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

Chapter 243 The Husband's Responsibility

2023-06-22

*This chapter is also known as "Love for Love".

Shen Jie's meticulously dressed appearance at home instilled a deep sense of unease in Xiao Yao.

He sensed that the other party had ill intentions.

"Little Daddy, where are my sesame seed cakes?" Shen Tianyun demanded angrily.

“Uh…” Xiao Yao said.

"He said he was going to bake sesame cakes for me, and then he disappeared and only just came back now," Shen Tianyun pouted and said, "Go bake sesame cakes for me now, or you won't be allowed to eat."

"Alright, alright, here you go, baked sesame cakes." Xiao Yao's face was filled with a doting smile.

"Why are you eating pancakes?" Shen Jie scolded, "We've already eaten—Xiao Yao, just ignore her."

"It's alright, it's alright," Xiao Yao said as he crawled back into the 2004 timeline.

He fell into deep thought as he baked the sesame cakes.

Xiao Yao is no longer a child.

Of course, from a legal perspective, he still is.

The key point is that after being repeatedly teased and reprimanded by Shen Jie, Yu Luying, Zhao Xiaomei, and others over the past two months, he is no longer the naive and clueless big guy he once was.

To say that Shen Jie's intentions were as obvious as Sima Zhao's would be a bit of an overstatement.

At least, this isn't what Xiao Yao wants.

It's not that there's any moral obligation involved.

—Ever since confirming the identity of the two Shen Jies, Xiao Yao has understood and confirmed in his heart that, from any perspective, "they" are the same person.

Similarly, he and Xiao Yao, who is currently serving time in Mississippi prison, are the same person.

This is not a parallel universe or a clone relationship like in "The Sixth Day," but a truly existing individual with continuity and identity in time and logic.

If the girl locked up in the West Suburbs Garden had cut her wrists, the woman in front of me would have had a scar on her wrist immediately.

Wait, why would I want to cut my wrists for no reason?

In conclusion, Xiao Yao's resistance stemmed from his own nature, or rather, from his biological instincts.

To put it simply, he doesn't really like her.

That's not quite right—he likes her, whether as a friend, a sister, or a family member, he's willing to be close to her, he just doesn't have any romantic feelings for her.

He is not with her.

To be fair, Shen Jie is already very beautiful, whether in terms of appearance or figure, natural features, skincare, or dressing up.

But... even if it's been 14 years? Even if it's been 24 years? This age, like a mother's, still makes it hard for Xiao Yao not to feel resentful.

The champagne-colored pajamas were beautiful, and the gray pantyhose were beautiful too. If they were worn by "that" Shen Jie... But now, Xiao Yao didn't feel any temptation, but rather... awkwardness.

This part is completely outside the brain's control; it's purely the domain of pheromones, and Xiao Yao has no control over it.

"How many people admired your youthful beauty, but who can withstand the relentless changes of time..."

Writing lyrics is always easy, and playing the piano and singing is also very easy, but it is difficult for people to discover their own weaknesses until they are truly faced with them.

All he can do now is try his best to hide himself, try his best to love her, and try his best not to hurt her feelings and self-esteem.

Perhaps this is part of what is called "the duties and responsibilities of a husband"?

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and a sharp pain shot through his heart. He slowed down his hand as he flipped the pancake.

Put yourself in the shoes of that girl who is currently locked up in her home in the western suburbs.

Does she have feelings for him?

It's hard to say now, but at the beginning, there definitely wasn't any chemistry, right?

However, she still stayed with him on the phone, accompanied him on dates, did this and that with him, and even did some very intimate things with him.

Did she feel the same way I do now back then? Or perhaps even more so?

But she shouldered it all with her small 17-year-old shoulders, giving herself endless happiness, satisfaction, and joy.

While feeling immense respect and gratitude towards Shen Jie, he also felt introspection and guilt.

"I...I'm really no good..." Xiao Yao thought.

Xiao Shenjie's initial feelings for him were definitely not pheromone-based love, but rather the "marital love" that originated from religious and supernatural love.

……

Then, he thought of something else.

If I remember correctly, I disappeared from Shen Tianyun's life when she was ten years old.

In that case, about four or five years have already passed.

They say thirty is like that, forty is like that, I don't know how I've managed these past few years.

