Chapter 56 concludes the main text. Our little grape...

56

Ning Zhitao has been hearing people calling her lately.

The sound seemed to come from afar, yet it also seemed to be right beside me.

Her chubby, fair face turned away, but she couldn't find the right direction, so she pricked up her round ears and tried her best to listen.

However, it is normal for a child to be called by adults.

For example, her mother likes to call her Tao Tao in a sweeter and softer voice than usual; her father will call her by her full name when she goes too far with parkour at home; her grandfather will ask Ning Zhi Tao what time she has PE class outside the kindergarten fence; and Teacher Youzi will also call her Little Grape in a chattering and shouting manner.

These calls were all very warm, so Ning Zhitao responded to the voices from afar with enthusiasm.

"I'm here!"

No matter who calls her, she's always there.

Recently, she overheard her parents' conversation. Her father was "preparing for marriage," and her mother was "keeping an eye on potential partners." Although she didn't understand exactly what that meant, it didn't stop her from being just as busy as her parents.

Busy welcoming my favorite season!

After Children's Day, summer arrives.

She is actually a child who is very afraid of the heat, but her absolute favorite season is summer. She loves the sunny beach and watermelon shaved ice, and she loves watching TV at home with her parents in air conditioning.

Before summer vacation, their last assignment at kindergarten was to write an essay describing the times as seen through the eyes of the children.

Because when school starts again, they will be in the senior class, with one foot already in elementary school, practically adults.

After Zhang Sijie handed in her essay, she leaned on the table and asked her, "Taotao, what did you write?"

Some of the children around me wrote that this is an era of rapid change and technological breakthroughs, while others, who were more mature, wrote that it is an era of intense competition.

Ning Zhitao didn't think that much about it. She didn't actually know what era she was in. It seemed to be even more distant than the present, but it seemed that the cub's language ability was not enough to describe it.

In the past, when children introduced their birthdays, they would only say the month and the day, comparing who was older and who was younger. At this time, Ning Zhitao would get caught up in the struggle of counting on her fingers.

By month, she's older than Sijie. But by year, how do you calculate it?

But it doesn't matter!

As long as she's with her parents, that's fine.

There's one more arts and physical education class this afternoon, and then they'll be on summer vacation!

Zhang Sijie's mother is taking her to her parents' house for a month to escape the summer heat, so the two best friends can only meet again when school starts. Ning Zhitao has already started to miss her best friend!

Will they all grow taller after school starts? Ning Zhitao is almost five years old. What will she be like at five?

The last class before summer vacation was very relaxing. The children were divided into different groups to play "Eagle Catches Chicks". Zhang Sijie looked in the direction of Tao Tao with reluctance, gritted her teeth and told herself to be strong, otherwise she would not see her for another summer vacation.

Several groups of children were playing in different areas. Tao Tao's group was behind the play equipment, very close to the kindergarten fence.

She was still fully engaged in the game. Children's lives are so simple: go to kindergarten, play games, eat and drink milk, and wait for mom and dad to pick me up from school. So Ning Zhitao quickly got into the swing of things and was running around at the back of the line.

She sensed someone watching her out of the corner of her eye. At first, she thought it was her grandfather, but when the person got closer, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

How did this person get over the fence?

Grandpa couldn't possibly have that skill.

Ning Zhitao turned around and saw a strange adult who looked somewhat familiar.

The man looked around as he precisely reached out his hand towards Ning Zhitao, his eyes filled with greed.

I thought it would take some effort, but I didn't expect this little kid to be so easy to find. I recognized her at a glance; she looks exactly like her mother when she was a child.

Ning Zhitao quickly sensed something was wrong and immediately called out, "Teacher!"

"Don't call me that, child. I'm your maternal grandfather, your mother's father." Wang Xuebing squatted down and forced a kind smile.

Wang Xuebing was detained inside for several months, unaware of what was happening outside or why that celebrity had bailed him out. The other party had only one request: to let Ning Ye and her wealthy man experience suffering as well.

