"Brother Li, I won't stoop to the level of two brats," Li Ge thought, waving the two of them away, but not forgetting to instruct, "My old man was never fooled, so you two can't try to fool people either." This was directed at the fish, but Cheng Ying and Chi Wu truly understood.

Chi Wu slapped his chest and replied robustly, "Don't worry, there definitely is. If you don't believe me, call Uncle Gan and ask." Cheng Ying could see that in front of Brother Li, Chi Wu was deliberately making himself sound younger. This was indeed a thoughtful child.

Then he looked back at their surroundings; no wonder Chi Wu was so cautious. Disparity is always revealed through comparison.

Cheng Ying shook his head and sighed, "We still have a long way to go. These people are truly at the top of the pyramid."

Chi Wu looked up at the sky, "Aren't you afraid the wind will spoil you? It's too high up there; it's bad for the skin."

Cheng Ying laughed. Being neither too high nor too low, being neither too close nor too distant, meant that even if a stone fell, it wouldn't hit them. "This is indeed quite nice."

Although Chi Wu didn't know exactly how Brother Li acquired his fish, he knew they never lacked this item. He had never wondered how Yingzi always managed to procure such rare things.

He took a serious look at Cheng Ying but still said nothing. When the two were together, fundamentally, besides eating and playing, there were no major matters.

By the time Cheng Ying and Chi Wu returned home, they had already scaled the Great Wall. It was the first time they had gone out to play so unencumbered, and they were both a little reluctant to leave the fun behind.

It wasn't until Cheng Ying and Chi Wu thought about going home that they realized how much time had passed without them noticing, and the things they had casually bought were now too much to carry.

Cheng Ying panicked for a moment before laughing at himself. Never mind putting things into the Spatial Dimension; he had even forgotten about the existence of the space itself. This was truly the rhythm of love, making him forget even his own mother.

Cheng Ying pressed his chest. He was too invested; this was truly an old flame igniting, and he couldn't control it.

Suppressed, always suppressed. Cheng Ying considered it with his mature mind: in matters of the heart, there was never any logic. You say there is, and there is; you say it's gone, and it's gone.

In this society, marriage and divorce are protected by law, yet his own unrestrained investment went against his original intentions.

But if you love, love hard. Even if the phrase sounded a bit trite, why was it screaming so loudly in his heart? It was terrifying.

Cheng Ying felt like he was almost scorching and retreated slightly.

What kind of person was Chi Wu? Although he wasn't as perceptive and clear as Cheng Ying, he noticed and cherished their progress.

With things having reached this stage, and feelings having arrived at this depth, it wasn't something that could simply be wiped clean just because one was afraid.

Striking while the iron was hot—Chi Wu didn't dare to, but reinforcing the impression was absolutely necessary.

Before taking Cheng Ying home, he wished he could have gone to the photo studio to take wedding pictures.

Cheng Ying felt taking a joint photo was fine. But when Chi Wu showed the picture later, the studio person said they wouldn't even need wedding photos in the future.

Cheng Ying’s heart fluttered. Was this complimenting him for being thrifty, or was it scolding the boy for being too calculating, always planning ahead for his own benefit?

Cheng Ying truly didn't know what to say. He drove away with a detached expression.

What Cheng Ying wanted most right now was to enter the Spatial Dimension and watch the haughty multicolored mother hen to settle his explosive mood.

She needed to organize her thoughts properly. She felt like someone was dragging her along, and she couldn't stop.

Never mind an old house; even a thatched hut, Cheng Ying wanted to rush into the fire. He was a little afraid of being burned alive.

When they returned home, the Old Madam could already walk without leaning on anything. Chi Wu hugged the Old Madam and kissed her cheek. He didn't dare kiss his wife, so he could only hug the Old Madam to express his joy that no one else could share.

This was a form of emotional release, Cheng Ying understood.

Cheng Ying gasped from behind, "Be careful, Grandma might accuse you of harassment."

The Old Madam's heart trembled. The key point was that she could walk now, and she didn't want to fall again. "Get lost, you two brats, what are you doing?"

Chi Wu said, "Grandma, you're better. But I still see you seem a bit unsteady; your walk isn't completely smooth yet."

The Old Madam said, "What's the rush? The doctor said you're recovering well; it will get better with time. This requires exercise."

Cheng Ying saw the Old Madam alone in the yard and felt a little uneasy. "Why is it just you?"

The Old Madam said, "How can it be just me? Sister Rong is in the backyard feeding the chickens. Your Auntie took Little Bao to visit her mother's place."

Cheng Ying exclaimed, "Aiyo, Auntie can actually step into their house? They should be setting off firecrackers over there!"

The Old Madam snapped, "Don't talk nonsense in front of your Auntie, you hear me? That's her own mother. You can't just throw away stinky shit."

