Before Cheng Ying drifted off, all she could think about was the sweet potato porridge she hadn't managed to eat. What a loss.

Seeing the child's agitation, her paternal aunt-in-law was beside herself, rushing over to scoop up Cheng Ying. "Yingzi is completely drained from crying, Mother. Let her rest a bit."

The old woman shot a venomous glare at Yang Zhi and her husband, her eyes conveying a wish that she could devour both Chi Yong and Yang Zhier whole.

Then, the old woman let out a fierce roar at the cluster of onlookers surrounding the courtyard. "What are you staring at? Is there something worth seeing? All of you have nothing better to do—go home and argue with your wives and mothers!"

The crowd of idlers gathered in the yard scattered instantly.

This old woman had a notoriously sharp tongue; anything she opened her mouth to say usually managed to offend a whole group of people.

It was clear that Cheng Ying's grandmother’s tongue was feared by more than just one person.

After this outburst, Cheng Ying simply collapsed into sleep, unconcerned with the adults standing awkwardly in the room.

Being a stepfather wasn't easy, but being a stepfather who married into the wife's family was even harder.

The feeling Chi Yong experienced at that moment was akin to being stood on a platform during a struggle session.

Cheng Ying woke up when it was already dark.

She opened her eyes and shook her head slightly. She felt alright; the pain was gone.

Thinking back, she realized she had fainted right after becoming upset and cursing the heavens.

The moment that memory surfaced, Cheng Ying's head began to throb painfully. This wasn't the first time she'd felt this sensation.

She somewhat understood now: the space the heavens had granted her wasn't free; this was a clear sign that she couldn't curse the sky anymore.

Having grasped the situation, Cheng Ying simply decided not to dwell on it. The space was hers, and she could figure things out whenever she pleased.

Cheng Ying reflected on the events leading up to her fainting spell.

She felt deeply sorry for her stepfather. This man had been implicated because of her.

Her tantrum had nothing to do with him.

Cheng Ying had genuinely been panicked by being in a strange new place, and the built-up pressure had finally needed release.

She figured her grandmother must have hated her stepfather even more now.

However, having caused such a scene, it was unlikely anyone would suspect she was an outsider now.

Any future discrepancies between her current self and the original Cheng Ying wouldn't raise suspicion. After all, wasn't it considered normal for people to change after experiencing extreme emotional highs and lows?

Lying on the kang, Cheng Ying couldn't be bothered to get up. She was tired from the commotion, and her eyes felt gritty—probably from crying, though now they felt dry.

Her mind kept circling back to the uneaten, warm sweet potato porridge. What a tragedy.

Chi Wu heard the movement inside and lifted the door curtain to enter. His face was dark, and he held a bowl of porridge. "Here."

His demeanor was anything but friendly.

Seeing the sweet potato porridge brought a rush of emotions to Cheng Ying. She sat up, took the bowl, and immediately slurped down a mouthful. Given the boy’s attitude, Cheng Ying dared not complain.

You just had his own father berated; it would be strange if the boy treated you well.

Finally, the sweet potato porridge reached her lips. It was sweet! Delicious, and filling too.

Chi Wu watched Cheng Ying thoughtlessly devour the porridge, circling the ground in frustrated agitation, his eyes nearly red with suppressed tears.

While drinking, Cheng Ying noticed the boy clenching and then releasing his fists repeatedly.

The kid probably needs to pee badly, she mused.

Cheng Ying couldn't help but lift her head to look at Chi Wu’s face. Meeting Cheng Ying’s gaze, Chi Wu fiercely warned her, "If you provoke my dad again, watch out, or I'll beat you up!"

Cheng Ying quickly finished the porridge in the bowl and slowly set it down.

She took a moment to reassess Chi Wu. Looking at the small boy who was shaking his fist to intimidate her—he was even shorter than she was. He actually had some spirit. He knew how to defend his family. Ah, he really is a good child in the making.

