Forced into a Secret Marriage with the Villain, We Now Have a Child - Chapter 55.1

Even after Yi Xueyang watched Yu Siyi and Niannian drive away, her brain remained in a state of complete paralysis. She was stunned—not because she was the one married to Yu Siyi, but because of the sheer reality of it all.

She turned to look at Jian Chun. Jian Chun was gazing into the distance where the car had disappeared, her eyelashes like tiny fans against her soft, pale skin. In the fading light, the fine down on her face gave her a gentle glow. Usually, Yi Xueyang didn’t think much of her friend’s looks, but today, she felt a genuine sense of wonder.

Teacher Jian was actually quite beautiful—not the flashy starlet type, but a refreshing, “girl-next-door” beauty. Quiet when she was still, vibrant when she spoke.

Jian Chun caught her staring. Feeling strangely guilty, Yi Xueyang quickly looked away.

“Did you… actually give birth to Jian Niannian?” Yi Xueyang blurted out, her eyes drifting toward Jian Chun’s slender waist. It didn’t look like a belly that had once housed such a large child.

Jian Chun hesitated. She didn’t have an immediate answer—neither a dismissive one nor a serious one. She thought back to what Yu Siyi might have looked like giving birth, but she realized she had no memory of it.

Seeing her hesitation, Yi Xueyang let out a shriek. “It couldn’t have been the Goddess who gave birth, could it?!”

Jian Chun gave up the struggle and nodded with a smile. “Yes.”

It was as if someone had grabbed Yi Xueyang by the throat. She made a gurgling sound but couldn’t utter a word. Jian Chun, unable to bear her friend’s foolishness, pulled her across the street.

“My Goddess… actually gave birth to a child for you,” Yi Xueyang squeaked.

“Lower your voice!” Jian Chun hissed.

Yi Xueyang immediately covered her mouth, but her eyes remained wide and sparkling. She scanned the surroundings before whispering, “Will she come to eat with you again tomorrow?” Before Jian Chun could shut down her daydream, she added, “Can I come? I eat very little!”

“Tomorrow is Saturday,” Jian Chun reminded her dryly.

As they walked through the school’s majestic gates and down the tree-lined path, they passed the “Honor Wall.” Yu Siyi’s photo was prominently displayed. Since her rise to fame, freshman girls would flock to this wall every year to take photos with their famous “senior sister.”

Jian Chun looked down at her phone. She was messaging Yu Siyi.

Jian Chun: “Don’t just show up in front of my friends like that anymore.”

The avatar for “41” (Yu Siyi) flashed: “Are you jealous?”

Jealous, my foot. Jian Chun had been nearly overwhelmed by Yi Xueyang’s fanatical reaction.

Yu Siyi: “Is it so hard to just admit you’re jealous?” Yu Siyi: “Look at how much your friend loves me. Can’t you learn a thing or two from her?” Jian Chun: “Learn how to go crazy? Not really interested.” Yu Siyi: [Smile Emoji] Jian Chun: “Just get home. Don’t play with your phone while driving.” Yu Siyi: “Whatever the wife says.” [Kiss Emoji]

Jian Chun scoffed at the word “wife.” The nerve of her, saying that so easily.

Beside her, Yi Xueyang wailed again, “Waaa—Jian Chun, spare this single dog! Stop feeding me dog food!”

The Encounter with Ling Zheng

Yu Siyi didn’t take Niannian home immediately; she wanted to take her out. She realized that Jian Chun had provided most of the maternal care over the years, and she wanted to make up for lost time.

“Where do you want to go, Niannian? Shopping? Eating?”

“I’m full,” Niannian said, patting her tiny stomach.

“If you rub your belly when you’re full, it’ll get bigger,” Yu Siyi teased.

“Mama has one too!” Niannian chirped.

“You’ve rubbed Mama’s belly?” Yu Siyi felt a twinge of jealousy.

“Is there a little sister in there?” Niannian whispered into her ear. Yu Siyi pinched her nose. The kid really seemed to know everything.

As she was about to start the car, Yu Siyi caught a glimpse of someone standing under a tree. It was Ling Zheng, looking proud and out of place on the street corner. Ling Zheng had recently invested in Yu Siyi’s drama and had been hovering around her, leading some in the crew to think she had fallen for Yu Siyi.

But Yu Siyi knew the truth: Ling Zheng was after Jian Chun.

Yu Siyi unbuckled her belt. “I’m going to get you some milk tea. What flavor?”

“Lots and lots of pearls!” Niannian cheered.

Yu Siyi stepped out of the car. Ling Zheng was waiting across from the school gates, her chin tilted up.

“Waiting for me?” Yu Siyi asked.

“Big star, are you on a secret inspection?” Ling Zheng joked. She looked around mischievously. “What if I shouted your name right now? Do you think the street would get blocked?”

“If you have nothing to say, I’m leaving,” Yu Siyi said coldly.

Ling Zheng blocked her path. Yu Siyi’s gaze sharpened under the brim of her hat.

“Sister, let’s find a place to sit?” Ling Zheng suggested.

“My child is in the car.”

