Who are you calling?

Ji Zhuo suddenly stopped moving and gripped Lin Xihe's arm tightly, as if he wanted to crush her bones.

"Who are you going home with?"

His voice was deep and cold, and his imposing aura was even stronger.

Lin Xihe eagerly awaited the system's appearance, but only endless silence answered her.

In despair, she resigned herself to her fate and closed her eyes.

She let Ji Zhuo roar in her ear, like an angry beast venting his inner emotions, and let him take what he wanted, powerless to struggle.

Whether it was because Ji Zhuo was too angry or had been suppressing his anger for too long, when Lin Xihe was so exhausted that she had no strength left and was limp as mud, he still did not stop.

After everything was finally over, Ji Zhuo held her tightly in his arms, his arms like iron hoops, refusing to let go for even a moment.

"Call water."

Lin Xihe's voice was so weak it was like the buzzing of a mosquito; she was so tired that even saying a single word felt like an effort.

"No." Ji Zhuo's answer was brief and firm.

"uncomfortable."

Lin Xihe pleaded, her voice filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

"Bear with it."

Ji Zhuo's heavy breathing sprayed onto Lin Xihe's head, his voice filled with satisfaction.

After all that commotion, Lin Xihe was so exhausted that she didn't even have the strength to argue, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, Lin Xihe slowly woke up, but when she was still sleepy, there was no one beside her. Ji Zhuo was nowhere to be seen.

Inside the room, the windows were tightly closed, yet bright light still managed to squeeze in through the cracks, indicating that it was a bright and sunny day.

A set of clothes was neatly folded at the head of the bed.

Lin Xihe quickly got up, dressed herself, and her eyes sparkled with the thought of seeing her daughter today.

As soon as she got out of bed, a wave of soreness washed over her, and her legs went weak, almost causing her to fall.

With each step she took, the soreness in her legs reminded her of the madness of the previous night.

But when she thought of her daughter, she gritted her teeth, endured the discomfort, and walked outside.

As soon as she opened the door, Lin Xihe froze on the spot.

Ji Zhuo's mother, Chu Yunni, was holding Tang Bao as she came out of the house where she had tried to approach yesterday but was prevented from doing so.

Their eyes met, and the air seemed to freeze instantly.

Lin Xihe was so embarrassed that she forgot to blink, thinking to herself: It's probably too late to go back inside now.

She forced herself to walk forward, her face full of embarrassment.

Chu Yunni was also stunned. She looked at Tang Bao, who was as beautiful as a porcelain doll, in her arms, and then at Lin Xihe, who was walking slowly towards her. She was full of doubts: Didn't her son tell her not to come?

Lin Xihe's gaze was fixed on her daughter. In the eight months since they last met, the little one had grown even more, becoming rounder and cuter. Her eyes were filled with longing, as if she wanted to make up for the long time they had been apart.

Tang Bao nestled in Chu Yunni's arms, one little hand tightly gripping the hairpin hanging from Chu Yunni's head. Her little face was full of curiosity and excitement. Every time she grabbed one, she would throw it to the ground without hesitation, making a "giggle" sound.

Chu Yunni looked at her with doting eyes, her movements as she held Tangbao were skilled and gentle, without showing the slightest displeasure because of Tangbao's naughtiness.

Lin Xihe stood quietly to the side, taking in the whole scene.

Seeing her daughter being cared for so meticulously, she felt as if something had struck her heart, causing ripples of emotion—a mix of gratitude, relief, and, most importantly, guilt for missing her daughter's growth over the past few months.

She took a deep breath to calm herself, then stepped forward, bowed slightly, and respectfully greeted Chu Yunni: "Greetings, Madam Ji. Thank you for taking care of Tangbao during this time. Xihe will remember it."

As Lin Xihe approached, Chu Yunni immediately noticed the ambiguous mark on her neck and understood immediately that the two had reconciled.

A few days ago, her son became irritable and was shrouded in gloom. He even instructed the doorman to resolutely prevent Lin Xihe from stepping into the house.

Unexpectedly, Lin Xihe made up with him after only one day of returning.

If she had known her son would be so useless, she wouldn't have had the gatekeeper stop people yesterday.

"Miss Lin, there's no need to be so formal."

Chu Yunni spoke in a very gentle tone, as if the two had never argued or been at odds.

She thought to herself that since her son was so focused on this girl, and now that His Majesty was no longer interfering, she really didn't need to interfere anymore, lest she create distance between herself and her son.

"Tangbao, your mother has come to see you."

Chu Yunni lowered her head and looked at Tang Bao in her arms. Her originally indifferent face was instantly filled with affection. She gently held Tang Bao's little hand and shook it at Lin Xihe, as if teaching Tang Bao to greet her mother.

Lin Xihe's gaze also fell on her daughter, and in an instant, her nose tingled and her eyes filled with tears.

She called softly, "Tang Bao."

When Tangbao heard someone calling her, she excitedly babbled incoherently, making "baby talk" that no one could understand. As she spoke, she reached out to pull Chu Yunni's hair ornament, and then handed the ornament to Lin Xihe with her chubby little hand.

Lin Xihe accepted the gift with trembling hands, her heart filled with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow.

I was happy to finally see my daughter again, but sad because when I left, Tangbao had just learned to roll over, and now she has grown so much, being raised by Ji Zhuo to be chubby and healthy. I missed so many moments of her growth.

Recalling the pain of last night, she felt at one point that she had no will to live and wished she could escape from this world immediately.

But now, looking at her adorable daughter, she realized that even if she had the chance to return to her original world, she would willingly stay here for her daughter's sake, no matter how many hardships and obstacles she had to face.

"Come here, let your mother hug you," Chu Yunni said with a smile.

Lin Xihe quickly stretched out her hands, and as soon as Tangbao saw someone was going to hug her, she happily jumped into Lin Xihe's arms, her little body twisting and turning in her arms as if she were being affectionate.

Lin Xihe hugged Tangbao, feeling the warmth from her daughter's small body. At that moment, she felt that her empty heart was finally filled, and all the pain and grievances in the world seemed to become insignificant.

"Tangbao is very well-behaved, but she can't stay still all day and doesn't like to stay in her room."

Chu Yunni introduced to Lin Xihe, "When Ling Shuang and Ling Xue were around, they would carry her around all day. Now, this little one can't stay still for a moment."

Chu Yunni initially maintained a haughty demeanor, but after Ling Shuang and Ling Xue were driven away, Chu Yunni softened and started coming over early every morning to stay with Tang Bao until she was put to sleep before leaving.