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

"Wh-what?" Shen Jie's heart skipped a beat.

“Grandma, it’s gone,” Shen Hongsheng said.

Chapter 406 A Memorial for Farewell

2024-01-22

Shen Jie's original idea was that she would go back to attend the funeral herself, and let Xiao Yao and Yu Luying continue to go to Tangshan Hot Spring. Otherwise, it would be a waste of the tickets she had bought, and she would feel even worse if she ruined their mood. However, Yu Luying refused without hesitation.

The two had a minor argument, and then Yu Luying bluntly said, "Sister, I like to tell the truth. If I went to the private hot spring with him and was all alone, I would definitely lose my innocence."

"No, what am I in your eyes?" Xiao Yao quickly said, "I'm not in the mood for the hot springs anymore. I definitely have to stay with you at a time like this."

"How are you going to keep me company?" Shen Jie touched the corner of her eye and forced a smile. "I can't exactly bring you back with me, can I? At a time like this, I can't exactly make things difficult for my dad, can I?"

Xiao Yao was speechless and could only nod silently.

The three children got off the car, hailed a taxi and headed home. After returning to Shanghai, they went straight to Shen Jie's grandmother's residence.

Xiao Yao had never been to this place before. Shen Jie's original idea was that Xiao Yao and Yu Luying should stay in the car and go straight back—but Xiao Yao insisted on paying the fare and getting out of the car with Yu Luying to accompany Shen Jie.

The three children stood on the curb, watching the taxi speed away.

A gust of cold wind blew by, swirling up the few withered leaves by the roadside, and Xiao Yao couldn't help but shiver.

Things happened so fast and suddenly that Xiao Yao still finds it all unreal.

During this time, he imagined countless times what it would be like if Shen Jie left one day.

He knew this day would come sooner or later, but he subconsciously avoided it.

Possibility.

Just like many people's attitude towards death.

Xiao Yao had a strong, unfounded premonition that Shen Jie would never come back after leaving.

This intense unease prevented him from leaving gracefully or letting Shen Jie go.

But what could he do when something like this happened to Shen Jie's family? Stop Shen Jie from leaving? Insist on going with her?

That would be incredibly inconsiderate.

Moreover, he couldn't even confide his worries and anxieties to Shen Jie.

That would make you look like a spoiled little child.

But now, without a doubt, what Shen Jie needs is a man's shoulder to lean on, not a child who lacks security and only cries while hugging someone's leg.

Therefore, even if Xiao Yao couldn't act like a man, he couldn't let the children out.

Therefore, he simply held Shen Jie's hands without saying a word.

Yu Dengpao stood to the side, looking at this person and that person. For about half a minute, none of the three spoke.

Then, Xiao Yao reached out and pulled Shen Jie into his arms.

Although I no longer feel my heart flutter when I look at her, the affection and kinship between husband and wife are still there.

Xiao Yao couldn't help but feel reluctant to part with it.

Although he didn't say anything, Shen Jie still saw through his thoughts and caught his anxiety.

"Don't worry, Gouzi, I'll be back soon after I'm done," Shen Jie told Xiao Yao.

"Mm." Xiao Yao nodded.

“Even if my dad doesn’t let me come back to live here,” Shen Jie thought for a moment, then added somewhat hesitantly, “I will… I will… always stay with you.”

“Yes,” Xiao Yao said, “If I can save you once, I can save you a second time.”

"I believe you." Shen Jie's nails dug tightly into Xiao Yao's back, and she pecked at his cheek.

Shen Jie's clear and unambiguous statement somewhat dispelled Xiao Yao's anxiety.

He casually let go of Shen Jie, saying, "Alright, don't delay, go ahead. Ask Grandma for me..."

Then I thought, there's no point in asking: "Ask your father... sigh, never mind."

"Alright." Shen Jie raised her right hand and pinched Xiao Yao's fleshy cheek.

……

"Go ahead," Xiao Yao urged.

"Well, I'm really leaving now." Shen Jie made a "make a phone call" gesture to Xiao Yao, then waved to Yu Luying: "Silly girl."

Yu Luying hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and gave Shen Jie a brief hug.

Before entering the lush and green residential area, Shen Jie turned back to Xiao Yao three times.

The last time he turned around, the dazzling sunlight shone on the girl's face, making it impossible for Xiao Yao to see her clearly.

Although he couldn't see her expression clearly, Xiao Yao could sense her sadness.

The boy's heart was tugged at from afar, and it hurt terribly.

When the two returned home, Tianyun and her grandmother were not there. They stared blankly at the empty bedroom for more than ten seconds.

