Chapter 90
The Qi family villa was brightly decorated today, with an atmosphere quite different from the one that had been both lively and scrutinizing during my last visit. Fresh white roses and light green hydrangeas dotted the courtyard, understated yet meticulously crafted. The Chinese-style hall was arranged in a way that was both dignified and warm, with a large, slightly childlike "囍" (double happiness) character hanging behind the main seat—said to have been written by Grandpa Qi himself, who insisted on adding a touch of "human warmth."
Shi Ye wore a modified light apricot-colored cheongsam-style dress that Qi Jin had prepared in advance. Her long hair was simply tied up, revealing her slender neck. The bandage on her wrist had been removed, leaving only a faint purplish-blue ring, which was perfectly concealed by a simple jade bracelet—given to her by Grandpa Qi that morning, saying it was to "calm her nerves and add a touch of joy." The platinum bracelet on her middle finger was faintly visible next to the bracelet.
Qi Jin was dressed in a well-tailored light gray modern Chinese-style stand-up collar suit, her hair neatly combed, which made her look even more handsome and upright. She stood next to Shi Ye, her back straight and her face calm, but those who knew her well (such as Shi Ye) could see the intense, almost tense focus she was trying to suppress deep in her eyes, as well as... a very faint, almost invisible tension.
Both sets of parents were already seated at the head table. Mr. Shi was dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, looking quite well, though his eyes were still slightly red. His gaze towards his daughter was filled with emotion and relief. Mrs. Shi's (Shi Ye's mother) seat was empty, but a small bouquet of her favorite white camellias was placed there.
Grandpa Qi, naturally the pillar of the family, was dressed in a festive crimson Tang suit, his smile so wide it was almost blinding, as he whispered something to Qi Jin's parents, who were sitting on the other side.
Qi Jin's parents—Qi's father, Qi Jianguo, and Qi's mother, Zhou [unclear]—were, as Qi Jin had described, typical elders of reserved temperament and impeccable manners. Both were dressed in appropriate but understated formal attire, their smiles perfectly measured. Their gazes towards Qi Jin and Shi Ye held a mixture of satisfaction and a gentle, distant scrutiny. Although they resided overseas for many years and were not heavily involved in family affairs, they clearly gave their only daughter's marriage the highest level of attention and (ostensibly) support. They were polite and courteous to Shi's father, and even more respectful to Qi's grandfather.
Lin Xiaoyu, as the specially invited "representative of the bride's family and chief witness," almost dressed herself up as a walking pink peony (she insisted it was a "perfect combination of celebration and girlishness"). She was currently sitting at a small round table next to the main table—a "special table for the newlyweds' friends" arranged by Qi Jin. She was alone at the moment, but she was so excited she felt like she owned the entire universe, constantly taking pictures from every angle with her phone, muttering to herself, "A historic moment! The official certification of the Jinyuan CP! My CP is getting married! Ahhh, I'm going to faint!"
The simple yet solemn ceremony was presided over by Grandpa Qi himself. There was no priest, no complicated vows; the old man spoke a few words of blessing and expectation in a strong voice, emphasizing the old principle of "mutual support and unity of purpose," and then looked at the newlyweds: "Xiao Jin, Shi family girl, do you two have anything you want to say?"
All eyes turned to them.
Shi Ye felt her palms getting sweaty. She had imagined many scenarios of mission failure, the collapse of the world, and her own silent disappearance, but she had never imagined... standing here, dressed in a wedding gown, surrounded by her family, about to marry Qi Jin.
She turned her head to look at Qi Jin. Qi Jin was also looking at her, and in his usually deep and calm eyes, her figure was clearly reflected, as well as something heavy that made her heart beat erratically.
Qi Jin spoke first, her voice low but clear and steady, looking directly into Shi Ye's eyes: "Shi Ye. Five years ago, I saw you for the first time in a park after the rain, and I felt the world was very quiet. For five years, I got used to watching you from afar, and I thought that was fine too. When the explosion happened, I thought that 'quiet' and 'habit' would be shattered." She paused, her Adam's apple bobbing almost imperceptibly. "Now you're here. My world is still quiet, but I no longer need to get used to being far away. I want to get used to being by your side. Every five years, every ten years, every few decades to come, I want to get used to having you by my side."
There were no fancy words, and even some awkward word order, but every sentence was like a nail, hammering into Shi Ye's heart, and also bringing tears to the eyes of several people in the know (Shi's father, Grandpa Qi, and Lin Xiaoyu).
When it was her turn to speak, she opened her mouth, but all the prepared, polite, and touching words in her mind suddenly vanished. Only the most straightforward and genuine thoughts remained.
