Song Tan never forgot the taste of betrayal.

That time was her first time experiencing such a big lesson.

She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

She remembered clearly that the affection between her and Shen Yin was just a show. However, when she glanced at the bed beneath her, she didn’t need to think twice to know that Shen Yin had brought her back.

She got out of bed and freshened up.

After taking a shower, her mind was finally not as heavy as before.

She went to find Shen Yin.

When she arrived, Shen Yin had just finished a call.

“Did you sleep well?”

Song Tan pressed her temples and said, “Not really, I had nightmares all night.”

Shen Yin knew she was pretending.

But he still comforted her, “Just nightmares, don’t take it to heart, they’re all fake.”

Song Tan nodded and noticed the suitcase by his feet.

Seeing his appearance, he must have made up his mind to enter Huo’s company.

Entering the Huo’s company’s laboratory required a week of closed management. He was packing, probably preparing to enter the Huo’s company’s laboratory.

Song Tan acted like she didn’t see it.

She had already talked to Shen Yin, but his attitude was clear. If she continued, not only would she not convince him, but it might also have the opposite effect, affecting their current facade of calmness.

She could only think of another way.

Song Tan took a deep breath, didn’t mention the suitcase on the floor, and only said, “It’s time for lunch. Shall we go eat?”

“Sure.”

They went to the dining room together.

As soon as they entered, both of them were stunned.

Today’s dining room was indeed a bit lively.

The Huo family was a family that valued rules, and meals were supposed to be eaten together.

However, there were exceptions, like young masters like Huo Yanlin. If they were at home and Old Master Huo wasn’t eating in the dining room, the servants would bring the meal to their rooms.

As for Shen Yin… sorry, he didn’t get that treatment.

What was peculiar today was that all the members of the Huo family were in the dining room.

When they saw the two of them coming over, everyone turned to look at them.

They didn’t receive such attention when they got married. Now, just coming for a meal, they were the focus of everyone’s attention…

As for whether it’s sarcastic or not, anyway, Shen Yin and Song Tan are both quite calm.

The two of them took their seats under the scrutiny of the others.

The seating arrangement was also quite particular.

Shen Yin and Song Tan were placed at the far end of the large table, furthest from the main seat.

Normally, when Shen Yin sat here, nobody paid much attention. However, today was evidently a special day. Not only did the members of the Huo family look over, but others also greeted them.

It seems they knew that Old Master not only didn’t punish the couple for moving out but also allowed Shen Yin to enter Huo’s company.

Whether there is punishment or not doesn’t matter much because Shen Yin is just an insignificant figure in the Huo family.

However, entering the Huo’s company is a different story.

This is a signal.

Although Shen Yin can only be considered half of the Huo family, when his mother was alive, she was a key member of the core development team at Project An No. 1.

Shen Yin has been intelligent since childhood, and now, he’s going to participate in the Project An No.3, if he were to achieve something significant, his position in the Huo family would change significantly.

Therefore, many people are taking advantage of this opportunity to get closer to Shen Yin.

Shen Yin looks like a gentleman. He responds politely to anyone who talks to him.

Although he wasn’t very enthusiastic, he doesn’t seem to care about the fact that they didn’t pay attention to him before.

Song Tan was looking on the side and… finds it quite a headache.

She underestimated people’s desire for family affection.

Although she and Shen Yin are both orphans, Shen Yin’s situation is somewhat different from hers.

Although she has lost her parents, she still has her Grandpa.

When she was little, her Grandpa told her that if she didn’t like someone, she didn’t have to easily let herself be wronged just because they were related by blood.

At that time, Song Tan didn’t quite understand what her Grandpa meant, but she followed his advice.

Now that she has grown up, she understands what her grandfather meant.

Her Grandpa saw through Song Zhiwen’s family and was afraid that after he left, she would be at a disadvantage in the hands of Song Zhiwen’s family due to family ties.

Shen Yin is different.

When his parents were alive, the members of the Huo family should have treated him well.

Song Tan briefly investigated Shen Yin’s parents. His mother, Huo Yaqing, was a very capable researcher, and his father was a promising young university professor.

After they got married, Shen Yin’s mother participated in the development of Project An No. 1 and was a well-known female researcher at the time, even appearing in newspapers.

Song Tan speculated that before Shen Yin’s parents passed away, he must have been a highly regarded young master in the Huo family.

But people change.

Maybe at the beginning, when his parents just passed away, some people might sympathize with him and pity him due to past relationships.

However, as time passed, Old Master Huo, the head of the Huo family, had such an attitude towards him. Naturally, others followed suit, ignoring Shen Yin.

For so many years, Shen Yin has always stayed in the Huo family, even when he has started working, he came back often.

In the past, he used to live in a guest room in Huo’s mansion.

So, he must still have some feelings for the Huo family.

Song Tan felt a bit stifled in her chest.

She couldn’t distinguish whether it was sympathy or anger, or perhaps a mix of both.

She wanted to go forward and wake him up, make him more aware that their greetings now were nothing more than sugar-coated bullets.

Belated deep affection is cheaper than grass.

But these words were stuck in her throat.

She couldn’t say them, of course.

Her relationship with Shen Yin was just a show of affection on the surface.

She couldn’t even be sure if Shen Yin had other motives towards her.

Song Tan suppressed her chaotic thoughts and focused on the plate of food.

Perhaps because the chef knew that Shen Yin was entering the Huo’s company, there was a lot more meat in her plate today.

“I specifically instructed the kitchen to add some beef for you. It’s helpful for boosting immunity; make sure to eat it all,” Shen Yin’s gentle voice came to Song Tan’s ears.

Song Tan : “…”

She picked up a piece of beef, put it in her mouth, and forced a smile, “It’s delicious, thank you.”

Shen Yin : ?

Although just now, Song Tan was smiling, but her smile just now… seemed a bit like throwing a tantrum.

Shen Yin smiled faintly.

“They’re indeed a newlywed couple, they can smile so happily even while eating.”

At the dining table, someone noticed their interaction and chuckled.

With his remark, everyone turned their attention to the two of them.

It seemed like they had just remembered that Shen Yin had married a wife and started discussing various topics related to Song Tan.

While chewing the beef carefully, Song Tan pulled a faint smile.

At this moment, Shen Yin and they were getting along harmoniously. If Song Tan started mocking them again, Shen Yin might side with them, right?

Song Tan felt as if the meat in her mouth had turned into Shen Yin’s meat.

It made a crunchy sound when she bit down.

Shen Yin didn’t know what the lady next to him was thinking.

However, he noticed that Song Tan seemed to have changed her approach.

Previously, she was dedicated to opposing the entire Huo family alone, but now, both sides seemed to have ‘resolved their past grievances.’

Of course, it was only on the surface. Given Song Tan’s personality, it probably wasn’t that easy to let go.

But out of the principle of not hitting a smiling face, she didn’t quarrel with anyone at the dining table.

Shen Yin liked to see the hidden knives behind her smile.

Song Tan felt a bit full after this lunch.

Not sure if it was because she ate too much or her brain lacked blood supply, she felt her head getting heavier.

Her head had been a bit heavy just now.

However, because she saw Shen Yin and the Huo family acting like a harmonious family, she was a bit upset, she thought that her headache was due to being upset.

But now, after eating, she felt her eyelids getting heavy too.

Clearly, she had taken a nap today, and she shouldn’t feel drowsy at this time.

At this moment, Huo Yanlin walked towards her.

Today, Huo Yanlin rarely had a meal in the dining room.

However, unlike others, he did not try to get close to Shen Yin.

One reason was that he didn’t want to, and the other reason was that he disdained it.

With his status, even if Shen Yin entered the Huo’s company, he only needed to worry about whether Shen Yin could do the job well, rather than getting close to Shen Yin at this time.

However, Huo Yanlin had something to talk to Song Tan about.

He still had to discuss Su Ran’s matter.

“Song Tan, I have something to tell you.”

Huo Yanlin still had that commanding tone.

If it were before, Song Tan would have exchanged a few words with him, but now she was too full and feeling a bit dizzy. For a moment, she didn’t look up or respond to Huo Yanlin.

Huo Yanlin frowned and glanced around.

Now that everyone had finished eating, Shen Yin was surrounded.

Although a few people looked in their direction, this was not the place to talk.

“Let’s go, talk outside.”

Huo Yanlin reached out to grab Song Tan’s arm, but before he could, he was slapped by Song Tan.

Song Tan’s strength wasn’t great, but her hand made a loud *smack* on the back of Huo Yanlin’s hand, attracting the attention of many people in the room.

“You…”

“Don’t touch me.” Song Tan reacted instinctively.

She had never liked being too close to people unless they were close to her. After a trip to the apocalyptic world and almost being sold, she had developed a subconscious tendency to resist when people got too close.

The slap just now was because she was dizzy and didn’t aim well. She had originally intended to slap Huo Yanlin’s face, but ended up hitting the back of his hand.

Huo Yanlin had never been slapped by anyone before.

Today, Song Tan’s slap, though not very strong, left him stunned.

“Song Tan.” Huo Yanlin growled.

In the midst of her dizziness, Song Tan couldn’t resist making a joke, “Call me Biao Sao.”

Huo Yanlin : “…” D*mn.

At this moment, Shen Yin had already walked through the crowd and reached Song Tan’s side.

“What happened?”

His eyes were fixed on Song Tan, obviously having heard the slap but not yet understanding what had happened.

Song Tan extended her hand, looking aggrieved.

Her hand was fair, very tender. The slap, though it didn’t hurt Huo Yanlin much, had hurt her.

Her originally pale hand now turned bright red.

Seeing this, Huo Yanlin furrowed his brows.

Based on his past experience with Song Tan… she was definitely going to cause trouble.

Sure enough, holding her reddened hand with a teary voice, she said, “He bullied me.”

Huo Yanlin : ???

“Song Tan, are you lying with your eyes open? When did I bully you?” Huo Yanlin took a step forward, aggressively questioning Song Tan.

In response, Song Tan looked at him, rolled her eyes, and fainted.

---

“Um…” Song Tan swallowed nervously.

The warmth in his palm made Song Tan feel a bit shy.

“Here it comes.”

Song Tan : ?

In her ears, after the male and female leads finished kissing, they started fighting again.

Moreover, the scene seemed somewhat brutal.

Song Tan’s eyes were covered, so she couldn’t see, but she could hear.

Listening to the noise, the scene indeed sounded quite scary.

Song Tan couldn’t help but ask, “How did you know?”

“I’ve watched this movie and made a complaint about it before.”

Song Tan : …

“The reputation of this movie is quite polarized.”

Some people find it very enjoyable because the plot twists are always unexpected and intriguing.

But some people find some of the twists in this movie too terrifying, scaring them.

Shen Yin still remembered what the scene looked like after the beautiful kiss, so he covered Song Tan’s eyes in advance to prevent her from getting scared.

While Shen Yin covered her eyes, he also provided a description.

In any case, Song Tan didn’t really pay attention to what he was saying; all her attention was drawn to Shen Yin.

His breath sprayed on her earlobe, giving her a sensation of someone nibbling her ear.

In addition to him covering her eyes, it made her feel enveloped by Shen Yin.

It felt quite secure.

But it also made it easy for her to get lost in the moment.

Song Tan had just admonished herself that they were just acting, not to get too caught up in it.

Now, all she could think was, Who could resist this?

She couldn’t resist.

Shen Yin was even better at this than she was.

Shen Yin didn’t know what was going on in Song Tan’s mind; he just felt the warmth in his hand.

Especially on the tip of Song Tan’s ear, the temperature was particularly high.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, then lowered his head to look at Song Tan, whom he was holding in his arms.

She lowered her head slightly, as if she were a delicate flower protected in his arms.

A faint smile curled up at the corner of Shen Yin’s lips.

She was quite a cute little flower.

---

The more terrifying scenes had already passed, and Shen Yin released Song Tan.

Song Tan’s eyes regained brightness as she turned to look at Shen Yin.

Shen Yin’s expression was quite serious.

She asked, “Is there anything scary coming up next?”

“I’m not too sure about that.”

The reason he had predicted that scene just now was because it was a classic one, but he wasn’t sure if there were similar scenes afterward.

“Should we not watch this one? Should we change the movie?”

Song Tan had no objections.

While Shen Yin went to change the disc, Song Tan quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She had come dangerously close to being ensnared.

Fortunately, she was still quite clear-headed.

---

Shen Yin changed to a more soothing film this time. There were no intimate scenes, but Song Tan’s thoughts were not on the movie but on Shen Yin.

Because… Shen Yin was holding her hand.

He said, “Your hand is a bit cold.”

After saying that, he held her hand to warm it up.

Both of their hands were covered by a blanket, giving them the feeling that they were up to no good under the blanket.

This feeling was a bit exciting.

How could she concentrate on watching the movie like this?

It had to be said that Shen Yin was more skilled in this regard.

Her little tricks seemed quite insignificant in front of Shen Yin.

