Chapter 5

Pei Hanying had originally planned not to leave the house for the next few weeks.
After all, every time she went out, she ran into Ning Song and that bastard Ning Cheng. If she couldn’t afford to provoke them, surely she could at least avoid them.

But she broke that resolution herself the very next day.
There was no other reason. When she woke up the next morning and drew back the curtains, the dazzling expanse of silvery-white snow outside nearly blinded her.

In just one night, the back garden, which had still held traces of green, had been covered in thick snow.
A layer of snow had also accumulated on the ground.
Large, feathery flakes were still drifting down. Everywhere she looked, the world was almost entirely white.

Her eyes widened in delighted surprise. After leaving her room, she immediately pattered downstairs.

In her previous life, Pei Hanying had been a true southerner. She had lived in the south throughout both school and work.
In over twenty years of life, she had barely ever seen snow. She had encountered hail several times, though, so like most southerners, she had always yearned to see snow.

During the first two years after transmigrating from birth, she had been too young and was rarely taken outside in cold weather. It wasn’t until she could walk that she was allowed outside for a short while after it snowed.
Although the temperature was cold when it snowed, Pei Hanying found it bearable.

This was the first snowfall of the year, and Pei Hanying wanted to go outside and see it.
When she told Pei Yuan, Pei Yuan didn’t agree immediately and instead instructed her to eat breakfast first.

Because of the blizzard, the company was closed today, so neither Pei Yuan nor Chao Qing needed to go to work.
That also meant she had time to stay home and keep her daughter company.

Hearing Pei Yuan’s words, Pei Hanying obediently nodded. After washing up, she finished breakfast with remarkable enthusiasm.
Pei Hanying always ate slowly, while Pei Yuan was somewhat faster. By the time she finished, the ​Read on BaiLianTales​woman was already sitting on the sofa reading a financial magazine.

After swallowing the last small wonton, Pei Hanying’s cheeks were rosy from the steam.
She wiped her mouth, walked up to Pei Yuan, and wheedled, “Mommy, I want to go outside and play in the snow~”

Pei Yuan raised her eyes, shifting her gaze from the magazine to the little girl’s face.
Looking at the glittering light in the little girl’s eyes and her fluttering lashes, Pei Yuan’s heart softened slightly.

“Go change into something warm first. If you catch a chill, you won’t be allowed outside again afterward.”
Pei Hanying beamed. “Okay~ Mommy should go change too.”

She chose a white down jacket, put on thick trousers, and changed into snow boots. Standing by the door, she held out her hand to Pei Yuan and waited for her to lead her outside.
Pei Yuan wore a black overcoat. Even with her face bare, she looked aloof and elegant.

Holding her warm hand, Pei Hanying thoughtfully asked:
“Mommy, aren’t you cold wearing so little?”

Pei Yuan squeezed her daughter’s soft palm and smiled as she shook her head.
“No.”

Pei Hanying thought about it and realized that made sense. After all, Pei Yuan had never worn much during winter.
Could this be one of those legendary rich people’s coats—the kind where wearing a single layer was enough to keep someone warm?
Pei Hanying wanted to dress like that too, but Pei Yuan wouldn’t let her wear so little. What a double standard.
At the thought, the little girl puffed out her cheeks slightly.

Several centimeters of snow had already accumulated in the yard, compacting beneath every step.
Snow clung to her boots while flakes continued swirling through the air, quickly settling all over their hair and clothes.

Knowing that Pei Hanying liked snow, Pei Yuan had specifically instructed the servants to leave one area uncleared.
That patch was just large enough for the little girl to play in the snow.

Pei Hanying tilted her head back to watch the snow filling the sky and extended her palm. Delicate snowflakes landed on her hand before quickly melting.
Only a cool sensation remained in her palm.

Before long, her exposed fingers and palms turned bright red, while the cold wind flushed her snow-white little face.
Pei Hanying crouched down and scooped up a handful of snow.

