Extra 3.3

Jiang Rou slept until after eight o’clock. She was quite flexible; a few days ago, she had struggled with the unfamiliar bed and slept lightly, but now she had grown accustomed to it.

She yawned and then looked out the window and noticed that it was quite bright outside.

Xiao Feng had been awake for some time and had been quietly nestled in her mother’s arms. When she saw her mother wake up, a smile spread across her face.

Having slept so long, Jiang Rou’s mind was still somewhat hazy. Seeing Xiao Feng’s smile made her heart feel warm, and she couldn’t resist lowering her head to give a loud kiss on the top of her head.

Xiao Feng’s smile grew even wider, and she softly called out, “Mommy—”

Jiang Rou got up with Xiao Feng, changed clothes, and went outside.

There, she saw Li Xiao carrying a bucket of water toward the kitchen and was reminded of what had happened last night.

In the kitchen, Li Xiao had already prepared the meal.

Jiang Rou didn’t stand on ceremony; after washing up, she served food for herself and Xiao Feng and took it to the door to eat.

The mother and daughter squatted facing each other while eating, and Li Xiao sat at the large table in the main room, glancing over before turning his gaze away.

Jiang Rou tasted the food and, well, how should she put it? It could only be described as cooked.

Xiao Feng, on the other hand, wasn’t picky and ate heartily. However, after being spoiled by her mother’s better cooking in recent days, she had developed a taste for quality, and her little brow furrowed tightly.

Jiang Rou didn’t eat much. After finishing, she took the bowl to the kitchen. Li Xiao ate quickly and was already washing dishes by the time she arrived.

Seeing Jiang Rou’s approach, he said, “Give it to me.”

Jiang Rou handed him the bowl, which still had half a bowl of rice left. She explained somewhat embarrassedly, “I’m full.”

Li Xiao didn’t say anything.

Xiao Feng finished eating as well and ran to the kitchen stove, holding up her bowl with both hands, “Daddy, I’m done.”

Li Xiao glanced at the finished bowl and nodded.

But Xiao Feng didn’t leave, looking up at him with expectation.

These past few days, after finishing her meals, her mother would praise her for being great.

She also wanted to receive praise from her father.

Li Xiao met her gaze and seemed to understand what she was hoping for.

Yet, he remained silent.

If he were the twenty-year-old version of himself, Li Xiao thought he probably wouldn’t have noticed his daughter’s subtle request. But now, in his current state, he wanted to pat his daughter’s head and tell her she did well, just like an ordinary father would. However, as soon as he reached out with his left hand, he saw his disfigured little finger. His hand stopped mid-air, and he found himself unable to say anything.

After ten years of hiding and evasion, he no longer knew how to interact normally with others.

Xiao Feng, not receiving her father’s praise, looked somewhat disappointed. But she quickly understood and smiled brightly, saying, “Daddy, washing dishes is hard work. Xiao Feng won’t bother you.”

Li Xiao gave a soft hum in response and watched her leave—her small back disappearing from view.

Fortunately, the child didn’t stay upset for long.

Soon, Li Xiao heard the lively sounds of conversation outside. Xiao Feng was telling the police intern named Jiang Rou that she had eaten all her food.

The woman, unlike him, responded with exaggerated surprise, “So impressive? You’re much better than Mommy when was when I was your age. Mommy used to get spanked by your Grandma for not eating and had her ears pulled by Uncle… Ah… anyway, Mommy was very mischievous and wasn’t as well-behaved as you.”

She seemed to realize her mistake and quickly corrected herself.

From just a few sentences, it was clear she came from a wealthy and happy family.

But Xiao Feng couldn’t tell. She quickly said, “Mommy is very well-behaved. To me, Mommy is the best and most well-behaved Mommy.”

“Is that so? To me, Xiao Feng is also the best and most well-behaved baby in the world.”

“Hee hee hee”

A few words were enough to make the child very happy.

Li Xiao lowered his gaze and continued washing dishes.

