Stepping on the creaking wooden stairs, Lin Nian pushed open the door of her rented room.
The room was in an old tube-shaped apartment building. It wasn’t big—just one bedroom, and the kitchen and bathroom were shared with others.
Inside, the furnishings were simple: a bed, a small table for eating, and an old wooden chest for clothes. But Lin Nian kept everything spotless. A pot of green spider plants on the windowsill added a bit of life to the slightly shabby home.
“Mommy!”
“Mommy, you’re back!”
Two soft, sweet little voices came with hurried footsteps rushing toward her.
Lin Nian’s heart instantly filled with warmth.
She squatted down, opened her arms, and hugged the two chubby, delicate little dumplings tightly.
On the left was the older brother, Lu An—nicknamed An’an.
On the right was the younger sister, Lu Ning—nicknamed Ningning.
An’an and Ningning were a pair of dragon-phoenix twins, recently turned four.
Lin Nian kissed their soft, sweet-smelling faces, and all the frustration and grievances she suffered at the night market instantly disappeared.
They were her life—her everything.
For them, she could become anything and do anything.
“Mommy, you came back late today. Ningning’s tummy is already flat from hunger!” Lu Ning pouted and rubbed her tiny belly, acting spoiled.
Lu Ning looked like Lin Nian—big, watery eyes like black grapes. She talked a lot and was smart and lively.
Her brother, Lu An, pressed his lips together and didn’t speak. He just stretched out his small hand and quietly helped Lin Nian massage her legs.
He looked… exactly like Lu Tingchuan.
The same sharp brows, the same thin lips, even his silent and mature expression—he was like a little version of that man.
Every time she saw An’an’s face, Lin Nian’s feelings got complicated.
She loved her son, but that face always reminded her of the man she hated to her bones.
“Alright, alright. It’s Mommy’s fault.” Lin Nian squeezed her daughter’s small nose. “Mommy will make dinner right now. Let’s have steamed egg custard today, okay?”
“Yay!” Ningning cheered immediately.
Lin Nian took the children to wash their hands, then went into the tiny shared kitchen.
Dinner was simple—soft steamed egg custard with white rice.
Watching the two kids hold their little spoons and eat happily, Lin Nian’s smile never faded.
This was the life she wanted.
Simple, steady—just her and her children.
As for men…
Hmph. Men only slowed down her money-making speed.
After dinner, she bathed the children and carried them to bed.
“Mommy, tell a story!” Ningning hugged her teddy bear, blinking her big eyes.
“Alright. Tonight we’ll tell a little white rabbit story.”
Lin Nian’s voice was gentle, like running water in the quiet night.
Soon, the two little ones fell asleep to her story.
Ningning smacked her lips in her sleep, as if dreaming of delicious food.
An’an slept deeply, his tiny brows slightly furrowed, like he was thinking about something important.
Lin Nian leaned down and kissed both children on their foreheads.
Sitting at the bedside, using the faint moonlight from the window, she quietly watched their sleeping faces. Her thoughts drifted back to five years ago.
Back to the novel that made her awaken.
The plot replayed in her mind like a movie.
She remembered clearly—Lu Tingchuan returned home that time just to divorce her.
But before he could say anything, the “awakened” her stole the chance.
She had slapped the divorce papers on his face, called him a poor soldier, and ran away that same night.
But in the book, the “Lin Nian” who never awakened chose to cling to him desperately.
She couldn’t understand why she waited three years for him, but he treated her so coldly.
Thinking it was her fault, she chased him all the way to the army, wanting to save their marriage.
But what she saw was Lu Tingchuan standing with another woman.
That woman was Bai Yueru.
A chief doctor at the military hospital, the only daughter of a high-ranking family, and Lu Tingchuan’s childhood sweetheart.
In the book, they were described as a “perfect match made in heaven.”
Bai Yueru was gentle and elegant.
While “Lin Nian” was labeled as crude, noisy, and a country woman.
Everyone believed Lu Tingchuan should be with Bai Yueru.
Lin Nian’s existence was considered a stain on their beautiful love.
So under Bai Yueru’s “innocent” scheme, and with Lu Tingchuan coldly watching, “Lin Nian” was accused of “improper behavior” and publicly criticized. Her reputation was ruined.
Her dragon-phoenix twins were taken by the Lu family, claiming, “A mother with bad conduct is unfit to raise children.”
Eventually, that pitiful woman froze to death on the street during heavy snow.
Thinking of this, Lin Nian shivered.
She touched An’an’s cheek gently.
Thank goodness she awakened.
Otherwise, the two little treasures beside her would be calling another woman “Mommy.”
And she would already be buried in the ground.
Her hatred for Lu Tingchuan surged again.
She previously couldn’t understand—how could he, as a father, watch his own children be taken away?
Now she understood a little.
Maybe in his heart, only Bai Yueru was his real wife, and only her future children were his real children.
As for An’an and Ningning…
They were just stains he could erase anytime.
Lin Nian’s eyes grew cold.
What happened at the night market today—his arrogance, his indifference—proved she was right.
He never treated her as his wife. That’s why he could justify ruining her livelihood.
This cold-blooded man…
Lin Nian cursed fiercely in her heart:
He deserves to be single forever!
He deserves never to find a wife!
He should stay tied to that fake white-lotus Bai Yueru and never ruin any other girl’s life!
After venting, she felt a bit relieved.
But then reality hit again.
Three days.
She only had three days left.
She had to find a way to protect her food stall.
It was not only her livelihood—it was the foundation for her and her children to survive in this city.
No matter what, she could not let Lu Tingchuan destroy it!
Determination burned again in Lin Nian’s eyes.