Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

Whether it's Eve, Padre, or Blanca, now they're all just left with each other.

Of course, it's hard to say. For example, Gretchen, who was a flower girl before, is currently asleep in front of the camera. Little Gretchen doesn't really understand weddings or what they mean to adults.

"So... this is... getting married." Paddo clutched her long princess dress, the gown trailing on the ground, and she walked very carefully, her face still flushed with excitement. "Baby, baby! We're married! We're married!"

Chapter 42 I have received three thousand precepts

Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Ten years is a long time, enough for Gretchen to grow from a baby girl into a toddler who jumps and skips around every day.

Despite the short duration of the shoot, Padre and Blanca still look young, and even in wedding dresses, they look incredibly photogenic, appearing to be beauties in their early twenties.

Shen Liang didn't quite understand why. Theoretically speaking, Blanca was an ordinary woman. Ten years ago, she was already twenty-four years old. Although she was still charming, she shouldn't be as energetic now. She had even made up for her usual weakness. She and Pado looked like fashionable sisters.

But according to these two best friends, the reason they stay young is because their hearts are young.

Yes, women in their thirties are often used to being housewives, getting up every morning to make breakfast for their husbands and children, walking the dog in the afternoon and buying fresh vegetables, chatting with other aunties and grandmas about neighborhood gossip. This leisurely and tranquil life can quickly lead to middle age, transforming a woman from a student into what students call an "auntie" in just a few years.

But Blanca and Paddo are different.

A person's age depends on their mindset. While others are already sitting at their doorsteps, smiling as they watch children pass by, Blanca still struts confidently in high heels, grey stockings, and a pencil skirt, acting as her CEO. To address her hereditary heart condition, she runs and does yoga daily at the gym, with Paddo working part-time as her personal trainer. She's incredibly driven in life, but what motivates her?

It is Shen Liang.

Her lover, her soul, her little wolfhound.

“She can’t get old. No woman with a young man like Wawa would want to grow old. Her lover is still so young, how could she be willing to be unworthy of him?” Pado took his hand. “After all, Wawa’s life has just begun to blossom. We’re going to stay with you for a very long time. Blanca thinks so too, right? She practices yoga to improve her flexibility, learns to swim to tighten her skin, and takes Wawa with her every day to show that she’s taken… Hmph, you even clung to him during college, afraid he’d find a girlfriend.”

Blanca smiled, her lips pursed.

During the time Shen Liang was in college, Blanca was indeed anxious. There were so many beautiful young girls on campus, and even though Blanca was confident that her appearance matched Shen Liang's preferences, she couldn't help feeling a little insecure. So every day, she would drive her sports car to the university at five o'clock in the afternoon to pick up her son. She had originally told him to take the tram home by himself, but unexpectedly, she couldn't help but worry about him first.

So, during that time, Shen Liang, who was very popular at school, was constantly whispered about by his classmates, who said that he had a very beautiful, gentle older woman with long, light blue hair. Until one day, a female classmate who had been following Shen Liang saw him get into a car and then be tackled and kissed on the center console by Blanca, who couldn't contain her longing all day. Only then did everyone realize with horror that the seemingly young boy was actually the plaything of some rich girls.

Of course, at one point these classmates insisted that Blanca was Shen Liang's household maid, and it was normal for a maid to give her young master puberty education. After all, the aloof and cute Eve could not possibly have a girlfriend, let alone a girlfriend so much older than him! Then one time when Blanca was busy and asked Pado to pick him up, the intimate relationship between the twenty-something pet cat and the teenage-looking young master made the female college classmates who had ulterior motives towards him break down.

After that, not many people sent Shen Liang love letters anymore. Everyone thought he was a pretty boy toy co-created by some wicked rich people.

Ten years have passed, and Shen Liang remains the least changed.

Although Alicia had deliberately adjusted him to maintain a "boyish" appearance that most people liked because of his status as an artificial human, ten years had passed, and he should have grown up by now. However, Shen Liang sadly discovered that Alicia had gone to extremes.

Not only did his appearance remain unchanged, but his height increased dramatically from 149 cm to 150 cm. At this rate of growth, it would take him about two hundred years to grow to 170 cm and take a normal couple photo with Paddy or Blanca... or rather, a normal married couple photo.

Face death with a smile.

“From now on, we are a real family. Including Gretchen, the four of us will get along well.” Blanca walked out of the church. The sun was shining brightly outside. The church was booked for the day, so there were no other guests. She held a light gold-rimmed marriage certificate between her fingers and walked towards the old Lincoln parked below with an irrepressible smile.

Once she received the marriage certificate, she was completely relieved. In today's apocalyptic world, the value of monogamy for official marriages is no longer upheld. With the urgent need to restore the population, marriages in all cities no longer require government certification. This marriage certificate, from the United Nations Council in the North Sea, features the portraits of three people.

