While cursing the system in her heart, Shen Xiaoyu took a deep breath, forcing herself to stabilize her emotions. Only then did she look at Su Huan with a distant, polite smile.
"I'm sorry, I just woke up and my mind is a bit unclear. You say you're my wife—do you have any evidence? Like a marriage certificate?"
Su Huan looked at her, her face turning increasingly pale. Her eyes reddened again, tears filling her eyes, and a sad atmosphere enveloped them. Shen Xiaoyu felt her own heart becoming oppressively uncomfortable.
Before the tears fell, Su Huan wiped away the traces of tears on her cheeks. Her pale face forced out a smile. "Yes. But before we leave, we need to check your body first."
"Check my body?" Shen Xiaoyu became vigilant. "Who exactly are you? What's your relationship with those people?"
"This is a research institute funded by me. They're all my employees. So don't worry, no one would dare do anything to you." Su Huan spoke softly, soothing her emotions.
Shen Xiaoyu didn't quite believe her, but she had no choice under the circumstances.
Moreover, she had already confirmed that without someone leading the way, she couldn't leave this place.
Shen Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and agreed, refusing the hand Su Huan extended, standing one step away from her. "Let's go like this."
She still didn't trust her.
Su Huan's eyes darkened. She withdrew her hand, clenching it into a fist behind her back, but her face showed a smile. She stepped back to walk alongside her.
During this time, Su Huan didn't say a word, only occasionally glancing at her, her eyes carrying emotions Shen Xiaoyu couldn't interpret. But one thing was certain—she was guarding against her escape.
With this realization, the excitement she had initially felt about having a beautiful wife instantly disappeared, becoming as calm as still water.
The two walked back some distance. Shen Xiaoyu kept observing her surroundings. Turning east and west, she found the scenery becoming increasingly familiar. As the large door appeared before her, her heart tightened. She turned to run but was caught by Su Huan's grip on her arm.
"Xiaoyu! You've just woken up, and your body functions haven't fully recovered. Let them do a comprehensive examination." Su Huan said, uncompromisingly pulling Shen Xiaoyu inside.
Hearing her name, Shen Xiaoyu paused in her struggle, looking at her in astonishment, allowing herself to be pulled back to the laboratory.
Even after sitting on the bed, Shen Xiaoyu's mind was still a bit dazed.
After lying there for who knows how long, her wariness completely vanished under Su Huan's orderly actions.
Looking at the person with arms crossed, seemingly calm but actually so nervous that her fingers were turning white from gripping, Shen Xiaoyu began to believe they were indeed a couple. Otherwise, why would Su Huan spend money to build such a research institute for her?
Yes, built for her.
To ease her emotions, Su Huan had told her everything.
Six years ago, Shen Xiaoyu fell ill and had been in a vegetative state ever since. To wake her up, Su Huan spent money to build this research institute, placing her here to monitor her vital signs with instruments.
Theoretically, this was her room. Everything in the room was to ensure she remained alive. The people present only came here at set times each month; the rest of the time, they kept watch around the area to prevent any accidents happening to her body.
Shen Xiaoyu didn't know how to feel hearing this. She somewhat envied the original owner.
If all that money had been given to her directly, she could have achieved financial freedom for life!
However, she still had doubts about the fact of her marriage to Su Huan. No matter how bad the system was, it wouldn't do something inhuman. If this body was truly married, the system shouldn't make her pursue others—it wasn't a homewrecker system.
Shen Xiaoyu couldn't figure out what was going on, but the current situation didn't allow her to think too much.
After waiting for who knows how long, she was handled like a doll, with things on her body being changed repeatedly. Finally, when she was about to fall asleep, those people said the examination was complete.
"Miss Shen's body shows no problems." The speaker's expression was very solemn, almost making Shen Xiaoyu mistakenly believe she had a terminal illness.
Su Huan seemed to have expected this result. She took the report and led Shen Xiaoyu to another room. "Let's go change clothes first, then we'll go home."
Shen Xiaoyu responded with an "oh" and pushed the door open.
Su Huan stood guard at the door, lowering her head to look at the report. Despite the dense text and images, she didn't absorb a single word, her thoughts involuntarily drifting away.
