cheng’an. The story follows her efforts to survive and thrive in the 1970s, using her modern knowledge and supernatural advantages to alter the tragic fate written for her by the author, Lin Zhenzhen. Her journey transforms from mere survival to a strategic reclaiming of her identity and future, challenging the narrative control exerted by the novel’s creator.