Chapter 1.2

Du Lingyun held his son in his arms. The four eyes of the big and small pair quietly looked toward the woman lying on the hospital bed.

She had a slight abrasion on her forehead, her left arm wrapped in bandages, her face slightly pale, her beautiful hair disheveled, carrying a touch of weariness.

Other than that, she appeared no different, except that the eyes staring at him contained an emotion similar to panic and fear.

Was she afraid of him? Did she not want to see him?

A chill rose in Du Lingyun’s chest. He tried his best not to show any emotion toward this woman in front of his son. “You… are you okay?”

She did not answer, still looking at him with that same panicked expression.

“Do you want to go home?” he asked in a flat tone, with a hint of indifference.

She remained silent.

“Mommy…” Yangyang shifted in his father’s arms. His clear, bright eyes timidly fixed on his mother. After a long moment, he finally gathered the courage to ask. “Are you… going to abandon Yangyang?”

The little boy’s eyes reddened, on the verge of tears.

Her expression stiffened as she stared at him in a daze.

Yangyang sniffled, trying hard to hold back the tears that were about to fall. “Yangyang will be good from now on. Please don’t leave me and Daddy…”

Du Lingyun took a deep breath, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart. If not for Yangyang, he would have long stopped caring about this woman, but the child still needed a mother…

“Come home! Whatever issues we have, we can discuss them again. If you want a divorce, I won’t oppose it, but as for Yangyang’s custody…”

“I want the child!” She abruptly interrupted him, her voice sharp. Her cheeks suddenly flushed with agitation, her eyes shining intensely.

He was stunned. “Do you really want him?”

He still remembered not long ago when she had repeatedly said that her life had been ruined by him and by Yangyang. She could have lived freely and unrestrained, but now she was trapped in an unhappy marriage.

Had she forgotten all her previous resentment after running away for just a short while?

“I want him! Don’t take him from me. Give him to me, give me the child…”

As she spoke, tears suddenly streamed down her face. Her voice broke into sobs, her expression almost desperate and grief-stricken, as if she were trapped in a maze that had confined her for years, unable to escape.

He looked at her misty eyes and reddened nose tip. For a moment, he unexpectedly felt a trace of indescribable pity. His heartstrings tugged inexplicably. After a long pause, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice.

“Jian Lanxi, what happened to you?”

Jian Lanxi.

Cheng Yu repeated this name over and over in her mind, staring wide-eyed and bewildered at the ceiling.

She had always thought life was fragile, gone in an instant. She never expected life could also be so resilient.

She was actually still alive.

In the moment she was hit by the truck, she thought she was done for. She even felt that dying was fine anyway, since she did not have long to live, and living held no meaning.

Yet she had lived again!

She was properly breathing the air of the world, her heart beating strongly one beat at a time. Though her body was still somewhat weak, she was indeed alive.

But not as Cheng Yu.

She was alive, yet her soul had attached itself to another woman’s body—a woman named Jian Lanxi, a few years younger than her, in the prime of youthful vitality.

Was this what they called body seizure?

At the time of the accident, Jian Lanxi happened to be behind her. Both were hit one after the other. She died, but her soul was knocked into Jian Lanxi’s body.

Because Jian Lanxi absorbed less of the impact, she only suffered minor injuries, while hers had all internal organs displaced—she was truly dead beyond saving.

Having occupied another woman’s body, she felt very sorry, yet if asked to give it up, she could not bear to.

Because Jian Lanxi had a child.

That little boy called Yangyang, the one who gave her a piece of candy, was actually her son!

In the hospital, when that man appeared holding Yangyang, on one hand she felt panicked and at a loss, but on the other, she could not help wondering if this was heaven’s compensation for her.

Giving her another healthy body, giving her a child, allowing her to live properly once more.

She thought that the man must have been frightened by her sudden breakdown. Not only did he immediately bring her home, but he also half-forced her to lie in bed and rest, not allowing her to get up.