Her palm was icy, and the cold made her body tremble slightly.
She raised her head and looked at Pei Yuan standing nearby, her eyes gleaming.

“Mommy, let’s build a snowman together.”

Pei Yuan looked at her and gently closed her eyes, suppressing the urge to pick the child up and carry her straight back inside.
She exhaled softly and ultimately crouched down in resignation, allowing the hem of her coat worth several hundred thousand yuan to become speckled with snow.

The freshly fallen snow was too loose to form a proper snowman.
After gathering handful after handful of snow until their palms were nearly numb from the cold, what finally stood on the ground was a somewhat ugly snowman.

Pei Hanying puffed out her cheeks, thinking it wasn’t very pretty.
She was about to ask Pei Yuan to build another one with her when Pei Yuan discerned her intention. After wiping her own palms, she wiped Pei Hanying’s hands as well.

As though mentioning it casually, she said, “Didn’t you say last year that you wanted to go ice-skating? I heard the lake in Jinhe Garden has frozen over this year, and the property management has set up an ice rink. Would you like to go see it?”

Pei Hanying immediately nodded.
“Yes!”

She had only tried roller-skating before, and even then, she had stumbled around and struggled to keep her balance.
But she still wanted to try ice-skating. Besides, Chao Qing had told her that Pei Yuan was good at it and had once been the captain of her school’s figure-skating team.

Seeing the little girl’s attention swiftly diverted, Pei Yuan sighed in relief and led her toward the rink.
It was cold today, and many parents in Jinhe Garden were worried their children would catch a chill outside. As a result, only a few small children were at the rink, with most of those present being somewhat older.

With the far more experienced Pei Yuan patiently supporting and teaching her, Pei Hanying quickly got the hang of it and was soon able to make several laps around the rink.
After taking the child around a few times, Pei Yuan noticed that her daughter’s previously rosy face had turned bright red from the wind. She called a stop, helped her change shoes, and prepared to take her home.

Pei Hanying had played to her heart’s content and could now feel the cold, her body trembling faintly.
Only after Pei Yuan picked her up and she burrowed into her embrace did she feel somewhat warmer.

Holding her daughter, Pei Yuan had originally intended to turn left, but after feeling the child trembling in her arms, she thought for a moment and chose another route instead.
This path led toward the backyard and was slightly shorter.

When Pei Hanying finally recovered and raised her head, she discovered that the road before her looked unfamiliar beneath its mantle of silver and white.
She blinked, her body stiffening slightly. After looking up at Pei Yuan, she asked softly:

“Mommy, is this the path to the backyard?”

Pei Yuan hummed in acknowledgment. Seeing the strange expression on the little girl’s face, she looked somewhat puzzled.
“What’s wrong?”

Pei Hanying feebly tightened her arms ​unauthorized copy​around her mother and shook her head listlessly.
“Nothing.”

It was just that her insignificant passerby daughter might encounter the novel’s main villain again in a moment.
Maybe she simply shouldn’t raise her head for the entire journey, Pei Hanying thought.

But surely it couldn’t be that much of a coincidence. She couldn’t possibly run into Ning Song every single time.
The more she thought about it, the more Pei Hanying felt like a pitiful NPC programmed to respawn at fixed intervals.

Could the world’s consciousness be trying to contrast her happiness with the villain’s suffering so the villain would grow jealous of her?
At this possibility, Pei Hanying sucked in a sharp breath and silently concluded: How vicious.

Pei Yuan was 170 centimeters tall, with long strides and a quick pace. Before long, they reached the part of the backyard near Ning Cheng’s home.
No matter how reluctant Pei Hanying was to face it, she still raised her head and glanced toward Ning Cheng’s front door.

Compared with most of the mansions in Jinhe Garden, the place where Ning Cheng and his daughter lived resembled cramped, narrow servants’ quarters.
Her gaze swept past the Ning residence’s entrance, but she didn’t see Ning Song.
Pei Hanying involuntarily sighed in relief.

