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

Those few seconds felt like an eternity to Xiao Yao.

“Then, the next person is…it’s time for…” Xiao Yao broke the silence.

Yu Luying suddenly picked up the rice wine cup in her hand.

Shen Jie's heart clenched. She sighed inwardly with some disappointment and closed her eyes.

Then, she didn't hear the sound of drinking.

Instead, it was a rather loud "sizzle".

Shen Jie quickly opened her eyes.

She saw that Xiao Yao's face was covered in alcohol, which was dripping onto his collar.

The boy sat calmly on the sofa, took off his black-rimmed square glasses, and carefully wiped the lenses with a tissue.

The silly girl beside him was like an enraged little devil, leaning forward, with Yan Xiao holding her tightly around the waist from behind, struggling fiercely.

"...Calm down, stay calm!" Yan Xiao said.

The ribbonfish had already stood up, its mouth wide open, unsure of what to do for a moment.

"Xiaoxiao, give her to me," Shen Jie said calmly.

Yan Xiao was slightly taken aback, then did as she was told to let go and pushed Yu Luying into Shen Jie's arms. The latter, like petting a cat, gently stroked Yu Luying's hair, coaxed her softly, and sat down again with her in her arms.

“Dairy, Xiaoxiao,” Shen Jie continued to stroke Yu Luying’s ear, “You’ve almost finished eating. Why don’t you two go out for a walk first, and the three of us can talk?”

"Are you all okay...?" The ribbonfish looked worried.

"No problem," Yan Xiao replied, then tugged at Daiyu's hand: "Let's go quickly."

"There's one more thing," Shen Jie said calmly.

Yan Xiao didn't speak, but instead pinched two fingers (thumb and forefinger) and pulled them across her lips from left to right, like pulling a zipper.

Shen Jie did the same thing.

Seeing this, the ribbonfish followed suit.

After Daiyu and Yan Xiao said goodbye and left, Yu Luying's emotions had stabilized a little.

“You just can’t drink,” Xiao Yao said, putting his black-rimmed square glasses back on. “Your drinking manners are a bit poor.”

"Alright," Shen Jie said reproachfully, "say less."

"Sister, you know, right?" Yu Luying looked down at Shen Jie, who was hugging her, and said, "I didn't see any surprise in you just now."

“Yes, I know,” Shen Jie nodded gently. “He told me.”

"I feel like I'm the only one who's been kept in the dark, not knowing anything at all," Yu Luying said.

Xiao Yao: "..."

"Who are you with?" Yu Luying then asked the most crucial question, turning to Shen Jie before Xiao Yao could answer: "Who is he with?"

“If I said it was with me,” Shen Jie sighed, “would it make you feel any better?”

"But didn't you say, 'I never...'"

“Never meant: never from the past to the present,” Shen Jie said quietly, “if this kid isn’t lying again?”

Chapter 269 Sin, Depression, Punishment

2023-07-18

"But didn't you say, 'I never...'"

“Never meant: never from the past to the present,” Shen Jie said quietly, “if this kid isn’t lying again?”

Yu Luying understood the meaning behind Shen Jie's words in just half a second: "Oh, so you actually went with an old woman you only met for a day...?"

Xiao Yao: "?"

What kind of nonsense is this, calling yourself an old woman? Saying that in front of Shen Jie, did your emotional intelligence get eaten by a cat?

"Wait, aren't you angry?" Yu Luying turned her face back towards Shen Jie.

"Why would I be angry?" Shen Jie paused for a moment, then smiled gently, squeezing Yu Luying's hand and said, "On the contrary, this means he won't dislike me because I'm old and unattractive, right?"

“This…” Yu Luying was stunned for a moment.

"And," Shen Jie winked at Yu Luying, half-jokingly saying, "Silly girl, think about it, in 30 years, I'll be almost 50, and I can still be with a 16-year-old boy... Just thinking about it makes me very happy."

Xiao Yao & Yu Luying: "?"

Shen Jie: "Just think of it as buying investment futures for myself in advance?"

Yu Luying: "..."

The investment and wealth management futures expert then interjected, "To be fair, 30 years from now, although you'll be older, you'll still be far from being past your prime."

"A dog can't shut up if it doesn't have ivory in its mouth." Although Shen Jie's words were somewhat harsh, she still had a pleasant smile on her face.

Was what I said not a compliment?

