Chapter 3

A few weeks later, An Xiang began feeling unwell. She went to the hospital for an examination, and sure enough, she was pregnant.

Compared with the system's composure, An Xiang, a first-time mother, was exceptionally nervous. She had not even learned how to be human before suddenly becoming someone's mother. She found it hard to accept, both mentally and physically.

The immense psychological pressure left her unable to sleep at night. Coupled with severe morning sickness, her weight began dropping rapidly, leaving her as frail and thin as a sheet of paper.

Things could not go on like this. Afraid something would go wrong during the mission, the system hurriedly stepped in as a counselor: [Host, don't get so worked up. Think about your grand plan for your vampire life.]

Her grand plan for her vampire life?

An Xiang, who had been vomiting so badly that the world seemed to spin, really did begin pondering her grand plan.

Her grand plan for her vampire life was to awaken the most powerful ability. Even if she could not unite the Vampire Clan, she would at least make everyone who had bullied her pay!

But...

Pregnancy was already so difficult. What if she accidentally caused the child's death once he was born?

The system seemed to sense the worry in her heart and said: [Just follow the novel's plot. Once the child is born, leave him back in your hometown and let his maternal grandfather take care of him. Bring him back when he turns four. You only need to raise him for one year, host. It's very easy. Besides, your son has vampire blood. He won't die that easily.]

Vampires' unique genetic lineage ensured that they had powerful constitutions. Even tiny infants would not get hurt so easily.

After the system's reassurance, An Xiang's agitated emotions settled considerably, but she still felt uneasy inside.

She anxiously watched over her growing belly, struggling through day after day alone in her coffin. Finally, she made it through ten months of pregnancy and gave birth to the future male lead, An Zimo, at a maternity hospital one night.

The maternity ward was noisy in the early morning. Babies' cries mingled with the disorderly footsteps outside the room.

An Xiang lay limp and alone in her hospital bed, unable to move. Her body was utterly exhausted after giving birth. Her belly still hurt, and all four limbs felt weak and sore, as though they were being torn apart. Even so, her mind still had no desire to rest.

The moonlight was clear. Even breathing came from the stroller beside her, constantly reminding her that a life lay there-a life she had brought into the world.

She slowly turned her head to look. Her face was pale beneath the wavering light, and only her eyes shone like a river of stars.

An Xiang laboriously propped up her upper body and tentatively leaned her head over.

The newborn curled like a tender sprout inside his swaddling blanket. His hair was sparse, his skin wrinkled like a monkey's. He could not open his eyes yet, and his hands and feet unconsciously kicked at the floral blanket, trying with all his might to break free.

-This was the human cub who had come out of her belly.

An indescribable feeling sprouted in her heart. Her gaze seemed appraising, curious, as though she were exploring something unknown.

An Xiang slowly reached out and gently brushed her index finger twice across the baby's soft cheek.

"Waaah-!!!"

The baby, who had just been fast asleep, suddenly burst into waves of crying without warning.

The crying made An Xiang's shoulders jerk. Flustered, she shrank beneath the covers and stared at the stroller, not daring to make another rash move.

"Is the baby crying?"

A nurse pushed the door open and entered.

Seeing her savior, An Xiang immediately sighed with relief and stammered, "I only touched him once..." Perhaps human cubs did not like being touched. She had not expected such a violent reaction either.

Watching the human cub cry incessantly, An Xiang grew even more nervous.

The nurse gently picked up the baby and soothed him. "We're relieved to hear him cry. He didn't make a sound when he was born. If his tests hadn't been normal, we would have thought something was wrong." A newborn failing to cry was a serious matter. Aside from certain unhealthy newborns, very few did not wail at birth.

"The baby must be hungry. Why don't you feed him?"

As the swaddled bundle drew closer, An Xiang straightened her back, her nerves instantly tightening. "F-feed him?"

"Yes." The nurse nodded. "If you don't know how, I can teach you."

Teach...

Teach??

C-c-can someone actually teach that?

An Xiang unconsciously touched her swollen breasts. At the thought of the human cub lying in her arms, she became utterly flustered. Her scalp tingled involuntarily, and her hair stood on end. She all but had refusal written across her face.

"It's all right. It's very easy."

While An Xiang was still in a daze, the child was placed in her arms.

The baby seemed to particularly dislike An Xiang's touch. His cries, which had just subsided, once again rang through the room.

"Don't cry, baby. Let Mommy feed you."

Miraculously, the nurse's words quieted his cries. He turned his head and began seeking food on instinct.

An Xiang's eyes were vacant, her entire body rigid.

She was breastfeeding.

The thought whirled rapidly through her consciousness.

The nurse looked encouraging. "See? It's easy, isn't it?"

An Xiang stared blankly at the nursing baby, her mind still completely empty.

A few months ago, as a vampire, she had never imagined becoming a mother-a human mother-to awaken her ability. In fact, she had never imagined there would come a day when she would bring a life into the world.

The baby in her arms had tears at the corners of his eyes. He was delicate and fragile.

She carefully held that tiny body, and her thoughts suddenly drifted.

Had her mother... fed her like this too?

[An Xiang, you are the disgrace of this family.]

[You don't deserve to live at all!]

[Look, that's the idiot. She only deserves to live in a doghouse.]

[Honey, let's just kill her. Her existence will only bring shame on the An Family.]

"..."

The images of her parents' hideous faces as they berated her played over and over in her mind like a horror film.