Six years ago, she had barely managed to bring Shen Xiaoyu back from the church. She spent all her money to establish a laboratory as quickly as possible, monitoring Shen Xiaoyu's physical condition in real-time.
It was certain that Shen Xiaoyu had died, but not completely. Her bodily functions were operating steadily and slowly. In professional terms, Shen Xiaoyu at that time was a vegetative person.
She had people constantly watching and researching the system in her body, hoping that one day she could find a way through scientific means to locate the system in her body and bring Shen Xiaoyu back to this world.
Unfortunately, their research made no progress, and they thought they would never see Shen Xiaoyu again.
Yet the system dared to return again, even presuming to use its unknown abilities to control Shen Xiaoyu. But this also benefited her—since it dared to deliver itself, it wouldn't escape so easily this time!
This time, she wouldn't let Shen Xiaoyu be manipulated by the system again!
A fierce, murderous intent flashed in Su Huan's eyes, unconsciously crumpling the report in her hand.
In the dressing room, Shen Xiaoyu was dazzled by the clothes selection. How much must all these high-end clothes cost! In her modern world as an internet celebrity, she had to be frugal when renting a gown. The book world was indeed different.
Shen Xiaoyu randomly took a relatively low-key casual outfit and sat down to change slowly, calling out to the system in her mind.
She wondered if the system had a bug. From the moment she left this room, the system had made no sound for several hours. Had it broken down?
Not that!
Shen Xiaoyu was deeply worried. She still planned to complete the mission and go home. If the system broke down, how could she complete the mission without even knowing who the target was?
Shen Xiaoyu dawdled inside for quite a while, calling the system countless times to no avail. She could only temporarily give up.
She opened the door to go out. Su Huan was still standing in the same position as when she went in, not having moved a single step.
Seeing her come out, Su Huan's eyes softened. She naturally stepped forward and took her hand, leading her outside.
"It's getting late. Let's go home first."
Shen Xiaoyu responded with an "oh," her gaze involuntarily falling on their joined hands. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, she tried to pull away but was held tighter.
She tried a couple more times without success and had to temporarily give up.
In the car, Shen Xiaoyu sat beside her, awkwardly not knowing where to put her hands and feet. She could only pick up the report next to Su Huan to look at.
The content of this medical report was comprehensive, from her blood type to her brain nerves, from her heart to her feet—it even checked for athlete's foot. Everything was fine, except for some malnutrition, resulting in physical weakness. With more nutrition and rest, she would gradually recover.
Shen Xiaoyu's feelings were complex as she read. Given the current situation, it would be impossible to obtain such a report in a short time without long-term examination.
It seemed Su Huan was telling the truth. She had been continuously monitoring her body information, just to determine if she was still alive.
Shen Xiaoyu's heart sank bit by bit. If that was the case, when Su Huan discovered she wasn't the original owner, she might be in an even worse situation than now.
She was immersed in her thoughts and didn't notice the scenery rapidly passing by outside.
By the time Shen Xiaoyu returned from her imagination, she found the car had already stopped. It was a detached villa, backed by mountains, looking very expensive.
"Let's go," Su Huan was about to hold her hand again, but Shen Xiaoyu dodged.
"I-I'll walk by myself." Shen Xiaoyu tried to appear calm.
Su Huan stared at her for two seconds, realizing her eager closeness was making her uncomfortable, and didn't insist.
After all, she had no memory now. If she was frightened, it would be even harder to get close in the future. Better to boil the frog slowly.
Su Huan was plotting how to "boil" Shen Xiaoyu, but her face remained natural as she led her inside.
"This is our home. From today on, you'll live here. If you need anything, just tell me directly. Your room is on the second floor, we live together." Su Huan said, "I've prepared all your things. You can check if there's anything else you need, and I'll have more added."
As she spoke, Su Huan suddenly paused her steps as if seeing something, then crouched down, a gentle expression appearing on her cold face.
"Mommy!" A small blue missile shot out from inside, diving into Su Huan's arms, affectionately hugging her neck and nuzzling. "Mommy, I missed you so much!"
Standing behind her, Shen Xiaoyu stared at the small missile in Su Huan's arms. Her brain instantly froze. Looking at the familiar features, she suddenly felt an urge to run away.
