Arc. 1.7 

The Wicked Child of the Stepmother

"So, this is your wife’s son?"

The commanding voice shattered the silence, rousing Nian Zhen from his cozy sleep cocooned under the thick duvet. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, still drowsy and wearing pink pajamas decorated with little bears. He could have sworn he heard people talking. His half-lidded gaze struggled to adjust to the brightness flooding his room—and the figures gathered at the foot of his bed.

Am I dreaming…?

It didn’t take a genius to guess how dumbfound Nian Zhen’s expression must have looked at that moment. His brain was still processing when he suddenly jolted upright, recognizing Xia Yanjing standing beside his bed.

"Br… Brother?"

His voice was tinged with genuine shock and a hint of fear. This reaction wasn’t feigned—Nian Zhen thought the male protagonist had come to settle the score in the dead of night.

“Zhenzhen!!”

A sharp, sweetly cold voice echoed. Nian Zhen immediately recognized it—wasn’t that woman Du’s voice?

"Mom..."

His mind snapped into focus, sleepiness vanishing. There were, indeed, multiple people in his room.

Xia Heng, Du Yao, Xia Yanjing, a stern-looking old man exuding an intense and intimidating aura, and three large-bodied guards.

 Crap, barging in like this—something serious must have happened.

"Zhenzhen, show your respect to Elder Xia.”

Du Yao, supported by Xia Heng, spoke up when she saw that her son was still standing there with a clueless expression. Nian Zhen turned to look at her and noticed that Aunt Du was in the room as well, looking extremely suspicious despite her attempts to mask it with a forced smile.

What has this woman gotten herself into now? Is Xia Yanjing’s grandfather here to take it out on me?

"Hello, Elder Xia.”

Nian Zhen scrambled out of bed and bowed to the elderly man with a penetrating gaze. Now fully awake, he quickly pieced together why Elder Xia might have come.

He must’ve heard that his beloved grandson had been struck by his own father, and all because of the new wife’s stepson. It was likely enough to make Grandfather Xia furious, so he’d returned to the Xia family mansion with bodyguards in tow to storm Meng Zhenzhen’s room, probably planning to teach him a lesson. Xia Heng, Du Yao, and Xia Yanjing, upon hearing of this, had clearly rushed to the scene as well. Nian Zhen, who had been peacefully asleep without dreams, was abruptly awakened by a sense that something was off, and his ears caught the faint murmur of voices.

The bruises on my face haven’t even faded yet, and now I’m about to get new ones, Nian Zhen thought bitterly.

Wait, wasn’t Elder Xia supposed to stay out of this in the original story? Now, after just a small injury to Xia Yanjing, he’s storming in for revenge?

[The plot adjusts with circumstances, Host. Most changes occur during significant events and are harder to revert.]

The system explained. Nian Zhen glanced at Elder Xia, only to find that the elder no longer carried the same intimidating demeanor as his initial tone had suggested.

"So, your name is Meng Zhenzhen, is it…?"

"Yes, sir," Nian Zhen replied with a nod. Grandfather Xia’s gaze then flicked to Du Yao, his voice chilling.

"I’ve heard that Xiao Zhen was raised by the mistress of the Meng family, your new wife, and only brought here a few months after your marriage. Isn’t that correct?”

What’s with calling me ‘Xiao Zhen’...? Nian Zhen’s eyelid twitched at Elder Xia’s overly affectionate tone. He would rather have the Elder scold him outright. The forced politeness only made him feel more on edge.

As for Du Yao, her face had noticeably paled. Elder Xia hadn’t even addressed her by name. The words he had just spoken were clearly meant for her, yet he pretended to be speaking to Xia Heng instead!!

"Yes, Father. Zhenzhen has only been here for a little over four months," Xia Heng answered, visibly relieved that his father didn’t appear to be planning a harsh confrontation with Meng Zhenzhen after all.

"Good. From the looks of it, it’s clear that the boy hasn’t been influenced by your new wife’s teaching. That makes things simpler."

No one knew exactly what Elder Xia had in mind, but Nian Zhen’s instincts screamed that it couldn’t be good.

At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Xia Yanjing’s subtle, satisfied smirk, which only unsettled him further.

"I’ve recently purchased a villa near Xiao Jing’s high school. Starting tomorrow, let’s have Xiao Jing and Xiao Zhen move there together. Xiao Jing’s wanted an adorable, obedient younger brother for a long time now. I’m sure he’ll take excellent care of him."

“No, I can’t allow this!!”

Du Yao burst out, as Nian Zhen’s face drained of color. This old man Xia was digging his grave, wasn’t he? He knew exactly how terrified Nian Zhen was of Xia Yanjing and still intended to make them live together. If he actually had to move, wouldn’t his life be in Xia Yanjing’s hands?

