Chapter 25

Greenfield Resort had been built halfway up the mountain, and everything from the foot of the mountain to its summit belonged to the resort grounds.

May was when the trees were at their lushest. Mist linked the distant mountains into a single line, while blue skies reflected off green waters. Insects chirped, birds sang, and flowers bloomed in abundance. The scenery was as vivid as a painting, more beautiful than she could have imagined.

The resort accommodations were all standalone villas. An Xiang had booked in advance online. After handing her luggage to a staff member, she admired the scenery along the way as she headed back to the hotel, listening to the staff member introduce the attractions around the estate.

"To the left of the villa district is the swimming pool, which guests may use freely. An open-air party is held in the hall every evening, and guests are welcome to join directly. Behind that are the orchard, stables, and golf course. At the far right of the villa district are the children's area and amusement park. If you would like to go up the mountain for sightseeing, please call us in advance, and we will prepare the cable car..."

Greenfield Resort included every recreational activity An Xiang could think of.

Perhaps because it was a weekday, or perhaps because the resort was so vast, they saw no one along the way. The surroundings were exceptionally elegant and peaceful.

Being in a place like this made An Xiang feel relaxed from head to toe, filled with a deep and genuine sense of happiness.

"Lunch may be served in your room, or you may visit the buffet. Massages and spa treatments are completely free, though in-room service costs extra." As he spoke, they arrived at the villa. The staff member swiped the card to open the door, then stepped aside respectfully. "If you need anything else, please call the front desk. We hope you enjoy your stay."

With that, he turned and left.

An Xiang closed the door. Once inside, she casually tossed her bag onto the nearby table, kicked off her sandals, and eagerly ran inside to inspect the place where they would be staying for the next three days.

The villa had two floors and four rooms in total. The upper-floor balcony even came with a small open-air pool, and from there, they could overlook the entire back mountain.

She leaned over the railing with both hands, enjoying the cool breeze and gazing at the picture-perfect scenery. She was so happy she wanted to cry.

An Xiang had never been anywhere this nice in her life. Whenever her family took her older brother and sisters on vacation, they would leave her alone in the tower or simply lock her in the basement.

After returning, they would deliberately show off to An Xiang, displaying the photos and videos they had taken during the trip.

Every time, An Xiang would say she did not care, that it meant nothing to her. But in truth, she envied them terribly.

She had imagined traveling with her family countless times, but all she ever received was disappointment. Finally, today, it had all come true!

She had Momo now. She no longer needed to envy anyone else. From now on, she could take Momo with her wherever she wanted to go.

So having money really was nice...

An Xiang picked up the resort brochure beside her and slowly flipped through it.

The brochure was five or six pages long and included a small map.

An Xiang clicked her tongue in amazement as she read it, then said to An Zimo, "There's even a wildlife park. Momo, do you want to go?!" Five hundred per person was not too expensive.

"No." An Zimo was uninterested. He took off his hat and lay flat on the soft double bed.

Mm, comfortable.

He had just lazily yawned after closing his eyes when he felt a pair of eyes fixed on him.

An Zimo frowned and narrowed his eyes at An Xiang's pitiful expression.

"Come on~ You're so young. Why don't you like playing?"

"What about the amusement park, then? You definitely want to go there."

"..." He did not want to go. He absolutely did not want to go.

"Or we could go swimming? Okay, it's decided!"

An Xiang smacked her forehead and made the decision for him.

She rummaged through the suitcase for a child's swimsuit, then immediately began tugging at An Zimo's clothes.

He was utterly stunned. Gripping his pants for dear life, he snapped in embarrassment, "What are you doing?! Stop taking off my clothes!"

"Then change by yourself." An Xiang handed him the swimsuit.

"I already said I don't want to go!" An Zimo fumed. Just as he was about to put his T-shirt back on, his legs suddenly felt cold. An Xiang had actually yanked his pants down to his ankles.

"..."

"...!!"

