Wen Lan could not help looking more closely.
The little dumpling looked exactly like she had when she was a child.
Her fingers twitched with the urge to poke the little one’s chubby cheeks, but seeing how soundly the child was sleeping, she lowered her hand again.
Forget it. Children should get plenty of sleep.
She quietly watched for a while longer. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she suddenly saw the little one’s lips move slightly, followed by a soft, drowsy voice filled with childish sweetness.
“Mommy… Mommy…”
Wen Lan could not describe what she was feeling.
It was as though someone had struck her heart with tremendous force. Then warmth spread through her entire body until even her fingertips felt hot.
The little dumpling…
Had called her Mommy.
Wen Lan stood there for a long time before finally calming the waves surging inside her.
She crouched down and gently pulled the light blue blanket up over the little one’s shoulders. In the process, she accidentally brushed against the child’s plump little hand.
Unable to resist any longer, she lightly poked it with a fingertip.
A tiny dimple immediately appeared in the soft flesh.
It was unbelievably adorable.
Wen Lan reluctantly withdrew her hand.
The moment she looked up, however, she found the little dumpling staring straight at her with wide, round eyes.
The child’s chubby cheeks were still flushed from sleep, and a few strands of soft hair stuck up untidily, making her look like an innocent porcelain doll.
Wen Lan froze, meeting the newly awakened child’s gaze.
“Mommy?”
Tilting her head in confusion, the little one called out softly.
Wen Lan felt as though her heart had completely melted.
The little dumpling was simply too adorable, especially when she tilted her head and called out to her in that sweet, babyish voice.
“…Mm.”
Having absolutely no experience interacting with children, Wen Lan could only pretend to remain calm and answer with a simple acknowledgment.
Wen Wu blinked.
She had not expected it to really be Mommy.
She had thought she was dreaming.
“Mommy!”
The little girl called out happily, all traces of the cool, aloof attitude she had shown when they first met completely gone. Now she was nothing more than an affectionate little sweetheart.
“Mommy! Hug!”
She wriggled out from beneath the blanket, stood up unsteadily on her soft little legs, and threw herself straight into Wen Lan’s arms.
Daddy had been right.
Mommy’s illness had really gotten better!
The warm little body left Wen Lan completely at a loss.
The child was so tiny, so soft. As she burrowed into her embrace, she carried the faint scent of milk, her plump little body constantly snuggling closer.
Awkwardly supporting the little girl, Wen Lan let her cling to her like a koala.
Then she suddenly felt a wet kiss land on her left cheek, accompanied by the sweet scent of milk.
Wen Wu cautiously looked at her mother before leaning over and planting another kiss on her cheek.
“Mwah~”
Wen Lan finally came back to herself.
The little chubby arms wrapped tightly around her neck, while the little girl’s voice was as sweet as honey.
“Good morning, Mommy.”
Wen Wu whispered into Wen Lan’s ear with all the seriousness of a little grown-up.
Wen Lan gave a light cough.
The tips of her ears felt as though they were burning.
“Dudu… good morning.”
The little dumpling was so excited that she kept wriggling in Wen Lan’s arms, her eyes sparkling brightly.
“Mommy.”
Wen Lan carried her out of the room and gently closed the door behind them.
“…Mm.”
Becoming a mother all of a sudden still made her rather nervous.
“Mommy!”
The little girl’s voice grew even louder as her fluffy, soft hair brushed against Wen Lan’s neck, tickling her.
“Mm.”
This time, Wen Lan’s voice was even gentler.
Holding the little dumpling securely, she headed downstairs.
As they passed through the main hall, she noticed the thin man sitting in a corner of the sofa.
His head drooped as he dozed off, looking utterly exhausted.
Wen Wu blinked curiously and was just about to ask about him when her mother strode past without stopping.
The little girl happily narrowed her eyes as she sucked on one finger.
Mommy was so tall.
This was the first time she had ever been carried from such a height.
And Mommy was so beautiful.
Looking at Wen Lan’s profile, Wen Wu felt certain that her mother was the most beautiful person in the whole world.
“Mommy, why are we going to the garden?”
Turning her head to look at the family garden, Wen Wu asked in confusion.
Wen Lan was not quite sure how to explain it to the little girl.
She simply gave her a reassuring pat.
