Watching the taillights gradually fade into the distance, Ye Shuang stood still for a moment, then touched his lips again. Staring at the traces of lipstick on his fingertips, he couldn’t help but wonder—perhaps this was his final destination?
He wasn’t young anymore, and it was about time he got married… If nothing unexpected happened, he would probably end up marrying Chen Qin.
After all, they knew each other inside out, their families were close, and Chen Qin’s recent actions and determination made it seem like there was no better choice for marriage.
But the bond between them had always been more like familial affection, the kind shared between childhood friends. Ye Shuang couldn’t quite cross that line just yet, nor could he muster the courage to face her feelings.
Lost in thought, his mind suddenly drifted to Bai Yuyou.
Why did he think of her?
Ye Shuang knew full well that Bai Yuyou wasn’t the right fit for him—or rather, he wasn’t the right fit for her.
And yet…
Compared to before, his resolve now seemed to waver slightly, even giving rise to thoughts like [maybe age isn’t really an issue]. But upon reflection, it was all rather laughable.
Besides, once she truly understood what love meant, things might be completely different.
"Let’s go back." Smiling self-deprecatingly, Ye Shuang turned and stepped into the elevator.
When he returned to the apartment, he found Bai Yuyou sitting on the sofa, holding Yīwàn in her arms. Seeing him, the girl hugged the kitten and walked over. "Ye Shuang, you’re back."
"Yeah." He glanced at her. "Why haven’t you showered yet?"
"I wanted to shower with you…"
"No."
"Why?"
"No reason." Ye Shuang took Yīwàn from her arms and set the kitten down on the floor.
Bai Yuyou said, "Ye Shuang… my phone says married couples can shower together."
"We’re not married." He pinched her cheek lightly, amused.
The girl tilted her head. "Then when can we?"
"When you’re older." His answer was deliberately vague.
"When I’m like… Chen Qin-jie." Bai Yuyou murmured, "Right, Ye Shuang?"
"Yeah."
"Then… are you and Chen Qin-jie married?" she pressed.
"No."
"Why…?"
Ye Shuang found it odd that she was asking so much, but he still replied, "There are a lot of factors… How should I put it? You’ll understand when you’re older."
Bai Yuyou suddenly asked, "Ye Shuang… will you and Chen Qin-jie be married in the future?"
Ye Shuang fell silent. Studying the girl beside him, he walked over and sat on the sofa. "Did Keke teach you to ask this?"
Bai Yuyou shook her head.
He gave her a long look before asking, "If Chen Qin and I were married, how would you feel?"
"How would I feel…?" The girl replied calmly, "Then when I grow up, I’ll be married too."
Thump. Ye Shuang flicked her forehead, half-amused, half-exasperated. "Silly, that’s not how it works. There’s only one married couple, understand?"
Bai Yuyou seemed to grasp something. "Only one."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"No reason."
She thought for a moment, looking lost. "I don’t get it…"
"That’s why I said you’ll understand later." Ye Shuang knew Bai Yuyou’s mind wasn’t wired to untangle such complexities. Patting her head, he got up to fetch his clothes.
"Ye Shuang…"
"Hm?"
"If you and Chen Qin-jie are married… then what about us?" Her question made him freeze mid-step.
He turned back, meeting her questioning gaze, but couldn’t bring himself to give an answer.
"Us… we probably won’t be married." After a long pause, he finally spoke.
Bai Yuyou’s expression dimmed instantly, her eyes losing their light.
Ye Shuang’s heart inexplicably clenched. He sat back down beside her, watching her despondent face, and sighed. "I said probably…"
"Probably?"
"Yeah. No one knows what the future holds."
"Oh."
"Yuyou, do you really know what being married means?"
She pondered. "Being married means staying together forever."
"Yeah, but it’s more than that."
Bai Yuyou whispered, "I don’t understand all that… I just want to stay with you forever… as long as it’s you, Ye Shuang… that’s enough."
Only then did Ye Shuang realize—Bai Yuyou didn’t care about marriage at all. She didn’t even grasp its meaning. To her, marriage was simply a way to stay together forever, and all she wanted was to stay by his side.
"Ye Shuang, you promised… you’d wait for me." Bai Yuyou said.
Memories of that rainy day surfaced—the girl watching a snail and asking him the same question. Ye Shuang nodded. "Yeah, I’ll wait for you."
"Then can we shower together now?"
Ye Shuang: "…"
"All that just to ask this?" He blinked in disbelief.
Bai Yuyou tilted her head, expression blank. "Mm."
He exhaled, suddenly feeling powerless against her peculiar logic. "Fine. Let’s go take a bath."
"Okay." Instantly reinvigorated, she perked up.
The apartment’s bathroom was different from the one in the old neighborhood—it had a proper bathtub, fully temperature-controlled. Ye Shuang rarely got to enjoy a soak and wanted to relax properly.
After filling the tub, he rinsed off quickly and sank into the warm water, stretching out as every cell in his body seemed to sigh in relief.
Bai Yuyou stepped in shortly after, though at Ye Shuang’s insistence, she wore a white two-piece swimsuit (one he’d bought for her).
Ye Shuang himself had on a pair of swim trunks.
"Ye Shuang, this is tight." She tugged at the swimsuit’s front.
"It’s fine. The size should be right." Though he had to admit, he might’ve underestimated the measurements—the fabric strained against her curves.
Once she settled into the tub, Bai Yuyou sat right in front of him and leaned back against his chest.
At this point, Ye Shuang had no stray thoughts. He treated it like taking her to a hot spring, resting his chin atop her head as his arms draped over the tub’s edges, eyes closed in relaxation.
Bai Yuyou, however, found the bow tied behind her back bothersome. Glancing at Ye Shuang to confirm his eyes were shut, she reached back and undid it.
As the swimsuit floated away in the water, Ye Shuang’s eyes snapped open.
"Huh?"
igrating to the cultivation world for two hundred years, I've managed to lie low and reach the Nascent Soul stage. Only now does my golden finger arrive? ...
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
