229 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

# Chapter 229 (Extra 1: Parallel World) "Captain Chen, do you have any plans for this half-month vacation? Do you want to come along with us for a trip to the beach?" Zhang Qian asked while dragging her suitcase. "I'm going to pass. I've been caught up in training and missions for a long time, and I need to go home and catch up on some sleep. By the way, I haven't taken any of my other leaves in the past three months, so I’m using them all this time. Technically, my vacation is a whole month," Chen Wan replied with a smile. "Captain Chen, that's not fair. We promised to go through hard times together, so how can you leave us to enjoy such a long break on your own?" Zhang Qian said, looking envious. Chen Wan raised an eyebrow and replied, "Why are you all taking leaves for every little thing? I've saved up all my leave days for this; it's way more relaxing this way." "Heh, you don’t even have a boyfriend. A vacation for a single person is just that," He Miao chimed in with a laugh, her bobbed hair swaying with her movements. They were all members of Chen Wan's squad, and due to a good camaraderie, they often made lighthearted jabs at each other like this. "But seriously, I'm really curious. Captain Chen, what kind of guy would be a match for you?" Zhang Qian asked, looking at Chen Wan with a gossip-hungry expression. "I've never thought about it, not even the slightest interest, and it's not just men, women don’t pique my interest either," Chen Wan replied with a light laugh. Since her home was nearby in Jiangchuan City, she only had a backpack, not much luggage at all. "Captain, if someone ever does manage to win you over, I'd love to see what they’re like. Honestly, with your detached nature, you'd reach enlightenment if you clasp your hands together in meditation. Who could possibly move your heart?" Zhang Qian teased. "Right? I don't think anyone could sway me. Being single is great—I can do whatever I want. Unlike you two, always planning dates and shopping trips, you’ve used up all your vacation days. I can spend my break lounging around for a month," Chen Wan boasted, fluffing her hair a bit as she joked with her teammates. "Ah, so much time off—I don't even know what to do." "Captain, you're killing us here. We're off to catch a cab to the airport, can't let you keep rubbing it in," Zhang Qian and He Miao said, lamenting their much shorter vacation as they left. "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Just make sure you're back on time," Chen Wan said, delivering one last playful jab as she leisurely headed toward the subway. Having not gone shopping in a while, she decided not to take a cab home but to head to a mall instead. Sometimes she really enjoyed this solitude. As she exited the crowded subway station, Chen Wan noticed a young mother, who looked quite attractive, holding a four-year-old child and asking a subway staff member something, surrounded by five or six onlookers. Chen Wan wasn't interested in the spectacle, though she did note that the mother and the child were both cute. Turning away, she was just about to change to another subway line towards the shopping district when she heard a childish voice call out, "Mommy!" Chen Wan paused for a moment, assuming there was no way it was directed at her, and was about to continue walking when she felt something like a small child attach to her leg. If she hadn’t caught sight of the child out of the corner of her eye, her professional instincts would have made her kick out instinctively. Holding back the urge, Chen Wan looked down to find the little one clinging to her leg. "Little friend? Why are you hugging my leg? We don’t know each other," she asked. The little one tilted her head up, her big eyes red as she looked at Chen Wan. Chen Wan realized it was the same child the woman had been carrying earlier. How did she end up here? The child, with her little face scrunched, let a few teardrops fall, her face rubbing against Chen Wan’s leg as she whimpered, "Mommy, I'm not a little friend, I'm Yangyang. Why did you abandon me and mommy?" Chen Wan was baffled, understanding some of what the child said but not fully comprehending. How did she suddenly become "mommy"? Where did this come from? Initially thinking the child was calling for someone else nearby, Chen Wan checked and confirmed the little one meant her. "Oh, you can't just randomly call someone 'mommy,'” Chen Wan said, crouching down and gently wiping away the tears with tissues from her bag. “We just met for the first time today, didn’t we?” The little one sniffed and insisted, "You are my mommy. Waaaah~ Do you want to abandon me again?" "I'm not, little friend. Look carefully, maybe you're mistaken. Take another look," Chen Wan said, wiping more tears from the child’s eyes. The little one shook her head vigorously, eyes wide and fervently looking at Chen Wan. "You are my mommy!" Left with no choice as the logic of this little one made no sense, Chen Wan decided to look for the child’s mother. She looked up to see the woman staring at her with the same expression—like she was dealing with a