"What are you doing?!" An Zimo was truly panicking now. Protecting his last pair of little underpants with all his might, he shouted with a red face, "Fine, I get it! I'll go! Stop bothering me!"

This was awful, this was awful.

His dignity as a man had been completely wiped out.

An Zimo held in a bellyful of resentment, snatched the clothes from An Xiang's hands, and stomped off to the changing room on his short little legs, muttering curses as he went.

An Xiang nodded in satisfaction, then searched for her own swimsuit.

She was quite conservative, so she had chosen the most conservative style of swimsuit as well.

It was a pale yellow floral sundress with spaghetti straps, full of an orange soda feel. It was cute and flattering at the same time.

After changing, she braided her long hair into two loose plaits. Once she was ready, she knocked on the changing room door. "Momo, are you ready?"

The sliding door opened from within, and An Zimo stared at her with dark eyes.

Only then did he realize something was wrong.

Their clothes... had the same pattern!!

Looking at her son in matching yellow floral prints, An Xiang scratched her cheek and let out several silly laughs. "They're matching parent-and-child outfits. Cute, right?"

"...?" Cute his ass!

"Let's go." An Xiang forcibly took An Zimo's soft, tiny hand. "After swimming, we can play in the sand too. The beach pavilion is right beside the pool. You'll definitely like it."

Childish.

Only three-year-olds liked playing in the sand.

Perhaps because they were in the mountains, the outdoor weather was not as hot as expected.

It took An Xiang and her son over ten minutes to reach the swimming area. The pool had been built at the highest point, surrounded by stone walls. Water slid down the cliff walls, forming several small waterfalls. It had been designed with a great deal of natural charm.

Perhaps because it was noon, the enormous swimming area contained only the two of them.

An Xiang suddenly remembered that her son probably did not know how to swim!!

That made today the perfect chance to strengthen the bond between mother and son!

There was a self-service convenience store beside the swimming area. She went in and bought a children's swim ring, picking out a little duck for An Zimo as well.

"Here, Momo can wear the swim ring and play in the shallow area." An Xiang handed him the ring, then held the little duck out to him. "Mommy bought you a little friend."

The rubber yellow duck would squeak when pressed, and its little flat beak was very cute.

An Zimo had long outgrown playing with little ducks. Curling his lips, he pinched the duck's body hard with his fingers. The fragile duck instantly let out a series of squeaks.

"What do you think? Do you like it?"

Expressionless, he gave a faint snort through his nose. Then he tossed it out. The little duck traced a pale yellow arc through the air before landing in the pool with a plop and floating away with the current.

An Xiang froze, then said, "Even if you don't like it, you can't just throw it away. That's very rude." Seeing the little duck drift farther and farther away, she did not stop to think and dove headfirst into the pool.

The water was icy, instantly draining away all the heat in her body.

She swam slowly, catching the little duck that had floated away in her palm again.

Just as An Xiang turned to swim back, her calf suddenly cramped. The sharp pain instantly robbed her limbs of coordination, and gravity dragged her body downward into the water.

Oh no, it must have been because she had not warmed up.

The hand clutching the yellow duck kept slapping at the water's surface. Water splashed everywhere, and the icy water that flooded into her mouth choked back several cries for help.

An Xiang immediately sensed that something was wrong. Her overwhelming panic prevented her from thinking calmly. Her body struggled and flailed uncontrollably in the water.

Her vision blurred. She widened her eyes and stared at An Zimo on the shore, placing all her hopes on him.

Cicadas sang in the trees, while everything around them remained silent and empty.

An Zimo came to his senses and ran two steps toward the security office, only to stop again.

Why... did he have to find someone to save her?

Realizing this, An Zimo slowly stopped. He turned around and stood at the edge of the pool, watching coldly.

An Xiang in the water was clearly beginning to run out of strength. Her wrists moved far less than before.

He stared intently, his heart calm as all the hidden, vicious seeds within him took root at that moment, climbing and growing into a towering tree.

