The Heartless Omega: I Only Want My Daughter - Chapter 19

“Mommy, can I pick a little flower?”

Little Doubao saw the beautiful flowers inside the fence and ran over, pointing at a white and pink blossom to ask Pei Zhiyun.

The fence was nearly as tall as her, though slightly shorter. It was peak season for the Eustoma (lisianthus), and they were in full, colorful bloom; a few small branches poked their heads out cutely.

Eustoma—also known as the “thornless rose.”

Pei Zhiyun was holding a white shirt, which she tucked more securely over the crook of her arm. She shook her head and said, “Didn’t Mommy tell you? We shouldn’t damage the plants and flowers.”

“Okay then.”

Since she couldn’t pick it, Little Doubao bent down and gently stroked the Eustoma closest to her. “Little flower, you stay here nicely, okay?” she whispered to the bloom.

Pei Zhiyun walked slowly up behind her and, much like the child petting the flower, reached out to gently ruffle her head. Wen Ying had tied two cute little braids for her this morning with blue bow hair ties; they looked quite lovely.

After finishing her “conversation” with the flower, Little Doubao turned and ran off to keep playing.

After walking for a while, they passed a house where a familiar voice suddenly drifted out. Pei Zhiyun instinctively turned to look.

The wooden door of this house was half-open, left ajar. Inside, the courtyard looked clean, beautiful, and tidy. A stunning bougainvillea was planted in a water vat against the stone wall; the subtle green leaves made the vibrant blossoms look even more exquisite.

Pei Zhiyun recalled that their own courtyard only had fruit trees and a vegetable garden. If they could plant a bougainvillea, it would surely be beautiful.

Creeeak—

As Pei Zhiyun slowed her pace, lost in thought while looking at the bougainvillea, the half-open wooden door was suddenly pushed wide. A person stepped out carrying a basin of water, instinctively turning to toss it out.

Pei Zhiyun happened to be standing right in front of the gate. Both parties froze the moment they saw each other.

“Oh my!” Li Dai cried out. She jerked the basin upward with both hands, causing half the water inside to slosh and spill out.

Wen Ying was quick to react. She grabbed Pei Zhiyun’s arm and pulled her back, shielding her. Li Dai also managed to pull the basin back just in time.

“You scared me! I almost splashed this water all over you,” Li Dai said, her heart leaping into her throat.

Before coming out, she had actually wondered if someone might be passing by right as she threw the water. The thought hadn’t lasted three seconds before she forgot it, and she hadn’t expected someone to actually be there, let alone Teacher Pei’s family of three.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Pei Zhiyun stepped out from Wen Ying’s protective hold and walked toward Li Dai. “I heard voices in the yard and was wondering if it was your place. I didn’t expect it really would be.”

“Little Doubao, come back.”

Pei Zhiyun called out to the little girl, who was about to run off. Little Doubao, hearing her mother, gave a loud “Okay!” and ran back to Pei Zhiyun’s side.

Li Dai poured the water into a nearby drain and turned to look at the family. “It was so late by the time we got back yesterday, yet you’re all up so early for a walk. You have great energy.”

“Hello, Auntie Li,” Little Doubao chimed in, leaning over to hug Pei Zhiyun’s right leg with both hands.

Li Dai looked down at her and smiled warmly. “Good morning, Little Doubao.”

Once the greetings were over, Pei Zhiyun replied, “These two woke up early. I thought the morning air was nice, so I brought Doubao out for a stroll to get some fresh air.”

Li Dai nodded in agreement. “The air and environment here really are wonderful. The scent was so fresh when I opened the door this morning. Hey, Teacher Pei, Teacher Wen, why don’t you come in and sit for a bit? There are many flowers planted in the courtyard; they’re very beautiful.”

“Will we be intruding?” Pei Zhiyun actually wanted to get a closer look at that bougainvillea.

“Of course not. The other two have already washed up. Come on in.” Li Dai turned and pushed both wooden doors wide, inviting the family inside.

Pei Zhiyun didn’t refuse and led Little Doubao in by the hand.

Only after entering the courtyard could they see its full glory. The bougainvillea was only a fraction of the scenery. The yard, paved with bluestone bricks, was elegantly arranged. Various flowers were planted in pots at the four corners, and roses climbed the left wall.

Pei Zhiyun quite liked it here. Compared to where they were staying, this place felt more scenic and a bit less “lived-in.”

Li Dai placed the basin by the tap and shouted toward the house, “Yiwan, Dudu! Teacher Pei and her family are here!”

“Teacher Pei?”

Hearing the name, Zhang Yiwan immediately put down what she was holding, stood up from the sofa, and strode out through the mosquito curtain. Li Yan followed close behind her.

“Teacher Pei, what brings you here?” Zhang Yiwan couldn’t suppress the smile on her face as she stepped down the stairs to stand by Li Dai.

Pei Zhiyun explained, “We woke up early for a walk and didn’t realize we’d pass your courtyard, so we came in to take a look.”

“Then please, have a look around,” Zhang Yiwan invited.

Unable to decline their hospitality, Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying took a quick tour of the house. It was a wooden structure with a quiet, elegant decor that felt very much like a vacation retreat.

After a brief look around, Li Dai poured them each a cup of tea. Pei Zhiyun took a cup with both hands and brought it to her nose; it smelled like floral tea.

Li Dai said, “These were the floral tea bags left on the table when we arrived yesterday. According to the ingredients, it has jasmine and other flowers in it.”

“No wonder it smells so fragrant.” Pei Zhiyun took a small sip.

She wasn’t sure if other dried flowers were mixed in, but it tasted a bit bitter—though it was manageable.

