The original host was moved by such simple and superficial words because she viewed them through the filter of love.

But as a clear-headed bystander, Ruan Chuchu knew she couldn’t hear any real affection in this mechanical confession.

She remained silent, pretending not to have heard it.

The other party, too, seemed to be merely completing a task, not expecting a response from her.

Before long, the room fell into silence.

Although Gu Yu no longer had any further intentions, Ruan Chuchu still couldn’t relax.

Just the thought of lying on the same bed as Gu Yu, with barely ten centimeters between them, made her unbearably tense.

She quietly inched toward the edge of the bed, then a little more, and a little more—until she was on the verge of falling off. Only then did she feel somewhat reassured.

Having narrowly escaped the hurdle of “marital duties,” Ruan Chuchu, hidden in the darkness, finally found a sliver of security. She forced a shred of rationality from her nearly fried brain and began sorting through useful information.

The original Ruan Chuchu, in One Pregnancy, One Marriage, was an insignificant cannon-fodder supporting character.

Although she was Gu Yu’s legal wife, she was at best a mere background figure.

She was like an NPC designed to trigger Gu Yu’s subplot—pregnant with an unwanted child, schemed against by a mistress who caused her miscarriage, which led to depression. In the end, her entire family business was swallowed up by the ambitious Gu Yu, and she met an insignificant end, barely warranting a brief mention in the novel.

Her only purpose was to highlight Gu Yu’s ruthlessness.

If they didn’t share the same name, Ruan Chuchu wouldn’t have remembered her at all.

She still recalled how, after reading the brief, two-line mention of Ruan Chuchu’s lonely demise, she had sulked her way into her father’s study, leaning against his desk in protest.

“Chuchu, Chuchu, Dad, why did you give me such a common name?”

Her father had set down his documents and asked, “Isn’t Chuchu a good name?”

Ruan Chuchu had grumbled, “It’s too ordinary. I can flip through any random novel and find someone named Chuchu, and they’re always cannon fodder.”

“Slender waist so delicate, dancing in the wind and snow.” Her father had leaned back in his chair, reciting the literary phrase with a smile. “My daughter only needs to be beautiful. I think it’s a wonderful name.”

Maybe the author had simply picked an unremarkable name for an unimportant side character.

But to her parents, the name “Chuchu” carried their beautiful wishes for her.

Thinking of this, Ruan Chuchu’s nose stung, and in the blink of an eye, tears began to fall.

What had happened to her in the original world? Had someone else taken over her body too?

Would her parents notice that it wasn’t her? If they did, would they be heartbroken?

Of course, they would be devastated.

Her dad might even cry, only to be mocked by Ms. Qin.

Maybe it was better if they didn’t realize it.

That thought only made Ruan Chuchu cry harder.

Afraid of waking Gu Yu, she buried her face in the pillow, trying to muffle her sobs.

Perhaps from the lack of oxygen, she eventually drifted off into a hazy sleep.

She never noticed the pair of eyes opening in the darkness beside her.

Gu Yu furrowed his brows in thought, his expression unreadable. In the pitch-black room, his usually light-colored eyes seemed to have absorbed the darkness, reflecting an icy, impenetrable glow.

He didn’t move. After a moment, he closed his eyes once more.

_

Ruan Chuchu didn’t sleep well all night. Her dreams were filled with monsters chasing her down, trying to eat her. Just when she was utterly exhausted and finally tackled to the ground, the ferocious beast with its gaping jaws suddenly transformed into Gu Yu’s sinister grin!

She jolted awake, finding herself still in bed. But before her pounding heart could settle, she was struck with another shock—she was clutching onto Gu Yu with all four limbs!

The very man who had hunted her in her dreams all night long!

Ruan Chuchu cautiously peeked at the person beside her. The man was lying straight on his back, his posture impeccable, hands neatly placed at his sides, eyes closed, and his breathing steady—he seemed to be sound asleep.