Song Tan didn’t try to pull her hand away and let Shen Yin hold it.

Honestly, if they hadn’t been forced into marriage but had gone from dating to marriage, the two of them might have been really affectionate.

It was just a pity that their current affection was all an act.

Otherwise, she could have used some seductive tactics.

In her heart, Song Tan was still thinking about how to dissuade Shen Yin from the idea of working at Huo’s company.

As she pondered this, she became quite absorbed.

“Is this too boring?”

Shen Yin asked as he noticed that Song Tan didn’t seem very interested in the movie.

Song Tan regained her senses from his voice.

“No, nothing,” she replied.

Shen Yin looked at her, and Song Tan met his gaze through the dim light.

His expression clearly showed disbelief.

After a moment, Song Tan spoke up, “It’s nothing, I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“What were you thinking about?” Shen Yin asked.

Song Tan blinked and said, “I was thinking about whether you’d be angry because I offended your Grandfather today.”

After saying that, Song Tan let out a sigh.

Shen Yin raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re only thinking about this now? Isn’t it a bit late?”

“Although we’re married, and you’re such a gentle person, he’s still your Grandfather. If you feel like blaming me, it’s only natural.”

After speaking, Song Tan sighed again.

Shen Yin said, “Well, it was their fault in the first place, and you were just standing up for me. If I blamed you for it, that would be unfair.”

“Wouldn’t you be angry at them for treating you that way?” Song Tan asked.

In the darkness, Shen Yin sighed softly, “After all, he raised me.”

Song Tan understood.

Someone as gentle as Shen Yin would undoubtedly have some emotional attachment to Old Master Huo, especially since Old Master Huo was his Grandfather and they shared a blood relationship. It was something he couldn’t easily let go of.

The reason Shen Yin allowed her to ‘act out’ might be because he wanted more attention from Old Master Huo? Song Tan couldn’t quite figure out Shen Yin.

Over the years, had he been deliberately keeping a low profile to avoid drawing attention, or was he waiting for the right moment? And was she that right moment?

These were questions she couldn’t ask directly.

But regardless of whether he truly saw her as an opportunity for a turnaround, she had to find a way to keep Shen Yin from getting involved with the Huo family’s business. They were on opposing sides, and she might not be able to shake the Huo family’s position, but she had to make sure Shen Yin stood by her side until she had enough power to protect herself.

Another reason was that she had discovered some shady dealings in the Huo family’s business from the original plot.

Old Master Huo wants Shen Yin to join at this time, it may not be a good thing.

After all, he has ignored Shen Yin for over twenty years, and now he suddenly values Shen Yin?

Song Tan dared to affirm that Old Master Huo had ulterior motives.

“He did raise you, that’s true, but you also have your own life,” she said. “You’ve been teaching at University A for five years, right?”

This year, he was promoted to associate professor, also a highly popular professor at University A.

“I can see that you’re a good teacher. If you go to the company, it might be like starting over.”

Starting over can be quite a blow to an adult.

But Shen Yin said, “Don’t worry, even if I start over, I can still achieve something.”

Song Tan : “…” Just go to hell.

Achieve something.

If you were sold, you’d probably have to pay someone.

Song Tan was a bit annoyed and didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

She remained silent, and Shen Yin didn’t speak either.

When Song Tan looked at Shen Yin after a while, he started watching the movie again.

Song Tan : “…”

Is he really stupid, or is he pretending to be stupid?

---

Song Tan was so angry that she didn’t finish watching the rest of the movie and fell asleep directly on the sofa.

After she fell asleep, Shen Yin glanced at her half-lying on the sofa and lowered the volume of the movie.

His attention was no longer on the movie but on the light cast on the curtain through the film, which illuminated Song Tan.

He had initially thought that his plan had been exposed, and Huo Yanlin had placed her beside him to keep an eye on him.

Later, he found out that she didn’t seem to be sent by Huo Yanlin.

Of course, she wasn’t sent by anyone else either.

She had stumbled upon him, or rather, she had her own plan.

She must have known that his situation in the Huo family was not good, so she chose him.

Being with someone who is also in a bad situation has a greater chance of survival than being with someone of Huo Yanlin’s status.

If he guessed correctly, she intended to leave him after she had the ability to protect herself.

This little plan was indeed quite clever.

But he liked it.

He liked clever people.

Although this delicate flower was using him, he liked her intelligence.

But she’s still a bit too naive.

The Huo family is insatiable.

They are willing to manipulate Song Zhiwen to force Song Tan into this marriage for the prescriptions she holds, and they are also willing to do other shameless things for the prescriptions she possesses.

Just like this house today, it’s just the old man’s tactics of using both hard and soft methods.

But Song Tan is a bit more difficult to handle than the old man thought thought, she simply doesn’t buy into the old man’s tactics.

Now the old man wants to make a move through him.

Thinking about this, Shen Yin slightly curled his lips, with a somewhat mocking smile.

It’s not that he couldn’t understand the deeper meaning in the old man’s words.

The old man implied that they are still family, and Song Tan is just an outsider.

However, the prescriptions in Song Tan’s hands can further the business of the Huo family.

Only the Huo family can be shameless to this extent.

In order to prevent this little delicate flower in his hands from being destroyed by the Huo family, he is willing to ‘sacrifice’ himself.

Shen Yin got up and lifted the sleeping Song Tan.

Song Tan is very light and soft, he effortlessly lifts her.

She sleeps soundly, and she hasn’t woken up even when they reached the bedroom.

After covering her with a blanket, Shen Yin went to handle things.

Now the Huo family’s attention is all on Project An No. 2, so naturally, he… has to make their efforts in vain.

---

Song Tan slept heavily this time.

She felt like she had many dreams, even dreams within dreams.

Being chased by zombies, being betrayed by comrades, being…

That moment that lasted only an instant in reality, but it was the apocalyptic world’s three years of nightmare in Song Tan’s mind, and now it keeps replaying before her eyes.

Zombies are not scary, the scariest thing is the people around.

In that apocalyptic world filled with zombies, she met the only friend she ever had.

Song Tan was not someone who could easily open up to others, perhaps it was the environment of the apocalypse, combined with the fortunate encounter of someone she clicked with.

Their friendship was so good.

But Song Tan can’t forget the push that sent her into the horde of zombies, without any emotion.

Or, to put it another way, they were like enemies.

In that moment, many scenes of the two of them working together flashed through Song Tan’s mind.

It’s all fake.

It was fake from the beginning.

That person was only pretending to be friends with her to steal the special medicine in her hand.

Once she’s no longer useful, that person won’t hesitate to push her towards destruction.

Song Tan finally woke up.

After waking up, Song Tan sat up, her back covered in cold sweat.

How did she dream about this?

Song Tan pressed her temples.

She had a rather heavy nap this afternoon, and her mind was filled with fragments of nightmares.

Especially the person she met in the first year of the apocalyptic world…

She hadn’t thought about that person for a long time, but she didn’t expect to dream about that person today.

Why did it feel like it was trying to remind her of something?

---

Once Song Tan returned to the room, she covered herself with a blanket and nestled on the sofa.

After her body had warmed up a bit, she began to contemplate.

All along, Shen Yin had been hiding his true abilities.

He might not necessarily dislike the profession of teaching, but if there were better options, he definitely wouldn’t want to give them up.

Although he currently appeared to like her a lot, she didn’t have the confidence that Shen Yin would choose to give up a brighter future for her.

If she wanted to stop him by playing the emotional card, it might not necessarily work.

Song Tan pressed her temples with her fingers.

She had a slight headache.

Song Tan thought that her headache might be due to thinking about this issue, so she didn’t pay too much attention to it.

When she saw that Shen Yin was coming back, she got up from the sofa and walked to their luggage, pretending to unpack.

When Shen Yin returned, he saw her crouched by the luggage.

“Let me do it; you shouldn’t tire yourself out,” he said.

“You did it all last night, so I have to share the load,” she replied.

After Huo Yanlin left last night, the two of them discussed it and started packing.

Although both of them knew that they were unlikely to move out, they still had to do it.

Song Tan’s health wasn’t great, and she wasn’t suitable for physical work, so Shen Yin let her give instructions while he did the packing.

Now, as they had to put everything back, Song Tan wanted to help Shen Yin.

“There are only the two of us here. If I don’t do anything, all the work will fall on you.”

She is implying : Others have people to take care of them, but it’s just the two of us here.

However, Shen Yin didn’t seem to understand her implied message. He said, “Doing this kind of work is not a problem.”

Song Tan fell silent for a moment and then said, “We can’t rely on Su Ran anymore. We should find someone who can help us, shouldn’t we?”

The implication was quite clear, wasn’t it?

But Shen Yin still didn’t seem to grasp it. He nodded earnestly and said, “Indeed, we should find someone, but it’s not easy to find the right person. It will take some time to observe.”

Song Tan sighed silently.

So he still hadn’t realized that even though they were living here now, they were still treated differently by the Huo family.

If he relied on the Huo family to give him family affection, it would be like carrying water in a bamboo basket, a futile thing.

Song Tan watched him quietly as he organized their belongings.

When it came to physical skills, Shen Yin was quite capable.

It can be seen that he should have been self-reliant from childhood to adulthood, without needing a nanny to serve him.

He is differen from Huo Yanlin, the Young Master with silver spoon.

To be honest, Song Tan feels a bit sorry for him

An orphaned child living with his Grandfather.

His Grandfather neglects him, and even seems to be wary of him.

Growing up in such an environment must have been lacking in love.

So, if someone shows a little kindness, he might be touched.

She sighed in her heart.

At this moment, Shen Yin didn’t know what was on Song Tan’s mind.

After separating the things he had packed into the suitcase and putting them back in their original place, he said to Song Tan, “You’ve been running around with me today, and you must be tired. Take a rest for a while, and I’ll call you when it’s time for lunch.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be grading student assignments for a while.”

Upon hearing this, Song Tan said, “Professor Shen, remember to help your students more.”

Shen Yin : ?

“Your school’s forum.”

After saying this, Song Tan realized that she might have revealed something.

“Do you follow our school’s forum?”

Song Tan blinked to hide her momentary guilt.

She said, “I quite like your school, so I follow your school’s forum.”

Shen Yin didn’t know whether to believe her or not and asked, “What do the students say on the forum?”

“They’re begging Professor Shen to go easy on them during the final exams and save them from getting sixty points.”

As she spoke, Song Tan raised her hand in a pleading gesture.

Shen Yin, seeing her actions, couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Every sixty points is the result of the hard work of each of us Professors.”

Upon hearing this, Song Tan chuckled softly.

“I’ve seen your name mentioned quite a bit on the forum.”

At A University, Shen Yin had quite a high reputation; he was a well-known professor at their school, and many people liked him.

“Students really like you.”

“Do they? Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure.” Although most of those who liked him thought he was very handsome.

However, those who don’t like him are the ones he ‘shows no mercy’ to, and nearly half of them failed last semester.

But students, well, they know how well they did in their exams, deep down.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t choose his class for the second time.

Song Tan told Shen Yin all this because he wanted him to remember… teaching is his favorite job!

Working for Huo’s company is not an ideal job.

Old Master Huo and Huo Yanlin are just sugar-coating it for him! She hopes he can wake up a bit.

When Song Tan saw Shen Yin talking about students with that smiling face, she felt that this trick might work.

After she blows a bit more pillow talk, Shen Yin should understand.

---

Song Tan didn’t go back to her room to rest. Instead, she brought her blanket to the study.

Shen Yin was grading assignments on the computer, while Song Tan lay on the couch reading a book.

They didn’t have many other things together, just a lot of books.

Shen Yin’s books were on one side, hers on the other.

Occasionally, she could borrow one of Shen Yin’s books.

Shen Yin’s books were well-preserved, with clean pages but signs of being read.

Sometimes, Song Tan could even see the notes he left in the books.

Shen Yin’s handwriting and the impression he gave as a person were somewhat different. His handwriting was more vigorous and sharp, with a hint of sharpness in the strokes.

Some say you can tell a person’s character from their handwriting.

Song Tan tried to decipher Shen Yin’s true personality through his handwriting.

He should… be a rather idealistic and revengeful person.

After all, someone without lofty aspirations probably couldn’t write in such a way.

Song Tan glanced at Shen Yin through the book.

At this point, Shen Yin had already entered work mode.

When he worked, there was a bit more seriousness on his face.

Perhaps it was because he had seen the absurd assignments his students had done, and he would occasionally furrow his brows.

Looking at this, he seemed quite dissatisfied with the student’s work.

After inputting the grades for this student’s assignment on the computer, Shen Yin looked up at Song Tan.

He had noticed Song Tan sneaking glances at him just now, but instead of immediately looking back, he waited until he had finished reviewing the student’s work before turning his gaze to her.

“What’s wrong?”

Song Tan blinked. “Nothing.”

“If reading is too boring, you can go watch TV.”