For a whole day and night, she lay there in a daze, her thoughts chaotic like tangled threads.

Such a thing was truly too unbelievable. She could actually survive using another woman’s identity!

It was simply like a dream. But even if it was really just a dream, she did not want to wake up. She really wanted to indulge herself and dream like this…

Knock, knock!

A few faint taps came from the door, startling her from her hazy thoughts.

Soon after, Yangyang pushed open the bedroom door, tiptoed in, and stopped several steps away from her bed, looking awkward and uneasy.

“Mommy, are you better from your illness?” Yangyang asked in a soft, tiny voice. His eyes fixed on her were big and round, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, as if he was somewhat hesitant.

Cheng Yu could not help reaching out her hand toward him. “I’m much better. You… come here.”

Hearing this, Yangyang’s eyes brightened. He lifted his little feet and ran toward her, but suddenly remembering something, his small body retreated again, his childish lips slightly pursed.

This reaction made Cheng Yu feel somewhat hurt. The child was unwilling to come close to her. Could it be that subconsciously he sensed she was not his real birth mother?

“Why don’t you come over?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

Hearing this, the little boy trembled. His two small hands twisted together, as if nervous.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a very small voice. “Yangyang will be good. Mommy… don’t be angry.”

Cheng Yu was stunned. Did she look like she was angry?

“I’m not angry.” She clarified, trying her best to make her tone and expression appear gentle.

Yangyang cautiously studied her for a moment, saying nothing.

“Come to Mommy.” Cheng Yu reached out her hand again.

Yangyang hesitated for a bit, but finally could not resist the longing for his mother’s embrace. He moved step by step to the bedside.

Cheng Yu immediately pulled him into a hug, holding him as if he were her own child who never had the chance to be born. Waves surged in her heart. Unknowingly, she tightened her arms, as if afraid that if she let go, she would lose him again.

Yangyang was hugged so tightly he could barely breathe. He struggled fearfully and begged in a tiny voice. “It hurts… Mommy, Yangyang hurts…”

“Let him go!” A sharp voice struck like lightning.

Cheng Yu jumped in fright and unconsciously released her hold. Yangyang stumbled back, turned, and threw himself at the newcomer, clinging to his legs like a koala.

“Daddy!” The little boy’s voice could not hide a trace of grievance.

Was he really that afraid of her?

Cheng Yu’s heart sank. She stared blankly at the man holding a tray.

He was Yangyang’s daddy, Du Lingyun, the man who held an umbrella over her when she was crying in utter despair.

She had thought he was refined and gentle, but at this moment, the expression he directed at her was cold and stern, even his tone carrying a hint of hardness.

She felt as if she was seeing another Deng Ruofan.

Did this man also grow tired of his wife? Were all men the same? Always acting like warm and gentle guys toward women outside, yet cold-blooded and ruthless toward their own wedded wife.

Cheng Yu could not help feeling disheartened.

Du Lingyun looked down and gave his son a warm smile. “Yangyang, go back to your room and draw for a while. Daddy will come accompany you soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Yangyang nodded obediently, then timidly glanced at his mother on the bed. Lifting his small face, he softly said to his father, “Daddy, don’t be angry with Mommy.”

Du Lingyun’s expression stiffened. After a good while, he sighed. “Daddy won’t be. Don’t worry, Yangyang. Go back to your room first.”

“Mm.”

Once the son left, Du Lingyun’s smile immediately faded, his expression turning cold again.

He placed the tray on the small table beside the bed. A savory salty aroma instantly wafted into Cheng Yu’s nose. She turned to look and saw that on the tray was a bowl of salty porridge topped with egg drops and chopped green onions, along with two small dishes of pickled vegetables.

“The doctor said you need to rest for a while. During this time, it’s best to eat light food.” As if noticing the confusion on her face, Du Lingyun explained faintly.

“Is this… something you cooked yourself?”

“Mm.”

Cheng Yu stared at him in a daze. Ripples inexplicably spread across the lake of her heart. From the time she met Deng Ruofan until now, that man had never personally cooked a single dish for her. Even for instant noodles, he, the great lord, expected her to serve him.

