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

Besides, what right did he have to interfere with Xu Qingwei's side? Yu Luying's public identity was that of his girlfriend, so although the logistics team disagreed, they were still understanding and allowed him to be with Yu Luying. "Xu Qingwei," on the other hand, had nothing to do with him...

We agreed to minimize public contact during the summer camp activities, something we had discussed before departure, even though Shen Jie had already broken that rule once during "Movie Night"... but...

Xiao Yao's mind was in complete turmoil.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" Yu Luying asked Xiao Yao, "What are you thinking about?"

"I think this is wrong," Xiao Yao said in a low voice.

"What's wrong?" Yu Luying asked, puzzled.

“It’s wrong to do that,” Xiao Yao said.

Or maybe we should just let it go? It was just a casual flirtation, nothing serious.

It's 2004 already! What era are we living in? Xiao Yao, you can't be so petty.

Have you forgotten how you were ostracized and isolated by the whole class? Have you forgotten the pain once the wound has healed? Now that you've finally found a place in this new group, be a sociable person and stop causing trouble by jumping around aimlessly.

If you feel a little uncomfortable, just bear with it and it will pass.

Besides, it's probably too late to go now.

Xiao Yao developed a sense of disgust and hatred towards the event organizers.

He felt this was unreasonable.

When I was in junior high school, I went roller skating with my cousin's female classmates. They went roller skating voluntarily, and they also voluntarily held hands with me while skating.

They are naturally outgoing girls; otherwise, they could have easily refused to hold hands.

However, if such arrangements are made arranging activities in a group setting, there will inevitably be people who are not there voluntarily.

Even among those around him, he could tell that a significant number of shy girls were reluctant, but in the end, they silently complied with the organizer's arrangements.

Because they are shy and timid, they are more likely to silently lower their heads...?

Because nobody wants to be the "frontrunner," nobody wants to be the "outlier."

Everyone is thinking about "fitting in," and silently endures this de facto coercion, doing things they don't want to do, just because the person in charge has a whim, makes a snap decision, and thinks it's cool. Is this right? Is this good?

Is it for the so-called "collective"? Or is it simply to have a place to stay?

Or is it simply apathy, going with the flow?

Sansong is courting death! Let's all perish together!

Xiao Yao released Yu Luying's hand.

Yu Luying: "?"

"Wait for me here," Xiao Yao heard his own voice say bitterly.

His arm moved on its own, and he completely removed the blindfold.

He stood up on his own and walked out of the room.

"Hey, classmate, where are you going?"

Everyone turned to look at them, but they were all blind.

With good luck, Xiao Yao quickly found "Xu Qingwei" in the third classroom.

The progress here seems to be slower than in my own room. We've just finished pairing up, and some people are sitting down while others are still standing.

Xiao Yao strode over to Shen Jie's side, his heart pounding wildly, his eyes fixed on the person standing opposite her.

Ok?

...Is it a woman?

Isn't that her roommate, that saintly nun, that crazy woman?

Xiao Yao felt like he had punched a cotton candy in the air; he didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or feel disappointed.

Perhaps it's a combination of both.

After a long internal struggle, this is the result?

I'm such a drama queen...

Oh right, I'd better get out of here.

Just as Xiao Yao was about to make a tactical retreat, the logistics team came over and politely asked him what business he had.

Xiao Yao's eyes darted around, and he was about to speak when the fierce-looking Lu Jiya had already taken off her blindfold: "Oh, it's you again!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingwei also removed her blindfold and looked at Xiao Yao with some confusion—after seeing him clearly, her expression became even more confused.

"No, I went to the restroom and went to the wrong classroom..." Xiao Yao explained as he politely left.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fierce woman run to the logistics team members, as if she wanted to say something, but Xu Qingwei pulled her back with both hands.

That evening, Xiao Yao and Xu Qingwei had a phone conversation in the bathrooms of their respective hotel rooms.

No, actually only Xiao Yao was hiding in the bathroom.

After listening to Xiao Yao explain what he was doing and thinking, Shen Jie burst into her signature maniacal laughter.

“Ahahahahahahahahahahaha…”

"Stop laughing! Keep it down!" Xiao Yao said anxiously in a low voice, "Don't let Lu Ziya hear us."

