The Heartless Omega: I Only Want My Daughter - Chapter 7

Zou Jing was working at the office today instead of being out on the field. It was one of those rare days in the year when she didn’t have to run around, yet she never expected such an incident to land on her lap. Still, she wasn’t one to complain.

If a rookie artist had stirred up a scandal of this magnitude, they would have been hauled back to the office for a disciplinary meeting long ago. But Pei Zhiyun was a veteran in the entertainment industry; her seniority even surpassed that of her manager, Zou Jing. She commanded immense fame and respect, holding three “Best Actress” titles and several iconic works that were household names.

In all these years, aside from the matter of her child, she had never been involved in any scandal. Her public reputation was exceptionally strong.

Now that news had broken about her involvement with a “scumbag woman,” most fans and spectators weren’t attacking her; rather, they felt she was being “too good” for someone undeserving. Therefore, the primary reason for calling her back to the office was to have a serious sit-down. After all, her reputation had taken a hit, and little Doubao was now a subject of public scrutiny.

“Sis, we’re here.”

The young assistant knocked and held the door open with his body. Pei Zhiyun walked in and casually took off her mask.

“Zhiyun, you’re here.” Zou Jing stood up from behind her desk, holding a file. She greeted her with professional courtesy first: “You went to the hospital in the middle of the night—was it you or Doubao who got sick? Is everything okay?”

“We’re fine. Someone at home wasn’t feeling well, so I took her to get checked out. Sorry about this, Sister Zou. I didn’t expect to be photographed.”

Pei Zhiyun was polite, yet her demeanor remained cool and distant, maintaining a clear sense of boundaries.

Zou Jing sighed and led her to the sofa. The assistant tactfully closed the door and left.

Zou Jing placed the file on the table, tilting it toward Pei Zhiyun. On the top page, several bold, eye-catching words were printed in large type: “Mommy and Me.”

Once Pei Zhiyun was seated, Zou Jing went to the water dispenser and filled two paper cups. “So, that person really came back? Honestly, I was shocked when you suddenly told me you were pregnant back then. Later, you said the other person had died, and my jaw nearly hit the floor. I was stunned when I saw the news this morning; you didn’t explain much over the phone.”

“So, what exactly is the situation now?”

Zou Jing brought the water over, placing the hotter cup in front of Pei Zhiyun.

Pei Zhiyun took a sip of the warm water and explained: “I previously received news that she had passed away, so I never brought it up—I thought there was no point dwelling on the dead. Last night, the hospital suddenly contacted me saying she was injured and was there. I only found out she was still alive when I went over. It was quite a surprise for me too.”

As she spoke, Pei Zhiyun lowered her eyes.

Back then, Wen Ying really had died.

Zou Jing observed Pei Zhiyun’s expression while drinking her water. They had known each other for over ten years. Zhiyun’s personality had always been detached; except when she was acting and displaying emotions not seen in her daily life, she was mostly quiet and serious in private. When she was free, she could sit alone for a long time, not even looking at her phone—just lost in thought.

The pregnancy years ago had indeed left Zou Jing dazed for days. But on second thought, sometimes the people who seem the most tranquil are the ones who do the most earth-shattering and unexpected things.

Pei Zhiyun had reached her limit in sharing details about “that person.” Knowing her well, Zou Jing didn’t pry further. She simply said, “This has blown up. Eight out of the top ten trending topics are about you. Although you don’t have work scheduled right now, the media will definitely harrass you later. How do you plan to respond?”

Pei Zhiyun replied, “Private matter.”

I figured as much, Zou Jing thought. She chuckled; it wasn’t hard to guess.

Zou Jing took another sip of water, set the cup down, and pushed the file toward Pei Zhiyun. “I know you usually hate variety shows, but this one is an exception. Take a look.”

Pei Zhiyun didn’t refuse. She picked it up and began flipping through.

As she read, Zou Jing explained: “You probably know the reality show ‘Mommy and Me.’ When the news of Doubao’s birth caused a stir years ago, someone saw the market potential and launched this parenting show. The first season was a massive hit. Viewers kept saying they were waiting for Doubao to grow up so you could bring her on the show. Well, it looks like they finally got their wish.”

The show had actually been created because of Pei Zhiyun. After the first episode aired, its ratings crushed every other variety show and drama in the same time slot. It remained the top-rated program on the network, with frequent reruns.

Because the response was so positive, many viewers were eagerly awaiting a second season. They even created polls for desired cast members; the official Weibo post reached a million likes, and the fan community had over two million followers—unprecedented for a variety show.

However, the production team had stated they wouldn’t release a second season anytime soon.

Reasons varied, but many speculated the show was waiting for Pei Zhiyun, unwilling to exhaust the format’s popularity with other guests.

At the time, few believed that theory. Until this morning, when the news about Pei Zhiyun and “that person” broke. Within an hour, the script for this variety show was in Zou Jing’s hands.

The production team’s exact words were: “We have been waiting for Teacher Pei for all these years. Please, you must convince her to join. If she doesn’t, I’ll bring the entire crew to beg her in person.”

