“Going back?”
Hearing the familiar, cool voice, Jiang Sinian slowly looked up and saw a familiar figure not far away, holding a kerosene lamp that illuminated her face.
“Going back?”
Ye Shizhi repeated.
She walked slowly toward him, step by step, the light now bright enough for him to see the path ahead.
Much later, Jiang Sinian would recall this moment, describing it as perhaps the moment she led him step by step onto a path filled with light—bright, warm, with someone waiting at the other end.
Ye Shizhi didn’t ask anything. Jiang Sinian walked beside her, the pancake in the bowl in his hand still intact.
The path was short. Entering the small courtyard, the house leaked warm light; the dim, yellowish glow looked cozy.
“Go boil some water.”
Ye Shizhi went into the room. “I put the pancakes in the cabinet.”
Meaning, the pancakes that hadn’t been delivered went there.
“Mm.”
Receiving the reply, Ye Shizhi went inside. This was their marital room, simply arranged, but containing many of the original owner’s things.
Most of the money Jiang Sinian had left previously had been spent by the original owner. A small portion had been saved as a backup, but not much.
In her memories, Jiang Sinian had never treated her poorly—she didn’t have to do anything, as long as she could cook and not go hungry. On reflection, he really was pretty good.
“Then would you like to stay after the task is done?”
Xiao Liu (the system) caught this thought and popped up.
Ye Shizhi half-smiled. “Why would I stay?”
“Don’t you think Jiang Sinian is nice?”
“Nice doesn’t mean I have to stay. I have my own things to do.”
Besides, “nice” was just an evaluation—it didn’t determine whether she would stay or not.
She checked the other rooms. No bed. In the memories of the days after marriage, they slept together, but otherwise Jiang Sinian spent nights outside.
So tonight, they would sleep together.
She didn’t care much—there was a child now, and under the covers, it was just chatting.
After tidying the room, Jiang Sinian came in to call her. “The water’s ready.”
“Got it.”
Ye Shizhi took her prepared clothes into the small room next to the kitchen, where a wooden basin of water was ready.
He was really thoughtful.
She praised him silently and closed the door to bathe.
After traveling all day, she was tired. The warm water made her squint and relax.
After bathing, she set the clothes aside to wash tomorrow. Without a phone, she had nothing else to do—washing clothes passed the time.
Clean and refreshed, she stretched and walked back into the room.
In front of Jiang Sinian, she flopped onto the bed, slid under the covers, and closed her eyes. One shoe was already far off.
A pair of hands picked it up, placed it neatly, and the sound of someone leaving followed.
Ye Shizhi was drowsy but remembered she had a task to complete, trying to stay awake.
She didn’t know how long passed before she opened her eyes and saw Jiang Sinian sitting at a table nearby, staring at the flickering lamp, lost in thought.
Half his face was in shadow; the other, illuminated by the small flame, looked gentle, less sharp.
“The lamp’s out. Sleep.”
Ye Shizhi, heavy-eyed, urged, “Hurry, Jiang Sinian.”
Her tone was direct, urging, completely gone was the earlier nervousness from their first meeting.
Jiang Sinian dawdled, then slowly climbed into bed where she left a space.
Before he could settle, a soft, boneless arm wrapped around his lean waist, freezing him in place.
“Ye Shizhi…”
“Mm.” She mumbled sleepily, resting her head near his chest.
Shallow breaths, still perceptible.
“Jiang Sinian, now there’s a baby, I won’t fuss anymore…”
“Let’s live our life well…”
Ye Shizhi half-opened her eyes, drowsily saying this.
In her mind, Xiao Liu repeated the same lines without expression.
Minutes earlier, before sleep, Ye Shizhi had asked Xiao Liu to remember a few lines. When Jiang Sinian came, she recited them—leading to this moment.
Her words seemed to spark a fire in his mind, leaving him stunned.
He just stared at her small, delicate face close to him, her closed eyes showing she was asleep. He had nowhere to place his hands, feeling slightly awkward.
After a while, his hand moved from her back to her neck, palm against soft, tender skin—so different from his calloused hands.
“What do you want to do?”
His low voice, rarely uncertain, held a trace of confusion.
“Ye Shizhi, I still don’t trust you.”
Not sure who he said it to, the words lacked the initial certainty, tinged with subtle stubbornness.
Wild and untamable, with a rough temperament, his thoughts kept returning to today’s fight.
The shipment… needed handling soon.
As for those who provoked him again—it wouldn’t be so simple next time.
Thinking this, his eyes darkened with danger, the agitation in his body surging, the world seemingly turning red, nerves on edge.
Jiang Sinian didn’t know how long he sat like this. Only when he glimpsed the bright moon through the window slit did he gradually fall asleep.
“Beep! Suspicion of Jiang Sinian eliminated, task completed, +5 points, now 7 points.”
“Notifying Jiang Sinian of pregnancy and moving back to Jiang family home completed, +3 points, now 10 points.”
…
At dawn, Ye Shizhi woke once, then went back to sleep.
She felt the person beside her carefully adjust her covers, then heard the quiet sounds of him getting dressed.
“Brother? Brother! Brother!”
Outside in the yard, Fang Jingshan pressed against the doorframe, peeking in and calling softly.
The room wasn’t soundproof; Ye Shizhi heard it and turned over to continue sleeping.
“Heat up yesterday’s buns and pancakes for breakfast.”
Jiang Sinian left, back to her, hair falling like last night, with a faint fragrance.
“Okay.”
His ears reddened as he closed the door and opened the main gate for Fang Jingshan.
“Brother, are you okay?”
Fang Jingshan circled him, curious.
Jiang Sinian didn’t look at him. “Have you eaten?”
“Not yet! With my stepmother like that, it’s good enough she doesn’t make me do things.”
Following Jiang Sinian into the kitchen, he muttered.
“Others were right. Stepmother comes with stepdad. If I die outside, no one would care.”
He plopped down. “Shall we go into town to eat?”
“No, eat here first, then go.”
Jiang Sinian stoked the fire and put yesterday’s buns and pancakes in the steamer to heat.
“Brother, you made all this?”
Fang Jingshan leaned closer, curious.
“Ye Shizhi made it.”
For a moment, Fang Jingshan didn’t recall who Ye Shizhi was.
Jiang Sinian reminded him kindly. “Your sister-in-law.”
“Oh… huh?” Fang Jingshan realized, jaw almost dropping. “You two reconciled?”
“Yes.” She did it unilaterally.
Jiang Sinian thought.
“She’s pregnant.”
Said plainly, Fang Jingshan, still reeling from previous shocks, almost couldn’t speak.