You're my wife, don't doubt it!

?

“I had the same idea,” Shen Jie explained. “Yunyun doesn’t have a computer, and it’s not good for you to go to internet cafes all the time. I need to use one myself too—let’s buy two laptops and put them at home. They won’t take up much space.”

Xiao Yao was already imagining sitting side by side with Shen Jie at home, playing Bloodline II together.

“Computers aren’t like cell phones; you don’t need to take them out to use, so let me buy them. The specs will absolutely blow you both away,” Shen Tianyun suggested.

"That's a great idea," Shen Jie said happily. "What will computers be like in 2034?"

Xiao Yao also became excited.

Owning a personal computer has always been one of Xiao Yao's dreams.

Although it can't compare to a dream like "having a girlfriend".

And computers in 2034...? That's too sci-fi.

"Is it possible to play Bloodline II in 10-player mode?"

"All you know is Bloodline II, you don't know anything else."

The three boys started chattering away.

"Then the three of us can use the computer together to watch dramas and variety shows," Shen Tianyun said.

"A variety show? 'Meet on Saturday'?"

"Who wants to watch dating shows?" the two girls said disdainfully.

"Oh right, it seems like we don't have internet at home yet..." Xiao Yao seemed to suddenly remember something.

“We can watch movies together too.” Shen Jie glanced at Xiao Yao: “For example, ‘Beautiful Shanghai’.”

With a "smack," Xiao Yao slapped his forehead: "Can't we look at something more interesting?"

"If it's not good, why would you watch it twice?" Shen Jie said with a mischievous smile.

"Is that so? I want him to watch it with me a third time next time," Shen Tianyun said cheerfully.

"Kill me then," Xiao Yao said, both amused and exasperated.

"You probably wouldn't be able to get into movies from 30 years ago, would you?" Shen Jie said with a smile.

“I can watch it,” Shen Tianyun said dismissively. “For example, when we were kids, we watched ‘Curse of the Golden Flower’ together.”

"Curse of the Golden Flower?" Neither Xiao Yao nor Shen Jie had ever heard of this film title.

"When autumn comes on September 8th, I will kill all the flowers after they have bloomed.

"The fragrance of incense fills Chang'an, and the whole city is adorned with golden armor." Xiao Yao recited, swaying his head.

"I've never heard of this movie. Who made it?" Shen Jie asked.

“Then maybe it hasn’t been filmed yet. It’s Zhang Yimou’s film. I don’t know exactly which year it was filmed.” Shen Tianyun said, “Mom, you really like that movie.”

"Really?" Shen Jie said, "I quite like Zhang Yimou."

Shen Tianyun narrowed her eyes and said in the tone of a character in the movie, "What I bestow upon you is yours. If I don't give it to you, you can't take it."

"what?"

"This is what Zhou Lunfa said to Zhou Jielun. One of them will play the emperor, and the other will play the crown prince," Shen Tianyun explained.

"What I give you is yours. What I don't give you, you can't take." Shen Jie looked at Xiao Yao and repeated the sentence with a smile: "So domineering!"

Xiao Yao's smile froze on his face. The little red figure warned him with a fork that Shen Jie's words had a hidden meaning. He himself deeply agreed, but ultimately did not want to ruin the atmosphere. After carefully considering his words, he said, "I think the relationship between husband and wife is different from that between father and son. The most important thing is equality and respect."

“I agree, mutual respect is key.” Shen Jie smiled and placed the soup she had served in front of Xiao Yao. “What’s that saying again? ‘A couple should be as respectful to each other as guests.’”

A surge of anger rushed from the depths of Xiao Yao's heart to his head.

If the earlier statement that "being impatient can lead to choking" was a way to save face, the declaration of "treating each other with utmost respect" was seriously inconsistent with his expectations.

The passive skill that guarantees 100% rejection has been activated again, hasn't it?

He had clearly given up everything for her...

Seeing that Xiao Yao's expression was not good, Shen Tianyun hurriedly tried to smooth things over, saying, "You two are both right. My own family is like this. My mother listens to my father on small matters, but we discuss big matters together. My father has always respected my mother."

Neither of them said a word.

“Don’t look so disbelieving,” Shen Tianyun added, “You two are still kids, immature, but you’ll grow up eventually…”

The two glanced at Shen Tianyun, both thinking, "You're clearly the youngest person here."

"By the way, Zhang Zhengkai came to see me today." Xiao Yao felt that he still needed to talk about the important matters.