“Mommy, I want to drink too.”

Little Doubao stopped looking at the flowers and squeezed into Pei Zhiyun’s arms, clutching her arm with both hands.

Pei Zhiyun held her with one arm while she blew on the porcelain cup with the other. Once it had cooled, she lowered it to the girl. “It’s a bit bitter. You’re not allowed to spit it out, okay?”

“Okay.” Little Doubao held Pei Zhiyun’s hand and tried a sip. Her face instantly contorted, and she bared her teeth in a grimace. “So bitter!”

Pei Zhiyun was amused by her expression. “Do you want more?”

“No more!” Little Doubao shook her head vigorously, climbed out of her mother’s arms, and went back to playing with the flowers.

Pei Zhiyun slowly finished her tea. After sitting for a while, she got up to leave with Wen Ying and Little Doubao. Filming was scheduled for 8:00 AM. Since they had woken up so early, they needed to head back for a nap; otherwise, they wouldn’t have the energy for the day’s shoot.

Li Dai didn’t insist they stay. She and Zhang Yiwan walked them to the gate and only turned back once the family had cleared the courtyard wall.

Back at home, Wen Ying lifted Little Doubao onto the bed and took off her shoes. “Mommy said we should sleep for a bit. We’ll wake up in an hour to find the other children.”

Wiggling her little toes, Little Doubao said, “But I’m not sleepy. I don’t want to sleep at all; I want to go out and play.”

Wen Ying sat down beside her, took off her own shoes, and climbed onto the bed to soothe her. “We can play all day long. Let Mommy sleep with you for a bit, okay? Mommy will come wake us up in an hour. Just sleep a little longer, hmm?”

“Is Mommy not going to sleep?” Little Doubao asked Wen Ying.

“Mommy has work to do, so she can’t sleep,” Wen Ying said, adjusting the pillows and giving them a soft pat. “Alright, let’s sleep. When you open your eyes, Mommy will be back.”

Little Doubao wasn’t very happy about it, but she lay down anyway. Wen Ying lay beside her and pulled a thin blanket over them both. The fan in the room was blowing a slightly cool breeze.

Despite saying she wasn’t sleepy, Little Doubao’s eyes were soon heavy. Before long, she was fast asleep and snoring softly. Wen Ying waited until the child was out before drifting off herself.

After resting for over an hour, Pei Zhiyun returned from her work. Seeing it was already 7:30 AM, she went inside to wake them for the filming session.

“Wen Ying, Wen Ying,” Pei Zhiyun whispered.

Wen Ying was in a deep sleep and woke with a start. Seeing it was Pei Zhiyun, she instinctively asked, “Is it time?”

“Yes. Wake Little Doubao up.”

“Alright.” Wen Ying sat up and gently squeezed Little Doubao’s arm to wake her.

Little Doubao grumbled, unwilling to get up. She rolled over to keep sleeping, her brow furrowed as if a “waking-up tantrum” was about to explode at any second.

Normally, Wen Ying would have let her sleep longer. But with Pei Zhiyun standing right there, Wen Ying felt a wave of “chill” radiating from behind her. She had to keep trying. “Little Doubao, Mommy is back and told us to get up. You can’t be a lazybones. If you stay in bed, you’re not being a good girl.”

Little Doubao ignored her completely.

“There’s food once you get up, and the other kids will be there to play with you,” Wen Ying said, standing up and stepping over to the other side of the girl. “Little Doubao?”

Little Doubao pouted and rolled over toward the edge of the bed. In her daze, she saw Pei Zhiyun standing there. She snapped awake instantly, propped herself up with her small hands, and still clearly groggy and incoherent managed to call out, “Mommy.”

Wen Ying pursed her lips slightly at the sight. Truly, this child feared nothing in heaven or on earth except her Mommy.

Pei Zhiyun moved closer to the edge of the bed and leaned over. She reached out to brush the hair from the girl’s forehead and said softly, “Doubao, let’s get up and go play with the other children, okay?”

“Okay,” Little Doubao nodded obediently. She stood up, walked to Pei Zhiyun, and wrapped her arms around her neck, mumbling, “Mommy, carry me.”

Pei Zhiyun straightened up, lifting her as she walked out. “Alright, Mommy’s got you. Are you hungry?”

“No,” Little Doubao said.

As the two left the room, Wen Ying got off the bed, put on her shoes, and picked up Little Doubao’s shoes before following them out.

At 7:30 AM, the three of them set off for their destination. The filming location was a concrete clearing in the village. When Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying arrived, only the production staff were there; they were the first to arrive.

Little Doubao was still a bit grumpy from being woken up. She leaned against Pei Zhiyun’s shoulder with red eyes, though she wasn’t crying. Pei Zhiyun kept coaxing her.

A moment later, others began to arrive. Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying turned toward the sound of voices to see Gao Nianke’s family.

“Teacher Pei, Teacher Wen, morning! I thought we’d be the first ones here,” Gao Nianke waved to them.

“Morning, Teacher Gao, Teacher Song.” Pei Zhiyun took Little Doubao’s hand and gave a little wave.

Little Doubao still wasn’t in high spirits. She let her hand drop and clung tightly to Pei Zhiyun’s shoulder again.

As Gao Nianke approached and saw the aggrieved look on Little Doubao’s face, she asked concernedly, “What’s wrong?”

Pei Zhiyun replied, “She didn’t want to get out of bed.”

“Ugh,” Gao Nianke said, empathizing immediately. “Our two didn’t want to get up either. They cried for over ten minutes they basically cried themselves awake.”

Gao Yu and Gao Lin stood close to Song Mu, sticking to her side like glue.

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