"Wait, what secret hasn't she told yet?"
Shen Yi suddenly remembered the original purpose of his meeting.
There was no helping it; the news he had just received was too shocking, and in the back-and-forth, he had completely forgotten about it.
"Forget it, Cheng Jun..."
Shen Yi sighed, unsure of what to do about this relationship.
No matter who you are, at every stage of life, there are always corresponding worries.
What does having a system even mean? Does having a system allow you to control someone's feelings?
Does having a system mean you can dictate who you fall in love with?
Cheng Jun's feelings were never hidden; she always expressed her affection openly and directly.
She had noticed Shen Yi's attitude but chose to ignore it.
She was so strong-willed that a few casual words couldn't stop her.
Even the endless loneliness of the apocalypse hadn't made her give up, so returning to reality was even less of a reason.
You could say she was holding on solely because of this hope.
The situation was so complicated that Shen Yi couldn't even think of someone to ask for advice.
Mainly because he would likely be accused of being overly sentimental.
After wandering the streets for half a day, Shen Yi returned to Peaceful Lake Residence.
Since he couldn't figure out the answer, he decided to stop thinking about it for now and planned to relax by exercising.
So, he changed into some light clothes and went out for a run.
This talent of his was excellent, but it still needed training to grow. Shen Yi had never stopped working on it since he acquired it.
After running for over an hour, he indeed felt much more relaxed.
Curious about his current pace, Shen Yi later looked it up online.
He was shocked to discover that with his current ability, breaking records would be a breeze.
He couldn't guarantee short distances, but when it came to long-distance races like marathons, he was practically unbeatable.
In fact, the longer the race, the more advantageous it was for him.
It was hard for anyone to match his endurance. While he might not have the explosive power of professional athletes in short bursts, over time, he could outlast anyone.
While others were still pacing themselves, Shen Yi could sprint through an entire marathon.
Just thinking about it was a bit insane.
That's why, when the middle-aged man by the lake had enthusiastically invited him last time, Shen Yi had seemed uninterested.
Although there were many talented people in the world, talent and being a freak of nature were different, and Shen Yi didn't want to expose his uniqueness too much.
After his run, Shen Yi took a shower and changed clothes.
Calculating the time, Fu Nanzhi should be getting off work soon, so Shen Yi tied on an apron and started preparing dinner.
He had just begun prepping the ingredients in the kitchen when he heard the sound of the door opening.
"Honey, I'm home~"
Fu Nanzhi called out as she kicked off her shoes and looked around.
"I'm in the kitchen,"
Shen Yi replied without looking up, busy chopping vegetables.
Fu Nanzhi rushed in like a gust of wind, her eyes lighting up when she saw Shen Yi's back.
She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, standing on tiptoe to rest her chin on his shoulder.
"Cooking dinner? Honey, you're amazing!"
"Hey? Honey, have you grown taller?"
Fu Nanzhi asked, puzzled, looking down at her feet.
Before, she could do this just by standing normally, but now she had to stand on her toes.
"Of course, your husband is a towering six-footer. Second growth spurt, you know?"
Shen Yi casually brushed it off and quickly changed the subject, asking her,
"Why are you off work so early today?"
At this, Fu Nanzhi immediately pouted and apologized,
"I left early on purpose today. I'm sorry, honey, but I might not be able to stay with you tonight."
Shen Yi immediately put down the kitchen knife, wiped his hands on his apron, and turned around to hug her, asking,
"What's wrong?"
"Mom just called and said she wants me to come home for dinner tonight."
Fu Nanzhi said, full of guilt.
"Ah, I thought it was something serious! That's great! If Mom's calling, you should go.
I'm not going anywhere. You can spend time with me any day."
Shen Yi was relieved, thinking her dramatic tone had been about something major.
"But I might not be able to come back tonight," she added.
Shen Yi nodded in understanding:
"That's fair. You haven't been home in ten days or half a month. Of course, they'll want you to stay."
"But I won't be able to sleep without you."
Fu Nanzhi leaned into Shen Yi's arms, cooing sweetly.
Shen Yi wrapped one arm around her waist and pinched her cheek with the other, saying,
"Be good. It's just one night. Besides, I’m counting on you to put in a good word for me with your parents.
You’re on a mission this time, you know?
Whether I can marry you in the future depends on your performance."
At this, Fu Nanzhi immediately perked up, no longer dwelling on her worries.
"That's true,"
she said, puffing out her cheeks and giving him a clumsy salute, declaring loudly:
"Yes, mission accepted!"
Shen Yi found her utterly adorable and couldn't resist planting several kisses on her cheeks before letting her go.
"Then you should hurry up and go. Don't keep your parents waiting."
"Okay, I'll go change."
"Go ahead."
Watching Fu Nanzhi skip out of the room, Shen Yi shook his head and chuckled.
Who would have guessed that this lively woman was a 27-year-old corporate elite?
Looking down at the ingredients on the cutting board, Shen Yi sighed and put some away.
Without Fu Nanzhi, he couldn't be bothered to cook so much.
For himself, something simple would do.
Soon, Fu Nanzhi came downstairs in casual clothes.
Shen Yi walked her to the door.
Fu Nanzhi turned back and hugged Shen Yi tightly, reluctant to leave even for a moment after their reunion.
"Alright, it's just going home. You're making it sound like a farewell. Go on,"
Shen Yi said, both amused and touched, holding her and comforting her repeatedly.
"Okay,"
Fu Nanzhi nodded, then added after a moment of thought:
"While I’m gone, don’t just stay cooped up at home. Go out and have some fun if you want, just avoid shady places."
Shen Yi patted her head and replied,
"Where would I go? Don’t worry about me. I won’t get lost."
"Bye, honey, I’m off."
Watching Fu Nanzhi get into the car, looking back every few steps, Shen Yi finally turned and went back inside.
Shen Yi cooked just one dish and sat down to eat it quietly.
After dinner, he sat around bored, scrolling through his phone.
With Fu Nanzhi gone, the house felt eerily empty.
It was strange; even though they had only been together for a couple of days, he already felt out of sorts living alone.
Sighing, he turned on his computer, planning to play a couple of games to pass the time.
"Ring ring..."
His phone rang, and Shen Yi picked it up to see that it was Old Dai calling.
Shen Yi muttered to himself and answered.
"Hey, Old Dai."
"Hey Shen Yi, you free?"
Old Dai's cheerful voice came through the phone.
Shen Yi thought for a moment and replied,
"Yeah, what’s up?"
"My wife took the kids back to her parents' place, so I’m free for once. I was thinking of calling you out for a drink."
Shen Yi chuckled inwardly. No wonder Old Dai sounded so lively; he was on a break. Life in middle age sure wasn’t easy.
Grateful for Old Dai's support at work and with nothing else to do, Shen Yi agreed,
"Sure, who else is coming?"