After a Real Person Plays the Protagonist of an Anguish Novel [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 23.1

Chapter 23.1: Housewife 23

In the early morning, Tang Yiqing woke up slowly. Just as he was about to turn over, he noticed something soft beside him. Looking sideways, he found Zhou Mo lying on his side in his arms, his small arms wrapping around Tang’s waist, his entire little body practically pressed against him.

Even though he had provided a separate small quilt for him last night, the little fellow had squeezed into his bed by now. Tang Yiqing couldn’t help but smile; waking up today, he was in a good mood.

Tang Yiqing patted Zhou Mo lightly and called out softly, “Momo, time to get up.”

He called twice before Zhou Mo slowly woke up. He rubbed his eyes, and the moment he opened them, he saw Tang Yiqing’s gentle, smiling face.

Zhou Mo, who had been dazed, immediately widened his eyes, looking stunned as if he were dreaming.

Tang Yiqing pinched his little face. “Silly? Did you forget you knocked on Uncle Yiqing’s door last night?”

Zhou Mo laughed. “Uncle Yiqing.”

“Little dummy.” Tang Yiqing pinched his face again. There wasn’t much meat on it; Zhou Mo was a size thinner than Shen Shanyu. Although he had the cuteness of a child, he was more handsome, looking like a miniature version of an adult.

This was related to his somber personality and the long-term lack of proper care. Perhaps his diet hadn’t been great either; at such a young age, his face lacked plumpness and a certain childish vibrancy.

While Tang Yiqing was lost in thought, Zhou Mo had already scrambled up and kissed Tang Yiqing on the cheek. After the kiss, he lay on the bed shyly, peeking at Tang Yiqing through the gaps in his fingers.

Tang Yiqing chuckled, looking at those peeking eyes. This was how a child should be. He leaned over and kissed the back of the boy’s hand. “Baby, time to get up.”

Zhou Mo immediately pulled his hands away, his eyes wide as he stared at Tang Yiqing, his cheeks flushed bright red. This was the first time anyone had ever called him “baby.”

Tang Yiqing had already stood up. He looked back at the child. “Can you dress yourself?”

“Mm!” Zhou Mo gave a heavy nod.

Tang Yiqing felt a sense of relief. Compared to Shen Shanyu, Zhou Mo was practically his ideal child—no morning grumpiness, just obediently doing whatever he was told.

Tang Yiqing took Zhou Mo to the bathroom and personally washed his face and hands. The boy cooperated obediently. Tang couldn’t help but sigh; this was the joy of raising a child.

As they were about to head out, Tang Yiqing held Zhou Mo’s small hand. Zhou Mo looked up at him from time to time, opening his mouth to whisper “Mommy.” The voice was very tiny, for fear that if Tang Yiqing heard it, he wouldn’t be allowed to say it anymore.

The door opened, and a flash of surprise crossed Tang Yiqing’s face. “Second Brother, why are you here?”

Shen Zeqi was leaning against the doorframe; it was unclear how long he had been standing there. He reached over to take Zhou Mo’s other hand. “Isn’t it perfect to go down together?”

Zhou Mo was initially reluctant, but this strange uncle shook his hand and said, “Doesn’t this look like a family of three? It would look even more like one if we all slept in the same room.”

Tang Yiqing: “…”

What on earth is this psychopath fantasizing about?

Zhou Mo, however, couldn’t help but giggle secretly. He thought that if they were a family of three, then Uncle Yiqing would really become his mommy, making this strange uncle not so unacceptable after all.

When Shen Mingzheng came downstairs, he looked extremely irritable. Shen Shanyu had been throwing a tantrum since early morning, and no matter how He Chenguang coaxed him, it didn’t work. When Shen Mingzheng scolded him a bit, Shen Shanyu just wailed and howled, giving him a massive headache.

He couldn’t help but wonder: Shen Shanyu was so difficult, how did Tang Yiqing usually handle him? Every morning, how did Tang Yiqing bring a non-crying, non-fussy Shen Shanyu down from upstairs…?

He thought that Tang Yiqing must have his ways. A child as difficult as Shen Shanyu needed a mother like him who could restrain him… Since Shen Shanyu needed Tang Yiqing, they should maintain their family of three…

Yes, that was it.

He went downstairs and saw Shen Zeqi and Tang Yiqing sitting in a row, with Zhou Mo sitting in the middle.

At the moment, Tang Yiqing was taking care of Zhou Mo’s meal, constantly putting food on his plate. Shen Zeqi said from the side, “Call me Daddy again.”

Zhou Mo hurriedly swallowed the food Tang Yiqing had fed him and said “Daddy,” then immediately looked at Tang Yiqing and said in a small, soft voice, “Mommy.”

That “Mommy” was crisp and cheerful, full of affection. In this scene, they looked like a real family of three, causing even Shen Mingzheng to have an illusion.

He froze, but after snapping back to reality, his face became dark and twisted, the veins on his neck bulging.

He walked to the table in a few steps, trying his best to suppress his fury. He looked at Tang Yiqing. “You let him call you ‘Mommy’?”