Shen Jie's expression tightened: "Where are you coming to? The school?"

"No, they just called me." Xiao Yao repeated the entire phone call to the two girls verbatim.

Shen Jie and Shen Tianyun exchanged a glance.

"what happened?"

"You idiot," Shen Jie stood up halfway, then sat back down: "Now Zhang Zhengkai definitely knows I'm here with you!"

"Not necessarily..." Xiao Yao wanted to struggle a little more.

“Starting tomorrow, you must be careful to avoid being followed after school,” Shen Jie solemnly instructed. “Don’t lead him home.”

"Got it," Xiao Yao muttered, "that little bastard."

“He’s not quite a bastard,” Shen Tianyun interjected, “Uncle Zhang is actually quite…”

"Tianyun!" Shen Jie interrupted, "He's just a little bastard."

"Mom, tell Xiao Yao," Shen Tianyun insisted.

“I already did last night—” Shen Jie said.

"It's okay, let her speak." Xiao Yao tugged at Shen Jie, wanting to hear his daughter say it from a different perspective.

“I talked to my mom about this on the phone yesterday,” Shen Tianyun said, turning to Xiao Yao. “In my world, Uncle Zhang is indeed my mom’s fiancé—her ex-fiancé.”

"Mm." Xiao Yao nodded.

"They officially got engaged when my mother was in her senior year of high school, and then she went to Australia to study."

"Ah."

“After my mother returned from Australia, Uncle Zhang went to study in Germany.”

"Hmm." So far, their statements match up.

"So even though they've been engaged for many years, they've only met a few times, and it's said they've never even held hands."

"Hmm..." Xiao Yao thought to himself, if you say so, I'll just believe you for now.

"Later, when Uncle Zhang returned from Germany, both sets of parents began preparing for the wedding."

"Ah."

"Just a month before the wedding, Uncle Zhang and his mother went on a business trip and were involved in a car accident."

"Hmm?" Was it what Shen Jie said last night, that we weren't preparing for the wedding yet?

“Uncle Zhang clearly had a chance to escape on his own, but his first reaction was to push his mother out of the car.” After saying this, Shen Tianyun fell silent.

"So that's how it is," Xiao Yao said.

"What's with your reaction? What are you thinking?"

"Ever since I met you and your daughter, I've had this strange dream a lot," Xiao Yao said. "Well, I wouldn't call it a lot, but I've had it several times."

Xiao Yao told the two girls about the dream—how he and Shen Jie went out in a car, how the car accident happened, how he pushed Shen Jie out of the car, and how he was finally run over by a truck.

"After all this time," Xiao Yao finally chuckled, "Zhang Zhengkai is actually myself?"

"Having this kind of dream several times, it can't just be a simple coincidence, right?" Shen Jie rested her chin on her hand, looked at Shen Tianyun, then at Xiao Yao, her gaze softening considerably: "You... really would do the same thing as him?"

He felt he wasn't really sure, but at this point there was only one option: to nod firmly.

"Thank you." Shen Jie seemed to believe him.

"Of course." Xiao Yao puffed out his chest.

“Okay,” Shen Tianyun said happily, taking Xiao Yao and Shen Jie’s hands. “Give a salute, shake hands, and we’ll still be good friends.”

"I don't want to be good friends..." Xiao Yao complained.

“Zhang Zhengkai is annoying, and I really don’t like him,” Shen Jie shook Xiao Yao’s hand, but her mind was on something else: “but he’s not a bad person at heart.”

“It’s not inherently bad,” Xiao Yao said dismissively, “It just refers to the relentless stalking and harassment, the pressure on your father, and taking advantage of your vulnerability—”

Xiao Yao thought, "You can't tell if this is inherently good or bad; at most, you can tell it's true love."

"Whatever, I must annul my engagement with him, immediately," Shen Jie's reaction was firm. "I mean, absolutely not. When I ran away, all I thought about was you—"

When she said "you," she was looking at Shen Tianyun, then, as if remembering something, she looked at Xiao Yao again: "You guys."

"Hmm." Xiao Yao poked at his empty bowl with his chopsticks, while Shen Tianyun was already serving herself her fourth bowl of rice.

"But now it seems this was for his own good," Shen Jie said. "As long as he doesn't get engaged to me, he won't die... right?"

“No, then the dead person becomes me?” Xiao Yao blurted out.

“We already know the exact time and location of the accident,” Shen Tianyun said. “We can just avoid it. You can’t die, or I’ll be gone.”