When he came out, he found that the person who had claimed to be full was now sharing cookies with Xiao Feng, and they were both laughing joyfully.

As he walked past them, he hesitated but said, “I’m going out for a bit.”

Jiang Rou looked up at him, thought for a moment, and replied, “Okay.”

In the morning, Xiao Feng was doing her homework. It was Saturday, and there was a drawing assignment from the teacher. Jiang Rou set up a chair and a small stool at the door of the main room. While Xiao Feng was drawing, Jiang Rou took a piece of paper and began writing beside her.

Although she was transmigrated as Li Xiao’s ex-wife, she was not his real wife and could not spend a lifetime with him.

Thus, they needed to divorce.

They could co-parent the child, but she needed to stay there temporarily until she found a suitable place to move out.

If he was busy, she could take care of the child for now. However, all expenses for raising the child would be covered by him, while she would be responsible for her own expenses.

Before she left, they were free from each other’s constraints, with no physical contact, shared household chores, and property divided equally upon divorce.

—o—o—o—

At noon, Aunt Wang from next door came over to ask Jiang Rou how to make chili sauce. She found it delicious and wanted to send some to her daughter.

Since her husband had died two years ago, she and her daughter had started living frugally. Her daughter was very understanding; she was attending university away from home and had lost weight when she came back last year for the New Year.

Jiang Rou asked Xiao Feng to continue drawing and went next door.

When she returned from next door, Li Xiao was already home, working on woodworking in the yard.

He had bought meat and milk on his way back, and Xiao Feng was drinking milk while earnestly drawing.

Seeing her mother come back, Xiao Feng lifted her head and happily called out, “Mommy—”

Then she pointed to the milk in the house and said, “Daddy bought a lot of milk. Mommy should also drink some.”

Jiang Rou followed her gaze and then smiled, “The milk is for kids to drink so they can grow taller. Mommy doesn’t need it because she’s an adult.”

She then added, “Continue drawing. Mommy is going to cook.”

Xiao Feng obediently replied, “Okay.”

Jiang Rou went to the kitchen. After taking a few steps, she signaled to Li Xiao outside with a subtle gesture.

Li Xiao heard the sound, paused his actions, turned his head to look at her, and saw her with a mischievous expression.

He lightly furrowed his brows.

Xiao Feng also heard the noise and instinctively turned her head curiously.

Jiang Rou quickly regained her composure and smiled at Xiao Feng, saying, “Be good and keep drawing.”

Xiao Feng turned her head back as instructed.

Seeing Jiang Rou signaling to him, Li Xiao fell silent for a moment before putting down what he was holding and following her into the kitchen.

After he entered the kitchen, Jiang Rou took out several contracts she had drafted that morning and said, “Take a look at these.”

Li Xiao glanced at her and then took the papers, lowering his head to read them.

Jiang Rou asked from the side, “I’ve thought of these so far. Do you have anything to add?”

Fearing he might disagree, she couldn’t help but explain, “After all, we’re not a real couple and there are no feelings between us. I hope you can understand.”

Li Xiao was not surprised by her actions; he just hadn’t expected her to take on the responsibility of Xiao Feng’s well-being so willingly.

Even Xiao Feng’s biological mother, Jiang Rou, couldn’t manage that, and yet she, a stranger, was willing to do so.

Li Xiao looked at her, trying to discern the sincerity in her eyes, and met a pair of clear, honest eyes.

Jiang Rou spoke earnestly, “Rest assured, now that I’ve become her mother, I will take on my responsibilities and be good to Xiao Feng.”

For some reason, despite their limited interactions, Li Xiao found himself believing her words. After a pause, he added, “I agree to this, and you can stay here as long as you want. I will cover the child’s living expenses, as well as yours. You can leave whenever you wish, but just one thing—I hope you don’t tell Xiao Feng about the divorce just yet.”