An Xiang's eyes stung, warm liquid struggling to spill from them. Her throat worked as she turned her head away and forcibly held back her tears. The child had eaten his fill and begun crying again, resisting her embrace with his hands and feet.

"Get some rest yourself." The nurse took the baby. "The hospital has contacted your relatives using the contact information you provided. Focus on recovering for now. If you have any problems, you can come straight to us."

The relatives the nurse mentioned were distant cousins living in Water Lotus Village. Following the system's instructions, An Xiang had already sent them some money. They would take the child away as she had requested, then hand him over to his maternal grandfather.

The nurse soon soothed the baby to sleep. After she left, silence returned to the room.

The moonlight was lonely, and the shadows of trees nestled diagonally in the corner.

She gazed out at the night beyond the window. A sudden sorrow filled her heart, and she could not help curling beneath the covers and sobbing.

She had become a mother, but she had no home at all.

-She never had.

The system asked: [Host, are you all right?]

The system's usually cold voice sounded gentle and cautious now.

An Xiang wiped away her tears, her voice muffled. "...I'm fine."

The system sighed softly: [Your cousins will probably take An Zimo away in a couple of days. You...]

Judging from An Xiang's actions just now, it was very worried that she would be reluctant to let go. Women always became especially gentle and strong after becoming mothers. Maternal love was instinctive, and the system feared that An Xiang would be bound by that instinct. That would be unfavorable for her. After all, she could not stay in this body forever.

"I'm fine." An Xiang slowly pulled down the covers, revealing her eyes. Those eyes, freshly washed with tears, were like brilliant gemstones after rain, clear and beautiful. "I don't know how to be a mother at all. Leaving him with humans might be better."

At least it would be better than staying with her.

An Xiang pressed her lips tightly together, her expression stubborn.

The system kept feeling that she was saying things she did not mean, and patiently reassured her: [Actually, this is an opportunity for An Zimo too. If he doesn't go to the village and meet the mysterious person, he might remain intellectually disabled for the rest of his life. Don't worry. The villagers and your maternal grandfather won't mistreat him.]

An Xiang understood. She would have understood even without the system saying it. In reality, she was merely a tool for advancing the novel's plot.

One day, An Zimo would be reborn in Sinfire, while she would die quietly on some day in the long river of time. When she awoke, she would once again be the An Family's useless youngest daughter.

Her task was to bring him into the world. Beyond that, there was nothing else.

But... her chest still felt tight and painful.

In truth, she had no right to blame her parents. What right did she have? Now, she was obeying the system for her own selfish desires, giving birth to a child only to abandon him. In the end, she had become... someone just like them.

A wave of self-loathing welled up within An Xiang, deeply devouring her already sensitive, fragile soul.

Two days later, her cousins finally arrived. They said nothing unnecessary upon seeing An Xiang, but their contempt for her was evident in their expressions.

The couple efficiently packed everything up and took away the infant sleeping soundly in the stroller.

A light rain pattered outside the window. An Xiang did not see them off. With her arms wrapped around her knees, she gazed deeply at the rainy dusk outside.

Compared with the exceptionally quiet An Xiang, the system was much more relaxed than usual. [The first phase of the mission has been successfully completed. Now we just need to wait for An Zimo to meet the mysterious person and awaken his intelligence. Everything after that will be easy.]

When she did not respond, the system cautiously called to her in her mind: [Host, are you all right?]

[Host, don't be too sad. Four years will pass quickly, and then you can live with your son. If you really miss him, you can go back to your hometown to see him too.]

[Host?]

The system's repeated calls finally brought An Xiang back to her senses.

She slowly clenched her fists, her gaze suddenly resolute. "I-I've decided."

[Huh? What have you decided?]

An Xiang's voice was firm and powerful. "I'm going to work hard to earn money so my son can live in a crystal coffin someday!!!"

"...????"

Wait, how were you still going on about crystal coffins after all this time?!

This person didn't know how to be a mother at all!!!

The system suddenly felt exhausted. Still, whatever the case, as long as its host could pull herself together instead of spending her days listlessly, that was good. After all, the male lead needed a mother.

After sending An Zimo away, An Xiang returned to her previous solitary life.

The little vampire, isolated and helpless, stumbled her way through the human world, earning some extra money from rent and drawing comics. Every few months, she would secretly return to the village to visit her son, despite the system's objections.

Three and a half years passed in a flash. It was spring, and An Xiang climbed out of her coffin as usual.

Ding-

The phone beside her rang. She answered, and an unfamiliar rural accent came through the receiver.

"Your maternal grandfather passed away," he said. "Something's happened with Zimo. Hurry back and take a look."

An Xiang's hand shook, and her mind went blank with a thunderous crash.

N-no, that couldn't be right?

Why had her maternal grandfather died six months early?!!!

An Xiang inexplicably began to panic.

※※※※※※※※※※

In the next chapter, the mother who doesn't know how to be a mother will meet the son who doesn't want to be a son!!

Don't scold the female lead. Right now, she really only had the child for the mission. It's mission > feelings, and she genuinely has a little something wrong with her head. Add her family trauma to that, and she doesn't know how to care for a newborn at all.

The system will be leaving in the next chapter, so say goodbye to him in advance.

There are still five hundred red envelopes. This transitional chapter was a little difficult to write, so it took some extra time.

Although I said five hundred red envelopes, there aren't even five hundred comments!

No harm done. I'll just assume you accepted my red envelopes with your minds.