QTIMP -Chapter 169 Character Persona – Overachiever (Part 1)

The moment Si Qiu became aware, she felt only one word: pain.

A twisting pain around her waist and abdomen, an aching soreness all over her body, made her frown and groan.

Before she could even figure out the cause of it all, a man’s voice rang out.

“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I didn’t take good care of Qiu Qiu.”

Immediately, a slightly heavier, authoritative voice cut through his apology. “Tang Chaoyun, even though your families are linked through marriage, if you cannot give your wife the respect she deserves, then there is no need for this marriage to continue.”

“Father-in-law, please don’t be impulsive. This is indeed my fault, but rest assured, I will make it up to Qiu Qiu.”

Si Qiu whimpered, and their conversation came to a halt.

Then someone grabbed her hand. “Qiu Qiu, how are you?”

Her eyes swept across the faces in front of her, and the information about each person gradually filled her mind.

Si Qiu was 27, married for seven years. Her husband was Tang Chaoyun, and they had a five-year-old son, raised by the Tang family matriarch in the old Tang residence.

Her husband wasn’t close to her at all—he even seemed to avoid her presence.

The Tang family and the Si family were both well-known enterprises. Years ago, because of a certain project, the two families arranged a marriage. Shortly after, news came out that Tang Chaoyun had a childhood sweetheart.

When the old master of the Tang family passed away, that childhood sweetheart’s family was busy trying to consume the Tang family’s assets and wanted them married as soon as possible—but the Tang matriarch was not so easily manipulated.

She quickly negotiated with the Si family and married Si Qiu.

The original owner didn’t understand it, but Si Qiu did. The Tang matriarch had observed that the Si family’s foundation was weak, Si Qiu adored her son, and her personality was soft and easy to manipulate.

This way, her son wouldn’t lose control of the Tang group immediately after taking over.

The original owner was stubborn. Tang Chaoyun married someone he didn’t love, while the one he loved went abroad and married someone else, so he was cold toward her.

This hospitalization happened because she became pregnant again unknowingly, caught Tang Chaoyun with his childhood sweetheart in a bar, confronted him, and ended up being pushed by Tang Chaoyun, which led to a miscarriage.

Si Qiu also had an elder brother—mediocre in ability but sharp in heart.

She was completely a pawn in this arranged marriage. Her parents saw her as a matter of interest; she could not compete with the conglomerate, her son, or profit.

So the argument she had overheard earlier was purely about interests.

After all, before they married, the prenuptial agreement they signed was thicker than a dictionary. Even if divorced, what Si Qiu could get was limited. The Si family was now just seizing the Tang family’s mistake to extract a bit of profit.

If the original owner were still in this body, she would have cried, heartbroken, and accepted compensation—which would likely end up in the hands of the Si family.

The meager possessions she had—three or four minor things—were nothing more than the result of years of being blinded by love and obsessed with Tang Chaoyun.

“Call the doctor, it hurts so much.”

Hearing this, they seemed to snap back to reality and quickly rang for the doctor.

After a series of examinations, the doctor said only that she needed proper rest. Nothing else was serious.

As Tang Chaoyun opened his mouth to say something, Si Qiu weakly interrupted. “Transfer a hundred million to me, and put the villa I’m staying in under my name as compensation. Otherwise, your not-yet-divorced childhood sweetheart can wait for me to expose her online.”

The original owner had clung to love blindly, trying to bind a man with gentleness and obedience, which had led to everything spiraling to this point.

Tang Chaoyun’s sharp features furrowed slightly, and he loosened his tie with a hand. Then, once again, he looked at her, and Si Qiu met his gaze without any hesitation.

Finally, Tang Chaoyun nodded. “I hope you can follow through on what you say.”

“Alright. You should go back and prepare now! I want to receive all of this before being discharged.”

“I’ll have Sister Zhang come over to take care of you.”

Watching Tang Chaoyun leave, Si Qiu’s parents frowned. “Why didn’t you discuss this with us before making a decision like this?”

“Besides, what do you need money for? Want shares of the Tang family? You’re legitimately a Tang family daughter-in-law and have given them a son. So what if you want some shares from their family? You have no foresight at all—you’re not even on par with your older brother.”

Si Qiu’s lips curled into a slight smile. “So what if I’m a Tang family daughter-in-law? I’m also a Si family daughter, yet I didn’t get a single share. Back when the Si family sold off my marriage for such a huge profit, what did they give me in return? It was my dowry, and how much of it did you take back? Since you’re all beneficiaries, don’t flaunt your superiority over me.”

The hospital room door slammed open, and Si Yang strode in.

Pointing at her, he scolded in a low voice, “Si Qiu, how are you talking to Mom and Dad? What do you mean by ‘beneficiaries’? Didn’t you profit too? All the high-end food, clothing, and living standards since you were little—where did they come from? Even your marriage into the Tang family was thanks to having the Si surname. And now you speak these ungrateful words? You really need a lesson.”

Si Qiu’s gaze turned icy as she looked at him. “Yes, I lived off the Si family’s resources, but I’ve already paid them back with my marriage. I have nothing to do with the Si family now, so stop using my surname to pressure me. Always speaking as if you’re righteous, yet constantly doing disgraceful things. If it weren’t for that previous Tang family project, the Si family would have been bankrupt long ago because of you.”

“All right, all right, stop arguing. You’re siblings—what’s the point of fighting? Si Qiu had a miscarriage and is weak and in a bad mood. You, as her older brother, should be more considerate.”

Seeing her mother step in to play peacemaker, Si Qiu couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Every time, the original owner got PUA’d and exploited.

“All right, the doctor said I need to rest. You all should leave!”

“Hah! Since she doesn’t need us, let’s go! No need to worry about someone so heartless and ungrateful.”

Si Qiu’s father, who had been hospitalized last year for a thrombosis, trembled violently but still snorted to show his displeasure. Her mother’s eyes were full of grievance, constantly glancing back at Si Qiu.

Once everyone had left, Si Qiu checked her pulse and let out a deep sigh. She took out a bottle of medicine, poured out a pill, and swallowed it.

Feeling the medicine slowly nourishing her body, her mind wandered.

“Ah, when will I be able to go to a high martial world… this medicine seems to run out faster the more I use it.”

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Before she could answer, it opened, and an elegantly dressed woman entered, holding a little boy’s hand.

Si Qiu turned and softly called out, “Madam.”

Madam Tang paused for a moment, then nodded and guided the child to sit by the bed, gently pushing him forward.

“Che’er, say hello to Mommy.”

The little boy stepped forward, lowered his head, and managed to say two words: “Mommy.”

“Yes!”

This was the original owner’s child, not hers. Si Qiu didn’t feel the heart-wrenching pain the original owner would have felt upon seeing her child not bond with her immediately.