She wouldn't be—
"Xiaoyu, this is our daughter, Nian'an."
Su Huan stood up with the little girl in her arms, looking at her intently, repeating, "Shen Nian'an."
Indeed, it was her daughter.
Shen Xiaoyu's face was wooden, showing no emotion.
She knew it was an S+ difficulty level; otherwise, the reward wouldn't be so generous.
Su Huan ignored the bombshell she had dropped and pinched Nian'an's hand. "Nian'an, call Mama."
Shen Nian'an looked at Shen Xiaoyu, her beautiful eyes like black diamonds staring at her.
Shen Xiaoyu felt somewhat nervous under her gaze. She quietly pulled at her own clothes to make them look neater and straightened her back to look back.
Shen Nian'an suddenly reddened her eyes, turned her head to hug Su Huan's neck, and said in a muffled voice, "I don't have a mama, and I don't want a mama."
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyu's straightened spine suddenly relaxed, and some inexplicable emotions arose in her heart, as if she really had been rejected by her daughter.
No way? Had she entered the emotional state so quickly?
Su Huan noticed her change and dug Shen Nian'an out of her arms. "Nian'an. Do you remember what I told you before?"
Shen Nian'an wrinkled her little face, her mouth turned down unwillingly. "You said Mama was sick, and when she got better, she would come back."
"That's right. Now Mama's illness is better. Mommy went out today just to bring Mama back, so now that Nian'an has seen Mama, do you still think Mommy was lying to you?"
Shen Nian'an hugged her neck again, burying her face in her neck, not looking at Shen Xiaoyu.
"Nian'an, haven't you always wanted Mama? Now she's back, why are you hiding?" Su Huan patted her back, coaxing her to come out.
Shen Nian'an nuzzled in her arms but refused to lift her head or speak.
But Shen Xiaoyu, watching her, caught Shen Nian'an secretly peeping at her. When she saw Shen Xiaoyu looking back, she quickly buried her head, avoiding her gaze. She was like a sensitive little kitten, waving her small paws in a false show of ferocity, meowing not to frighten people but to appear adorably pettable.
Shen Xiaoyu's hand clenched, barely restraining herself from petting Shen Nian'an's fluffy little head. If she moved her hand, this little kitten would really scratch her.
"Let it be," she interrupted Su Huan's coaxing. "After all, we haven't met before. She needs time to adapt."
She also needed time to adapt. Becoming a mother without pain, and to such a grown child—she needed to eat something good to calm her nerves.
Hearing her say this, Su Huan didn't insist, but her eyes were full of guilt when she looked at her.
"I'll talk to Nian'an properly," she said solemnly, then carried the child inside.
Shen Xiaoyu deliberately fell two steps behind, examining the villa.
Rich people were indeed rich. The villa was luxuriously decorated, beautiful and exquisite without losing its elegance, and everywhere was in a style that Shen Xiaoyu would like.
The more she looked, the more she liked it. In the end, she genuinely felt that this was her home.
Could it be that what Su Huan said was true? Were they really married?
Throughout dinner, Shen Xiaoyu was distracted, not tasting the food.
A table full of dishes, yet she could only hold a bowl of porridge and sip it in small mouthfuls, not even touching the appetizers.
Sitting opposite her, Su Huan was still instructing, "You've only been awake for a short time. You can't eat too much at once. Wait until your body adjusts, then the kitchen can make whatever you want."
Shen Xiaoyu finished the porridge, smacking her lips, not experiencing any joy from eating.
Also sitting opposite her, Shen Nian'an hadn't eaten much either. Her attention was all on Shen Xiaoyu. Perhaps due to shyness, she could only steal glances at Shen Xiaoyu. When discovered, she would immediately look away, pretending to eat, then secretly peek at her again.
Shen Xiaoyu found it amusing and directly rested her chin on her hand to look at her.
The little girl had thin skin and blushed completely under her gaze.
"Wh-why are you looking at me?" Shen Nian'an stammered, her tone somewhat fierce.
Shen Xiaoyu looked innocent. "If you're not looking at me, how do you know I'm looking at you?"
