Chapter 1

It was a winter's night.

The bitter wind howled as large snowflakes drifted down onto the fields.

In the white expanse, a huddled figure could be seen in the distance.

A little girl in thin clothing lay on the snowy ground, her face pale blue, shivering violently. She seemed to be breathing in more than she was breathing out.

Huo Ning felt the cold wetness beneath her body, a pain like knives scraping her bones.

She struggled to open her heavy eyelids.

The first thought that came to her mind was: I've survived again, somehow.

Her vision was filled with white. In the distance, a row of dim streetlights stood lonely, as if waiting for someone who might never return.

Huo Ning's foggy mind grew even more confused: How did she end up lying outdoors? Could it be that she hadn't survived after all, and her soul had already ascended?

A gust of wind blew past, and the unbearable stinging pain clearly told her: This was no dream.

Huo Ning propped herself up, shivering as she sat up.

A searing pain tore through her mind. Huo Ning bit her lip hard, feeling her heart pounding rapidly as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

Memories that didn't belong to her began to surface in her mind.

Then, an AI-like mechanical voice sounded in her head:

"The world you are currently in is the novel 'Doting on Wife Without Limits'. Your mission is to reform the villain Huo Xiaozheng and maintain the stability of this world.

The reward for successful completion of the mission is: to continue living in this world with your current identity.

The punishment for failure is: to suffer the pain of your previous life again, ending your life in this world in the same manner."

Huo Ning's eyes widened. 'Doting on Wife Without Limits'? Wasn't that the novel she had read before?

In the book, Huo Xiaozheng, after failing to win the female lead's affection, became bitter from love. He later turned to the dark side, becoming an ultimate villain, doing everything he could to obstruct the female lead's happiness.

At the end of the story, the male lead intervened, and Huo Xiaozheng met his end in an "accident".

So, had she transmigrated into a book?

However, there was no response in her mind.

Huo Ning looked down at her body and realized she had become a young child.

Although she had once thought that if she ever transmigrated into a book, she would kneel and call the villain "daddy" for survival's sake.

But she never imagined she would directly become a child.

After a moment of disorientation, the memories in her mind told her that this body belonged to a 5-year-old girl, originally named Shi Ning.

She had never received attention since birth, and her irresponsible mother not only let her drift from one relative's house to another.

After bringing her back home, she even allowed her to be abused by her boyfriend.

Today, her birth mother and new boyfriend had gone on a date.

Completely disregarding the fact that the new boyfriend had fed her allergy medication, they had playfully abandoned her in the wilderness.

The adult dose of allergy medicine had made the original owner drowsy in the freezing wilderness, until her life came to an end.

The howling wind whistled past her ears like a ghost, and Huo Ning felt her body temperature dropping lower and lower.

She had no time to sort out her chaotic thoughts. Stumbling to her feet, she hugged herself and started walking eastward.

Perhaps it was the luck that comes with transmigrating, but while the original owner had ended her life due to hypothermia, Huo Ning had a chance to struggle for survival.

Huo Ning's most urgent task was to find a place to shelter from the cold.

The memories in her mind told her that across that road, on the other side, there would be a 24-hour convenience store.

In this icy world, the original owner had been frozen for who knows how long.

This forced her to stop and rest after every couple of steps. The heart in her chest seemed to be struggling too, pounding hard against her ribcage.

Her stomach was empty; Huo Ning could clearly feel it compressed like a sheet of paper.

The cold and hunger made Huo Ning lightheaded and barely able to move. She even felt like she might die a second time at any moment.

Huo Ning gasped for air, her vision blurry. She curled up into a ball, feeling as if the world was spinning around her.

I can't go on, I'm going to die... Huo Ning thought in despair.

In her final moments, the sound of a police siren rang out.

A patrol car with flashing blue lights stopped beside her.

"Little girl, are you lost?" Huo Ning struggled to lift her head. When she made out the police uniform on the speaker, she fainted with relief.

...

"Move away, don't block the heater..." a woman's voice gently scolded.

"Hot milk, I added sugar..."

Amidst a cacophony of voices, Huo Ning slowly opened her eyes.

The stinging cold was gone, replaced by a warmth that enveloped her body as if she were soaking in a comfortable bath.

"Oh, she's awake, she's awake..."

Huo Ning looked towards the speaker. It was the police officer from earlier.

"Hungry..." Huo Ning said softly.

Hearing this, the female officer immediately handed her some bread and milk.

Huo Ning accepted them, taking a big bite like a starving wolf and gulping down the milk. It was hot.

Huo Ning couldn't help but tear up: Ah, I've survived.

Due to long-term malnutrition, Huo Ning was smaller than other children her age. The only striking feature on her was a pair of bright, slightly cute eyes.

This scene touched the hearts of the police officers: Poor little thing, so pitiful.

After she had eaten and drunk her fill, the police officers began their routine questions.

