"What? Cheng Jun is your cousin?"
Shen Yi was utterly astonished, never expecting there to be such a connection between them.
"Yes, Uncle Cheng was the officiant at our wedding, and Cheng Jun is his daughter."
Hearing this, Shen Yi instantly recalled the memory.
However, after getting drunk with Old Dai and the others, he probably forgot even if he was introduced.
"I have a vague memory of it, maybe I drank too much that day."
Shen Yi could only give a vague answer.
Fu Nanzhi nodded to show her understanding. She didn't remember everything clearly either, and many details were hazy.
"Oh... I happened to run into her yesterday."
"We were just chatting, and she mentioned that you once saved her life, so she wanted to repay you."
Then Fu Nanzhi glanced at Shen Yi,
"Is that true?"
"She's looking for me?!"
Shen Yi suddenly froze, looking at Fu Nanzhi and instantly understanding.
Since Fu Nanzhi retained memories from the simulation, then Cheng Jun probably did too...
And considering she's currently searching the world for him.
Oh no!
The system has misled me!
Fu Nanzhi retaining memories has kept him immersed in the comforts of their relationship, which is certainly a pleasant surprise.
But if Cheng Jun is added to the mix, that surprise might turn into a shock.
Extending this to future simulations, if new people keep showing up each time...
Shen Yi shuddered, unable to imagine the disaster that would unfold.
"Hey, hey, hey, honey, are you listening to me?!"
Fu Nanzhi, waiting for a long time without an answer, waved her fingers in front of Shen Yi's face.
"Uh... ah... yes! That's right."
Shen Yi snapped back to reality, not understanding Cheng Jun's intention in telling Fu Nanzhi this, but he could only go along with the lie for now.
Fu Nanzhi, hearing this, couldn't help but lift her chin proudly,
"That's my husband, doing good deeds without seeking recognition. How exactly did you save her?"
"Saved... saved... saved..."
Once a lie is told, it needs to be followed by more to cover it up. Shen Yi couldn't help but mutter while his mind raced.
He wanted to make up a random story but was afraid it wouldn't match later, so he finally decided to go all out and said:
"Your husband is amazing, back then the situation was critical, with over a hundred zombie monsters chasing me."
"I drove with your cousin, doing all sorts of crazy maneuvers through drainage ditches, leaving those monsters gasping for our exhaust fumes."
"Then I took out my gun and went on a rampage, taking out one monster after another, and then... then..."
"I got ambushed by someone..."
Shen Yi stopped here, recalling the searing pain and Cheng Jun's terrified, sorrowful gaze.
The downside of retaining memories came into play—dying was already this painful, and she would have had it even worse.
Shen Yi felt uneasy, guilty for letting Cheng Jun down.
Fu Nanzhi thought Shen Yi was just trying to amuse her and laughed heartily,
"You're so funny, honey. A clichéd hero saves the beauty, huh?"
Shen Yi shook his head helplessly, smiling bitterly,
"What kind of hero am I? I didn't even succeed in saving her."
Fu Nanzhi played with Shen Yi's fingers, unconcerned,
"Hmph, my husband is a hero, the best one, no arguments!"
Besides the part about going on a rampage, everything else could be considered true, but the truth was so unbelievable that no one would believe it.
"Alright, I'll arrange a dinner with her sometime, and we can all meet up so she can thank you in person."
Fu Nanzhi clapped her hands to make the decision.
Bringing up this matter was to dispel her doubts and also to assert her claim, nipping any budding feelings in the bud.
Hero saving the beauty doesn't necessarily mean an obligation to repay with marriage.
"Okay."
Shen Yi reluctantly agreed, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Fu Nanzhi, lying in bed in pain and unable to move, found herself bored and not in the mood to play with her phone.
So she started teasing Shen Yi.
Shen Yi furrowed his brow, sensing something unusual, and glanced at her sideways.
“Warning you not to play with fire, or when a fire breaks out, no one will help you put it out.”
Oh...
Fu Nanzhi reluctantly pulled her hand out of the elastic band.
Shen Yi is not wrong either; when she feels uncomfortable, she is the one who ultimately suffers the consequences along with her interest.
When she first tasted meat, Fu Nanzhi became addicted to it, but it was her physical condition that limited her ability to enjoy it fully.
I will go pour you a glass of water.
Shen Yi looked at her, who appeared to be infested with lice all over, and stood up, preparing to leave her for a while.
I went downstairs to grab a water cup and waited in front of the water purifier for the water.
The phone in his pocket started ringing at that moment.
Since resigning, Shen Yi's phone has almost rarely rung, only occasionally receiving sales calls or messages from his mother.
He took out his phone and saw it was an unknown number, so Shen Yi hung up.
However, the person on the other side is persistent and immediately called back.
Shen Yi raised an eyebrow, thinking about hanging up again, but after a moment's thought, he decided to answer the call.
“Hello? Who is this?”
There was a long silence over there, and just when Shen Yi was getting impatient, a clear, crisp female voice suddenly emerged.
Eukaryotic bacteria master.
Just that solitary sentence left Shen Yi in a daze.
“Cheng Jun....”
Who else could it be if not her? The True Core Master is the source of the Cataclysmic World, and it's a secret known only to the two of them.
As expected, after Shen Yi called out her name, the atmosphere over there instantly became cheerful.
“Shen Yi! You really have come back.”
I thought you were dead.
You where? I'm coming to find you now!
A series of words came out like a rapid-fire cannon, and the feelings of longing spilled forth, signaling that nothing could hold them back.
Cheng Jinxin was overjoyed. After learning about Shen Yi's call, she came up with this idea to experiment.
If Shen Yi also 'traveled back in time', it would be impossible for him not to react to the words "true nuclear fungi".
As long as there is a reaction, they can be sure that Shen Yi is the person she has been searching for!
The familiar voice made Shen Yi feel as if he had returned to the small villa; he couldn't help but ask,
You... are you okay?
I am good, there is nothing better than hearing from you.
Long-lost care made Cheng Yun's eyes instantly misty.
I want to see you, right now!
She decisively put aside her reservations; the regrets of the apocalypse would not be repeated.
This request was something Shen Yi could not refuse, so he replied:
Good.
After hanging up the phone, Shen Yi let out a sigh and picked up the water cup to go upstairs.
At that moment, Fu Nanzhi was fully engrossed in playing Candy Crush on her phone, so Shen Yi brought the cup of water to her lips.
She slightly tilted her head and sipped, her eyes never leaving the screen at that critical moment.
Put the cup of water on the bedside table, Shen Yi said.
“Nanzhi, I’m going out to buy some groceries to make you a delicious meal for lunch.”
Fu Nan Zhi pouted.
“Oh no, I don’t want you to leave. Let’s order takeout for lunch.”
No way, some takeout is not clean. There's nothing like the peace of mind that comes from home-cooked food. Besides, don't you want to try my cooking?
Fu Nanzhi's eyes lit up, and she nodded in agreement.
"Yes, it's been a long, long time since I had the meal made by you, my husband."
“Take my car, the keys are in the usual place, go quickly and come back quickly.”
“Okay, call me if there's something. I'm leaving.”
“Wait a moment.”
“What’s wrong again?”
“You have to smell good to go.”
Funan Zhi lightly tapped her own face with her index finger.
Shen Yi had an expression of helplessness, so he could only lean in closer.
“Mua, is that enough?”
“Go on, go on.”