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

"Arigato!" Zhang Zhengkai expressed his exaggerated gratitude to Xiao Yao and reached out to take the game console.

The three of them started walking again, first leaving the alleyway from the school, then passing the subway station, and then turning into a small path along the Suzhou River.

"Hey, you've made quite a bit of progress in this game. Are you playing it?" Zhang Zhengkai fiddled with the machine in his hand.

"Yeah, I play with it when I have free time," Xiao Yao admitted. "This Royal Knights is really quite fun."

"How about you return it to me later, after you've cleared the game?" Zhang Zhengkai said, his eyes darting around.

Normally, Xiao Yao would have gladly accepted this offer, but now, he didn't want to owe Zhang Zhengkai any more favors: "No need, if I want to play, I'll just buy it myself."

Zhang Zhengkai was taken aback for a moment, then smiled sweetly and said, "Okay."

"Zhang Zhengkai, you should go back now," Shen Jie couldn't help but say. "You said you were worried about me, and now you've seen me. I'm fine. Hurry back and eat, okay?"

“As Xiao Shenjie’s knight, of course I have to protect your safety along the way,” Zhang Zhengkai replied seriously.

“I have a knight now, taller than you, he can protect me.” Shen Jie turned slightly to the side, hiding behind Xiao Yao, and took his arm.

"Uh, isn't it inappropriate to say that..." Xiao Yao said softly.

Looking at Zhang Zhengkai's forced smile and suppressed anger, he actually felt a little sorry for him.

"When I'm in high school, I'll be about the same height as him," Zhang Zhengkai said, sounding somewhat unsure of himself.

"If you don't go back, I'm calling your dad." Shen Jie took out her phone and pretended to dial a number.

Hmm, this looks a lot like a homeroom teacher, Xiao Yao thought.

“You’ve finished hitting it,” Zhang Zhengkai said nonchalantly. “Your dad invited me to your house for dinner today.”

Shen Jie was skeptical: "Are you making this up?"

"Would I lie about something like this?" Zhang Zhengkai retorted.

The moon rose above the willow branches, but the setting sun had not yet dissipated its last rays.

As night approached and the light became dim, the three boys walked side by side (let's call them that) along the banks of the Suzhou River.

It seems like... three good friends.

A pleasant evening breeze blew by, and Xiao Yao felt cool.

Shen Jie's hair danced with the willow branches on her head, which looked beautiful.

The XXII-shaped hair clip on her head was also very pretty.

Xiao Yao walked to Shen Jie's left, while Zhang Zhengkai walked to Xiao Yao's left.

"This guy probably already wants to leave, he's just stubbornly holding on," Xiao Yao thought.

Staying makes you a clown; leaving makes you hand over your position to someone else.

Isn't this also like a knight charging towards a windmill?

I'm sorry, Zhang Zhengkai, but I know you really like her.

I've had similar feelings before.

However, from my perspective, this is the one thing I absolutely cannot give up to you.

Zhang Zhengkai had already started playing his GBA, and Xiao Yao noticed the dejection on his face.

“You play better than me. I just can’t seem to get the hang of it.” Xiao Yao leaned closer.

The awkward silence on the field was broken, and the two boys began to concentrate on discussing the game as they walked.

Soon after, the conversation turned to everyday family matters at school.

"Huh? There are such abnormal homeroom teachers?" Zhang Zhengkai clicked his tongue in amazement.

"It's actually not so bad," Shen Jie continued, "Our homeroom teacher is getting stricter and stricter these days."

Xiao Yao sighed, "I'll take you home later, and then I need to go to the hair salon to straighten your hair, otherwise you can forget about going to class tomorrow."

“Oh? No way,” Shen Jie said, “I really like your new hairstyle.”

"It's not worth getting targeted by the homeroom teacher every day for this," Xiao Yao laughed. "If you like it, I'll get you a new one during the summer vacation. You can choose."

“Okay, it’s a deal,” Shen Jie said.

Seeing Zhang Zhengkai's constipated expression, Xiao Yao felt a surge of victorious pity.

“You guys are almost on summer vacation too, why are you causing this trouble at the last minute?” Shen Jie said again.

“Yeah, that’s what the ribbonfish said too, telling me to go to hell.” Xiao Yao shrugged.

"Ribbonfish?" Zhang Zhengkai replied.

