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

"..." Xiao Yao kept his mouth shut, this time he didn't intend to say a single unnecessary word.

Shen Jie put her feet off the sofa, revealing an expression of interest: "You...prefer women's...underwear?"

The taxi driver glanced in the rearview mirror.

"Pfft—Absolutely not! No! I have absolutely no such perverted hobby!" Xiao Yao instantly forgot his decision to keep his mouth shut.

"Did you take her because you like Yu Luying...?"

"No." Xiao Yao looked at the back of the chair in front of him and answered by sitting up straight.

“I think this is all in the past. You’re still young, and this isn’t an unforgivable mistake. However, based on… the future that Shen Tianyun mentioned, I hope you won’t lie to me,” Shen Jie coaxed gently.

Xiao Yao knew what this familiar feeling was all about: Shen Jie's way of speaking was exactly the same as when his mother was alive, and also the way his female homeroom teacher was in elementary school.

"NO!" Xiao Yao was a little angry. He turned his face to stare into Shen Jie's eyes, and his breathing became heavy.

Shen Jie lowered her head and remained silent. In the dim light, Xiao Yao couldn't see her expression.

“Although we haven’t known each other for very long, and I don’t know how to prove it,” Xiao Yao finally recovered from his tense state, “but I ask you to give me your trust.”

The words were spoken in a very informal way, but Shen Jie nodded slightly. When she looked up again, the teacher-like mask had disappeared, replaced by the girl's usual smile.

“I believe you,” Shen Jie announced her verdict.

"Thank you."

"By the way, Yu Luying actually likes you."

The topic shift was a bit... too abrupt.

"What are you talking about now? Didn't you say before—"

“That was before,” Shen Jie analyzed. “A girl, especially one with such an introverted personality, was confessed to by you in public and then relentlessly pursued by you. In the end, she was still willing to be friends with you. There are only two possibilities. First, she wanted to keep you as a backup option.”

“She’s not that kind of person,” Xiao Yao said confidently.

“I agree,” Shen Jie raised her chin, “So that’s it.”

"Then why has she been..."

"Don't ask me about that," Shen Jie laughed. "Anyway, in this world, the person who likes you might not agree to be with you, and the person who agrees to be with you might not like you. It's the same with marriage—"

“I’m telling you,” Xiao Yao interrupted her, “you’ve never been in a relationship, but how come you can analyze things so well? Your tone is almost as sophisticated as my god-sister’s.”

"Xi Sang, Xiao Jia (sir, madam)" The driver turned around: "Is the small turn ahead right?"

“Yes, yes,” Xiao Yao then realized that he was surrounded by familiar street scenes: “Turn here… and then pull over.”

The taxi smoothly pulled over to the side of the road.

"Well..." Xiao Yao didn't seem to intend to get out of the car yet.

"What's wrong? Do you want me to come home with you?" Shen Jie's eyes sparkled.

"Um, no, I meant, when should we meet next time..."

"Let's make an appointment by phone next time."

"Well, then..."

The taxi driver had already impatiently turned around to look this way, and Xiao Yao awkwardly opened the car door and got out. Just as he was about to turn around and close the door, he saw Shen Jie get out of the car from the other side.

"Huh?" Xiao Yao was taken aback.

“I suddenly feel hungry,” Shen Jie said with a smile, wearing plastic slippers she bought at the park. “I’ll go home with you this time.”

Xiao Yao was taken aback for a moment, then guessed Shen Jie's intention.

He happily took Shen Jie home.

Grandma seemed to be gone, leaving behind stew on the gas stove.

Luckily, Shen Tianyun was home. She was lying on her small bed, snoring softly, as if she had slept all day.

Shen Jie changed into Shen Tianyun's clothes—a green T-shirt and beige shorts. They didn't fit her very well and were loose and baggy, but it was better than wearing clothes that were half-damp and half-wet.

"Shen Tianyun, where did you go last night?!" Shen Jie asked with displeasure during dinner.

"Nothing much... I was just staying home, I only took a long nap, that's all," Shen Tianyun rubbed her eyes and stammered, "You can ask my dad if you don't believe me!"

“Oh, this—” Xiao Yao saw Shen Tianyun winking at him.

"Don't say anything!" Shen Jie interrupted Xiao Yao forcefully. "After you finish eating, go to Yu Luying's house and explain things to her properly."

