Chapter 34 - 1.31

"How are you feeling, dear?" Li Jiayun softly combed through Xu Jiaqi's hair. It was rare for the mother that the late Xu Jiaqi knew as a tigress mom to do this kind of gentle action. The strong woman who she always saw as a model figure, but was never able to relate to when she was still inside the body.

Li Jiayun was standing behind Xu Jiaqi, as both of their eyes panned to the mirror. Through their reflection, they locked eyes. Li Jiayun's gaze softened as she hummed a lullaby that she memorized by heart. This was her child. The bride that was about to be wedded.

In truth, Li Jiayun loved Xu Jiaqi perhaps even more than Xu Zheng. If Xu Zheng loved his daughter because she was the offspring created between him and his beloved wife, then Li Jiayun's love had nothing to do with Xu Zheng. Instead, she treasured her daughter, the one she had carried for nine months, bearing painstaking troubles as she was faced with countless trials.

Her pregnancy was extremely hard, and there were so many times when Xu Zheng always spoke words of regret to her. That if only they did not try to have the child, Li Jiayun would not have to suffer. But to those words, Li Jiayun could only feel nothing but pain.

What use was all of her strength, everything that she cultivated up to this point? Her late parents that taught her everything that she began to improve upon and polish, where were they?

She was hospitalised here and there, and almost felt like giving birth to Xu Jiaqi really was not fated. However, despite all of that, she wanted to try and persevere, to see until the end. The baby she first saw in the ultrasound pictures were not at all clear. It just vaguely resembled a baby, but her heart was already shaken.

She carried a life inside of her. One that would resemble her parents and be the pearl of their lives.

It wasn't until the actual labor day and the hours leading up to it did she experience actual hell. All the months of pain that led up to this were actually not that bad compared to the splitting pain that she experienced after her water broke. The contractions, the efforts, and all of it spiked up, until she finally won her battle and gave birth to a healthy baby girl that she named Xu Jiaqi under the consultation of many.

The baby was taken away from her shortly after she gave birth to undergo proper medical procedures. After she woke up, she asked for the baby, and the nurse brought her after she confirmed that all the conditions were checked off.

Her tired eyes landed on the baby's small stature.

Pretty. Even as a baby, she was this pretty, lovable, and cute. Immediately, she forgot about all of her pain in a flash, although her body still screamed terror.

She smiled, her face blooming into a cheerful expression for the first time in a while. She did not know when was the last time she was able to smile as genuine as this, but this time, she truly felt successful. Much more than all of her experiences in life, her achievements, her career, everything.

'This baby girl will grow up to be the best. So many people will flock to her, some with positive intentions, and the other bringing negative thoughts. I must protect her. She must learn to protect herself for when I am gone to the afterlife.'

Those thoughts circulated inside her mind and bloomed into the training regime that she instilled into Xu Jiaqi as the child grew older and older. Her days were limited, but she wanted her daughter to be able to live on in peace, without troubles, and be able to fend for herself. She couldn't stay and protect her forever, so she wanted her teachings to be the replacement for the role of a 'protector' in Xu Jiaqi's life.

Xu Jiaqi would have nothing but the best of the best. That was the resolution that Li Jiayun made for her own daughter, who was now sitting in front of her looking just as beautiful as she once envisioned her to be when she was just a growing child, maybe even more.

And it was true.

The bride in front of her was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Her own daughter.

Delicate makeup decorated the natural beauty's face, her hair was styled into a braided bun clipped with silver lead accessories, and her wedding dress was still on the mannequin, ready to be worn after the styling was finished. The wedding dress had been prepared by the Old Madam Qin who asked Xu Jiaqi and Li Jiayun out to pick the dress from a famous designer who specialized in iconic wedding dresses.

The dress that they ended up with was breathtaking, and it would complete Xu Jiaqi's look for today, turning her into a peerless beauty that no one would be able to compete with. This was her day to shine.

Her marriage with Qin Zicheng, it was going to be finalized and celebrated today. This would be the day that they recognize as the anniversary from here on out.

This was supposed to be a joyous and happy day, where only those who were close and trusted by the couple would be invited. The wedding was not the grandest, but it sent all the spotlight towards the couple's way as it should.

Xu Jiaqi got into the dress, and everybody who was in the room immediately lighted up. The beauty was too mesmerizing that they couldn't take their eyes off of her.

As Xu Jiaqi walked with grace towards the venue, she was internally counting her time with the System.

Because today, was not only going to be her wedding day, but it might be a day stained with blood.

Xu Jiaqi: It's time to settle all accounts, place your bets on who will win this silly game.