“Huh?” My expression grew even stranger. “Wait, she really calls me that?”
Right now, I really wanted to pull out my phone and type out a barrage of choice words to question a certain someone, but I held back, my face a mix of speechlessness and exasperation.
Seriously?
Someone’s obsession with being the elder sister is this intense?
Who’s the one always twisting the truth?
Is there no law or justice left?
I let out a soft sigh and said to the front seat, “Maybe—I’m just saying maybe—I might actually be a dozen days older than Su Liumeng. My memory’s fuzzy now, I don’t know if I ever told you. Ever since I got pregnant, my mind’s been a mess. I often forget the most important things and have had quite a few farcical mishaps.”
“Hmm?” Shangguan Xiyue’s eyes flickered. “All right, I believe you.”
“Really?” My tone suddenly jumped up a few notches.
“Truer than gold. I’m your best buddy—if I don’t believe you, who will?” Shangguan Xiyue said with a laugh.
“Hehehe.” I giggled foolishly, as if being recognized as the elder sister was the ultimate validation.
Being the elder or younger sister isn’t the same—it’s about my last shred of dignity in some ways.
Sizhiyu, hearing this, muttered quietly, “Mommy, do you want to be on top?”
This brat, what is she saying now? Every time she opens her mouth, it’s shocking. My cute little face stiffened, as if someone had exposed my secret. “Where did you learn to talk like that? What kind of child discusses these things with their mother?”
Sizhiyu snorted softly, sounding a little unhappy. “Wasn’t it from that book you bought last time, ‘My Bestie Chased Me a Thousand Times: Are We Sisters or Something More—You Decide’?”
At this, my expression grew even more awkward. I’ve regretted buying so many strange booklets more than once. They’ve been haunting me ever since. It’s totally corrupting the child.
“You’re not secretly reading those books after I fall asleep, are you?”
“Of course, or else what if Mommy doesn’t let me read them?” Sizhiyu suddenly covered her mouth, realizing she’d let the truth slip, and decided to play dead. No matter how sternly I questioned her after, she didn’t say another word.
This little rascal.
She might be able to hide for now, but once she’s born, let’s see where she runs.
Unconsciously, I’d already fully embraced my role as a mother. Not to mention other things—even my mindset had shifted, though I hadn’t realized it myself.
Right now, I was seriously pondering a question.
Children are like saplings—if you’re not careful when they’re young, they can grow up crooked.
An unborn baby who’s already talking about wiping out humanity is bad enough. Now she’s always talking about “who’s on top.” What mother could handle that?
Maybe this is just the universal worry of all parents—always afraid they’re not doing enough.
In the shopping district, the crowds bustled, showing the prosperity of the big city.
Shangguan Xiyue didn’t come alone. She brought two bodyguards in suits, who looked fierce and kept the crowd at a safe distance.
Maybe it’s my current appearance—people probably associate me with being pregnant, so many polite folks instinctively kept their distance.
Baby shops and maternity stores—every expectant mother needs to know the difference.
The former is more for kids from zero to a few years old. The latter also sells things pregnant women need, plus essentials for before delivery.
That’s exactly the kind of shop I needed now.
In the maternity store, I yawned and bought a lot of clothes.
You have to consider the material, size, and fit.
When I quietly told the cashier my size, Shangguan Xiyue’s eyes nearly popped out, still a bit shocked. “Wow, Xinxin, you’re almost an E now.”
“Well, um…” I fiddled with my fingers, my voice timid, even softer as I explained, “I wasn’t always this big, just a little over a D before. Who knew they’d keep growing?”
When I first transformed, I thought I was a C+. Later, when I went to buy underwear, the salesgirl measured me and I realized I was a whole size bigger than I’d thought.
Since I’d never really been around girls before, I had no idea about cup differences. The underbust and cup size both affect how things look.
It only looks okay from the outside, but the actual size is already pretty outrageous.
Talking about it, I couldn’t help but look a little troubled.
I used to love sleeping on my stomach, but that’s a thing of the past now. Before bed, I have to give myself countless mental reminders to lie flat and not move around. My chest is already big, and now there’s a little life inside me. If I accidentally rolled over onto my belly, it’d be a disaster.
Hearing my complaints, Shangguan Xiyue’s lips twitched. “From a girl’s perspective, yeah, being this big isn’t convenient. But from an aesthetic point of view, I think it’s perfect. If you didn’t have a partner, I’d be the first to dive in.”
I glared at her fiercely. “Oh, so you and Su Liumeng think the same way, huh?”
“My back gets so sore from standing up straight all the time.”