She looked at Qi Jin, at the unmistakable tension and expectation in his eyes, and suddenly smiled. There was a hint of helplessness, a hint of resignation, and a softness that she herself was unaware of.
“Qi Jin,” she called her name, her voice not loud, but clear enough, “I’m… a bit of a handful. Sometimes my mind goes blank, sometimes my emotions go down, and I always tend to internalize my thoughts.” She glanced at Lin Xiaoyu, who was so agitated she was almost squeezing her phone out of shape, “There might be even more inexplicable things happening in the future. But…”
She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, or as if she had finally surrendered to some kind of fate.
“However, if ‘getting used to being around’ is your suggestion,” she raised her hand, adorned with a ring and a Chinese jade bracelet, and gently touched Qi Jin’s slightly curled fingers hanging at his side, “then I think… this proposal should have a pretty high approval rate. I vote in favor.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Xiaoyu burst out with an uncontrollable, tearful "Waaah—!", then covered her mouth tightly, leaving only her big, teary eyes.
Grandpa Qi laughed heartily, repeatedly saying, "Good! Really good! Much better than those empty words!"
Shi's father turned his face away and secretly wiped the corner of his eye.
Mr. and Mrs. Qi exchanged a glance, and their polite smiles seemed to reveal a hint of genuine emotion.
Qi Jin didn't speak. She simply took Shi Ye's outstretched hand in her own, holding it tightly and firmly. Then, amidst Grandpa Qi's resounding announcement of "The ceremony is complete!", under the smiling gazes of both sets of parents, and amidst Lin Xiaoyu's desperately suppressed sobs and the clicking of camera shutters, she lowered her head and placed a gentle yet incredibly solemn kiss on Shi Ye's lips.
It wasn't like the vicious robbery in the alley, nor the urgent confirmation in the clinic.
It was a kiss that felt like a promise. Warm, steadfast, carrying the peace of settled dust and the tenderness of boundless expectation.
Shi Ye closed his eyes, feeling the warmth on his lips and the air filled with kind blessings. The last bit of bewilderment in his heart about the system, the mission, and the collapse strangely settled down.
[Ding! Detected that the world line core node 'Protagonist's Romance' has been established. The forced association state has been stabilized and solidified. The host's 'Timely Visit' logical anchor point has been established. Main quest 'Survival' stage completion: 100%. Congratulations, host. System 007 will continue to perform low-power background maintenance. We wish you a pleasant life in this world. Goodbye.]
The system's familiar electronic voice, tinged with a slight electrical buzz, rang clearly in her mind one last time, then rapidly diminished and disappeared like the receding tide, leaving only a completely silent space of consciousness.
Congratulations? Goodbye?
Shi Ye was slightly stunned. That's... over? That broken system that had tricked her and turned her upside down, just like that, it's done its job? The survival mission... is complete?
Before she could think it through, Qi Jin had already ended the kiss, but he was still looking at her very close, a glint in his eyes, and asked softly, "What's wrong?"
Shi Ye shook his head, forcing a somewhat complicated smile: "Nothing. It's just that... the world seems to have suddenly become quiet." Physically, Lin Xiaoyu finally stopped sobbing; psychologically, the guy who was always muttering about issuing tasks in his head also shut up.
Qi Jin was confused, but assumed she meant the ceremony was over, so he squeezed her hand and said, "Okay. Let's go eat."
The wedding banquet was an exquisite Chinese family feast, with a sumptuous menu and a harmonious atmosphere. At the main table, Grandpa Qi and Mr. Shi chatted happily. Although Mr. and Mrs. Qi didn't talk much, they were courteous and occasionally chimed in, creating a joyful atmosphere. The camellias on Mrs. Shi's seat bloomed quietly, as if silently offering their blessings.
The "Newcomer's Friends Special Table" next to it had a completely different style.
Lin Xiaoyu finally let go completely. Her eyes were still red, but her face was filled with pure, overflowing happiness and excitement. Shi Ye was sitting to her left, and Qi Jin was sitting to her right. She felt that she had reached the pinnacle of her life.
"Sister Shi Ye! Senior! No, should I call her sister-in-law now? Or brother-in-law? Ah, whatever!" Lin Xiaoyu clasped her hands together, her eyes shining like searchlights. "Your vows just now were so touching! Especially Senior's line 'used to being by my side'! Waaah, I want to cry again! And Sister Shi Ye, your 'vote of approval'! How are you guys so good at this! This isn't a wedding, it's like stuffing an ultimate, invincible, giant jar of honey into my mouth and then making me swim in it!"
