A loud crash, mingled with a child’s wailing, jolted Xu Wantang fully awake.
The bowls and plates on the table had been smashed onto the floor, scattering shards and food everywhere.
Beside the dining table sat a little girl of six or seven. Tears and snot smeared messily across her face as she let out ear-piercing shrieks. “I want my mommy! You bad woman, give me back my mommy!”
Her eyes glared venomously at Xu Wantang, like a little beast staring down its enemy.
Taking in the familiar child before her and the dated, simple furnishings of the room, Xu Wantang pinched herself. Instead of getting angry, she chuckled.
It hurt. This wasn’t a dream.
She had been reborn!
The child in front of her was not her own flesh and blood. She was Zhao Youyou, the stepdaughter her husband, Lu Yunzheng, had adopted.
Zhao Youyou’s biological father had been Lu Yunzheng’s comrade-in-arms, who died saving his life. When her biological mother remarried, the new husband’s family was poor, so she entrusted the child to Lu Yunzheng, who had only recently married.
In her past life, Xu Wantang had been madly in love with Lu Yunzheng. Wanting to please her utterly cold and distant husband, and hoping to use the stepdaughter as a bridge to bring them closer, she had agreed without hesitation when he proposed adopting Zhao Youyou.
Yet before their marriage could even thaw, Lu Yunzheng was killed in the line of duty.
Xu Wantang washed her face with tears every day, but she never mistreated her stepdaughter in the slightest. She scrimped and saved, working herself to the bone to provide Zhao Youyou with the best life she possibly could.
She never remarried, pouring all her love into Zhao Youyou.
And how had Zhao Youyou repaid her?
Whenever things didn’t go her way, she would stab Xu Wantang with sharp, cruel words. Only when asking for money would she put on a pleasant face.
After Xu Wantang toiled to send her to a top university, Zhao Youyou tossed her aside without a shred of remorse, running straight into the arms of her biological mother.
Xu Wantang still remembered Zhao Youyou’s icy, disdainful glare as she looked down her nose and said, “You never loved me at all! You only raised me to make yourself look good! I’ve been sick of you for years! Get lost!”
Xu Wantang had slaved away her entire life. To build a better future for the girl, she threw herself into her career, achieving modest success over the years, but racking up countless health problems in the process.
Furious beyond endurance at Zhao Youyou’s betrayal, she choked on her rage and died on the spot, consumed by bitter regret.
Only after death did she realize she was merely living in a period novel titled Sweet Second Marriage: Pampered by the Rugged Man.
The female lead was Zhao Youyou’s biological mother, Song Qianxue—hardworking, beautiful, and sweet-tempered. Even as a widow, she found a wonderful match and became the perfect supportive wife. With her encouragement, her husband built a massive business empire, becoming a local tycoon. Her eldest daughter and youngest son both earned admission to prestigious universities, making her the envy of all—a true winner in life!
Meanwhile, Xu Wantang was nothing more than cannon fodder, a tool whose sole purpose was to raise the female lead’s child and set the stage for their dramatic reunion.
Having a second chance at life, Xu Wantang was not about to be that foolish again. Whoever wanted to be the miserable cannon fodder could go right ahead—she was done!
And that man, as cold as a block of ice—she didn’t want him anymore, either. Her past life had been far too exhausting. In this life, she harbored no grand ambitions; she only wanted to live comfortably and freely.
The little ungrateful wolf was still wailing with her mouth wide open, stealing sneaky glances at Xu Wantang mid-cry, covertly gauging her reaction.
If this were the Xu Wantang of her previous life, she would have already scooped another bowl of rice, set it gently before Zhao Youyou, and patiently reasoned with her through the tears. She would have guided the girl to recognize her mistake, and once she apologized, rewarded her with a little treat.
Now, however, Xu Wantang possessed neither the patience nor the inclination. She simply let out a cold scoff and cast an indifferent glance at Zhao Youyou.
Looking at Zhao Youyou’s face, she felt only revulsion.
