Ye Shizhi moved the quilt over and leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
So this was what it felt like to have someone backing and protecting you? Not bad at all.
In her previous life, she was more of a homebody with few friends, rarely seeing anyone, so she never experienced the feeling of being protected.
Her only father was too busy with work to spend much time with her. This had shaped her personality—clear-headed and practical, always following the principle of “wise is the one who adapts to the times.”
After a while, Jiang Sinian came in, holding his little comic book and a pencil.
“Can you take a look at this for me?”
Ye Shizhi didn’t get up. She gently patted her belly, as if interacting with her unborn child.
Jiang Sinian flipped through a few pages. The drawing skills were solid; the characters’ traits and details were clear—but the dialogue…
“It’s meant for children, but adults can enjoy it too.”
For children, it was an introduction; for adults, it was a small story for reflection on child education and behavior.
Ye Shizhi had prepared two backup plans: if this style failed, she would draw martial arts comics instead—heroic, action-packed, exciting.
But comparing the two, she preferred the playful, childlike style.
She had never been pregnant and had no experience raising children. Raising one to age three without any online guidance felt daunting.
But with drawing, she could imagine and depict scenes, which could reflect potential problems and help her avoid mistakes.
With expectant eyes, Ye Shizhi watched as Jiang Sinian carefully examined the pages. He saw a few drawings, each with distinct characters and mini story summaries.
“You want to submit this for publication?”
He remembered some students in school submitting work to publishing houses, but he had only ever seen such illustrations in comic books.
They were cute, yes. Jiang Sinian wasn’t sure how to describe it.
One drawing showed a small child sitting on the ground like a soft little bun, hugging a mother figure’s pant leg, refusing to let go, tears in their eyes.
The father figure sat nearby, smiling at the scene, holding a half-carved wooden figure of a child.
“Yeah, I want to try,” Ye Shizhi said. “Do you know the child’s name?”
She rested with her hands behind her head, waiting for Jiang Sinian’s answer.
“Xiao An.”
It was written in small letters on the page.
Ye Shizhi nodded in approval and moved to another illustration.
“I’ve already decided the child’s name. Want to know?”
Jiang Sinian glanced at the small writing next to the drawn child, hesitating slightly. “Xiao An?”
Ye Shizhi covered her face, unable to look.
“Xiao An is a character name, not your son!” she emphasized.
Seeing Jiang Sinian standing there quietly, staring at her, Ye Shizhi shook her head. She had no way to deal with him.
“He’s Jiang Suian. Suì for longevity and safety, and ‘ān’ from the wood radical, symbolizing health and peace.”
Ye Shizhi pointed at her belly, explaining as if teaching a child.
“Mm, Xiao An,” Jiang Sinian said calmly.
Yet his trembling hands, tense posture, and focused gaze revealed his true emotions.
The name Jiang Suian had been Jiang Sinian’s choice originally. In the original timeline, the child was born, and the mother sank into despair, later becoming unconscious after being beaten, never even naming the child.
This name reflected Jiang Sinian’s hopes for his child—unfulfilled in the original story.
Ye Shizhi touched her belly, thinking: what wasn’t accomplished last time, this time must succeed. Jiang Suian shall live safely and peacefully.
“Any objections to the name?”
“No.”
Satisfied, Ye Shizhi waved her hand. “Leave these on the table; I’ll rest for a while.”
The earlier commotion had affected her mood, leaving her somewhat drained.
Jiang Sinian quickly left and closed the door.
The room fell silent. Ye Shizhi then checked the latest task.
“Beep beep, task issued. Host must earn the first in-book gold within three days, totaling two yuan or more (cumulative). Upon completion, Lingquan can be exchanged for points.”
Ye Shizhi’s eyes widened in surprise. Happiness came so suddenly she felt like Little Six was a good guy.
“Is this something I can get?”
Little Six, indifferent: “I’ll withdraw it if you want.”
“No, no, no! Such a small matter—don’t make the system handle it personally! You just sit there.”
Doggedly flattering Little Six, Ye Shizhi, hiding her glee like a cat stealing cream, chuckled quietly.
Even unlucky transmigration could come with surprises.
Lingquan—this thing in novels was traditionally a rare, miraculous elixir that could revive the dead. Even if she didn’t need it now, she was thrilled.
As time passed, she calmed down. Lingquan was valuable, but it required spending points.
If the system was setting a trap, forcing her to spend points and risk not reaching 100 points to return home, impulsively buying it would be self-sabotage.
Ye Shizhi indulged a bit in conspiracy theories.
Not wanting Little Six to overhear, she said: “Little Six, I said you’re a good guy, okay?”
Little Six: “…maybe look in a mirror first.”
No response came, but Ye Shizhi wasn’t discouraged. This task was basically gift-wrapped for her. She was confident she could complete all her plans.
With that thought, she drifted off to sleep.
She woke to muffled sounds outside, feeling refreshed. Instinctively, she touched her belly and whispered:
“An’an, An’an?”
She couldn’t help laughing. Only a month along—what was she thinking?
Was it true that pregnancy made one silly for three years?
Ignoring the sounds outside, she first checked the dark-red wardrobe in her room for her little stash.
Last time, she had put back the original owner’s hidden money from her parents’ house and the money given by Ye Hongdong. Counting carefully, it totaled 2.1 yuan—not insignificant.
She handled the money cautiously. Besides cash, there were some scattered vouchers—grain, meat, cloth—but not many.
After a while, she carefully put them away. It was all she had.
About to leave, her eyes caught something on the table against the wall. Leaning closer, she saw something familiar—large white cat milk candies and fruit candies, with simple packaging and tiny writing.
Did Jiang Sinian buy these?
With that thought, she stepped out.