Jiang Rou thought the request was reasonable and nodded promptly, “Okay. Are you free on Monday?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then, you can get back to your work.”

Li Xiao left.

There was nothing more to say between them.

—o—o—o—

At noon, Jiang Rou prepared three dishes and a soup. When Li Xiao tasted Jiang Rou’s cooking, he found it very delicious and considered it the best meal he had had in years.

Xiao Feng enjoyed the meal as well, eating heartily with her bowl. Seeing her wanting another bowl, Jiang Rou did not agree, patted her round little belly, and then lifted her off the chair to play.

Li Xiao watched Xiao Feng eagerly looking at the food on the table, realizing that the child had never had good food before. The woman wasn’t very good at cooking and didn’t pay much attention to her daughter, so it was understandable that the child was craving more.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but say, “Let her have half a bowl more.”

Jiang Rou turned her head in surprise and then, without a second thought, refused, “Children don’t have big stomachs. We don’t want to overfeed her; she’s already full.”

As she spoke, she stood up, “I’ve finished eating. Take her out for a walk. I cooked lunch, so you’ll do the dishes later.”

Without waiting for a response, she took Xiao Feng and went to visit the neighbor next door.

Li Xiao said nothing. He actually didn’t know much about raising children and thought that being full was sufficient. That’s how he had grown up.

After watching them leave, he finished the remaining dishes.

Jiang Rou always liked to leave a few bites of food on her plate. He didn’t waste it but poured the remaining rice from her bowl into his own and finished it.

—o—o—o—

In the afternoon, Li Xiao went out again and came back very late. He didn’t return to his room but slept in the room across from them.

The next morning, he was not seen, but he had brought back many things, including flour, eggs, vegetables, and a lot of fresh meat, including beef and lamb.

Jiang Rou was quite good at cooking. She loved to eat and usually spent her days off at home making delicious dishes according to online videos.

This made Xiao Feng very happy; it felt like the New Year for the past two days. While eating dinner that night, she suddenly said, “It’s so good to have Mommy and Daddy.”

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao were both taken aback by this statement.

After washing up in the evening, Xiao Feng, not understanding, insisted that her father sleep with them.

When Jiang Rou returned to the room after her bath, she saw Xiao Feng holding onto her father unwilling to let go. The light overhead illuminated Li Xiao’s well-defined face, making him appear much softer.

This was not just her illusion. Jiang Rou noticed that when this man faced his daughter—his expression would unconsciously soften.

Perhaps moved by the warmth between father and daughter, Jiang Rou, rarely feeling soft-hearted, said, “Alright, you can stay.”

She was not an unreasonable person. It was said that the room across the hall used to be occupied by Li Xiao’s deceased grandfather, which made it rather eerie to think about.

When Xiao Feng heard her mother speak, she immediately smiled happily and said, “Daddy, Mommy isn’t angry anymore. You can come back to sleep tonight.”

It was unclear who gave Xiao Feng the misunderstanding that her father was sleeping across the hall because her mother was angry.

“……”

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao instinctively looked at each other and then awkwardly turned their gazes away.

The way Xiao Feng spoke made it seem as though they were a genuine married couple.

—o—o—o—

The next morning, Jiang Rou and Li Xiao went together to drop the child off at kindergarten.

It was the first time Xiao Feng was dropped off by both her parents, and she was especially happy. She skipped and jumped all the way, and when they reached the kindergarten gate, she even held their hands and walked around the entrance, deliberately not going inside.

When Jiang Rou asked her, she shyly replied, “I want everyone to see Mommy and Daddy.”

Jiang Rou felt a pang in her heart upon hearing this.

Eventually, it was the teacher who came over, and only then did Xiao Feng reluctantly go inside.

Before she went in, however, she took out a drawing from her backpack. The previous day, Jiang Rou had heard her say she wanted to give a small red flower to her parents, but since her drawing was not very good, she had never received one.