Carefully, she untangled herself from him, peeling away her arms and legs like an octopus withdrawing its tentacles. She let out a silent sigh of relief.

The sky outside was already bright. Moving as quietly as possible, Ruan Chuchu slipped out of bed, pushed open the small balcony door, and shivered as the chilly morning air rushed over her.

The rain hadn’t stopped. She stretched out a hand, and soon, her palm was damp with raindrops.

It was real.

She had really entered a book’s world. Everything here was just like before, yet her life had been turned completely upside down.

Lost in thought, Ruan Chuchu didn’t notice the man on the bed watching her intently, his eyes flickering with contemplation.

Gu Yu was a light sleeper. After listening to the muffled sobs beside him for half the night, he hadn’t slept well either.

The moment Ruan Chuchu moved, he woke up. Naturally, he didn’t miss the way her body stiffened instantly, nor her strange behavior.

Propping himself up with his arms, he sat against the headboard and observed her for a while before finally getting up, grabbing a jacket, and walking over.

“Standing here so early in the morning—aren’t you afraid of catching a cold?”

Ruan Chuchu instinctively retracted her hand and was about to turn around when she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders. She clutched at the jacket and looked back, only to see Gu Yu gazing at her gently.

Something about it made her uncomfortable, and she quickly averted her eyes.

Gu Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he lightly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Why are your eyes a little swollen?”

Ruan Chuchu immediately lowered her head, rubbing her eyes to avoid his scrutiny. She answered somewhat stiffly, “Had a nightmare last night, didn’t sleep well.”

Fortunately, Gu Yu didn’t press the matter. He simply said, “Then take the day off. Don’t go to work. Stay home and rest.”

Ruan Chuchu hadn’t been in the mood to go to work anyway, so she readily agreed. “Okay, then I’ll go back to sleep for a bit. Don’t mind me.”

Without waiting for his response, she quickly sidestepped him and returned to the bedroom, diving under the covers with a whoosh.

Gu Yu moved swiftly, and before long, he had freshened up and dressed. He glanced at the lump under the blankets—completely wrapped up, even her face hidden—and in the end, he did nothing. He simply pulled open the door and left.

As soon as she heard the soft click of the door closing, Ruan Chuchu dramatically flung off the covers and took several deep breaths.

If he had stayed any longer, she would’ve suffocated!

Perhaps because she hadn’t slept well the night before, and now that the source of her stress was gone, Ruan Chuchu rolled around on the bed a couple of times—then unexpectedly dozed off again.

She was woken up by a knock on the door.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Half-asleep, Ruan Chuchu rubbed her eyes and sat up halfway, raising her voice. “Come in.”

“It’s Madam. Sir was worried you might oversleep and asked me to wake you at 9:30 for breakfast. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good for your stomach.”

The visitor was Aunt Li, the housekeeper—highly capable and an excellent cook.

Ruan Chuchu inwardly scoffed at Gu Yu’s surface-level attentiveness, but her stomach was empty, and she was indeed hungry. She nodded. “Mm, I’ll come down.”

Aunt Li smiled at her, then stepped aside to reveal the people behind her. “Sir also had a carpet delivered. I’ll have it laid out for you, so next time, even if you forget to wear slippers, your feet won’t get cold.”

As she spoke, two workers carried a thick carpet into the room and swiftly laid it down. In no time, they left along with Aunt Li.

Ruan Chuchu watched as the door closed softly. She got out of bed, walked to the foot of it, and nudged the plush white wool carpet with her toes.

Hah. Flawless performance! No wonder he had managed to fool the original Ruan Chuchu and her entire family.

If she didn’t already know that beneath that golden exterior lay a heart as black as ink, she might have been deceived by these thoughtful little gestures too!

If he truly cared so much about his wife, how could he have let the mistress scheme to get rid of their child? Hypocrite!

As she was mentally criticizing him, a sudden realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.

!!!

The child!

That’s what she had been forgetting this whole time!

Ruan Chuchu’s hands flew to her abdomen, her expression instantly turning to one of panic.