Reborn in the '80s: Marrying the Spoiled Little Trickster

Zhu Queqi wakes on a crowded green train returning to Beijing, realizing she has been reborn into her twenty-year-old body. The scorching summer sun contrasts with the cold winter memories of her past life. Beside her sits Gu Ansheng, the man who would become her husband and the source of her ultimate despair. In her previous existence, their relationship began with intense romance during their time as educated youths in the countryside. Gu Ansheng, handsome and intelligent, treated Zhu Queqi with extraordinary devotion, shielding her from hard labor and providing her with comfort and care. However, their marriage was plagued by conflict. Gu Ansheng’s mother, a woman of high status and sharp temperament, despised Zhu Queqi, constantly criticizing her and creating a hostile home environment. The pressure, combined with a difficult pregnancy and relentless harassment, drove Zhu Queqi to a breaking point. In a moment of despair, she attempted to leave Gu Ansheng, only to fall and strike her head, dying in his arms. Reborn, Zhu Queqi is determined to avoid this tragic fate and forge a different path for herself.

Upon arriving in Beijing, Zhu Queqi separates from Gu Ansheng at the station, her mind racing with the memories of her past suffering. She returns to her childhood home, a cramped tube-shaped apartment shared with her neglectful parents and favored younger brother. Her mother is cold and critical, while her father remains passive and detached. Zhu Queqi finds her room used as storage and struggles to reclaim her space. She learns that she has been assigned a job sweeping streets, a fate she wishes to avoid. Meanwhile, Gu Ansheng, unaware of her internal turmoil, visits her with gifts and affection, hoping to rekindle their romance. He is confused by her distant behavior but interprets her withdrawal as shyness rather than rejection. Zhu Queqi, however, has made a firm decision: she will not marry him. She believes that by avoiding him, she can escape the pain and control her own destiny.

Zhu Queqi attempts to end the relationship, returning the gold earrings Gu Ansheng gave her and stating that they are no longer suitable. She tells him she does not love him and wishes to part ways. Gu Ansheng is devastated, pleading with her to reconsider and promising to change. Despite his emotional appeals, Zhu Queqi remains resolute and locks herself in her room. That night, she cries, haunted by the memory of her death and the realization that she has lost him. The next day, she goes to the neighborhood office to secure her street-sweeping job, feeling defeated. However, a dream about Gu Ansheng helping her with her burdensome work triggers a profound realization. She understands that she does not want to be separated from him. Her fear of the past life’s pain was actually fear of losing his love. Overcome with regret, she rushes to his house, only to find him on a blind date with another woman named Lin Ping.

Shocked and jealous, Zhu Queqi confronts the situation. Gu Ansheng, seeing her, immediately dismisses the blind date and orders her to wait in his room. Inside, he is cold and distant, testing her intentions. Zhu Queqi, realizing her mistake, apologizes profusely and explains that her previous rejection stemmed from insecurity and fear. She pleads for another chance, and Gu Ansheng, though initially resistant, eventually softens. He reveals that he never truly hated her and had only been hurt by her sudden withdrawal. They reconcile, and their relationship resumes with renewed intensity. Gu Ansheng proposes marriage, and Zhu Queqi agrees, but with one condition: she will not live with his mother. Gu Ansheng accepts this condition, and they plan to marry quickly. He visits her family to formally ask for her hand, impressing her parents with his stability and prospects. The story concludes with the couple preparing for their wedding, hopeful for a future free from the tragedies of the past.