“Sigh, I’m telling the truth,” Xiao Yao emphasized, “You look like you’re only in your early thirties.”

"Then," Shen Jie smiled, leaned closer to Xiao Yao's face, and asked mysteriously, "Which do you prefer, the present me or the future me?"

Without the slightest hesitation, without even a millisecond of pause, Xiao Yao blurted out, "I like them all!"

"You slippery fellow, trying to offend neither side, huh?" Shen Jie narrowed her eyes. "Who taught you to say that? Was it me again?"

"Of course, it's my own idea. Uh, I admit, I was a little uneasy before meeting you, my future self. I'm still not very good at dealing with a strict mother." Xiao Yao glanced at Yu Luying subconsciously.

"Tch!" Yu Luying sneered, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"After I met her, I realized that what I love is not the body, but the soul within it. So no matter if you are old, ugly, or fat, you are the person I love the most."

These words are touching, but they take on a slightly awkward tone when spoken in front of another woman.

"He talks about raw and cold things as if he's really into it, what a scumbag is good at!" Sure enough, Yu Luying made no attempt to hide her jealousy.

Xiao Yao hurriedly argued, "Shen Jie said the same thing in the future. I only said it to prove my sincerity..."

"..." Yu Luying suddenly became speechless, then turned her face away angrily and stopped talking.

“That’s great, that’s great,” Shen Jie ruffled Xiao Yao’s hair into a mess. “He’s a very sincere kid, putting the truth into practice.”

Since it wasn't a third woman, Yu Luying's agitated emotions calmed down slightly, but upon reflection, she still felt a tightness in her chest, as if she had suffered a great loss.

They want to cause trouble, they want to stir things up.

“That’s not right,” Yu Luying seemed to suddenly realize something, and continued to interrogate Xiao Yao: “When did you—how come I didn’t feel anything those two days?”

“Well,” Xiao Yao told Yu Luying, “I’ve actually discovered that when we’re in different eras, our symbiosis temporarily fails…”

"So that's your haven? Your safe house?" Yu Luying sneered.

Xiao Yao: "?"

"Silly girl," Shen Jie walked up with a smile and tugged at Yu Luying's arm from behind, "The misunderstanding has been cleared up, shouldn't you apologize to Xiao Yao for spilling the wine—"

Yu Luying lowered her head and bit her lower lip tightly.

"No need, no need, it's no big deal," Xiao Yao quickly said politely.

“I’m sorry—” Yu Luying finally raised her head, then bit off the word “sorry” on her tongue: “I’m not apologizing! Why should I apologize to him!”

Yu Luying was indignant. He was still her boyfriend, and he went off with another woman without a word... and she was expected to apologize? Was he bullying an honest woman?!

Xiao Yao had also thought of this, and once again generously declared, "Honey, don't make her apologize. It's really nothing, it's a small matter."

He wanted to add, "I'm sorry to her," but he was worried about offending Shen Jie, so he didn't say it.

Yu Luying looked at Xiao Yao, her eyes seemingly spitting fire: "Xiao Yao, let's break up."

Xiao Yao was startled: "What's going on now?"

“The reason is that you cheated on me,” Yu Luying accused, word by word: “You cheated on me in every way.”

"As long as it's between the three of us, it can't be called cheating, right?" Xiao Yao argued.

“Not really,” Yu Luying agreed, “but she,” the girl pointed to Shen Jie, then to the view outside the French windows, “is not the same person as her!”

“How could this not be the same person?!” Xiao Yao said anxiously.

“Shen Jie doesn’t care, that’s her business, but I do care,” Yu Luying said.

“I have to interject here,” Shen Jie said calmly, “How come ‘she’ isn’t ‘me’?”

"What if she's just Shen Jie from a parallel world?" Yu Luying turned to look at Shen Jie.

“No,” Shen Jie told Yu Luying, “Xiao Yao told me that even my memories will gradually synchronize with her original memories. I think this is enough to prove that she and I are the same continuous entity—unless you think Xiao Yao is lying.”

"Even if it's not a parallel world, and even if it is this world, if you are better in the future, does that mean you are the same person?"

"Why not?"

Have you ever heard the saying, "You can't step into the same river twice"? Have you ever heard of the "Ship of Esen"?

Shen Jie pondered carefully: "I feel like I've heard it before, but I also feel like I haven't, but I don't know exactly what it means. What exactly are you trying to say?"

Xiao Yao explained to Shen Jie, "This quote is from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus..."