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

"I saw them wolfing down their food with great satisfaction, making stupid grumbling noises."

“Oh, my love, my love,” Xiao Yao said, gazing at Shen Jie with deep affection as he read this. “Your eyes are too beautiful to tolerate such rules. Let us think of a better way.”

"Oh my love, your face is so perfect that it can withstand close scrutiny."

“Oh love, put your boat on the water and give me back to the storm.”

Xiao Yao paused for a moment: "It's over."

Shen Jie clapped her hands enthusiastically: "That's really good. Doesn't your school have any recitation competitions or anything like that?"

Yes, there is...

"What does this poem mean?" Shen Jie asked him.

"There are notes here."

"read."

Xiao Yao glanced at the contents and sensed something was amiss, but he still forced himself to read aloud: "The author of this poem is the American poet Ezra Pound. At the very moment he was about to step into the city gates of marriage, he suddenly decided to escape the 'city of besieged marriage'..."

"Go ahead and read it. Why aren't you reading it anymore?" Shen Jie's expression was a half-smile.

"The monotonous and numb state of his marriage made him want to run away." Xiao Yao read aloud, his voice growing softer and softer: "Listen to his tone, a mix of intimidation and coaxing, first a warning to be smarter, then using examples to persuade me, and finally a honeyed lie saying, 'Your eyes are so beautiful,' begging me to give myself back to the storm. It's like saying, 'Let me go back to the wildlife park,' he really went to great lengths..."

Xiao Yao couldn't continue reading, and an awkward atmosphere filled the space between the two of them.

“Let me go back to the wildlife park,” Shen Jie nodded thoughtfully, “You know what, it’s kind of interesting?”

"What's the point of this..." Xiao Yao stammered, "It's meaningless. Let me choose one for you instead."

"Marriage, it has nothing to do with love, right?" Shen Jie seemed to be talking to herself, "But yesterday Brother Bo told me..."

Xiao Yao was sweating profusely as he flipped through the book: "Hey, this one, Bei Dao's 'Answer,' I really like it, even though it's not a love poem."

“Okay,” Shen Jie’s lips curled up in a smile: “Why does it have to be a love poem? I’m not love-struck.”

"Hmph!" Xiao Yao changed to a passionate tone: "Baseness is the passport of the base, nobility is the epitaph of the noble; look, in that gilded sky, the distorted reflections of the dead float everywhere."

"...

"I came into this world with only paper, rope, and shadow; so that I could proclaim the voices of those who have been judged before the trial."

"Let me tell you, world, I—do—not—believe! Even if there are a thousand challengers at your feet, then count me as the thousand and first."

"I don't believe the sky is blue, I don't believe in the echo of thunder, I don't believe dreams are false, and I don't believe death goes unpunished."

……

About twenty minutes later, Xiao Yao sat on the sofa, holding the latest June 2004 issue of "Poetry Journal" in his hands, slowly reading it.

Since Shen Tianyun came into his life that rainy night, he seems to have rarely slowed down like this to savor his life.

Everything was like a runaway carriage, the frightened horses pulling wildly, galloping and galloping...

"Next page?" Shen Jie had been silent for a while, so Xiao Yao asked her softly.

The only response he received was a soft snore, and then, a weight settled on his shoulder as the girl's head rested against him.

"I gaze at you under the setting sun, you carry the sorrow of flowing water, I remember the way you waved to me, don't ask me if love will grow old..." Ye Bei's song "Innocent Years" flowed from Shen Jie's music phone. She had downloaded it 20 minutes ago using a 2G network, and it had only just finished downloading.

Less than half a month ago, I was sitting here with Yu Luying, listening to this song "Innocent Years" and sharing poetry magazines, until Shen Jie suddenly barged in carrying a large black garbage bag.

This event is not actually from a long time ago, but now when I think about it, it feels like a past life.

Xiao Yao let out a soft, long breath.

Let her sleep peacefully like this; it's fine this way.

Like most people of this era, Shen Jie cannot appreciate the "poetic beauty of humanity," which is not her fault and cannot be forced.

However, there will never again be a girl who understands me so well, someone with whom I can sit on this sofa, listening to Ye Bei's songs and sharing our feelings about poetry.

It felt as if something soft had been stabbed deep inside Xiao Yao, causing him a sharp pain for a moment.

He was like someone who was sleeping in a beautiful, gentle dream, and was briefly awakened. His first reaction was to quickly go back to sleep.

The image of the pale-faced girl running wildly flashed before my eyes—the child fled in panic, running blindly, her white sneaker foot stepping into the street water that was up to her ankles, and then the other foot.

Just a few hours ago, Xiao Yao only felt the cold water pouring into his shoes, but now, that cold water was flowing into his heart.

Can't think about it anymore.

Xiao Yao shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel his wandering thoughts.

Just thinking about these things constitutes emotional infidelity.

Xiao Yao had already made up his mind to be devoted to Shen Jie.

The dramatic head shaking startled the sleeping girl awake: "Ah?! Ah, you've finished reading? Ah... I guess this poem means..."

“This poem isn’t very interesting,” Xiao Yao smiled and playfully flicked the short-haired girl’s nose. “How about we go to an internet cafe instead?”

"Huh? Now? What time is it?" Shen Jie looked at the old grandfather clock with a dazed expression.

"It's still early," Xiao Yao said.

"It's not...that early, is it?" Shen Jie stood up and said, "Why hasn't Tianyun returned yet?"

After tidying up briefly, the girl accompanied Xiao Yao out the door.

She was wearing a white short-sleeved T-shirt and blue jeans, with her XXII-shaped hair clip in her hair, and nude socks and black leather sandals on her feet.

