My Ex-Husband Wanted Me to Go to Jail for His Childhood Sweetheart; After Rebirth, I’m Not Marrying Him

Shen Qi, a woman who lived a tragic life from age seventeen to thirty-five, is reborn into her nineteen-year-old body on a fateful day at a bustling skating rink. In her previous existence, she desperately loved Fang Yi, a handsome military officer, and followed him relentlessly, hoping to win his affection. However, her devotion was met with contempt and deception. Fang Yi openly mocked her as a country bumpkin and planned to marry her only to humor his dying grandfather, intending to divorce her immediately afterward to be with Shen Baozhu, the girl he truly loved. Shen Qi overheard these cruel conversations and, realizing the depth of his malice, smashed a soda bottle on his head in a moment of furious clarity. This act marked the beginning of her transformation from a submissive, lovesick girl into a woman determined to reclaim her dignity and live for herself.

Shen Qi’s backstory reveals the root of her suffering. She was switched at birth with Shen Baozhu by a negligent nurse and raised in poverty by the Zhou family, who treated her as a servant and planned to sell her into marriage for a bride price. When she was seventeen, she saved Grandpa Fang, an influential elder, which led to the discovery of her true identity as the biological daughter of the wealthy Shen family. Despite being recognized, she was not welcomed with love. The Shen family, particularly her mother Xu Ailian and father Shen Congjun, chose to keep Shen Baozhu, the child they had raised, and treated Shen Qi as an outsider. Shen Qi was given the smallest, darkest room in the house, forced to do all the chores, and constantly compared unfavorably to her sister. Her emotional dependence on Fang Yi was a misguided attempt to find the validation and love she never received from her biological family.

After the skating rink incident, Shen Qi visits Grandpa Fang to formally annul her engagement to Fang Yi, seeking to sever ties with the man who caused her ruin. Grandpa Fang, unaware of Fang Yi’s true nature, assumes Shen Qi is being manipulated and becomes agitated, but she calmly insists on the annulment. Upon returning home, she confronts her abusive younger brother, Shen Jinan, and slaps him when he insults her. Her father, Shen Congjun, a strict and temperamental man, threatens her, prompting Shen Qi to flee to the roof of a nearby apartment building. There, she threatens to jump, not out of suicidal intent, but to force her family to acknowledge the injustice they have inflicted upon her. She publicly exposes the family’s favoritism, revealing that she lives in squalor while Shen Baozhu enjoys luxury, and questions why her parents brought her back if they intended to treat her so poorly.

The public spectacle shocks the Compound, a closed military community where reputation is paramount. Shen Congjun is furious but powerless to act immediately due to the presence of witnesses and the influence of Grandma He, a respected elder who intervenes to protect Shen Qi. Grandma He advises Shen Congjun to treat all his children equally, leveraging his career ambitions to ensure compliance. Shen Qi stays overnight at Grandma He’s home, finding a rare moment of peace and kindness. The next day, she returns home to find her family in disarray without her domestic labor. Her father, though still angry, orders her to be given a better room to avoid further scandal. Shen Qi accepts this small victory but remains wary, knowing that her family’s affection is conditional and that she must rely on herself. She begins to build a new life, distancing herself from Fang Yi and focusing on her own well-being, determined to never again be a victim of others’ cruelty.

As the story progresses, Shen Qi navigates the complex dynamics of her family and the Compound. She refuses to play the role of the grateful, submissive daughter and instead asserts her boundaries. Her relationship with Fang Yi remains tense; he is confused and angered by her sudden indifference and refusal to chase him. Meanwhile, Shen Baozhu, aware that Shen Qi is no longer the easy target she once was, begins to scheme to maintain her privileged position. Shen Qi’s rebirth has given her the foresight to avoid past mistakes, and she starts to uncover the deeper conspiracies surrounding her family and the Compound. Her journey is one of self-discovery and empowerment, as she learns to value herself and seek justice in a world that has consistently failed her.