Forced into a Secret Marriage with the Villain, We Now Have a Child - Chapter 41.2

“Niannian.”

Jian Niannian was fast asleep. By the time Jian Chun entered the room, the little girl was already buried under the covers, sound asleep. Leaning in closer, she could hear the child’s soft, rhythmic snoring.

Jian Chun returned to her own room. The space felt excessively vast and empty; the silence was so heavy it felt as if some hidden beast were lurking in the shadows, waiting for her to fall asleep before devouring her whole.

She collapsed onto the bed, her eyes wide open. Sleep eluded her for a long time.

Her thoughts drifted to those four little kittens. She was allergic to cats—so, when her “past self” had first joined this family, what had happened to them? She hadn’t seen any animals in the house lately, nor had she heard Niannian mention any. It was likely they had been gone for a long time.

After a moment of daze, Jian Chun instinctively began reciting the periodic table and several classic Chinese literature texts in her head. Just as she was finally drifting into a blur of exhaustion, she startled awake again, realizing with a jolt that she no longer had to take exams.

Still, one must always be prepared.

The next morning, Jian Chun woke up with heavy dark circles under her eyes. After washing up, she grabbed her bag and headed downstairs, her spirits noticeably flagging.

Jian Niannian sat kneeling on her chair. Reaching out with her short, stubby arms, she poked Jian Chun’s cheek.

“Mama, sleepy,” Niannian said in a soft, milky voice.

Hearing this, Auntie Li stole a glance at Jian Chun as well. “Madam, did you not sleep well last night? Those dark circles are quite heavy.”

Jian Chun gave a noncommittal hum of agreement.

“Even if the Miss is away, you shouldn’t stay up late,” Auntie Li added. “If she comes back and sees this, she’ll be angry again.”

“I know,” Jian Chun replied. Then, as if asking in passing, she added, “By the way, Auntie Li, are Yu Siyi’s high school textbooks still around?”

“They are. Do you need them, Madam? They’re in the storage room…”

“I’ll go take a look in a bit.”

Jian Chun ate quickly, finishing her meal in just a few bites before heading to the storage room. Auntie Li led the way to show her around.

The storage room wasn’t the chaotic mess Jian Chun had expected. Instead, it was lined with several cabinets, everything organized neatly.

“The Miss’s old toys are in here—an entire cabinet full,” Auntie Li noted, pointing one out as they passed. “And over here is the bicycle the Miss used when she was learning to ride. She can’t ride it now, so we’re keeping it for Niannian to use later.”

The bicycle leaning against the wall was quite small, clearly not built for an adult’s frame.

When they reached a particular bookshelf, Jian Chun paused. It was packed to the brim.

“Everything from primary school to university is here,” Auntie Li said. “Would you like me to find them for you?”

“No need, Auntie Li. You go ahead with your work. I’ll just browse for a bit and sort through them tonight.”

“Alright then.”

After Auntie Li stepped out, Jian Chun scanned the shelves until she found the high school section. She opened a cabinet door and spotted a small drawer. Acting on a sudden impulse, she pulled it open.

Inside the drawer was a white, transparent bag containing a piece of clothing. It looked incredibly familiar—it was a high school uniform.

It was white with dark cyan trim. On a large portion of the white fabric, she could see a cartoon character drawn next to a signature so scrawled it was barely legible.

Jian Chun stood frozen, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.

It was her uniform.

The very same uniform Yu Siyi had taken to use as bedding for the kittens.