Chapter 2.1

A fragrance of food woke Du Lingyun.

He got up from the sofa bed in the study, his ink-black hair slightly messy, eyes still drowsy with sleep. For a few seconds, he looked blankly around in confusion.

To catch up on work progress, he had worked all night in the study until nearly four in the morning before falling asleep, and now it was not even ten o’clock.

He had slept only three hours.

He casually scratched his hair, patted his cheeks to wake himself up, yawned as he walked out of the room, instinctively following the scent of food.

Then he froze, staring at the graceful figure busy in the open kitchen, wearing a deep blue apron that made her skin appear even more moist and white like jade.

It was his wife.

She was actually… cooking?

Du Lingyun subconsciously pinched his arm. It hurt… so it was not a dream?

But how was it possible?

That was Jian Lanxi! A pampered young lady raised in a greenhouse, spoiled and indulged. She never entered the kitchen, too lazy even to make instant noodles.

Yet now she had prepared a table full of sumptuous breakfast. The dining table was laden with variety: a pot of soft, stewed chicken porridge, several freshly stir-fried side dishes, and Western-style items—an omelette that looked mouthwatering just from its appearance, a fruit salad, and a pot emitting the rich aroma of coffee.

He found he had to struggle to squeeze a dry sound from his throat. “What are you doing?”

Hearing his voice, her body seemed to stiffen. Only after a moment did she turn around, giving him a bright, warm smile.

“You’re awake? Good morning.”

He stared at her clear, sweet, and elegant smile. He could not remember her ever smiling like this. Her temper had always been spoiled and willful. When happy, she would laugh brightly and unrestrainedly; when unhappy, she would show a mocking sneer. This gentle, faint smile with an inner refined quality did not seem like her.

Seeing him stare at her without speaking, her smile froze for an instant, appearing somewhat uneasy.

But she still tried to keep smiling, extending tentative kindness toward him. “Are you hungry?”

His gaze dropped to the plate of pan-fried whitebelt fish she held. “Did you make all these?”

“Mm.” She tried to act naturally as she placed the fish plate on the table too. “I don’t know… I can’t remember what you and Yangyang like to eat for breakfast, so I just made a bit more.”

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her again. “When did you learn to cook?”

“Ah?” She was stunned.

“You never knew how to cook before.” He paused and added, “You never entered the kitchen.”

Never entered? Cheng Yu was dumbfounded. Judging by Yangyang’s age, the couple must have been married at least four or five years, yet Jian Lanxi had never cooked a single meal for this father and son?

“Then who took care of your meals?” she asked in a daze.

He observed her reaction probingly and explained, “I handle it myself. In the mornings, you would always buy bread and milk for Yangyang, then send him to the nanny’s house. For dinner, we mostly ordered takeout. The hourly housekeeper comes twice a week and sometimes helps cook.”

Hourly housekeeper? Nanny?

She was shocked. “You hired a nanny to take care of Yangyang?”

“You insisted on hiring one.” His eyes sharpened. “When Yangyang turned two, you found an administrative assistant job at a law firm.”

“So I went to work every day?”

“Given your current condition, it’s best to rest at home for a few days. I’ll temporarily request a week off for you from the company. When you’re ready to return, I’ll go with you to the office and explain your memory loss to them.”

“We’ll talk about it later.” She had no interest in going to work at the company. Rather than that, she would prefer to spend more time with Yangyang.

Cheng Yu looked up, her eyes unconsciously revealing a trace of hope. “Since I’ll be home these few days, can Yangyang stay home too? I can watch him…”

“No need!” He abruptly interrupted her.

She was taken aback.

Du Lingyun noticed the slight panic and confusion in her eyes, and his tone softened unconsciously. “It’s better to leave Yangyang with the nanny. She has always taken good care of him, and Yangyang likes her a lot too.”

What did he mean by this? It seemed he did not want her to be alone with Yangyang. Was it because he did not trust her current state? Or…

As Cheng Yu was lost in thought, suddenly a soft, childish voice called out.

“Daddy! Daddy, where are you?”

It was Yangyang.

The child rubbed his eyes drowsily as he walked out of his room. Seeing this, Du Lingyun immediately turned and picked up his son.

Yangyang’s small hands very naturally wrapped around his daddy’s neck, his expression full of adoration and dependence.

As soon as this child woke up, he looked for his daddy. Toward her, his mommy, he seemed even hesitant and afraid to approach. Could it be that he did not have a good relationship with his mommy? Just how had Jian Lanxi treated her own child?

Cheng Yu’s heart twisted painfully. Looking at Yangyang whose face was still not fully awake, with several red crease marks on his little cheeks, she really wanted to hug him and kiss him.

But she could do nothing about it, afraid of scaring him. She could only try her best to show a kind and gentle smile. “Good morning, Yangyang. Are you hungry? Mommy made breakfast.”

When the words “Mommy” came out, even Cheng Yu herself was somewhat surprised. She could actually call herself that so naturally, without feeling any awkwardness at all, as if it was perfectly rightful, as if she had always been the mother of this adorable child.

“Mommy?” Only then did Yangyang notice her. He stared blankly for a moment, his red little mouth moving slightly, as if he did not know what to say. Then his small eyes looked toward the sumptuous dishes on the table. “Did Mommy make all these?”