"You are looking at me!" The little girl was embarrassed and angry. "Keep looking and I'll dig your eyeballs out!"
She was aggressive, completely unaware that Su Huan beside her had already turned cold-faced.
Shen Xiaoyu exclaimed in amazement, "Are you so fierce? Just for looking at you twice, you want to dig out my eyes? If I accidentally touch you, would you want to chop off my hand?"
Shen Nian'an didn't mean that, but she couldn't explain. She just glared at Shen Xiaoyu angrily, her beautiful peach blossom eyes filled with mist. Shen Xiaoyu was worried she might cry.
Her gaze swept back and forth between Su Huan and Shen Nian'an's faces. She had to say, they were indeed mother and daughter, looking extremely similar. The only difference was that Shen Nian'an had a liveliness and vividness not seen in Su Huan.
And Shen Nian'an was also staring at this woman who was supposedly her mother. Countless questions swirled in her heart, but when she tried to speak, the words wouldn't come out.
She knew her mother had been sick for a long time, but she had never seen her in all these years. She had once begged Mommy to take her to see her mother, but no matter what she said, Mommy wouldn't agree. Over time, even she gave up.
Until she saw Shen Xiaoyu, she had believed those were just lies Mommy told to appease her. After all, Aunt Tang had said Mommy was under a lot of pressure and couldn't talk about things that made Mother sad.
Now, seeing Shen Xiaoyu, Shen Nian'an seemed to understand why Mommy didn't want her to know about Mother.
Shen Nian'an wrinkled her little face, sitting in her chair with her arms crossed like a little adult, chin raised high to meet Shen Xiaoyu's eyes. "Hey! I won't acknowledge you as my mama!"
When she needed her mother most, her mother didn't appear. So she didn't need a mother anymore.
"Nian'an!" Su Huan called her name warningly. "Apologize!"
Shen Nian'an seemed not to have expected her to say such a thing. Her eyes instantly reddened, and she stubbornly raised her lip. "I did nothing wrong! I won't apologize! She's not my mama at all. I don't have a mama! And I don't need one!"
"Shen Nian'an!" Su Huan looked at her coldly, her tone severe. "Apologize to your mama!"
Shen Nian'an pressed her lips tightly shut, not making a sound.
Why should she apologize? Clearly, it was this woman who was wrong!
Coming back and causing her to be scolded by Mommy. Just as Aunt Tang said, she wasn't a good person!
Su Huan's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, casting two reproachful glances that sent chills down one's spine.
Shen Nian'an had never seen her black-faced like this. Now she couldn't help but feel afraid, and tears fell uncontrollably. She burst into tears with a "wah" and threw herself into Su Huan's arms.
Shen Xiaoyu looked like the bad auntie who had made a child cry, with an awkward face and a sheepish smile. "I-I didn't mean to."
Who knew this little girl couldn't take teasing and would cry after just a few words.
"It's alright, it's not your fault. I've spoiled her too much." Su Huan pulled Shen Nian'an out of her arms, wiped her tears, her voice stiff. "Nian'an, I don't want to hear that kind of talk again. Don't say it anymore in the future."
Shen Nian'an's little face was wrinkled with grievance. She didn't speak, just buried her head in Su Huan's arms, holding on tight.
Su Huan had no choice. She apologized to Shen Xiaoyu and carried the child to the backyard.
Shen Xiaoyu thought about it and followed them. After all, the incident was caused by her, and it wouldn't be right to stand aside after making the little girl unhappy.
In the backyard, Su Huan sat on a swing with Shen Nian'an in her arms. She gently wiped the tears from Shen Nian'an's face and asked, "Nian'an, who taught you to say those things today? I don't remember teaching you to be so domineering and arrogant."
Shen Nian'an snuggled deeper into her arms, aggrieved and unwilling to speak, her little head tilting to avoid the topic completely.
But Su Huan wouldn't let her off. After digging her out, she made her sit face-to-face with her. "Tell Mommy, and Mommy won't be angry anymore. Otherwise, you can speak to me again when you realize your mistake."
The little girl cried sadly. She wanted to hug Su Huan, but was held by the shoulders unable to move. "Don't cry. First, explain clearly. Who taught you to say those things just now? Why did you say them?"
