Departure

No wonder people say this household would fall apart without Shen Yi.

Whenever he steps in to mediate, the mother and daughter quickly stop their disagreements.

This was a skill he had honed through countless simulations.

Ji Shulan couldn’t stop praising him—avoiding arguments with her daughter was the best outcome for her.

Then she turned to Fu Nanzhi and said,

"Well, if you don’t have any other ideas, let’s go with Shen Yi’s plan."

Taking a step forward, Ji Shulan was the first to speak, offering Fu Nanzhi—who was sulking alone—a way to save face.

Fu Nanzhi also thought this was a reasonable compromise. She could see how hard Shen Yi was trying to smooth things over and didn’t want to make things difficult for him.

So she relaxed, spinning the teacup in her hand, and said,

"Fine, I’ll listen to him."

"Besides, it’ll be nice to go home and see Dad."

Ji Shulan clapped her hands together.

"Then it’s settled!"

Seeing this, Shen Yi finally let out a sigh of relief. The situation had been critical, but his quick thinking had bought them some time.

Spend Mid-Autumn Festival with Shu Yunyi, then accompany Fu Nanzhi the next day—that way, there’d be no conflict.

Suddenly, Shen Yi recalled the warning from his mother, Liu Huijuan. As expected, the old lady had foresight.

This situation was no different from what he’d face during the Lunar New Year—except back then, he hadn’t taken it seriously.

But this was good too. The Mid-Autumn Festival could serve as a rehearsal, making it easier to handle things when the New Year came.

Though his mind was racing, only a second passed in reality.

Noticing the atmosphere had eased slightly, Shen Yi smiled at Ji Shulan and said,

"Songping Lake has great scenery. You and Uncle could come along too."

"It’d be fun—just a casual trip."

Ji Shulan waved her hand with a smile.

"No, no."

"You youngsters go and enjoy yourselves. We’re too old for that kind of thing."

Shen Yi had only been testing the waters, so he didn’t push further. He simply replied,

"Not at all, Auntie. You’re still young."

"Hehehe..."

Ji Shulan covered her mouth, chuckling as she stood up.

"You two chat..."

"It’s getting chilly outside—don’t stay out too long."

With that, she turned and left.

Once Ji Shulan was gone, Fu Nanzhi became lively again.

Their moon-viewing plans had almost been ruined, but thankfully, Shen Yi had salvaged them.

She only wanted a romantic evening for two—having her mother intrude would’ve ruined everything.

Today, Fu Nanzhi was unusually well-behaved. She just chatted, neither getting handsy nor pestering Shen Yi to stay the night.

Ji Shulan’s presence was one reason, but the bigger factor was that her period hadn’t ended yet—she simply wasn’t in the mood.

After talking for a while longer, Shen Yi stood up to leave.

After saying goodbye to Ji Shulan, Fu Nanzhi walked him to the door and reminded him,

"Then it’s settled—remember to come pick me up as planned."

Fu Nanzhi hugged him as she spoke.

"Mm, got it."

Shen Yi nodded in agreement.

……

After leaving Fu Nanzhi’s place, Shen Yi returned to his small apartment.

After a quick wash-up, he lay down.

As he lay in bed, Shen Yi reflected on how perilously close he’d come to disaster today. One misstep, and everything could’ve blown up in his face.

But juggling things like this wasn’t sustainable—sooner or later, the truth would slip out.

‘I need to find a way to break the ice...’

Shen Yi still wanted to take a gentle approach, letting them gradually accept each other.

If they suddenly crossed paths, the fallout wouldn’t be good for anyone.

Lost in thought, Shen Yi soon drifted off to sleep.

The next day, Shen Yi picked up his phone and asked Shu Yunyi if she had any plans.

To his surprise, she replied quickly—she actually did.

She’d also taken the time to research options and was planning to send them over that evening, but Shen Yi had beaten her to it.

Unlike lakeside boating, Shu Yunyi—an avid traveler—decided on hiking instead.

Jingyuan City didn’t have any real mountains, just a few small hills with modest elevations.

But Shu Yunyi wasn’t looking for anything grand. She’d already scaled all the famous peaks in her past life, so she wasn’t picky—she just wanted a spot where they could camp and admire the moon.

Over the next two days, Shen Yi maintained his disciplined routine.

Aside from his daily simulation tasks, he kept up his physical training without fail, making each day incredibly productive.

Soon, the two days flew by, and Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.

At 2 p.m., Shen Yi drove out to an outdoor equipment store in Shangyang District.

He loaded the car with the camping tent, sleeping bags, and other gear he’d pre-ordered.

This kind of setup wasn’t cheap—it was basically an adult version of playing house.

Shen Yi had experience with this from his simulations, where he’d traveled all over the world, so purchasing everything was second nature to him.

After finishing his shopping, he drove to the entrance of Jingyuan University.

While Shen Yi handled the camping gear, Shu Yunyi prepared the food they’d need.

Just like before, they divided tasks smoothly and efficiently.

Today, Shu Yunyi had clearly put effort into her appearance.

She wore a camellia-colored maxi dress, its delicate fabric flowing like water, perfectly accentuating her graceful figure.

A wide-brimmed sun hat completed the look, giving off strong summer vibes.

With her flawless features, anyone who didn’t know better would think she was a girl in her early twenties.

After helping her into the car, Shen Yi teased,

"You look younger than the students you teach..."

"What? Trying to leave no survivors?"

Shu Yunyi was delighted by the compliment, feeling the hours she’d spent meticulously choosing her outfit hadn’t gone to waste.

She playfully swatted his shoulder and laughed.

"Stop it."

"Don’t block the road—people are watching."

Shen Yi started the car, tapped the navigation, then couldn’t resist running his fingers over the fabric of her dress.

"It’s gorgeous, but will this be practical for hiking?"

"Hmph..."

Shu Yunyi shot him a look full of charm, then stretched out her legs to reveal the sneakers underneath.

"I’m a professional—don’t worry, I came prepared."

Then she scoffed.

"Besides, these little mounds barely qualify as mountains. It won’t even take an hour to climb."

Reassured, Shen Yi snapped his fingers.

"Then let’s go!"