Family Portrait

Not only was Cheng Jun’s mouth agape, her young heart utterly shaken, but even Shu Yunyi herself could barely hold it together, nearly toppling from her seat.

She had initially intended to watch the two of them make fools of themselves, but the moment she appeared in the scene, her amusement vanished.

Fu Nanzhi, absorbing the emotions radiating from the images, flushed crimson, her heart pounding like a drum. Unable to resist, she exchanged a glance with Shu Yunyi—both their eyes brimming with awkwardness and disbelief.

‘In the future… we’re this close?’

‘This… how could she and I… have reached this point?’

Shu Yunyi, who usually prided herself on being a dignified role model, was now too mortified by her own actions in the vision to even look at the other two, silently begging for this segment to fast-forward.

In the scene, Shen Yi moved fluidly between her and Shu Yunyi, drawing a quiet scoff from Fu Nanzhi.

“Tch!”

Cheng Jun, meanwhile, didn’t dare mock either of them, too busy praying she wouldn’t appear in the footage at all.

She had just witnessed Shu Yunyi’s legs betraying her, stumbling straight into Shen Yi’s room as if bewitched.

Now, she feared she might fall under Shen Yi’s ‘spell’ and join them.

This scenario was far too intense—she needed time to process it.

The three of them sat in stunned silence, none daring to speak, eyes glued to the screen, bracing for what might come next.

Fortunately, this was just a brief interlude in a much longer sequence, soon left behind.

What followed were mundane snapshots of their daily lives—no more heart-racing moments.

Work, school drop-offs, feeding cats, walking dogs, picnics, camping—scattered fragments piecing together the word “life.”

These tranquil days were woven with trivial chores, grocery runs, laughter, quarrels, and boisterous joy.

Even the longest movie must end, yet this blissful existence seemed like it could go on forever.

The final scene settled on a family portrait.

Fu Nanzhi sat center stage, cradling baby Little Lingdang, her eyes curved in delight. Shu Yunyi and Cheng Jun flanked her, hands clasped, their expressions serene and warm.

Shen Yi stood behind them, an arm around each of the twins—Yixin gnawing on his cheek, Yaoyao tugging his ear—his face twisted into a comical grimace.

The image froze, sealing this absurd yet heartwarming moment in time.

This photograph was like a condensed epic, distilling the emotional journey of four lives.

A single stroke—was it a comma hinting at more to come, or a perfect, final period?

……

Fu Nanzhi’s eyes flew open as she bolted upright in bed.

Her surroundings were bright and tidy, morning sunlight filtering through dust motes onto the floor.

Peaceful. Calm. Unhurried.

Clutching her pounding heart, tears spilled down her cheeks.

The dream’s intensity had flooded her with emotions, overwhelming her thoughts.

Ji Shulan stirred awake beside her, blinking drowsily before jolting upright at the sight of her daughter’s tear-streaked face.

“Nanzhi? Was it a nightmare?” she asked, pulling Fu Nanzhi into a hug. “It’s alright, Mom’s here.”

She gently patted Fu Nanzhi’s back.

Fu Nanzhi turned and clung to Ji Shulan, voice thick.

“Mom, I’m fine.”

“It wasn’t a nightmare…”

“Good, that’s good.”

Ji Shulan studied her expression but didn’t press further, simply giving her shoulder a final pat before rising.

Now fully awake, she decided to start her day.

“Want to sleep a bit longer?”

Fu Nanzhi shook her head—she felt perfectly alert.

Ji Shulan nodded.

“Then freshen up. I’ll have breakfast ready.”

“Mm.”

Once her mother left, Fu Nanzhi scrambled for her phone.

She had a mountain of questions—and Shen Yi was the only one with answers.

Meanwhile, Cheng Jun awoke at nearly the same moment.

Life had rewound itself overnight.

Sitting dazed, she ran a finger over her bare ring finger, as if tracing the ghost of a band long gone, an inexplicable emptiness weighing on her.

Wiping stray tears, she headed to the bathroom.

After flushing the toilet, she lifted her pajama top, studying her flat stomach in the mirror.

“Yixin…” she whispered.

Then, snatching her phone from the nightstand, she tapped Shen Yi’s contact without hesitation.

In her apartment, Shu Yunyi sat up, raking fingers through her tangled hair.

Sleep had ambushed her mid-grooming last night, leaving her locks a wild mess.

But appearances were the least of her concerns now.

Brushing away tear tracks, she frantically rummaged for her phone, finally fishing it from under the pillow—only to find the screen stubbornly dark.

She mashed the power button, frustration mounting, until a drained battery icon appeared.

Her phone had slipped from her grip last night, screen blazing till dawn, now utterly dead.

With a groan, she stomped to fetch the charger, feeling like the universe was conspiring against her.

After plugging it in, she paced impatiently until the device flickered to life.

Ignoring the measly 1% battery, she immediately dialed Shen Yi’s number.

“Ring… ring… ring…”