The garden, wrapped in the pale morning mist, looked dreamlike.
The mist-pink roses appeared even more vibrant. Crystal-clear dewdrops covered their petals, trembling delicately at the edges as though ready to fall at any moment. The leaves were damp from the night’s chill, glistening with moisture.
The garden paths were still empty.
Holding the little dumpling in one arm, Wen Lan bent down and swiftly picked a few roses before leaving.
Wen Wu blinked her beautiful dark eyes, then let out a sleepy yawn.
Why is Mommy picking flowers?
Carrying the little one back to her bedroom, Wen Lan saw that it was still early, only a little past six.
Looking at the child curled up comfortably in her arms, she gently laid her back on the bed.
After their brief outing, sleepiness had returned.
Wen Wu held her tiny fists against her chest, too drowsy to keep her eyes open.
Even then, she continued murmuring,
“Mommy…”
Wen Lan’s heart softened into a puddle.
She gently stroked the little girl’s soft hair before lowering her voice.
“I’m here. Go back to sleep.”
It was not long before the little dumpling closed her eyes again.
Her tiny breaths brushed lightly against Wen Lan’s wrist, like the strokes of a soft little brush.
Only after she had fallen completely asleep did Wen Lan quietly leave.
Picking up the mist roses she had gathered, she carefully removed every tiny thorn and tidied the slightly untidy leaves.
She had picked four stems in total.
After examining them one by one, only a single bloom met her expectations.
Its cloud-pink petals were richly coloured, as though suspended among the clouds, while its emerald-green leaves looked fresh and vibrant.
Wen Lan admired it quietly for a while before discarding the remaining flowers into the nearby rubbish bin.
Before that man returned, she had already planned to give him a bouquet.
Originally, she had intended to order one online.
Only then had she discovered, rather awkwardly, that she did not even own a mobile phone.
Wen Lan could not help feeling that her former self had lived an incredibly dull and monotonous life.
Looking at the flower in her hand, she gently brushed its petals with her fingertips and smiled faintly.
Her principal husband… should like it, shouldn’t he?
“No man can resist flowers.”
Wen Lan suddenly recalled a slogan she had once heard in a television advertisement, and her heart settled a little.
She glanced at the time and temporarily placed the flower in a vase.
Just then, hurried knocking sounded at the door, accompanied by a man’s anxious voice.
“Wife, have you seen Dudu?”
Wen Lan glanced at the little dumpling, who was sleeping soundly on her bed, then quickly walked over and opened the door.
To her surprise, the person outside stumbled straight into her arms.
“Wife, Du…”
The man looked up.
His usual composure had completely vanished. His brows were tightly furrowed, and the birthmark by his right ear looked even redder than usual.
Wen Lan hurriedly explained, “Don’t worry. Dudu is asleep on my bed.”
Lu Zhixing tilted his head and saw the little dumpling sleeping peacefully on Wen Lan’s bed. The heart that had been suspended in panic finally settled back into place.
As usual, he had gone to check on the little one that morning, only to find her bed empty. His heart had immediately leapt into his throat.
Dudu always slept obediently. She had never wandered off on her own.
Now it seemed…
His wife had carried her away.
Once his reason returned, Lu Zhixing could not help feeling puzzled.
Why had his wife gotten up so early just to carry Dudu away?
He buried the question in his heart, while his expression gradually returned to normal.
“I’m sorry… I should have told you first.”
Standing much taller than him, Wen Lan could clearly see the slightly damp strands of hair sticking to his cheeks.
Her principal husband had obviously been frantic. He had even worked up a sweat.
Wen Lan felt she had acted rather rashly.
She now had a family.
She needed to get used to discussing things with her principal husband, or at the very least informing him whenever something happened.
She had to learn to live with another person by her side.
Hearing her apology, Lu Zhixing immediately shook his head.
“No, it’s my fault. You just…”
He had originally wanted to say, just regained your senses, but after another thought, he felt the wording was inappropriate and swallowed the words back down.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Facing the person who was both the most familiar and the most unfamiliar in this world, Wen Lan did not know what to say.
She had only awakened recently.
Counting everything, she had known her principal husband for barely a single day.
Everything had happened far too suddenly.
Lowering her gaze to the man before her, Wen Lan had never found the mist rose she had picked to feel so heavy in her hand.