From the books on Song Tan’s bookshelf, she reads a variety of books, including medical texts and popular novels.

However, the book she is currently holding is a professional book she purchased during her university days, and its content may be somewhat obscure to her.

She doesn’t enjoy reading it, which is perfectly normal.

“It’s not boring at all,” she said, finding him quite interesting to look at.

Recently, she has been stuck while writing her novel, as readers find her main character too gentle.

But that’s what she likes.

Seemingly gentle, but never hesitates to draw the sword when needed.

Song Tan just can’t imagine what Shen Yin looks like when he draws his sword.

Song Tan’s gaze is a bit too intense.

After Shen Yin’s gaze lingered on the computer screen for a while, he reluctantly got up and walked over to Song Tan.

Song Tan asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Let’s go watch a movie.”

Song Tan : ?

Weren’t he just working?

Shen Yin seems to be taking a break.

But Song Tan doesn’t voice her thoughts and follows Shen Yin to the AV room.

The AV room is a windowless room with atmospheric lighting.

“These lights are quite beautiful.”

Song Tan turned on a lamp, and a starry sky was projected onto the ceiling.

It gave the feeling of watching a movie under the night sky.

When Shen Yin heard her say this, he gave up on turning on the main light and, with the ambiance from the lamp, went to the DVD area and asked Song Tan what she wanted to watch.

“I’m fine with anything.”

Since anything will do, he randomly picked a DVD.

The dim lighting prevented Shen Yin from clearly seeing the title on the dark-colored DVD cover.

After putting the DVD into the player, he and Song Tan sat on the sofa together.

Song Tan covered him with a blanket on his knee.

“Cover yourself with this, it creates a better atmosphere.”

The blanket still carried Song Tan’s warmth.

Shen Yin’s fingers moved.

The two of them have been playing this loving-couple game for quite some time.

Song Tan cooperated with Shen Yin, and Shen Yin also cooperated with her.

Apart from doing intimate things like a normal couple, it seemed like they had done everything else.

For example… right now, watching a movie together.

These are the things that couples in the throes of love would do. Song Tan didn’t expect that one day she would be sitting on this couch with Shen Yin, watching a movie.

Her eyes were fixed on the movie, but her mind was filled with some doubts.

She couldn’t help but wonder: Could it be that I actually like Shen Yin?

But then, she denied this answer again.

Between her and Shen Yin, it was just a competition of who acted better, and all the things they did were just a pretense. How could there be real feelings?

She thought that what she liked was probably the feeling of being in love.

She had never been in a relationship before.

Back when she was in school, because of her poor health, her classmates treated her like a fragile doll.

Although there were many who liked her, they all kept their distance, afraid of hurting her.

So, she had never experienced the taste of love.

Whether she married Huo Yanlin or Zhang Yanlin, it didn’t really matter to her.

So, she had always denied that the original plot would happen.

However, she tried to put herself in that situation.

If Huo Yanlin were replaced by Shen Yin, being extremely gentle to her every day, she was highly likely to fall into such a gentle trap.

But the original plot was not like that.

In the original plot, Huo Yanlin was a cheating and abusive man, and she would never like such a man.

Song Tan sighed softly.

She pulled her thoughts back.

Shen Yin’s strategy of gradually heating things up was still effective against her.

She couldn’t allow herself to get caught up in it.

As she thought this, she noticed that the movie seemed to be taking an unexpected turn.

Clearly, the male lead was in the middle of questioning the female lead about whether she had been deceiving him, but before any answers were revealed, they started kissing.

Uh…

Song Tan had never watched intimate scenes with the opposite sex.

Her hand under the blanket clenched into a fist.

At that moment, she felt her eyes being covered.

Song Tan : ?

“Next, it might not be very pleasant,” Shen Yin’s voice sounded in Song Tan’s ear.

There was only a fist’s distance between him and her, and Shen Yin’s hand covered Song Tan’s eyes.

Meanwhile, the movie continued to play an intimate scene between the main leads, and Song Tan felt like her hearing had become more sensitive.

She seemed to hear the strong and steady heartbeat coming from Shen Yin’s chest.

Thump… thump… thump…

---

When Song Tan and Old Master Huo were chatting alone, Huo Yanlin approached Shen Yin.

Now, even if Shen Yin didn’t say much and just stood in the corner, Huo Yanlin couldn’t ignore Shen Yin like he used to.

“Shen Yin, I never thought about it before. You’ve been hiding very well.”

Shen Yin was a man, unlike the frail girl Song Tan, so Huo Yanlin wasn’t worried that he might scare Shen Yin into fainting by speaking a bit too forcefully.

Shen Yin met Huo Yanlin’s gaze calmly.

He calmly replied, “Young Master Huo, you usually look down on me and don’t pay much attention.”

“So, Project An No. 1 is related to you, right?”

Huo Yanlin still hadn’t figured out how Project An No. 1 disappeared.

When Project An No. 1 was established back in the day, Shen Yin’s mother was one of the key creators.

Although she passed away when Shen Yin was still a teenager, Shen Yin was always intelligent from a young age, and there was no guarantee that he didn’t learn something from his mother….

And use it for revenge.

Huo Yanlin was close to the mark.

But he didn’t have any evidence.

Shen Yin replied, “You guess.”

Huo Yanlin squinted at Shen Yin’s indifferent expression.

Before he could say anything else, Song Tan approached.

“Old Master is looking for you,” Song Tan said to Shen Yin.

Shen Yin asked Song Tan, “Were you treated unfairly?”

Song Tan shook her head and said, “No.”

Shen Yin nodded and then looked at Huo Yanlin, who had fallen silent, and said, “Don’t scare her; she’s not in good health.”

Huo Yanlin thought to himself, Who’s scaring whom here?

Huo Yanlin was quite frustrated by Shen Yin’s words, but he really wasn’t in the habit of getting physical with women.

After Shen Yin left, Huo Yanlin saw that Song Tan calmly found a chair and sat down.

It was clear that Song Tan didn’t take him seriously at all.

Huo Yanlin took a deep breath and then sat down in front of Song Tan.

“I’ve met Su Ran.”

Song Tan was not surprised at all.

It had been a few days since the male and female leads had seen each other, but it was just a few lines in the text.

Meeting each other wasn’t anything extraordinary.

“She said she signed a contract with you.”

Huo Yanlin had felt that Song Tan was targeting him from the beginning; otherwise, there wouldn’t have been so many coincidences.

Now, he was almost certain.

Song Tan was deliberately causing trouble for him.

“Is that not allowed?”

“You know about my relationship with her, and yet you signed her. What do you mean by that?”

When Song Tan heard his words, she looked up at him. “What’s your relationship with her? Signing her is my business; what does it have to do with you?”

“I…” What was their relationship?

What could their relationship be?

Huo Yanlin couldn’t say it, so he could only coldly order, “I want you to cancel the contract with her.”

Although he didn’t know why Song Tan was targeting him, signing a contract with Su Ran at this time definitely had a hidden agenda.

If she meant harm to Su Ran, then he…

Huo Yanlin narrowed his eyes.

“Do you want to pay the penalty for breaking the contract for her?”

Song Tan had known this day would come.

“If you’re willing to pay the penalty for her, that’s fine too.”

This was an effortless way to get millions.

This deal was definitely worth it.

Hearing this, Huo YanLlin frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“My contract with Su Ran is legal and legitimate. If either party breaches the contract, they will have to pay an eight-figure penalty. If President Huo is willing to help her cover it, I’d be more than happy.”

Huo Yanlin : “…” An eight-figure penalty.

Now, he didn’t need to guess if she had ulterior motives.

She definitely did.

If he really paid this penalty, he would probably fall into her trap.

Song Tan saw Huo Yanlin’s hesitation, and a cold sneer formed in her heart.

This Huo Yanlin, truly there’s nothing worthy of her liking.

The content in the original plot is just pure fabrication for her.

It made her experience the apocalypse world for no reason.

It’s truly… punishment for a sin she didn’t commit.

So frustrating!

At this moment, Song Tan noticed that 007 seemed to be reacting a bit, not in its usual self-maintenance mode, but showing a loading message…

This display should be loading some data.

Even the retired version of 007 still has new data…

Song Tan never quite understood the things in their system world.

Let’s see what’s going on after it finishes loading.

Just as she finished thinking, Shen Yin came over.

He first glanced at Huo Yanlin, then walked over to Song Tan.

“What’s going on?”

Seeing Shen Yin’s strange expression, Song Tan timely asked.

“Old Master wants me to enter Huo’s company.”

Song Tan : ?

Huo Yanlin : ??

“He wants you to enter Huo’s company?” How is that possible? Huo Yanlin was the first to doubt.

Although, with Shen Yin’s intelligence and the shares he inherited from his mother, he could easily enter Huo’s company.

But the attitude of the board of directors towards Shen Yin was somewhat ambiguous.

Clearly, they didn’t want Shen Yin to get involved with Huo’s company. Otherwise, they would have brought him into the company when Shen Yin finished his doctorate studies.

But now, what’s going on with the old man? Why does he want Shen Yin to join Huo’s company?

Huo Yanlin furrowed his brows and went to find the old man.

Song Tan didn’t pay much attention to it. She looked at Shen Yin and asked, “Do you not want to go?”

Shen Yin looked at her and sighed.

“You should know the old man’s intentions.”

What else could it be?

It’s to pull Shen Yin into the Huo family, connecting his future with that of the Huo family.

This way, he can’t act as willfully as he did just now.

From Shen Yin’s perspective…

The old man’s move truly surprised him a bit.

He had no idea how to enter Huo’s company, but Old Master Huo took the initiative to let him in.

Isn’t this like letting him wait for a windfall?

However, it seems like Song Tan doesn’t want him to enter Huo’s company.

“If you don’t want to go, you can find a way not to.”

“You don’t want me to go?”

Song Tan pursed her lips slightly.

Naturally, she didn’t want him to.

She couldn’t be clearer about the old man’s intentions.

This kind of giving a piece of candy every day will make people addicted to sugar. If you quit sugar one day, you’ll feel uncomfortable.

Now Shen Yin is standing on her side, even though it’s highly likely to be a disguise. But as long as the people from the Huo family continue to treat him poorly, he can stand by her side.

Until she has enough ability to protect herself.

“I don’t want you to do things you don’t want to do too much,” Song Tan came up with a noble reason, “I’ve seen what you look like on the podium.”

She looked envious, “At that time, you seemed to shine.”

Shen Yin : “…” This statement has some artistry in it.

“I’ll think about it again.”

Shen Yin didn’t give Song Tan a definite answer. He was probably tempted. While Song Tan responded with a casual “Hmm,” in her heart, she began to hatch a plan.

---

Not long after, Huo Yanlin came back.

Judging from his expression, the outcome wasn’t as he had hoped.

But he still had a stern face and said, “You don’t need to move out of this house.”

Song Tan raised an eyebrow at his words.

This was what should have happened, and she wasn’t going to be overly grateful.

After Huo Yanlin finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Shen Yin.

“Come to the company tomorrow.”

Huo Yanlin seemed to think of something and smirked at Shen Yin.

Song Tan : “…” In novels, they always describe the domineering CEO smirking.

Is this what they mean?

It’s a bit amusing.

However, Song Tan didn’t laugh. She was still thinking about how to cause some trouble.

At that moment, the wind started blowing.

They were now standing in a corridor with ventilation on both sides. As the wind rushed in, Song Tan coughed subconsciously twice.

Shen Yin had been locking eyes with Huo Yanlin, but the next moment, he stood in front of Song Tan, blocking the wind entirely.

“It’s windy outside. Let’s go back inside.”

Song Tan had just covered her mouth to cough, and when Shen Yin stood in front of her, her hand accidentally touched his back.

Even through the fabric, she could feel the warmth of the man.

Why was this man as hot as a stove?

Song Tan was lost in thought about this question for a couple of seconds, so when Shen Yin finished speaking, she didn’t immediately respond.

Shen Yin turned to look at Song Tan.

“What’s wrong?”

Song Tan looked up at him. “Nothing.”

She couldn’t say that she didn’t react immediately because she felt the man’s warmth, right?

“Your health isn’t good. Don’t stay outside and get blown by the wind. Go inside first, and I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Alright.”

Song Tan walked back inside.

On the side, Huo Yanlin, seeing the interaction between the two, sneered coldly, “I thought you were a smart person, but I didn’t expect you to be really ensnared by a woman.”

Huo Yanlin initially believed that Shen Yin and Song Tan were just putting on an act.

They had an arranged marriage, and they hadn’t even met a few times before getting married. How could they be all lovey-dovey after getting married?

So, he guessed that Shen Yin was faking it.

Pretending to be deeply in love with Song Tan so that when Song Tan completely opened up to Shen Yin, Shen Yin could get the prescription from her.

In this way, Shen Yin can firmly establish his position in the Huo family and even in Huo’s company.

However, just now, Huo Yanlin suddenly became uncertain.

