When Tang Youyou woke up, she was still a little dazed.
She hugged her quilt and stared blankly into space for a while before her brain finally booted up.
She rubbed her face, slipped on her slippers, and headed to the washroom to freshen up.
The Tang family’s two-story house was decorated in a Republican-era style, with dark-brown solid wood furniture and brightly colored floral bedsheets, duvet covers, curtains, and the like.
It looked both vintage and fashionable.
The washroom even had a separate wet and dry area.
Inside was a large bathtub, with a squat toilet and water tank tucked into the corner.
Outside was an enamel bathroom cabinet with an exquisite glass mirror embedded above it.
Looking at the bottles and jars covering the bathroom cabinet, Tang Youyou knew the original owner was also someone who enjoyed the finer things in life.
Just look at all those skincare products.
Not bad!
Just as refined as her.
That also meant she wouldn’t need to make any major changes to her lifestyle in the future.
The only prerequisite was that she didn’t get sent to the countryside.
*Ugh.*
*Transmigrating isn’t easy.*
Youyou sighed.
After washing her face, she even used a small razor to remove the fine facial hair.
Then she took a sheet mask from her space and applied it before leisurely heading to the dressing room to pick out her outfit for the day.
Since she had gone through the trouble of transmigrating and didn’t have to get up early to see patients, she decided to dress as beautifully as possible.
She picked out a green qipao covered in delicate floral patterns.
*Mm.*
*The original owner’s figure…*
*Absolutely insane.*
At twenty years old, her skin was so soft it looked like you could squeeze water from it. Her curves were in all the right places, and she looked incredibly sexy without even needing shapewear.
Every step she took was graceful and alluring.
*Ahem!*
After admiring herself for a moment, Tang Youyou washed her face again and returned to her usual combination of sensuality and adorable innocence.
It was strange.
Those two words seemed like they shouldn’t have anything to do with each other, yet somehow they described her perfectly.
As her friends used to say, Tang Youyou had a beautiful face and an incredible figure.
From behind, she looked like a gorgeous, glamorous rich heiress.
But the moment people saw those big, almond-shaped Bambi eyes, they couldn’t help but feel a little protective of her.
As if they were afraid the filth of the world might stain those innocent eyes.
Tang Youyou put on the matching green embroidered shoes and took an apricot-colored handbag before heading downstairs.
Downstairs, Zhou Ping was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a book.
Beside her was a small woven bamboo tray filled with several balls of milky-white yarn.
She seemed to be choosing a pattern.
Tang Youyou walked over to take a look.
Sure enough, that was exactly what she was doing.
“Youyou, you’re up.”
Zhou Ping hadn’t reacted at first even though Tang Youyou had been standing behind her for quite a while.
She froze for a moment before remembering that Tang Youyou had affectionately called her Mom yesterday.
Hehehe.
The moment she thought about it last night, she couldn’t sleep.
In the middle of the night, she and Tang Hao had stared at each other and asked one another the same question over a hundred times.
They finally confirmed that their Youyou had really, truly grown up.
Naturally, neither of them had slept well.
So they got up late that morning.
By the time the couple woke up, Tang Jiaojiao had already gone to work.
After breakfast, Zhou Ping figured she had nothing else to do, so she decided to knit two sweaters for the children.
It was already mid-October, and the weather in the capital would soon turn cold.
Tang Youyou pouted and moved closer to Zhou Ping, looking jealous.
“Mom is playing favorites.”
“Me???”
Zhou Ping froze for a moment and hurriedly waved her hands.
“I didn’t! I’m not! I…”
“You still say you’re not.”
*Hmph.*
Tang Youyou crossed her arms and turned her head away with a little huff.
“You just got a son and you’re already knitting him a sweater. I don’t have anything.”
Tang Youyou herself felt a little guilty saying that.
When the original owner was young, Zhou Ping hadn’t failed to make clothes and knit sweaters for her.
But every time, the original owner either threw them away or cut them up.
She had completely wasted someone else’s sincere love.
But wasn’t she trying to change how her family saw her now?
Zhou Ping tentatively asked, “Then I’ll make one for you. Just for you?”
“That’s more like it.”
Tang Youyou immediately grinned and wrapped both arms around Zhou Ping’s arm, acting spoiled.
“But don’t work too hard, either. I’ll definitely think of a way. You have to trust me and Dad.”
“Ah, ah, ah!”
The unreal feeling she’d been carrying all night finally settled in Zhou Ping’s heart.