Yet this man could cook porridge for his wife.

“Eat it quickly!” Du Lingyun seemed somewhat uncomfortable under her surprised gaze. He frowned, about to turn and leave, but glanced at her pale face again, appearing uncertain. “You can eat by yourself, right?”

“If I can’t, will you feed me?” Cheng Yu did not know why, but she just wanted to ask.

Du Lingyun’s brows knitted tightly, as if considering something. Then, reluctantly pursing his lips, he pulled a chair to the bedside and sat down, picking up the porridge bowl.

He was really going to feed her? Cheng Yu was completely stunned.

“It’s only for Yangyang.” Du Lingyun said expressionlessly. “He is very worried about you.”

Did that mean if not for not wanting to disappoint their son, he would not care about her at all?

No matter the reason, at least he did not completely ignore his wife. When his wife needed it, he was still willing to extend a helping hand.

Fortunately, he was not such a bad man, not another Deng Ruofan.

Cheng Yu could not describe the feeling in her heart. If there were a sky before her eyes at this moment, it should be the clouds parting for the sun, revealing a beam of warm orange sunlight.

She opened her mouth and swallowed a spoonful of porridge. After thinking for a bit, she softly spoke. “Yangyang… why is he afraid of me?”

Du Lingyun’s hand paused. “Do you really remember nothing?”

“Mm, I can’t remember.” She tried hard to face him with a calm expression, not letting him see that she was lying.

She was not amnesic; she had seized the body and been reborn. She was not his real wife, just a selfish woman using the excuse of lost memory, delusionally thinking her life could start over.

The man stared at her complicatedly. Behind the lenses, his ink-dark eyes reflected a delicate and innocent face.

It was Jian Lanxi’s face. Though not as elegantly outstanding as her original one, it was still a rather pretty and refined face.

“If you can’t remember, then don’t think about it.” After a long while, Du Lingyun murmured calmly. “From now on, just be a good mother to Yangyang. Don’t hurt him again.”

Did that mean Jian Lanxi had once hurt Yangyang?

How could a mother bear to hurt such a cute and kind child?

Cheng Yu found it unbelievable and bit her lip hard.

Du Lingyun was silent for two seconds, then said in a low voice, “No matter what, in his heart… Yangyang still wants to be close to you. He is still young and needs a mother.”

He only mentioned Yangyang, never once bringing up himself.

Yangyang needed a mother. What about him? Did he need a wife?

Or perhaps the feelings between this husband and wife had long developed irreparable cracks…

Cheng Yu looked at the man silently feeding her spoonful by spoonful. Her heart involuntarily tightened.

Du Lingyun came to his son’s room. Little Yangyang was sitting at the desk in a daze, a coloring book spread out in front of him. His small hand held a crayon, sometimes gripping it tightly, sometimes loosening it, unconsciously fiddling with it.

Seeing his daddy come in, Yangyang jumped down from the chair and ran toward him. “Daddy!”

Du Lingyun picked up his son in one swift motion.

Yangyang’s small hands hooked around his neck as he asked softly, “Has Mommy eaten her dinner?”

“She has.”

“Then is her illness better?”

“Mm, much better.”

Hearing this, Yangyang smiled happily, but then his expression dimmed again. “Did Yangyang make Mommy angry again?”

He remembered how his mother had hugged him tightly just now, hugging him so hard it hurt, almost making it hard for him to breathe.

Du Lingyun’s body stiffened. The lines on his face quickly softened as he gave his son a reassuring smile. “No, Mommy is not angry.”

“What about Daddy?”

“Daddy is not angry either.”

The little boy lifted his face, looking at his father full of hope. “Daddy, from now on, can you and Mommy not fight anymore?”

Du Lingyun’s chest tightened. Remembering his wife who, since their marriage, had hardly given him a single good face, a flash of mockery passed through his ink-dark eyes.

