Forced into a Secret Marriage with the Villain, We Now Have a Child - Chapter 56

The three of them stepped out into the midday sun. The heat was intense, and the streets were relatively quiet.

As Jian Chun and Yu Siyi got into the car, Ling Zheng stood by, watching them leave with a faint, detached expression—as if seeing off two total strangers. After a long moment, Ling Zheng looked around instinctively. She didn’t possess Feng Xue’s supernatural abilities, but whenever Feng Xue was nearby, she felt a strange, unsettling sensation. It wasn’t exactly painful, but the mere thought of Feng Xue made her feel nauseous.

In the nearby commercial district, Feng Xue—who had been lurking under the sun for hours—lowered her binoculars. She was dressed in the cheapest clothes imaginable: a stiff T-shirt, a scratchy jacket, and uncomfortable pants. Her body, modified by “System Points,” was incredibly sensitive; her skin was more delicate than the Princess and the Pea.

Years ago, while accompanying Ling Zheng, she lived a life of luxury where no garment cost less than a thousand yuan. But this time, Ling Zheng had been ruthless, freezing her cards and having her detained. Feng Xue had only tried to seduce a wealthy businessman to earn more points and secure a better future with Ling Zheng, but that brief distraction allowed Ling Zheng to escape.

Feng Xue was resentful, but she was out of options. She refused to work a normal job, and her points were nearly depleted after previous heavy spending. Fortunately, her “character setting” was that of a Femme Fatale; she figured hooking a few important supporting characters wouldn’t be difficult. After all these years, Ling Zheng hadn’t truly severed ties, so Feng Xue believed it was only a matter of time before Ling Zheng fell for her.

The Visit to the Jian Family

The car passed the city park. On the lush green grass, tourists strolled, people walked their dogs, and some flew kites. Jian Chun watched them, wondering if she should buy a kite for Jian Niannian—or perhaps make one herself. Her phone rang. It was her father, Jian Fanghua.

“I’m back for a couple of days,” he said. “The construction site starts next month. When are you coming to visit?”

“I’m free tomorrow,” Jian Chun replied.

“Bring Niannian. I haven’t seen my granddaughter in ages.”

“I know. Yu Siyi and I will come together.”

“Siyi is coming too?” Jian Fanghua sounded surprised. “She’s so busy; don’t let us get in the way of her work.”

“She’s not busy,” Jian Chun said, glancing at Yu Siyi, who was driving. She tilted her chin playfully at her. “Are you busy?”

“Not tomorrow,” Yu Siyi replied smoothly.

The next morning, the three of them set off. Though they lived in the same city, the distance was significant. Jian Chun’s younger brother, Jian Yanmin, hadn’t made it into a top middle school, but her stepmother, Yan Shan, insisted on the best for the family’s “only son.” They had used connections (and financial help from Jian Chun and Yu Siyi) to enroll him in a local international school and moved nearby.

Jian Fanghua was waiting at the community gate. When the car pulled up, he beamed. He immediately scooped up Niannian, laughing as she complained about his beard tickling her.

Inside the house, the atmosphere was typical of a strained family dynamic. While Yu Siyi politely helped with the bags and Jian Chun bought fruit for the family, the underlying tensions regarding money surfaced. During lunch, Yan Shan—Jian Chun’s stepmother—awkwardly asked to borrow money for her eldest son’s (from a previous marriage) apartment renovations.

Jian Chun deftly deflected the request, while Jian Fanghua pulled her aside later to warn her: “If your mother asks for money, don’t give it to her. She treats you like an ATM for her other sons.”

The Class Reunion

A few days later, Jian Chun’s old friend Li Ying called to invite her to a class reunion. Yu Siyi was back on set filming, so Jian Chun went with Li Ying.

The reunion was held in a high-end private room. The atmosphere shifted when Jing Ge arrived, flaunting her marriage to a wealthy, older businessman. Jing Ge attempted to belittle Jian Chun, suggesting she should set Jian Chun up with her husband’s assistant because “a teacher’s salary is probably less than five thousand.”

Li Ying, never one to hold back, snapped, “Some people are only fit to be toilet seats. You think my Jian Chun needs your scraps?”

The tension was finally broken when Zhu Feifei arrived. As a socialite with a powerful background, her presence commanded the room. When the bill came, Jing Ge tried to show off by paying, only to find it had already been settled.

“What are you competing for?” Zhu Feifei smirked, looking at Jing Ge. “Jian Chun treated everyone today. Her net worth is higher than mine; you might as well enjoy the free meal.”

The revelation stunned the former classmates. They hadn’t realized that Jian Chun was now incredibly wealthy (thanks to the funds Yu Siyi had transferred to her for the occasion).

The System’s Reset

While Jian Chun lived her life, Feng Xue was spiraling in a run-down hotel. Desperate to regain control, Feng Xue used her remaining points to trigger a “Time Reversal.”

She realized the plot had gone off the rails because of Jian Chun. To change the future, she had to change the past. Using a loophole in the System, she rewound time to their high school days—specifically, the end of October during the “Nine-School Joint Examination.”

Feng Xue woke up in a noisy classroom, her memories temporarily hazy. She felt a lingering sense of dread and a subconscious warning: Avoid the familiar plot. Do not repeat the same mistakes.

As the students around her prepared for class, the “Original Heroine” prepared to play a different game.