"I should have gone to the hot springs instead." Yu Luying walked to Xiao Yao's bedside and sat down, gently tapping the outside of her thigh with her small pink fist.

"Aren't you worried about your innocence?" Xiao Yao said.

Yu Luying glanced at him.

"Let's not," Xiao Yao said with a wry smile. "With Shen Jie in trouble, how can I possibly have the mind to play?"

Yu Luying glanced at him again, then said, "I'm going back to my room."

As she spoke, she stood up and walked towards Shen Tianyun's room with an air of self-righteousness, as if it were her own room.

"Hey, hey," Xiao Yao called out to her, "Don't go!"

"What are you doing now?" Yu Luying didn't turn around, one hand resting on the wardrobe doorknob.

"Well..." Xiao Yao stammered, "Let's do our homework together."

The air conditioner at Xiao Yao's grandma's house wasn't working well, and she hadn't thought about replacing it when she had spare money these days. Now the two little ones were freezing, and their hands were even a little stiff from holding pens. Yu Luying wanted to pull Xiao Yao into Tianyun's room to warm up, but when she saw him constantly on his phone sending and receiving messages, she knew he was keeping in touch with Shen Jie, so she didn't say anything. She just quietly put on another layer of not-so-sexy thick woolen socks.

Since parting ways with Shen Jie, Xiao Yao had maintained contact with her without interruption, which reassured the young man considerably. Perhaps busy with his mother's funeral arrangements, Shen Hongsheng had not yet resorted to violence against his daughter, nor had he restricted her freedom of communication or movement.

For now.

Shen Jie's grandmother actually passed away on Friday, but for some reason Shen Hongsheng didn't inform her until Saturday morning.

On Sunday evening, Shen Jie called Xiao Yao and asked him if he wanted to attend his grandmother's memorial service.

At that moment, Xiao Yao was petting Shen Jie's cat, pointing at its head with his finger while spouting meaningless nonsense: "You little kitty, your owner has gone home now. Do you know that now only I can take care of you..."

Just then, Shen Jie called. It was already past 11 p.m., but Xiao Yao perked up immediately.

"Hey~ wife~" Xiao Yao answered the phone.

"The memorial service is tomorrow morning at ten o'clock," Shen Jie said without exchanging pleasantries, getting straight to the point. Her voice, tinged with weariness, said, "Do you—do you want to come? I'll just have to ask the school for another day off."

“Come on, come on,” Xiao Yao replied without hesitation, “Your dad won’t skin me alive right here, will he?”

“I’ve already spoken to him,” Shen Jie told Xiao Yao succinctly, “and he agreed.”

“Ah,” Xiao Yao said, “did you try to persuade him for a long time?”

That's why they only contacted me so late.

"It's alright," Shen Jie said.

Xiao Yao understood what being allowed to attend the memorial service meant, and he wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. After all… school should take priority,” Shen Jie said hesitantly. “And you should ask for her opinion, since she also needs to ask for leave. Don’t make decisions on your own. Also…”

On Monday, November 29, 2004, Xiao Yao and Yu Luying attended the memorial service for Grandma Shen Jie.

It's the same place, the same street—Longhua.

The scene of us coming together to bid farewell to Teacher Song Haijian back then, uh, that month, is still vivid in my mind. I never expected that so soon, I would be standing in front of this Bridge of Helplessness again.

The temperature was very low today, and even the shallow puddles on the road were covered with a thin layer of ice, making a crunching sound when you stepped on them.

Xiao Yao originally wanted to wear his winter school uniform coat, but in the end he chose a more formal suit and dressed himself up to look presentable.

This outfit was bought for him by Shen Jie.

Then, at the entrance of Longhua, his suit was already soaked through by the morning wind, so he could only stomp his feet, rub his hands, hug himself, and then bend over.

Yu Luying was also quite cold, but she forced herself to maintain her polite demeanor.

She was also dressed in a black formal suit today, without a hat or gloves.

The pantyhose, like her long skirt, were pure black and opaque. This color not only made her calves look longer, but also made her appear elegant and solemn.

Yu Luying's expression was not good. In fact, before leaving, she had inexplicably lost her temper with Xiao Yao, saying that she didn't want to ask for leave from school, didn't want to attend the memorial service, and didn't want to be Xiao Yao's personal briefcase. In short, she was being unreasonable. After she finished making a scene, she apologized to Xiao Yao, dressed up carefully, and accompanied him out the door.

"Arrived?" Shen Jie's message came from Xiao Yao's phone.

"We've arrived," Xiao Yao replied.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Jie sent the name of the venue where the memorial service would be held.