Wang Xuebing feigned kindness, knowing that his future wealth depended entirely on this little brat.

Ning Zhitao suddenly realized why he looked familiar—her father had taken him to the police station last time! What grandfather? She had never heard her mother call him father, so Ning Zhitao didn't believe it at all.

"Teacher Yuzu! Teacher—"

Teacher Yuzu was in charge of several groups of children, and she never expected that someone would be so audacious as to climb over the wall into the kindergarten to grab a child. She was shocked and told the other children to stand still and not run around, and then she ran over while calling for security.

"Who are you! What do you do!"

Seeing that things were not going well, Wang Xuebing reached out to grab Ning Zhitao's arm.

Teacher Yuzu's heart sank. If something were to really happen to Tao Tao, not only would she be heartbroken, but Tao Tao's parents certainly wouldn't let this matter go easily either.

"Let go of me! I'm calling the police!"

Just as Wang Xuebing had grabbed Ning Zhitao's sleeve, another figure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It didn't look very tall, but it pounced on Wang Xuebing with great agility.

A slap landed on Wang Xuebing's face, accompanied by a string of curses: "Are you ever going to stop? Are you ever going to stop?! You even dared to lay a hand on a child! Isn't harming one child enough?"

Wang Xuebing was caught off guard and slapped several times before he could react. He immediately tried to punch and kick the person on top of him, yelling, "Ning Cuizhen, are you fucking crazy? What are you doing following me, you old hag?!"

Teacher Yuzu had already arrived with the security guards. They saw a thin, old woman in worn-out clothes pinning down the old man. Although she acted like a shrew, she managed to protect the child.

Teacher Youzi pulled Taotao back, but the child, unaware of fear, craned her neck to look forward, curiously observing this unusually fierce grandmother.

Ning Cuizhen's movements had exhausted her strength, her face showing the weariness of someone nearing the end of their life, but she still stubbornly used her full weight to press down on Wang Xuebing, pointing at the teacher as she looked up, "Quickly, take this son of a bitch down—"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly saw half a head peeking out from behind the teacher, with big, dark grape-like eyes looking at her curiously. Ning Cuizhen suddenly swallowed the rest of her vulgarities, awkwardly straightened the hem of her clothes, and handed Wang Xuebing over to the security guard.

She turned to leave.

But at the kindergarten gate, two figures rushed over one after the other.

Upon seeing the young woman at the front, Ning Cuizhen paused, immediately turned around, and prepared to leave through the back gate of the kindergarten.

Ning Ye saw from afar that Tao Tao was alright, and then she saw Ning Cuizhen. She felt both anxious and angry.

Bian Xun followed her one step away and learned the whole story over the phone.

Xu Lanyi has really gone mad.

After being publicly executed, she was taken to the police station but no drugs were detected, so she couldn't be detained. However, her life had been completely ruined and her mentality was utterly distorted. So, when the Xu family used all their connections, she used some of her connections to visit Wang Xuebing a few times. Finally, on the last day before the kindergarten's summer vacation, she managed to get him released.

Bian Xun put down his phone, his dark eyes turning icy.

Now she had a perfectly valid reason to go inside and stay.

The police station discovered the situation quickly and immediately notified Bian Xun. He and Ning Ye arrived almost one after the other, but they didn't expect someone to be there even faster than them.

At this moment, Ning Cuizhen was extremely flustered. She tried to run away by pushing through the crowd, but Teacher Youzi wanted to thank the aunt who had acted bravely, so she held her back and wouldn't let her go.

Ning Ye jogged over and shouted, "Stop her!"

This little old lady is really amazing. For so long, the vast model of Wujiang has been unable to find any trace of her, but she can appear here mysteriously to protect her child.

Ning Cuizhen couldn't escape and became extremely anxious. "Why are you stopping me? I haven't done anything wrong!"