She bit her lip, her choked voice unclear. "Mommy, I know I was wrong. I won't say those things again. Mommy, want a hug."
The little girl's nose had turned red from crying, looking so pitiful that even Shen Xiaoyu couldn't help wanting to hold her in her arms for comfort. But Su Huan was unmoved, determined to correct Shen Nian'an's bad habit and find out who had instigated her.
Shen Xiaoyu stood behind them, sighing slightly. Educating children wasn't a simple task. If it were her daughter, she would have beaten anyone who said such things.
Learning to be domineering and arrogant at such a young age—what would she be like when she grew up!
As she was thinking, she suddenly heard a crackling electronic sound.
Shen Xiaoyu paused and hurriedly called out in her mind, [System? Is that you? System? Where the hell have you been?]
There was another crackling sound, like poor signal. The system's electronic voice was vague and broken, hard to hear clearly.
Shen Xiaoyu strained to hear the system's words, and finally managed to distinguish four words...
[Ho...host...quick...quickly leave...]
The crackling sounds quickly disappeared, and the blue light panel in her mind instantly vanished as if it had never appeared.
A chill ran up Shen Xiaoyu's spine. She looked at Su Huan, who was also looking at her. Her beautiful peach blossom eyes were deep and dark, like a moonless night where no light could be seen.
An eerie feeling crawled up her heart. Shen Xiaoyu reflexively stepped back, instinctively wanting to flee, but forcibly suppressed her footsteps.
She told herself there was nothing to fear. Su Huan was just an NPC in a modern emotional novel. No matter how powerful, she couldn't break free from the constraints of the novel's rules. She only needed to play her role well and wait for Su Huan to relax her vigilance and leave.
As for what Su Huan had said about being wives and spouses, who would believe that?
Even her only daughter didn't recognize her—how could they possibly have a marital relationship?
Thinking this way, Shen Xiaoyu relaxed, even having the leisure to smile at Su Huan before walking over to sit beside them.
The little girl had stopped crying and was sitting quietly in Su Huan's arms. When she saw Shen Xiaoyu approach, she buried her face in Su Huan's chest, not even bothering to give Shen Xiaoyu a glance.
Shen Xiaoyu wasn't embarrassed. She grabbed the little girl's hand and held it. "Don't be angry anymore. It's all my fault. I apologize to you, I'm sorry, okay?"
Shen Nian'an withdrew her little paw, unhappily turning her little face to the other side, clearly not wanting to see her.
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoyu didn't press the issue. She stretched lazily and yawned sleepily.
"Go rest," Su Huan said, carrying the child and escorting her upstairs.
Shen Xiaoyu had thought she would be given a guest room, but it turned out to be the master bedroom. The walk-in closet in the room was half-filled with new clothes, tags still attached.
Su Huan said those were all prepared for her, and they were all new arrivals from major brands this season. If she didn't like them, Su Huan would have others prepared.
Shen Xiaoyu was dumbfounded and could only respond with a dry laugh.
She was also curious about Su Huan's background and how she could be so rich. She would check later. For a beauty like her, there must be information online.
With these thoughts, Shen Xiaoyu washed up and got into bed. Her body's fatigue made her fall into a deep sleep, not even wondering if Su Huan would also sleep here tonight.
Su Huan entered the room only after everyone was asleep. She quietly sat on the bedside and turned on a button at the headboard. A red light lit up and began to flash. She blocked it with the bedside table, making it invisible.
After doing all this, she took out her phone and sent a message.
Su Huan: The signal blocker is not stable. I've turned on the backup machine. I don't want to see this situation again.
After sending the message, she put away her phone and looked at the sleeping face on the bed, with long eyelashes lowered over eyes that sparkled like black crystals.
"Don't blame me. I just don't want you to leave me again." She murmured softly, her gaze lingering with deep emotion.
She bent down to lightly kiss Shen Xiaoyu's lips. The familiar scent made her somewhat agitated, but not wanting to wake her, she could only control herself to stay away.
Su Huan turned off the room light. After leaving the room, she saw Shen Nian'an standing behind her.
Her little face still had two streaks of not-quite-dried tears, looking somewhat pitiful, but she stared at Su Huan with wide eyes.