“Mm, Mommy made them.”

Yangyang was even more stunned. He opened his big, round eyes wide. His little head seemed unable to process this unbelievable information.

Mommy would make breakfast for him to eat?

“Yangyang, look. This is what Mommy specially made for you.” Cheng Yu pointed to a plastic plate on the table. On it was a piece of perfectly toasted bread with jam used to draw a smiling panda face. Small sausages were cut into octopus shapes, and colorful fruit cubes combined with scrambled eggs were arranged into a robot pattern.

Yangyang was completely mesmerized.

Du Lingyun was also stunned.

The father and son both had their lips slightly parted. Their two similar faces showed an inexplicable silly expression. Seeing this, a stream of warmth inexplicably flowed through Cheng Yu’s heart. A light laugh escaped her cherry lips.

“Yangyang, sit down and eat, okay? Tell Mommy what you like to eat. Mommy will make it for you every day from now on.” Cheng Yu coaxed the child in a soft voice. For a moment, she felt like a witch in the forest luring a child.

Yangyang seemed to have been tricked by her. His eyes showed wavering, but he did not respond immediately. Instead, he looked at his daddy as if seeking help.

Only after Du Lingyun nodded affirmatively to him did a truly joyful smile bloom on the child’s face.

“Okay, I want to eat! Yangyang wants to eat the breakfast Mommy made!”

Cheng Yu brought over the child’s high chair. Du Lingyun placed his son on it. Yangyang sat obediently and picked up his special children’s utensils.

He gestured with the fork over the plate for a long time, not knowing where to start.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Cheng Yu sat across from him, looking at him gently.

Yangyang pouted his small mouth. “This robot is too cute. I can’t bear to eat it. The little octopuses are cute too.”

“Be good. From now on, Mommy will make even cuter ones. There will be new ones every day. Eat these first. You can’t be picky about food, okay!”

“Mm, Yangyang won’t be picky. Yangyang will be good.” The child promised seriously. After hesitating for a few seconds, he finally carefully started eating with his fork. After each bite, he lifted his head and gave Daddy and Mommy a sweet smile. “It’s so delicious! Daddy, the breakfast Mommy made is delicious.”

“If it’s delicious, eat more.” Du Lingyun patted his son’s head. Facing the full table of dishes, he fell into the same dilemma his son had earlier, not knowing where to begin.

“Do you like porridge?” Cheng Yu asked softly.

He nodded.

“I found some pork bones in the freezer. This porridge is made with bone broth, with shredded chicken and egg drops added.” She explained, her tone carrying a slight hint of pride.

He gave her a meaningful glance, ate some porridge, then tasted several other dishes. He found every dish delicious. The porridge especially was flavorful. One mouthful warmed and comforted his entire body.

So his wife did know how to cook. Then why had she never done it before?

Du Lingyun suddenly found the food tasteless. Watching his wife gaze at their son with loving eyes while he ate, occasionally using a tissue to wipe his little mouth, and even when the son made a mess and spilled food on the table, she did not get angry. She just smiled gently the whole time, praising Yangyang for being smart and encouraging him to keep eating by himself.

Could losing memory really cause such a complete change in a person’s personality?

Du Lingyun slightly frowned. His sharp gaze unobtrusively examined his wife, trying to find traces of her former self in her, but he discovered that whether in speech, behavior, or all the subtle expressions, everything was greatly different.

What exactly was going on here?

Seeing Du Lingyun’s expression, Cheng Yu clearly understood that she might have overdone it. Because her behavior was so drastically different from his wife’s previous self, he had begun to grow suspicious.

Yet even knowing this, she still did not want to hold back.

She wanted to blend into this family as quickly as possible. She had no desire to be that willful Jian Lanxi who abandoned her husband and child and ran away from home. She wanted to become a true member of this household.

After breakfast, Du Lingyun prepared to leave for work and drop their son off at the nanny’s on the way.

Yangyang waved goodbye to Mommy. “Bye-bye, Mommy. Yangyang is leaving now.”

The child showed not the slightest reluctance; he was already used to leaving home during the day and going to Auntie Nanny.

Instead, it was Cheng Yu who felt a faint ache in her heart when she saw how cheerful he looked. It seemed this child did not cling to his mother at all.

“I’ll try to get off work early today and pick Yangyang up on the way back,” Du Lingyun said before leaving.

“Mm.” Cheng Yu nodded obediently, saw the father and son off, then stood there for a moment in a daze.

But she did not allow herself to remain idle for long. She quickly pulled herself together. Even though Du Lingyun had said they had a hourly housekeeper who came regularly to clean, she still decided to give the entire house a thorough cleaning herself.

She took down the curtains to wash them, carried the quilts up to the rooftop to air in the sun, scrubbed the bathroom until it sparkled, and even cleaned every grout line between the wall tiles until they were spotless.

Yangyang’s room, Du Lingyun’s study, the master bedroom—every large and small item was sorted and put away neatly. Furniture was wiped until not a speck of dust remained, floors were waxed and polished until they gleamed.

She worked diligently the whole time, pausing only occasionally to catch her breath. She kept her body constantly moving, because only then could her mind go completely blank and stop thinking about everything related to the old Cheng Yu and Deng Ruofan.

None of that concerned her anymore. She was now Jian Lanxi—a mother with a child…