Of Course Forgive Him

Lotus-shaped river lanterns drifted on the water, their flickering lights blooming like tiny blossoms.

Two small boats remained motionless on the lake, far enough from the shore to mute the clamor of the crowd.

Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi sat on opposite sides of one boat.

One frowned deeply, while the other was lost in thought—neither able to speak for a long moment.

It couldn’t be helped. The revelation was too staggering, momentarily eclipsing even their earlier quarrel.

Faced with Shu Yunyi’s skepticism, Shen Yi countered:

“I know you have doubts, but the truth is just as I’ve said…”

“Yunyi, think back to the moment you woke up. Could you still remember my phone number?”

“I…”

Shu Yunyi’s voice caught in her throat.

It was true. Though Shen Yi had changed his number a few times, they had spent a lifetime together as partners—forgetting something like that should have been impossible.

At the time, Shu Yunyi had simply assumed her memory was failing with age.

After all, her core memories were intact—no gaping holes, just minor details grown hazy.

Back then, she hadn’t dwelled on it, too overwhelmed by the joy and relief of rebirth, her mind fixated on reuniting with Shen Yi. The inconsistencies in her memory had slipped past her unnoticed.

Seeing Shu Yunyi fall silent, Shen Yi turned to Fu Nanzhi.

“Nanzhi, you must have suspected something too by now…”

Fu Nanzhi shivered slightly, buttoning her cardigan as she murmured:

“Yes… At the time, I couldn’t find you, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall where you lived.”

“So I went to Uncle Cheng to pull your records…”

During that period, every effort she made seemed thwarted—anything related to Shen Yi was met with inexplicable resistance.

All the familiar faces and events matched her memories perfectly—except for Shen Yi, who remained elusive, just beyond her grasp.

He was the anomaly, the variable that defied explanation. Now, looking back, she understood why.

With both women deep in thought, Shen Yi had laid the groundwork for his first point. Now, he moved to the next step.

His expression turned earnest as he addressed them.

“I’m sorry. Back then… I had no idea things would turn out this way…”

“I thought it was just a strange dream. I never imagined it was real—or that every detail would imprint itself onto both of you.”

“It wasn’t until… by chance, I reunited with Nanzhi that I realized the truth.”

Fu Nanzhi’s tense expression softened at the memory. That day had been the happiest of her life.

After weeks of frustration, it felt like divine mercy—Shen Yi appearing before her that evening, as if delivered by fate itself.

Then Shen Yi turned back to Shu Yunyi.

“After what happened with Nanzhi, I suspected you might also wake with your memories intact. So the very next day, I rushed to your apartment to see you.”

“Only… you weren’t there at the time.”

“The rest, you already know…”

A flicker of understanding passed through Shu Yunyi’s eyes. He had come for her immediately—the tulips left on her table…

Even the odd behavior of her relatives, the warmth of Shen Yi’s parents—it all made sense now.

Fu Nanzhi accepted his explanation, but new questions arose in its wake.

“Then why didn’t you just tell us the truth from the start?”

Shen Yi’s smile was bitter.

“How could I? The situation was too bizarre. Who would’ve believed me back then?”

“Besides, I didn’t foresee things unfolding like this…”

That much, at least, was honest.

His initial plan had been simple: use this unexpected gift to build a better life for himself and his loved ones.

He never expected the first person he’d meet would be Fu Nanzhi—nor that the simulated life would be so perfect, catapulting him straight to the pinnacle of success.

By the time he learned about the memory synchronization, it was already after the Qixi Festival events.

Whether by fate’s mischief or his own greed, the die had been cast.

A chilly evening breeze swept across the lake. Unlike Fu Nanzhi, who wore a cardigan, Shu Yunyi had dressed lightly for her jog.

Shivering, she hugged her shoulders and gritted her teeth.

“So you just… juggled us both? Played along with this charade?”

“And here I thought you—”

“It wasn’t like that!”

Shen Yi quickly interjected, moving to switch seats so she could shelter from the wind.

Shu Yunyi shook off his hand—partly out of anger, partly to avoid sitting closer to Fu Nanzhi.

Undeterred, Shen Yi pressed on.

“It wasn’t ‘juggling.’ I did it because I couldn’t betray either of your feelings.”

“By that point, there was no turning back.”

Though only human, Shen Yi could swear he’d given himself wholly to each relationship, never once treating either woman carelessly.

Otherwise, he never would’ve achieved an S-rank rating in the simulated scenarios.

The system’s highest evaluation demanded genuine emotional investment—something evident in every daily simulation he’d run.

Both women fell silent.

Logically, Shen Yi’s reasoning was sound. The circumstances were beyond his control.

But love had never bowed to logic.

Shu Yunyi’s affection was possessive—she refused to share even a sliver of it.

No matter how convincingly Shen Yi spoke, her heart clung to one resolution.

Taking a deep breath, she softened her tone.

“It’s alright. Let the past stay in the past. I don’t hold it against you…”

“Xiao Yi, let’s start over, just the two of us.”

Her voice was sweet as a lullaby, yet it froze the air between them.

The lake lay unnervingly still, as if even the ripples dared not stir.

Fu Nanzhi’s expression hardened imperceptibly. What choice did she have?

Forgiveness was the only path.

She’d given Shen Yi everything—body, heart, and soul. Walking away was unthinkable.

And surrendering him to Shu Yunyi? Absolutely out of the question.

Without so much as glancing at Shu Yunyi, Fu Nanzhi smiled sweetly at Shen Yi.

“Darling, we’ve had our dinner, admired the moon.”

“It’s getting late—let’s go home. Mom will worry if we’re out too long.”

She reached for his arm, urging him to take the helm and steer them back.

Shu Yunyi, still awaiting Shen Yi’s answer, refused to yield. She seized his other arm.

“Let go!” she snapped.

“Which home? If he’s going anywhere, it’s with me!”

Neither backed down, each pulling at Shen Yi’s arms as if claiming ownership.