The dining table fell silent for a moment. Shen Mingzheng’s hands were trembling with rage. “You’re letting Zhou Mo call you ‘Daddy’ and ‘Mommy’? What exactly does this mean?”

Being stared at directly, Tang Yiqing immediately didn’t dare meet his eyes. He lowered his head. Although he didn’t necessarily approve, seeing how happy Zhou Mo was, he hadn’t stopped it. But doing this did indeed seem a bit excessive…

At this time, Shen Zeqi spoke up. “What’s wrong with calling us Daddy and Mommy? Your Shen Shanyu has a new mommy, so why can’t Yiqing have a new child?”

One had to admire Shen Zeqi’s talent for infuriating people. Shen Mingzheng nearly rolled his eyes back from anger. “Shen Zeqi! Why do you always say such illogical, brainless things!”

Shen Zeqi looked up in surprise, pointing at himself. “I’m illogical and brainless? You’re the one with a brain who divorces a pure, kind, virtuous, and beautiful wife, only to turn around and call a ‘hooker’ into the house? And you let that hooker be the child’s mother? How smart of you.”

This time, Shen Mingzheng was truly about to faint from rage. He picked up a plate near his hand and slammed it onto the table with a loud bang. Shards of tableware and food splattered everywhere. “Will you shut the hell up!!!”

Instead of shutting up, Shen Zeqi continued leisurely, “Am I wrong? Look at Zhou Mo—born of a mother but not raised by one, am I right? You’re letting someone who raised their own child like this become Shen Shanyu’s mother? Is there something wrong with your head?”

Shen Mingzheng’s body stiffened. When he turned around, he found He Chenguang holding Shen Shanyu not far away. By now, Shen Shanyu’s eyes were red and brimming with water, looking aggrieved and on the verge of tears. He must have heard Zhou Mo calling Tang Yiqing “Mommy.”

He Chenguang’s eyes were red, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice. He spoke with a sob, “Second Brother, you can say whatever you want about me, but don’t talk about my child. I have never mistreated Zhou Mo. His personality is naturally like his father’s. He just dresses a bit poorly, but I’ve never mistreated him in any other way. I let him attend the best kindergarten, and his food and lodging are the best. Children grow fast; his clothes need to be changed every few months. Children don’t need expensive clothes. It’s not easy for me, an Omega, to raise a child alone. I have to save where I can…”

Impatience flashed across Shen Zeqi’s face. “Shut up, bitch.”

He Chenguang’s face turned pale. Shen Mingzheng’s anger reached its peak. He looked at He Chenguang, then at the adult and child standing there, and the fire in his heart burned even brighter. Shen Zeqi acted like a madman without regard for anything, yet He Chenguang just stood there with Shen Shanyu listening to all this! It was truly embarrassing enough!

“You! Take Shanyu and leave right now!” Shen Mingzheng roared, his chest heaving. He looked at the empty seat next to Shen Zeqi—Tang Yiqing was the smart one, having already taken the child away.

Indeed, after Shen Mingzheng’s first questioning sentence, Tang Yiqing had covered Zhou Mo’s ears and led him away from the scene as the conflict escalated.

He took Zhou Mo to the courtyard. The little fellow’s face was white. Tang Yiqing hurriedly rubbed his cheeks. “It’s okay, it’s okay.”

But Zhou Mo seemed immersed in his own emotions, his face filled with fear as he said in a trembling voice, “Uncle Yiqing, did I do something wrong…?”

Tang Yiqing felt his state wasn’t right. He gently stroked his head and rubbed his back to soothe the frightened little fellow. “No, Momo did nothing wrong. It’s okay, no one is blaming you.”

Zhou Mo’s dazed eyes looked at Tang Yiqing, and slowly, crystalline tears overflowed. “Uncle Yiqing, I won’t be punished, will I…?”

Tang Yiqing froze, his heart aching for a moment. “Has Momo been punished before?”

“Just now… I wasn’t seen by Mommy, was I…?” Zhou Mo asked with some panic.

“No,” Tang Yiqing said soothingly. “You weren’t seen.”

Only then did Zhou Mo seem to breathe a sigh of relief, his tense body relaxing. Tang Yiqing’s eyes darkened, but his face remained gentle to avoid scaring him further.

“Momo, have you been punished before?” Tang Yiqing asked.

Zhou Mo pursed his lips tightly, somewhat reluctant to speak. But looking at the adult squatting beside him, whose eyes were full of gentle purity, he felt like telling him everything.

“When I do something wrong, Mommy punishes me by not letting me eat and making me kneel…” As he spoke, Zhou Mo lowered his head, picking at his fingers until the skin around the nails was bleeding. “Sometimes he kicks me out and says he doesn’t want me anymore…”

By the end, Zhou Mo’s voice was sobbing. Tang Yiqing grabbed his hand that was picking at the skin and pulled the small figure into his arms. His eyes were turning red, feeling both heartache and rage—pity for the child and fury at He Chenguang’s methods.

