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

"The atmosphere at school has been really lively lately, all for this district-wide competition," Xiao Yao said.

“Yes,” Shen Jie nodded in agreement, “I can hear strange noises coming from the corridors even when I’m walking down the street.”

"Then let's get started quickly," Yu Luying said softly. "Have you decided on the song list yet?"

The final two songs were decided upon. The first song was "I Want to Sing This Song to You," which Xiao Yao planned to sing in a trio, with Yu Luying playing the violin and Shen Jie dancing.

Yu Luying's comment on this was: "Whatever makes you happy."

The second song is a super upbeat Russian song called "Opera2", sung solo by Xiao Yao.

"Are you crazy?" Yu Luying exclaimed in surprise.

"Keep your voice down!" Xiao Yao said anxiously.

"What's wrong?" Shen Jie turned her head uneasily toward the door leading downstairs. "Is this song difficult to sing?"

“It’s not a question of whether it’s difficult to sing or not, it’s just that…” Yu Luying gestured to Shen Jie: “It’s more than just difficult to sing!”

After this day, it was Wednesday. When Wednesday came, Xiao Yao felt that the weekend was not far away and was full of anticipation.

Thursday, September 9, 2004, nothing happened.

Xiao Yao gradually readjusted to the rhythm of campus life.

And it feels so good to be a good student again.

That evening, as usual, the four children were doing their homework around the pulled-out dining table when Daiyu called Xiao Yao's home landline.

"Hello, who is it?" Shen Tianyun asked, then looked at Xiao Yao: "It's for you."

"Who is it?" Xiao Yao muttered as he answered the phone.

“It should be ribbonfish,” Shen Tianyun said.

"Hey, ribbonfish," Xiao Yao answered the phone, "what are you up to now?"

"I broke up," said the ribbonfish, sounding as if she had just been crying.

"What the hell?" Xiao Yao exclaimed, "Why did you break up again?"

"What do you mean by 'again'?" Ribbonfish said, "I was kicked by her."

"Don't rush, tell me slowly what happened." Xiao Yao sat down on the small hard sofa and crossed his legs.

Shen Jie and Yu Luying exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.

Chapter 369 I'm tired of you

2023-11-02

"Don't rush, tell me slowly what happened." Xiao Yao sat down on the small hard sofa and crossed his legs.

Shen Jie and Yu Luying exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.

"What exactly happened that forced you to break up? Tell me in detail," Xiao Yao asked Daiyu.

“There’s nothing specific,” Daiyu told Xiao Yao bluntly. “If I had to say something, it would be ‘I’m tired of you.’”

"'I'm tired of you'—listen to that, is that even human language?" Xiao Yao retorted. "Even an explosion needs a fuse, right?"

“No, there was absolutely no trigger. It was just ‘I’m tired of you,’” Daiyu told Xiao Yao.

"Don't worry, I'll have your sister-in-law ask her for you. Maybe she's just having a bad day during her period," Xiao Yao said.

“Yes, that’s what I meant,” said the ribbonfish.

Xiao Yao comforted his good friend with kind words for a while before hanging up the phone.

"What can I ask him?" Shen Jie stared straight at Xiao Yao and said, "I'm just a matchmaker, not the leader of either side. Does that mean they can't break up?"

“That’s not how it works,” Xiao Yao said to Shen Jie. “Go ask around; she’s not pregnant.”

Upon hearing the word "pregnant," Shen Jie looked displeased, but still said somewhat reluctantly, "I understand, I'll go ask."

Shen Tianyun looked up at her father and then at her mother.

Then, Xiao Yao turned to Yu Luying and said, "How did your church become a 'Go Die, Go Die' group?"

"How can you talk like that?" Yu Luying was also getting a little annoyed: "And what do you mean by 'our church'?"

"Our church, our church, our church summer camp, is there some kind of curse?" Xiao Yao said to Yu Luying, "All the couples who went to the summer camp broke up. First Zhang Jialong and Chen Lu, then Daiyu and Yan Xiao... Isn't that too much of a coincidence?"

"Fun fact: everyone who drank water and ate food eventually died. If you're scared, you can quit now." Yu Luying said coldly, "Besides, how do you know they 'all' broke up? There were about 300 people at the summer camp, did you know every single one of them?"

“Yeah, aren’t you just being superstitious?” Shen Jie chimed in. “Besides, you came back from summer camp yourself, and you haven’t broken up with your boyfriend yet, have you?”

"I broke up with my boyfriend," Xiao Yao blurted out.

Xiao Yao looked at Yu Luying, Yu Luying looked at Xiao Yao, Shen Jie looked at Xiao Yao, then at Yu Luying, and Shen Tianyun did the same.

"Not the two of you," Shen Tianyun asked, looking puzzled. "When were the two of you ever together?"

