The Heartless Omega: I Only Want My Daughter - Chapter 10

On the day filming was set to begin, the production crew arrived at the house to install fixed cameras. They placed them in the living room, bedrooms, and kitchen—everywhere except the bathrooms.

To facilitate the shoot, two female staff members stayed at the house. They would only film for one day, after which the indoor cameras would be removed.

Before filming started, Pei Zhiyun gave Wen Ying another set of instructions: for the duration of the show, they were to act as a reunited couple—fake it as a married pair, eating and sleeping together. Consequently, on the night before the official start, the two of them slept in the same bed.

Since their wedding night in the original world, Wen Ying had never shared a bed with Pei Zhiyun. This was the first time.

Wen Ying emerged from the bathroom after her shower, her hair rubbed halfway dry. Pei Zhiyun wasn’t in the room, but a corner of the duvet was flipped back, indicating she had been there.

Creak—

The bedroom door pushed open, and Pei Zhiyun entered carrying a glass of milk. Seeing Wen Ying standing by the bathroom door, she handed the glass over. “Drink this before you sleep.”

“Alright,” Wen Ying accepted it with both hands.

Pei Zhiyun turned to leave again. “I’m going to go check on Little Doubao. Get some sleep.”

Wen Ying nodded. “Mhm.”

Wen Ying stood where she was and gulped down the milk. She then took the glass to the kitchen, washed it, and returned it to its place before coming back to rest.

Pei Zhiyun had bought Wen Ying a phone a while back and taught her how to use it. However, Wen Ying rarely used any apps other than messaging Little Doubao or paying for groceries. She picked up the phone, sent a “goodnight” to Little Doubao, and closed her eyes to sleep.

When Pei Zhiyun returned after coaxing Little Doubao to sleep, she saw that Wen Ying was already resting. She grabbed a t-shirt and draped it over the camera lens. As she turned toward the bed, she hesitated for a moment.

Over the past month or two since Wen Ying arrived, Pei Zhiyun had been, to some extent, satisfied. Wen Ying talked little and did much; she asked when she didn’t know something, and she didn’t act out. Most importantly, regarding Little Doubao’s upbringing, she followed Pei Zhiyun’s lead almost entirely, neither overindulging the child nor teaching her anything inappropriate.

Occasionally, Wen Ying would teach Little Doubao calligraphy or painting in the study. Her brushwork was exceptionally beautiful—hardly surprising for someone who had ranked first in the Imperial Examinations.

Wen Ying was fast asleep, instinctively pulling at the duvet to tuck her arm in, covering her shoulders. She occupied only a small portion of the bed, leaving the rest for Pei Zhiyun.

Pei Zhiyun didn’t know what to think; her mind was a bit of a mess. She stood there, took a deep breath, and lowered her gaze. She walked over to turn off the main lights, leaving only the floor lamps and nightlights on.

Pei Zhiyun lay down, leaving the space of half a person between herself and Wen Ying.

The night passed relatively peacefully.

Wen Ying slept early and woke early, rising at 6:00 AM.

When she woke and saw Pei Zhiyun lying beside her, she jumped in a sudden fright, thinking for a moment it was a dream. Then, remembering the situation, she let out a slow sigh of relief.

The air conditioning had been on all night, making the room a bit chilly. After Wen Ying got out of bed, she turned back to pull up the duvet and tuck Pei Zhiyun in.

Before the recording started, Pei Zhiyun had told Wen Ying that from the day of filming, cameras would be pointed at the house and the footage would later be edited and broadcast, just like the dramas she usually watched. Therefore, every movement during recording had to be cautious.

Wen Ying understood immediately. It was like they were performing on a stage with an audience watching from below. She kept Pei Zhiyun’s words firmly in mind.

After waking up, Wen Ying washed, went to the kitchen, heated a glass of milk for each of them, and prepared a simple breakfast of fried eggs.

The cameras tracked her movements continuously. Wen Ying knew they were there, but she didn’t pay them much mind.

Wen Ying had been busy for quite a while when Pei Zhiyun finally woke up with a start in the bedroom. Her first instinct upon waking was to check on Wen Ying, fearing she might have rolled into her arms in the middle of the night.

To her surprise, the space beside her was empty; Wen Ying had already gotten up.

Pei Zhiyun let out a soft sigh of relief. Even though nothing seemed to have happened, she worried about what might have occurred while she was unconscious.

I hope everything is fine, she thought.

Pei Zhiyun threw back the covers and got out of bed. She went to the bathroom to wash, tying up her hair as she walked. When she reached the sink and reached for her toothbrush, she found it already prepared with toothpaste, laid neatly across the cup.