Isn’t Shen Yin just a real love brain?

With just a breeze blowing by, Shen Yin almost didn’t hesitate at all, directly standing in front of Song Tan to shield her from the wind…

Even when the old man asked Shen Yin to join the Huo Corporation, he didn’t seem that enthusiastic.

Seeing Huo Yanlin’s disdainful expression, Shen Yin shook his head and said, “When you talk about me, you might as well take a look at yourself. You almost ruined your future for a woman.”

How could Huo Yanlin say such a thing?

In Huo Yanlin’s mind, Su Ran’s face appeared, and his expression immediately darkened.

“I don’t care about what’s going on between you and Song Tan, as long as you’re still in the Huo family, you are part of the Huo family.”

Thinking of what the old man had said, Huo Yanlin could only force a smile and said to Shen Yin, “Although we don’t get along, our blood ties cannot be severed. We are still brothers.”

Shen Yin raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Brothers…?”

Shen Yin’s tone was so flat that Huo Yanlin didn’t catch that it was a question.

He thought Shen Yin was agreeing with him.

“You have shares from Aunt in your hands, so you are also a member of our Huo family and should contribute to the Huo family.”

He forced another insincere smile and said, “Although you may not have much business talent, you are definitely capable of handling the development of Project An No. 3.”

When Shen Yin heard the mention of the development of Project An No. 3, a slight smile appeared at the corner of Shen Yin’s lips.

He wasn’t surprised that Old Master Huo and Huo Yanlin asked him to be in charge of Project An No. 3.

Project An No. 1 failed, and Project An No. 2 was of utmost importance.

Now, with the addition of Song Zhiwen’s team and exclusive patents, everyone in Huo’s company was working hard to save the development of Project An No. 2. Naturally, they couldn’t allow an unstable factor like Shen Yin to join.

So, Project An No. 3 became a touchstone.

One was to test Shen Yin’s abilities, and the other was to test his loyalty.

It had to be said that the Huo family was very good when it came to business, and they all had a shrewdness deep down inside.

Looking at Huo Yanlin’s ugly appearance of not liking him but insisting on being brothers, Shen Yin smiled.

He agreed, “Sure.”

Then let’s speed up the demise of your hard work.

---

Huo Yanlin was angered by Song Tan and left.

Inside the courtyard, only Shen Yin and Song Tan remained.

The two exchanged glances, and then Shen Yin spoke up, “Are you still going to eat?”

Before Song Tan could answer, Shen Yin frowned, “It’s gotten cold, so let’s not eat.”

“Well, if you don’t want to eat, should we… chat?”

Although the two had just cooperated seamlessly, he didn’t really have anything to ask her, did he?

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Let’s discuss where we’ll stay tomorrow.”

Just now, Song Tan had suggested that they both go back to her natal house.

It was okay to stay for a couple of days occassionally.

But if Song Tan intended to stay there for a long time…

“The old man won’t agree to that.”

“I know.”

Old Master Huo was very concerned about the reputation of the Huo family. Moreover, she still had the prescription he wanted in her hands. If they just went to stay outside, how would he get the prescription from her?

“So, you…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but Song Tan understood what he meant.

Song Tan said, “We can’t just be passive all the time, can we?”

Speaking of this, she asked Shen Yin seriously, “I didn’t discuss this matter with you; you won’t blame me, will you?”

Although both of them were testing each other in their hearts, this matter had never been discussed openly.

“Why would I blame you?”

“After all, the Huo family is your family.”

What Song Tan was doing was related to his family. If this were any other man, he would probably advise his wife not to conflict with his own family and maintain family harmony.

But Shen Yin is not like that, at least not on the surface, he is not like that.

Instead, he said…

“Now, the one registered under the same household as me is you.”

Although they both got married while being pushed forward, according to the law, they are indeed a family.

A closer family than the Huo family.

He said, “When I was young, my parents told me that when I grew up and got married, I would marry another girl. They reminded me to take care of my own family first, before taking care of the larger family.”

Implicitly, he needed to take care of his own family with Song Tan, and then deal with everything else.

Song Tan didn’t expect that her parents-in-laws, whom she had never met, to have such an enlightened perspective.

“It’s a pity; I haven’t even met them.”

If Shen Yin’s parents were still alive, would he still need to hide his own brilliance now?

“Well… do you want to pay respects to them?”

Song Tan nodded.

“Then, how about we go to the cemetery tomorrow to visit them?”

“Okay.”

It just so happened that they needed to avoid some people tomorrow.

---

The couple left early in the morning.

So when Old Master Huo and Huo Yanlin arrived, they were not at home.

“What’s going on with them? Are they out of their minds?”

“The security guard said that when they left in the morning, it seemed like they didn’t take anything with them.”

Old Master Huo initially thought that the two of them had already moved out, but when he saw that they hadn’t, he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

In his heart, he was also secretly evaluating these two.

Now that Shen Yin is all grown up and no longer working for the Huo family, Old Master Huo has no control over him at all.

As for that Song Tan, the prescription and letter she held in her hand were extremely precious, but if she didn’t take the initiative to show them, there was no way he would see them.

With this in mind, the old man was surprised to find that he had no way to deal with these two.

If they were to move out directly…

…

At this moment, Song Tan had arrived at the cemetery with Shen Yin.

Shen Yin’s father was also a professor, and from the black and white photos, he appeared to be a gentle and scholarly man.

Shen Yin probably inherited his father’s demeanor.

As for Shen Yin’s mother, she was a stunning beauty.

No wonder Shen Yin looks so handsome.

With parents who had such good looks, how could their son not be handsome?

“What are you thinking?” Shen Yin asked as he saw Song Tan looking at his parents’ tombstones in silence.

He didn’t know what was on her mind.

“I’m thinking that your parents must have been very good people,” Song Tan replied.

Shen Yin raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

“Otherwise, how could they have given birth to such an outstanding person like you?”

Shen Yin’s lips curled slightly.

This casual flattery was really quite amusing.

Fortunately, he had a strong self-control and didn’t burst out laughing.

“With a daughter-in-law who can speak so well, they must be very happy,” Song Tan added.

“That’s for sure,” Shen Yin replied without hesitation.

In her heart, Song Tan silently spoke a few words to Shen Yin’s parents : “I’m not a good person, I only pulled your son into this mess for my own protection.

“Although I hope to bring your son to my side and oppose the entire Huo family… but if I fail, I won’t blame him.”

After all, Shen Yin was truly innocent and had been unwittingly dragged into this situation by her.

After saying almost the same things to them, she looked at Shen Yin and asked, “Should we go back now?”

If she guessed correctly, right now, outside the small courtyard where they live, it should be quite lively.

---

Indeed, it’s quite lively.

Old Master Huo is accompanied by a group of younger members of the Huo family, blocking the entrance to the courtyard where Shen Yin and Song Tan live.

What’s quite amusing is that because this courtyard is to be used as the wedding chamber for Huo Yanlin and Song Jiaojiao, there are many festive decorations hanging at the courtyard gate.

If it weren’t for the serious expressions of this group of people, one might mistake this scene for a celebration.

Song Tan smiles and walks over with Shen Yin.

Seeing that it’s the two of them, the crowd makes way, and the two of them stand in front of the old man.

The old man notices that they appear calm, and Song Tan is even holding Shen Yin’s arm, looking very affectionate.

“What were the two of you doing?” the old man asked.

And Shen Yin responded, “We went to see my parents.”

Upon hearing Shen Yin mention his parents, the old man’s expression visibly changes.

Song Tan notices this and raises an eyebrow slightly.

It seems like there’s something going on here.

“Why did you suddenly decide to go see them?”

Shen Yin’s expression remains very calm. “After all, I’ve married a wife, and I haven’t taken her to see them yet.”

Old Master Huo furrowed his brow and shifted his gaze to Song Tan.

This Song Tan is not simple.

She’s been in the Huo family for less than a month, and she’s already convinced Shen Yin to take her to see his parents.

“Song Tan, I heard that you didn’t want to move to the South Courtyard?”

When this question falls on Song Tan, she smiles faintly. “I don’t mind at all. We’ve already packed up our things.”

Old Master Huo’s gaze lands on Huo Yanlin, and Huo Yanlin frowned.

What he said to the old man was, of course, the deeper meaning within Song Tan’s words.

The way she spoke was cryptic and strange, and he automatically understood that she didn’t want to move out of here. To prevent moving out, she directly threatened him to return to the Song family’s old mansion.

As soon as the old man heard her say she wanted to return to the Song family’s old residence, he couldn’t sit still and came over early in the morning.

Once he arrived, others thought the old man had some business to attend to and followed him, curious to see what was happening.

“You’ve already placed the “喜” sign at the courtyard gate. If we don’t move out soon, doesn’t that make us look ignorant? Shen Yin is the elder brother, and his younger brother is getting married, but he has no place to live. Asking him to give up his living space is only reasonable.”

Song Tan’s words sounded righteous, but upon closer inspection, they were filled with a hidden agenda.

Does Huo Yanlin need a place to live?

Of course not.

But because he was getting married, he had to kick Shen Yin out…

Although Shen Yin couldn’t stay here due to his status, the old man had assigned him this courtyard in the Huo family’s old mansion because he married Song Tan. And now… they were using such an excuse to chase him to the South Courtyard.

If this were happening to the other Huo family members, they wouldn’t agree either, so it’s no wonder Song Tan and Shen Yin were angry.

But this matter meant confrontation with Old Master Huo, and they didn’t have the courage for that.

However, looking at Song Tan’s confident demeanor, it was quite admirable.

“We’ll move our things to the South Courtyard immediately. By the way, would you like to check if we’ve taken anything we shouldn’t have?”

Before anyone could respond, the old man’s voice came low and stern, “That’s enough.”

He stared at Song Tan.

His intention in having them move to the South Courtyard was to assert his authority and discipline them. Only by using both kindness and severity could he establish the authority as the family’s patriarch.

But this woman, Song Tan…

Old Master Huo locked eyes with Song Tan. There was no hint of evasion in her gaze as she stared directly back at him.

The old master gazed into Song Tan’s eyes and couldn’t help but think that he had underestimated this little girl.

his little girl looks fragile, but she’s not easy to fool.

He just moved her to the South Courtyard as a punishment, and she has this kind of attitude…

In the future, if he wants her to willingly provide a prescription, it’s probably not going to be easy.

“You stay, everyone else step back.”

The old man spoke, wanting to have a private conversation with Song Tan.

Shen Yin frowned first.

The old man said to Shen Yin, “You, step back.”

When Old Master Huo saw Shen Yin’s expression, he was clearly annoyed.

“I’m an old man, what can I do to her?”

After Old Master Huo said this, Shen Yin looked at Song Tan, and only after Song Tan nodded did he reluctantly leave, leaving behind Song Tan and the old man.

“You’re a smart person, you should know why I had you move to the South Courtyard.”

Song Tan certainly knew.

Because of Su Ran.

“Regardless of whether you did it intentionally or not.”

When Song Tan heard his words, he laughed.

“Whether we did it intentionally or not, we all have to be punished. But it’s clear who made the mistake. Not only did he not accept the punishment, you even want to reward him, right?”

Although she knew that Old Master Huo was an outrageous person, she didn’t expect him to be this outrageous.

He could say such high-sounding words.

“Are you questioning my decision?”

“How could that be? Haven’t I said that wherever you want us to move, we’ll move?”

Old Master Huo frowned even more.

What kind of attitude is this Song Tan showing?

Old Master Huo had also never encountered anyone like Song Tan. Others, even if they had some objections in their hearts, would hide them to please him.

But Song Tan was different.

Her strange and capricious behavior really makes people angry when they hear it.

But unfortunately, he still couldn’t find a way to control her.

She must know that she holds the prescription in her hand, and they will have to cooperate in the future, so she acts so confidently.

This can’t go on like this.

He must find a way to have leverage over them.

“Alright, go and call Shen Yin for me.”

If he can’t control Song Tan for now, then he will control Shen Yin.

He can’t let these two individuals grow wings and fly away.

---

When Huo Yanlin came to Shen Yin’s place, he happened to see the couple setting up food on the table in the small courtyard.

The courtyard’s lights were somewhat dim, and combined with the surrounding greenery, it had the vibe of a romantic candlelit dinner.

On the table, there was Cha Ji’s roast duck and He Ji’s porridge.

Song Tan was greedy, so she had a small bowl of porridge and two pieces of roast duck, but she couldn’t eat anymore.

Then, Shen Yin looked at her helplessly.

It was originally a harmonious and loving scene, but Huo Yanlin felt uncomfortable seeing it.

He didn’t know why he felt uncomfortable.

Clearly, he had no relationship with Song Tan at all.

Oh no, there was some connection.

The person sitting in front of her almost became him.

At that time, everyone assumed that Song Tan was interested in him.

Although he didn’t like her, he was prepared to marry her, but unexpectedly, her finger pointed to Shen Yin.