Zou Jing relayed everything to Pei Zhiyun. By the time she finished, Pei Zhiyun had mostly finished reading.

Pei Zhiyun closed the script and set it down.

Before she could refuse, Zou Jing cut in: “Zhiyun, I know you don’t like variety shows, but this crew is very sincere. Besides, people have been gossiping about your situation for years. It might be good to go on the show and clarify things. Now that Doubao’s mother is back, your family of three…”

Zou Jing trailed off, choosing her words carefully. She didn’t know the full story between Zhiyun and that woman, so she didn’t want to overstep.

“I’ll consider it,” Pei Zhiyun said, not rejecting it immediately.

Zou Jing didn’t push. She nodded. “Alright. Take the script home, look it over, and think about it. If you decide to do it, just message me.”

“Okay.”

With their talk concluded, Pei Zhiyun took the file and drove away from the company.

She hadn’t been gone long—about three hours. She arrived home just around noon. Entering the passcode, she pushed the door open to find a chaotic scene inside.

“Auntie Gu, you don’t know how to cook! If Mommy comes back and sees you’ve turned on the stove, you’re definitely going to get scolded!” Pei Lecheng was shouting from the kitchen doorway.

Gu Yan, choking on the spice of chili peppers, gasped, “Don’t worry! I’m just making this one dish, it’ll be done soon. Go wait outside, don’t come in here, the fumes are too strong!”

As Pei Zhiyun changed her shoes, she left the file on the shoe cabinet. Before she even reached the kitchen, she smelled the pungent, nose-stinging scent of stir-fried chilies.

“Mommy, you’re back!”

Pei Lecheng spun around, saw Pei Zhiyun, and immediately fled the kitchen for the safety of the living room sofa.

Pei Zhiyun coughed twice from the spice. She walked into the kitchen, reaching past Gu Yan to turn on the range hood. “What are you doing? Why are you trying to cook?”

“Uh…” Gu Yan held up a spatula, looking embarrassed. “I thought it was lunchtime, so I’d make something for Doubao. I didn’t expect it to turn out this disastrous. You got back fast.”

Pei Zhiyun coughed again, reached out to turn off the stove, and then opened the windows to air out the room. The entire kitchen was thick with the smell of chilies.

“Stop cooking. Come out,” Pei Zhiyun said.

“Okay,” Gu Yan replied, obediently putting down the spatula.

As the two walked out of the kitchen, Doubao and Wen Ying were standing by the sofa.

Pei Zhiyun checked her watch. “It’s 11:30. Let’s order takeout. Order whatever you want to eat.”

“Yay!” Doubao was thrilled. Her Mommy never used to let her have takeout; today she could finally eat it openly. She wanted fried chicken and burgers.

Wen Ying looked down at her tenderly.

“Wen Ying,” Pei Zhiyun called.

Wen Ying looked up instinctively, her expression quite nervous. “What is it?”

Pei Zhiyun walked toward the study. “Come with me.”

“Okay,” Wen Ying followed.

Once they were in the study, Pei Zhiyun turned and leaned against the desk. She asked, “Do you know what your identity is here?”

The “System” had previously told her it provided Wen Ying with a suitable identity.

“I know,” Wen Ying nodded. “My name is Wen Ying, I am 26 years old, and I graduated from a university abroad. I met you four years ago when I returned to the country, and we… had a relationship. After that, I suffered from amnesia until now. Once I remembered, I came back to find you, but I accidentally got injured. When I woke up, I contacted you. As for my family, my adoptive parents have passed away; I am an orphan with 20 million in assets.”

Graduated from abroad?

Wen Ying continued, “I only partially understand these things, I don’t quite grasp them all. But… have I caused you a lot of trouble?”

“No,” Pei Zhiyun said.

After all, it was Pei Zhiyun who had stumbled into her world first.

Wen Ying lowered her head in silence, feeling that Pei Zhiyun was simply refusing to admit the trouble she’d caused.

Seeing her like this, Pei Zhiyun relaxed her brow. She slowly stood straight, walked over to Wen Ying, and reached out to straighten her collar.

Wen Ying’s gaze instantly softened.

Pei Zhiyun said, “I plan to participate in a parenting variety show. You, Doubao, and I will join together. Because of that, don’t mention a single word about the past. Just remember the story you just told me. We will maintain our current way of interacting. As for names, you can call me ‘Zhiyun’ or ‘Teacher Pei,’ and I will call you ‘Wen Ying.’ Understood?”

“Mhm,” Wen Ying committed it to memory.

Pei Zhiyun let go of her collar. “Before filming starts, I’ll tell you more about the recording process so you can understand it better. Don’t worry too much.”

Wen Ying: “Okay.”

Moved by Pei Zhiyun’s earlier gesture, Wen Ying finally asked what had been on her mind: “My Lady… has it been very hard for you, raising Doubao alone in this world all these years?”

Pei Zhiyun was stunned. “Why do you ask that?”

Wen Ying: “You used to do everything yourself. Back then, it was fine because there were servants and maids, but now it is just you. It must be very exhausting.”

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