"Oh, I see..."
Shen's Mother suddenly understood, assuming it was Fu Nanzhi's car and didn’t press further.
"Then you two should get going. Drive safely, and call me when you arrive."
Shen Yi opened the trunk and placed the luggage inside.
After getting into the car, Fu Nanzhi leaned against the passenger window, waving at Shen's Mother.
"Auntie, your cooking was so delicious. I couldn’t get enough of it."
"Ah, if you liked it, come back next time. I’ll cook for you again. Now, off you go."
Shen's Mother smiled, her eyes crinkling as she patted Fu Nanzhi’s head.
Fu Nanzhi grinned, her dimples showing, and waved again.
"Goodbye, Auntie~"
Shen Yi also got in, fastened his seatbelt, and said,
"We’re leaving, Mom. No need to see us off."
Liu Huijuan nodded.
"I won’t. Go ahead, I’ll just watch you from here."
Shen Yi started the car and drove off, while Fu Nanzhi continued waving at Shen's Mother through the rearview mirror.
Once the car disappeared around the corner, Liu Huijuan dropped her smile, lowered her arm, and turned back toward the house.
On the highway, the car gradually settled into a steady speed. Shen Yi glanced at Fu Nanzhi.
She had been leaning against the window, staring blankly at the passing scenery as if lost in thought.
Shen Yi turned the music down and asked,
"What’s wrong? Something on your mind?"
"Ah..."
Fu Nanzhi didn’t answer immediately, instead letting out a long sigh.
"Come on, tell me. There’s nothing you can’t share with your husband, right?"
Knowing her temperament, Shen Yi coaxed her with a smile.
Fu Nanzhi looked downcast, her left hand pressed against her abdomen without letting go.
"Husband... I think I can’t have children..."
"Oh, that..."
"I already knew."
Shen Yi replied casually, keeping his tone light to avoid burdening her with unnecessary worries.
He had known for a while and deliberately never brought it up. Having children wasn’t a priority for him, but if it weighed on Fu Nanzhi’s emotions, then it mattered.
"It’s not a big deal. Isn’t having me enough?"
Fu Nanzhi shook her head repeatedly, aware he was just comforting her.
"No, it’s just... it feels incomplete."
"You know I love children. I wanted to have one with you."
A proper family shouldn’t consist of just two people, and she genuinely adored babies.
Shen Yi kept his eyes on the road, speaking lightly.
"It’s fine. We still have Xiaolingdang. We can adopt her when the time comes."
Fu Xinyin, their daughter from their past life, had been adopted as an infant. Shen Yi still remembered the process.
Fu Nanzhi frowned, hesitating before saying,
"But Lingdang won’t be born for another eight years. There are too many variables..."
"Even the smallest change could alter everything. Will she really still be there waiting for us?"
She lowered her head, having already considered this. The uncertainties were overwhelming—whether Lingdang would even be born was a fear she couldn’t voice.
Reuniting with Shen Yi had already been fraught with unpredictability. Stretching the timeline further only magnified the butterfly effect.
And the most daunting part was the sheer length of time—eight whole years.
Her past life had been painful enough, filled with longing and the hopeful gazes of both sets of parents.
The thought of reliving that path filled her with dread.
"Ah..."
"Don’t worry, she will be."
Shen Yi could only sigh, lacking absolute certainty himself.
Fu Nanzhi’s eyes reddened. Since her rebirth, she had been burying her head in the sand, but now reality was unavoidable.
Since Shen Yi was driving, he couldn’t do much more than reach over and squeeze her hand reassuringly.
The warmth steadied her heart, and a long-held thought resurfaced, growing rapidly until she could no longer hold it back.
"Husband, what if..."
---
Shu Yunyi acted decisively, setting off without delay and driving straight to Gusu Province.
Linjiang County—a small town Shen Yi had taken her to many times in their past life. Revisiting it now filled her with nostalgia.
Shen's Father and Mother had been kind and understanding, never looking down on her for her age. The memory brought a smile to her face.
Following the GPS, Shu Yunyi exited the highway and turned right toward the town.
Afraid of missing it, she counted the houses carefully until she spotted the familiar red-roofed, white-walled courtyard.
After parking, she took a moment to straighten her appearance before stepping out.
Nervousness crept in—visiting her past life’s in-laws alone was unexpectedly daunting.
From a distance, she saw Old Liu sitting under a canopy, weaving a bamboo basket.
Approaching, she greeted him warmly.
"Uncle Liu, keeping busy?"
Liu Wensheng, trimming bamboo strips, replied absentmindedly.
"Ah, just a little handiwork."
"Alright, I’ll head in first."
"Sure thing."
Only after finishing his strip did Liu Wensheng look up, puzzled by her retreating figure.
"Who was that?"
He smacked his shiny forehead in realization.
"Oh... right, right. Xiao Yi’s wife."
"Getting old and forgetful..."
Shaking his head, he picked up another strip, muttering to himself.
"Strange, she looks different somehow..."
Shu Yunyi walked on after greeting him. In their past life, Old Liu had lived an impressively long time—still lounging in his rocking chair when she and Shen Yi had handled the elders’ affairs.
Standing before the vermilion gate, she took a few deep breaths before knocking.
"Who is it?"
"Hands are full—just come in!"
Countryside manners were informal—doors were either left open or visitors invited to enter freely.
Hearing the familiar voice, Shu Yunyi steadied herself and pushed open the side gate.
Inside, Shen's Mother was cleaning a large fish by the faucet, while Shen's Father weeded a small vegetable plot in the back. Both were occupied.
She stepped in, her slender legs neatly together as she stood in place.
Liu Huijuan had skipped her usual card game today, opting to prepare the fish originally meant for Fu Nanzhi’s dinner.
With the couple gone, the fish would spoil if not preserved.
Busy with the task, she called out for the visitor to enter when she heard the knock.
The moment the gate opened, she froze.
By the red iron gate stood an exceptionally beautiful woman.
Her face suggested youth—mid-to-late twenties—but her aura carried a mature elegance.
Dressed formally in a beige pantsuit, her hair was neatly pinned up in a high bun.
Liu Huijuan snapped out of her daze, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn’t expected to encounter two such sights in one day. Puzzled, she asked,
“Miss… who are you looking for?”
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
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?
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
