Planning

Shu Yunyi couldn’t spare time in the short term, but she wasn’t about to let Shen Yi off so easily either.

Shen Yi raised both hands in agreement,

"Three days? I’d be happy if you came every day."

Shu Yunyi shot him a glare and retorted,

"Always with the smooth talk."

"If you came every day, I wouldn’t even need to work out."

Even now, parts of her body still ached. If this became a daily routine, her disciplined fitness regimen would go up in smoke.

As she rubbed her lower abdomen, a sudden thought struck her.

"We didn’t take any precautions last night. Xiao Yi, do you think I might get pregnant?"

Shu Yunyi looked at him anxiously, her voice tinged with unease.

Shen Yi immediately reassured her,

"No way, last night I didn’t even…"

"Besides, if it happens, we’ll have the baby. It’s not like I’d… wait."

Shen Yi noticed the look on Shu Yunyi’s face and realized her concern wasn’t just about pregnancy—there was something else they’d overlooked.

"You mean… Jinyao?"

They had been husband and wife in their past life. While having a child was a big deal, it wasn’t something to panic over.

The only thing weighing on Shu Yunyi’s mind was her former daughter—Shen Jinyao.

"Yes. Will she still be our daughter?"

Shen Yi’s mood grew heavy. Truthfully, even if every condition aligned perfectly, the outcome could still be entirely different.

This situation was similar to the one with Xiao Lingdang, but far more complicated.

Still, since it was just a simulation, there might be room for change. After a moment of thought, he said earnestly,

"She will."

"If we have a daughter, she’ll be ours—our Jinyao."

It was impossible to say for sure, but Shen Yi knew he couldn’t let Shu Yunyi spiral into overthinking. This was as much for her comfort as his own.

Shu Yunyi nodded absently,

"Yeah, she will…"

"Our daughter was born on October 23rd the year after next. You found out you were pregnant just before the New Year. If we time it right, there’s still a chance."

Seeing her low spirits, Shen Yi quickly brought up their daughter’s birthdate, helping her calculate the timing.

Sure enough, Shu Yunyi immediately started counting on her fingers. After comparing notes, they realized that with precise timing, it wasn’t impossible.

Whether Shen Jinyao could be born as she was in the simulation or not, they would do everything in their power to try.

"Then don’t touch me for a while. Otherwise, the timing won’t match the past."

Once they’d settled on the schedule, Shu Yunyi immediately turned serious, warning Shen Yi.

Shen Yi spread his hands, feeling like he’d trapped himself. But this was important, so of course he’d comply.

"You should keep up with your workouts too. It’ll make the delivery smoother. Our daughter was six pounds six ounces back then—the perfect weight."

After a pause, Shen Yi added.

"Mm."

"And from now on, we’ll have to be careful when we’re together. We can’t risk conceiving too early."

Shu Yunyi decided to buy emergency contraception on her way home and stock up on condoms.

At this point, all they could do was try to ease their worries and minimize the chances of anything going wrong.

Shen Yi naturally agreed—after all, this was his daughter from their past life too.

In the simulation, he’d seen how lonely she was at the gravesite. She’d often come to comfort him, and even when her words didn’t help, she’d still visit regularly to make sure he was eating well and staying warm.

Setting that aside, neither of them was in the mood to talk further.

Shu Yunyi leaned in, kissed Shen Yi goodbye, and then got into her car. She’d already told her mother she’d be home for dinner that night.

It was also a way to slowly introduce Shen Yi to her family, laying the groundwork for the future.

Shen Yi waved as Shu Yunyi drove off, then started his own car and headed toward Jianyuan District.

It was rush hour, and the traffic kept his speed frustratingly low.

With one hand on the wheel, Shen Yi let his thoughts wander.

First, there was the matter of the simulator. Since obtaining the system, he hadn’t used it often, but each simulation had been remarkably high-quality.

Ironically, that was what had led to his current predicament.

After figuring out the pattern, he’d stopped daring to use the text-based simulations.

The trip back to his hometown had taught him that even managing two relationships was nearly overwhelming—he simply didn’t have the time-management skills for more.

Love required time and effort to maintain. Leaving Cheng Jun aside, both Nan Zhi and Shu Yunyi needed his attention.

Starting another simulation was out of the question. Even being tied down to one place was unacceptable.

That was why Shen Yi had refused to move in with Shu Yunyi—he needed to coordinate everything first, then gradually help them accept each other’s presence.

If he didn’t leave himself room to maneuver from the start, he’d be stuck in a dead end.

Then there was money. He had around three or four hundred thousand in savings—more than enough for daily life.

But when it came to buying property or securing a future for his family, that amount was practically nothing. It was something he’d have to prioritize.

For himself, renting or buying didn’t matter much. But with children in the picture, these things became non-negotiable.

He couldn’t use text simulations anymore, but he also couldn’t let fear paralyze him. Scene simulations were still on the table—the system’s rewards were generous, and the money came quickly.

Lost in thought, Shen Yi signaled and turned into his neighborhood.

After parking, he headed upstairs and stopped outside Cheng Jun’s door.

Judging by the time, she was probably still at work, so he didn’t knock.

Cheng Jun had rejected him, but giving up after a single setback would mean his so-called feelings were nothing more than empty words.

No matter what she thought, Shen Yi wanted to try his best—to let no one down.

Turning away, he unlocked his own apartment. After three days away, the laundry hamper was still full.

Shen Yi bent down, pulled out the clothes, stripped off what he was wearing, and tossed everything into the washing machine.

He changed into fresh clothes in the bedroom, then cracked the window slightly to let in some air.

The rain outside hadn’t let up, so he didn’t open it too wide.

Glancing at the time—just past five—he realized he wasn’t very hungry. Settling into a comfortable position, he activated the simulator.

"Simulator, start!"

A holographic screen appeared before him. Shen Yi checked his stats—nothing had changed.

Name: Shen Yi

Level: Lv.2

Strength: 8

Stamina: 9

Energy: 10

Charm: 81

Assets:

Attribute Points: 1

Items: Simulation Seed

He still had one attribute point left and one Simulation Seed.

He hadn’t figured out how to use the seed yet. Since it was for real-world simulations, he worried it might create more memories—and that could spell trouble.

[Scene Simulation]

Matching…

Without overthinking it, Shen Yi selected Scene Simulation.

Soon, a character was matched. After his last penalty, he only had one slot available.

Two hours later.

The character’s rating wasn’t high. With his 81 Charm, Shen Yi secured the outcome in just two attempts.

Since he hadn’t invested much effort, the evaluation wasn’t stellar either.

Still, Shen Yi was satisfied with the 120,000 cash reward. That was all he’d wanted—higher ratings would’ve made him nervous.

"This is enough."

Usually, cash rewards would be deposited into his bank account the next day through various channels.

Staring at his asset balance, Shen Yi murmured to himself:

"It's too eye-catching—perhaps I should find a way to cover it up..."