She could finally confirm it.
Her Youyou had really, truly grown up.
*She called me Mom.*
*She wants to wear a sweater I make.*
*She even said I’m playing favorites.*
Zhou Ping had never been so moved by the words “playing favorites” before.
Tang Youyou took a purple piece of medicinal jade out of her handbag.
“This is for you. Make sure you wear it all the time.”
Zhou Ping gasped.
“What is this? Such a beautiful gemstone.”
Tang Youyou paused.
*Well, gemstone it is.*
But her medicinal jade was far more precious than any gemstone.
“Thank you!”
Zhou Ping clutched the medicinal jade in her hand, even more touched.
“Hey, don’t cry!”
Tang Youyou hurriedly raised her hands.
She’d been acting spoiled, not trying to make her mother cry.
“Who’s crying?”
Tang Hao walked in carrying a birdcage.
There were actually two pigeons inside.
The moment he entered, he saw Zhou Ping’s reddened eyes.
His first instinct was to wonder if Tang Youyou had said something hurtful.
Fortunately, Zhou Ping quickly recovered and shot him a glare.
“Youyou likes me. I’m just happy.”
*Hmph.*
His daughter liking her was enough to make her cry from happiness.
What a fuss.
Well…
His own eyes were red too.
From jealousy.
“I bought some pigeons. I’ll stew them into soup later. Youyou, do you want roast squab?”
As things stood, his position as the family’s beloved father was in serious danger.
He couldn’t compete with his younger daughter’s sister-con obsession, and he couldn’t compete with his wife, who was carrying a baby and already fighting for his daughter’s attention.
If he didn’t do something soon, he was going to have absolutely no place in his daughter’s heart.
*Roast squab!!*
Tang Youyou’s eyes lit up instantly.
But then she remembered that she still had something to do and reluctantly refused.
“No, it’s okay.”
“Why?” Tang Hao asked.
“I need to go find out a few things. I won’t be back for lunch.”
Was Tang Yue really a transmigrator who had read the novel, or was she a reborn person?
Tang Youyou had to confirm this.
If Tang Yue was a transmigrator, then who were the male and female leads in the original novel?
What was the general direction of the plot?
And what would happen to the Tang family in the future?
Only after finding out these things could she figure out a way to change the Tang family’s fate.
If Tang Yue was reborn, that would be even worse.
Tang Yue had immediately demanded a marriage swap after being reborn.
That meant she must have suffered terribly after marrying into the Qin family in her previous life.
And the original owner must have lived a pretty good life after marrying into the Zhao family.
At least, in Tang Yue’s eyes, it had been very good.
If that was the case, then Tang Yue’s heart was truly vicious.
From now on, Tang Youyou wouldn’t need to consider the interests of the second branch when planning her next moves.
She gathered her thoughts and noticed a particularly aggrieved-looking face.
Tang Youyou tilted her head.
“What?”
“Don’t mind him!”
Zhou Ping couldn’t help laughing.
“Your dad is jealous.”
She then turned to Tang Hao.
“Youyou has important things to take care of. Don’t get in her way. Roast squab takes a long time to cook, so we won’t make it in time for lunch. Save it for dinner instead.”
“Oh, and Jiaojiao also said she won’t be coming home for lunch. Don’t make too much.”
Just like that, both of his daughters had abandoned their old father.
Tang Hao almost wanted to cry himself unconscious in the bathroom.
Tang Youyou walked out of the house.
By mid-October, the capital was already getting a little chilly.
A gust of cold wind blew over, making her regret not bringing a shawl.
Fortunately, once the cold wind passed, the sun was still blazing.
Since the old residence wasn’t very far away, she turned toward the back gate, planning to take a shortcut.
Who would have thought that the moment she stepped out of the alley, she would come face-to-face with a ragged old man with an unkempt beard?
He charged straight toward her, startling Tang Youyou.
Fortunately, she was quick on her feet and managed to dodge him just in time.
She patted her chest and took a breath.
She was just about to walk around him when the man suddenly rolled his eyes back and collapsed right in front of her.
*Huh??*
*I ran into a scammer first thing in the morning?*
Should she call the police?
Or call the police?
Or maybe…
Call the police?
The old man lying on the ground felt a chill run down his back.
He weakly stretched a hand toward Tang Youyou.
His murky eyes were filled with three words:
*Heartless bastard.*
Tang Youyou couldn’t help looking aggrieved.
*What the hell did I do to betray you?!*