In this way, he became a laughingstock in everyone’s eyes.

Maybe that’s why he couldn’t remain calm when he looked at Song Tan.

Plus…

Some things were just too coincidental.

Huo Yanlin collected himself and stepped into the courtyard, breaking the romantic candlelit dinner atmosphere of the two.

He glanced at the two and then lowered his head to look at the things on the small stone table, saying, “If you want to eat something, you can order from the kitchen. There’s no need to buy from outside; it’s not clean.”

When Song Tan heard this, she saw Shen Yin purse his lips.

She thought to herself, Huo Yanlin came with his own feet to become a target.

Her expression changed instantly.

She looked pitiful.

“Young Master Huo, it’s easy for you to say that while standing there.”

She looked at Shen Yin with a sense of grievance in her eyes and continued, “You are the young master of the Huo family, and I…”

She sighed as she looked at Shen Yin, not saying it all, but the meaning was almost conveyed.

She was just Shen Yin’s wife.

In the Huo family, Shen Yin had no presence to speak of, and as Shen Yin’s other half, she had even less presence.

“You can ask the kitchen to cook whatever you want. But, how can I dare to make any demands?” She pointed to the food on the table and said, “These are all things that Shen Yin has heard me mention for several days, so he specially bought them from outside for me.”

Shen Yin looked at her performance, which seemed like Lin Daiyu’s reincarnation¹, and suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth, opting to purse his lips.

It seemed as if he was tacitly agreeing with what Song Tan had said.

Huo Yanlin was getting a little irritated.

“How is that possible? Our Huo family isn’t some small, insignificant household. Just a meal, why won’t they cook for you?”

Song Tan knew he would uphold the Huo family’s dignity.

“What’s so impossible about it?” She pointed to the two-story small western-style building behind her and said, “Even the place we live in had to be vacated for you.”

Song Tan muttered, “The Huo family doesn’t seem that poor, why would they need to move people out to make a bridal chamber for you?”

“You…”

The Huo family certainly wasn’t lacking in accommodations.

Especially Huo Yanlin, from the moment he was born, he had his own separate place, right next to the old man’s residence, with a large garden.

Outside the Huo family’s old mansion, he had countless properties.

Did he need a bridal chamber?

Of course not.

The old man had them move to the South Courtyard because of Su Ran.

Su Ran belonged to Song Tan and almost ruined Huo Yanlin marriage, so the old man had to make a move against Song Tan.

As a result, Song Tan told Huo Yanlin that the Huo family was poor?

“Song Tan, don’t act foolish here. You should know why the old man wants you all to move to the South Courtyard.”

If Huo Yanlin hadn’t seen through her act, that would have been suspicious.

“Why? Is there a reason that can’t be said?” Song Tan looked at Huo Yanlin seriously and asked.

This matter also concerned Huo Yanlin.

He had come today to inquire about Su Ran’s situation. Now, asking Song Tan about Su Ran and placing the blame on Song Tan… he couldn’t do that.

So, Huo Yanlin remained silent.

But since he didn’t speak, Song Tan did. “Is it because the Huo family simply looks down on us, and they’re trying to indirectly drive us away?”

After saying that, without waiting for Huo Yanlin’s response, she held Shen Yin’s hand and looked at him with concern.

Shen Yin pressed his lips together, struggling to contain his laughter.

However, he went along with Song Tan, turned his head, and said to Huo Yanlin, “If that’s the case, I will move out with Song Tan.”

The old man insisted on keeping him and Song Tan in this old mansion, partly for his reputation and perhaps because he coveted the prescription in Song Tan’s hands.

But he wouldn’t bring it up himself; instead, he would push people to the brink and then go to them proactively.

That’s what that old man liked to do the most.

So, if Song Tan wanted to move out of the Huo family, it might not be so easy.

But they still needed to show a stance.

After all, they had to let the other side adapt in advance.

Shen Yin didn’t stop Song Tan; instead, he went along with her and opposed the Huo family.

Huo Yanlin narrowed his eyes.

“Tomorrow, we’ll move out. When the time comes, you can arrange this place however you like.”

Song Tan’s original weak appearance due to her poor health gave him a somewhat fragile look, and she didn’t need to deliberately pretend anything on her face; it naturally gave people the feeling that she had been bullied.

Huo Yanlin : ?

He didn’t do anything at all?

“It’s too late today, we need to rest. Please leave, and tomorrow I will call the moving company.”

After saying that, Shen Yin directly escorted Huo Yanlin out.

Would the previous Shen Yin have dared to do such a thing?

No, he wouldn’t have dared before.

“Shen Yin, ever since you got married, you seem to have grown bolder, daring to directly ask me to leave.”

As soon as Huo Yanlin said this, there came the faint voice of Song Tan : “So, Young Master Huo, you’ve had this sense of superiority since childhood.”

Huo Yanlin : “… Shut up.”

“Am I not even allowed to speak in the Huo family?” After saying this, she looked at Shen Yin and said, “You are considered half of the Huo family, and I am considered half of the Huo family as your wife. This status… is even lower than that of a servant.”

“Song Tan! Are you f*cking pretending to be innocent?”

Huo Yanlin had been quite irritable lately, and now, with Song Tan’s sarcastic tone, he was completely furious.

He even resorted to swearing.

Even though he usually values his manners the most.

Song Tan saw him getting angry and sneered in her heart : Young master of a wealthy family? Hmph, nonsense.

She clutched her chest and almost fainted. Shen Yin quickly supported her shoulder, preventing her from falling backward.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s okay, I just got a little scared, and it seems like I might be feeling unwell.”

Huo Yanlin : “…” D*mn, why did I have to run into such a drama queen?

Unfortunately, this drama queen also encountered a love brain who would protect her.

Shen Yin frowned and looked at Huo Yanlin directly. “Yanlin, you’ve gone too far.”

“Are you blind? She’s pretending.”

As soon as Huo Yanlin said this, Song Tan began to hold her temple and said, “Shen Yin, I also feel dizzy.”

Huo Yanlin : “…”

Looking at this couple, one pretending and one protecting, Huo Yanlin took several deep breaths to calm himself down.

“I don’t care how you two want to play this drama, but it’s the old man’s decision for you to move out. If you have any objections, you can take it up with him. There’s no need to act pitiful in front of me.”

He looked at Song Tan.

Just now, after being manipulated by Song Tan, he almost forgot the main issue.

“Did you say anything to Su Ran?”

Su Ran had blocked all his contact information.

Su Ran loves him so much, there is no way she would do it herself.

The only possibility was that Song Tan had told her something.

Song Tan was Song Jiajiao’s cousin, naturally on the side of the Song family.

If Song Tansaid something to Su Ran, Su Ran might never talk to him again.

Thinking of this, Huo Yanlin felt like he couldn’t breathe.

Song Tan lay in Shen Yin’s arms and blinked when she heard Huo Yanlin’s words.

Her long eyelashes brushed against Shen Yin’s neck, making Shen Yin feel a bit ticklish.

It wasn’t just her skin that felt itchy; there was also a bit of itchiness in her heart.

However, at this moment, Song Tan didn’t notice Shen Yin’s peculiar reaction. She said to Huo Yanlin, “You’re about to marry Jiajiao, yet you’re still entangled with that girl named Su Ran… You…”

Song Tan didn’t finish her sentence, but Huo Yanlin understood the meaning behind her words.

Huo Yanlin furrowed his brow. “This is my business.”

Song Tan shrugged. “Then whatever I want to say is also my business.”

Huo Yanlin: “…”

From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever spoken to him like Song Tan.

He looked at Song Tan.

She didn’t seem like the sharp-tongued type. Her face was pale, and she spoke softly, her voice not very loud. If one didn’t pay close attention to what she was saying, they might think she was saying something pleasant.

However, in reality, her words were like a chokehold.

If she were a man, he could naturally handle it in a manly way. But she was a woman, and he was afraid that if he acted directly, he might scare her away.

For a moment, the two of them were locked in a standoff.

Standing beside Song Tan, Shen Yin played the role of her ‘protector’ and hadn’t said a word.

He was watching Song Tan’s performance.

Although it wasn’t the first time he had seen it, every time he saw her calmly stand up to someone with her soft-spoken but biting remarks, he found it a delightful sight.

Perhaps he had a particular fondness for seeing the members of the Huo family getting frustrated.

Huo Yanlin had been the pampered young master since birth, and he always had people to cater to him. Even if someone had a conflict with him, others would step in and handle it for him.

So, when he encountered someone like Song Tan, who appeared fragile but didn’t hold back with her words, he could only suppress his frustration.

Seeing him unhappy, Song Tan felt a sense of satisfaction.

“Shen Yin, what do you think?” After some serious thought, Huo Yanlin realized that he couldn’t resolve the situation with Song Tan and turned to Shen Yin for input.

Shen Yin is a man. He wouldn’t be as troublesome as Song Tan, would he?

Huo Yanlin confronted Shen Yin, but Shen Yin reached out and embraced Song Tan, saying, “I listen to Song Tan when it comes to our family matters.”

Huo Yanlin : ????

Song Tan blinked upon hearing this.

Shen Yin was truly cooperating well with her.

It seemed that Shen Yin had some issues with Huo Yanlin.

She tilted her head and said to Shen Yin, “I’m tired of living in this courtyard. How about you come back to my natal house with me?”

The Song family’s old mansion?

Not a bad idea.

“Okay.”

“Hmm,” she continued, casting a critical eye at the small courtyard. Her eyes seemed to carry some disdain. “This place is so small; it feels suffocating.”

The implication was clear.

The Huo family really seemed quite poor.

Giving them such a small courtyard to live in was one thing, but now they wanted to take it back…

Tsk tsk tsk, how embarrassing.

---

1. Lin Daiyu is a character in a classic Chinese novel “Dream of the Red Chamber” who is known for her beauty, intelligence, and tragic fate. She is often associated with qualities like fragility and sensitivity. ↩︎

---

Song Tan and Song Jiaojiao don’t know what Shen Yin said to An Yue, but An Yue, who is usually unbeatable in arguments, not only didn’t raise her voice or throw a tantrum on the ground, but her expression also turned serious.

After a while, she turned around and pulled Song Jiaojiao to leave.

“I’m not leaving, I still have things to do.”

Song Jiaojiao hadn’t finished her business and still wanted to negotiate the property rights of this house with Song Tan, but An Yue’s face grew cold, and she sternly said, “Leave.”

Although An Yue doted on Song Jiaojiao, she seemed genuinely angry this time, so Song Jiaojiao reluctantly followed her.

As they left, Song Jiaojiao looked back at Song Tan with reluctance.

Meanwhile, Song Tan looked at An Yue and contemplated.

What did Shen Yin say to An Yue that made her so upset, yet she didn’t resort to insults?

An Yue also glanced at Song Tan, but her expression was hard to comprehend.

She didn’t say anything and simply dragged Song Jiaojiao away.

After they left, Song Tan looked at Shen Yin as she approached, and she finally asked, “What did you say to her?”

To make her so angry, yet she didn’t dare to insult you.

“What do you think I said to her?”

This question stumped Song Tan.

Was this a test to figure out what kind of person he was in her heart?

“You… talked to her reasonably?”

Shen Yin burst into laughter upon hearing her response.

“Do I look like someone who talks reasonably?”

Song Tan blinked in confusion. “If Teacher Shen doesn’t talk reasonably, that would go against professional ethics.”

This remark completely amused Shen Yin.

Shen Yin gave off a gentle vibe, but he didn’t smile often.

His smiles were usually very subtle, making it difficult for people to tell whether he was genuinely happy or just casually cracking a smile.

But just now, his laughter could be described as hearty.

“I may have just used some words that went against professional ethics, which made your Aunt a little bit afraid of me,” Shen Yin said, describing the situation to Song Tan.

Hearing Shen Yin’s description, Song Tan became more interested. “Can you tell me about it?”

Shen Yin looked at her curiously and raised an eyebrow slightly before saying, “I think I won’t tell you.”

To avoid scaring this delicate flower.

Song Tan : “…”

Shen Yin was quite unkind, speaking halfway and not revealing everything.

She should have activated the monitoring function earlier, but it required coins from the system, and she had exchanged most of her task earnings for real-world currency. She was now running low on coins after spending a lot of them last night, and since she didn’t know when 007 would finish self-maintenance, she hesitated to use the system’s functions.

Moreover, she believed that with Shen Yin’s personality, he wouldn’t hide things from her if she asked, right?

But as it turned out, he really didn’t say anything.

Song Tan puffed up her cheeks in frustration.

However, seeing her angry expression, Shen Yin felt even happier.

Normally, Song Tan’s face displayed various expressions, but it always seemed like she wore a mask, lacking a certain liveliness.

But now, watching her get a little angry, he couldn’t help but smile.

“I guess your cousin doesn’t want your help anymore.”

