Marriage

Shu Yunyi lay weakly on the bed, the two of you locking eyes in silent understanding.

In this matter, you both shared an unspoken agreement—no matter what, this was your daughter, Jin Yao, one and only.

Fu Nanzhi only wallowed in despair for a short while before pulling herself together. Though she never fully came to terms with her own shortcomings, she had grown accustomed to them over the years.

Both of you had experience raising children, but Shu Yunyi, being an older mother, needed a longer recovery period after childbirth.

The newborn was utterly adorable, and Fu Nanzhi couldn’t resist her charm.

Fu Nanzhi threw herself into caring for Little Jinyao, barely leaving her side. The nanny could hardly get a word in, and her devotion was so intense that even Shu Yunyi, who had initially harbored reservations, found herself glancing over in surprise.

In the days that followed, Fu Nanzhi was either setting alarms for bottle feedings or researching baby food recipes on her own. Occasionally, she’d even drag Shu Yunyi along to pick out tiny outfits for Jin Yao.

Fu Nanzhi ended up taking over most of the tasks you’d normally handle, leaving you with little to do but watch.

Her meticulous and responsible attitude even made Shu Yunyi feel somewhat awkward, to the point where she hesitated to argue or snap at Fu Nanzhi anymore.

As time passed, the relationship between the two gradually improved.

Naturally, Shu Yunyi’s childbirth didn’t escape the notice of her mother, Qin Fangli. The elderly woman visited the baby frequently and seemed satisfied with the situation.

Though it was an unplanned pregnancy, given Shu Yunyi’s age, Qin Fangli chose not to say much.

But as Shu Yunyi regained her strength and Little Jinyao grew older, the topic could no longer be avoided.

Faced with Qin Fangli’s repeated urging, you hesitated, mindful of Fu Nanzhi’s feelings.

Fu Nanzhi seemed to sense your dilemma. One day, she suddenly pulled you aside and told you she agreed—you should marry Shu Yunyi.

Stunned, you stood frozen in place, only believing her after repeated confirmations that she wasn’t joking.

Baffled, you asked her why.

Fu Nanzhi glanced at Little Jinyao, who was crawling around on the floor, then turned away with a faint smile, refusing to answer.

You never learned what private agreement the two had made, but under Qin Fangli’s relentless pressure, you and Shu Yunyi eventually registered your marriage.

Perhaps to avoid upsetting Fu Nanzhi, Shu Yunyi chose to keep things low-key, just as she had in her past life—no grand ceremony, just a simple meal together.

From then on, Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi grew even closer.

Little Jinyao also formally recognized Fu Nanzhi as her godmother.

They no longer clashed but instead often teamed up to tease or challenge you. You were more than happy to play along, sometimes even deliberately indulging their mischief.

And so, life continued in this haphazard yet contented manner…

Six years later.

You still hadn’t forgotten about your daughter from your past life. Counting the days, you prepared all the necessary documents to begin the adoption process.

As much as you adored Jin Yao, she wasn’t Fu Nanzhi’s biological child, and deep down, Fu Nanzhi longed for one of her own.

You hadn’t forgotten Fu Nanzhi’s sacrifice back then and hoped that finding Little Lingdang would bring her some comfort.

Fortunately, after some twists and turns, you managed to adopt an infant right on schedule, just as you had in your previous life.

Overjoyed, you brought the baby straight to Fu Nanzhi.

The scene shifted before your eyes once more.

Another six years had passed. Fu Nanzhi was now in her thirties, her demeanor refined by the passage of time.

After parking the car, she stepped out and circled around to the back seat.

Her hair was meticulously styled, sleek and pinned flawlessly in place. She wore an elegant emerald-green satin dress adorned with intricate embroidery.

Her movements were graceful, her posture poised, exuding an effortless sophistication.

The back door swung open, and Little Jinyao, unable to wait any longer, burst out of the car, her oversized backpack bouncing against her backside.

"Godmother, catch me!" she cheered, sprinting toward the house.