She stomped her feet in frustration, and couldn't help but punch Wang Xuebing's head several times with a loud thud. Her skinny arms were incredibly strong. It was all that bastard's fault.

Ning Ye finally arrived, took Tao Tao's hand with one hand, and grabbed the hem of her very old and washed clothes with the other. "Mom."

Ning Cuizhen froze. This kindergarten was new and beautiful. As a parent of a student here, she must be living a good life. Why would anyone want parents like this? How unsightly!

So she stiffly pretended not to hear, looked at the teacher, and said, "Make sure this dog... Wang Xuebing is locked up properly. Can I go now?"

Ning Ye looked at this stubborn person with clear, almond-shaped eyes. By now, she was someone who could understand both her mother and her child.

Ning Zhitao, who was standing next to her, looked up at her mother, then turned to look at the person her mother was calling.

Ning Zhitao stepped forward like a little adult and called out, "Grandma."

Ning Cuizhen was stunned for a moment.

A crisp, childlike voice rang out, like a refreshing sprinkle of talcum powder in summer. She hesitated for a moment, then turned her head and finally looked at Ning Ye and the child next to her.

The little girl, about four or five years old, tilted her head back, her eyes, as black as grapes, were pure and bright, and she smiled, creating a dimple.

Ning Cuizhen was stunned for a moment, and then actually quieted down. Finally, she quietly turned her head and wiped her eyes.

She seemed to see Ning Ye as a child.

But this "Little Ningye" had a rosy, plump complexion and didn't seem to have suffered at all, nor did her parents let her suffer. She was raised so well, just like all parents would want to see, safe and gentle.

Ning Zhitao held her mother's hand and said with a smile, "Thank you for protecting me!"

The stubborn old lady was easily broken down and helplessly clutched her clothes.

Bian Xun stood behind Ning Ye and the child, bent down and asked her, "Weren't you scared just now?"

Ning Zhitao shook her head, "No, Dad, I just remembered you arrested that person. You can definitely arrest him again!"

A smile appeared in Bian Xun's eyes as he patted her head. "That's right."

He raised his dark eyes and looked at Wang Xuebing.

A person who has never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father should live a more painful life for the rest of his days.

Ning Zhitao tugged at her mother's hand again and whispered to Ning Ye, "Mom, what do you want Grandma to do?"

Ning Ye looked down at the child's earnest yet bright eyes, and her heart softened.

A child's existence is like a kitten's paw pad in life, carefully and adorably supporting the heavy world of adults. Just by existing, she purifies and heals the world, turning it into a fairy tale.

Ning Ye put her arm around Tao Tao's shoulder and whispered to her, "I want Grandma to be protected too."

Ning Zhitao immediately conveyed the message, "Grandma, you must listen to my mother, okay? We will protect you."

Ning Ye smiled.

With Tao Tao around, those events that would have been conflicting, rigid, and unfamiliar were instead covered up with children's scribbles in a random and haphazard way, and then, as if stamped with the seal of a human infant, the world began to operate according to the laws of the infant.

This is the power of the King of Grapes.

Finally, Wang Xuebing was personally taken back to the Municipal Bureau by Bian Xun. Along with the president's car arrived Wujiang's legal team. This time, they not only wanted to ensure that Wang Xuebing would never get out again, but also to ensure that the once-glorious actress Xu could finally enjoy a government job.

Ning Cuizhen was finally sent by Ning Ye for a more comprehensive medical examination. The diagnosis was not optimistic, but this stubborn woman was illuminated by Ning Zhitao at the end of her life and surprisingly gained an unprecedented peace.

In addition, Ning Zhitao also had to take some time to approve Old Master Bian's invitation.

Great-grandfather has been eagerly awaiting his return.

In Ning Zhitao's favorite summer, she finally granted a general amnesty and forgave her grandfather who had once said that her father was not her father. As long as he would not treat her mother badly in the future, Ning Zhitao would occasionally visit his home!

Grandpa Bian wept with joy, while the old butler beside him shook his head repeatedly.

