The Heartless Omega: I Only Want My Daughter - Chapter 3

“Mother? What ‘Mother’?”

Gu Yan thought she had been so enraged by this “scumbag” in the middle of the night that she was starting to hallucinate.

But Pei Zhiyun stood there in a genuine daze. Her expression was grim, her eyes clouded as she stole a glance at Wen Ying on the bed.

In contrast to Pei Zhiyun’s shock, Wen Ying was filled with overwhelming joy. Her eyes shimmered with tears as she gazed at Xiao Doubao, the exact same look she’d had the day the child was born.

As for Xiao Doubao, she was conceived on their wedding night.

Initially, Pei Zhiyun had thought about terminating the pregnancy. She considered the classic drama tropes taking a “stumble” or drinking saffron tea. But then she realized she had transmigrated into this world physically; ancient medical facilities were primitive. Attempting a DIY abortion in such an unreliable environment would likely only cause her permanent physical harm. So, she gave up the idea.

As the months passed and her belly grew, a faint maternal instinct began to stir. Pei Zhiyun started imagining how cute and soft her daughter would be. She wondered if the baby would be as round and lovable as the doubao (sweet bean buns) she loved to eat.

And so, the child stayed.

When she was six or seven months pregnant, the child was fully formed, yet Pei Zhiyun considered abortion once more.

The reason was Wen Ying.

After the accidental consummation on their wedding night, Pei Zhiyun had refused to let Wen Ying touch her again. They had no intimacy for a long time. At first, Wen Ying grumbled and complained under her breath, but she never forced herself on her. Once she learned of the pregnancy, Wen Ying actually stayed by her side, tending to her with meticulous care.

During that time, Pei Zhiyun actually had a decent opinion of Wen Ying until the day Wen Ying came home dead drunk, leaning on someone for support, reeking of alcohol and the heavy floral scent of women’s perfume.

Pei Zhiyun felt a wave of nausea. The morning sickness that had subsided weeks ago came roaring back. She stumbled to the side, clutching her stomach and retching over a basin, her stomach churning violently.

For several nights following, Wen Ying returned in a drunken stupor. Once, she even had a lipstick smudge on her face.

Pei Zhiyun found it laughable. She felt like a fool for expecting “marital loyalty” from a piece of cannon fodder in a novel. It was pure fantasy.

While the thought of getting rid of the baby crossed her mind again, she didn’t dwell on it for long. She was the one enduring ten months of pregnancy; once the child was born, she would take the surname Pei. As for this biological mother who was a mother in name only? She didn’t matter. Losing her wouldn’t be a tragedy.

From then on, Pei Zhiyun ignored Wen Ying entirely.

Three months later, a beautiful baby girl was born. Pei Zhiyun had chosen a nickname long ago: Xiao Doubao.

The birth was a major event for both the Pei and Wen families. The Duke, the Duchess, and the entire Pei clan showed up not to see the baby, but to find out whose surname she would take.

If she took the Pei name, she would be the legitimate granddaughter of the Pei family, inheriting their estate. If she took the Wen name, she would inherit the title of the Qing Mansion.

Looking at the crowd of people packed into her room, Pei Zhiyun felt a surge of silent mockery. Back when she acted in dramas, these plots felt generic; experiencing it firsthand made it feel absurd. Everyone stared at her, waiting for an answer.

Pei Zhiyun didn’t answer immediately. Leaning back against the headboard, she looked past the crowd to Wen Ying, who was standing at the very back. “Wife, what name do you hope for the child?”

The crowd whipped their heads around to look.

Wen Ying had been shoved to the periphery the moment the elders entered. Now that all eyes were on her, she glanced around before looking directly at Pei Zhiyun. “You carried the child for ten months. I am a matrilocal spouse; the child should naturally take your surname.”

The Duke of Qing let out a visible sigh of relief. He turned to Pei Zhiyun and said kindly, “I think Ying’er makes a good point.”

The rest of the Pei family was displeased. The second and third branches had hoped the child would take the Wen name so they could maneuver for the Pei inheritance. If the child was a Pei, they knew Pei Zhiyun’s personality she wouldn’t yield an inch. But out of respect for the Duke’s status, they dared not speak up.

Pei Zhiyun let the suspense hang for a moment before dropping her answer: “The child will take the surname Pei. Her nickname is Xiao Doubao, and her formal name is Pei Lecheng.”

“Good, good, good!” the Duke of Qing exclaimed three times. The Pei relatives sighed in disappointment and left the room in a huff.

Once they were gone, Wen Ying finally had a chance to see Xiao Doubao. She crouched by the bed, her eyes full of tenderness. She reached out, intending to hold Pei Zhiyun’s hand in comfort, but hesitated and pulled back. She simply said, “You, you’ve worked hard.”

Pei Zhiyun lifted her gaze to look at her, then looked away just as quickly.

One month later, the moment Pei Zhiyun finished her postpartum recovery, the first thing she did was hand Wen Ying a divorce decree.

Wen Ying didn’t understand why. She chased after her for answers, and even after being kicked out of the Pei estate, she guarded the gates for three months. The people of the capital called Pei Zhiyun heartless, and perhaps she was.

