There Are Still Masters

Fu Nanzhi was no pushover.

Facing off against Shu Yunyi, she raised her delicate brows and retorted sharply:

"Me, let go? You’ve got it backwards."

"Shouldn’t you be the one letting go? You’re the one clinging to my husband!"

Shen Yi turned his head, about to calm Fu Nanzhi down, when Shu Yunyi sneered:

"Your husband?!"

"I knew Xiao Yi long before you were even done crying in some corner."

Shen Yi sighed and turned back to reason with Shu Yunyi, but she ignored him, her gaze locked fiercely on Fu Nanzhi.

"Me, cry? You’ll be the one crying later."

"Hah... Anyone can brag. Take a look in the mirror—shameless."

"Who’s the shameless one here? A teacher your age, snatching men!"

"Disgusting!"

"Stop... stop..."

"Who are you calling disgusting?"

"Whoever fits the description!"

"You two... just... stop..."

"Husband, scold her for me!"

"Xiao Yi, tell me—who do you side with?"

Their faces flushed with anger as they hurled rapid-fire insults, leaving Shen Yi trapped between them, unable to get a word in.

"What do you mean ‘your husband’? Let go—he’s mine!"

"You call him ‘Xiao Yi’? You let go—he belongs to me!"

"Mine..."

"Mine..."

The two women, usually gentle and demure, now threw all restraint to the wind. Not only did their words clash, but their hands also tightened around Shen Yi’s arms, their fingers turning white from the strain, nails nearly digging into his flesh.

The small boat, unable to withstand the trio’s struggle, rocked violently, teetering on the verge of capsizing.

Shen Yi’s heart pounded with alarm—if the boat overturned in this chilly weather, the consequences would be dire.

"Enough!"

No longer caring if he might hurt them, he barked the command and yanked both women’s arms forcefully.

Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi were no match for Shen Yi’s strength. Caught off guard, they both stumbled forward.

"Stop fighting—we’re in the middle of the lake!"

With an arm around each, Shen Yi steadied them and guided them back to their seats.

The boat finally stabilized, its fragile frame unable to handle any more turmoil.

Seeing that they had finally quieted down, Shen Yi softened his tone.

"Listen to me, both of you..."

Shu Yunyi’s chest heaved—whether from anger or exhaustion—before she finally caught her breath and spoke:

"Fine. I won’t argue with her."

"Xiao Yi, just tell me—who do you choose? Her or me?"

Fu Nanzhi, meanwhile, lightly patted her chest to steady her racing heart. At Shu Yunyi’s question, her gaze snapped to Shen Yi.

Though she remained silent, her meaning was clear.

The weight of their expectant stares bore down on Shen Yi like a crushing burden.

There was no easy way to navigate this.

Choosing one meant betraying the other—an unbearable pain. Letting go of either was simply unthinkable.

So, steeling himself, Shen Yi held firm to his resolve.

He sighed softly, his gaze shifting from Fu Nanzhi to Shu Yunyi.

With solemn sincerity, he began:

"I’ve been wanting to come clean with both of you..."

"After sharing a lifetime together, the ties between us can’t be summed up in just a few words."

He looked at them earnestly.

"What we’ve built is a deep, enduring bond—one that can’t be ignored."

"And I’m only human. My heart feels just as deeply as yours. Love is mutual."

"Whether it’s Nanzhi or Yunyi, meeting you both has been my greatest fortune. We’ve weathered hardships and joys together."

"If it was possible in dreams, then it can be real too. No matter what the future holds..."

Here, Shen Yi took a deep breath and delivered his final answer with unwavering conviction:

"I won’t give up either of you."

Silence fell, broken only by the night breeze rippling the water. The distant noise from the shore felt worlds away.

"You... you... I..."

Shu Yunyi was the first to react, her voice trembling as she forced a brittle laugh.

"Xiao Yi... you’re joking, right?"

"You have to be joking. This can’t be real..."

She had always believed Shen Yi’s love was hers alone—a private devotion no one else could share.

Now, that intimacy was being torn in half, and the shock was too much to bear.

Shen Yi’s heart ached at her strained smile, but this was the moment of truth. If he wavered now, he might never get another chance to lay his feelings bare.

So, hardening his resolve, he nodded firmly.

"This is real. No jokes."

Shu Yunyi froze as if struck by lightning, her last shred of hope shattered.

Tears welled in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks like pearls before clinging to her jawline.

The deeper the love, the deeper the pain. To her, this felt like betrayal.

"I..."

Shen Yi’s chest tightened at the sight. He reached out to take her hand, but she turned away before he could.

On the other side, Fu Nanzhi remained eerily quiet, her emotions far more composed.

Though her heart had clenched in anguish at first, she quickly suppressed the rising bitterness.

She had anticipated this. In fact, she had already taken steps toward acceptance—steps born of necessity rather than desire.

After their last trip to Shen Yi’s hometown, she had brought up surrogacy again in the car, only to be rejected once more.

Frustrated, she had considered countless alternatives before realizing Shen Yi needed to embrace the idea himself.

That was when she thought of her cousin, Cheng Jun.

Fu Nanzhi knew it wasn’t entirely ethical, so she first confirmed whether Cheng Jun had any feelings for Shen Yi.

Given the hints from before—and the fact that he had once saved her—it wasn’t impossible. If there had been no attraction, Fu Nanzhi would have dropped the idea immediately.

"Wait..."

A sudden realization struck her.

Reviewing her interactions with Cheng Jun, she noticed striking parallels in their behavior.

As the saying goes, once you know the answer, the puzzle pieces fall into place. Instantly, inconsistencies made sense.

"She also knew him but didn’t have his contact info... She was also digging through records..."

"Could it be...?"

Abruptly, Fu Nanzhi looked up at Shen Yi and asked:

"Was it just the two of us in that dream of yours?"

"Were there others?"

The question made even Shu Yunyi’s tears halt mid-fall. Stunned, she blurted out:

"There's more?!"