“Yeah, our classmate’s name is Dai Yu, we all call him Daiyu.” Xiao Yao sighed, “No matter what, I’m a hero who just saved my companion’s life in the unknown shadow world. It’s one thing not to get recognition, but to have to put up with this kind of jerk’s attitude is just not good.”

Hearing him say "the unknown world of shadows," Shen Jie became anxious and glared at him.

Xiao Yao just smiled and gestured for her to calm down.

Sure enough, Zhang Zhengkai just mocked, "You need to distinguish between games and reality, you internet addict. Even if you, Nobita, defeat countless bosses and save countless worlds, in reality you'll still be punished by your teacher, made to stand in the corner, and given a zero, won't you?"

At this moment, the three boys had already crossed the long banks of the Suzhou River and were now at the crossroads of a bustling main road.

Shen Jie stopped in her tracks.

“I…” the girl carefully chose her words: “How about you drop me off here today, Xiao Yao? My home is just ahead.”

Xiao Yao was taken aback. Did this mean she didn't want him to know the exact location of her house?

But this displeasure was fleeting, and he quickly understood the reason: Shen Jie must not have figured out how to introduce herself to her parents yet, and if she saw him taking her home rashly, it would be difficult to explain.

Thinking about it this way, Xiao Yao felt relieved, but when he saw Zhang Zhengkai smiling and waving goodbye, he felt uneasy again.

I'll drop you off here and head home. You can come to my house for dinner. So, who will be the ultimate winner between us?

“Let’s go back,” Shen Jie stood on tiptoe and patted Xiao Yao’s head. “Do you trust me?”

Xiao Yao nodded.

"Give me some time, I can handle it."

When Shen Jie said the word "handle", she deliberately glanced at Zhang Zhengkai.

Xiao Yao glanced at Zhang Zhengkai's face, whose smile seemed about to crumble.

Having said all that, Xiao Yaowei nodded: "I believe you."

After saying that, he turned and walked away with a flourish.

"Wait a minute!" Shen Jie called out to him from behind.

Xiao Yao turned around and saw the girl holding onto the telephone pole with one hand and taking off her left sneaker with the other.

?

Then, she ripped off her white lace socks: "I promised to give them to you on the phone last time, so here you go today."

???

Xiao Yao was stunned, his mouth agape in a small "O" shape, while the GBA in Zhang Zhengkai's hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

Xiao Yao saw Shen Jie give Zhang Zhengkai, whose face had turned a deep purplish-red, a triumphant look.

That's too...too cruel and heartless...

"Women are such terrifying creatures," Xiao Yao thought blankly.

--split line--

In the past fifteen years, Xiao Yao had never imagined that the clothing of the opposite sex could become a vessel for storing what Teacher Yao called "unfulfilled desires".

Therefore, he didn't really understand why Teacher Yao's "shadow" would take Yu Luying's underwear.

He also couldn't quite understand why his classmates had reached the consensus that "Xiao Yao likes Yu Luying, so Xiao Yao stole Yu Luying's..."

Shen Jie already had two pairs of socks at home, but Xiao Yao always just left them there, nothing more.

The bus suddenly braked sharply. Xiao Yao's mind was wandering, and he bumped his head on the back of the seat in front of him. Then, the curses of the passengers in the carriage and Yu Luying's reproaches in his mind became a chaotic mess.

Two seconds later, the bus suddenly started moving again and accelerated, and Xiao Yao leaned back once more.

This feeling of being pushed around completely by someone else made Xiao Yao feel nauseous.

Looking out the window at the slowly receding street scene, he made up his mind that when he buys a car in the future, he will buy a BMW and drive it himself. Buying a Mercedes and having a driver drive it is just a pain.

Xiao Yao reached for his Walkman, only to realize that Teacher Song had confiscated it.

His hand touched the soft fabric, and he picked it up without thinking.

These are the third pair of socks Shen Jie gave herself.

Because I was in such a hurry to take them off, both socks are inside out, and you can see small loose threads.

Xiao Yao stretched the socks open, reached inside, and meticulously turned the socks right side out.

One, then another.

I subconsciously put my finger in front of my nose and smelled it, but I didn't smell anything strange.

That is to say, these socks feel really good to the touch, very smooth.

Xiao Yao carefully examined the pair of short cotton socks in his hand, the brand of which he had never seen before.