Still held in Pei Yuan’s arms, she was about to return home through the backyard gate when she glanced toward the Ning residence once more. Her sharp eyes finally spotted a figure behind the pittosporum bushes near the entrance.
It was still snowing, and the snowfall seemed to be growing heavier.
A considerable amount of snow had already accumulated on the figure. Curled up in one spot and shivering, she resembled a small animal licking its wounds alone.

Pei Hanying’s throat tightened slightly with worry.
It was so cold today. Ning Song wouldn’t freeze to death, would she?

That dumbass Ning Cheng—was there something wrong with his brain? How could he refuse to let someone inside in weather this cold?
Pei Hanying cursed inwardly.

She patted Pei Yuan’s shoulder. “Mommy, put me down.”
Pei Yuan looked puzzled, but seeing Pei Hanying’s insistent expression, she could only set her down.

Once her feet touched the ground, Pei Hanying walked several steps toward the pittosporum bushes.
Stopping in front of Ning Song, she asked, “Are you all right?”

Ning Song had heard their footsteps long ago. After glancing over from a distance and seeing Pei Hanying approaching with her mother, she had hidden herself even farther behind the bushes.
She didn’t want Pei Hanying to see her looking so wretched.

When the girl’s voice reached her ears, she failed to react for a moment. Following the other girl’s words instinctively, she raised her head.

Every time Pei Hanying had seen Ning Song, the girl’s face had been deathly pale.
But now, the little girl’s cheeks were bright red.

—From the cold.
Snowflakes covered the top of her head and her body.
Even her long lashes were dusted with snow.

She was still wearing the same clothes she had worn during their previous encounters. They were thin and oversized, leaving even her neck exposed and offering no protection from the cold.
Compared with the last time they met, her beautiful eyes were now completely dull, without the slightest trace of light remaining.

Ning Song met Pei Hanying’s gaze, her nearly numb hands curling slightly.
The girl before her was probably around the same age. Her cheeks were rosy, her clothes clean and beautiful, and her long hair had been tied into a bun adorned with a diamond hair clip, making her look like a little princess.
And she truly was the little princess treasured in the palms of the Pei family’s hands.
They were standing so close that the rich floral fragrance on the girl’s body reached Ning Song’s nose. It was a warm scent that made her feel safe and comforted.

The difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth.
Pei Hanying had witnessed her being beaten so many times. Even Ning Song’s last shred of dignity had been trampled beneath people’s feet and crushed.

A crushing sense of inferiority instantly swept through Ning Song. She bit her lip hard, holding back the tears threatening to fall.
She ignored Pei Hanying and buried her face between her knees again.
Ning Song didn’t want Pei Hanying to keep seeing her stolen content in such a miserable and pitiful state. She wasn’t trying to elicit sympathy.

Seeing her ostrich-like behavior, Pei Hanying froze.
She pressed her lips together. At that moment, she truly wanted to turn around and leave.

Again and again, she warned herself inwardly:
Don’t start handing out kindness on a whim. Since when were you ever this kindhearted?!
And now you’re feeling sorry for a future supervillain who might destroy your entire family? Is there something wrong with your brain?!

Countless reprimands flashed through her mind, yet she ultimately couldn’t suppress the impulse.
Bracing her hands on her knees, she poked Ning Song with one finger.

“Hey.”

The person she poked didn’t react at all, but the skin beneath Pei Hanying’s fingertip felt scorching hot.
Pei Hanying’s expression changed. She turned toward Pei Yuan, who had followed her over and was standing nearby, silently watching.

“Mommy, she has a fever.”

Pei Yuan inclined her head. “Do you want to take her home?”
Although she had her grievances with Ning Cheng, she also knew the child was innocent. She left the decision of whether to bring Ning Song home in Pei Hanying’s hands.

Pei Hanying dug her fingers into her palm, but even the sting couldn’t clear her muddled head.
She closed her eyes. In the end, she turned toward Ning Song and asked with the resolve of someone burning all bridges behind her:

“Kitty, would you like to come over to my house?”

She would soften her heart just this once.