heartbreaker. Chen Wan nearly believed herself to be guilty. She cleared her throat and addressed the woman, "Miss, I think your daughter has mistaken me for someone else. We don’t know each other, so maybe you should take her back." Though the little one was adorable, it wasn’t right to start this kind of drama out of nowhere. The woman stopped speaking to the subway staff, her eyes reddened as she approached Chen Wan. Chen Wan stood up again, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face, explaining, “No, no, miss, your little one just has the wrong person. We really don’t know each other…” "Chen Wan, aren't you a special ops team member?" the woman asked, tears in her eyes as she locked gazes with Chen Wan. Chen Wan was about to say more but was left stunned when the woman correctly named her and her job. She looked at the woman in confusion and finally muttered, "How do you know my name?" The woman, eyes red, looked hopefully at Chen Wan and spoke with a choked voice, "Chen Wan, the baby and I have nowhere else to go, could you please not abandon us?" As she spoke, tears trickled down her cheeks. Chen Wan felt an inexplicable pang of sympathy, considering comforting her but unsure if it was appropriate. More bystanders gathered, their chatter escalating. "Whew, abandoning such a cute daughter, that’s rough." "Yeah, such a pretty girlfriend who even gave her a lovely daughter, and she doesn't want them. Total heartbreaker." "Even if they had a fight, you can’t leave your girlfriend and child at a subway station. Heartless." The onlookers' discussions made Chen Wan's head throb. "But I really don’t know them." "Chen Wan, the baby and I miss you so much. Please don’t leave us," Jiang Yanxin sniffled, fanning the flames of the situation. As Chen Wan noticed someone pulling out a phone to record, she sighed, "Alright, you two can come with me. Everyone, let’s disperse now, alright? No videos, it’s a matter of privacy, and with a child involved, I could file a complaint." "Tsk, typical heartbreaker behavior—pretending you don’t know someone." "Exactly, how can she dump such a stunning girlfriend?" Even though same-sex marriage wasn’t legal here, the country's atmosphere was quite open, and relationships between girls were common, so no one was particularly shocked by the situation. Throughout this, Chen Wan felt trapped, the little one still hugging her leg. She sighed, looking at Jiang Yanxin's red eyes, and handed her a tissue. "Wipe your tears. Have you two eaten yet? Let’s go get something, and we can talk over food. By the way, what are your names?" "I’m Jiang Yanxin, and the baby is named Chen Yang, but we call him Yangyang," Jiang Yanxin replied, still looking forlorn, her eyes fixed on Chen Wan as if she'd been wronged. "Alright, let's go," Chen Wan said awkwardly, contemplating how to explain to them over the meal. Perhaps taking them to the police would resolve this situation. She felt like she was being pulled into an elaborate setup. As Chen Wan became lost in thought, she felt a tug on her clothing. Returning to reality, she saw Jiang Yanxin timidly pulling at her coat, whispering, "I didn’t buy a subway ticket on my way in." "Oh, I’ll go buy another ticket then. Yangyang shouldn’t need one," Chen Wan said, heading towards the ticket window. As she walked, a niggling doubt crept into her mind—was she being manipulated by Jiang Yanxin? How could her mild upset expression lead her to act so uncharacteristically? Chen Wan tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, reassuring herself: No rush, no rush, this is probably just some kind of persuasion tactic. I must have walked right into a trap. Despite her internal pep talk, her actions were rather honest. After purchasing the ticket, she looked down and saw the little one gazing up at her with a pitiful expression. Chen Wan's heart softened. Since she was already taking them for a meal, she might as well carry the little one as well. With that thought, Chen Wan bent down and picked up the little one. Her eyes lit up upon being lifted, and she waved excitedly at Jiang Yanxin, saying, "Mommy, look! Mommy's holding me. I knew she loves me the most!" The little one even nuzzled her cheek against Chen Wan, seeking affection, which melted her heart. Smiling, Chen Wan asked the little one, "Yangyang, what would you like to eat? Can you tell me?" "Mommy, I want to eat meat!" The little one immediately responded with enthusiasm. Arriving just around lunchtime and after seeing her mom engage with the subway staff for so long had left her quite hungry. Thankfully, Mommy was going to take both her and her mom to eat. Chen Wan couldn't help but shake her head with a smile at the cute little carnivore she was holding. Gently, she said, "Alright, let's go for barbecue so your tummy can be nice and full, okay?" "Okay!" Cai Cai responded with vigor, treating herself as part of the family without hesitation. Jiang Yanxin watched her with a tinge of envy. Chen Wan had mentioned that in a previous life, she was a straight woman who had never been in love. So, when would Jiang Yanxin get the chance to be held by Chen Wan like this?