The Ending

The family enjoyed a lively meal together, after which the three women stayed behind to wash dishes and clear the table.

Shen Yi retreated to his room to handle the children's homework.

Schools nowadays have high expectations—some assignments require check-ins, others need to be photographed and uploaded.

If deadlines are missed, teachers promptly send reminders in group chats. This task had always fallen to Shen Yi, and with multiple children in the household, he immediately got to work uploading each one's homework after dinner.

Otherwise, the constant pinging from various group chats on his phone would become unbearably distracting.

Fortunately, Shu Yunyi had already supervised the kids earlier, saving Shen Yi the time needed to review and correct their work. Within half an hour, he wrapped everything up without much trouble.

As soon as he stepped out of the study, Yixin rushed over, pouting with grievance:

"Dad, look at Tingzhi—she knocked over my castle again!"

"And my cards too!"

"I was playing just fine, and she had to come and ruin it."

Zhou Bai sat on the soft mat, picking up the scattered cards—each one exquisitely designed, gifts from Cheng Jun. These little collectibles didn’t come cheap.

Shen Yi didn’t react hastily. Smiling, he patted Yixin’s head and said,

"How is it that you two boys always end up in tears because of Tingzhi? What kind of look is that?"

Then he turned to his daughter and asked,

"Tingzhi, what happened?"

Though the eldest daughter was technically the "big sister," she and Zhou Bai were twins, born mere moments apart. She was barely a year older than Yixin, but her quiet demeanor belied a far more assertive personality.

When Shen Yi questioned her, Tingzhi set down her oversized tablet, revealing her delicate but serious face.

"I already apologized to Yixin—it wasn’t on purpose."

"As for Zhou Bai, he started it."

With that, she turned away, lips pursed in silence.

"Seriously? I haven’t even spoken to you since I got home!"

Before Shen Yi could respond, Zhou Bai fired back from below.

"Oh, so now you remember you have a home? Why didn’t you say anything at school?"

Sure enough, the peace lasted all of two seconds before the bickering flared up again.

Though siblings, the two were perpetually at odds at this age, squabbling over the smallest things. Zhou Bai, ever the schemer, loved dragging Yixin into his alliance against Tingzhi.

Shen Yi raised his hands, gently lowering the volume.

"Keep it down. Speak one at a time—this isn’t about who’s louder, it’s about who’s right."

"What’s all this noise? Let me hear it too."

Fu Nanzhi’s voice cut in as she emerged, having just lulled Little Lingdang to sleep.

At the sound of their mother, both children instantly fell silent. Years of stern authority meant they feared Fu Nanzhi far more.

Shen Yi usually played the softer role, the two parents balancing discipline between them.

Fu Nanzhi leaned close to Shen Yi and murmured,

"Jin Yao’s waiting for you to read her a story. Hurry along."

"Mm."

Shen Yi nodded, scooping up Yixin—who was obliviously playing with Legos—and headed off.

"Come on, keep Dad company over there."

With that, he ignored the helpless looks Zhou Bai and Tingzhi shot him and walked away.

"Mom..."

"Mom... Let me explain..."

The two instantly huddled closer, clinging to Fu Nanzhi with saccharine pleas.

Though Fu Nanzhi was often strict, even she wasn’t entirely immune to their coquettish tactics—though they didn’t always work.

Meanwhile, Shen Yi reclined by the small bed, holding a storybook as he read aloud in a soothing voice.

If boys at this age are typically mischievous little troublemakers—the kind both people and dogs find annoying—then girls the same age remain sweet and well-behaved.

Well... if you ignore their endless stream of bizarre questions, that is.

Jin Yao lay curled under the blankets, clutching the ears of her rabbit plushie, listening quietly to the bedtime story.

But every time the page turned, the odd questions she’d been stockpiling would inevitably burst out, sometimes even stumping Shen Yi.

"Daddy, why is that?"

"Daddy, why is this?"

"Uh... because..."

This kind of exchange happened constantly.

"One more story, Daddy, please?"

Shen Yi glanced up at the woodpecker-shaped clock on the wall and sighed.

"It’s already very late, Yao Yao. Time to sleep."

Just then, the door creaked open, and Shu Yunyi stepped in, eyeing the father-daughter duo.

"What’s this? Still awake?"

"Mommy!"

"Yes, sweetheart, it’s bedtime. You have school tomorrow," Shu Yunyi murmured, leaning over the pillow with a gentle tone.

"Nooo~"

"Be good. If you don’t sleep now, you won’t want to get up in the morning."

"......"

After some coaxing, Jin Yao’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a new idea.

"Fine. But I want to sleep with you and Daddy."

Shu Yunyi wasn’t about to let her disrupt their night and immediately shut it down.

"No. What did your teacher say about this?"

"You’re a big girl now. You need to sleep on your own, understand?"

Shen Yi pressed his lips together, stifling a laugh as he watched Shu Yunyi smoothly talk her way out of it.