Fu Nanzhi locked the car, smiling softly as she called after her,

"Slow down, be careful not to trip…"

Her words were met with Jinyao’s gleeful giggles.

Shaking her head in amusement, Fu Nanzhi made her way inside. Children at that age seemed to have boundless energy, always so lively.

Originally, Shen Yi was supposed to pick Jinyao up, but he was tied up with work, and Shu Yunyi was on shift.

Since she had free time, Fu Nanzhi had gone to fetch Jinyao after school.

As she reached the doorway, still slipping off her shoes, she heard Jinyao’s excited voice from inside.

"Wow, there’s a baby here!"

"Shh—"

"Keep your voice down, don’t wake her up."

"Isn’t she cute? Her name is Little Lingdang."

Shen Yi’s voice followed, gently scolding Jinyao for her outburst.

Fu Nanzhi’s heart skipped a beat. A premonition stirring within her, she hurried inside, not even bothering with her slippers.

As she turned the corner, Shen Yi heard her footsteps and turned around, revealing the tiny infant cradled in his arms.

She was small, her skin slightly wrinkled and dark, her wispy hair tousled—but to Fu Nanzhi, she was the most beautiful thing in the world.

Trembling, Fu Nanzhi reached out, and Shen Yi quickly handed the bundle over.

Wiping his brow, he chuckled,

"Finally, you’re here. It wasn’t easy—I barely got this little one to sleep."

Then, tapping Jinyao’s curious head, he added,

"And then this big one comes barging in, shouting like crazy. Almost woke her up again."

Fu Nanzhi cradled Little Lingdang, her heart swelling with familiarity. Every tiny feature—her hands, her feet—seemed unbearably precious. Tears welled up, spilling down her cheeks.

She quickly wiped them away before they could fall onto the baby.

Shen Yi hurried over, his voice warm with concern.

"What’s wrong? Why the tears?"

Then, feigning hurt, he added,

"Was it me? Did I mess up? I just wanted to surprise you, not make you cry."

Fu Nanzhi’s lips trembled, too overwhelmed to speak, but she managed a light kick at Shen Yi in playful retaliation.

Instead of protesting, Shen Yi grinned like a fool, as if he’d been rewarded.

Meanwhile, Jinyao, feeling left out, squirmed free of Shen Yi’s hand on her head and tugged at his pants, straining to see.

"Let me look! Show me!" she insisted.

Shen Yi relented, scooping her up and pointing at the baby.

"Now that we have a little one at home, Jinyao, you’re the big kid."

"You’ll have to take care of your little sister, okay?"

"No more shouting—you’ll scare her."

Jinyao stared at the baby in Fu Nanzhi’s arms, hardly believing she now had a sister.

Her wide eyes sparkled with wonder as she whispered,

"So… I’m a big sister now?"

Shen Yi nodded.

"That’s right. Happy?"

Upon hearing this, her mouth stretched into a wide grin, and she nodded repeatedly, making her little braids sway back and forth.

Shen Yi set her down, and she immediately began bouncing around with unrestrained joy.

"Woo~ I have a little sister now!"

"Hmm?!"

Shen Yi shot her a sharp glare the moment her old mischievous self resurfaced.

Little Jinyao instantly fell silent, clamping both hands tightly over her mouth. Her small face tensed up, and she didn’t dare even breathe too loudly.

Watching her big eyes dart around restlessly, Shen Yi stifled a laugh and whispered,

"Shouldn’t you go finish your homework?"

"I’ll let you come see her after she wakes up."

Jin Yao was about to respond eagerly but, afraid of being too loud, settled for nodding her little head vigorously instead.

As she tiptoed out of the room with exaggerated caution, Fu Nanzhi and Shen Yi exchanged an amused glance, both thoroughly entertained.

Once the laughter subsided, Fu Nanzhi adjusted the swaddled baby in her arms and leaned back against Shen Yi.

The room fell into a peaceful hush, broken only by soft breaths. At that moment, she felt as though life couldn’t possibly be more complete.