Forced into a Secret Marriage with the Villain, We Now Have a Child - Chapter 42

The plastic bag was vacuum-sealed. As Jian Chun tore a small slit, air slowly hissed inside, and the bag gradually expanded. She pulled the garment out; the uniform was spotless, faintly carrying the fresh scent of laundry detergent. It looked exactly as it had years ago.

Because it had been worn and washed frequently back then, the words and drawings she had scribbled with a black gel pen had faded slightly. Her school had been very strict about uniforms; during lunch discipline checks, teachers would inspect them for intentional defacement. Despite this, “uniform culture” persisted. Students, frustrated by fading ink, would habitually re-trace their designs just before they disappeared.

Jian Chun traced the outline of a small character with her finger, her heart churning with a complex mix of emotions. The clothes were impeccably clean—not a single stray cat hair to be found—and she felt no allergic reaction.

She stayed in the storage room for a long time, so long that Niannian had finished her breakfast and was ready for school. The little girl waddled to the door, blocking the entrance like a small lump, and looked at her mother.

“Mama, we’re going to be late,” Niannian said.

Jian Chun replied, “Just a moment, I’ll be ready very soon.”

“What is Mama doing?” Niannian turned sideways and squeezed further into the room.

“Just looking at some old things.” Jian Chun folded the uniform, tucked it back into the bag, and turned to point at the nearby bicycle. “Your mother left that for you. You’ll inherit it later.”

Niannian’s eyes followed her mother’s finger and landed on the bike. Although it was covered with a cloth to keep off the dust, she could still see pink patterns peeking through and a little basket on the front. It looked incredibly “girly.”

Niannian beamed, but then her expression suddenly shifted. “Ah… I’m too short,” she said dejectedly.

Jian Chun laughed. “You can ride it once you grow taller.”

Looking at the bike made Jian Chun feel nostalgic. When she had a free moment, she thought she might clean it up and take it to the yard. She hadn’t ridden a bicycle in years. She had learned in elementary school; while all her friends picked it up instantly, she had struggled, only finally succeeding after several hard falls.

Jian Chun tucked the clothes into a drawer, but her gaze caught a small box nearby. It was about the size of a palm—an exquisite, antique-style wooden box with red lacquer and intricate carvings. Curious, she opened it. Inside were random trinkets: a handful of small plastic spoons and a pink plastic ring from a candy set.

Jian Chun: “…”

She hadn’t realized Yu Siyi had such a habit of collecting oddities. Unable to guess the sentimental value behind these items, she simply closed the lid, shut the drawer, and hurried Niannian out to wash her hands before heading to school.

Niannian attended Tongxin Kindergarten, a famous bilingual school in the area. The teachers were elite, and the school provided several nannies to look after the children.

“Good morning, Niannian. Good morning, Niannian’s Mama.”

Ms. Yuan, the teacher for the Intermediate Class, was waiting at the gate. Jian Chun greeted her with a smile. Ms. Yuan looked after twenty children and was always there at drop-off and pick-up, rain or shine. Because Jian Chun was a teacher at Hanhai Middle School, Ms. Yuan gave Niannian extra attention. After all, having a connection with a teacher at a prestigious middle school was a “good karmic bond” for the future.

After a quick chat and a few words to coax Niannian, Jian Chun got back into her car.

Inside the school, Ms. Yuan asked Niannian, “Why didn’t your daddy come to drop you off?”

Niannian replied obediently, “I only have Mamas.”

Niannian had known from a young age that having two mothers wasn’t something to talk about carelessly. While same-sex marriage was legal, the mainstream view still favored traditional structures. More importantly, Niannian knew her other mother was a superstar. She remembered seeing the “bee-like” swarms of fans at the airport once; it had been a startling education in the price of fame. Niannian, inheriting Yu Siyi’s high IQ, was more than happy to keep her famous mother a secret.

Jian Chun arrived at Hanhai Middle School. She had two classes this morning and spent her commute mentally rehearsing her lesson points. Since she lacked formal teaching training in this “new” life, she had to rely on her own memories and practice.

Who am I? she thought. I’m a woman who has survived two transmigrations!

As she entered the office, the bell for the end of morning self-study rang. Students flooded the hallways with laughter.