Jiang Rou’s heart softened, so she drew a picture for her—a mountain, a small bridge, and even cut out leaves to make a house. For the final step, Jiang Rou held Xiao Feng’s small hand and colored it in, making it look like it was her drawing.

At that time, Li Xiao, who was in the yard making a desk for the child, noticed that this police intern seemed to have double standards—there were things she could do that he couldn’t. For instance, he knew not to overfeed the child, but she gave the child cookies after a meal.

Similarly, when he heard their daughter wanted a small red flower, and asked what it looked like. He was planning to buy two for her but Jiang Rou stopped him, saying it wouldn’t be good as it might make the child feel inferior compared to others. Yet, she herself helped the child with a drawing that looked far beyond what a child could produce.

Xiao Feng, unaware of the nuances, happily carried her drawing into the classroom. When she met her classmates at the door, she couldn’t help but boast, “This is a drawing my Mommy helped me with. We colored it together.”

The children standing at the door surrounded her, unable to help but praise, “Wow, your Mommy’s drawing is so beautiful.”

“Li Feng, I envy you for having such an amazing Mommy.”

Xiao Feng beamed with a radiant smile amidst the compliments.

Li Xiao, who was standing at the entrance of the kindergarten, saw this and, for some reason, felt his eyes become a bit wet.

He had never known that his daughter could smile so carefree and happy outside.

He turned his head to look at Jiang Rou beside him and found that she was also watching the child with a faint smile on her lips, and there was a trace of pride in her eyes.

It seemed that receiving praise from the other children made her quite proud.

This made his expression soften a bit.

—o—o—o—

After leaving the kindergarten, they went to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

They arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau at 8:30 in the morning. The doors were still closed, so they waited outside for a while. There were other people waiting as well, mostly younger individuals who seemed to be there to get their marriage certificates.

Only one pair of middle-aged couples looked unhappy. They started arguing verbally and then, as the argument escalated, they began to push each other.

Jiang Rou didn’t think much of it and instinctively stepped forward to separate them.

However, she hadn’t considered her current physical state. Instead of managing to pull them apart, she was shoved forcefully by the middle-aged woman and staggered several steps backward.

The middle-aged woman continued to vent her anger on Jiang Rou, “What are you pulling for? Even though you’re about to get married, you’re still flirting outside. I see you’re just a shameless girl…”

Li Xiao steadied Jiang Rou and stepped forward, his face growing cold as he stared at the woman.

Compared to the harmless Jiang Rou, he clearly looked more intimidating.

Only then did the middle-aged woman fall silent.

The middle-aged man on the other side stood by without saying a word.

At nine o’clock, the Civil Affairs Bureau opened its doors. Li Xiao and Jiang Rou were at the end of the line. Once inside, they found that there were not many people at the divorce window, except for the same middle-aged couple, who began arguing again inside.

Jiang Rou and Li Xiao had no choice but to continue waiting. During the wait, Jiang Rou, still impressed by Li Xiao’s protection earlier, casually asked, “Will you get married again in the future?”

In her past life, it was never mentioned in the documents. After all, he had avenged their daughter but hadn’t lived a peaceful life before dying in a car accident.

It was truly tragic.

Li Xiao noticed the curiosity in her eyes but still replied briefly, “No, I won’t.”

Jiang Rou nodded. She probably wouldn’t either.

In her past life, she hadn’t wanted to get married, but her parents seemed very anxious. As soon as she graduated, they began arranging blind dates through her brother.

After the exchange, the two fell into silence again, mainly because Li Xiao was a man of few words, and Jiang Rou found it somewhat difficult to strike up a conversation with him.

She rubbed her arm, which still ached from the push earlier, and noticed that the skin on her fair arm had turned purple.

Li Xiao glanced down, observing the bruise, and after a Moment of silence, he suddenly said, “In the future, stay away from such situations.”

Jiang Rou stopped rubbing her arm and, instinctively, looked up at him. Meeting his indifferent gaze, she felt a bit surprised but still responded with a soft, “Mm.”