He picked Zhou Mo up and soothed him slowly in his arms. Zhou Mo hugged Tang Yiqing’s neck tightly. He felt as though all his fear and sadness had vanished. If only he could stay by Uncle Yiqing’s side forever…

At this moment, Tang Yiqing heard footsteps behind him. They were standing on a large patch of grass. The morning sun was just right—pure and warm. Stepping on the ground made a rustling sound, but now the beauty was interrupted by intruders.

Tang Yiqing set the child down and looked at the figures of He Chenguang pulling Shen Shanyu. Right now, Shen Shanyu was staring straight at them, his eyes red and his small face full of anger, looking both aggrieved and furious.

Shen Shanyu wanted to run over, but He Chenguang held him back. Shen Shanyu shouted, “You actually let him call you ‘Mommy’! You even hugged him! I don’t want you to be my mommy anymore!”

Tang Yiqing looked quietly at Shen Shanyu, whose face was flushed red, and then pulled Zhou Mo closer to his side. He said to Shen Shanyu, “I don’t want a naughty, bad child either.”

Hearing this, Shen Shanyu froze for a moment, and then tears fell rapidly. He sobbed, “If you come over now… I… I’ll forgive you…”

Tang Yiqing didn’t move. Shen Shanyu was like a helpless little beast who could only use wailing to vent his emotions, his face turning red as he gasped and sobbed.

Vaguely, Shen Shanyu heard: “I will not forgive a bad child who is mean to his mommy.”

That voice was very clear; it was Tang Yiqing’s voice. Shen Shanyu stopped crying. He seemed to want to hear if it really was Tang Yiqing speaking, but the sound was gone. Tang Yiqing didn’t open his mouth to speak again. He was a bit dazed.

His mother had never said a single harsh word to him. Usually, whenever he threw a tantrum, his mother would come to coax him. But now that he was so angry and sad, his mother hadn’t come over to coax him at all.

This scene did not affect He Chenguang. The corners of his mouth slowly curled up, and he led Shen Shanyu toward Tang Yiqing.

Zhou Mo, beside Tang Yiqing, couldn’t help but hide backward. Tang Yiqing met He Chenguang’s gaze, raised his arm to wrap around Zhou Mo’s small shoulder, letting him lean against his leg, and patted him gently. Only then did the little fellow stop being so afraid.

He Chenguang stopped a step away from him and then spoke softly, “Yiqing, it’s not appropriate to let my child call you ‘Mommy’, is it?”

Tang Yiqing frowned slightly. Because Zhou Mo was right beside him, it wasn’t easy to say much, so he said, “Such a good child deserves a competent mother.”

He Chenguang raised an eyebrow and agreed with a smile, “Mm, that is indeed true. But, from any perspective, he only has me as his mother. Whether in legal or social terms, he is my child alone. And, regardless of whether I am good or bad, the day I leave the Shen house, I will take him with me.”

Hearing this, Tang Yiqing’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression became extremely ugly. But he didn’t dare say more; he was afraid that if He Chenguang really took Zhou Mo away, he would treat him poorly.

At this time, He Chenguang knelt down, raised his hand to rub Zhou Mo’s hair, and spoke, “Zhou Mo, if Mommy leaves, you have to leave with Mommy, don’t you?”

Zhou Mo stared blankly at He Chenguang, unable to speak. He Chenguang didn’t care and smoothed his hair. “This child just doesn’t like to talk. Be good here for these few days. Since you’ve made Uncle Yiqing so happy, spend more time with him. Your Uncle Yiqing doesn’t have it easy; he just got divorced and his child isn’t staying with him. He’s very lonely. If you behave well, Mommy will buy you new toys when we go home.”

Tang Yiqing really couldn’t stand He Chenguang being like this. A child might not understand the sarcasm in the words, but he could feel the pressure and threat. He pulled Zhou Mo behind him to protect him. “He Chenguang, why must you act this way toward a child?”

He Chenguang straightened up, unconcerned. “Yiqing, you shouldn’t be so possessive of other people’s children. You’d better not butt into a conversation between us mother and son.”

Tang Yiqing was provoked by him and couldn’t help but sneer back, “I’ll return those words to you. Actually, you really are quite a match to be Shen Shanyu’s mother.”

He Chenguang acted as if he didn’t understand the underlying meaning and laughed lightly. “Thank you. If I could have a baby as well-behaved as Shanyu, I would be happy to death.”

Hearing them talk about him, Shen Shanyu looked up and kept glancing back and forth between the two adults. Finally, he tried to grab Tang Yiqing’s hand, but was avoided.

Shen Shanyu stared blankly at Tang Yiqing and found that Tang Yiqing’s face was cold. He burst into tears again.

Tang Yiqing felt that He Chenguang was disgusting, and Shen Shanyu was also here to collect a debt. He mocked, “You should go take care of your child.”

He Chenguang laughed and knelt down to coax Shen Shanyu, but the more he coaxed, the louder the crying became. Clearly, the boy liked Uncle He best, but at this moment, his little heart was filled with fear and panic, and he couldn’t care about anything else.

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