Would it be strange to give it to him now?
Her thoughts drifted.
She suddenly understood, just a little, how boys in her previous world had felt.
Is a single rose too cheap?
Especially one picked from our own garden.
Her principal husband looks like someone who was raised with great care.
Would he even like it…?
Silence spread through the doorway.
Lu Zhixing raised his long eyelashes and saw the familiar distant look in his wife’s eyes.
Her gaze drifted emptily through the air, unfocused, making her seem even more untouchable than before.
He quietly suppressed the sudden surge of violence that rose within him.
His thick eyelashes trembled lightly, and the darkness that had unconsciously surfaced at the corners of his eyes vanished without a trace.
It doesn’t matter.
At least now, Wife belongs to me alone.
Lu Zhixing curved his lips into a gentle smile.
His refined face was filled with soft warmth.
As long as he wished, he could be the perfect principal husband.
“Zhixing? Master?”
Uncle Xiao’s eyesight was not particularly good. It was only after he walked closer that he noticed Wen Lan standing inside the room.
Standing outside the doorway, Lu Zhixing turned his head toward the approaching elderly man.
“Good morning, Uncle Xiao.”
Wen Lan quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, someone had arrived.
She gave a slight nod.
“Good morning, Uncle Xiao.”
The wrinkles at the corners of Uncle Xiao’s eyes deepened as he smiled.
“Good morning.”
“What would you like for breakfast? I’ll have the kitchen start preparing it.”
Walking over to Lu Zhixing, Uncle Xiao spoke with obvious affection.
Now that Zhixing had returned, it would be best if the family head and Zhixing had breakfast together.
After all, a wife and husband should spend more time together.
Lu Zhixing instinctively glanced at Wen Lan.
After thinking for a moment, Wen Lan replied, “The usual will do.”
After a brief pause, she added, “Just make it a little lighter.”
Uncle Xiao nodded.
“Very well, Master. There’s just one more thing.”
“Hm?”
Wen Lan lowered her eyes toward the obviously conflicted old man.
“What is it?”
Uncle Xiao secretly glanced at the composed-looking Lu Zhixing before asking rather awkwardly,
“Should we prepare breakfast for the guest in the main hall as well?”
Only then did Wen Lan remember that someone was still waiting there.
After a moment’s thought, she nodded.
“He’s… Leng Feng’s friend. Prepare something for him too.”
The wrinkles at the corners of Uncle Xiao’s eyes deepened further as he smiled.
“Understood, Master.”
As he walked away, he quietly muttered to himself,
“So he’s Leng Feng’s friend. He really does look rather pitiful…”
Watching Uncle Xiao leave, Wen Lan frowned slightly.
Was it just her imagination?
She felt as though there was something more to Uncle Xiao’s words.
After pondering it for a while without reaching any conclusion, she simply let it go.
Lowering her gaze, she noticed the tiny hair whorl on top of her principal husband’s head.
Loose black strands fell against the back of his fair neck, exposing a patch of smooth, delicate skin.
Wen Lan quickly looked away.
For some reason, her face grew warm.
Being tall did not seem entirely advantageous.
All it took was lowering her head to catch an unexpectedly alluring glimpse.
With his head lowered, Lu Zhixing calmly fastened the hidden cuff button on his sleeve and carefully smoothed away the tiny wrinkles before looking back at Wen Lan.
“Wife, Dudu is still wearing her pyjamas. Shall I bring her clothes over so she can get dressed here?”
Only then did Wen Lan remember that the little dumpling was still wearing her light blue sleepwear.
From what Lu Zhixing was saying, he intended for Dudu to change clothes in her room.
Remembering the little girl’s chubby appearance, Wen Lan’s voice unconsciously became brighter.
“Alright.”
After a slight pause, she added,
“Thank you for your trouble… Zhixing.”
Lu Zhixing’s eyes curved into a smile.
His long eyelashes concealed whatever emotions lay within them, revealing only the faint smile lingering at the corners of his eyes.
“You honour me too much, Wife.”
With that, he turned and left.
After he had gone some distance, Wen Lan returned to the table.
She stared absentmindedly at the lone mist rose resting in the vase.
Perhaps… I should buy another gift instead.
A single rose picked from the back garden really does feel rather plain…