"No, then you and your sister are fine too, aren't you?" Yu Luying hurriedly changed the subject.

Xiao Yao & Shen Jie: "..."

An ominous premonition welled up in the boy's heart, and he rushed forward to hug Shen Jie's neck: "You absolutely can't have anything happen to you."

"No, no," Shen Jie gently patted Xiao Yao's back, "I am loyal to my husband."

Yu Luying & Shen Tianyun: "Ugh~~~"

September 10, 2004, Friday, Teachers' Day.

"What exactly happened?" During the 10-minute break between classes, Xiao Yao dragged the ribbonfish to the corridor outside the classroom.

"What happened? Didn't I tell you yesterday?" Daiyu was a little listless, and his tone wasn't very polite—but they were brothers, and given what had happened, Xiao Yao didn't take offense.

"Didn't you give her that thing?" Xiao Yao asked in a low voice.

"Actually, it's more like she did *that* to me." Beltfish chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“Didn’t you say it was her first time?” Xiao Yao said.

"Hey, are you sure you want to say this at the classroom door?" Daiyu asked, a little uneasy. She grabbed Xiao Yao's arm and said, "Come on, let's go to the restroom and talk about it slowly."

"No, no," Xiao Yao glanced through the classroom window at Yu Luying, who was sitting near the door, "I can't pee."

At this moment, Zhao Xiaomei walked past the two of them, her head down, holding her homework, and did not see Xiao Yao.

"Gray, Gray!" Xiao Yao called out to her.

Zhao Xiaomei stopped, looked up and saw Xiao Yao, her body stiffening: "Ah, you... hello."

He then bowed.

"I heard that the organization planted a miniature remote-controlled bomb that can't be removed under her carotid artery..." Daiyu whispered to Xiao Yao as he watched Zhao Xiaomei's departing figure.

"You still have the mood to gossip?"

"So what? You can't live like this anymore? You can jump off a building and commit suicide, can you?" Ribbonfish sneered.

"What miniature remote-controlled bomb? I think you've been reading too many novels." Xiao Yao said dismissively, "Who told you this?"

The ribbonfish smiled but didn't say anything.

"Hey, I'm asking you," Xiao Yao nudged the ribbonfish with his elbow, "Didn't you say it was her first time?"

"Probably," Ribbonfish shrugged. "She said yes, probably yes—who knows if it's true or not?"

"Can't you tell if it's real or fake?" Xiao Yao said, "Then you're not at a disadvantage."

"Whether I make a loss or a profit, what's the difference?" Daiyu retorted. "I really like her and want to spend my life with her."

Xiao Yao fell silent.

"Times have changed." After a long pause, Xiao Yao remarked with emotion.

“Times have changed,” the ribbonfish repeated.

“It used to be, ‘You have to take responsibility for me,’ but now?” Daiyu continued, “Now it’s ‘Friends help each other out, who the hell wants you to take responsibility?’”

“Well, people are still different,” Xiao Yao said.

For no apparent reason, Xiao Yao thought of Shen Jie.

She couldn't possibly be that kind of person, could she? Just like her best friend Yan Xiao?

of course not.

“In ancient times, there was Du Shiniang who angrily sank her treasure chest, and Bao Gong who angrily beheaded Chen Shimei,” Xiao Yao said, following the sentiment of Daiyu. “In ancient times, there were many devoted women and unfaithful men. If life were only as beautiful as the first meeting, why would the autumn wind bring sorrow to the painted fan? But now it’s different. There are more and more unfaithful women.”

“She deceived my feelings and my body,” the ribbonfish laughed bitterly. “Xiao Yao, do you know how I feel now when I think about that time at the beach—I almost gave my life to save her. Really, brother, it was just a hair’s breadth away, and you would never have seen me again, you know?”

"This...you...you didn't tell me either."

“Remember this, brother,” the ribbonfish continued, “At any time, your life is your own. Protecting yourself is the most important thing. Whether it’s Yu Luying or Shen Jie, don’t go to your death for them, don’t make too many sacrifices. Women are all ungrateful wretches… heartless and ungrateful things…”

Xiao Yao understood his feelings and didn't want to argue with him. Besides, he suddenly thought of something else: "Oh no, if you and Yan Xiao break up, will she expose the organization and the Shadow?"

"No way—it shouldn't be. What's the connection? This is between the two of us," said Daiyu. "Besides, even if she went around spreading rumors, who would believe her?"

"Ouch, no, no, this is getting a bit out of control." Xiao Yao covered his forehead. "I have to report this to the organization and see what they say."

“Go ahead and report, I’m not in the mood,” said Daiyu. “Hey, Xiao Yao, do you think Yan Xiao might be being consumed by some kind of inner demon, a shadow of herself? If she were to conquer her…”