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

His gaze then fell on Shen Jie's hand beside him. That hand was slender and long, yet plump and fair, with nails that shone with a bluish light, soft and pearly. Her nails were sparkling, with fine, pointed tips, cut into almond shapes, and cleaner than ivory.

Xiao Yao stretched out his hand, then pulled it back.

“The priest said that the spiritual fortress is the kind of person we all want to become, the ideal me,” Shen Jie said.

“I do quite like Don Quixote,” Xiao Yao said with a smile.

“So before I came here, I looked up Mary Queen of Scots’ story online,” Shen Jie said. “She had a tragic childhood and a tortuous upbringing, but she also had the courage to overthrow her father’s legacy. Even if she had to bear the infamy, she insisted on upholding her ideals and beliefs, but in the end, she still failed…”

The girl took out the "chess piece" and rubbed the queen's portrait in her palm: "I feel like I can hear her talking to me."

"A tragic idealistic hero? Just like Don Quixote." Xiao Yao seized the opportunity to get closer: "I've discovered another thing we have in common."

Xiao Yao made a snap decision and placed his hand on the back of Shen Jie's hand.

"Ah, is that so...?" Shen Jie thoughtfully withdrew her hand, leaving Xiao Yao empty-handed.

Is it a coincidence? It must be a coincidence, right?

"So, this spiritual fortress is the weapon used to fight against the shadows in the hall?" To ease his embarrassment, Xiao Yao quickly found a way to start a conversation.

"Is that a fair interpretation?" Shen Jie hesitated for a moment. "But the priest said that the spiritual fortress and the shadow are two sides of the same coin..."

"Two sides of the same coin...?" Xiao Yao pondered. "By the way, what will be the impact of Little Bear cutting off Teacher Yao's shadow? Has Father Yu figured it out yet?"

This wasn't him making conversation for the sake of it; he genuinely cared.

“There could be very bad consequences. Your male classmate was too reckless. But the priest doesn’t know the specifics.” Shen Jie said seriously, “When you go to school tomorrow, observe carefully and tell everyone what happens.”

"Mm," Xiao Yao said.

Xiao Yao could sense that his relationship with Shen Jie had actually become closer.

People say there are four ironclad bonds in life: studying together, fighting together, sharing spoils together, and being together (in harmony).

Shen Jie generously helped me yesterday, supporting me through thick and thin. Calling her a comrade-in-arms is no exaggeration.

Although she seemed a little distant after leaving the hall yesterday, that feeling has largely disappeared today.

It seems she was just too tired yesterday, or perhaps she was in a hurry to get Zhou Qi to the emergency room.

"By the way, how is Zhou Qi?" Although Xiao Yao wasn't too concerned, he still felt he should ask.

“Zhou Qi, she…”

Xiao Yao listened absentmindedly, his mind still preoccupied with his own thoughts.

Comrades-in-arms are willing to be stabbed in the back by the enemy, rather than being stabbed in the back by the enemy... "into a knife".

His gaze fell on the white socks on Shen Jie's feet.

Yesterday, he saw with his own eyes that Shen Jie's socks had become muddy and torn in the front and back.

But after leaving the "hall," her socks immediately became white, dry, and clean, and the limited-edition platform shoes destroyed in the fire returned to her feet.

...Aside from the iconic badge with chess pieces engraved on it and the injury on Zhou Qi's stomach, he couldn't bring anything else with him.

Ultimately, it's less about "the physical body entering the palace" and more like a holographic immersive online game.

The only difference is that if you die in there, you'll really become a vegetable.

At least that's what the White Knight said, but Xiao Yao didn't dare to verify it.

Therefore, from this perspective, no matter how many times they hold hands and hug, it is ultimately just a friendly interaction between online characters.

Shen Jie must have realized this too, which is why she pulled her hand back, Xiao Yao wondered.

"Go see if my daughter is back. She should be back by now." Shen Jie finally made up her mind and stood up.

But what about the promises? Won't they break too?

"I'll find a chance to talk to Dad." That's what Shen Jie said after leaving the hall yesterday, right?

"So, it still counts?" At the time, I was helping the medical staff carry Zhou Qi's stretcher.

"Mm." Shen Jie nodded.

What exactly does "hmm" mean? Does it indicate affirmation or just being perfunctory? Why won't she let me hold her hand again?