He did not respond. Instead, he put his son back on the chair and reached out to ruffle his hair. “What is Yangyang drawing?”

“It’s a Gundam robot.” Mentioning his favorite activity of drawing, Yangyang’s tone became excited. “Daddy, tell me, should I dress this robot in blue or red clothes?”

“What do you think?”

“I think both blue and red look great. I don’t know which is better?”

“Then dress him in both colors!”

“Oh, right! Then Daddy, draw with me.”

“I’ll just watch you draw.”

“No, I want Daddy to accompany me. Let’s have a contest to see who draws better!”

“Okay, then you draw that one, Daddy will draw this one.”

“Mm mm!”

In the room, the father and son eagerly colored their drawings with crayons, the atmosphere full of harmony and joy.

Outside the room, Cheng Yu quietly stood by the door, peeking at this warm scene. Listening to the occasional laughter, somehow her thoughts became hazy, as if her consciousness had crossed through a misty forest and opened a door that had been sealed for so long.

She returned to that year, that moment.

She saw a little girl lying at the dining table, smiling as she doodled with newly bought crayons.

“Are they easy to use?” A dark-skinned man walked over. His large hands, calloused from years of work in an auto repair shop, reached out to ruffle the little girl’s head. The movement was extremely gentle, completely unlike his rough appearance.

“Mm mm, very easy! Daddy, I want to use this box of watercolor crayons to enter a drawing contest.”

“Okay, our little Yu draws so well. You must win a prize when the time comes.”

“I want to get first place!”

“If you say you’ll get it, you will? You should learn a bit of humility!” Another soft female voice rang out, carrying a teasing laugh.

“Why be humble? I’m clearly very good.” The little girl pouted, unconvinced.

“That’s right, our little Yu will become a little artist in the future, right?” The man backed up his child.

“Yes yes, in the future my paintings will even be auctioned, sold for lots and lots of money. Then I’ll buy a big house for Daddy, Mommy, and me to live in together. We won’t have to rent someone else’s house anymore.”

“Good! Little Yu has ambition. Then Daddy and Mommy will wait for you to earn money and buy a big house.”

“Oh my, Mommy doesn’t dare to dream. Haven’t you watched TV? Those artists often can’t even support themselves! But it’s okay, little Yu. If you can’t earn money in the future, worst case you can come back and Mommy will arrange blind dates for you. With the pretty face Mommy passed on to you, you’ll at least be able to snag a good husband…”

“Mom! Why do you always have to discourage your daughter like this?”

“That’s right, our little Yu won’t just marry anyone in the future! Which stinky boy in this world is worthy of our pretty and cute daughter?”

“Old Cheng selling melons, boasting about his own goods.”

“Wife!”

“Mom!”

The big and small voices protested in unison. Soon, the room was filled with laughter. Completely filled with happiness.

At that time, how could she have imagined that the parents who were joyfully laughing with her one minute would face eternal farewell the next.

She could not imagine that happiness could disappear so easily…

Tears suddenly flooded Cheng Yu’s eyes, like strings of pearls falling silently and madly one by one.

Even she herself was startled.

How long had it been since she thought of that time?

Since that earthquake, since she drifted like duckweed between several foster families, she had sealed away those memories, telling herself never to think of them again.

Even later when she was with Deng Ruofan, she never allowed herself to recall them.

Why did she suddenly remember now?

Why at this moment, this instant, did she let herself return to that past she knew she could never go back to?

Why…

“Daddy, look! Is my drawing good?”

The little boy’s soft, sweet voice startled Cheng Yu awake. Her mind sharpened. She shifted her body slightly, making sure she was completely hidden behind the door, before indulging her gaze to linger greedily on the scene inside the room.

Such a scene, such happiness—was this not exactly what she had always longed for?

She wanted this happiness. No matter what, she wanted it. She wanted it even if she died.

She breathed deeply, telling herself over and over in her heart that no matter what, she had to find a way to keep all of this.

Even if none of it originally belonged to her.