An Yuan Yao’s stomach felt terrible.
After drinking so much, vomiting repeatedly, and eating irregularly for a long ti, she knew that if she didn’t have sothing to eat this morning, her stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it.
So, after a long silence, she nodded in response to Liu Changqing’s suggestion, also requesting that he add extra sugar.
She preferred things sweet.
The porridge from earlier that morning had cooled down.
Liu Changqing tore open the plastic lid, poured the porridge into a tal bowl, and placed it on the induction cooker to heat it up.
The house didn’t have the luxury of a microwave.
In just a few monts, the porridge was warm again. Liu Changqing added a generous spoonful of sugar and stirred it thoroughly before placing it in front of An Yuan Yao.
“Eat while it’s hot. This is all that’s left. There’s one youtiao left too, but you probably don’t like those.”
Surprisingly, he was right—An Yuan Yao didn’t care for youtiao.
Scooping up a spoonful of porridge, she blew on it to cool it down before placing it in her mouth.
The sweetness spread across her tongue, and a faint smile appeared on her face, though she quickly suppressed it.
She began eating faster.
As the porridge filled her stomach, the discomfort gradually subsided.
Before long, she had finished the bowl completely.
Feeling a little embarrassed, she looked at Liu Changqing, about to speak, but his words cut her off.
“You didn’t co here wearing shoes, so just take the slippers you’re wearing now with you.”
Looking down at her feet, she saw she was wearing a pair of new pink slippers adorned with large embroidered flowers—though the design wasn’t exactly appealing.
Without refusing, she accepted them. She wasn’t foolish;
walking back barefoot wasn’t an option.
Standing at the doorway, Liu Changqing skipped any pleasantries and simply reminded her to repay him soon before closing the door.
What a money-grubber.
Though she thought this, seeing the peeling walls of the hallway, she couldn’t help but understand.
He really was a certified broke man now, responsible for raising two children…
A mocking chuckle escaped her lips, but it quickly turned into a wave of sadness.
At least he had his children with him…
But what about ?
Thinking about her own ho, An Yuan Yao raised a hand to her stomach, gently rubbing it.
Regret flickered in her heart.
A child…
Her eyes dimd, a trace of loneliness flashing through them.
The next day.
It took so searching before An Yuan Yao finally found the bookstore at the address Liu Changqing had given her.
Her first impression was that the storefront was tiny.
Her second was that there were no custors.
Standing at the entrance, she spotted Liu Changqing inside, his expression sour as ever.
It seed he had recently developed a habit of wearing that scowl.
Liu Changqing felt a bit unsettled.
At first, he’d been confident, thinking writing novels and making money would be a piece of cake. But now, after submitting his signing application to the platform once his word count was sufficient, and receiving no response, his confidence had wavered.
Slowly, anxiety began creeping in.
“Here’s your money.”
A calm voice snapped Liu Changqing out of his restless thoughts. Looking up, he saw that it was An Yuan Yao.
Sothing about her seed different today.
This was the third ti they’d t since Liu Changqing had taken over the original owner’s body.
The first ti was at the café, where she had seed on the brink of a breakdown. The second ti was at his bookstore, where she had been drunk beyond belief. And now, this third ti—she had put on light makeup, which made a noticeable difference.
Liu Changqing accepted the cash she handed him without counting it, shoving it directly into his pocket and shifting his gaze back to the computer.
“That lipstick color doesn’t suit you.”
Startled, An Yuan Yao touched her lips, surprised that this utterly unromantic man had even noticed she was wearing makeup.
Feeling a bit defiant, she asked, “Since when does a man like you understand makeup?”
“I don’t, but won put on makeup either for other won or for n. As a man, I think I have a decent sense of what looks good.”
He glanced at her again, his eyes briefly leaving the computer.
“The lipstick is too dark—it makes you look like you’ve been poisoned.”
“You!”
An Yuan Yao’s chest heaved with frustration as she took a deep breath.
“Maybe worry about yourself first!”
Like a child, she glared at him fiercely.
Following her gaze, Liu Changqing looked down at his own slightly bulging stomach.
“I could probably lose a little weight,” he admitted.
An Yuan Yao smirked mockingly.
He glanced back at her, then down at his stomach, patting it lightly.
Now that she ntioned it… it did seem a bit excessive. And his son wasn’t exactly fit for his age either.
Liu Changqing had already slimd down a bit compared to when he first took over this body. The original owner had drowned himself in alcohol and barely eaten after the divorce, leading to so weight loss. But even so, he was still on the heavier side.
It was no wonder his son, Liu Zhiyue, had been fed into obesity—father and son both had ballooned together before the breakup stress caused so weight loss.
“Does my weight cost you anything?” Liu Changqing asked, waving her off dismissively.
“Now that you’ve handed over the money, head back. Stop bothering while I’m running the store.”
“You!”
Clenching her fists, she glared at him angrily, stomped her foot, and turned to leave. She disappeared from his view monts later.
Her childish reaction made Liu Changqing want to laugh.
She was already in her thirties but still acted like a little girl at tis. Then again, with a bit of effort, she could easily pass for soone in her mid-twenties.
Returning to his thoughts, Liu Changqing’s mood darkened as he rembered his novel.
It had been submitted for signing last Saturday, and now it was Monday with no response. He was beginning to consider giving up.
Although his novel had over 1,000 bookmarks, the recomndations and click-through rates were pitiful.
It was nothing like the explosive success he had imagined.
The pressure was mounting.
Despite his earlier reassurance to his son that money wasn’t an issue, the truth was they were barely scraping by.
He gave each child ten yuan in daily pocket money for lunch at school. Thankfully, Liu Xiazhi was old enough to make her way ho on her own, sparing him so extra worry.
Legally, Li Wanran was supposed to pay child support, but Liu Changqing had no desire to interact with her in any way, physically or emotionally.
He would rather she never appear before him or the kids again. If she did, he wouldn’t be as lenient as the original owner had been.
As he mulled over these thoughts, Liu Changqing clicked into his writer’s portal.
In the top-right corner, he noticed a red notification dot.
Clicking on it, a ssage popped up:
Dear Author, Your work has passed review and ets the requirents for signing. Please wait for further instructions on the signing process.
Liu Changqing froze for a mont.
Blinking, he reread the ssage, worried he might have misread it.
After confirming it again, a wave of joy surged through him.
It’s true—gold will always shine!
He grinned widely, muttering to himself, “Potato, you’re the best!”
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