It's over, it's really over. This old man will probably have to take his child's surname from now on.

In short, the entire Bian family mansion eagerly awaited Tao Tao's arrival, and those relatives who used to point fingers at her in the ancestral hall now had to give way to Ning Zhi Tao and let her pass first.

Ning Zhitao is still a very polite child, but she has said before that she can do whatever she wants in the entire Bian family mansion.

This summer, Ning Zhitao mainly spent time with her parents, sometimes visiting her maternal grandmother, and sometimes visiting her paternal grandfather.

After you've finished reading yours, let's move on to yours.

The world would stop turning without her.

She's the busiest kid ever!

…

Bian Xun is also very busy.

In between continuing to drive the group's development, meticulous preparations were made for the wedding.

To create a perfect and grand wedding of the century, a huge sum of money must be spent.

However, the returns on the money invested by the group are very slow, and if he wants his personal savings to expand rapidly, he still has to follow the old path—

The CEO's lips curled into a smile as he prepared to reclaim the more than one hundred billion dollars the world owed him, and at the opportune moment, reclaim his position as the world's richest man.

However, the black card will no longer be usable in the future.

As the storyline came to a complete end, after the two black cards had been merged and exchanged for a period of time, one day it suddenly lost its power.

Bian Xun stared at the black card for a long time with a blank expression, his dark eyes deep in thought.

This is a subtle signal that warrants further investigation.

But one thing is certain.

In this world, there will never be another profit margin of 10,000 times.

The president closed his eyes coldly.

I can only become the world's richest person through my own efforts in this lifetime.

hehe.

He missed a path to wealth, so he must make those who caused him the loss suffer even more.

After get off work, Bian Xun took Ning Ye away, saying they were going on a date.

Ning Ye has been feeling particularly tired lately, probably because she is already in her late pregnancy in the original timeline, and she has also experienced some physical changes brought about by her psychological state.

Once in the car, she leaned drowsily against the passenger seat to rest. He drove slowly and steadily, looking for the car, and would hold her hand at red lights. When Ning Ye arrived, she opened her eyes—

He took her to the police station on their date.

You're insane!

Bian Xun smiled slightly, knowing that she had been under a lot of mental stress lately and had come here specifically to relax.

After the evidence was conclusive, Wang Xuebing confessed to the crime of releasing Wang Xuebing to harm Tao Tao. The police quickly handed down criminal punishment to Xu Lanyi, sentencing her to up to five years in prison for the crime of illegally releasing detainees.

The news has further cemented the already dilapidated reputation of actress Xu Yinghou, making her a true victim of the law.

Now, even the Xu family has abandoned her.

Upon entering the visiting room, Ning Ye saw Xu Lanyi as she was now.

To be honest, if it were just a conflict between her and Xu Lanyi, then the other party's disappointment wouldn't be of any value to Ning Ye. But seeing Tao Tao's frustration after her repeated attempts to harm her did have a calming effect.

At this moment, the woman's eyes were filled with madness as she stared intently at Ning Ye, her hatred undisguised. However, her disheveled hair, her terrible skin without makeup, and the contrasting circumstances on either side of the glass all indicated her utter defeat.

That aloof and unattainable actress, the leading lady of the story, no longer exists.

On that day, at her retirement party, although Ning Ye did not show up or do anything from beginning to end, she was very sure that it was all planned by her in advance. She wanted to make her career plummet and ruin her life!

The man she longed for stood beside Ning Ye, supporting her arm and gently guiding her to sit on the chair in front of the glass. His movements were careful, and his expression was focused, a demeanor she had never shown before.

Bian Xun didn't care about this or that; the plot was over, and he could live his life however he wanted.

This scene deeply stung Xu Lanyi.

"Why? Why are you so happy?!"

Bian Xun came today to confirm Xu Lanyi's fate and wait for the natural passage of time in the plot to pass completely, after which whether she lives or dies will have nothing to do with them.

