Hearing Her Thoughts

Shen Wan had worried herself sick over her daughter's sudden illness. She hadn't slept a wink all night, her heart churning with pain, fear, sadness, and guilt.

Shen Baili, on the other hand, had endured pain so intense it felt as though her bones were melting. Soothed by her mother, her body and mind had sunk into a deep sleep.

She had a long dream, one about her past life and this one.

The dream showed her that she hadn't been reincarnated after her death. She had transmigrated into a book, entering this world as a baby who would be brought into a wealthy, powerful family when her mother married into it.

She and her mother were both villainous supporting characters in the book: selfish, greedy, vicious, and foolish. After the two of them entered high society from an ordinary family, their attitudes changed drastically.

Resentment took hold of them. They tried to seize the Xie Family's fortune and plotted against its members with outsiders. They made one foolish choice after another until they finally crossed the Xie Family's bottom line. Cast out, they met miserable ends.

Shen Baili: ...

I knew I wasn't destined to be the protagonist, but I didn't expect it to be this bad.

Wasn't one miserable life enough? Did this one have to be miserable too?

In her previous life, she had been born into a poor family that favored sons over daughters. Her mother had given birth to four girls and one boy. Two of her younger sisters had been sent away, leaving only her and her second sister at home.

Her parents were farmers. They worked in the fields every day and occasionally took odd jobs to make ends meet. With no time to look after the children, they naturally left that task to her.

For as long as she could remember, she had worked. As a little girl, she carried her younger siblings on her back while standing before a stove taller than she was to prepare three meals a day for the family... Later, even after she started school, she had to make time after class for chores and feeding the chickens and ducks.

It was exhausting, but she had hope. She did well in school and dreamed of leaving the mountains one day... Then, while running through the rain to take her high school entrance exam, she was hit by a car and killed. After that, she had transmigrated.

Shen Baili thought back on her brief previous life and felt little about it.

Both lives had been hard, but this one was different. She had family who loved her.

She considered herself lucky. She had a beautiful, incredibly gentle mother who loved her, and she had grown up surrounded by love—something she would never have dared to hope for in that family that so strongly favored boys.

Wait, where's Mom?!

Don't tell me I've transmigrated again?!

Shen Baili hurriedly looked around. The movement tugged at the wound on her abdomen, but it also let her spot the woman slumped beside her hospital bed.

Her panic settled at once.

She moved her fingers, wanting to hold her mother's hand and feel its warmth.

To hell with the book's plot. Shen Baili swore she would protect her mother.

The movement woke Shen Wan from her light sleep. She instinctively looked toward the bed and met a pair of bright eyes.

"Mom," Shen Baili whispered.

"I'm here." Shen Wan stroked her head. "Our Suìsuì is amazing. You woke up so soon."

"Does your tummy hurt? Does your head hurt?"

Shen Baili shook her head. "No."

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Shen Wan touched her forehead. It was no longer hot.

Shen Baili shook her head again. "No."

"Mom," she called.

"I'm right here. Do you want some water?" Shen Wan asked.

"You just had your appendix removed. You can't drink water on the first day after surgery."

"You scared me to death yesterday."

"Mom." Shen Baili gazed steadily at her. "I missed... you."

"I love you." Shen Wan suddenly realized her daughter was asking for affection and answered gently.

Shen Baili smiled faintly, a sweet dimple appearing beside her mouth. The sight melted Shen Wan's heart.

Shen Wan's heart ached for her. Suìsuì's skin had always been fair, but after surgery she was as pale as paper, without a trace of color in her lips. She was clearly uncomfortable enough to frown, yet she was still trying to comfort her mother.

Shen Wan could barely hold back her emotions. While her daughter wasn't looking, she turned away and secretly wiped her tears.

"Suìsuì, you had an acute appendicitis attack last night, and your fever wouldn't go down. Thank goodness we got you to the hospital in time."

Shen Baili stared at the redness around her eyes. "Don't cry."

"I won't cry. I won't," Shen Wan said.

The attending physician soon came to the room. After a thorough examination, he had a good idea of how her recovery was going. Then he looked up and saw that both mother and daughter had red noses and eyes.

"The wound is healing nicely. Young people recover quickly..."

After reassuring his patient and carefully going over the post-op instructions, the attending physician had a nurse hook Shen Baili up to a saline drip. Then he considerately left the mother and daughter alone.

Shen Baili had little energy. She fell asleep again not long after waking.

By the time she woke again, an hour had passed. Butler Lin had sent someone with dinner, but Shen Baili couldn't eat yet. She could only watch longingly as Shen Wan finished her meal.

"Should I go outside to eat?" Shen Wan thought it was cruel to make Suìsuì watch without being able to have any.

But for her health, they had to follow the doctor's orders to the letter.

Shen Baili shook her head. "Don't."

"Watching you eat makes me feel like I've eaten too." She smiled sweetly and coaxed her mother without a hint of self-consciousness. "Mom, eat here."

Shen Wan couldn't say no to her. "All right, if that's what you want."

So one ate while the other watched, and time flowed quietly by. The spacious hospital room was filled with

warmth.

After dinner, Shen Wan and a caregiver helped Shen Baili out of bed for a walk. She needed to move around after surgery to help her pass gas.

The three of them walked down the corridor for a while. When Shen Baili ran out of strength, they returned to the room together.

Shen Baili had slept so long that she was wide awake now. She lay in bed watching television with her mother.

"We haven't watched TV together in ages. That show we were following, 'Who Is the Child's Father?', has already finished!"

Woohoo! I can binge the whole thing now.

Shen Wan felt guilty. She reflected on how she had neglected her daughter lately; no reason could excuse it.

"Suìsuì, I'm sorry. I haven't spent enough time with you."