Shi Ye was both amused and exasperated by her noise, so he picked up a refreshing piece of lily and shrimp and put it in her bowl: "Alright, alright, I know you're excited, can you shut your mouth up with some food first? If you keep howling, the people at the next table will think we're having a fan meeting."
Qi Jin didn't speak, but silently placed a piece of deboned steamed fish belly into Shi Ye's bowl, his movements natural and fluid.
Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyu immediately found new material: "Look! Look! Senior's caring actions are so smooth! Sister Shiye, eat up! This is fish made with love!" She took a bite of rice herself, then suddenly remembered something and lowered her voice mysteriously, "By the way, Sister Shiye, now that you're completely 'back,' what about... the painting? And feeding the cat? When are we going to 'Cloud Peak' again next time? No, we can't call it 'playing' anymore, we should call it... art therapy to continue the sweetness of married life?"
Shi Ye was defeated by her thought process and said helplessly, "Drawing...we'll talk about it later. Feeding the cats is fine." She thought of those stray cats and felt a little weak. She could continue once her wrist was healed. "'Cloud Peak'..." She looked at Qi Jin.
Qi Jin put down his spoon and said calmly, "That will be our private studio from now on. You can go there whenever you want." He paused, then added, "The surveillance system has been removed."
Shi Ye was taken aback, then a warm feeling welled up inside her. Qi Jin was telling her that the "observation" filled with probing and scrutiny was completely over. From now on, that place would only be a space that belonged to them.
Lin Xiaoyu didn't understand the deeper meaning of "removal of surveillance cameras," but she caught the "private studio" and "can go anytime" part, and immediately clapped her hands: "Great! Can I still go and play there in the future? I can help clean up! And I can continue to improve my 'collection box of wonderful memories'!" She kept thinking about her box of clay stones and cashmere yarn.
"Okay." Qi Jin actually nodded, though his expression remained indifferent.
Lin Xiaoyu felt as if she had received a royal decree, and was so happy she felt like she was floating on air.
The banquet continued, with Grandpa Qi's hearty laughter and Mr. Shi's echoing voices coming from the main table. Mr. and Mrs. Qi occasionally exchanged a few words with their father-in-law, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Shi Ye slowly ate the food that Qi Jin kept putting on her plate, listening to Lin Xiaoyu chattering away about planning her future "studio" (including growing a flower specifically to attract butterflies so that Shi Ye could sketch), looking at her father's relieved and gratified profile at the main table opposite her, and feeling Qi Jin's silent yet ever-present concern beside her...
An unprecedented, grounded sense of peace slowly enveloped her.
There were no system alarms, no pressure from missions, no uncertainty about identity. There was only the aroma of food, the laughter of family, the chatter of friends, and the warm body temperature of those around me.
Oh, right, there's also the slightly shiny plain bracelet on her finger and the warm, smooth jade bangle on her wrist.
She picked up the teacup and took a small sip. The tea was warm and fragrant.
Qi Jin glanced at her sideways: "Is it to your liking? Would you like to change it to juice?"
Shi Ye shook her head, put down her cup, and suddenly turned to face Qi Jin, gently kicking the tip of her shoe under the table.
Qi Jin looked over with a hint of doubt.
Shi Ye leaned closer and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, whispered with a hint of slyness and relief:
"President Qi, just reporting for the CEO."
"Um?"
"Survival mission, status update: Completed. Current mode: Life."
Although Qi Jin didn't fully understand what the "task" she was referring to was, he could clearly sense the lightness and complete trust in her tone, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. The ice in her eyes melted away, revealing a clear and gentle warmth.
She reached out and gently took Shi Ye's hand under the table, their fingers intertwined.
"Mm." She responded softly, her tone gentler and more resolute than ever before. "Understood. From now on, I'll be in charge of the logistical support for your 'lifestyle'."
Shi Ye smiled and shook her hand in return.
Lin Xiaoyu was engrossed in eating a crab meat lion's head meatball when she suddenly sensed something was off about the atmosphere next to her. She looked up and saw the two of them smiling at each other, their eyes locked, and their hands still clasped under the table (that's what she guessed)!
"Ouch—!" She immediately clutched her chest, groaning in an exaggerated, barely audible voice, "Help... we haven't finished this meal yet... I've already had my fill of dog food... can you guys consider the capacity of single people... but it's okay! I can still manage! Please continue! Don't stop!"
Shi Ye and Qi Jin were both amused by her.
Laughter filled the warm and lively atmosphere of the family dinner.
Outside the window, night falls and the city lights begin to twinkle.
Inside the villa, the lights were on, and laughter filled the air.
The End
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