OFTLHFRO C2

Chapter 2 – Turns Out, It Was a Substitute Marriage

A delicate doll-like face, fair and soft. Long hair to the shoulders tied back with a faded gray-blue ribbon. When Luo Mingchen reached to touch his lower back, he found the same old scar there.

He fell silent for a moment. After a while, suspicion crept into his voice.

“Could it be… that you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”

This face, this body—no matter how he looked at it, it was clearly his original one. There was no way this was the person their father had married.

The long hair was just because he’d been hiding and running for the past two months and hadn’t had time to cut it…

And those human traffickers’ words earlier clearly hinted that, in this world, he actually had a family.

Which meant either he had lost his memory, or that family had pulled a switch—sending him over here on purpose, unable to bear parting with their own son as he lay dying.

The latter was far more likely.

“After I came here… did your father ever see me?”

Huo Yuhui shook his head. “When you arrived, Father was still traveling with the merchant caravan. Before he left, yes, they’d met.”

Huo Xiang softly added, “Little Daddy was sent here. They said you were sick and injured, so you lay in bed for two days. Big Brother fed you medicine, and the wounds healed… you just hadn’t woken up.”

Hearing this, Luo Mingchen grew even more certain—he had crossed into this world, taking someone else’s place in marriage.

Back then, he had been betrayed by the person he loved and by so-called family, stabbed in the abdomen and left on a road swarming with zombies.

In his final moments, Luo Mingchen had used the fruits stored in his spatial ability to lure a horde of zombies, watching with his own eyes as they were torn apart by the swarm. He himself had collapsed from exhausting his powers—yet somehow, he’d awakened here…

That said, the children’s father had died elsewhere, leaving behind three surprisingly adorable kids and a house that wasn’t exactly small.

In this world, he even had an identity ready-made, saving him quite a bit of trouble.

Luo Mingchen believed that with his planting space and powers, he could definitely live freely and comfortably in this zombie-free world.

“Grrrgle—”

Huo Xiang immediately clutched his stomach, afraid of being disliked.

Luo Mingchen had already burned through some powers and hadn’t eaten properly for two days himself, so he asked, “Is there any food left in the house?”

If not, he’d have to secretly take something out of his space.

The two younger ones could be fooled, but the older boy clearly wasn’t stupid.

Still, the three children could only rely on him now. Better to have food than none at all—once they grew closer, they wouldn’t betray him.

And if they did turn out to be three ungrateful little ingrates, he still had powers to save his life. Worst case, he could just find somewhere else to start over. He wouldn’t starve anywhere.

Huo Yuhui hesitated. “Father hasn’t returned in ten days. Some of our food was taken by our uncle’s family, and what we hid… we finished it yesterday.”

So he would have to use the space…

Luo Mingchen shut the main door, placed the little girl on the bed, and took the two older ones to the kitchen.

As the eldest, Huo Yuhui didn’t know what Luo Mingchen intended, so he instinctively stood protectively in front of his younger brother.

Luo Mingchen’s face turned serious. “Actually, I’m not from here. I can use a little magic—like this.”

As he spoke, he pulled a bag of white rice and a few eggs from his space.

The brothers: “……!!!”

Huo Xiang’s eyes went round. “Little Daddy, are you an immortal?”

“Mm… something like that.”

Luo Mingchen brushed it off casually and added, “But if you tell anyone, I’ll disappear—and then you won’t have a Little Daddy anymore. Those people will sell you off.”

That last part was mainly aimed at Huo Yuhui.

The boy wasn’t easily tricked and seemed sharp enough to grasp what he really meant.

Hearing this, Huo Xiang instantly covered his mouth, terrified that if he spoke, Little Daddy would really vanish.

Huo Yuhui stared in wonder at the food in Luo Mingchen’s hands.

He didn’t know how it had appeared, but one thing was certain—if word of this spread, Luo Mingchen would leave them.

Their adoptive father had already been hacked to death by mountain bandits. If Luo Mingchen abandoned them too, they would only be sold off.

After hesitating, Huo Yuhui promised, “We won’t tell anyone.”

The two exchanged a look. Luo Mingchen smiled faintly—good, this kid had potential.

“Big one, help me with the fire. Second one, watch your little sister.”

Huo Xiang bobbed his head repeatedly.

There was barely any bread and milk left. Now that they could cook properly, Luo Mingchen fell back into habit—rice, stir-fried dishes.

The kitchen was well stocked with firewood, neatly stacked, likely chopped by their father before he left.

He set Huo Yuhui to watch the little clay stove as the rice cooked, then made egg pancakes, stir-fried green peppers with eggplant, and tomato-egg soup.

The meat from his space was long gone. That was why he’d fallen for those people’s tricks in the first place…

Still, he’d already taken revenge before arriving here. No need to dwell.

No matter how bitter life was, he would face it with a smile.

Happiness or misery, a day was still a day.

When his mother died at age ten, Luo Mingchen had truly understood those two lines.

From then on, no matter what hardships came, he would always smile.

The aroma of food filled the air. Huo Yuhui swallowed hard.

Luo Mingchen caught the look in his eyes—hungry, but afraid to ask—and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Go call your brother and sister to eat.”

“…Okay.”

Huo Yuhui called Huo Xiang and Huo Xinyue over. By then, Luo Mingchen had already set the bowls and chopsticks.

The dishes on the table smelled heavenly. Luo Mingchen jerked his chin. “Go wash your hands.”

The three siblings obediently washed up.

Huo Yuhui served rice—first to Luo Mingchen, then to his siblings, and finally himself.

Naturally, Luo Mingchen’s bowl was heaping.

Seeing no objections, Huo Yuhui scooped himself half a bowl.

They hadn’t tasted such delicious food in ages; Huo Xiang all but swallowed his own tongue.

Watching Huo Yuhui expertly cradle his little sister and feed her, Luo Mingchen noticed the girl babbling rather than speaking. Curious, he asked, “How old is she?”

She didn’t look like an infant—at least over a year old. Shouldn’t she be talking by now?

Huo Xiang swallowed his bite. “Little Daddy, Yueyue is two.”

“Why can’t she talk yet?”

Huo Xiang scratched his head. “Don’t know…”

Luo Mingchen glanced at the girl again but decided to eat first.

After the meal, Huo Yuhui dutifully gathered and washed the dishes.

Meanwhile, Huo Xiang heated water for bathing, and Huo Xinyue sat quietly nearby, blinking her round eyes at Luo Mingchen.

Her face was palm-sized, with big, round eyes fixed on him.

Amused, Luo Mingchen reached out and gently pinched her cheek. “Say ‘Daddy.’”

Outside, Huo Yuhui nervously peered through the window, afraid Luo Mingchen might think the girl too dumb and secretly throw her away—or worse, sell her.

Huo Xinyue tilted her little head.

Seeing her puzzled look, Luo Mingchen deliberately slowed his speech. “Da-ddy.”

Huo Xinyue echoed uncertainly, “Do-do?”

“Pfft—”

Luo Mingchen chuckled, rubbing her small head. “Good girl.”

Since her vocal cords worked and she could imitate sounds, she probably just hadn’t had anyone teaching her. With more practice, she’d learn.

Seeing Luo Mingchen smile, Huo Xinyue happily shouted again, “Do-do!”

What an obedient little bean…

Luo Mingchen scooped her up, but upon noticing the lice crawling through her hair, decided it would be better to bathe her first before hugging.