She should at least give the boy a sense of accomplishment; call it a small act of kindness for the day. Besides, the porridge she was eating had been brought to her by this child.

Cheng Ying forced her eyes to turn red, looked at Chi Wu, and whispered fearfully, "I won't dare to anymore."

Chi Wu stood there with his mouth agape, stunned. How could it be so easy? This doesn't fit that girl's usual temperament. Cheng Ying had completely baffled the boy.

Cheng Ying wasn't an actress and lacked any skill; she couldn't keep her eyes red for long. Seeing Chi Wu remain motionless for a long moment, she grew impatient. "Why aren't you moving yet?" Her tone was decidedly harsh.

Compared to the previous fearful whisper of 'I won't dare to,' this sounded like it came from an entirely different person.

Chi Wu stammered, "I... I'm going."

Cheng Ying fixed him with a glare. "Then get out!"

Chi Wu didn't forget to pick up Cheng Ying’s empty bowl before turning and leaving.

He followed orders instantly. This was supposed to be the one who came to scare her.

Cheng Ying pressed her lips together, shaking with silent laughter under the quilt. This child was too easy to fool around with.

Chi Wu remained dazed even after stepping out of the East Room. Did that girl get her head stuck in a doorframe? How can she be so different from usual?

As the sky darkened further, Cheng Ying began to worry.

She had been staying here for two days now, and the arrangement for sleeping at night was causing her considerable anxiety.

For the past two nights, Cheng Ying had slept in the West Room with her biological mother and stepfather, naturally including Chi Wu as well.

For a woman accustomed to sleeping alone, this was truly uncomfortable, especially this kind of co-sleeping arrangement between genders.

So, Cheng Ying wanted to stay with her grandmother; at least they were both women.

When it came to sleeping arrangements, Cheng Ying felt she had stumbled into a major dilemma.

Sleeping with her grandmother versus sleeping with her biological mother—this was a real problem.

In this era, a family might only have two usable sleeping rooms. Even if a household had seventeen or eighteen-year-old sons and daughters, everyone slept on the same kang.

Therefore, Cheng Ying's dilemma was seemingly unsolvable. No one here would set aside a separate room for a child to sleep alone. Heating in the winter was a major concern.

How to approach her grandmother about this was a real issue. Cheng Ying furrowed her brow, trying to formulate a plan.

Although she disagreed with her mother’s marriage, she certainly couldn't interfere with the couple's intimate life.

For Cheng Ying, sleeping in the same room as a newly married couple made her a giant, awkward lightbulb—too much of an obstruction.

Cheng Ying believed she still operated with certain principles.

Interrupting a loving couple in the dead of night was something she couldn't bring herself to do. It was unethical.

Having failed to marry in her previous life until she was thirty, she had to accumulate virtue here, no matter what. Perhaps when heaven briefly dozed off, she might just stumble into a good marriage.

Cheng Ying firmly believed that whenever heaven was wide awake, there would certainly be no good fortune for her.

The old woman entered from the door and saw her granddaughter wearing a troubled expression. She reached out and stroked Cheng Ying's head. "Yingzi, does it still hurt?"

This grandmother truly cherished her granddaughter above all else.

Cheng Ying immediately relaxed her tense spirit. With such a protective grandmother watching over her, what was there to worry about? She answered meekly, "Grandma, it doesn't hurt anymore."

The old woman felt her granddaughter's forehead; she wasn't running a fever. "Have you eaten? Grandma saved a big bowl of porridge for you."

The grandmother was subtly checking if someone had hidden some of the porridge from her granddaughter.

Cheng Ying understood immediately; after days of interaction, Cheng Ying knew exactly who her grandmother was and what her temperament was like.

She nodded quickly. "Yes, a whole big bowl. I'm full."

This statement served to clear Chi Wu's name, otherwise the old woman might have caused a scene.

The grandmother looked at her granddaughter with immense affection, at least, she was fond of her.

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