‘Did I hear that wrong?’
Deng Xiaoxiao asked hesitantly, “Little girl, what did you just call me?”
Seeing her mother startled by the way she addressed her, Chen Xiaoyan felt a wave of hesitation.
Was it too early to confess to her?
As the only son of the family, he had always been their hope. Now that he had a new body, would the two elders still accept him?
‘Will they see me as a monster and avoid me at all costs?’
Ever since her body changed, she had been pondering this question.
Seeing Deng Xiaoxiao’s uneasy reaction, Chen Xiaoyan feared those thoughts might become a reality. Her hands tightly gripped the hem of her pajamas, and she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
“I… I…”
In her state of extreme anxiety, her body temperature rose rapidly, causing a faint blush to creep across her face.
Deng Xiaoxiao assumed her behavior was due to shyness. Combined with the fact that the girl knew her son, a fantastical idea suddenly popped into her head.
‘Could this girl be that brat’s girlfriend?’
If she really was the little brat’s girlfriend, then everything made sense.
It would explain why she lived here and why she called her “Mom.”
‘Oh my, this little girl is so timid. She’s blushing just from saying “Mom.”‘
‘This won’t do. If she marries that brat in the future, won’t she be bullied to death?’
‘I need to have a long talk with her and give her some pointers.’
“Little girl, come here, come here.” Deng Xiaoxiao pulled Chen Xiaoyan to sit beside her, a brilliant smile on her face.
Chen Xiaoyan did not refuse and sat down obediently. However, hearing the way she was addressed, she said helplessly, “Mom, don’t call me ‘little girl.’ I am Xiaoyan.”
“I know. That brat really is something else, not even telling the family he has a girlfriend.”
Chen Xiaoyan was stunned.
She knew?
How could her mother possibly know?
But when she heard the last sentence, it felt like a bolt from the blue. She was utterly dazed.
“What is your name, dear? What year were you born?” Deng Xiaoxiao held Chen Xiaoyan’s hands, smiling as she patted the back of her hand.
‘She already called me “Mom” the moment we met. It seems that boy has completely won this girl over.’
‘Good job. As expected of Deng Xiaoxiao’s son.’
Deng Xiaoxiao was already imagining the shocked expressions of her relatives and neighbors back home when she returned with such a beautiful daughter-in-law.
Chen Xiaoyan fell silent.
Perhaps this outcome wasn’t the worst.
However, how should she explain the whereabouts of her original self?
‘Even if I can hide it for now, the truth will come out eventually. Paper cannot wrap fire.’
“Dear, why have you gone quiet? Was I too abrupt and impatient?”
Seeing Chen Xiaoyan remain silent, Deng Xiaoxiao grew anxious. She was deeply afraid that her words had given this future daughter-in-law a bad impression of her future mother-in-law.
Chen Xiaoyan’s face darkened.
With her heart in a state of confusion, she didn’t know how to respond to her own mother’s antics.
‘Forget it, I’ll just go along with it for now.’
‘I’ll stabilize things for a while, build a good relationship with Mom, and then come clean once there’s a stronger bond.’
If she couldn’t be a son, being a daughter wouldn’t seem so abrupt later on.
As for her original self, she would have to make up an excuse about a business trip.
As for the duration — two months, of course.
“No, I was just so nervous seeing you that I didn’t dare speak,” Chen Xiaoyan said with a forced smile.
“It’s okay, dear. Just relax. I won’t bite.”
“Okay.” Chen Xiaoyan nodded woodenly.
“That’s more like it.” Deng Xiaoxiao beamed and patted her hands again to comfort her. “By the way, dear, I still don’t know your name.”
Chen Xiaoyan’s expression changed instantly, her face gradually stiffening. She gritted her teeth, hesitated for a moment, and slowly replied, “Chen Xiaoyan. The ‘Xiao’ as in ‘spring dream unaware of dawn,’ and the ‘Yan’ as in ‘fireworks.'”
“Chen Xiaoyan?” Deng Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in shock.
This girl’s name was only one character different from her son’s. Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?
“Yes, Mom.”
“Tsk, what a coincidence. Dear, your name is only one character away from that brat’s, and they even sound nearly identical.” Deng Xiaoxiao slapped her thigh in amazement.
“Yes…” Chen Xiaoyan gave a strained smile and nodded.
‘They are both me. How could it not be a coincidence?’
“Xiaoyan, dear, believe me. You and that brat are a match made in heaven. You won’t be separated in this lifetime.”
“Yes, I think so too,” Chen Xiaoyan echoed.
They certainly couldn’t be separated; they were the same person unless she literally split in half.
“That’s right. Dear, how long have you known that boy? When did you meet?” Deng Xiaoxiao asked curiously.
“Uh…” Chen Xiaoyan scratched her cheek awkwardly, speechless.
“Alright, I’m being impatient again, aren’t I? It’s fine. I’ll ask later. As long as you two are happy, that’s all that matters.”
This sentence made Chen Xiaoyan’s expression even more unnatural.
She didn’t know why, but discussing herself with her mother felt incredibly wrong. It left a strange taste in her mouth.
“Yes.”
Deng Xiaoxiao seemed to notice that Chen Xiaoyan wasn’t much of a talker, so she stopped prying.
She glanced around the living room. “Dear, where is that boy?”
“He went on a business trip.”
“Oh? That little brat found a job so quickly?”
“Yes, the salary is very high.”
Hearing this, Deng Xiaoxiao became nervous again. “Is it a legitimate company? Tell him to be careful and not get scammed.”
“Of course it is. The Boss behind the company is the Richest Man of Zhongzhou. He won’t be cheated.”
“That’s good then.” Deng Xiaoxiao set aside her worries and her face regained its previous smile, looking quite proud. “That little brat has actually made something of himself.”
Chen Xiaoyan raised her hand, pinching two fingers together, and smiled calmly. “A little bit, but not much.”
“That little brat… I thought he would be a bachelor for the rest of his life. I didn’t expect his luck to turn and for him to meet you. It’s truly like a beautiful flower planted in cow dung. You’ve suffered, dear.”
Seeing her mother’s sympathetic and loving gaze, Chen Xiaoyan’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch.
‘Wait, Mom, is your son really that bad?’
‘Even though I wasn’t some peerless handsome guy before, I was at least a decent-looking young man.’
‘How did I become a pile of cow dung in your eyes?’
“Mom, I think your son is actually quite excellent.”
“Excellent?” Deng Xiaoxiao acted as if she had just heard the most ridiculous, absurd thing in the world. She let out a very disdainful huff.
“Dear, you’re just blinded by love. There isn’t a single thing about that boy that could be called excellent.”
“It’s just that you haven’t seen it,” Chen Xiaoyan muttered indignantly under her breath.
Though her voice was small, Deng Xiaoxiao heard her.
She looked at Chen Xiaoyan with a mix of helplessness and disbelief, sighing. “Sigh, dear, you haven’t even married into the family yet, and you’re already defending him? Let me tell you, being like this definitely won’t work. Who knows how much he’ll bully you in the future. Listen to me: you have to be strict with him. If he doesn’t listen, just give him a slap, and he’ll naturally behave.”
“If that brat dares to hit back, tell me. I’ll settle him myself.”
As Chen Xiaoyan watched her mother’s hand waving in the air, childhood memories flooded back. She reflexively shrank her neck.
Experience told her that after one of those slaps, even a plowing ox would be forced to its knees.