Three-person families are not uncommon nowadays.

"So now, should I call you 'Baby'... um, call you what?" Pado hopped and skipped on the grass, holding Shen Liang's hand. She had taken off her high heels and was wearing white stockings on the ground, not caring that they were dirty.

Everyone's in a great mood today! Although I'm almost thirty, Pado feels full of youthful energy and confidence, no different from a teenage girl! Hmph, marrying a doll really makes a difference; looking at her every day makes me feel like I'm a cute little girl too!

“Darling,” Blanca said with a smile, “but I think, since you’re Asian, you might not be used to being called ‘darling,’ right?”

"You've called me 'Baby' for so many years... It's really not used to calling me that anymore." Shen Liang's smile was faint.

“But Baby has grown up a lot now. Ten years ago, you didn’t even like to laugh. Now you’re much more mature, well… just not as mature in appearance.” Pado laughed. “Honey.”

Shen Liang subconsciously stopped and turned to look at her.

"As expected, this nickname is most effective on Asians. How about it? Suddenly you feel like I'm a super wife! Just like Blanca, a wife?" Pado teased, leaning on his shoulder. "Husband?"

"Mm." Shen Liang nodded in response. He suddenly understood why men liked this even somewhat cheesy form of address so much. At this moment, he felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction in having these two girls.

That marriage certificate, this wedding, that one "husband," finally proved that he had achieved the perfect ending in his life. Padre and Blanca, a beautiful, gentle, and intelligent wife, a harmonious family, and even Greta, who is so lovely... a daughter to Blanca, a sister to him... and perhaps soon to be a little member of his older sister's family.

He will sever all ties with the past. The Moth to Flame was a part of his life, but only for those three years. He has a long road ahead of him in the decades to come.

Yes, his new life with Blanca, Padre, and Gretchen will be so vibrant and colorful.

Blanca started a biopharmaceutical company using her past connections. She is a well-known beauty and director in Hokkaido, and the announcement of her marriage will surely break the hearts of many men in the company.

After obtaining his medical doctorate, he would join the company as the research manager and part-time chairman's secretary, sharing an office with Blanca. Shen Liang didn't object to Blanca's constant infatuation with him; after losing her husband and all her friends, Blanca's adoration for him had almost reached a pathological level... But it didn't matter; once they got their marriage certificate, they had to take responsibility. Shen Liang only hoped that he wouldn't become the bad seed that made Blanca lose interest in her work.

Pado opened a gym. As a former fusion warrior, she gained popularity with her cat ears and tail, becoming an internet celebrity and even spurring the opening of several beauty salons on the street that design humanoid organs. However, Pado's main source of income is still from Shen Liang. The more than seven-figure savings that Shen Liang was casually given by Mei, Eden, and others are still not used up. It is said that the funds that Eden bought back then have been rising ever since.

Greta was still learning to draw from him, even though he couldn't actually draw. But Blanca believed that even if he couldn't treat Greta as a daughter, he should at least take responsibility for taking care of her studies. Little Greta never wanted to go out and only liked to play with her brother. Spoiled rotten, she naturally had the right not to go to school, so Shen Liang had to stay home and take care of his sister whenever he had free time.

He protested, but both girlfriends thought he was being hypocritical. Their reasoning was that he was also spoiled and unreasonable as a child, and no one ever sent him to school; they all personally guided him. Therefore, they wouldn't allow him to refuse to take care of the kids.

A vibrant and energetic life...

If only that were the case.

With these thoughts in mind, Shen Liang looked at the charming Blanca, the quirky Pado, and himself, who had matured considerably.

"Husband?" Blanca looked at the boy, who had stopped for a long time and had a calm smile, with a puzzled expression.

"If this moment could last forever, I would gladly give my life for it. But I am never just myself."

“My dear, since it’s a dream, we’ll have to wake up someday.”

At this moment, Pado came over with a puzzled look on her face: "What are you talking about, baby? Hurry up and get in the car! I'm in a hurry to get home to eat the seafood feast that Blanca made! Even though we're secretly married, it's going to be a big deal. All the best ingredients from Hokkaido will be delivered to our house today! And there's your favorite sugar-coated krill!"

Shen Liang stroked the cat's ears, said nothing, and lowered his head to Blanca: "I've been very happy these past ten years."

Blanca's composure crumbled. She forced a smile, her voice trembling slightly, "I don't understand... Honey, baby... I don't understand what you're saying, baby. Why are you suddenly saying all this? Today is a happy day for us, let's go home..."

"Let's go home...please...let's go home, baby..."

"Please, baby, let's go home... let's go home..."

