“Mommy, Mommy, don’t you want the baby anymore?”

A soft, childish cry echoed persistently in Ye Fan’s ears.

Ye Fan struggled to open her eyes, momentarily unable to tell where she was.

“Mommy!”

A pair of small hands clung to her arm, their owner sobbing uncontrollably.

Were they calling her?

Ye Fan turned her head and saw a child, about two or three years old, gazing at her.

The little one pouted, tears streaming down their face, their red, swollen eyes full of sorrow.

“Mommy hug, want a hug,” the child said in a soft, tender voice, their eyes filled with hope.

Clinging to the edge of the bed, the child stared at Ye Fan with wide, dark, round eyes. Stretching out their hands, they pushed off the floor, trying to climb up to her.

Ye Fan instinctively sat up and scooped the baby into her arms. The little one seemed terrified, clinging tightly to her neck as soon as she lifted him.

He must have cried for a long time earlier, as he was still softly sniffling.

His small shoulders trembled with each breath, but his chubby hands remained wrapped around Ye Fan, afraid she might ignore him again like before.

The soft, tiny body nestled into her embrace, and Ye Fan froze for a moment.

She had never taken care of a child before and had no idea how to handle this baby that wasn’t hers.

Carefully, she held him close, afraid that she might hurt someone so small and fragile.

Perhaps sensing that Ye Fan was finally awake, the baby gradually quieted down.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ye Fan began to examine the room around her.

Unfamiliar memories flooded her mind.

She had transmigrated into a novel called The Real and Fake Heiress. In this world, there was a side character with the same name as hers—a disposable cannon fodder who was once the Tang family’s heiress.

The Tang family was a powerful and renowned financial conglomerate.

Nie Weiru had secretly harbored feelings for Mr. Tang and envied everything about Mrs. Tang. Driven by jealousy, she switched their newborns at birth when Mrs. Tang was giving birth.

From that moment, the real heiress was abandoned and grew up in an orphanage, while the impostor, Tang Jin, enjoyed a life of wealth and luxury.

Years later, the real heiress entered the entertainment industry. The chaotic and predatory nature of the industry was no place for someone with no backing. Despite her stunning beauty, she was nothing more than an unknown extra, forced to swallow her grievances silently.

Seeing her lack of support, some in the industry tried to take advantage of her. However, their plan went awry—not only did she avoid being exploited by an older man, but she ended up having a relationship with the film emperor, He Han.

This led to the birth of her child, though He Han remained unaware of it.

Afterward, she continued working in the entertainment industry, raising her child alone. Ironically, she became the stand-in for Tang Jin, who had grown up as the Tang family’s heiress. Tang Jin, having discovered during her childhood that she was not a blood relative of the Tang family had always known the truth about her identity.

When Tang Jin met the real heiress, she became suspicious and eventually confirmed her true lineage. Using the power of the Tang family, she relentlessly targeted her.

The real heiress’s son, however, was exceptionally intelligent from a young age. As he grew, he became a high-IQ villain.

Scarred by his childhood experiences, he developed a twisted personality. He committed crimes around the globe, leaving law enforcement powerless. Despite knowing he was the perpetrator, they could never find any evidence to capture him.

Before transmigrating, Ye Fan had been an orphan from a young age, losing both parents early in life. However, her natural talent for music caught the attention of a kind benefactor, who helped her attend a prestigious conservatory. Eventually, she became a composer.

Ye Fan had been working tirelessly on a new composition, staying up for several consecutive nights but before she could finish the piece, she found herself transported to this world.

Fortunately, the point in time when Ye Fan arrived wasn’t too late. Tang Jin had yet to discover the original character’s true identity, and as for Tang Jin’s upcoming schemes to frame her, Ye Fan had no intention of letting them succeed.

Only now did Ye Fan finally turn her attention to the baby in her arms. The child had a name—Ye Duo—and was affectionately called Dudu.

Dudu’s small arms were wrapped tightly around her neck. His short, chubby arms resembled segments of tender, plump lotus roots.

His chubby little face was so round and soft—perhaps that’s why he was given the nickname “Dudu.”

Ye Fan, having never taken care of a child before, appeared completely out of her depth.

When she lowered her head, her gaze met a pair of misty, wide eyes.

Those dark pupils were pure and clear, reflecting Ye Fan’s face back at her.

“Mommy,” little Dudu called out, staring at her without blinking.

Earlier, Ye Fan’s stillness on the bed had frightened him terribly. Now that she was awake, he only wanted to stay nestled in her arms.

Though Ye Fan wasn’t experienced with children, her heart melted at the sight of this adorable little boy.

She looked at Dudu’s fair, smooth skin and couldn’t resist pinching his cheek lightly. Her fingertips sank into the soft, squishy flesh.

Holding his face in her hands, Ye Fan’s heart brimmed with affection thinking how could he be this cute?

When Ye Fan proactively hugged him, Dudu was taken aback, almost stunned by the unexpected tenderness. Mommy had suddenly become so gentle.

Because this child wasn’t born out of the original character’s expectations or desires, her attitude toward him wasn’t exactly bad but lacked warmth and care.

It was distant—neither cold nor affectionate.

Thinking of this, Ye Fan’s heart ached, and she hugged Dudu tightly.

Just then, Dudu slowly retracted his chubby little hands. Ye Fan was about to ask why.

When he blinked his big, round eyes which were now glistening with a misty sheen.

“Mommy, I…need to pee.”