“I wasn’t asking for your permission.” The elder snapped, his tone sharp as his gaze shifted to Du Yao’s stomach.

“With those two out of the way, you’ll be able to focus on taking care of yourself, nurturing the baby, and ensuring a safe delivery.”

The sentence sounded as though Elder Xia was expressing concern for the well-being of the younger generation, but the more Du Yao listened, the more her head spun with dread.

Elder Xia’s words carried a meaning that no one understood better than her. He was making it clear that if Xia Yanjing and Meng Zhenzhen remained in the mansion under her supervision, there was no guarantee that she would successfully give birth to her child. With them still present, who could predict when some accident might occur?!!

That blunt warning reminded Du Yao that the true power in the Xia family still resided with Elder Xia, not Xia Heng, even if the latter was the family’s chosen successor. If she wanted her child to be born safely, she needed Elder Xia’s approval. Without it, there was no guarantee that the child would ever see the light of day.

Feeling cold to her bones, Du Yao avoided the pleading look that Meng Zhenzhen threw her way. She feigned a fainting spell, collapsing against Xia Heng’s shoulder, effectively shutting down Meng Zhenzhen’s last hope.

 Is this old man Xia really the male lead's golden support? This is the final boss. One command from him, and my entire life changes. Now I’m being sent to live under Xia Yanjing’s rule, without even the wicked stepmother to back me up. How am I supposed to do anything? Just the thought of scheming makes me feel like Xia Yanjing already has a hundred ways prepared to crush me before I can even act.

It was obvious this old man had come to ruin his White Lotus plans. Internally, Nian Zhen was full of complaints, but outwardly, he merely stood there, obedient and silent, not daring to voice his objections.

Everything has completely flipped around now. Nian Zhen knew that sticking to the original storyline was pointless—adapting to the situation was his only choice. He had to admit, though, that the old man Xia was shockingly quick and precise in his moves. The man fully grasped Meng Zhenzhen’s situation. By separating him from Du Yao, it was as if Elder Xia had taken away her right arm, severing her most trusted tool. And he likely knew Meng Zhenzhen’s background thoroughly; he was confident that Xia Yanjing would keep Nian Zhen in check. If Du Yao had raised him from birth, the old man Xia would have dealt with his grandson immediately—teaching him a painful lesson, if not banishing him from the Xia family altogether.

Nian Zhen’s analysis wasn’t wrong. Elder Xia, or Xia Lanzhong, may have barged in with the appearance of rashness, but in reality, he’d come prepared.

Initially, he’d intended to confront Meng Zhenzhen directly, wanting to see the face of the person who had schemed to drive a wedge between father and son to the point that Xia Heng would actually raise a hand against his own child. His plan was to reprimand and then dismiss Meng Zhenzhen from the family. But after reviewing Meng Zhenzhen’s history, Elder Xia felt a twinge of sympathy. Upon hearing the full story, including that Meng Zhenzhen had been hurt by people trying to curry favor with his grandson, Xiao Jing, Elder Xia decided he would meet the boy himself. If Meng Zhenzhen turned out to be cunning, deceitful, and manipulative, he wouldn’t escape Xia Lanzhong’s iron grip. But if he wasn’t, then this would likely mean that Xia Heng’s new wife was the true instigator. Elder Xia would have Xiao Jing and the boy move out together. With Xiao Jing’s talents, keeping Meng Zhenzhen in line would be child’s play.

Meeting Meng Zhenzhen in person reassured Elder Xia; it was obvious this child was just a pawn, used by his mother. He looked somewhat foolish, timidly trying to keep up appearances, but there was no way a boy like this could truly harm his grandson. Clearly, he was being used as a shield without even knowing it. Xia Heng’s new wife was ruthless, willing to sacrifice even her own son to climb to the top, and she still wasn't satisfied. If she hadn’t been pregnant, Xia Lanzhong would have made an example of her. For now, he’d simply left her with a warning, ensuring she would remain subdued.

Having settled the matter, Elder Xia retreated to his quarters, leaving everyone else to disperse as well. Nian Zhen, however, was wide awake. Before leaving, Xia Yanjing had even reached out to pat his head in a seemingly affectionate gesture, as though he were very fond of him.

If he had known my attempts to provoke Xia Yanjing would lead to all this, he wouldn’t have bothered. Old Man Xia’s one directive had somehow erased everyone’s memory of Xia Yanjing’s deep disdain for him. What did he mean by ‘Xiao Jing has wanted an adorable, obedient little brother for a long time’ anyway?!

Nian Zhen frowned deeply. Don’t think I’ll give up so easily. This white lotus doesn’t go down without a fight. If he couldn’t act alone, then he would just have to find some allies. Since I’m already playing the villain, gathering a few accomplices to join my schemes doesn’t seem out of line.

[ . . . ]

You, the male protagonist, get ready. I’m about to show you what a true white lotus can do.