As Shen Liang watched Blanca's tone gradually shift from feigned composure to pleading, and then to a sob, he sighed, "I'm sorry."

Blanca slammed against the car door, lowered her head, and after a long while, finally raised her eyes and stared coldly at Shen Liang.

Two tear streaks ripped through her makeup. She swallowed the sob in her throat and waved to Pado: "Pado, could you take Gretchen out for a walk and buy a couple of drinks while you're at it?"

“But I’m wearing a wedding dress,” Paddy said.

"please."

“Alright.” Padre didn’t mind. She took off her veil and threw away her petticoat, and the wedding dress looked like a very gorgeous evening gown. She took Gretchen’s hand and walked around to the park entrance.

Blanca looked away, opened the car door and stepped inside, then looked at him and said, "Come in and let's talk."

Shen Liang also got into the car and looked at the old Lincoln he had just bought, the old car he used as his wedding car. For some reason, he felt a surge of reluctance.

He knew what he couldn't bear to part with.

But he remained silent as he pushed open the door and sat in the passenger seat.

Blanca was sitting in the driver's seat, having composed herself. She was wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress, her eyes tired but calm, and a slender lady's cigarette between her fingers.

“I always thought you wouldn’t guess, Doll,” Blanca said. “But it turns out I was just lucky.”

“Blanca doesn’t smoke; she has a congenital heart condition.” Shen Liang didn’t directly address the topic, but instead brought up smoking, “Your pretense is flawed.”

"Pretending?" Blanca chuckled softly. "No, I know Blanca doesn't smoke, but that's not pretending. Actually, I started smoking in the seventh year of this dream because that year, Patto showed signs of pregnancy while I wasn't, and I was very worried, so I smoked to relieve my boredom, and it gradually became a habit. I just avoided you so you wouldn't know, because if you knew, you definitely wouldn't allow me to smoke anymore. Don't worry, I'm a doctor, after all, and there's no nicotine in this cigarette."

Shen Liang was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that this "Blanca" would smoothly pick up his topic and talk about these meaningless family matters from the past ten years.

This dream of ten years has been a very long time, but as the creator of the dream, "Blanca" should not care.

"Of course, after several more tests, it turned out that Paddo was just desperate for a daughter and was experiencing a false pregnancy. To be honest, I was really relieved when I found out that Paddo wasn't actually ahead of me... It's embarrassing, isn't it? Paddo treats me like a sister, but I wish I could have your child first. This pointless competitive spirit probably stems from the fact that I'm not Paddo after all, and Gretchen isn't your daughter either..."

"There's no need to say all this," Shen Liang finally interrupted, unable to bear it any longer.

"So, people who don't want to keep up the act aren't even willing to listen anymore? Yes, that's how it is after things fall apart; one person really wants to say something, but the other doesn't want to hear it." Blanca exhaled a smoke ring and continued, "How did you find out?"

"I should say that I have never been in a dream state," Shen Liang said.

"is it?"

"Precepts".

“Commandments…commandments,” Blanca said casually. “I see. So it’s the ‘commandment’ that most restrains me in terms of ability. Whether in the real world or here, it’s the same. Aponia’s commandments can keep people as clear-headed and determined as possible, preventing them from being lost in dreams, like Kevin… But when exactly did you accept the commandments? I used half of my power to maintain your dream. Theoretically, even a single imprint of the commandments shouldn’t be enough to break through, right?”

“Aponia…it might only be used once for others, but for me, it’s different.” Shen Liang looked at her.

"I don't know much about the Son of Man Project. What is it?"

“Before I was born, Aponia spent ten whole months inscribing commandments for me,” Shen Liang said. “Three thousand commandments. The roar of each commandment can break me out of your dream and remind me that this is not the human world.”

Chapter 43 The Herrscher's Gentleness and Beauty Are Not a Pretense

On the wedding car adorned with white tulle balls, the well-dressed boy and the woman in her wedding dress were separated by a distance of thirty centimeters.

“Three thousand commandments, Aponia… you really care about me.”

"Shouldn't you say it's ruthless?" Shen Liang waved his hand to dispel her smoke rings.

“Ruthless? No, you don’t understand Aponia.” Blanca looked at her, a strange emotion flashing in her beautiful eyes. “Just like you don’t understand me. You’ve matured a lot in the past ten years, but you still can’t understand people’s hearts… No, even humans often can’t understand people’s hearts. Aponia loves you more than any of us, but you probably will never understand.”

"why."

“Because of you, baby, you can never be selfish,” Blanca said. “You are a child of the Fire-Chasing Civilization, you are the hope of all mankind, and you should treat every person, every inch of land, and every force fairly. You cannot be selfish; what you bear does not allow you to be selfish.”

"What a surprise, I actually heard from a Herrscher that I should save the world."