“Yes, I was young and naive and dated some trashy men, but I didn’t make Song Ziming take drugs. I’m a victim too,” Xu Lanyi said, almost vomiting blood, pointing at Ning Ye. “But what kind of good person is she? Her father cheated you back then, and she betrayed you too. Don’t you care?!”

Ning Ye was taken aback and looked towards Bian Xun.

Wang Xuebing committed fraud back then, when was it... seven years ago when they broke up?

Bian Xun's dark eyes remained unchanged. He didn't look at Ning Ye, but instead gave a cold laugh, "So what?"

The echoes gathered in the enclosed room, making the man's voice clear.

"Then I love her too."

Xu Lanyi has gone mad.

Ning Ye was also taken aback.

After saying this, it was as if he had completely sealed the story from his own perspective. He demurely helped her up and calmly walked out, but from beginning to end, he never looked into Ning Ye's eyes.

Ning Ye almost laughed.

Bian Xun has never been a very good person at saying sweet words.

They are not very good at expressing themselves to children, and mostly just do things directly.

She knows.

He is learning, searching for the context and situation in which he can speak, and then pretending to say it casually and naturally.

But she heard it.

Xu Lanyi completely broke down. Screams, muffled by glass, came from the visiting room. Her voice was a mix of crying and laughing; she had gone completely mad.

"But your child is from another time! From another time!! She will never be normal—"

"The plot is gone, aren't you afraid she'll disappear after traveling back in time?!"

Ning Ye paused, took Bian Xun's arm, and looked through the narrow doorway at Xu Lanyi, who was trapped inside the glass block.

"No, my child will always be here."

…

Back then, Xu Lanyi was imprisoned, and the once-famous actress became a black mark on her history. Those things have completely become irrelevant to Ning Ye's life.

The original plot had come to a complete end.

In the summer, Tao Tao is happy every day, carefree as long as she is with her parents.

The black card she brought was completely unusable.

Although Ning Ye was certain that the grapes would exist, she still had a lingering worry in her heart.

If we consider that black card as a representation of the future timeline, does its loss of effectiveness mean... the future is disappearing and no longer exists?

Black Card is a product of the future, and so is four-year-old Tao Tao.

The thought of this made Ning Ye feel uneasy.

Until one day, the black card disappeared completely.

Bian Xun and Ning Ye searched every corner of the house but couldn't find any trace of the future black card; all that remained was the current black card.

By this time, Ning Ye was already in her ninth month of pregnancy with Tao Tao. She was experiencing the weakness and backaches typical of late pregnancy, and her emotions had become more sensitive.

In another month, it will be Ning Zhitao's fifth birthday.

This day was originally Tao Tao's birthday.

One day, as the two of them were preparing for their child's birthday, Ning Ye suddenly discovered that the future photo album was no longer being updated.

She felt a sudden emptiness in her heart and almost fell as she walked through the living room with her phone in hand, but was steadily supported by Bian Xun who rushed over.

"There are no new photos in the album, let's search."

Ning Ye eagerly refreshed the photos every day, wanting to see what Tao Tao would look like at one, two, and three years old, but now, the album's URL seems to have gone gray.

Before this, their current photos had already begun to be included in the album, like two black cards merging together.

Ning Ye seemed to understand something, and hurriedly raised her eyes, "Bian Xun, the timelines have merged... haven't they?"

The original trajectory was the future timeline of Tao Tao being conceived, born, and growing up to the age of four.

What they are in now is the present, influenced by the plot, where Tao Tao has traveled through time and a series of events have occurred.

Now that the story has ended, these two timelines have begun to merge, and everything is back on track.

What will happen then?

Bian Xun wrapped his arms around her waist, habitually massaging the sore spots on her body, and kept his eyes down for a long time without saying a word.

He had already figured something out.

He knew Ning Ye would think of that too.

But she instinctively stopped herself from thinking about it further. She was afraid.