In the office, the English teacher, He Yin, gave her a slight glare. Jian Chun knew He Yin was bitter because she hadn’t been appointed the headteacher of Class 9. They rarely spoke.

“Coming in so late every day,” He Yin muttered under her breath. Jian Chun ignored her.

Just as Jian Chun was pouring hot water, the class representative for Class 9 walked in with a stack of homework.

“Your class has been a bit late turning in assignments lately,” Jian Chun noted, looking at a sticky note listing several students who still needed to catch up.

“There’s just been so much homework lately…” the representative admitted sheepishly.

“I see. You can head back now.”

Jian Chun checked her schedule: Class 10 was next. She walked into the classroom and noticed Jin Ziye sitting unusually quiet in his seat. The moment their eyes met, he flinched as if he’d seen a predator.

What’s wrong with him? she wondered. He’s not even on the ‘missing homework’ list.

During class, she discussed the upcoming monthly exams and the impending “stream splitting” (choosing between the Science or Liberal Arts tracks).

“After this semester, you’ll all have to choose,” Jian Chun told the class. “If you choose Science, you’ll focus on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Liberal Arts will be Politics, History, and Geography. Start thinking about what you want to focus on and discuss it with your parents.”

After class, the room erupted into chatter about the future. Jian Chun packed her things and headed to the hallway, where she ran into Jin Ziye.

“Big Sis,” he called out.

“What’s up with you today?” Jian Chun asked bluntly. “Did you take the wrong medicine? You’re acting sneaky.”

Jin Ziye followed her like an awkward puppy. “Uh, Big Sis… haha… have you eaten?”

Jian Chun: “…” Jian Chun: “Yes, I have.”

She waited for him to ask a real question. Instead, he asked, “What did you eat? And what did you drink, huh?”

“Food,” she replied flatly.

Jin Ziye looked overjoyed, as if he’d received a secret code. He gave her a thumbs-up. “Got it!”

As soon as he was out of sight, he ducked into a camera blind spot and messaged Yu Siyi: “Sishì (Mother-in-law/Master’s Wife), Teacher ate breakfast. Over.”

A moment later, he received a digital “Red Envelope” (money) and a message: “Hard work.”

Jin Ziye was beaming. He didn’t even care about celebrities, but earning money by being a “spy” for Yu Siyi was the thrill of a lifetime.

Later, during the school exercise break, Jin Ziye approached Jian Chun again, his face a weird shade of red. He sheepishly handed her a bottle of yogurt.

“Probiotics are good for digestion,” he muttered.

“Why are you giving me this?” Jian Chun asked.

“The… uh… Sishì is a good person,” he said cryptically. “I can’t say more! I have to go!”

Jian Chun watched him run off. Is he thanking me for the extra tutoring? she wondered. The strawberry yogurt was actually quite good.

At lunch, Jian Chun joined her friend Yi Xueyang. Yi Xueyang was venting about a blind date from the night before.

“His mother wants a grandchild—thinks her son is getting old and needs to ‘pass on the lineage,'” Yi Xueyang scoffed. “The matchmaker kept talking about how great his ex-girlfriend was, how rich she was, but how they broke up because the girl wanted him to ‘marry into’ her family. As if I’m a recycling bin for a ‘mamma’s boy’! If she wasn’t my relative, I would have shoved my high heel into her face.”

“Calm down, calm down,” Jian Chun soothed.

“I’d rather just live with you,” Yi Xueyang sighed. “We could share makeup, binge-watch shows, go shopping, cook together, and raise cats and dogs…”

“I’m allergic to cats and dogs,” Jian Chun reminded her.

Yi Xueyang rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine living with a man. But with you? I wouldn’t even mind if we… you know… did it. I wouldn’t reject you.”

Jian Chun’s face twitched. “No, I would.”

“Why?”

“I’m frigid,” Jian Chun joked.

“You’re so difficult!” Yi Xueyang laughed, then pulled out her phone to show a video of her “Goddess,” Yu Siyi. “Look at my Goddess. No scandals, low profile, great acting. Every one of her works is rated 7/10 or higher.”

Jian Chun looked at the screen. “Oh…”

“You really don’t like her?” Yi Xueyang asked, sensing her hesitation.

Jian Chun went silent for a moment. She looked at the table, her eyelashes fluttering. “She’s… alright, I guess,” she said seriously, her internal resolve starting to crumble.