“You finally pronounced her name correctly,” Shen Jie said. “Don’t worry, she’s not here.”

"It's so late and she's not in her room. Where did she go?" Xiao Yao said. "I'm even more worried now."

"How would I know? I'm not her mother—what's there to worry about?" Shen Jie said on the other end of the phone. "By the way, I just wanted to tell you that she's going to be my mother."

"What the hell?" Xiao Yao said.

“I promised to let her be my surrogate mother in the future,” Shen Jie said.

Xiao Yao had learned about "surrogate mothers" in Yu Bo's catechism class. The term "godmother" is what outsiders call a "spiritual mother." According to the customs of the Chinese church, girls are baptized with a surrogate mother, while boys are baptized with a surrogate father. (In other countries, both parents are usually present.)

"What kind of joke is this?" Xiao Yao blurted out, "She's only a few years older than you!"

"I don't know, one year old? Two years old? About the same," Shen Jie said dismissively. "What does it matter? Lucia's other substitute is two years older than her."

“Your circle is really messy,” Xiao Yao said. “Do whatever you want.”

"What nonsense is this?" Shen Jie said discontentedly, "And you, have you chosen a substitute father yet?"

"Yu Bo?" Xiao Yao thought for a moment, and that was his first thought.

“I’ve heard that clergy can’t act as surrogate fathers,” Shen Jie said.

"Huh?" Xiao Yao said, "Is that so?"

"Hmm," Shen Jie said.

“If there were no age limit, you might as well have Yu Luying be your surrogate mother,” Xiao Yao said.

Shen Jie was silent for a while on the other end of the phone: "Think before you speak."

"what?"

"You're going to be with both the mother and daughter at the same time...?" Shen Jie's tone was filled with disbelief.

“Let’s change the subject. I didn’t say anything,” Xiao Yao said fluently. “I think Lu Ziya is great, she’s the one—but when are you going to reveal your real name and true identity to her?”

"We've already laid our cards on the table," Shen Jie said with a relaxed and cheerful tone.

"What—!" Xiao Yao was shocked. Just as he was about to ask for more details, Shen Jie hung up the phone.

The receiver beeped three times, and then a text message came in.

"My mom's back, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Old Xiao, can you hurry up? You should have told me you were constipated earlier, or I wouldn't have waited for you! I can't hold it in anymore!" Gao Sijun yelled outside the bathroom door.

August 13th, the second to last day of summer camp.

Perhaps because graduation is approaching, morale has become somewhat low. Some people are no longer wearing their camp uniforms, and at lunchtime, many are no longer sitting in their assigned groups.

Because it was Friday, the cafeteria did not serve meat, but instead offered a generous selection of seafood.

Xiao Yao and Yu Luying sat together and enjoyed a delicious seafood feast.

He felt a slight pain at the base of his right big toe, but he didn't pay attention to it, thinking that he or Yu Luying had accidentally kicked some hard stone again.

Of the three history classes in the afternoon, only one was taught, which covered the events of the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965, and then the course ended.

The remaining half afternoon was precious free time. Xiao Yao was pondering who to spend it with and how to spend it when Yu Bo came running over and told him that Grandpa Yu had invited him to dinner that evening, and also asked Xiao Yao to tell Yu Luying.

Because of Yu Bo's advance spoiler, Xiao Yao was mentally prepared and readily agreed. However, when he found Yu Luying, the girl said she wasn't going.

“I’m not going,” Yu Luying said. “You can go by yourself—no, you’re not allowed to go either!”

Xiao Yao said with a bitter face, "Isn't that a bit impolite? It's an invitation from an elder, after all."

"What exactly is going on between you and my grandfather?" Yu Luying glared at Xiao Yao and asked, "Why did they invite you to dinner?"

"What are you talking about? Don't put it so harshly, I haven't even spoken a word to them," Xiao Yao continued with a bitter face, "I don't know why they called me, they probably mainly called you and just included me, right?"

"Don't give me that, why would I ask you to come and tell me?" Yu Luying seized on the key point: "Anyway, I'm not going!"

Xiao Yao presented the facts, reasoned with him, and patiently persuaded him for a long time, even bringing out a letter his grandfather had written to him.