This was, after all, an unknown situation that no one had ever faced before; it was a secret belonging to their family of three, outside of the plot.

Bian Xun didn't want her to have too much emotional fluctuation, so he started watching her fall asleep at night.

Even in her sleep, her brows were still furrowed, her porcelain-white face showing unease. She leaned against the headboard, and then the moonlight gently kissed her face a few times before her delicate brows finally relaxed.

He covered Ning Ye with a blanket, got up, gently pushed open the door, and went to the child's room.

Take a deep breath.

Bian Xun gently pushed open the door, and Ning Zhitao woke up groggily, rubbing her eyes as she looked at him, "Dad?"

Bian Xun slowly walked to the child's bedside and sat down, looking at their soon-to-be five-year-old daughter in the quiet light.

Thoughts, both deep and shallow, rolled through my mind, and in the end, I simply opened my arms.

Ning Zhitao rolled over and habitually snuggled into her father's arms, letting out a soft yawn.

Bian Xun's dark eyes were serene in the night, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts, but he didn't mention any of them.

Finally, he simply lowered his head slightly and kissed the top of the child's head.

Ning Zhitao was mumbling sleepily, but then she chuckled twice with her eyes closed. "I know, Dad. You don't know how to express your love again, do you? So, goodnight kiss."

Bian Xun's eyes crinkled with a smile. "So, have you expressed yourself now?"

Ning Zhitao nodded, then quickly shook her head, pouting earnestly, "But this doesn't count as a gift!"

Bian Xun pretended not to know, raising an eyebrow, "What gift?"

Ning Zhitao covered her mouth and chuckled, then rolled over and went back to bed. "Anyway, it's a gift for Taotao's big day!"

It's a new year!

Although there's nothing special about being five years old.

I neither went to primary school nor became an adult.

But that's her new year!

Ning Zhitao fell asleep contentedly.

...

Of course, the child was right; her parents were indeed preparing for this big day.

During her break at work, Ning Ye carefully selected five gifts for Tao Tao.

Because she had already missed the first four times, she wanted to make up for it all this time.

Finally, the day before Tao Tao's birthday arrived. She and Bian Xun had decorated the entire house. This was Tao Tao's most familiar and happy home, and they had chosen this place for the first time to celebrate her birthday.

Throughout the day, Ning Ye felt both anticipation and restlessness.

It's as if something big is about to happen today.

As night fell, she stayed with Bian Xun. As midnight drew closer, Ning Ye felt her heart beating faster and faster.

At one point, I even felt inexplicably sad and wanted to cry.

Ning Ye knew that this was probably a mood change caused by hormones, but the thought that they had missed four children's birthdays, four Children's Days, four Mother's Days and four Father's Days made her sad.

Bian Xun smiled with his eyes lowered, and he leaned against her. The two of them squeezed together on the sofa, sharing the feelings of this moment. The moonlight gradually streamed into the living room, and Bian Xun took her fingers and gently kissed the pads of her fingers.

He already knew what was going to happen next, but he didn't want to shatter their mutual expectations.

They plan to wake the child at midnight, sing her a birthday song, and then spend the rest of the day celebrating her birthday.

Ning Ye, having calmed down somewhat, looked up to find Bian Xun's eyes.

However, at that very moment, midnight struck.

Tao Tao's birthday has arrived.

In the moon's reflection, as clear as water, an invisible bell tolls.

Suddenly, a beam of light appeared before Ning Ye's eyes. Countless lights and shadows seemed to merge and cover each other in the air, turning into mottled fragments. At the boundary between light and darkness, Bian Xun's figure blurred for a moment.

She quickly opened her eyes wide, trying to see him clearly.

She blinked hard and strained to see, and in a daze it seemed like a long time had passed, yet also like it had only been a fleeting moment.

When her vision cleared, she seemed to be standing in a familiar yet unfamiliar place, and finally found Bian Xun's figure among the shimmering fragments.

That was Bian Xun.

