Night Attack

"Another name?"

Shen's Father and Shen's Mother exchanged glances, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

Did their son go by a different name when he was out and about?

At this moment, Shen Yi felt a shiver run down his scalp and quickly changed the subject,

"It's my former name, Shen Yi."

Shen's Father, noticing his son's exaggerated eye movements behind his back, finally got the hint and quickly took over the conversation,

"Ah... oh, yes! That's right."

Then, he reluctantly continued the fabrication,

It happened like this. When Little Yi was a month old and we went to register his household registration (hukou), our voices were a bit soft when giving his name.

"The officer misunderstood and thought we said 'Shen Yi' instead of 'Shen Yi', mixing them up. Later, we corrected it."

"Right, dear?"

Shen's Father squeezed the skewer he was holding, making a rustling sound, and gave Shen's Mother a look.

"Hmm? Ah, yes, that's correct."

"It sounds similar, but it means the same thing."

Fu Nanzhi nodded in realization,

"Oh, I see..."

After finally getting away with the name issue, Shen's Mother got up to prepare dinner.

Fu Nanzhi quickly followed to help.

As soon as the two of them left, Shen's Father's face darkened.

"Can you be more steady?"

"What's the condition? You need a stage name?"

Shen Yi couldn't explain and could only grin awkwardly, admitting his mistake.

Usually, dinner in the countryside was just a simple stir-fry with some leftovers from lunch.

However, since Fu Nanzhi was here, Shen's Mother made more of an effort and prepared four dishes for the table. For the first time, she insisted on not letting their guest eat leftovers.

The town was situated by the water, and the evening breeze gently dispelled the day's heat.

Under the glow of the setting sun, the family set up a table in the courtyard and sat down to eat.

Shen Yi broke off a small piece of bread and handed it to Fu Nanzhi, who hadn't eaten much at lunch and was likely hungry now.

The family chatted as they ate.

"Dear, what do you do for work?"

Fu Nanzhi swallowed her food before replying,

"I'm a lawyer."

"A lawyer? That's great."

Shen's Mother's expression was one of surprise. A lawyer was a respectable profession anywhere, and having someone in the family who studied law meant that friends and relatives could benefit as well.

Not that they expected her to handle legal cases for them, but at least in times of trouble, they wouldn't be completely clueless.

Fu Nanzhi was of good temperament, had a proper appearance, stable work, and was the right age.

Liu Huijuan was truly smitten now and couldn't help asking a bit more deeply,

"And your family?"

Fu Nanzhi didn't want to overwhelm the elderly couple and so skipped over the more significant details,

"My father is also a small-time lawyer, and my mother doesn't work and stays at home."

Liu Huijuan exchanged a glance with her husband, Shen Rui, and their smiles grew even broader.

"Oh... It's a family tradition."

They understood the simple truth that whether one's background was good or not wasn't the most important thing. What mattered was that they were on the same page, so that their values wouldn't be too different, and their life together wouldn't be tiring.

Shen Yi couldn't help twitching at the corners of his mouth. Fu Nanzhi's statement wasn't exactly wrong, but it covered up about 90% of the truth.

What small-time lawyer? Even ordinary lawyers wouldn't be qualified to work in his father's law firm.

But that wasn't the point. The main thing was to ease his parents' worries and prevent them from feeling overwhelmed.

After dinner, Shen's Father and Shen's Mother went out for a walk, likely to join in the square dancing.

It wasn't just for exercise; it was probably also to show off.

After all, it's almost sinful not to share the joy of having grown children. Since they didn't like posting on social media to collect likes, they had to make their presence known by dancing at the square.

Shen Yi also held Fu Nanzhi's hand, and the two strolled by the river under the evening glow, digesting their meal.

In fact, the town they were in was aging quite rapidly, with hardly any young people around. Those who weren't in school were working elsewhere, and hardly anyone stayed in the town.

People usually only returned for holidays, and though they didn't openly express it, everyone missed their families.

Fu Nanzhi, like a child, kicked clumps of earth into the river, watching the ripples spread as she repeated the action.

The evening breeze blew her hair loose, and the remaining sunlight highlighted her sharp features, creating an almost otherworldly beauty.

Shen Yi inserted his fingers between her hair strands, the strands touching his face, bringing a pleasant scent to his nose.

"It tickles~"

Fu Nanzhi couldn't help but shake her head, then suddenly turned around and playfully tapped Shen Yi's soft spot before quickly running away, her laughter like tinkling bells,

"Come catch me~"

As night fell, after having some fun, the two returned home.

Shen's Mother walked over with bedding in her arms and told Shen Yi,

"I've made the bed for Nanzhi. Take her there later."

Shen Yi unconsciously frowned,

"Why bother? We can just share the room."

Shen's Mother glared at him and scolded,

"You wish! Go away!"

Her thinking was more traditional. Even though she understood how passionate young people could be, she still valued propriety. After all, they weren't married yet, and sharing a room just wasn't right.

With his mother scolding him, Shen Yi had no choice but to comply, sighing as he went to inform Fu Nanzhi.

"Huh?"

"No way."

Upon hearing this, Fu Nanzhi's pretty face instantly crumpled, and she clung to Shen Yi's arm, whispering to him, not daring to let Shen's Mother see.

That evening, Shen's parents slept in the master bedroom on the east side of the second floor.

Shen Yi and Fu Nanzhi stayed in the two rooms on the west side.

After much pleading but to no avail, Fu Nanzhi had no choice but to drag her luggage to the bathroom.

Once she changed into her pajamas, Fu Nanzhi lay on the bed, feeling out of place in an unfamiliar environment. Unable to sleep, she took out her phone to complain to Shen Yi.

"Honey, I'm so bored~"

"There's nothing to do, just play some mobile games."

Shen Yi lay on his back, texting her playfully.

"I don't care, come keep me company!"

"No can do, mom and dad are listening."

"Oh, come on, it's fine, come over~"

"Then you have to promise not to get frisky."

Fu Nanzhi was furious when she saw this, her fingers tapping furiously on the phone,

"No, I can't promise that."

"Then I'm not coming over."

"Woohoo, you're making me mad!"

Shen Yi chuckled, typing back,

"Silly! Just wait until mom and dad fall asleep and then come over."

"Right, but when will that be?"

Fu Nanzhi threw her phone away in frustration, rolling back and forth on the pillow like a restless little rabbit.

After enduring until around 11 PM, she figured it was about time and tiptoed out of her room.

With bare feet on the floor, she carefully pushed open Shen Yi's door.

The cool night air, carrying a faint layer of dim light, revealed her in a black lace pajama set, clutching a pillow.

She carefully shut the door and joyfully leaped onto the bed,

"Woo~ I'm here."

Her soft, fragrant body pressed against Shen Yi, nuzzling her face against his neck, searching for his scent.

"Shh, quiet down a bit."

"Remember, just cuddle and sleep, no funny business, alright?"

The soundproofing here wasn't great, and his parents were asleep just next door. Any noise could get awkward really quickly.

Fu Nanzhi could never agree to that, her voice barely controlled,

"No way, I've been holding back for days."

"If you don't want me, it would be better to just kill me."

Her voice carried an undeniable hint of grievance,

"Five days, do you know how I've spent these five days?"