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

In comparison, Shen Jie's hands were more exquisite. Her fingers were long and slender, and her nails were neatly trimmed and gleaming. Her palms were smooth and soft, without a trace of dead skin or calluses, as if they were delicate works of art. The lines of her hands were smooth, and every detail was perfect.

Xiao Yao suddenly felt a pang of heartache and affection for Yu Luying: "Let me do it."

"Don't be stubborn—"

Before they could even utter the word "strong," they heard footsteps coming from the bedroom.

Yu Luying released Xiao Yao's hand as if she had been electrocuted, and retreated to another blind spot among the photos, trying to cover up her mistake.

“Teaching him to cook? That’s a good thing.” Shen Jie strolled over with her hands behind her back, a smile on her face: “So he won’t starve to death in the future.”

The small photo booth was crowded with three big kids, but Shen Jie showed no intention of going back.

As the three chatted, Yu Luying guided Xiao Yao through the process of making stir-fried green peppers with shredded pork, while Shen Jie stood to the side with great interest, seemingly "learning along."

After putting the stir-fried green peppers and shredded pork into a plate, Yu Luying directed Xiao Yao to bring the dishes in. She then personally put on an apron and made scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried bean sprouts, and braised eggplant. Finally, she made a bowl of egg drop soup.

"Why is everything so green?" Xiao Yao said.

“It’s simple and easy to make,” Shen Jie quickly replied, “Besides, that’s all we have in the fridge.”

Yu Luying glanced at the two of them: "So the groceries weren't bought by Xiao Yao after all?"

“His uncle and I bought them at the market,” Shen Jie rolled her eyes at Xiao Yao, “He doesn’t do anything at home.”

"?" Xiao Yao protested, "Don't talk nonsense... Who washes your clothes...?"

He felt it was inappropriate to say it in front of Yu Luying, but Yu Luying didn't seem to care—because she answered a phone call.

"Hello, Mom?"

……

"I didn't attend the old lady's memorial service."

……

"Yes, Zhonglang came back for lunch."

……

"Yes, it's at his house." Yu Luying held the phone between her neck and shoulder and began to put the braised eggplant into a plate.

……

"Oh dear, it's just the two of us." Yu Luying gestured with her lips to Xiao Yao and Shen Jie to bring the dishes into the room.

……

"Okay, stop bothering me, I understand." Yu Luying said, "I've already told you."

After Yu Luying hung up the phone, the four teenagers sat down around the dining table in the bedroom.

They wanted to drag the table out, but felt too lazy, so they just squeezed in.

Xiao Yao sat in the middle right, with Yu Luying on his right and Shen Jie on his left. Shen Tianyun was to Shen Jie's left.

"Silly girl," Shen Jie suddenly thought, "Do you pray before you eat?"

“Yes,” Yu Luying asked, puzzled.

"How about you lead us in a pre-meal prayer today?" Shen Jie invited warmly.

"Huh?" Yu Luying was a little surprised: "Yes, that's fine."

Xiao Yao and Shen Tianyun were also a little surprised, but no one objected.

The four of them stood up and turned to face the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue on top of the cabinet.

That was a birthday gift from Yu Bo to Xiao Yao on his birthday. It had saved everyone once during Xiao Yao's first appearance in "Shadow Time".

“In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” Yu Luying gestured for everyone to make the sign of the cross with her: “Amen.”

Then, just like in foreign movies, the four of them held hands.

Xiao Yao held Shen Jie's hand with his left hand and Yu Luying's hand with his right, and his nose felt a little sore.

He suddenly felt that this was like the warm atmosphere of a "family of four".

“Lord, bless us and the food you have given us,” the three of them said slowly, following Yu Luying. “We also thank you for all that you have given us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.”

"Amen." Xiao Yao suddenly felt a little emotional, thinking that if Yu Luying's God really existed, he wondered if he would bless this "home full of glory and joy".

During a casual conversation at the dinner table, Xiao Yao posed this question: "Yu Luying, what does the Bible say about monogamy and polygamy?"

Xiao Yao only wanted to conduct an academic discussion, but Shen Jie and Shen Tianyun gave him wary glances.

Yu Luying wasn't particularly enthusiastic about studying religious knowledge, but she happened to have heard her uncle mention this topic, so she recalled it and said, "Actually, the Bible doesn't really say this."

"Oh?" Shen Jie said.

“Well, how should I put it? In the Old Testament era, it was actually a polygamous system,” Yu Luying said after swallowing the rice in her mouth. “To be precise, it was a system of one husband with one wife and multiple concubines.”

