Chapter 22

A birthday…

Jiang Yu was a bit surprised. In this world, her birthday was the same as in her original world, which felt a bit strange. But this feeling quickly passed, and she replied, “I think so. How did you know?”

“I asked your parents.”

Jiang Yu thought about the original owner’s parents and fell silent.

She seemed to have forgotten something.

The original owner had resented her parents for pushing her to marry Jiang Zhe, blaming them for her unhappy life. Their relationship had become strained. Since transmigrating, Jiang Yu, perhaps due to hormonal changes or other reasons, hadn’t thought about the original owner’s parents. Maybe she should go back and visit them?

Jiang Yu stopped eating and said to Jiang Zhe, “I want to go back and see my parents.”

Jiang Zhe nodded. “Do you want to spend your birthday with your parents?”

Jiang Yu wasn’t sure, but if possible, she could try.

In her memories, the original owner’s family seemed very kind.

“We’ll see how things go.”

“If I want to spend my birthday with my parents, do you think it’s okay?” Although this was something she could decide on her own, given how well Jiang Zhe was taking care of her, she felt she should ask for his opinion. Maybe he wanted to spend it with just the two of them.

Just the two of them…

She was surprised to find herself considering spending it alone with him. She wondered why she thought of this and, more importantly, why she didn’t reject the idea. If he wanted it, maybe she could consider it.

Jiang Zhe thought such an important day should be up to her. “Whatever makes you happy. We have plenty of time.”

Jiang Zhe deliberately emphasized the words “plenty of time,” but Jiang Yu didn’t notice the oddity in his tone. She thought for a moment and said, “I should go back and see my parents first.”

Strangely, she couldn’t recall what the original owner’s parents looked like, no matter how hard she tried. She figured it didn’t matter much, as both parents were alive and well. When she returned to the Jiang family, many memories surfaced, and she assumed it would be the same with her parents.

Thinking about meeting the original owner’s parents made Jiang Yu restless and unable to sleep that night. Her emotions were complicated. The original owner’s parents loved her dearly, so Jiang Yu wanted to appear as a dutiful daughter to make them happy. However, she worried that they might notice the change in her soul.

Her thoughts kept her awake, and the next morning, Jiang Zhe noticed the dark circles under her eyes and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Jiang Yu rubbed her tired eyes, yawned, and mumbled, “No, I just didn’t sleep well.”

“Maybe it’s because I want to go home.”

Unaware of it herself, Jiang Yu’s face lit up when she mentioned going home.

Seeing her excitement, Jiang Zhe’s eyes held a trace of confusion that Jiang Yu couldn’t see.

Noticing his expression, Jiang Yu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Zhe dismissed his thoughts and said, “Nothing. If you’re tired, you can rest more. If not, I’ll take you home.”

Jiang Yu felt a bit embarrassed asking him to accompany her so early. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Jiang Zhe replied, “Work never ends. The things I need to do can wait. They can handle it without me.”

Curious, Jiang Yu asked, “Can you really keep up with their progress if you don’t go to the office every day?”

Jiang Zhe found her question amusing and smiled. “Maybe because I’m the boss, I mainly handle important matters. If there’s no big issue, they won’t need me. Otherwise, I can choose to do the work or not.”

Jiang Yu admired him. “That’s great.”

She continued, “Jiang Zhe, have you noticed that you look good when you smile? You should smile more often.”

She smiled, showing her dimples, and Jiang Zhe felt an inexplicable urge to kiss her. But considering she might not be ready for such a step, he held back.

He smiled again and asked, “Really?”

Jiang Yu shook her head. “Not really.”

“But it seems that no matter how you smile, you always look good.”

“Then I’ll smile more often,” he said gently.

After breakfast, they went shopping for groceries and then headed to Jiang Yu’s parents’ house.

Jiang Zhe had been there before and remembered the way. Jiang Yu felt sleepy on the way, but her mind cleared once they reached the building.

As they walked upstairs, the familiarity overwhelmed her, leaving her feeling a bit lost.

Seeing her silence, Jiang Zhe asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Yu shook her head. “Nothing.”

She rang the doorbell.

When the door opened, and she saw the faces inside, her mind went blank.

The parents in this world looked exactly like her parents in her original world.

Her breath caught, and she didn’t know what to do.

She began to doubt if this world was just a novel or a parallel world to her original one.

Otherwise, how could she explain why the parents in this world looked exactly like her parents?

Seeing their daughter standing at the door, Mother Jiang smiled and said, “Why are you standing at the door? Come in quickly.”

“Mom.” Just saying that word made Jiang Yu feel a wave of sadness.

The smile of this world’s mother was so similar to her mother in the other world.

Seeing her daughter acting spoiled, Mother Jiang pretended to scold her, “You’re so grown up, still acting spoiled with your mother. Don’t let Xiao Zhe see and laugh at you.”

Despite her words, Mother Jiang missed her daughter very much.

Her daughter had been a headache and a source of worry, especially with Jiang Zhe’s child in her belly. They believed Jiang Zhe was more reliable than his nephew, so they had her marry Jiang Zhe. They felt heartbroken seeing their beloved daughter’s sad eyes then.

But the situation was settled.

Now that they were back together, it was clear they had accepted each other. Mother Jiang felt relieved.

Jiang Yu didn’t care if she would be laughed at. She glanced at Jiang Zhe and said, “If he dares to laugh at me, I’ll ignore him.”

“You child.” Mother Jiang’s eyes held a mix of helplessness and affection.

Father Jiang came over and took the things from Jiang Zhe’s hands. Seeing his daughter willing to forgive them made him happy. He asked, “Xiao Zhe, do you drink? Let’s have a drink together.”

Mother Jiang immediately said, “Xiao Zhe has to drive back tonight. Don’t encourage him to drink.”

Father Jiang didn’t see it as a problem. “If he can’t drive, they can stay here tonight. You’re really hopeless.”

Father Jiang spoke with a smile in his eyes.

Father Jiang and Mother Jiang often teased each other, just like how it used to be in Jiang Yu’s original home. The familiar setup and interactions made her feel a deep sense of warmth and nostalgia.

She had always thought of herself and the original owner as two different people, but now, she felt an inexplicable connection between them.

Jiang Yu felt she should consult Jiang Zhe, so she asked, “What do you think?”

“Whatever you want. You can stay for a few more days if you like.”

Since he said that, Jiang Yu decided, “Then I’ll stay a few more days.”

While her father was cooking and Jiang Zhe offered to help, Jiang Yu went back to her room. It suddenly dawned on her that if they stayed for a few days, she would have to share a room with Jiang Zhe. Although they were married, they had never slept in the same room before, and Jiang Yu felt a bit shy about it.

Even though she knew Jiang Zhe wouldn’t do anything to a pregnant woman, she couldn’t help but think he might be more proper than she imagined.

The thought made her want to laugh.

At that moment, Jiang Zhe entered the room. Seeing him, Jiang Yu asked curiously, “Weren’t you helping my dad cook?”

Jiang Zhe shrugged. “Your dad didn’t need my help. Why are you smiling? You look so happy.”

Jiang Yu quickly touched her mouth and asked, “Was I smiling?”

Jiang Zhe nodded affirmatively. “Yes, you were.”

Jiang Yu pursed her lips, trying to contain her smile, and said, “It’s nothing. I just thought of something funny.”

Jiang Zhe wasn’t one to pry, so he didn’t ask further.

However, he also realized that if they stayed here tonight, they would have to share a room. But he didn’t think much of it, knowing that with her being pregnant, he wouldn’t do anything.