The Housewife O Made Me Become a Mom (GL) - Chapter 17: Dreamed of Her Yesterday, Happy

Chapter 17: Dreamed of Her Yesterday, Happy

Streetlights glowed, rain poured heavily, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom moved steadily through the gaps between towering buildings.

Lin Xu leaned her head against the leather seat, watching raindrops form bead-like lines sliding down the car window.

She stayed silent, her gaze drifting over the bustling crowd with umbrellas, her face reflecting the fractured neon lights.

“Lin Xu, my family is pushing us to marry next year. What did you tell Old Lady Lin?”

Gu Huaiyuan poured a glass of red wine, casually swirling it, the liquid reflecting her radiant makeup.

She wore a custom velvet green fishtail gown, complementing Lin Xu’s outfit for the night.

The banquet’s charade finally ended.

The party wasn’t over, but Gu Huaiyuan eagerly found an excuse to slip away. They avoided each other, each in their own seat, not interfering.

Lin Xu turned back wearily. Gu Huaiyuan’s left middle finger sported a flashy, expensive diamond ring, matching Lin Xu’s couple-style ring.

The air filled with the distinct scent of grapefruit perfume, refreshing like summer in a snowy land.

She lazily grabbed an empty glass from the mobile bar, poured a little martini, and said, “Me? I didn’t refuse.”

Hearing Lin Xu’s reply, Gu Huaiyuan was stunned, feeling a mix of dissatisfaction and annoyance at being deceived.

“So you were just talking nonsense before, saying you’d find a chance to say we’re not suitable, make a scene, and swear Old Lady Lin dotes on you, letting you choose your marriage partner freely.”

“I changed my mind. Is that a problem?”

Gu Huaiyuan felt like a clown. What was this? Why did Lin Xu get to call the shots?

“Are you crazy? Playing me like a fool. No one loves you, so you force me to marry you, then face your icy expression every day. Who’s going to freeze to death?”

Lin Xu shrugged, taking all her attacks in stride.

“Won’t freeze you, anyway.”

They were childhood friends, growing up together. Gu Huaiyuan knew Lin Xu’s temper was always arrogant. After her mother’s death, she had to take over the family business, becoming even colder.

“With your rotten attitude, anyone who can stand you is ninety-nine percent after your money.”

Lin Xu lazily lifted her eyelids, too dismissive to argue. A fleeting image of a graceful figure crossed her mind, and she scoffed.

Gu Huaiyuan suddenly remembered the Omega Lin Xu was keeping and teased, “When will you introduce me to your little goldfinch? Are you really planning to hide her forever?”

Lin Xu dodged Gu Huaiyuan’s elbow. “You’re too nosy.”

Gu Huaiyuan touched her diamond ring, losing interest. Lin Xu didn’t seem to care much about her little lover. She dropped her curiosity.

“Fine, then tell me, what’s your plan for our marriage?”

“At worst, we’ll draft a prenup.”

Lin Xu hadn’t thought of a way to delay things. She couldn’t defy Old Lady Lin’s wishes. To Lin Xu, Old Lady Lin was a businesswoman first, a grandmother second.

Old Lady Lin built a dynasty single-handedly. She wanted every investment to be sharp, only allowing progress upward. If it went down, it had to be justified with data.

She was well aware of Lin Xu’s private actions.

She told Lin Xu an arranged marriage was a fair deal, praising her excellence and expressing deep grief over her eldest daughter’s car accident.

That morning, Lin Xu woke from a hangover. The butler waited at the door, ringing a bell, saying Old Lady Lin wanted to see her.

Lin Xu felt an ominous premonition, her good morning mood swept away.

In the vast room, the frail, wrinkled old woman lay in bed, an IV needle in her hand, the drip slowly falling.

Old Lady Lin calmly described her illness’s progress, warned of the inevitable boardroom upheaval, and pointed out which shareholder relatives resented Lin Xu.

At this critical moment, power and responsibility had to be handed to Lin Xu quickly.

Old Lady Lin promised Lin Xu the Lin family would be her world in the future. She would choose a high-born wife for her. A mediocre Omega with a vastly different background would always remain hidden.

Lin Xu said nothing.

She felt a bug crawl into her mouth, first uncomfortable, then falling and blocking her throat, its mournful buzz ringing in her ears.

She forced down the nausea.

Suddenly, her body plunged into deep, rushing water. Liquid flooded her nose, washing over her brain. She gurgled bubbles.

It wasn’t painful. Her body felt cool, faint colorful lights passing through the water above, blurring her eyes. Lin Xu closed them.

The guest room curtains were drawn tight. Lin Xu rolled over, hazily thinking she shouldn’t have taken last night’s medicine. She had a long dream about Sister Shu, the rest unclear.

She hugged the blanket, planning to stay in the warm bed. It felt nice, but soon, a knock woke her.

Lin Xu frowned. Who was knocking so early?

She buried her head under the pillow, pretending not to hear.

The knocking paused hesitantly, then stopped. After a few seconds, Lin Xu heard footsteps fading.

She wasn’t the type to fall back asleep after being woken. She needed time to calm down, simply put, morning grumpiness.

Ten minutes later, she stretched, let out a soft whimper, her teary peach-blossom eyes half-open. She knelt on the bed, pulled the curtains, and sunlight stung her eyes, making her raise a hand to shield them.

After a while, she adjusted to the bright room, rubbed her eyes, and saw the courtyard behind the guest room.

Tree shadows swayed, yellowing ginkgo leaves floated in the air, landing on the shoulders and hair of the person below.

She wore an open black coat. From Lin Xu’s view, only Shu Qingyou’s long boots were clear.

Her waist-length hair was slightly messy in the wind, her fingertips holding a lit cigarette, faint white smoke drifting away.

Lin Xu twisted the window’s metal latch and pushed it open.

Suddenly, cold wind rushed into her thin pajamas, making her shiver.

Shu Qingyou stood like a snow-covered pine, clear and sharp. Her cigarette-holding fingers were slender, a red string faintly visible around her wrist. Lin Xu’s eyes caught something odd; the red string seemed familiar.

She smelled burning tobacco, ducked her head, and wrapped the blanket around herself, becoming a cocoon with only her head out.

Mimicking a caterpillar, she inched forward, resting her chin on the windowsill.

She called out brightly, “Sister Shu, good morning!”