"Isn't that similar to ancient China?" Xiao Yao interjected.

"I don't know, maybe so," Yu Luying said.

"What about the New Testament?"

“The New Testament doesn’t actually say anything about this, and there is a passage that requires that one of the conditions for becoming an ‘overseer’ or ‘bishop’ is to ‘be the husband of only one man’.”

"Oh? Aren't bishops not allowed to get married?" Xiao Yao picked up a piece of eggplant.

“It should have been permissible in the early church, right?” Yu Luying replied cautiously. “Therefore, some people infer from this passage that the early church…did not actually have any mandatory requirements for believers in this regard.”

"I heard people say that it was actually influenced by Roman customs later on?" Shen Jie suddenly remembered something.

“I don’t know,” Yu Luying shook her head and said, “I heard my uncle say that Martin Luther or Calvin, the schism leader, actually proposed to restore polygamy, but I don’t know why this reform was not implemented later.”

“The topics you’re discussing are all quite profound,” Shen Tianyun said.

“Oh,” Xiao Yao said.

“But there’s no point in discussing this, is there?” Yu Luying said. “Because the church established the general principle of monogamy a long time ago, and back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were created, one male and one female, and there were no others…”

“I heard there’s another one named Lilith,” Xiao Yao said.

“Never heard of it…” Yu Luying shook her head.

The conversation among the four gradually shifted to other topics. After the meal, Xiao Yao volunteered to wash the dishes, and Yu Luying also came out to help, but Xiao Yao firmly sent her back.

Shen Jie and Shen Tianyun were both sleepy and were preparing for a nap, while Yu Luying had already taken out her math test paper from her bag.

To be honest, leaving Xiao Yao and Yu Luying alone made Shen Jie feel a little uncomfortable, but she only hesitated for a moment before taking her daughter to sleep in 2034.

Xiao Yao stood in the center of the room, watching Yu Luying skillfully wipe the dining table with a rag.

The boy realized that he and Yu Luying were now alone together.

Chapter 169 People Who Won't Live to 80

Chapter 169 People Who Don't Live to 30

2023-04-23

Chapter 169 People Who Don't Live to 30

Xiao Yao also wanted to take a nap, but Yu Luying clearly didn't want to indulge him.

Sitting at the dinner table, under Yu Luying's supervision, he completed yesterday's test paper.

"Don't waste time on the last three questions. Your reasonable goal before the start of the semester is to pass." Yu Luying took out another math test paper specially provided by Song Haijian.

"Reporting to the government, can I apply for a 10-minute break between classes?" Xiao Yao raised his right hand.

“No, okay, 24601 (she pronounced it in English as two four six O one).” Yu Luying had already spread the test paper out on the table for him and tapped the questions on the paper with her pen: “Strike while the iron is hot.”

Yu Luying is usually gentle and easy to talk to, but once she enters teaching mode, she becomes a completely different Song Haijian, Xiao Yao thought to himself.

Well, this isn't the first time I've been alone in a room with Yu Luying, though the previous times were in a small room in the church, which could also be considered a public place.

The first time I spent alone with Yu Luying at home was in mid-June. We were sitting on the sofa together reading "Poetry Journal" and listening to "Innocent Years" when we were interrupted by Shen Jie, who barged in carrying a large black garbage bag.

And then there's today—and, supposedly, we're now officially boyfriend and girlfriend.

Neither Shen Jie nor Yu Luying seemed to have sought his consent.

Frankly, it still feels very strange no matter how I think about it.

This time, this time it's called: "Shen Jie mismatches lovers, Xiao Yao angrily opens the Crystal Palace"...?

Come to think of it, when I was discussing polygamy with Yu Luying and everyone else at the dinner table, I was somewhat deliberately trying to provoke Shen Jie into backing down.

As a result, she seemed to have no reaction—did she really want to marry me?

……

Fortunately, the ambiguous atmosphere that Xiao Yao had imagined did not materialize this afternoon.

Firstly, Yu Luying was very serious and dedicated to tutoring Xiao Yao. Secondly, with his impending separation from Shen Jie, Xiao Yao's mood also plummeted—not to mention, she was in the closet and could come out at any moment.

Xiao Yao focused his attention on his studies.

My goal isn't just to avoid repeating a grade; I want to get into the Shanghai Theatre Academy!

With the experience and additional knowledge gained from the first test paper, Xiao Yao was no longer completely lost when tackling the second one. He used the techniques he had already mastered to complete some questions, feeling a sense of accomplishment akin to leveling up in an online game.