The next morning, before sunrise, Kelly quietly left the house.
The three children were still asleep beneath their thin blankets.
For a moment, she stood beside the bed.
Lu Cheng slept lightly, one arm stretched protectively across his younger brothers.
Lu Tuan was curled up beside him.
Little Lu Chuan's face was pale from the winter cold.
Kelly's heart tightened.
The children were growing.
Yet their bodies were thin and weak from years of poor nutrition.
No matter how careful she was with food, it wasn't enough.
They needed more.
They needed nutrition.
Kelly gently tucked the blanket around them before slipping out of the house.
The town was already bustling when she arrived.
People hurried through the streets carrying baskets and ration tickets.
Vendors shouted.
Bicycles rattled along the road.
The smell of steamed buns drifted through the air.
Kelly lowered her head and blended into the crowd.
Her destination was clear.
The black market.
According to the original owner's memories, many things unavailable through normal channels could be found there.
Of course, it was dangerous.
But Kelly wasn't afraid.
After all, she had her space.
Following several winding alleys, she finally arrived at a hidden marketplace.
The atmosphere immediately changed.
People spoke in whispers.
Transactions happened quickly.
Nobody asked unnecessary questions.
Kelly walked slowly through the crowd.
Her eyes carefully examined each stall.
Soon, she found what she was looking for.
Malted milk powder.
Her eyes brightened.
In this era, malted milk was considered a luxury.
Many families couldn't afford it.
But it was excellent for growing children.
Without hesitation, she bought several tins.
The seller looked surprised.
"Comrade, buying this much?"
Kelly simply smiled.
"My children need it."
The seller nodded knowingly.
Next came eggs.
Fresh eggs.
Kelly purchased several dozen.
Then pork.
The rich smell immediately made her think of the children.
Especially Lu Chuan.
The little boy's eyes always lit up whenever food was mentioned.
Before long, she had gathered everything she needed.
Malted milk.
Eggs.
Pork.
Enough to help the children regain some strength.
As she stored everything inside her space, a warm smile appeared on her face.
She could already imagine their reactions.
Just then—
a familiar voice sounded behind her.
"Interesting."
Kelly's smile vanished.
Slowly, she turned around.
Standing a short distance away was the reborn female lead.
Watching her.
Smiling.
The woman's gaze swept over the goods Kelly had purchased.
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"Comrade Kelly."
Kelly remained calm.
"What do you want?"
The woman's smile deepened.
"Nothing."
A pause.
Then she added:
"I'm simply surprised."
"Surprised by what?"
The female lead's eyes sharpened.
"Where a village woman suddenly found so much money."
The surrounding atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Kelly's expression remained unchanged.
But inwardly, alarms rang.
The woman wasn't interested in the food.
She was investigating her.
Testing her.
Looking for weaknesses.
At that moment, the system flashed.
[WARNING]
[HOST HAS ATTRACTED ATTENTION]
[THE THIEF'S CHOSEN PIECE IS INVESTIGATING YOUR SOURCE OF RESOURCES]
Kelly's eyes narrowed.
The female lead smiled one last time before turning away.
But before leaving, she whispered:
"Be careful, Comrade Kelly."
Then she disappeared into the crowd.
Kelly watched her leave.
A sense of unease settled in her heart.
Something was coming.
Something she couldn't see yet.
---
By the time Kelly returned to the village, the sky was already turning orange.
The three children were waiting anxiously outside the house.
The moment they saw her, Lu Chuan ran forward.
"Stepmother!"
Kelly laughed softly.
"I'm back."
The little boy immediately grabbed her sleeve.
"What did you buy?"
Kelly pretended to think.
"Hmm... nothing."
Lu Chuan's face instantly fell.
The sight was so adorable that Lu Tuan couldn't stop himself from laughing.
Even Lu Cheng's lips twitched slightly.
Kelly finally opened her bag.
The moment the children saw the contents—
they froze.
A tin of malted milk.
Eggs.
And a large piece of pork.
Silence.
Complete silence.
Lu Chuan's eyes grew round.
"Meat..."
His voice trembled.
He stared at the pork as though it were treasure.
In truth, to children like them, it was.
Lu Tuan swallowed hard.
His eyes never left the eggs.
Even Lu Cheng looked stunned.
Kelly's heart ached.
Because their reactions revealed how rarely they had eaten such things.
She crouched down.
"Tonight we'll eat well."
Nobody spoke.
Then Lu Chuan suddenly threw himself into her arms.
Kelly froze.
The little boy hugged her tightly.
As though afraid she would disappear.
"Thank you, Stepmother."
His voice was small.
But it struck directly into Kelly's heart.
Nearby, Lu Tuan quickly lowered his head.
Trying to hide his red eyes.
Even Lu Cheng turned away.
Yet Kelly saw him secretly wipe the corner of his eye.
The wall around the children's hearts cracked a little more.
And for the first time—
Kelly felt that perhaps she truly belonged here.
But at that exact moment—
the system suddenly erupted.
[URGENT WARNING]
[SPECIAL ITEM DETECTED]
[UNKNOWN ENERGY RESONANCE FOUND INSIDE ONE TIN OF MALTED MILK]
Kelly's smile disappeared.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the unopened tin.
The jade pendant around her neck suddenly became hot.
Very hot.
Then—
it began to glow