“I really envy you,” Ling Zheng sighed. “Career, family… you’re so lucky. Why don’t I have that luck?”

Yu Siyi offered a faint, provocative smile.

Ling Zheng dropped the act. “I was the one who liked Jian Chun first.”

“I was first,” Yu Siyi countered.

“You even want to fight over that?” Ling Zheng scoffed.

They stood under a tree with budding leaves, speaking over the city noise. Ling Zheng spoke about her time abroad and her relationship with Feng Xue.

“Why were you with Feng Xue?” Yu Siyi asked. “Self-harm?”

Ling Zheng burst into laughter. “You might be right.” She sighed, looking nostalgic. “Back then, when you and Jian Chun got together, I thought about letting it go. You two seemed like a good match.”

“I didn’t know that,” Yu Siyi said.

Ling Zheng continued, describing the chaotic power struggle within her family and how Feng Xue had somehow manipulated a group of men to embarrass Ling’s half-sister.

“Whenever I’m with you, I feel clear-headed,” Ling Zheng said suddenly, looking at Yu Siyi’s expression. “What should I do? I feel like I can’t leave you.”

Yu Siyi rolled her eyes and turned to leave. “Wait! I’m joking!” Ling Zheng chased after her.

Ling Zheng had been living in a daze for years, her memories of Feng Xue often blurred or fabricated. She had made many preparations for this moment of clarity, including hiring secret protection for her return to China.

The Rainy Night Umbrella

By the time Jian Chun’s classes ended, the air was humid. A sudden, heavy downpour began, hitting the pavement like artificial rain in a movie.

Students dashed into the rain, some using backpacks as shields, others huddling under shared umbrellas. Yi Xueyang stood next to Jian Chun, shivering. “I didn’t wear enough today. It’s freezing.”

“Didn’t you check the forecast?”

“I did, but it didn’t say it would rain now.”

Jian Chun’s phone vibrated. It was a message from “41”: “Look up.”

Jian Chun’s gaze settled on a figure holding an umbrella, walking against the crowd on the dimly lit, tree-lined path. The wet pavement reflected the yellow streetlights. She knew exactly who it was.

Jian Chun pulled Yi Xueyang down the steps toward the figure.

“It’s raining so hard, how are three of us going to fit under one umbrella?” Yi Xueyang muttered. “You go with her, I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Yu Siyi reached the bottom of the stairs. She was a silhouette in the dark, standing below Jian Chun.

“Why did you come in? You’re being careless,” Jian Chun said, though a smile played at the corners of her lips.

“I came to pick you up.”

Yu Siyi handed an extra umbrella to Yi Xueyang. “Yi Xueyang, this is for you.”

Yi Xueyang was stunned. The Goddess not only remembered my name but brought me an umbrella!

“What about Jian Chun?” she asked shyly.

Yu Siyi crooked a finger. “Come here.”

Jian Chun made a show of being annoyed but quickly ducked under Yu Siyi’s umbrella. Yi Xueyang stared at the umbrella in her hand, feeling like it wasn’t a gift, but a concentrated dose of “dog food.”

As they walked, Yu Siyi took Jian Chun’s hand. “Move closer,” Yu Siyi whispered.

“Why?”

“The umbrella isn’t covering you anymore.”

Jian Chun moved closer, her mind drifting back to high school when Yu Siyi used to hold the umbrella for her on this very road.

“I’m trying to love you seriously,” Jian Chun muttered into the sound of the rain. “You don’t have to push so hard.”

“I’m not pushing you,” Yu Siyi replied, her eyes curving into a smile.

The Nighttime “Rule”

Back at home, the housekeeper had prepared ginger soup. Jian Chun dutifully drank it, followed by a bowl of spicy noodles.

Upstairs, Jian Chun tried to study, but Yu Siyi sat next to her, a constant distraction. Yu Siyi offered to tutor her, but was soon “dismissed” for being too much of a temptress.

“Is my teaching that bad?” Yu Siyi asked, feeling a rare moment of self-doubt.

“Just so you know,” Jian Chun muttered, relieved when Yu Siyi finally left to shower. It’s hard to focus when your tutor is that beautiful.

Later, they both lay in bed. Jian Chun closed her eyes, her senses heightened in the dark. She heard the sheets rustle.

“Don’t you dare try to sneak a hug,” Jian Chun said firmly.

She had woken up that morning tightly entwined with Yu Siyi and wanted to set some boundaries. She didn’t want to progress too quickly.

The room went silent. Then, a warm body pressed against her back, and a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

“Yu Siyi, you’re breaking your word!” Jian Chun tried to turn, but Yu Siyi’s legs tangled with hers.

Yu Siyi chuckled softly against her ear. “But I’m not sneaking a hug. I’m doing it openly.”

Jian Chun sighed. She’s playing word games now.

“Baby,” Yu Siyi whispered, her hand tracing Jian Chun’s waist. “You really have gotten a bit chubbier.”

“And?”

“It feels wonderful to hold.”

Jian Chun’s annoyance melted into a strange, warm confusion. She lay there, her mind racing with thoughts of what it would be like if Yu Siyi did more than just hug her. It took a long time for her to finally fall asleep.