"Ugh... I feel so embarrassed, I'm too ashamed to face anyone." The girl walked away, hiding behind Xiao Yao. "I feel like everyone is looking at me, I really want to take my clothes off."

"?" Xiao Yao saw that there were hardly any pedestrians on the road: "It's late at night, who's looking at you? Who's staring at your feet? Why are you making such a fuss?"

“You know what,” Shen Jie said, squeezing Xiao Yao’s hand tightly, “when I was at home, whether I was going to school or going out with friends, I wouldn’t leave the house unless I was dressed to my satisfaction.”

"Hmm..." Xiao Yao thought for a moment and said, "Don't you have a lot of important things to do? Why do you always spend your time on this? If you don't have to be so meticulous, you can spend an extra half hour memorizing vocabulary, haha."

“It’s different. For many girls, only by dressing up like a princess can they do their best without worrying about other people’s opinions or their own inner anxieties,” Shen Jie said.

What the hell are you talking about? Do you even understand grammar? Xiao Yao didn't understand.

The two walked hand in hand into "Canhua Internet Cafe". Surely Song Haijian wouldn't be out in an internet cafe at this hour to arrest someone.

The internet cafe receptionist didn't check their ID cards and readily issued them cards.

Ah... such a familiar taste, yet it feels somewhat strange now.

Xiao Yao noticed that several elementary school students were also playing online games, with red scarves around their necks and shouting loudly, their schoolbags casually placed next to the keyboard.

"So many elementary school students... I think this internet cafe is doomed." Xiao Yao said somewhat uneasily, "By the way, didn't we say we were going to buy a computer?"

“Tianyun said she’s been quite busy with training lately, and she’s already looking into it,” Shen Jie said. “Don’t sit here, go inside.”

The so-called "inside" area is actually a "couples' private room," with leather sofas, a large screen, and a curtain separating it from the main hall. It costs eight yuan an hour. In the past, Xiao Yao would never have considered going there, but now he actually thinks... it's not so bad? Not too expensive.

Xiao Yao and Shen Jie logged into their respective accounts. Xiao Yao's character was a level 61 White Elf Templar Knight, wearing a set of Doomsday Armor, holding the Glory of the Dead and a small Doomsday Shield, with the words "Don Quixote" above his head.

Shen Jie's character is named "oO舒荷Oo", a white elf mage who wears high-heeled boots and black stockings and holds a small magic wand. She is only level 8.

"Here, take this and get the best basic gear for a mage, the best you can get before level 20." Xiao Yao placed the robe, stockings, boots, and staff in the trade window, then typed 30000 into the gold coin bar: "Take this money and buy some regular magic bullets from the shop—just buy 3000, any more and you'll exceed your weight limit. Right-click to automatically use magic bullets, which will deal 50% extra damage."

"It really is!" A white light emanated from Shen Jie's hand, and her character chanted a spell: "Mima Yamana!" Then an ice arrow shot out from her hand, flew to the lizardman, and instantly killed the monster with a critical hit.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Shen Jie exclaimed. "At what level do you need to learn Fireball?"

“You are an elf,” Xiao Yao explained, “Elves use water magic, dark elves use wind magic, and humans use fire magic…”

"Then I want to start playing a human mage again," Shen Jie pouted.

"No, you're already level 8," Xiao Yao advised. "White elves are beautiful, and look, I'm a white elf too. Different races can't marry each other."

"Okay," Shen Jie said reluctantly, "What's your profession?"

“Templar Knight, that’s the second job advancement,” Xiao Yao explained. “You’re an Elf Mage. You’ll advance to the next job at level 20. You can choose to be an Elf Elder or an Elf Wizard. If you want to play a mage, you can become a Wizard, and then you’ll advance to the second job advancement, Spellcaster, at level 40.”

"Ah, another poet," Shen Jie said, pursing her lips.

Xiao Yao left the group, mounted his Twilight Dragon, and began rampaging through the lizardman camp. His mount made a "thump-thump" sound on the ground, pulling a long train of dozens of monsters. It stopped in front of Shen Jie, dismounted, and a group taunt shouted, "Use area-of-effect magic, quick!"

……

With Xiao Yao helping her level up, Shen Jie leveled up very quickly, soon reaching level 14. The monsters in the Lizardman barracks all turned dark blue and could no longer provide experience points.

"It's time to move on... Let me see." Xiao Yao pressed the M key, opened the parchment scroll-style map, and began to study it.

Shen Jie let out a long yawn: "Gouzi, I'm sleepy, shall we go back?"

"Isn't it fun?" Xiao Yao turned to look at Shen Jie's flawless face and couldn't help but reach out and pinch it. "Then let's go back."

"No, it's just that it's fun... it's just that I'm thinking..."

The two used a return scroll together, and a six-pointed star-shaped magic circle appeared under the characters' feet.

“I was thinking, instead of spending time leveling up in the game, why don’t we practice our combat skills in the mirror?” Shen Jie said. “After all, no matter what, the data in the game is just virtual data, while improving our own abilities is what really matters.”

Xiao Yao frowned: "Teacher Yao's pedestal has collapsed."

"Didn't you say that the night you came looking for me, you accidentally stumbled into a mirror under a bridge?" Shen Jie returned to Gulu Ding Town, sat down to recharge, and said, "And you even encountered a faceless flower girl and stuff..."

"It's too dangerous," Xiao Yao said, maneuvering his knight to the blacksmith to repair his equipment. "In the game, dying only results in losing experience points, but what if you die in the mirror?"

"Hmm..." Shen Jie placed the backs of her hands under her chin, staring blankly at the screen: "But..."

"Besides, who are you planning to use to level up?" Xiao Yao said, "The people in that world aren't aggressive. If you go in and start a massacre, is that...is that reasonable?"