"Little one, what's your name? Where do you live? Do you have your parents' contact information?"

Huo Ning lowered her head.

She knew her original mother's contact information by heart.

After all, the original owner was often forgotten at kindergarten, so she had to memorize her mother's phone number to remind her to come pick her up.

But now, she couldn't let the original mother take her back.

This was not only for her upcoming mission but also for her own chance to grow up properly.

"My name is Shi Ning, and my father is Huo Xiaozheng."

"But I can't remember his phone number. Can you help me call him?" Huo Ning asked timidly.

Seeing her blinking her big eyes, the female officer momentarily overlooked the significance of the name 'Huo Xiaozheng'.

"Alright, what are the three characters? Auntie will look it up for you." The female officer looked at her lovingly.

A male officer incredulously asked, "It can't be that Huo Xiaozheng, right?"

The female officer looked puzzled. "Which one? You know her father?"

The male officer quickly shook his head. "You know, that one. The big boss of Huo Group. He was trending on social media a couple of days ago. Weren't you hugging your phone and calling him 'husband' at the time?"

The female officer belatedly realized and looked at Huo Ning in shock, her eyes questioning.

Seeing this, Huo Ning confirmed that she had indeed transmigrated into a book.

After all, only in a novel could Huo Xiaozheng's name be so universally recognized.

Pretending ignorance, she spelled out slowly: "The 'Xiao' from 'midnight', the 'Zheng' from 'expedition'."

Seeing that the police still didn't quite believe her, Huo Ning's small, thin hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes. She looked up, her gaze sincere as she said to the police: "I'm not lying."

The police had no choice but to dial Huo Xiaozheng's work number.

"Hello, is this Huo Xiaozheng? We're from the Tongcheng Public Security Branch. Your daughter is currently at the police station. Please come and take the little one home."

On the other end of the line, Huo Xiaozheng's chief assistant Xi Chuan looked bewildered.

He glanced at his phone, the screen indeed showing the call was from the police station. He asked in disbelief: "What daughter?"

When did Mr. Huo have a daughter? How come he didn't know about this?

The incredulity in Xi Chuan's tone was too obvious.

The police officer making the call couldn't help but turn back to look at the little girl, feeling uneasy: If this turns out to be a mistake...

But having come this far, he had to press on: "It's like this, our staff found a lost little girl by the roadside.

When we asked for her family's contact information, the little girl said her father is Huo Xiaozheng.

Given that the little girl could clearly state Mr. Huo's name, we'd like to request Mr. Huo to come to the police station."

After finishing, the officer added uncertainly: "Or you could send a lawyer if you prefer."

Xi Chuan glanced at Huo Xiaozheng, who was pretending to nap in the back seat, and covered the mouthpiece to ask: "Mr. Huo, the police station called. They say there's a little girl claiming to be your daughter..."

Xi Chuan couldn't finish the rest of the sentence.

Huo Xiaozheng, nearly 30 years old, had his hair slicked back in a pompadour style.

His features were handsome and chiseled, but there was a coldness in his brow that made people afraid to look directly at him.

"Daughter?" He opened his eyes, his tone flat: "Do I need to teach you how to handle such slander?"

Xi Chuan choked up, turning his head to speak into the phone: "I'm sorry, but Mr. Huo doesn't have a daughter. We'll send a lawyer to assist with your investigation later."

The police officer on the other end felt his heart sink: Had they been too hasty after all?

"I see, sorry to bother you..." the officer was about to hang up.

Behind him, Huo Ning saw her chance slipping away. She blurted out desperately: "Five years ago, Gantang Court!"

Startled by Huo Ning's shout, the officer hastily ended the call. He turned to her with slight irritation: "Little one, tell Uncle the truth now. What are your parents' real names?"

Huo Ning remembered that five years ago, Huo Xiaozheng had encountered the original girl's mother at Gantang Court.

This was a dark spot in Huo Xiaozheng's past. Surely he wouldn't have forgotten?

But reality was cruel. Her words seemingly hadn't reached the other end of the line at all.

Huo Ning watched her only hope vanish. The little energy she'd stored up from drinking milk earlier rapidly drained away, leaving her both physically and emotionally devastated.

She slumped in the chair, deaf to the officer's questions.

The police interpreted Huo Ning's demeanor as a naughty child's confusion after being caught misbehaving.

So they stopped pressing her and began actively searching for information about Huo Ning instead.

As they searched, they actually managed to find contact information for the original girl's mother.

Huo Ning wracked her brain, trying to figure out her next move.

Before she could come up with a plan, a loud wailing cry echoed from the doorway.

"Ning Ning, my baby!"

The cries grew closer. Huo Ning watched wide-eyed as a woman dressed like a nightclub hostess barreled towards her.

It was Shi Lili, the original girl's mother.