Although Song Tan couldn’t help much in the first place, especially now that An Yue had discovered Song Tan’s plan to take over the old mansion. An Yue probably wouldn’t want Song Jiaojiao to have any contact with Song Tan to prevent Song Tan from persuading Song Jiaojiao to transfer the property rights of the old mansion.

So now, Shen Yin asked Song Tan, “Do you want to go back with me?”

Song Tan’s expression softened slightly.

“Okay.”

---

When Huo Yanlin got married, it should have been a grand affair.

After all, Huo Yanlin might be the next head of the Huo family, so his marriage should have been a very solemn occasion.

However, Huo Yanlin ordered that it shouldn’t be grandiose.

However, although Huo Yanlin gave such orders, it ultimately concerned the reputation of the Huo family, and it was beyond Huo Yanlin’s control.

So, under the instructions of Old Master Huo, the butler of the Huo family had decorated the whole Huo’s mansion a festive manner. Even the courtyard where Song Tan and Shen Yin lived had to be decorated with celebratory ornaments.

Song Tan sat in the small courtyard reading a book, while outside, the servants of the Huo family were busy with decorations, creating some noise. She stopped reading and walked to the courtyard entrance.

When the Huo family’s servants saw Song Tan, they greeted her but didn’t stop their work.

As for Shen Yin, he didn’t have much presence in the Huo family, and his wife, naturally, was not an important figure either.

The Huo family’s servants were accustomed to playing up and down, but they were quite clever about it, making their actions not too obvious.

Song Tan naturally felt that the attitude of the Huo family’s servants towards her was somewhat perfunctory.

However, it didn’t matter.

She looked at the “喜” character ornaments¹ on the courtyard gate and raised an eyebrow slightly, “Are you hanging so many of these? Won’t it make others think this is the place where the newlyweds will live?”

“It is indeed.”

Song Tan : ?

“Don’t you know? Old Master wants you to move out of here, and this place is going to be the bridal chamber for Young Master Yanlin and his wife.”

Song Tan blinked, she really didn’t know about this.

Before Song Tan could finish her confusion, Uncle Liu came over.

Seeing her looking at the red ornaments on the courtyard gate, he thought she might have heard some news.

“Old Master wants you to move to the South Courtyard.”

“The South Courtyard?”

The South Courtyard was probably the most secluded corner of the Huo family’s old estate.

“The scenery is good in the South Courtyard, and it’s quieter. Old Master heard that you need some rest for your health, so Old Master arranged it specially.”

Upon hearing this, Song Tan smiled.

The words sounded nice, but in reality, it was likely a form of punishment for her.

Last time, when she appeared with Su Ran, she almost ruined the marriage between Huo Yanlin and Song Jiaojiao.

The old man naturally wanted to blame her afterwards.

However, just when he wanted to blame her, Song Tan moved to the Song family’s old mansion to live.

During this time, the old master’s anger had not subsided, and this happened.

She and Shen Yin were forced to move.

They were moved to the most remote corner of the Huo family, as a punishment.

Song Tan sighed inwardly.

She didn’t find it surprising at all.

Because in the original plot, a similar plot had occurred.

The only difference was that the situation was somewhat different now.

In the original plot, she was the only one ‘banished to the cold palace².’

The reason was… She was Huo Yanlin’s wife but had not fulfilled her duties as a wife, leading to the exposure of Huo Yanlin’s affair with Su Ran in the media, which became a big joke for the Huo family.

Originally, it should have been Huo Yanlin’s own mistake that brought shame to the proud Huo family.

However, it turned out to be Song Tan’s fault.

Old Master, who has ‘great compassion,’ sent her to the South Courtyard for a while to calm her mind and think about her future.

She went to the South Courtyard and fell ill.

But in the South Courtyard, there was no one to take care of her.

And, whether by coincidence or design, the servants lost the medicine she had prepared, and she almost died in the South Courtyard after falling ill.

Although the system only took her through her original plot in the form of dreams, for her, those events felt just as real.

Even though the plot had changed because she chose Shen Yin instead of Huo Yanlin, the Huo family was still the same Huo family.

They always looked down upon anyone ‘not of their kind.’

Song Tan found it somewhat amusing.

She did indeed laugh.

Upon seeing her expression, Uncle Liu furrowed his brow.

Regarding Song Tan, although physically weak, her character is strong.

Previously, when she was about to deliver the prescription to Old Master, she faced the people in the Huo family head-on.

She offended everyone in that room.

So, a person with such a character, upon knowing that she and her husband were moving out of this courtyard to make room for someone else, should be… very angry, right?

But looking at the way she’s smiling, he’s not sure what her current attitude is.

Uncle Liu is tasked with testing Song Tan. Seeing this, he tentatively asks, “Young Master Shen Yin hasn’t returned yet, do you think we should…”

Should we move now, or wait for Shen Yin to come back and move together?

Song Tan squints slightly and says, “Let’s wait for Shen Yin to come back.”

Let him take a look.

The Huo family is not worth it.

So he can’t stand on the side of the Huo family in the future.

---

When Shen Yin received the message, he had just finished a big matter.

He looked at the message Uncle Liu sent him, a hint of mocking at the corner of his lips.

The old man is testing him.

Testing whether he is a pushover, like before.

Testing where his bottom line is.

The Huo family is almost over, but there’s still time for these games.

He didn’t reply to Uncle Liu’s message and went back directly.

After all, Song Tan was still at the Huo family.

---

Before Shen Yin came back, Song Tan didn’t send him a message.

Although Shen Yin has a gentle temperament, these are still his family, and if his family treats him like this, he should be very sad.

They are still on the same side for now; Shen Yin can’t get into trouble.

However, Shen Yin did call her.

On the phone, Shen Yin asked her if she wanted to eat Cha Ji’s roast duck.

Song Tan thought for a moment.

“I want.”

She used to not have a gluttonous personality, but it’s unclear whether it’s due to the scarcity of resources in the post-apocalyptic world, but now she has a strong interest in food.

When she hears about roasted duck, crispy duck skin and tender, juicy duck meat come to mind.

Originally, she had no appetite, but now, she’s hungry.

She wants to eat.

On the other end of the phone, Shen Yin heard her say she wants to eat and chuckled softly.

“Alright, I’ll bring it to you.”

Song Tan was brought back to her senses by his laughter.

Just now, she seemed to say the word ‘I want’ quite naturally.

It’s as if… they are an ordinary couple.

This subtle feeling has appeared more than once.

When she was at her house, she felt this subtle feeling as well.

Only when she raised her eyes to look at the exquisite cage-like Huo family mansion did she slowly come back to her senses.

Now, although she and Shen Yin are married, he is half a Huo family member and has a semi-hostile relationship with her.

She put on a smile again.

“I also want some congee from He Ji’s. Is that okay?”

“Sure, I’ll go get it.”

After hanging up the phone, Song Tan’s smile didn’t disappear, but it took on a somewhat meaningful tone.

After observing Shen Yin for these past few days, it’s highly likely that he’s acting awkward because of his complicated identity.

Although she doesn’t know how deep his feelings are for the Huo family, at least several times, he has stood on her side.

So… what are the chances of him falling out with the Huo family?

Song Tan’s fingers drew a question mark on the tabletop.

It’s unknown.

But it’s worth a try.

---

1. lit. meaning = happiness, used for wedding decorations ↩︎
2. the palace to banish concubine who committed a crime during Chinese dynasty era ↩︎

---

Song Tan can tell that Shen Yin is in a good mood today.

After pulling out the weeds, he made breakfast for Song Tan.

Song Tan observed Shen Yin for a long time and couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something happy going on?”

“Does pulling out the weeds count?”

Song Tan : ?

What kind of happy thing is that?

Song Tan doesn’t understand.

But Shen Yin explained to her seriously, “Pulling out the weeds is actually a very happy thing.”

Song Tan felt like there was more to his words.

But she knew her boundaries and didn’t press further. Instead, she said, “Well, congratulations on successfully removing the weeds?”

Meanwhile, in the Huo family.

After Huo Yanlin married Song Jiaojiao, Song Zhiwen offered his team and patents to the Huo family.

Although Song Zhiwen’s business acumen wasn’t great, he wasn’t a fool either.

Since Huo Yanlin was already his son-in-law, they were now family.

He wouldn’t let those in the Huo family who were watching his son-in-law off the hook.

In these past few days, the Huo family had indeed laid off quite a few people.

Among them were those with the last name Huo.

Huo Yanlin at this moment had not yet realized that something was amiss.

He had been trying to contact Su Ran lately, but Su Ran had blocked all his contact information. He couldn’t reach her no matter what.

He knew he had wronged her, but he had been forced into this situation.

If it weren’t for the Song family insisting on the marriage and pressuring him, he would never have married Song Jiaojiao.

Huo Yanlin resented the Song family, and he resented Song Zhiwen.

However, now he had to rely on Song Zhiwen.

So, Huo Yanlin didn’t confront Song Zhiwen head-on at this moment.

But, he had wanted to find Song Tan for a long time.

This Song Tan had instigated Song Jiaojiao to obtain a marriage certificate with him and brought Su Ran to the Huo family…

All these matters were related to Song Tan.

Huo Yanlin’s eyes flashed with danger.

Regardless of any previous grudges between them, he would not spare Song Tan.

---

Song Tan didn’t know what had happened to the Huo family.

After she had dinner with Shen Yin, Song Jiaojiao came over.

Song Jiaojiao couldn’t hold back and came to discuss matters related to the old mansion with Song Tan.

Song Jiaojiao had thought about it last night and felt that they could both compromise by using four prescriptions. Song Tan should agree.

If Song Tan still didn’t agree, then she… she… she would really have to sell her half of the mansion!

She had inquired about it yesterday. This old mansion could still fetch a good amount of money.

Song Jiaojiao was confident, so today, she came to confront Song Tan and make Song Tan nervous.

But Song Jiaojiao didn’t expect Shen Yin to be here at this old mansion as well.

Her gaze shifted between Song Tan and Shen Yin a few times.

Honestly, she hadn’t expected Song Tan and Shen Yin to look like such a loving couple after getting married.

This cousin of hers, although physically weak, had always had big ambitions and a proud heart.

Could Song Tan really be interested in Shen Yin, a poor scholar who appeared honest and had little money?

Well, Song Jiaojiao didn’t believe it.

But seeing Shen Yin chasing after Song Tan to this old mansion made Song Jiaojiao have doubts.

Song Jiaojiao just felt like there was something fishy about these two.

Song Jiaojiao was the kind of person who wore her heart on her sleeve.

Seeing Song Jiaojiao changing expressions, Song Tan couldn’t help but say, “Call him Jie Fu¹.”

Song Jiaojiao : “…”

Shen Yin, upon hearing this, cast a surprised glance at Song Tan.

The two of them took how they’re addressed very seriously.

After locking eyes with Song Tan for a moment, he then turned his gaze to Song Jiaojiao.

Although Song Jiaojiao was speechless, she still reluctantly called out, “Jie Fu.”

Shen Yin smiled slightly and replied, “Hmm.”

Song Jiaojiao : “…” She felt like she was calling a teacher back in school.

But she heaved a sigh of relief after considering that Shen Yin was originally a teacher.

Calling him ‘Jie Fu’ was a small price to pay, and the matter to be discussed was more important.

“I came early today because I wanted to ask you something,” Song Jiaojiao said. “Do you still want the ownership of this old mansion?”

Her Mom would be coming later, and if her Mom found out that she was using the ownership of this old house to negotiate with Song Tan, her Mom would be furious. So she didn’t care that Shen Yin was present and went straight to Song Tan.

“I don’t accept bargaining,” Song Tan replied calmly.

“Can’t we both compromise a bit?” Song Jiao Jiao asked.

Song Tan’s attitude remained unchanged. “No.”

Frustrated by Song Tan’s attitude, Song Jiaojiao said, “You just think I can’t sell it, that’s why you’re so confident. Let me tell you, I’ve asked around, and there are quite a few people interested in this old house.”

“So?” Song Tan asked.

Song Jiaojiao : “???”

What ‘so’?

Of course, it’s to complete the transaction with her!

She needed the prescription!

She was about to marry Huo Yanlin, and if she had a few more prescriptions in her hands, she could definitely capture Huo Yanlin’s heart.

“Sister, just give me one more. It’s no big deal for you,” she pleaded. The previous prescription she had obtained from Song Tan had brought her many benefits. So in Song Jiaojiao’s mind, the prescription had significant value, and getting one more from Song Tan would be a big win!

But Song Tan wasn’t a fool.

“No,” Song Tan firmly replied. Not even one more.

Those three prescriptions already have quite a few mature research results in the market. So it’s okay to give them to Song Jiaojiao, and Song Jiaojiao can then pass them on to Huo Yanlin.

If the Huo research team can make further progress, it would also benefit the public.

But one more prescription…

No.

Song Tan won’t give even one more.

Song Jiaojiao really didn’t expect Song Tan to be so stingy, not giving even one more, not making any concessions.

