Preference

After revealing the secrets he had kept hidden in his heart, Shen Yi found himself speaking more and more fluently.

"Dreams are dreams, reality is reality. Although they cannot be mixed, the emotions in between are real."

Shen Yi looked earnestly at Cheng Jun and said softly:

"We truly spent a lifetime together. We shared the same quilt in life and the same tomb in death."

"And you already know what happened next. My second dream was you. With the precedent of Fu Nanzhi, I realized at that time that I was dreaming. So..."

"So you comforted me and told me it was all just a dream, right?"

Cheng Jun took over the conversation.

Shen Yi nodded, sighing:

"Yes, I felt guilty at the time, thinking I had wronged you and caused you to be trapped in that unfamiliar place, suffering."

"I didn't know you'd remember it. I just thought telling you the truth would give you hope and make you feel better."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Jun felt both dazed and sad, understanding why Shen Yi had been so conflicted at the lake and why he had refused.

She had only known Shen Yi for a few months, while Fu Nanzhi had spent a lifetime with him. The depth of their emotions was evident.

There's no concept of who comes first in love, but there is a preference for certain types of love.

Fu Nanzhi was the one who was loved the most.

"What about Shu Yunyi?"

Cheng Jun asked reluctantly.

"Shu Yunyi was the third dream. She was the only one I already knew in reality; she was not only my university teacher but also the object of my childhood crush."

"When we met in the dream, I was delighted and overjoyed, so we reconnected and fell in love again, supporting each other, and living out our lives together."

At this point, there were no more secrets to hide, so Shen Yi decided to be completely honest.

No wonder Shu Yunyi came in with such a fierce attitude. She was a legitimate wife with a proper marriage certificate, sharing a life of love and hardship. How could she tolerate outsiders meddling?

Cheng Jun's expression was complicated, filled with self-derision and helplessness. She pointed at herself and said with a bitter voice:

"All of them are married in the traditional way, spending a lifetime together. I'm just the clown."

"I'm not even a third wheel."

Seeing her self-pity, Shen Yi couldn't bear it, immediately trying to comfort her:

"It's not your fault, it's me..."

In that apocalyptic world, he had died shielding her from a bullet. Perhaps if he hadn't died, they might have had a more perfect life together. She wouldn't have been forced to merge with the fungus. Of course, it might have turned out worse. It was an unpredictable fate, unexplainable.

Cheng Jun shook her head, not wanting to dwell on it, and instead asked him:

"What about the fourth dream? Who is it?"

"There is no fourth dream yet. There are only these three for now."

Shen Yi clearly told her.

"Can you predict when the fourth dream will come?"

"No."

"Can you choose who it will be freely?"

"No."

Shen Yi shook his head again. He used to have the option to choose between two, but after being punished by the system, it became completely random.

Cheng Jun looked at Shen Yi, seemingly not fully convinced. She forced a smile and said:

"So your dream is not only smart but also a pervert."

"Uh..."

Shen Yi scratched his head, unsure how to explain, so he just played dumb.

Whether it was Fu Nanzhi, Cheng Jun, or Shu Yunyi, according to the system's quantified data, their ratings were all over 90, leaving Cheng Jun no choice but to be suspicious.

In reality, an 80-something score is already considered good-looking, comparable to the well-dressed small internet celebrities you see in videos.

Those with an overall score of over 90 are insanely rare, picked out of hundreds of thousands or even millions.

Cheng Jun didn’t expect any explanation. She sighed and began processing the information she had just received.

'Transmigration' was already incredible, but being able to 'return' was even more astonishing.

The world full of towering plants, which Cheng Jun considered anything but a fabricated dream, was incredibly real. Every detail was etched in her mind, and she could draw it.

In the middle of the night, she sometimes felt as if she still possessed that mysterious nuclear energy, her movements echoing with accompanying vines.

Now it all seemed to be just the product of someone else's dream.

It was hard to know what to say about it all.

Neither of them spoke. Taking a deep breath, Cheng Jun walked over to the window. After a few breaths, she finally asked:

"What do you think about the current situation?"

Cheng Jun was the kind of person who dared to love and hate, straightforward. Even though she knew she was at a disadvantage in this situation, she still wanted to know what Shen Yi thought.

"Do you think I still have a chance?"

After asking, Cheng Jun was like a prisoner waiting for judgment, anxiously twisting her delicate fingers. Her palms were drenched in sweat.

Shen Yi fell silent, and the entire room became eerily quiet.

After a moment, he decided to be honest.

Last time, he had already made up his mind to have it all, and he intended to follow through.

Shen Yi hadn't considered deceiving Cheng Jun. He knew that based on her feelings for him, if he just hinted at anything, she would immediately be appeased.

But what then? Cheng Jun couldn't be kept in the dark forever. They would eventually meet the others, and how would he resolve the situation then?

Shen Yi exhaled all the air from his lungs, speaking slowly but firmly:

"You do have a chance. I understand your feelings."

Cheng Jun's eyes lit up, as if she hadn't expected to win so easily. Still doubtful, she asked again:

"Really?"

"Of course, but... every one of these relationships is real. I can't abandon any of them."

Shen Yi immediately revealed his true thoughts, not wanting to deceive her.

Cheng Jun's eyes quickly dimmed. Disbelieving, she said:

"You... you... you want all three of us?"

Then she shook her head repeatedly and stepped back, muttering:

"That's impossible..."

Unlike the others, even she couldn't imagine such a scenario. This isn't a soap opera.

No, not even soap operas are this ridiculous.

This idea was contrary to the three perspectives she had formed over twenty years. She couldn't accept it immediately.

After a while, she suddenly looked up at Shen Yi and asked:

"What about Nanzhi? Can she agree to this?!"

"I'll try to convince her."

There was no turning back. Shen Yi had no room to regret.

"She'd be crazy to agree."

After thinking over again and again, Cheng Jun still couldn't accept it. Leaning against the wall, the cold air from the air conditioner made her arms break out in goosebumps.

"You're too greedy... it will tear you apart..."

Shen Yi stood up and walked over to Cheng Jun, staring into her eyes, and said solemnly:

"Even so, I’m willing."

For the first time, Cheng Jun avoided Shen Yi's gaze, looking down at her toes in silence.

Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions. Some things were better left unsaid.

Just like how she had cooked dinner that evening, her anticipation had gradually turned into disappointment.

Was she really supposed to spell out every little feeling with Shen Yi?

What could she even say? That he should ditch the other two and love only her? She had no status or right to demand such a thing. As the weaker side in their relationship, she knew she couldn't expect any special treatment.

It wasn't possible for her to have exclusive possession of him, nor could she imagine sharing him with others.

Shen Yi was only one person, indivisible.

This was a dead end.