Xu Xiu felt as if she were dreaming.
Her whole body was weak and aching as she gazed hazily at the man hovering above her.
One of his hands gripped her waist while the other braced itself beside her face. The veins along his arm stood out prominently, giving him a strangely alluring air.
Even hidden in the darkness, the handsome contours of his face were unmistakable.
The only problem was that his expression looked far from pleasant. He was glaring at her through gritted teeth, as though accusing her of something.
Already suffering from a fever and feeling miserable, Xu Xiu instantly became annoyed when she saw his expression.
So what if you’re handsome? This is my dream.
My dream, my rules!
Tilting her chin slightly upward, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.
Mmm. Soft.
Reluctant to pull away, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and instinctively began tugging at his white dress shirt.
His face had the restrained, abstinent look of a man who kept his desires tightly controlled, which only made her more curious. She wanted to see him lose that composure and descend into chaos.
Dreams this good didn’t happen every day.
Determined to make the most of it, Xu Xiu decided to go all in.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, the man’s calm and reserved façade shattered completely as he responded in kind.
Satisfied, Xu Xiu allowed herself to be pressed back down.
Exhausted, she soon drifted into sleep.
As she slept, a flood of memories seemed to be forcibly stuffed into her mind.
Xu Xiu woke up feeling dizzy.
Sitting up groggily, she looked around at the unfamiliar room.
Then the memories she had mistaken for a dream came rushing back.
D-Don’t tell me that was all real…
Did I really transmigrate into a novel?
And not only that—I became the cannon-fodder biological mother in a story about a genius child?
And the man from last night had been real too!
Remembering how proactive she’d been, Xu Xiu collapsed back onto the bed and slowly tried to accept reality.
This was a novel about a woman relentlessly pursuing a domineering CEO.
The heroine had secretly loved the male lead since childhood. She humbled herself endlessly to please both him and his genius son, yet he never appreciated her efforts.
Only after she was thoroughly hurt and finally gave up did he realize his feelings and chase her back.
In the end, the three of them became a happy family.
And Xu Xiu…
She was the genius child’s biological mother—the vicious woman who died young.
In the original plot, she schemed her way into the male lead’s bed, became pregnant, then fled overseas. Several years later, she returned with the child, hoping to marry into the wealthy family.
After creating all sorts of melodramatic misunderstandings between the hero and heroine and fully playing her role as an evil supporting character, she exited the story permanently.
After sorting through the plot, Xu Xiu let out a long breath.
There was still time.
Last night had only been the beginning. If she hurried and bought emergency contraception, she wouldn’t get pregnant, and all the future tragedies could be prevented.
She might even save her own life.
Hurriedly getting dressed, she caught sight of herself in a mirror.
The reflection staring back at her was still her familiar face.
She rushed toward the door.
But the moment she opened it, her footsteps froze.
Xu Xiu stared blankly at the tiny child standing outside.
Little buddy… who are you?
Looking at the boy’s face—which bore a striking resemblance to the man from last night—cold sweat instantly broke out on her back.
She remembered the novel’s description.
The male lead’s genius son looked so much like him that a DNA test would be unnecessary. Anyone could tell at a glance that they were father and son.
No way…
Xu Xiu wailed inwardly.
Then she glanced at the date on her phone.
Her vision nearly went black.
Why has the plot skipped ahead?
As far as she knew, she’d only met the male lead last night.
Yet somehow, it was already four years later.
She was now living overseas, and the child had already been born.
All her plans were useless.
Looking at the little boy glaring at her with obvious hostility, Xu Xiu rubbed her forehead helplessly.
What a scam.
Getting transmigrated was ridiculous enough.
But opening her eyes and instantly becoming a mother?
Even if she’d technically participated in the process herself…
Ahem.
Xu Xiu still found it hard to accept.
Before she could continue spiraling, the little boy spoke awkwardly.
“Xu Xiu, are you really trying to starve me to death?”
His childish voice was soft and sweet, but his expression remained serious. His little lips were even pouting slightly.
He sounded both aggrieved and determined to pretend he didn’t care.
Xu Xiu suddenly remembered the original plot.
The night before, the original owner of this body had finally found a clue about the male lead through social media.
Someone had uploaded a photo from a banquet.
Only the man’s side profile was visible, but she recognized him immediately and became excited.
Unfortunately, there was a woman standing beside him.
A delicate, innocent-looking beauty.
The sight had sent her into a rage.
Just then, the little boy had complained that he was hungry.
She had snapped at him to get lost, called him a bottomless pit, and told him he might as well starve.
As a result, he’d gone from last night until this afternoon without eating, too afraid to knock on her door.
Only now, seeing her come out, had he finally worked up the courage to speak.
When she remained silent, the boy puffed out his cheeks angrily.
“Fine if you won’t give me food. The books say it takes three days without eating before it’s dangerous. I won’t die from being hungry right now. Hmph!”
He stomped toward the kitchen.
Using both hands and feet, he climbed onto a chair and poured himself a cup of water from the dispenser before gulping it down.
The books said that drinking water could keep someone alive for seven days without food.
So he had to drink lots of water.
The little boy thought this indignantly.
But before he could take more than a few sips, the cup was taken away.
Confused, he looked up at Xu Xiu standing behind him.
Then his face changed dramatically.
He glared at her furiously.
Mom really wants to starve me to death!
Now she won’t even let me drink water!
She’s terrible!
Looking at the boy’s reddening eyes and tightly pressed lips, Xu Xiu felt her heart soften.
Despite his stubborn determination not to cry, he still looked pitiful.
She lifted him off the chair.
“Xu Zhirang, stop drinking water for now. I’ll make you something to eat right away.”
The child looked skinny, but he felt surprisingly soft in her arms.
Xu Zhirang was completely stunned.
His long eyelashes fluttered rapidly as he stared at her.
Unable to resist, Xu Xiu ruffled his hair.
He was an adorable child.
His phoenix-shaped eyes, combined with his round little face, made him both handsome and irresistibly cute.
When he grew older, he’d undoubtedly become another heartbreaker.
Thinking of the stern man who shared the same eyes, Xu Xiu withdrew her hand and added,
“You’re a child. Going three days without eating isn’t okay. In fact, children shouldn’t skip even a single meal.”
The little boy fell into deep thought, as though carefully evaluating whether her statement was trustworthy.
The sight was so adorable that Xu Xiu couldn’t help laughing.
Pinching his soft cheek, she said,
“Go sit on the couch for a while. I’ll call you when the food is ready.”
After shooing him away, she prepared to show off her cooking skills.
But the moment she opened the refrigerator, her expression froze.
It was completely empty.
Then she remembered.
The original owner of this body had never been much of a mother.
She’d been barely out of college when she gave birth.
With no family left to support her and nobody to teach her how to raise a child, she’d been overwhelmed from the beginning.
The helplessness she felt while caring for an infant had pushed her to the brink of collapse more than once.
Later, her obsession with the male lead caused her to neglect the child entirely.
When she was in a good mood, she’d treat Xu Zhirang kindly.
When her emotions became unstable, she’d find him irritating and refuse even to look at him.
Most of the time, Xu Zhirang had been left alone.
As a result, he had developed a level of maturity and independence far beyond his years.