But he's not entirely like him.

The tall, imposing man was still sitting on the sofa at home. He was thin and pale, dressed in his pajamas, with a watch on his wrist and several sheets of paper on his lap, which he was looking down at.

Isn't this Bian Xun from before?

This is……

Ning Ye subconsciously took a few steps closer to him, then looked up, her dark eyes filled with relief, followed by a deep and enduring smile.

Ning Ye finally saw what the few pieces of paper on his lap were.

That was at last year's parent-teacher meeting at Taotao Kindergarten, where the teacher asked adults and children to write letters to their future selves.

"I hope Ning Zhitao will still be the same five years from now."

"My dearest Ningzhitao baby"

"No matter where or when we meet, you will always be one of your parents' little grapes."

No matter what difficulties you encounter.

"Your dad will be very rich."

Ning Ye suddenly opened her eyes wide, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting Bian Xun's current state.

His face hadn't changed much; he was still handsome and aloof. But his expression was completely different. He was clearly much more mature and composed after several years of real-life parenting. The man sat there, waiting, his eyes calm and collected.

This is the border search five years from now...

Ning Ye looked around and found that everything around him was now nothingness, like a corner left behind in a time wormhole, with only a corner of his home and the sofa where he was sitting remaining.

"The story is over?" Bian Xun stared at her with his dark eyes for a long time, showing no surprise at anything.

Ning Ye's lips parted hesitantly, and she suddenly understood something.

In their timeline, only she awakened to the plot's content, while Bian Xun did not.

Five years later, Bian Xun was the first person to discover the plot—and perhaps the only one.

He watched with clear vision as Tao Tao passed through.

I soberly put the card on her.

He watched intently as the "future" vanished, along with her and his family, all annihilated. The world around him gradually collapsed, and only he remained conscious, gambling that he and she in the distance could break free from the predetermined fate.

Don't let Tao Tao live that kind of life, becoming someone else's twins, never having a home of her own again.

He survived countless dawns with just a few sheets of paper and photographs.

At this moment, Bian Xun finally saw her and got his wish. He slowly closed the letters on his lap.

Ning Ye watched his dark gaze dissipate into the surroundings, and suddenly felt an overwhelming panic. "But, but if Tao Tao returns to the normal timeline, everyone remembers her as a four or five-year-old child. What if she suddenly shrinks, shrinks..."

Yes, she had already guessed it once the timelines began to merge.

Tao Tao might return to her original timeline.

Born normally, grew up normally.

There are no parallel worlds in this world; there has only ever been one different point in time.

"But then her best friends wouldn't be her classmates anymore. What would her great-grandparents, her maternal grandparents, all the people she knows think? Would they notice she's aging in reverse, and what would they say...?"

Bian Xun's dark eyes were clear, and his voice was low and gentle, "Only parents who personally experienced the plot breaking through will remember."

Ning Ye's eyes welled up with tears, and she clenched her fingers. This immense uncertainty almost overwhelmed her, yet she couldn't grasp the future he would bring.

Just then, the watch on Bian Xun's wrist bone suddenly chimed.

It remains frozen at a certain point in time, as if signifying his passing.

Ning Ye looked up through teary eyes and saw Bian Xun from the future, who smiled softly.

From the moment he learned the plot until the end of it all.

It took exactly 10,000 hours.

Ning Ye blinked, and at the last moment, he suddenly realized, with a mixture of amusement and exasperation, where the ten-thousand-fold time difference came from. It turned out that, in the darkness, that was the price tag of his time.

That's how they were guided all the way.

Bian Xun stood up in the light, his figure gradually dissipating, but he looked deeply at Ning Ye and suddenly smiled.

Am I still unable to say nice things?

His sharp tongue, venomous nature, greed, avarice, and shrewdness are all reasons why he was able to break through the plot.

But even now, Ning Ye's nose tingled with emotion, "You kept your kind words hidden, but I understood them."