Su Huan stared at her for a while before picking her up and taking her back to the children's room next door. "Your mama is sleeping. Don't disturb her. I have to go to the company and won't be back until evening. If you need anything, go find the auntie."
She placed Shen Nian'an on her small bed, wiped the tears from her face with a tissue, and stared into her eyes, saying word by word, "Nian'an, I don't want to say this a second time today. Shen Xiaoyu is your mama, your only mama. I hope I won't hear any more negative comments about her. That would make Mommy unhappy."
Su Huan gathered Shen Nian'an's somewhat messy hair and tied it into a princess ponytail. "Mama has just woken up and her consciousness isn't very clear yet. Try not to let her go online at home, and don't let her watch TV. There are bad people who want to take Mama away from us. Nian'an understands Mommy so well. You definitely won't let Mama leave, right?"
Shen Nian'an looked at her in a daze, taking a while to react before nodding slowly.
Her mood was somewhat uneasy. She felt that what Mommy wanted to say wasn't just this, but she didn't know what else Mommy might say, so she could only obediently follow Mommy's words.
After all, Mommy wouldn't deceive her.
Shen Xiaoyu woke up in the evening. The sound of water running came from the bathroom.
Her foggy mind suddenly cleared, and her body stiffened as she belatedly realized the situation she was about to face.
It seemed she was going to... live with Su Huan.
According to Su Huan, they were married, and absence makes the heart grow fonder—what would happen tonight was obvious.
Shen Xiaoyu thought of the scene and immediately blushed.
No! She couldn't let that happen. She had never even dated before and didn't want to give herself away just to complete a pursuit mission.
Shen Xiaoyu got out of bed and tiptoed toward the door. She didn't notice when the water in the bathroom had stopped, only heard Su Huan's voice behind her.
"Where are you going?"
Shen Xiaoyu's whole body froze. She awkwardly said, "I-I'm a bit thirsty. Going outside for some water."
She was about to open the door when she heard Su Huan's voice again. "No need to go out. There's water here."
The sound of pouring water came from behind. Shen Xiaoyu heard Su Huan's footsteps approaching. A cup appeared in front of her. The hand holding the cup was white, slender, and beautiful enough to captivate.
Shen Xiaoyu followed the hand to look at the person behind her. Su Huan was wearing a nightgown. Black satin wrapped her exquisite figure—a plunging neckline, a slender waist, and below, a pair of straight, long legs.
Shen Xiaoyu unconsciously swallowed. Would it be too late to call her "wife" now? She really envied the original owner! What a feast she had!
Su Huan noticed her changing expression. A trace of amusement flashed in her eyes. She deliberately stepped forward, her leg lightly brushing against her, and asked with confusion, "Weren't you thirsty? Aren't you going to drink the water?"
Shen Xiaoyu came to her senses and hurriedly tried to take the cup from her hand. But as she was about to receive it, Su Huan's hand trembled, and a large cup of water spilled on her clothes.
Shen Xiaoyu let out an "ah." The cold water droplets slid down her collar, causing her to shudder. She hurriedly used her hand to shake it off.
"Sorry, I didn't hold it steady." Su Huan frowned, appearing somewhat guilty. She put down the water cup and grabbed her hand, slowly unbuttoning her clothes, revealing a fair chest.
"Let me help you," she said, lowering her head to kiss her.
The burning kisses landed on her body, one after another, and gradually moved downward. Shen Xiaoyu was pushed back against the door. She watched as the person in front of her had already unbuttoned all the buttons of her top, and the intimate kisses continued to descend.
Shen Xiaoyu trembled uncontrollably, whether from excitement or fear. Her hand gripped the doorknob, with reason and desire intertwined.
A beauty in her arms—who could resist?
Struggle flashed in her eyes, but ultimately reason prevailed. She stopped Su Huan's attempt to continue, clutching her clothes, not daring to look at her.
"I-I'm going to Nian'an's room," she said, turning to open the door and fleeing.
With a bang, the door closed. Su Huan crouched on the ground, staring at the closed door. Suddenly, the corners of her mouth curled upward.
She told herself to take it slow, not to rush.
As long as the system didn't appear again, one day, she would be willing.