Pei Zhiyun paused, her hand frozen in mid-air. It took a moment before she slowly picked up the toothbrush. As her fingertips brushed the cup, she noticed a faint warmth radiating from it.

She gripped the toothbrush and touched the back of her finger to the cup. The water was warm.

Pei Zhiyun lowered her head slightly, remembering back to the world inside that book. During a cold winter while she was pregnant with Little Doubao, she had been wrapped in thick layers, yet her hands and feet remained icy. She had never mentioned it to Wen Ying, but one day, she pushed open her door to find the room sweltering with heat.

The maid had been curious about the cause. Upon looking around, they found that Wen Ying had moved several heaters into the room specifically placing two by the bed and had even put a “soup mother” (hot water bottle) inside the blankets. It was wonderfully warm the moment she lay down.

At that time, the System told Pei Zhiyun: “This plot point does not exist in the original book. It was generated spontaneously by the character.”

That moment, after months of sharing a room, was the first time Pei Zhiyun felt her heart soften toward Wen Ying. Although the child was an accident, the person was decent, quite attentive.

If only…

Pei Zhiyun snapped back to reality, regaining her composure. She brushed her teeth seriously, pushing the thoughts aside.

Last night, Sister Zou had messaged saying they would arrive around 9:00 AM for filming. There was still over an hour left—enough time to eat and pack their luggage.

When Pei Zhiyun went out, Little Doubao wasn’t up yet. She knocked and entered the room just as the child opened her eyes.

“Mommy,” she whimpered sleepily.

Pei Zhiyun pushed the door open gently. “Time to get up. Mama made breakfast and is waiting for us.”

Little Doubao didn’t dally; she sat up and pulled back the covers. Her eyelids were drooping and her lips were pouted—she looked incredibly precious. Pei Zhiyun couldn’t help but pat her head. She went to get the clothes they had prepared the night before and helped the child get dressed.

Once dressed and washed, the two of them sat down at the table to eat.

Wen Ying had already cleaned the house spotlessly. She had watered all the flowers on the balcony and, having nothing else to do, was cleaning and drying Little Doubao’s toys.

As Little Doubao ate, she looked up and saw the toys on the balcony. “Thank you for washing my toys, Mama.”

“It’s nothing,” Wen Ying smiled at her.

Little Doubao gave an adorable, happy shrug.

Shortly after breakfast, before the crew arrived, Gu Yan knocked on the door.

Pei Zhiyun went to open it. Seeing it was Gu Yan, she asked, “Weren’t you going to work? Why are you back so soon?”

A couple of days ago, Gu Yan had messaged saying she was going to an audition and to record a show. Pei Zhiyun hadn’t expected her back so quickly.

Gu Yan came in and changed her shoes. “The audition went well, and the variety show only took a day to film. I got home late last night and thought about coming to see Little Doubao, but it was too late to disturb you. When I woke up this morning, I remembered you were leaving to film in another city today, so I stopped by.”

“Mhm, come in,” Pei Zhiyun said.

“Morning, Auntie Gu,” Little Doubao called out. She was squatting in front of an open suitcase in the living room, helping Wen Ying organize the clothes they were taking.

Gu Yan gave a listless wave. “Morning, Little Doubao.”

As Gu Yan walked in, she noticed the cameras in the living room. “Has filming already started?”

She hadn’t watched this show before and thought it only started once they reached the location. She didn’t expect cameras to be installed in the house already.

Pei Zhiyun went to pour Gu Yan a glass of water. “Yes, they record a day or two in advance. The crew is coming for the formal shoot today; they’re on their way and should be here soon.”

“Oh,” Gu Yan said, walking over to Little Doubao. She turned back to ask Pei Zhiyun, “What time is your flight today?”

Pei Zhiyun brought her the water. “Around 1:00 PM. We’re just packing now. Have a seat.”

“Thanks.” Gu Yan took a sip and couldn’t help but yawn. She had traveled through the night and was exhausted.

As Little Doubao and Wen Ying packed, Gu Yan sat nearby, staring blankly like she had lost her soul.

Little Doubao pulled a blue plushie and a pink one from her room. She asked Gu Yan, “Auntie Gu, which one do you think I should take? Mama says I shouldn’t take too many.”

Gu Yan blinked to clear her head. She looked from one to the other. “They’re both cute. I can’t choose.”

“What does Mama think?” Little Doubao turned to Wen Ying.

Wen Ying looked at them seriously for a moment. “Both are fine. If you like them, take them both. If Mommy won’t let you, I’ll carry them for you.”

“Yay!” Little Doubao cheered instantly.

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