Transmigrated as a vicious stepmother, I raised a child who became a heartthrob.

"I don't know. I just suddenly appeared here, and then she disappeared."

Jiang Zhuhua sat down to rest, and a waiter brought him tea.

For some reason, Li Jiao became increasingly convinced that these were two different people. But this was just too strange.

"Once everything is arranged, you'll come with me to see the doctor. You keep saying you're a different person, and I want to make sure you're okay."

Deep down, Li Jiao was starting to believe it, but she wouldn't say it aloud. Who knew that it was just a shock, and that she'd be fine after a while?

"I promise you. Once you've made up your mind, you can come find me again if you don't mind."

But who can accept that their best friend has another soul living inside their body?

Jiang Zhuhua's words were merely a polite remark. Bai Jing picked up her teacup and slowly sipped the tea. The steaming tea dispelled the chill from her body.

Her face was still the same, still bright and flamboyant, but once she became aloof, it seemed even her temperament calmed down, no longer so flamboyant or energetic. Li Jiao observed her little by little.

However, as the observation progressed, the heart contracted more and more.

Pei Hui quickly changed his clothes. He was rather thin and couldn't quite fill out the clothes. But because he was short and had a serious expression, he had a unique kind of endearing clumsiness.

I should make him more delicious food in the future.

Jiang Zhuhua thought to himself as he told him to put it on.

Jiang Zhuhua bought over a dozen sets of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and underwear. He bought them all if they looked pleasing and suitable.

Since they offer door-to-door delivery, Jiang Zhuhua didn't have to worry about it too much.

"Would you like to eat out for lunch, or at home?"

Jiang Zhuhua's ankles were tired from walking for a while. He sat down on a bench outside the hot pot restaurant. Pei Hui awkwardly moved over and sat down as well.

Li Jiao sat on the other side.

"It's all right."

Pei Hui dared not find fault and hurriedly replied.

"Then let's eat outside, and go back after we finish. Go back and take a nap."

Taking a nap is a very important thing. Jiang Zhuhua felt that he could skip shopping, but he absolutely had to take a nap.

"I'm leaving now, you two can shop around."

Li Jiao had been fiddling with her phone, and now, after seeing some message, she stood up abruptly. Without a word, she took her leave.

His expression looked rather unpleasant, and he left without even waiting for a reply.

When we took the kids out for hot pot, we ordered a half-and-half pot. The two weren't very familiar with each other yet; Pei Hui was a little awkward, while Jiang Zhuhua seemed to be enjoying the meal.

Once the tripe is in the hot pot, it'll be ready to eat in no time.

Pei Hui secretly glanced at her again and again, and realized that her mother was not like the stepmother that outsiders described.

The pot was placed in the middle of the table. Pei Hui stood up and tried to reach it, but he couldn't reach it at all, so he had to casually pull his hand back.

"Tell me. What do you want to eat?"

Jiang Zhuhua moved the child closer to her, so he wouldn't sit opposite her anymore. From her angle, she could see that Pei Hui was short; when he reached for the spoon, he almost touched the edge of the pot.

If you get burned, you'll definitely get a scar.

"That dish, Mom."

Pei Hui tentatively pointed to the white dish closest to him. He didn't know what it was; the dish consisted of individual stalks.

"Do you want to call me Mom or something else?"

The way she deliberately added the word "Mom" after saying that sentence felt so stiff and strange. Jiang Zhuhua didn't like hearing it. So she simply brought it up directly, and while she was at it, she divided the plate of enoki mushrooms in half and cooked them in the spicy broth and clear broth.

"Do not be angry."

Perhaps feeling like he was living under someone else's roof, Pei Hui smiled ingratiatingly, carefully tugging at her clothes and gently swaying them.

"I won't force you to call me 'Mom,' there's no need to be so formal. I hope you can be more honest with me, understand?"

Jiang Zhuhua doesn't want to raise his child to be a future villain, and similarly, he doesn't want to end up being targeted by both the male and female leads.

Therefore, teaching children should begin from a young age, through every meal, every word, and every action.

“I don’t mind calling you Mom. I just haven’t called you that.”

Pei Hui spoke in a muffled voice, his anxiety as palpable as a hedgehog.

"Then you'll have to get used to it."

Jiang Zhuhua added the handmade shrimp paste as well, still in half and half. She wouldn't deprive herself of food just because she had a child.

"Mom, I want to eat meat."

Does she really not mind? Can she really be honest and say what she wants? Pei Hui tentatively made his request.

A secret expectation lingered in my heart.

"We have beef, lamb, and meat rolls. Which would you like?"

The enoki mushrooms are ready. Jiang Zhuhua used serving chopsticks to scoop some out for him.

"Eat slowly, the rice is piping hot right out of the pot."

This child clearly lacked common sense. After receiving the small bowl, he almost without hesitation prepared to stuff the enoki mushrooms into his mouth. Keep in mind, those mushrooms had just been scooped out of the pot.

Jiang Zhuhua reminded him while pressing down on his bowl.

"Wait a moment, eat it when it's not so hot. Tell me first, what kind of meat would you like to eat?"

The dishes on the table were varied, but all were small portions. Jiang Zhuhua wanted to see what he knew, so he deliberately let him point them out.

However, it's clear that this person, having been raised in a privileged environment, lacks common sense. When pointing at dishes, they can only say "this" and "that." They need to add more adjectives.

White vegetables. Green vegetables. Redder meat.

Everyone has their own way of educating, and Jiang Zhuhua didn't want him to become someone who couldn't distinguish between basic agricultural knowledge. Since he was in a good mood, he started cooking while emphasizing the name of each dish.

After all, he's a villain in the future book, so he has a great memory. He can almost always tell you what he wants to eat after you've said it once.

The two ate together fairly harmoniously. Just one hot pot meal brought them much closer.

Pei Hui's sharp thorns seemed to soften.

"Let's go home."

After Jiang Zhuhua paid the bill, he signed his hand and slowly walked out.

It's easy to feel sleepy after eating, so the taxi stopped in an upscale residential area.

Jiang Zhuhua told the security guard that he was a new resident and showed him some identification before being allowed to enter. Jiang Zhuhua was very satisfied with the security here.

The room was clean and spotless. The clothes had been neatly organized and the duvet covers had been washed and dried. Everything was in perfect order.

This is a large, single-level apartment. Jiang Zhuhua opened the door to another bedroom next to the master bedroom. That bedroom was only slightly smaller than the master bedroom, and it had a balcony and an ensuite bathroom.

It was indeed the house Pei Hui had lived in before, five or six times larger. The sun was shining brightly, and the white curtains were whistling in the strong wind.

The soft mattress was neatly arranged.

"Go take a shower first, then throw away these clothes."

My newly bought clothes were taken to the dry cleaners and have been washed and dried. They messaged me saying they'd arrive soon.

Jiang Zhuhua looked at his tattered clothes and felt a bit disgusted. Why did he look like a little beggar?

"Can I not throw it away?"