Shangguan Xiyue replied, “Look at it another way—anyone might let their baby down in the future, but you never would…”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Hmm?” I tilted my head, suddenly seeing things her way. “That’s true. When you put it like that, it doesn’t sound so bad.”
Passing by the arcade again, I glanced at the dance machines, longing in my eyes as I quickly looked away. Someday, I’ll come play. I always wanted to as a kid, but because of Su Family rules, I could never do anything too wild, so I buried that wish deep in my heart. Leaving the Su Family was a kind of liberation for my soul—just like how I can’t help but try puzzles and building blocks I never played with as a child. There’s so much I’m eager to experience, and I want to try it all with that special someone.
“Xinxin, anything else you want to buy?”
I pursed my lips, pretending to think. “Does hotpot count?”
I’ve always been a doer. So, at a famous Fire Pot Restaurant, I ate to my heart’s content. When you’re happy, you can’t help but hum a tune that Shangguan Xiyue can’t understand, swinging your legs as you eat.
“Feeling better?”
For the first time, I showed my bright white teeth, not caring about any noble family etiquette. “Much better. Completely satisfied.”
Behind my back, Shangguan Xiyue pulled out her phone and sent a text.
[November 10th. Took your little sister out for hotpot. She was really happy. Remember to take her next time too.]
Satisfied, she put her phone down with a sense of accomplishment.
She was getting better and better at playing matchmaker.
No wonder she’s so proud of herself.
Truly hiding her achievements and fame.
My eyes paused on her phone lying on the table. “You’re playing with your phone even while eating? What were you just doing?” With my strong sixth sense, I felt she was doing something related to me behind my back.
It wasn’t the first time I’d suspected this.
“Oh, just reporting my whereabouts.”
My gaze flickered, and my reply was a little cryptic. “I see.”
Almost forgot—Shangguan Xiyue has her own family.
Seeing how tightly that man controls her, she probably isn’t happy at all.
I made up my mind again: when I get stronger, I’ll be the first to kick her arranged partner to the curb.
Who does he think he is, bullying Cat Cat? He’s the first one who needs to get lost.
*****
November 15th.
I went alone to a small hill, hugging my knees and staring blankly at the distant sunset.
When I’m sad, I like quiet places, as if the stillness can purify my heart and drive away all my worries.
Through the thick clouds, watching the fading sun, I seemed to see a beautiful figure smiling at me.
“Mommy, you’re secretly emo again.” Sizhiyu hadn’t been sleeping much lately, and she pouted quietly.
“Who’s emo?” I retorted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Denial is my specialty.
But in the end, I wilted, crouching down again, hugging my knees with a gap between my arms and legs so as not to press on my belly. “I… just miss her a little. Am I useless, Mommy?”
“No.” Sizhiyu bit her finger and replied seriously after thinking, “Missing someone you care about is totally normal.”
“Just like if I’m not by your side, you’d miss me too.”
Then, the little brat hummed, “Of course, that person isn’t as important as me. If we both fell in the water, she’d definitely be the last one you’d save.” Talking about her unbeatable status in the family, she puffed out her chest like it was the happiest thing in the world.
“But…” My voice was muffled and awkward. “Mommy can’t swim.”
Sizhiyu’s tone faltered, and she replied dryly, “I see. Well, I can swim, so I’ll save myself.”
Who would’ve thought this century-old unsolvable problem could be cracked by me so effortlessly?
*****
At the same time.
In the Land of Fallen Dragons, Su Liumeng crawled out of the ground, covered in blood, her clothes torn and disheveled, looking utterly wretched.
She suddenly threw aside all restraint, laughing up at the sky, her eyes full of pent-up frustration finally released.
After being suppressed for so long by the invincible Su Family, this was the first time she felt so free.
This was her first step toward her own freedom.
A total of five kinds of dragon blood—fifteen days in all—she had accomplished a feat no one before her ever could.
Around Su Liumeng, five True Dragon phantoms circled repeatedly, the golden one among them the most solid—her strongest source dragon blood.
Her whole body was covered in tiny wounds.
Gazing into the endless distance, her eyes held an uncontrollable madness.
Suddenly, she stuck out her pink tongue, slowly licking her lips, her voice deep with greed and desire. “Should I fuse with another True Dragon’s blood?”
She felt she hadn’t reached the limit of her talent yet.
Su Liumeng never imagined she’d be so compatible with dragon blood, as if she’d been born a True Dragon herself, without any of the shackles and hardships others faced in fusion.
However—
Her body was already at its limit.
Su Liumeng could only suppress her excitement for now, retreating to a deserted cave to recover from the damage of the fusion process and plan for her ambitious future.
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