By then, winter had arrived. In the freezing cold, Wen Ying had only a thin layer of clothing. Realizing there was no hope at the Pei house, she tried to return to the Qing Mansion. But her parents viewed her divorce as a family disgrace and refused to let her in, declaring they no longer had a daughter.

With nowhere to go, Wen Ying looked for work, but when people heard she was an Alpha who had been divorced by Pei Zhiyun, they only mocked her. No one would hire her.

In the depths of winter, news came that she had frozen to death on the street. When she was found, she was skin and bones, penniless, clutching nothing but a small wooden carving.

The authorities collected the body. They asked the Peis, then the Wens. Seeing that neither side intended to claim the remains, they wrapped her in a straw mat and tossed her into a mass grave outside the city.

A kind-hearted bailiff or perhaps one who felt a twinge of pity, brought the wood carving to the Pei estate.

When the servant handed it to Pei Zhiyun, she turned it over in her hands. It was a carving of Xiao Doubao. The features were clear, the eyes lifelike. But only the left half was finished; the right side was still rough wood. She had died before she could finish it.

Since the person was dead, keeping it felt like bad luck. Pei Zhiyun casually tossed the carving into a brazier, watching it burn to ash.

Xiao Doubao was nine months old when Pei Zhiyun finished her mission and returned to reality. A few months later, the System sent Xiao Doubao back. Three years had passed since then; the child was now four, going on five. But Wen Ying had died when the child was only a few months old, how could she possibly remember her mother?

“Mother,” Xiao Doubao called out again toward Wen Ying.

Pei Zhiyun struggled to snap out of her thoughts.

This time, Gu Yan heard it clearly. She patted the child’s arm gently. “Xiao Doubao, what are you saying? This is Mommy, not ‘Mother’.”

“But she is Mother,” Xiao Doubao said, pointing innocently at Wen Ying.

Hearing the child call her, Wen Ying sat up in bed excitedly. Forgetting the IV in her hand, she jerked her arm. She let out a cry of pain as the needle tugged, but she didn’t know how to remove it. She could only ignore the sting and stare at the child again.

“Xiao Doubao?” Wen Ying called out tentatively. She stole a look at Pei Zhiyun, whose face was partially hidden by her hair, looking incredibly stern.

Wen Ying didn’t dare call out again.

After a long silence, Pei Zhiyun adjusted Xiao Doubao’s mask and hat and handed her back to Gu Yan. “Take her outside first. I need to talk to her.”

“Fine,” Gu Yan said, taking the child. Before leaving, she shot one last glare at Wen Ying.

As they left, Pei Zhiyun remained with her back turned, rubbing her temples.

How could Xiao Doubao recognize her? A baby in swaddling clothes who couldn’t even eat solid food had remembered a face?

No.

The more Pei Zhiyun thought about it, the more it felt off. It wasn’t the child; it was the System. She dropped her hand and summoned the System in her mind: Why does Xiao Doubao remember Wen Ying?

Her tone was deadly serious.

Ding!

The System connected. Its voice was a cold mechanical drone, yet it sounded strangely hesitant and shaky. “Ahem! Well that is a system bug.”

Pei Zhiyun: What kind of bug?

System: “Because Wen Ying was reborn due to a bug, it caused internal issues. Anyone originating from the book will now possess their original memories from the book including Xiao Doubao.”

Pei Zhiyun: Be more specific.

System: “Wen Ying’s presence triggered Xiao Doubao’s memory system. Meaning, from this moment on, Xiao Doubao remembers everything from the book since her birth including the people she saw. Naturally, she remembers Wen Ying is her mother.”

Pei Zhiyun sat in the chair in silence for a long time. She used to think that Xiao Doubao being brought to the real world was the limit of what she could accept. A few hours ago, Wen Ying’s arrival shattered that limit.

Now the System was telling her that her daughter had dual memories of two lifetimes? She felt like she might explode.

Wen Ying tilted her head to look at Pei Zhiyun’s face. “Was Xiao Doubao reborn with you too?”

“…Yes,” Pei Zhiyun replied.

Wen Ying’s eyes lit up instantly, a warm smile spreading across her face. “Based on her age, she’s about four or five now, and she still knows I’m her mother. Then, can I ask one favor of you?”

Pei Zhiyun sat up straight, meeting Wen Ying’s eyes coldly. “No. Xiao Doubao is my daughter. She has nothing to do with you.”

“How can you say that!” Wen Ying grew anxious, accidentally tugging the IV needle again. Blood began to seep from the puncture site on the back of her hand.

“Xiao Doubao was carried by you, yes, but she is my biological daughter too! I am her mother!”

“And when you divorced me, you never said why! You just did it! Even if you wanted the Pei family’s power, I wouldn’t have interfered with your plans!”

Her voice rose in volume, but she sounded entirely lacked confidence.

Pei Zhiyun didn’t want to discuss the past. Seeing the blood flowing back into the IV tube from Wen Ying’s hand, she frowned and stood up. “Be quiet. I’m going to get a doctor to fix your hand. Then I’ll handle your discharge and take you back. From this moment on, don’t talk nonsense. And when you see Xiao Doubao, you are not allowed to speak.”

With that, Pei Zhiyun turned and walked out of the ward.

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