Noticing his lack of help—and outright amusement—Shu Yunyi wrinkled her nose and stealthily reached over to pinch his arm. Hard.

"Hmph! You two just want to go make a baby brother. Don’t think you can fool me!"

Realizing pleading wouldn’t work, Jin Yao switched tactics, fixing them with a knowing look that said she had them all figured out.

Kids this age—seven or eight years old—were a mix of maturity and childishness. The most baffling thing about them was how they’d seem mature just when you thought they were being silly, and then turn around and act completely naive the moment you took them seriously.

Shen Yi decided retreat was the better part of valor before he made things worse and quickly slipped out of the room.

Downstairs in the living room, the other kids had already been taken by Fu Nanzhi to wash up. Shen Yi turned off the TV, which had been playing to an empty room.

After some effort, all the children were finally asleep, and the house settled into quiet.

Up in the third-floor bedroom, Shen Yi stepped into the bathroom to wash up.

Over the past decade, he’d barely used the simulator again. His life was already so fulfilling that he had no further desires.

Life was a journey against the current—carrying too much would only make the path heavier.

Shen Yi wasn’t a greedy man. He didn’t want the rest of his days to be weighed down by endless wants.

He was content with the way things were now: his family, happy and whole, growing older together in warmth.

Years ago, he’d had a serious talk with his parents. The elderly couple had gently refused their son’s offer to settle down, choosing instead to travel while they still had the energy.

They roamed not just within the country but also ventured abroad to safe destinations, often sending Shen Yi photos of the breathtaking sights they encountered—living utterly free.

As for the three women in his life, Shen Yi had secretly administered the serum to them long ago. A decade had slipped by in what felt like the blink of an eye, as if time had paused for them.

The halted aging—even the subtle reversal—hadn’t gone entirely unnoticed. But all of them, in unspoken agreement, never brought it up. Some things were better left unsaid.

Shen Yi dried his hair and pushed the door open, only to see a slender figure with her back turned to him.

Shu Yunyi lay on her side by the bed in a silk spaghetti-strap nightgown. Hearing the noise, she turned her head with a smile.

The strap slipped off her shoulder, revealing a flash of milky-white skin, but she made no move to adjust it—instead, she crooked a finger at Shen Yi.

Normally, it wasn’t obvious, but after his shower, Shen Yi’s toned upper body was clearly defined. He plopped onto the bed, hooked the strap with his index finger, and raised an eyebrow.

“Sly old fox?!”

“Ugh, you’re the old one!”

Shu Yunyi scoffed and yanked the towel around Shen Yi’s waist, tossing it off the bed.

After years of marriage, she saw no need for pretense and got straight to the point.

“Shen Yi, about that—”

Just then, the door swung open, and Fu Nanzhi walked in. She froze at the sight of the two on the bed.

Though momentarily stunned, she quickly regained her composure.

“Sorry for interrupting.”

With that, she closed the door and retreated.

The whole exchange lasted mere seconds. Shen Yi and Shu Yunyi exchanged a glance before Shu Yunyi smacked his back and urged,

“What are you waiting for? Go get her!”

“Huh? Oh.”

Shen Yi snapped out of it and dashed out, catching up to Fu Nanzhi before she could take more than a few steps.

Fu Nanzhi’s heart raced, but she frowned and whispered,

“You should at least wear something at home. What if the child sees?”

“It’s fine, the kids are asleep.”

Shen Yi grinned, offering a weak excuse.

“I won’t disturb you two. I’m going to bed.”

“Don’t go. You can sleep here.”

Shen Yi quickly blocked Fu Nanzhi’s path.

“No, I’m worried Little Lingdang might wake up in the middle of the night…”

Fu Nanzhi rubbed her hands hesitantly.

Sensing her reluctance, Shen Yi pressed,

“She’s not a baby anymore—she won’t wake up. Even if she does, I’ll handle it.”

With that, he scooped Fu Nanzhi into his arms.

“Nice try, running away.”

Fu Nanzhi barely managed a soft yelp before Shen Yi carried her back to the room.

The moment she hit the bed, Fu Nanzhi snatched a pillow to cover herself, while Shu Yunyi tugged at the other end of the blanket.

Their eyes met—the battle was about to begin.

At the critical moment, a knock came at the door. Cheng Jun peeked in, hesitating at the scene.

“Am I… interrupting?”

“No, you’re right on time!”

Before Shen Yi could react, Fu Nanzhi and Shu Yunyi leapt out of the bed with mischievous grins, grabbing Cheng Jun from both sides and dragging her back in.

Shen Yi’s heart sank. This was bad.

Behind the women’s backs, he secretly summoned his simulator and dumped his last remaining attribute points into stamina.

Instantly, he felt revitalized—energy surging, eyes gleaming.

The three women shivered under his gaze, exchanging glances before unanimously yanking the blanket over Shen Yi’s head and shouting in unison:

“Get him!”