Chapter 2: A Silent System
Liang Chen woke to the sound of whispers.
His body felt strange—small, weak, unfamiliar. A dull warmth surrounded him, and the air smelled faintly of something floral. His breathing was soft, steady, but different. Everything felt different.
His arms and hands were so small. Like a baby.
I'm a baby? Was I reborn?
His mind was still groggy, his thoughts tangled between memories of his past life and the present.
"…it's too soon," a woman whispered, her voice gentle yet troubled.
"It is," a man agreed, his tone quieter, measured. "But the court sees things differently. They consider it a strategic move."
"She's only five, Jian," the woman—Lianhua—murmured. "A child."
"She is," the man, Jian, said after a pause. "But a child born into our family will never be seen as just a child."
Liang Chen didn't understand what they were talking about, but something about their hushed voices felt significant.
Who are they? Where am I?
Before he could make sense of their words, something flickered in his vision.
[Heavenly Growth System]
Level: 1
Experience: 0/10
A glowing screen hovered before his eyes.
Liang Chen stiffened.
A system? Was this real?
His breath caught slightly as he tried to focus on it.
"Hello?" he thought, attempting to communicate with it.
No response.
He tried again, his lips parting slightly, though his voice was too weak to form words.
Still, nothing.
Frowning, he instinctively tried to press the screen as if it were a phone. His tiny fingers barely moved, but it didn't matter. The display remained unaffected, floating just out of reach.
It didn't react to touch. It didn't respond to speech.
It simply… existed.
Liang Chen's frustration deepened. What kind of system was this?
He wanted answers. Where was he? Why did he have this? What was he supposed to do?
But the system remained silent.
As confusion settled heavily in his mind, soft movement caught his attention.
A young maid knelt beside him, adjusting the blanket around his tiny frame. Her dark eyes were calm, focused entirely on tending to him. She didn't speak, only making sure he was warm.
His gaze darted around, taking in his surroundings. The crib he lay in was sturdy and smooth, the fabric around him far too fine to be anything cheap. The room was dimly lit, but even in the soft glow, he could see that everything looked clean, elegant.
Before he could think further, the voices nearby pulled him back in.
"I don't trust the Prime Minister's son," Lianhua said, her voice quieter now. "He's too ambitious, and his father is always scheming."
Jian sighed. "We still have time. The engagement is not a marriage. If we need to break it, we will."
A long silence followed before Lianhua spoke again. "I won't let our daughter suffer."
Liang Chen still didn't understand. But as he listened to them, something in his chest tightened.
A sister. He had a sister? And she was only five years old, yet already engaged?
He didn't know much about history or politics—he was just a 14-year-old who had spent most of his free time playing games and reading novels—but even he knew that was insane.
Five years old. That's a kindergartener. She's not even old enough to do basic math properly.
His mind spun at the thought. If they could do that to his sister, then…
What about me?
What was going to happen to him? Would they decide his future before he even had a chance to live in this world? Would he be given away like his 'supposed' sister?
His heartbeat quickened, panic rising in his chest. He was already in a strange new world, trapped in a body that wasn't his own, and now he had to worry about this?
I don't want to be engaged. I don't want to be stuck in a life someone else chooses for me.
He wanted to cry out, to demand answers, but all he could do was wriggle slightly in his blankets. His body was too weak, his voice too small. He was helpless. Again.
But before his panic could spiral further, something pulled him back.
He recalled his parents' conversation.
"…if we need to break it, we will."
"I wont let her suffer."
Liang Chen's breathing slowed.
He replayed those words in his mind. His new mother had been worried. His new father had said they still had time to stop it. They weren't pushing her into a life of misery without care. They weren't completely heartless.
Maybe they weren't so bad.
The thought made him pause.
He wasn't ready to trust them. The concept of loving parents was foreign to him, and he wasn't about to suddenly believe in it. But at the very least, they seemed to care about their children's wellbeing.
That was… okay, I guess.
His past father never would have said something like that. His past mother never would have fought for him.
It didn't mean he was safe. He still had no idea what this world held for him. But maybe, just maybe, things wouldn't be as bad as he had first feared.
Just as his parents finished speaking, soft movement caught their attention.
The maid beside Liang Chen gently lifted him from the crib, cradling him in her arms as she prepared to feed him. But before she could do anything, Lianhua stepped forward.
"I'll do it," she said, holding out her hands.
The maid hesitated for only a moment before nodding and carefully placing Liang Chen into his mother's arms.
Liang Chen tensed.
He wasn't used to this—to being held. His experiences with physical contact had been… different, to say the least.
Lianhua adjusted her hold, making sure he was secure. "Hi little one," she said, gazing down at him. This made him uneasy.
Why was she talking to me like this?
Then Jian stepped closer, peering down at him as well.
Liang Chen's chest tightened.
The man's presence was imposing, not in a cruel way, but in a way that made him feel suffocated. Jian was studying him, taking in every feature, every tiny movement.
It was too much.
Liang Chen quickly turned his head away, averting his gaze.
He didn't want to look into Jian's eyes. He didn't want to meet the gaze of the man who was supposedly his father.
He didn't even know these people. The woman holding him, the man watching him—they were strangers. Strangers who acted like they loved him, like they had some deep connection to him just because he had been born into this family.
But he wasn't really their son.
And they weren't really his parents.
His body was still, but inside, he felt uncomfortable. Trapped. He didn't know how to deal with this warmth they were offering. He didn't know if he wanted to.
Lianhua gently adjusted Liang Chen in her arms, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. "He's so quiet," she murmured. "Such a good baby."
Jian chuckled. "Perhaps he takes after you."
Liang Chen resisted the urge to laugh—not that he could, given his current state. He wasn't quiet because he was some 'good baby.' He was quiet because he didn't know what to do. What could he do? Complain? Cry? None of that would help.
Jian turned to the maid still standing nearby. "Go and fetch Yiran," he instructed. "She's been waiting to meet her brother."
The maid bowed. "Yes, my lord."
He watched the maid leave the room, leaving him alone with his 'parents.'
Liang Chen's thoughts churned as he processed what he had just heard.
Lord?
That wasn't something people casually said anymore. It sounded like something out of a history book or an old drama. His gaze flickered around the room, taking in the elegant furniture, the silk blankets wrapped around him, the way his parents spoke in such formal tones.
Everything felt… old-fashioned.
Did I travel back in time?
The idea made his stomach twist. He had been reborn—that much he already understood. But if he had gone back in time, that meant he was stuck in an era where things like child engagements were normal, where power and status probably meant everything.
Where he had no rights. No say in his own life.
A cold realization settled over him. This world… isn't safe. I mean, my current one wasn't either…but it was better than this.
He had no idea where, exactly, he had landed in history. He had no knowledge of this time period, no understanding of the rules that governed this society. He never really paid much attention to history or politics. He had spent his time playing games, reading novels, and doing whatever it took to get through the day.
But now, none of that would help him.
The most I know how to do for myself, is cook noodles in the microwave.
Do they even have noodles in this time period? Please, god, have noodles.
He swallowed back the unease creeping into his chest. I need to figure things out before it's too late.
Just then, footsteps approached, and the door creaked open. The maid had returned. And behind her was someone new.
His sister.
He wasn't keen on meeting another stranger, especially not one who might expect him to act like her real little brother. But what choice did he have? He was a baby. He couldn't exactly refuse.
So he braced himself and waited.