She puffed her cheeks and threatened, “Since that’s the case, if I sell it, you’ll regret it.”

Song Tan stared at Song Jiaojiao.

Just as the two sides were about to stalemate, Song Jiaojiao’s mother, An Yue, suddenly appeared at the door.

“I see, Song Tan, I wondered why Jiaojiao insisted on using half of the old mansion’s property rights as her dowry, so it seems like you’re the one who instigated this.”

After listening at the door for a while, An Yue probably guessed the whole story.

Her foolish daughter had been completely fooled by Song Tan.

“Impossible, I’m telling you, don’t even think about it.”

Seeing An Yue appear and hearing what she said, Song Tan’s eyebrows slightly furrowed.

An Yue and Song Zhiwen, this couple, knew how to manipulate Song Tan.

So, even if they weren’t interested in this old mansion, they still wanted to get a hold of it.

And then, threaten Song Tan.

This kind of behavior was truly despicable.

As Song Tan frowned slightly, Shen Yin, who had been invisible on the side, stepped behind Song Tan and moved her wheelchair back a bit.

When Song Tan just faced An Yue, she looked like a naive girl encountering a malicious aunt in a TV drama.

Although Song Tan might not necessarily suffer, she is now his person, and he cannot let her face malicious elders directly.

After Shen Yin pushed Song Tan away, he faced An Yue.

Originally, Shen Yin had a friendly temperament due to his academic and teaching background.

However, when facing An Yue, his presence was very strong.

It made An Yue, who had always been domineering in front of Song Tan, take a step back.

She had clearly seen this man just now, but she subconsciously ignored him…

Now he suddenly appeared and really startled her.

However, she straightened her back.

Now she was Huo Yanlin’s mother-in-law, and this Shen Yin, although half a member of the Huo family, did not seem to have much presence in the Huo family.

Wasn’t her status much higher than his?

“Shen Yin, although you are considered part of the Huo family, since you married our Song Tan, shouldn’t you also address me as Aunt-in-law?”

The same scene happened to Shen Yin.

“Call you Aunt-in-law, will you give money?” Song Tan said with a faint smile.

An Yue : “?”

“You consider yourself an elder, so when Shen Yin calls you for the first time, shouldn’t you give him a red envelope? It’s only fair.”

An Yue, as a person, was known for taking in but not giving out. Others joked that she was probably a mythical creature called ‘Pixiu’ that brought in wealth but never gave it away.

If she asked him to call her Aunt-in-law and she has to give money…

Forget it, not a chance.

“You have quite an imagination.”

An Yue gave Song Tan a stern look and then didn’t insist on having Shen Yin address her. Instead, she said, “This is our family matter between me and Song Tan. It’s better if you don’t get involved.”

“I have already married Song Tan, so now I am her husband. Her family matters are my family matters, and it’s not a matter of getting involved or not.”

After speaking, Shen Yin continued, “Our Song Tan has a weak constitution and can’t handle scares. Let me talk with you.”

Shen Yin had a natural aura that made people submit, and An Yue unconsciously followed Shen Yin to the side.

When she came to her senses, she couldn’t help but angrily say, “Who do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?”

The voice of a middle-aged woman when she was angry was quite loud, and even though there was some distance between them, Song Tan could still hear her.

Song Tan looked in the direction of the two, her eyes showing concern, but in her heart, she thought, This is going to be interesting.

She didn’t know how Shen Yin, a cultured person, would handle her aunt who was known for being unreasonable. She expected some drama.

Song Jiaojiao didn’t follow her Mom and Shen Yin.

Her Mom had never lost in an argument before, and if her Mom faced Shen Yin, it should be Shen Yin who would come out on the losing end.

However, Song Jiaojiao turned to Song Tan and said, “I didn’t expect that your husband, though not very capable, would be quite protective of you.”

Shen Yin seemed to be the type who avoided conflicts, but today he had stepped forward without hesitation to defend Song Tan.

Song Jiaojiao couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.

Although she was marrying Huo Yanlin, the day she saw him relentlessly pursuing another woman made her feel ashamed.

If she didn’t love him so much, she would never have married him.

But she loved him.

She was just one step away from getting him, and she was not about to give up.

There was envy and determination in Song Jiaojiao’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Song Tan was close to rolling her eyes.

In the original plot, Song Tan married Huo Yanlin, and Song Jiaojiao went out of her way to make things difficult for Song Yan, blindly protecting Huo Yanlin.

And when Song Tan was deceived by the Huo family and returned to the old mansion with nothing, Song Jiaojiao still tried to harm Song Tan, thinking it would make Huo Yanlin notice her more.

Indeed, this thing called ‘love brain’ is terrifying.

However, Song Tan has no intention of dragging the ‘love brained’ out of the quagmire.

Since Song Jiaojiao is determined to dive into the depths of trouble without any regrets, Song Tan naturally has the ‘obligation’ to lend Song Jiaojiao a hand.

“Emotions develop through interaction, especially after marriage. Even if his heart may not be with you temporarily, as long as you have him, his heart will eventually return to you.”

Song Tan imparted this non-existent experience, watching Song Jiaojiao nodding confidently, slightly curling her lips, and smiling.

Song Jiaojiao is listening well.

---

Author’s note:

Great Scammer Song : Tsk tsk…

---

rokumi’s note : I’m actually quite confused about Huo Yanlin and Song Jiaojiao’s marital status, but I guess they had already gotten the certificate but hadn’t had the wedding yet? Hence Song Zhiwen has regarded Huo Yanlin as his son-in-law while Song Jiaojiao still said she was about to marry Huo Yanlin.

---

1. 姐夫 (jiě fū) meaning husband of elder sister ↩︎

---

Before, when Song Tan lived in this old mansion, she hired someone to cook for her.

But when Song Tan was about to get married, Song Zhiwen used this as an excuse to directly dismiss the cook. At that time, she was seriously ill, and she couldn’t muster the strength to resist him.

So, she could only watch helplessly as Song Zhiwen sent away the people around her.

Now that she has returned to this old mansion, she doesn’t have anyone to help her, so she’s basically making do with cooking some porridge.

She just didn’t expect Shen Yin to come to her, and he stayed until night.

Originally, she wanted to tell Shen Yin that it was already late and he should go back.

But now, because her stomach growled, Shen Yin was in the kitchen cooking for her…

She lived in the east wing, which had a small kitchen attached to it.

The area was not large, but it was fairly well-equipped. However, there wasn’t much food, only some rice and vegetables.

“You eat just this when you’re home?”

Song Tan blinked, feeling a bit guilty for some reason, “It’s not like that.”

“Instant meals?”

Song Tan : ?

“The ones in your room, I saw them.”

Song Tan : “…”

Shen Yin’s observational skills were pretty good. She had hidden the instant meals under the table in her room, and if onedidn’t pay attention, they wouldn’t notice them. But Shen Yin had seen them.

This indicated that his observational skills were quite impressive.

Seeing that Song Tan was silent, Shen Yin said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t consider it carefully.”

Indeed, he hadn’t thought that when Song Tan returned to the Song family, even what to eat would be a problem.

Seeing Shen Yin blaming himself, Song Tan raised an eyebrow slightly.

But then she sighed lightly.

“It’s my own fault, I can’t even cook.”

After saying that, she lowered her head with some distress, looking somewhat self-blaming.

Shen Yin looked at her, only seeing the top of her head.

The corners of his lips curled slightly, then he comforted, “How can this be your fault?”

The two of them played the loving couple act very convincingly.

One sang, the other harmonized.

Even without an audience, they performed quite convincingly.

Especially when Shen Yin rolled up his sleeves and cooked for Song Tan.

Song Tan was indeed somewhat surprised.

Although Shen Yin was not highly regarded in the Huo family, he was still a rich young master and had never set foot in the kitchen.

But watching his unfamiliar movements, learning from his phone while not very skillfully rinsing the rice and putting it in the pot, the corners of Song Tan’s mouth curled up again.

---

A skilled cook can’t prepare a meal without rice¹.

For dinner, Shen Yin didn’t do anything fancy, but he had made some preparations. He had paid a high price to have two nutritious meals delivered.

Song Tan looked at Shen Yin through the steam rising from the takeout boxes.

“What’s the matter?”

“Thank you.”

When Shen Yin heard this ‘thank you,’ he paused slightly, and then he heard her continue, “Apart from my Grandpa, no one has ever cared whether I ate or what I ate.”

Song Tan’s expression was obscured by the rising steam and wasn’t very clear.

From her, there was a sense of sadness, giving off an endearing feeling.

“Even if there’s no one around, you still have to eat well.”

When Shen Yin said this, he lowered his head to serve her some food. Song Tan couldn’t see his expression clearly, but she could sense a hint of coldness in his tone.

Song Ta raised an eyebrow slightly.

She feels… the Shen Yin from just a moment ago is the real Shen Yin.

The Shen Yin without mask.

…

Song Tan won’t mistreat her own body.

After putting on a show in front of Shen Yin, she starts eating with small bites.

It’s been two days since she had such a rich and delicious meal, so Song Tan naturally wants to savor it.

As for Shen Yin in front of her, he has slept the whole day at her place and is already hungry.

Song Tan observes that he has had three bowls of rice.

A man eating three bowls of rice… is not that unusual.

But watching Shen Yin sit quietly at the dining table, clearly hungry but still maintaining table manners, that look…

Well, it’s a bit cute.

Shen Yin doesn’t know what Song Tan is thinking at this moment, but he is indeed hungry.

He slept the whole day today and is starving.

Now, he needs to fill his stomach first.

Unconsciously, he has already eaten thirty thousand grains of rice, and he’s starting to come back to his senses…

His appetite today seems quite good.

It seems like this place of the Song family is a treasure trove.

Even without Old Master Song around, it can still improve sleep and appetite.

It looks like he can consider buying the other half of the Song family’s mansion from Song Zhiwen.

Just wondering… what will happen if Song Tan finds out she has to be his ‘neighbor.’

---

After dinner, it’s already past eight in the evening.

This time, Shen Yin didn’t drop any hints but said directly, “I’m worried about you living alone here. I’ll stay tonight.”

Song Tan : ???

“I wasn’t quite clear about the situation here before, but now I know. I can’t let you stay alone here.”

Although it’s not a remote place, there are other houses not far from the big mansion. However, Song Tan’s health is not good, so leaving her alone here would test Shen Yin’s conscience.

Although he boasted that he wasn’t a person with a conscience, he could not let Song Tan get into trouble in front of him.

He didn’t consult with Song Tan; he made the decision directly.

“Or maybe, you’re going back with me today?”

Seeing Song Tan’s hesitant expression, Shen Yin asked again.

Song Tan : “…”

Going back… for now, she didn’t want to.

“Jiaojiao is not married yet, she’ll come over tomorrow to ask for my help.”

So, she had to stay at this old mansion for one more night.

“Okay, then I’ll stay.”

Song Tan : “…”

Song Tan looked at Shen Yin, seeming to have something to say but stopped. However, it seemed that Shen Yin hadn’t noticed the meaning in her eyes. He raised his hand to check his wristwatch and said, “It’s getting late; you should wash up and go to bed.”

As soon as Shen Yin finished speaking, Song Tan felt her eyelids getting heavy.

She looked at Shen Yin in surprise.

Could Shen Yin be practicing some kind of witchcraft? How come she started feeling drowsy as soon as he spoke?

But Shen Yin didn’t explain himself and instead brought over a bowl, looking at Song Tan.

That look was just like a teacher staring at a student, asking why the student wasn’t moving.

Song Tan remained silent for two seconds and then stood up.

Since Shen Yin insisted, she would see what he wanted to do.

Song Tan was genuinely tired.

She would prioritize her physical well-being; as for the rest, she would consider it tomorrow.

“Well, as you wish?”

“Good.”

The two of them were married, and Shen Yin could be considered half a member of this family. He could be a bit more relaxed in his own home; it was reasonable.

Song Tan wanted to see what he wanted to do, so she didn’t ask any further. However, before she fell asleep, she used the system’s monitoring function.

The system is currently in self-maintenance mode, so it has no consciousness, but it can still use the basic functions of the system.

The system’s most basic function is monitoring.

It covers the entire old mansion, doesn’t need charging, has no blindspot, and has unlimited storage space.

So, even if Song Tan is asleep, she can still know what Shen Yin did at night.

After cleaning up the dishes and utensils, Shen Yin glanced at Song Tan, who had already settled down in the bedroom.

She lay quietly on the bed, her delicate white hands folded on the blanket, her sleeping posture very obedient.

But Shen Yin’s brow furrowed, and he walked to the side of the bed.

Song Tan woke up involuntarily.

But she didn’t open her eyes, waiting for Shen Yin’s next move.

Shen Yin walked to her side and then held her hand.

Although she was used to holding hands, she couldn’t help but feel a flutter in her heart.

Fortunately, Song Tan could endure.