That was right. Why did he have to find someone to save her?

Let her drown.

If she died like this, no one would even notice. As long as this woman died, the hatred would disappear, and he could begin a new life again.

An Zimo glared at her viciously, clenching his teeth hard. The hatred of the past consumed him again, making him completely lose his reason.

They were not far apart. An Xiang could not possibly have failed to see that look in his eyes.

At that instant, she gave up trying to survive. Her eyes and mind were filled with nothing but An Zimo's expression at that very moment.

Her son wanted her to die.

But why?

Had she not done well enough? Or did he simply still hate living with her?

An Xiang could not understand the reason. At that moment, it felt as though an iron claw had gripped her heart tightly. It hurt, and she could not breathe.

Water rushed in from every direction, and her vision gradually blurred.

Her fingers loosened, and the little yellow duck slipped from her palm, slowly floating away to the side.

Her body sank, and the water pressure made her ears ring.

She might die...

As her consciousness faded, An Xiang saw a figure approaching her.

Sunlight pierced the water's surface, and the black silhouette became clear. In the next second, a pair of large hands supported her waist. She had no strength to resist as he carried her upward.

Splash—!

Water splashed everywhere, and air flowed through her lungs once more.

An Xiang gasped deeply, bending over as she began coughing uncontrollably.

"Spit the water out."

After they reached shore, a cool voice sounded beside her. The steady pats against her back strangely soothed the fear and unease in An Xiang's heart.

She lay on the ground and spat out several mouthfuls of water in succession. Once she felt better, she trembled as she forced three words from her throat. "...Thank you."

Her throat was dry, and her voice was quiet and weak.

She was trembling, curled up in a way that made her look unbearably pitiful.

Suddenly, a warm, fluffy towel was draped over her, briefly easing the chill that had seeped into her bones.

She raised her head, eyes red as she looked at the person who had saved her life.

The man was soaked through. His shirt clung wetly to his body, revealing distinct abs and a tight, narrow waist. His pants were wet too, making certain indescribable areas completely apparent.

An Xiang caught her breath, hurriedly lowering her eyes and looking away as she shakily rose from the ground.

The cramp in her leg had not yet subsided. Combined with the weakness in all four limbs, she fell forward the second she stood up.

"Careful." He supported her by the waist, cautiously helping her sit in a nearby lounge chair.

"Thank you." An Xiang thanked him again. When she finally saw his face clearly, her expression briefly blanked. "Mr. Pei?"

"Mm." Tiny droplets slid down his thick black hair. He answered indifferently, without another unnecessary word.

Pei Yizhou's gaze shifted and landed on An Zimo by the pool.

Throughout the entire incident, the young child had displayed an abnormal degree of indifference. Like a mere observer, he had watched expressionlessly as someone else suffered.

An Zimo met his gaze without avoiding it, a chilling gleam in his eyes.

Black.

Pei Yizhou saw in this child an utterly evil soul that should not exist in a human being.

Pure black, without the slightest warmth of human feeling. That meant... he was evil by nature.

Pei Yizhou's eyes sharpened, and his expression gradually turned hostile.

"Where are your parents?"

Just four words carried a suffocating pressure.

An Zimo: Isn't she right in front of you?

**

Just wait until An Xiang dies someday. You'll cry then (:з"∠).

But he lacked emotions. He had neither empathy nor sympathy, only schadenfreude, resentment, and anger. You can scold him, but please go easy on him.

But he's a child, so I definitely won't let him off [humbly].

Also, the male lead and Momo met once at the mall before, but he had never met An Xiang. When he met Momo alone, the male lead only saw him as some random child and could not be bothered to look at him twice, so even if Momo truly resembled him somewhat, he would not suspect anything. After all, he had never even seen the child's mother. How could he possibly recognize a son off the street?

But the next chapter might be another matter ←←

There are still three hundred red packet giveaways this chapter, and one more update.