He had no doubt about his lover's fidelity.

You've really worked so hard—no, thank you so much, Meow Mommy.

After finishing his daydreaming, Xiao Yao returned to 2034 with two steaming hot sesame cakes, placing them in front of Shen Tianyun with a look of affection.

“Eat up, little Mimi,” Xiao Yao said, “my little kitty.”

"Meow~" Shen Tianyun made a clawing gesture.

“Oh, so she’s the kitten and I’m the kitten mom,” Shen Jie raised her glass of red wine. “You guys are so childish.”

"That's right, we're all still babies." Xiao Yao leaned back strategically.

“This child, how many times have I told him?” Shen Jie complained, “It’s time to eat dinner and he’s still eating snacks. He never listens to me.”

Xiao Yao advised, "Oh, just let her be. What kind of principle is this? Besides, it's mainly my fault today. I promised to bake her some pancakes, and she disappeared halfway through."

"You went to see Yu Luying, didn't you?" Shen Jie blurted out.

"..." Xiao Yao was startled.

Shen Tianyun's gaze towards him was also slightly subtle.

“I suddenly remembered,” Shen Jie said, as if talking to herself, “I just remembered something so important—Shen Jie called me before and said she wanted to give half of you to Yu Luying because she was going to study in the US for eight years, and asked me if she was doing the right thing.”

"Is that so?" The kitten was shocked.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Yao's forehead. He downplayed the issue and said, "I did go to see Yu Luying—but it was about rescuing you."

Then, Xiao Yao recounted the entire reconnaissance operation at the West Suburbs Garden to Shen Jie.

Shen Jie and Shen Tianyun listened with furrowed brows, neither of them speaking for a long while.

"This matter... is a bit difficult to handle." In the end, Shen Jie only said this one sentence.

"Mom," Shen Tianyun suggested, "why don't you try to recall how this matter was resolved back then?"

Shen Jie shook her head subconsciously, but Xiao Yao quickly interjected, "No, no, no, no, don't let your mother recall this timeline; it's not good for her."

"Oh~~~" Shen Tianyun reluctantly shoveled down two large mouthfuls of rice.

Shen Jie remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

“While I was baking the flatbread, something else came to mind,” Xiao Yao said, looking at Shen Jie.

"Okay, go ahead." Shen Jie seemed somewhat absent-minded.

“Mom, I’m full,” Shen Tianyun said, pushing away her bowl and chopsticks as she stood up. “There’s a party at Panwang’s house tonight, and she invited me to come. I might stay at Panwang’s house tonight.”

“Go ahead,” Shen Jie said calmly. “Their family has already told me to be careful and not to cause trouble.”

"Countless, countless. (I have a number.)"

After Shen Tianyun finished speaking, she hugged Shen Jie and Xiao Yao's necks one after the other, kissed each of them, and then began to put on her socks.

“You know what you’re doing,” Shen Jie retorted.

In Xiao Yao's memory, Shen Jie actually didn't really allow her daughter to stay out overnight, and his first reaction was—this was another of Shen Jie's arrangements and schemes.

The boy instinctively hugged his daughter's waist: "Chang Sheng, don't go today. It's rare for the three of us to be together. Spend some time with your mom and dad."

“I made an appointment with Panwang half a month ago,” Shen Tianyun said with a chuckle, forcefully prying Xiao Yao’s fingers apart. “Shouldn’t Dad be spending more time with Mom? Mom was supposed to fly tonight, but she just canceled her ticket for you.”

You guys did it on purpose!!!

After Shen Tianyun's figure disappeared through the bedroom door, Shen Jie raised her eyelids and said to Xiao Yao, "I swear, it really was her own choice to go."

"No, no, no, no, don't make oaths," Xiao Yao quickly said. "This child is just used to being free and undisciplined, he still needs more discipline."

"Mm," Shen Jie replied casually.

“While I was baking the pancakes just now, something else came to mind,” Xiao Yao repeated, “Is it possible that the future has been changed, that Xiao Yao didn’t go to prison, or that his sentence is no longer 40 years?”

Shen Jie: "..."

Xiao Yao laughed and said, "Maybe before we've even finished our meal, that guy will have already used his key to open the door and come in?"