How on earth had she put up with this in her past life?
Right now, she only wanted to slap her across the face.
Seeing Xu Wantang look at her, Zhao Youyou wailed even louder. “Waaah! If you don’t give me back my mommy, I won’t eat!”
“Hmph!” With that, she whipped her head to the side, deliberately refusing to look at Xu Wantang.
Naturally, Xu Wantang didn’t feel an ounce of sympathy for the little ingrate.
Don’t eat, then. It’s better if you starve!
“Suit yourself.” Xu Wantang didn’t spare Zhao Youyou another glance. She pulled over a stool and began to eat.
A mouthful of rice, a bite of meat—in no time at all, half the bowl was gone.
Food was life.
She would never neglect her own stomach again just to coddle Zhao Youyou.
In this life, she was going to take good care of her health and live to a ripe old age.
Xu Wantang ate with relish, which quickly drew Zhao Youyou’s attention. The girl’s eyes went wide, filled with shock and fury.
Wasn’t this bad woman supposed to be terrified of her going hungry?
Wasn’t she supposed to reason with her and then coax her?
It had always been like that before!
What was going on?
Enraged, Zhao Youyou reached out a small hand, intending to smash another bowl to frighten the bad woman!
Yet before her fingers could even graze the rim, Xu Wantang’s hand darted out. She seized the bowl first and hurled it onto the floor, sending shards flying everywhere.
Smash! The sound was crisp and resounding.
Tears still streaking her cheeks, Zhao Youyou froze in stunned silence for a second, then erupted into a fresh wave of shrill crying.
Turning a deaf ear, Xu Wantang headed back into the kitchen to scoop herself another bowl of rice!
Once she had eaten her fill, Xu Wantang elegantly picked up a napkin, wiped her mouth, and turned on her heel to leave.
To spend even another second looking at such a bratty, ungrateful creature would be an insult to herself!
Zhao Youyou was so astonished she forgot to scream. Her little face was completely blank with disbelief, her eyes wider than before.
She had broken a bowl yesterday, too. That time, the bad woman had gently carried her over to the sofa, softly telling her not to run around so she wouldn’t hurt her feet.
And now? Not only had the bad woman smashed a bowl herself, but faced with a floor full of broken porcelain, she had just walked away?!
A wave of grievance washed over Zhao Youyou, and tears welled in her eyes once more. She really was a bad woman! All that kindness from the past few days had been an act!
Wiping her tears, Zhao Youyou rubbed her growling belly, resolving that she would definitely tell Dad Lu and report this bad woman for abusing her!
Having eaten and drunk her fill, Xu Wantang went to the study, pulled the phone book from the drawer, and dialed Lu Yunzheng’s number, intending to bring up a divorce. But the phone rang endlessly with no answer. With a sigh, Xu Wantang had no choice but to let it drop for now.
Though she hadn’t yet had the chance to ask for a divorce, she had no desire to stay in the Lu household any longer.
Returning to the bedroom, she found a large bag and began packing her clothes.
Having only recently married Lu Yunzheng, she didn’t have many belongings. On top of that, she had always lived frugally and possessed very few personal items; the spacious vanity didn’t even have a single jar of vanishing cream.
She sighed inwardly for her past self. She had scrimped and saved her whole life, yet received no gratitude for it.
Her gaze casually drifted toward the vanity mirror, and she couldn’t help but be struck by her own reflection. The woman in the mirror had skin as delicate as a newborn’s, bright eyes, white teeth, and exquisite features. Every detail of her face was striking—she was undeniably a radiant, stunning beauty.
This only deepened Xu Wantang’s exasperation: In her past life, why on earth had she hung herself from the crooked tree that was the Lu family?
Just as she was finishing up her packing, a sound came from the front door.
Immediately following it, a sharp, caustic voice rang out, “You hear someone come in and don’t even greet them? What a clueless thing. Did the Lu family marry you just so you could sit around and sponge off them?”