"Let's talk to her in class the day after tomorrow." Xiao Yao actually had the same idea, but he didn't want to appear too eager in front of Shen Jie.

“…” Shen Jie glanced at Xiao Yao.

"Ah, yes, yes, I'll go right now, this can't be delayed." Xiao Yao put down his bowl and stood up: "You two, talk it out, don't start arguing."

Xiao Yao shuffled towards Yu Luying's house in his slippers, pondering the events of the day as he walked.

As luck would have it, he had just arrived at Yu Luying's house when he saw that her door was open.

Then, Yu Luying came out carrying the spittoon.

"Yu Luying!" Xiao Yao called out loudly.

Yu Luying shuddered and turned to go inside, but Xiao Yao grabbed her arm.

"Let go!" Yu Luying forcefully pulled her hand back.

“Listen to me, I didn’t take your underwear,” Xiao Yao said urgently. “I swear to your God.”

"Let go!" Yu Luying shouted angrily, kicking Xiao Yao hard.

Xiao Yao didn't care about the pain, but he saw Yu Luying hiss and bend down to touch her calf.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yao asked with concern, only to see the girl looking at him with a strange expression.

Then, he kicked him hard again.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Yao finally felt the pain. "I told you, I really didn't take it!"

Yu Luying squatted down, hugging her calves.

Just then, the door opened again, and this time it was Xiao Yao's most dreaded "uncle" who came out.

“It’s you again.” Father Yu’s glasses gleamed white in the moonlight.

Chapter 20 Mother and Father

Despite Father Yu's "polite" admonition, Xiao Yao ultimately failed to speak to Yu Luying again.

When he got home, he tiptoed into the wardrobe across the hall. Shen Jie and Shen Tianyun seemed to have just finished arguing. Both of them were still angry. Shen Tianyun was curled up at the head of the bed looking at her phone, while Shen Jie was sitting at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yao asked with a forced smile.

“This child doesn’t come home at night,” Shen Jie said angrily. “She won’t tell the truth when I ask her. This is your daughter, and you, as her father, never care about her?”

"What's with this all-night stayout thing?" Xiao Yao scratched the back of his head, pretending to be oblivious. "She just slept all afternoon, didn't she?"

"She admitted it all; she didn't go home all night last night." Shen Jie switched the legs that were crossed over hers.

You're getting into the role of a young mother a little too quickly!

"I just came back a little late, why make such a big deal out of it?" Shen Tianyun said.

“Not coming home after 10 p.m. is called staying out all night,” Shen Jie said seriously, pointing to the digital clock on the wall.

“Yeah, it’s already 10:30, and you’re not…” Shen Tianyun stopped mid-sentence and looked at Xiao Yao.

Shen Jie was caught off guard and slightly taken aback. She then argued forcefully, "I'm at your father's house, so this is also my house."

“666666666666,” Shen Tianyun said.

"See, don't be angry," Xiao Yao decided to smooth things over. "She just came back a little late, kids are playful. I sometimes stay up all night at internet cafes too—"

As soon as he said that, Xiao Yao realized he had misspoke. Sure enough, Shen Jie's almond-shaped eyes widened: "What kind of good example are you setting now! Besides, she's a girl."

"What's wrong with being a girl? It's 2034 already, can't we still have gender equality?" Shen Tianyun shouted. "My mom doesn't care about me, but you—?"

"If your mother doesn't care about you, then tell me, who am I?" Shen Jie laughed angrily.

“I mean, my mother,” Shen Tianyun said, looking a little aggrieved, “You won’t be like that in the future.”

"That's because she's in another city, and you're far from the emperor's reach, aren't you?"

"Not at all!"

"I'm going back." Shen Jie stood up with a cold face and picked up her small backpack from the table.

"I'll take you, I'll take you."

"Need not!"

Before following Shen Jie into the wardrobe, Xiao Yao turned back and made a face at Shen Tianyun.

"What happened to Yu Luying later?" Standing by the roadside, Shen Jie looked around anxiously while waiting for a car.

“She didn’t seem to listen to me. Later, her uncle came out,” Xiao Yao replied. “I saw that there were elders around, so I didn’t want to say anything and came back.”

A night breeze blew by, and Shen Jie's long, loose hair danced in the breeze, a truly pleasing sight.