Ye Fan froze for a moment then instinctively reached under to support the baby’s bottom.

Sure enough, it was heavy and damp.

It seemed that being a new mom had to start with changing diapers.

Carrying the child, Ye Fan got out of bed. Dudu was surprisingly hefty for his size so she adjusted her hold on him, lifting him slightly higher as she walked.

Relying on the original character’s memories, Ye Fan managed to find where the diapers were kept.

Dudu was already two years old, but because the original character had largely neglected him, he hadn’t been potty trained yet. During the day, the nanny would take care of him, but when she wasn’t around, the original character would simply resort to using diapers for convenience.

“All right, let’s get you changed,” Ye Fan said with a cheerful tone.

She first spread a clean cloth over the sofa, then gently laid the baby on top of it.

Though her words sounded confident, when it came time to act, she found herself at a loss.

Tearing open the diaper packaging, Ye Fan examined it from every angle for what felt like ages before finally figuring out which side was the front.

She slipped the new diaper under Dudu’s bottom.

But the rest of the process didn’t go smoothly.

The adhesive straps were haphazardly fastened, barely sticking in place, and looked like they might fall off at any moment.

Muttering to herself under her breath, Ye Fan said. “Why doesn’t this look right?”

Usually, the nanny handled all of this, so Ye Fan had no experience whatsoever.

Dudu’s little face was serious, his expression unusually focused.

“Like this,” he instructed in his soft, babyish voice, teaching Ye Fan step by step.

Reaching out, he adjusted the back straps himself, pulling them forward a bit.

Ye Fan’s cheeks flushed instantly, after all, she had lived her entire life without ever feeling this embarrassed.

When Ye Fan didn’t respond, Dudu asked again. “Mommy, did you get it?”

With a bit of trial and error, Ye Fan finally got the diaper on properly.

Lifting Dudu up by his underarms, she held him close and planted a kiss on his chubby cheek.

“Thank you for teaching me, baby,” she said warmly.

Her unexpected show of affection left Dudu pleasantly surprised. Ye Fan had rarely been so close or gentle with him before.

But today, exceptions kept piling up one after another.

Dudu snuggled against Ye Fan’s face, looking completely content.

Just then, a phone in the bag began to ring. Dudu pointed in the direction of the sound.

“Mommy, answer.”

Dudu said, mimicking a phone gesture he had seen others make before, his actions adorably earnest.

Ye Fan couldn’t help but pinch the chubby softness of his cheek.

He carried a faint milky scent and his tiny body was soft and warm.

“You’re clever, Dudu.” Ye Fan praised with a smile.

Hearing her compliment, the little boy shyly pursed his lips into a smile, his dimples appearing on his round cheeks.

Placing Dudu carefully on the sofa, Ye Fan reached into her bag and took out the phone.

Seeing the caller ID on the phone screen, Ye Fan’s expression dimmed slightly.

After spending time with Dudu, she had almost forgotten something important.

Before the original character had her entanglement with the film emperor, He Han, she had already signed a contract agreeing to be Tang Jin’s stand-in.

For all of Tang Jin’s intimate scenes and action sequences, Ye Fan was required to step in and perform.

He Han…

Ye Fan thought silently, feeling conflicted. She had no desire to act alongside the film emperor. After all, the relationship between him and the original character was complicated, not to mention they now shared a two-year-old son.

To her, He Han was just a stranger. All she wanted was to live her life quietly and naturally.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ye Fan finally answered the call. “Brother Zhao,” she greeted.

Zhao Ping, the crew’s coordinator, had called to inform her of the schedule.

“You have a shoot tomorrow. You’ll need to fill in for Tang Jin in one of her scenes. Make sure you’re not late.”

Ye Fan furrowed her brows. “Sorry, Brother Zhao, I have some personal matters at home. Is it possible to skip this shoot?”

Zhao Ping was taken aback. “The shoot starts tomorrow. Where am I supposed to find a suitable stand-in at this late stage?”

Having worked with Ye Fan before, Zhao Ping knew she wasn’t the type to ask for special treatment. She was quiet and reserved, so he sensed there was a serious reason behind her request.

With a tone of concern, Zhao Ping said. “This scene is really important. You should adjust your mindset and not delay the crew’s progress.”

“Also, you’ve already signed a contract with the production team. If you break it, you’ll have to pay a hefty fine—several times the agreed amount.”

This was exactly what Ye Fan dreaded. If she had any savings, she could just pay the fine, but the reality was that she didn’t have that luxury.

The original character had worked as a background extra in the entertainment industry for years, stepping in as a stand-in countless times. The money she had saved up was used for the down payment on her small apartment, and she still had decades of mortgage payments to make.

Even if Ye Fan sold the apartment, she wouldn’t be able to pay the fine. She certainly didn’t want to end up on the streets with her son.

Grinding her teeth, Ye Fan reluctantly agreed. “Alright, I’ll do it.”

After hanging up the phone, she let out a soft sigh.

Turning around, her eyes met Dudu’s clear and innocent face. While she had been on the phone, Dudu had quietly sat there, patiently waiting without making a sound or calling for her.

As soon as Ye Fan hung up the phone, little Dudu eagerly stretched out his arms, signaling for a hug.

“Mommy, hug.”

His eyes sparkling brightly.

Ye Fan’s heart melted at the sight and quickly walked over to the sofa and pulled him into her arms.

Since she was already in this world, she would take responsibility for the baby.

“Don’t worry, baby. Mommy will protect you.”

=^_^=