Shi Lili grabbed Huo Ning in a tight embrace, sobbing dramatically and calling her "baby" over and over.

In the heat of the moment, she even started smacking Huo Ning's back in a show of "tough love."

But this body seemed conditioned to fear such treatment. Almost reflexively, Huo Ning raised her arms to shield her head.

At the same time, her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Yet even so, she couldn't suppress her body's instinctive reaction.

Shaking, she lifted her arms to hug her mother's head: "I'm sorry, Mommy. I made you worry. Please don't cry."

It seemed the original girl's consciousness hadn't fully faded away yet.

Belatedly realizing this, Huo Ning felt a pang of sorrow.

The original girl's given name was just Ning, but she took her mother's surname, making it Shi Ning. This sounded like "dead person" in Chinese.

How much must someone dislike their own child to give them such a name? Huo Ning couldn't understand it.

Feeling Huo Ning's embrace, Shi Lili felt a twinge of satisfaction:

No matter how she treated Shi Ning, the girl always loved her mother unconditionally. As she pretended to cry into Huo Ning's shoulder, Shi Lili couldn't help but smirk.

That faint sound of laughter did not escape Huo Ning's notice.

After that hug, it was as if the original girl's presence vanished completely.

New novel chapters are published on NovelOOn Huo Ning pushed away the sobbing Shi Lili and asked in a childlike tone: "Mommy, what are you laughing at?"

Shi Lili's body stiffened. She gritted her teeth and straightened up: "Mommy's just happy, sweetie. I've been looking everywhere for you..."

The young officer who had made the phone call earlier took this opportunity to lecture her: "What kind of mother are you?

It's 10 PM and snowing outside. How could you let a child wander around alone?

When we found her, she was freezing cold."

Shi Lili accepted the scolding meekly: "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, officer. I've spoiled her too much. I never thought she'd run out to play in this heavy snow..."

Huo Ning deliberately interrupted: "Mommy, where's Uncle? Didn't he come back with you?"

She blinked her big eyes, feigning a child's adoration.

Hearing this, the female officer couldn't help but interject: "Spoiled? What kind of spoiling involves neglecting to feed your child while you go on dates?

You're all dressed up, but you let your child out in this snowstorm wearing only this?"

She lifted the heavy blanket covering Huo Ning, revealing the thin autumn jacket underneath.

Shi Lili's expression soured.

She forced a smile and grabbed Huo Ning: "You're absolutely right, officer. I'll go home right now and reflect on my actions. This won't happen again."

Seeing that Shi Lili was about to take her away, Huo Ning began to struggle, her voice filled with fear: "Mommy, I can't go home."

"Uncle said I'm not allowed to go home today without his permission, or he'll break my hands."

Huo Ning shouted as she tried to hide behind the female officer.

Shi Lili was barely maintaining her smile now: "This child, always making up stories. Your uncle dotes on you so much, how could he possibly hit you?"

"If you keep lying, the police will arrest you!"

Hearing this, the officers found themselves in a dilemma.

Clearly, Shi Lili wasn't a responsible mother. But after the earlier phone incident, the police were wary of trusting the little girl too readily.

The situation had reached an impasse.

Shi Lili read the room and softened her tone: "Officers, my daughter often exaggerates things to get my attention. She likes to cause a scene to make me worry about her."

"I admit I haven't been strict enough with her discipline, and I haven't paid her enough attention. But I'm still her mother. How could I possibly let anyone hurt my daughter?"

What could they do? No matter what mistakes parents might make, as long as they hadn't killed their child, a child still needed their parents.

The female officer holding Huo Ning's hand crouched down, her expression resigned.

She gently smoothed Huo Ning's hair and spoke softly: "Don't run away like this again, okay? If anyone bullies you, call Big Sister. I've put my number in your coat pocket."

Seeing the officer's resolve weakening, Huo Ning found herself at a loss.

Shi Lili quickly pulled Huo Ning close, thanking the officers profusely as she led Huo Ning out of the police station.

The night was deep, and a biting wind howled outside the door. The thick snow seemed to freeze Huo Ning's anxiously beating heart.

As soon as they stepped out of the police station, Shi Lili dropped her act.

She yelled at Huo Ning: "Didn't I tell you to play in the snow for a bit and come right back? Your uncle was just joking with you. How did you end up at the police station?"

Memories of this so-called "uncle" surfaced in Huo Ning's mind, instantly making her feel sick.

She unexpectedly wrenched free from Shi Lili's grasp and ran back towards the police station.

Damn it all, she'd report them and let the police lock them both up.

It all happened so fast. A car driving normally down the road was startled by Huo Ning's sudden dash.

The driver jerked the steering wheel to the right. With a screech of brakes, Huo Ning was knocked into a snowbank by some external force.

Huo "Carrot" Ning, forcibly planted face-first in the snow: Maybe you should just kill me off directly instead.

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