Xiao Yao leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

……

A girl's scream came from in front of them.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Xiao Yao quickly opened his eyes and saw that the girl's upper body was inside the wardrobe, while her two smooth legs were still standing on the ground.

“The mirror… can’t go in.” Shen Jie kept pressing down on the full-length mirror with her hands, which turned into a sound like she was hitting it.

"Calm down, calm down, don't break it!" Xiao Yao quickly dissuaded him, then reached out to touch the mirror.

His only response was a deathly silence, as hard as rock.

The passage to 30 years in the future has been closed.

Chapter 70 Sea Oath

2023-01-06

Shen Jie slumped on Xiao Yao's bed, staring intently at the curtains in Xiao Yao's house, while Xiao Yao paced back and forth in the room like a caged beast.

Actually, the girl initially sat down on the ground with a thud, and it was Xiao Yao who helped her up.

Although I haven't known Shen Jie for long, whether she's being gentle and understanding or aloof and unapproachable, she always appears confident and composed.

But now, Xiao Yao knows that she can cry too.

"Don't cry," Xiao Yao ran to the kitchen and grabbed a towel. "This is new; I've never used it."

Shen Jie didn't answer; instead, she burst into tears. Now, Xiao Yao was at a loss for what to do.

"Keep your voice down, or Grandma... or the neighbors upstairs and downstairs will hear you and think I'm bullying them..." Xiao Yao stopped mid-sentence.

Right now, it's best not to provoke her.

He even worried that after Shen Jie finished crying, she would start to take her anger out on him.

“Let’s go find Father Yu!” Xiao Yao clenched his fist. “He must know something.”

"It's no use," the girl sobbed, "It's all my fault..."

"What's wrong with you?"

"But I... but I've already decided to marry you in the future!..." Shen Jie's crying subsided a little, but she was still sobbing intermittently.

Xiao Yao, however, thought that this matter might not be directly related to the changes in his relationship with Shen Jie.

Admittedly, after his daughter went missing, Xiao Yao also worried that there might be some causal relationship between Shen Jie's rejection and Shen Tianyun's departure without saying goodbye.

However, now that his daughter has "lost" her entire house, he no longer thinks that way.

After all, the mirror passage leading to Teacher Yao's hall had been blocked once before, and it was only resolved by having Shen Jie clear the way.

Could the closure of the mirror passage in his home be related to yesterday's adventure in Teacher Yao's "hall"? Is it a chain reaction caused by the collapse of Teacher Yao's hall? Although he couldn't figure out the logical connection, perhaps the closure of the passage was only temporary, and perhaps there were other people who could pass through this mirror?

"I clearly, clearly agreed..." Shen Jie kept repeating these words.

Xiao Yao was thinking, "Let's go talk to Father Yu first."

What came out of his mouth was: "Is it possible that you just thought you agreed?"

"Xiao Yao," Shen Jie suddenly wiped away her tears and patted the person next to her, "Come here."

"Huh? Ah." Xiao Yao was stunned for a moment, then obediently walked to the bed next to Shen Jie and sat down.

Subconsciously, he left a distance of about half a person's length.

“Xiao Yao,” Shen Jie looked at him and said, word by word, “I promise that I will marry you at the right time.”

Shen Jie looked like a bride reciting her vows at a wedding.

"Huh? Oh. Okay."

"What kind of attitude is this?" The girl's tone was tinged with anger.

“I’m so happy, really,” Xiao Yao quickly said.

However, I hope that this will not only be in the distant "future".

"And you?" Shen Jie pulled her white-socked feet back from hanging off the bed, crossed her legs on the bed, and stared at him with her red and swollen eyes.

In this situation, there can be no hesitation, doubt, or other answers.

Moreover, Xiao Yao believed that he had completely fallen in love with her.

“Yes, I do,” Xiao Yao said sincerely.

Shen Jie yanked off the white shawl and threw it onto Xiao Yao's pillow.

???

Then, she crossed her arms, pinched the hem of her shirt, and lifted it up.

"No, no, no, no, no, no..." Xiao Yao's blood rushed to his head, and he subconsciously pressed down on her arm: "This is too fast, let's take it one step at a time."

"Okay." Shen Jie pulled the hem of the clothes down again without any hesitation.