I Bacame the Mother of His Child-Chapter 34 - 33: The Exposed Flaw

The disturbance in the neighboring room had gone on for some time, and Xu Xiuxiu's heart had been lodged in her throat for just as long; she had not fallen asleep the entire time. Staring at the white mosquito net above her head, she remained dazed until Song Yuanhuan finally threw Li Tiezi, whose arm had been dislocated, out and said, "Open the door." He walked to the main house's exterior and knocked on the door.

Startled, Xu Xiuxiu quickly got up, turned on the light, and opened the door, only to see Song Yuanhuan standing at the doorway, his face clouded with gloom.

"Is it taken care of?" Xu Xiuxiu asked, her body leaning out of the door to see that there was no longer any trace of others outside.

Song Yuanhuan stared intently at Xu Xiuxiu in front of him, his heart in turmoil because of the words Li Tiezi had just imparted, yet his exterior remained undisturbed. His tall and straight figure carried an air of danger as he moved into the room.

Quickly, Xu Xiuxiu turned around to close the door, and when she turned back, she saw Song Yuanhuan standing under the light, his eyes, like that of a lone wolf, tightly fixed on her, making her heart jump.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her face filled with anxiety. The slight ease she had felt was gone again. Could something have gone awry? Or had the original owner of the body done something that wasn't part of her memories when she arrived?

Song Yuanhuan continued to look at Xu Xiuxiu's delicate face, his mind churning with the nonsense Li Tiezi had spouted. His emotions were as mixed as if a bottle of varying flavors had been knocked over. He knew; he knew she was becoming more beautiful, knew she was growing smarter, knew she had been thriving in the military unit, winning the hearts of his subordinates over simple meals, as they endlessly referred to her with loyalty and affection. She was organizing everything at Sichuan Pavilion with meticulous care, even persuading Sister Cai Qiufen to help at the shop as a cashier. He watched her change, step by step, yet he had never truly looked at her seriously.

In the dim yellow light, she still radiated a glow that could be discerned—the softness of her skin, the delicate curve of her body, standing tall and graceful. Her large eyes, wider due to worry, shone bright, and her small mouth turned up as if she were always smiling.

This unexpected version of her took him by surprise; with such a distinct and striking presence, it was no wonder Li Tiezi, after just one look, was damn near ready to risk it all.

"Song Yuanhuan?" Xu Xiuxiu called out his name, panic-stricken. The silence from his scrutinous gaze made her feel insecure; after all, she was not the original owner of this body and knew little about many aspects of the 1980s. Had she somehow given herself away?

Song Yuanhuan, noting Xu Xiuxiu's unease, shifted his gaze away, "It's nothing. The issue has been resolved, and it's late. You should go to sleep." Saying this, he turned to take a small blanket from the wardrobe, deciding to make do for the night in the adjoining room. It had been long since they had shared a bed, and even when they had, it was only to sleep, in the purest sense of the word. Yet, that night, he clearly understood he wasn't capable of such innocence, and so he chose to withdraw.

Xu Xiuxiu was stunned.

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Was that it? Was he just going to leave her hanging without explaining the situation? Did he expect her to continue living in suspense?

"Song Yuanhuan, don't you think you should explain things clearly to me?" She had been the victim in this entire affair from the beginning. Was she expected to continue living in fear?

Song Yuanhuan froze, holding the blanket.

"Sleep," Song Yuanhuan said as he approached Xu Xiuxiu with a blanket in hand, circling his arms around her slender figure. His large palm gently stroked her back, seemingly to soothe her emotions and her questioning alike.

"Song Yuanhuan, why are you like this?" Xu Xiuxiu complained, her chin knocking against his chest as she sulkily criticized his domineering behavior.

However, Song Yuanhuan merely curled his lips into a slight smile upon hearing this. He didn't take her grievance to heart and turned around to take the blanket to the main room.

Xu Xiuxiu stood there for a long while, almost biting her red lips to the point of bleeding, before reluctantly turning off the light and going to bed.

But over in the main room, Song Yuanhuan lay wide awake, his gaze sweeping towards the window. Only after he saw the light in the neighboring master bedroom go out did he finally shift his gaze back.

To be honest, he hadn't married Xu Xiuxiu because of love. It was just the right time to get married, just when he was getting older, and just then Xu Xiuxiu came along as a rather suitable candidate.

At the beginning of their marriage, he actually held some expectation for married life. After all, she was the woman who was supposed to support him for life. However, Xu Xiuxiu's behavior after their marriage made him realize that they could only ever be a couple that respected each other. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was quite good.

Later, as her health grew more fragile, her temper became more and more volatile. She treated Song Chengguang terribly, believing that giving birth to him was the reason her body had become so weak. So whenever she was upset, she couldn't help but starve Song Chengguang, even if he cried, wet himself, or felt uncomfortable, she didn't really care.

She was not a qualified mother, at least to Song Chengguang. To put it mildly, to call her unreliable was being polite. Her actions could even be described as cruel; she was a remarkably ruthless and selfish mother.

But on that rainy night when the military granted leave, he had rushed home worried about Song Chengguang, only to find her seemingly transformed. Intelligent, wise, virtuous, mature, generous, sensible, cute, and mischievous... She had changed so much that he couldn't help but want to ascribe all of the beautiful words to her. Yet one thing was clear, she had changed from before.

As a man, he didn't have feelings for Xu Xiuxiu, but he definitely wasn't so indifferent as to be unaware of such a drastic change in her. Her transformation wasn't merely superficial in appearance but also in her character, her speech, and her demeanor. She didn't seem like a woman who had only graduated from junior high school in the countryside. She seemed to be constantly trying to hide her flaws, thinking she was doing it well, unaware that she had already completely exposed herself.

He was a soldier, a special forces soldier of a rather unique kind. What he knew and understood, the things he had encountered, were far more than she could ever imagine.

He had already vaguely guessed some direction, but he didn't dare to seriously consider it.

He had always pretended to be oblivious, trying to interact with her as they had before. Silent, uncommunicative, cold in manner, indifferent. Although sometimes he couldn't help but probe and speculate about her, he had no intention of confronting her. This superficial tranquility was what he wanted to protect. He hoped the moment they confronted the truth would come as late as possible.

Because he found himself increasingly fond of the current her. Whether it was her holding Song Chengguang, deliberately teasing Song Chengguang, earnestly managing the Sichuan Pavilion, or proactively offering money to help his elder brother through a tough time without him asking, all these different sides of her were something he treasured dearly. He was afraid to confront the truth, just as he was afraid of losing it.

Song Yuanhuan never thought he'd become so vulnerable one day, yet he was vulnerably—and blissfully—happy.