She knew very well that this was clearly the same person, the one Bian Xun would eventually become.

The mature Bian Xun gazed at her with dark, sea-like eyes: "I'm afraid 'I'll need a few more years to mature enough, so I'm telling you this for myself—"

"I will always love you, no matter what."

Ning Ye's eyes instantly reddened. The definition of "forever" contained too many profound meanings, from their student days many years ago to adulthood, and from this moment to the future.

He's been through it all, and he dares to say forever.

Ning Ye's eyelashes were wet with tears. "Me too."

...

The light before her eyes completely dissipated, and for a moment Ning Ye didn't know where she was standing.

It was no longer night, and she was still at home, but the room was filled with sunlight, giving it a familiar yet strange feel.

She was somewhat dazed and suddenly felt very scared.

Will there be any problems with merging the timelines?

Is Tao Tao still there?

Ning Ye instinctively pushed the door open and was about to run out when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side. She stumbled and tried to run out, but a pair of arms reached out from the side and gently picked her up, carrying her to the children's room at the other end of the corridor.

Ning Ye leaned against Bian Xun's shoulder, the dampness from the corners of his eyes seeping through the fabric of his shoulder.

The self that dissipated into the future also merged into Bian Xun's mind.

He walked with increasing composure.

Bian Xun steadily carried her to the door of the room. Ning Ye gripped his collar as she landed, placed her hand on the doorknob, and took a deep breath.

The world is still functioning normally; the only variable is their daughter.

It appeared suddenly from this little grape.

It's time for this little grape to sprout again.

It turns out a year has already passed.

They had long been accustomed to her presence in their lives; they could not lose her, nor could they afford to lose her.

Ning Ye couldn't suppress the urge to cry, and suddenly placed the back of her hand over Bian Xun's palm. Bian Xun's chest pressed against her back, supporting her.

Their clasped hands gently pushed open the door—

In the sunlight, a tiny head on the crib looked over at the sound.

The child's face had shrunk considerably; his eyebrows and hair hadn't grown in yet, and he didn't have any teeth. But his big, black, grape-like eyes were so familiar, lively and affectionate, blinking as he gazed at them, uttering a few soft, sweet syllables.

"Mother"

Ning Ye suddenly relaxed, wanting to cry, yet knowing this was the best ending. Overwhelmed by a complex mix of emotions, she almost lost her balance and fell into the warm embrace of the person behind her.

Bian Xun's breath was also scalding hot.

Only now do their lives truly settle down, and they will experience everything they were meant to experience.

Ning Ye bent down to look at the real cub.

Upon seeing Ning Ye, the young Mini Grape stretched out its tiny, soft hand and made a grabbing motion in mid-air.

He gently grasped Ning Ye's fingers.

She was like a little angel who fell from the sky; her arrival allowed her mother to completely escape the hardships of childbirth.

She was no longer the child who found her mother in the subway station, nor was she a strange baby from another time. She was born into her parents' lives amidst their expectations.

She spent a year with them during the misaligned time, and finally returned to the time that originally belonged to her.

The children who didn't experience this will eventually learn it themselves, step by step, as they grow up to be one, two, or three years old.

Ning Ye breathed a long sigh of relief and turned around, while Bian Xun lowered his head and kissed her tear-stained eyes.

A thousand words are left unsaid; only we ourselves truly understand.

"New mom." He smiled warmly.

"New dad—" Ning Ye burst into laughter through her tears.

Will Tao Tao remember that special fourth age?

Perhaps not.

But it doesn't matter, Ning Zhitao's fourth summer will come twice.

But she will always belong to her parents.

Little grapes.

(End of text)

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Author's Note: Waaaaah, here it comes! Word count exceeded! Congratulations to all the ees who delivered the little grape!

This chapter features a 200-red-envelope rain to celebrate Ningning and Boss Bian officially becoming new parents!!!

Tomorrow I'm going to make fried rice! Fried rice! Fried rice! Daily bonus chapters!!