She controlled her instincts, letting Shen Yin grab her hand and put it under the blanket.

Song Tan: “…”

She almost forgot that Shen Yin seemed to have a bit of OCD.

After he put her hand under the blanket and let go, Song Tan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, Shen Yin didn’t do anything else afterward, otherwise, Song Tan would have to pretend to wake up again.

After tucking her hand under the blanket, Shen Yin went to check the doors and windows, and when he saw that no wind was coming in, he left the bedroom.

Then, he went straight to the abandoned herb garden behind Song Tan’s bedroom, which had been neglected for a long time.

---

Song Tan had a good night’s sleep this night.

Since returning from the apocalyptic world, her sleep quality had improved significantly.

Specifically, even if she has something on her mind, she can sleep very soundly.

Of course, if someone approaches, she will immediately wake up.

After getting enough sleep, she washed up while looking at what Shen Yin did last night.

After leaving her bedroom, Shen Yin went straight to the herb garden.

He…

Song Tan fell silent, and after hastily washing up, she went directly to the herb garden.

The original herb garden had grown quite a few weeds because no one had been taking care of it.

But now, all the weeds in the herb garden had been cleared.

She was not just surprised; she was astonished.

“You did all of this in one night?”

This question was a bit redundant.

She had seen it on the system’s surveillance. Shen Yin had stayed up all night pulling weeds in the garden.

All these piles of weeds, nearly half a person’s height, were all the results of his one-night work.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to get some exercise.”

Song Tan: “…” He had slept all day yesterday, so it was indeed difficult to fall asleep at night.

But when you can’t sleep, you come to pull weeds…

All she could say was that Shen Yin was truly one of a kind.

Was he always like this?

Song Tan felt a bit complicated. She had originally thought that Shen Yin was trying to stay with her for some ulterior motive, but now, seeing him staying up all night to clear the weeds in the herb garden, she felt somewhat embarrassed about her previous suspicions.

Of course, Song Tan would never admit to this.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Song Tan saw that his sleeves and pants were covered in dirt, and after a night of ‘work,’ his hair was slightly damp with sweat.

However, these things didn’t make him look messy; on the contrary, they added a unique charm to him.

“Your clothes are dirty.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yin glanced at himself and then smiled. “It’s okay, I brought spare clothes. I can wash up later.”

Song Tan: “…” He had thought it through thoroughly.

However, Shen Yin’s attention was clearly not on the clothes.

His eyes were fixed on the medicinal herbs in this garden.

“Look how lovely they are.”

These medicinal herbs were not carefully planted, but they thrived in the days when no one was tending to them, competing with weeds for space, and growing towards the sun.

Now that the weeds were gone, they swayed in the wind, as if waving to thank someone.

Song Tan’s lips curved upwards, nodding in praise, “Indeed, they are very lovely.”

---

Author’s note:

Song Tan : She doesn’t have to spend money, so of course they’re lovely.

---

1. This expression is often used to emphasize the importance of having the necessary ingredients or resources to accomplish a task or achieve a goal. ↩︎

---

Song Tan stayed in the bedroom for a while.

She wasn’t sure whether Shen Yin was really asleep or just pretending, but she didn’t want to stay in this room for long.

Song Tan glanced at Shen Yin lying on the bed she had slept in since she was a child, then walked out of the bedroom door.

The wind blew on her slightly flushed cheeks, causing Song Tan’s thoughts to wander.

For now, she would see what her husband wanted to do.

---

Song Jiaojiao finally managed to get the half ownership of the old mansion from her parents.

She immediately came back to find Song Tan.

However, instead of transferring the ownership of the property to Song Tan right away, she raised her chin and said, “My parents said they can give it to me, but not to you.”

Song Tan’s heart tightened.

But she remained calm on the surface.

“So, are you saying that you want to cancel our deal?”

There was a slight change in Song Jiaojiao’s expression.

Of course not!

She had put in so much effort to persuade her parents to make this old mansion one of her dowries. Her purpose was not to keep the old mansion. Although the old mansion was large and had some historical value, it was just a rundown yard if they didn’t plan to sell it. All the valuable things had already been taken by them after Grandpa Song passed away.

Although it was the old mansion, Song Jiaojiao’s family didn’t live there regularly. She usually stayed with her parents in the small western-style house. On the other hand, Song Tan had been living in the old mansion with Grandpa Song since Song Tan didn’t have parents, so Song Tan naturally had a deeper emotional attachment to the place.

She didn’t tell her parents why she wanted the ownership of this old mansion, but they had reminded her that the old house held great sentimental value for Song Tan and could be used as leverage against Song Tan. She certainly wouldn’t let Song Tan take it away easily!

“Five prescription forms.”

Song Jiaojiao extended her hand and formed the number five with her fingers.

Song Tan looked at her.

“Five prescriptions, it isn’t excessive, is it?” Song Jiaojiao was very pleased and said, “Now the half ownership is in my hands. If I want to sell my half, you can’t do anything about it.”

Song Tan realized that Song Jiaojiao was threatening her.

Indeed, Song Jiaojiao has become quite accomplished; now she knows how to threaten people.

Seeing no expression on Song Tan’s face, Song Jiaojiao didn’t know what Song Tan was thinking at the moment. Song Jiaojiao continued, “I’ve been disliking this old mansion for a long time. As soon as I enter, there’s a strong medicinal smell. If I stay here for too long, I’ll be infused with the smell.”

Listening to these words, Song Tan narrowed her eyes.

She just turned slightly, and Song Jiaojiao didn’t see Song Tan’s current expression.

Song Jiaojiao continued, “If I sell it at a discount, I can definitely find a buyer. You don’t want to live with someone you don’t know, do you?”

“I don’t care.”

Song Jiaojiao : ???

She suspected that she misheard.

“What did you say?”

“I don’t care. If you want to sell, go ahead.”

Song Tan’s voice was calm, devoid of any emotion. It was as if she hadn’t taken seriously the threatening words that had just been spoken.

Song Jiaojiao was somewhat incredulous. “I’m serious, not joking. I really will sell it.”

She certainly hoped that Song Tan would give her a couple more prescriptions than sell the house now.

She deeply regretted it now.

When her Grandpa was writing his will, she should have demanded those prescriptions.

Who would have known those prescriptions would be so valuable? Now she had given them all to Song Tan for cheap.

Nervously, Song Jiaojiao looked at Song Tan.

However, Song Tan understood Song Jiaojiao better than Song Jiaojiao herself.

Song Jiaojiao has been sheltered by her parents since she was a child and has never experienced any hardships. She always appeared innocent.

Her every little thought was written all over her face.

She just wanted to swindle Song Tan out of a couple of prescriptions.

But prescriptions cannot be given in excess.

Even the promised three prescriptions were already a lot.

“What do you want to do, just do it.”

After saying that, Song Tan turned and walked into the room.

It seemed like she didn’t care at all if Song Jiaojiao sold the old house.

She wasn’t in a hurry, but Song Jiaojiao was.

“Hey, Song Tan, you…”

Song Jiaojiao was getting a bit frustrated.

But Song Tan didn’t hesitate at all, she just turned and left.

This made Song Jiaojiao wonder : Could it be that Song Tan doesn’t actually care about the old mansion that much?

No way.

Song Tan grew up in this old house, and all the furniture in her room was made by her parents when they were still alive.

If Song Jiaojiao really sold the other half of the house, would Song Tan agree to live with strangers?

Song Tan must be bluffing, right?

But Song Tan really turned and entered the house without any hesitation!

Song Tan naturally could control her anger.

Whether Song Jiaojiao sold or traded with her, she had a way to get this old house back.

The premise was that Song Jiaojiao had to make the sale.

Song Zhiwen and his wife had the idea of selling this old house when Grandpa Song was still alive.

They said at the time that they wanted to take Grandpa Song and Song Tan to a villa in the city to enjoy their retirement and then sell this old mansion.

Grandpa’s attitude was very firm, absolutely not allowed.

He said, “While I’m alive, don’t even think about it. But if I pass away, this old mansion will be divided in two. If you want to handle it, you must reach a unanimous decision.”

There were two reasons Grandpa Song made this arrangement. First, he was concerned that after he left, Song Zhiwen would immediately dispose of this old mansion, leaving Song Tan with nowhere to live. Second, he knew that once he was gone, this family would completely fall apart.

To stay or not to stay… It’s up to them.

However, Grandpa probably didn’t expect that his son would use this half of the mansion to threaten his most cherished granddaughter.

Song Tan’s eyes turned cold.

Now it depends on whether Song Jiaojiao can endure it.

Song Tan returned to her bedroom from the main gate and took a glance inside.

She discovered that Shen Yin was still sleeping.

It seemed that after she left, Shen Yin hadn’t even left her bed.

Song Tan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Could it be that Shen Yin really come here just to rest?

---

Shen Yin had a good sleep.

Perhaps it was the most peaceful and reassuring sleep he had had in over a decade.

When he woke up, he looked at the carved patterns on the bed and was momentarily lost in thought.

Then, he rolled off Song Tan’s small bed.

It was already nightfall, and the air had turned slightly cool.

He walked out of Song Tan’s bedroom and saw Song Tan sitting in a wheelchair, covered in a thick blanket, gazing at the sky.

The courtyard’s lights were not very bright, casting a blurry silhouette of the young girl.

She was looking up at the sky with a faint sense of melancholy, lost in her thoughts.

“What are you thinking about?”

Shen Yin spoke, and Song Tan, upon hearing his voice, turned to look back.

Shen Yin was awake.

He had finally awakened…

She originally ‘let the wolf into the room’ to see if the ‘wolf’ had any ulterior motives.

As a result, she didn’t expect that the ‘wolf’ just came in to sleep.

While he was sleeping inside, she didn’t want to stay inside the room watching him sleep, so she sat outside and looked at the stars.

“Looking at the stars.”

It had been a long time since she had seen the stars.

In the apocalypse, the sky was always gloomy, and the air could be tainted with the zombie virus. Unless necessary, people wouldn’t linger outside.

As for the real world…

Because the nighttime temperature was lower than during the day, and her health wasn’t great, staying outside for too long, especially in the damp night, could worsen her condition.

Today… one reason was that Shen Yin occupied her room, and the other…

She raised her head and looked at the sky.

When she was young, Song Jiaojiao used to brag about having parents, while she didn’t.

She asked her Grandpa for her parents, and at that time, she was still very young. Her Grandpa would comfort her, saying that her parents had turned into stars.

If she missed her parents, she could look up at the sky, and they would know she was thinking about them.

At that time, she was always troubled. There were so many stars in the sky, which two were her parents?

Later, she learned more and knew more.

Naturally, she understood that the stars in the sky were not her parents.

For a while, she refused to look up at the sky and avoided any topic about stars.

She was also holding a grudge against Grandpa for quite a while.

Looking back now, she realized she was a bit childish back then.

As for her now, she’s looking up at the stars again.

In her heart, she thought, Maybe that one is Grandpa, and that one is Mom and Dad.

Song Tan didn’t say a word.

But Shen Yin, looking at the expression on her face, felt like she had said a lot.

Song Tan is usually quite reserved.

Even he sometimes can’t tell if she’s speaking the truth or probing.

Not to mention showing such an expression.

This expression, he knows all too well.

Back when he was bullied by the people in the Huo family, he liked to look up at the sky.

At that time, he already understood that when people die, they’re just gone; they won’t turn into stars and watch over you like adults say.

But when he looked up at the sky with the wind gently brushing his face, it felt like someone was caressing his cheek.

It felt like… his Mom was still there.

Comforting him.

Shen Yin pushed up his glasses and said, “It’s cold outside; don’t stay out here too long.’

Shen Yin’s hand touched the fluffy blanket wrapped around her, and because of the cold outside, it felt a bit chilly.

But the temperature near Song Tan was quite warm.

When Song Tan saw him looking, she held up a hot water bottle she had in her arms.

“I’m holding this so I won’t feel cold at all.”

After saying that, Song Tan sneezed.

And she happened to be facing Shen Yin.

Song Tan : “…”

How could she embarrass herself like this?

Shen Yin glanced deeply at Song Tan and saw embarrassment on her face. Instead of reaching out to wipe her face, he said to her, “It’s time to go in.”

After saying that, without caring whether Song Tan agreed or not, Shen Yin pushed her wheelchair and took her inside the room.

Song Tan : “…”

Although Shen Yin didn’t say anything, Song Tan still felt like her image had been ruined.

Song Tan still cared somewhat about her image.

But it seemed like fate had other plans, knowing what she cared about and choosing to be mischievous.

After Shen Yin pushed her into the room, her stomach growled.

Since there were only the two of them in the room, it was very quiet, and her stomach growling was quite loud and attention-grabbing, making Song Tan blush deeply.

Most importantly…

She heard a light chuckle behind her.

Then she heard Shen Yin ask her, “Are you hungry?”

Song Tan : “…”

Her image was completely ruined…

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