The Old Madam’s words weren't pleasant either.

Chi Wu announced, "Grandma, I brought back roast duck for you."

Cheng Ying undercut him, "Grandma, he ate enough of it himself and now he has the nerve to show off."

Chi Wu wasn't unfeeling. For the past two days, Cheng Ying had been a bit cold towards him, not as relaxed as they had been in the previous days. Although he didn't know why, Chi Wu knew he couldn't relax now; he had to stick close to his wife, even if it meant being thick-skinned.

Progress was hard-won.

The Old Madam shot back, "That's still better than you, a wild duck that doesn't know when to fly back once let go. You haven't brought me one yet."

Cheng Ying knew that among the three of them, he was at the bottom layer. "I brought you back a whole cartload. Don't call me wasteful now."

The Old Madam retorted, "You wasteful child, why do you spend money so recklessly?"

Cheng Ying threw up his hands. "See, I told you, no matter what I do, it's wrong. You have a bias, Grandma."

Chi Wu chimed in, "Grandma, why is your heart biased? A person's heart grows to one side naturally. You even studied medicine; I just studied physiology, and I understand. Besides, for the first twenty years, Grandma was biased toward you. It's my turn now. Why argue?"

Just as they were talking, Cheng Ming returned. "Aiyo, I thought you two had eloped. Do you still remember that you have a home to return to?"

Cheng Ying felt the sarcasm. "Grandma hasn't said anything, and you're already getting agitated. Are you jealous?"

Chi Wu proudly draped an arm over his wife's shoulder. "Do we need to elope? We'll just get the certificate at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Grandma already agreed. Are you lonely?"

Cheng Ying turned his head; the wretched boy hadn't even considered if he agreed. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

The Old Madam worried on the side. If these two easily revoked the certificate, should she agree or not? This child’s words were making her so anxious.

Cheng Ming grumbled, "I knew the dream this morning was bad; there was bound to be trouble. Turns out it was running into you two."

Cheng Ying said, "I said I should trip when entering the door. So, you're home."

The Old Madam wailed, "Aiyo, my head hurts," then squinted one eye at the three troublesome children before her. Why was there such tension? She hadn't heard that the three siblings were fighting.

Cheng Ying observed, "Grandma, that's the expression for a headache, but you're clutching your chest. Ignore that unlucky kid Cheng Ming; he's just ill-mouthed and can't stand seeing others happy. Is he suffering from heartbreak?"

The Old Madam awkwardly lowered her hand. "Watch your mouth, have some decency. Mingzi is fine; he’s even started doing odd jobs at the hospital."

Cheng Ming protested, "Grandma, that's an internship."

Cheng Ying scoffed, "You’re a medical student who’s already completed a year; who would let you intern? Just call it odd jobs."

Chi Wu muttered, "Not bad; at least he knows how to do something useful."

The Old Madam felt that the three of them quarreling had little to do with her grandson; the key was that the mouths of the other two were too sharp. How could they taunt someone like that? "You two should go sort out the things you bought."

Then, turning to Mingzi, she said, "Mingzi, are you hungry? Sister Rong is making you food. Yingzi and the others bought roast duck. Grandma will have Sister Rong prepare some for you."

Cheng Ying complained, "Biased! Now the argument is settled; the bias is all directed toward him."

The Old Madam retorted, "Go on. Mingzi is doing proper work." In the Old Madam's view, regardless of how much money a family member earned, those who did physical labor were doing proper work; anything else was out of the question. This was a deeply ingrained belief for the Old Madam, one that was difficult to change easily.

Cheng Ying thought to himself that in Grandma's eyes, what he did didn't count as proper work; manual labor was more legitimate.

Chi Wu deeply agreed. Occupational discrimination! Alas, the Old Madam hadn't even had a proper talk with him yet, and Cheng Ming had already interrupted.

The family still managed to have a reunion dinner that evening, which was lively. The Old Madam seemed much happier watching them.

Then Cheng Ying threw himself into being busy. In fact, if Cheng Ying wanted his household to be busy, he truly wouldn't be idle.

Chi Wu also had many things to do, but nowhere near the extent of being so busy he couldn't be seen.

But Cheng Ying was now so busy that Chi Wu didn't believe he wasn't avoiding him.

However, Chi Wu had encountered all sorts of situations over the years. As long as Cheng Ying didn't hit him, didn't scold him, and allowed him to remain by her side, Chi Wu basically didn't consider it a major issue.

Men must bear things at all times, especially when their wives are throwing a little tantrum. A buddy can handle it.

Every morning, he would definitely wake up earlier than Cheng Ying and prepare breakfast. If Cheng Ying was busy, he would let her be busy. Chi Wu remained steady; as long as he was home, he served his wife breakfast and then took the Old Madam to the park to listen to people practicing their singing. The Old Madam's legs weren't fully recovered yet, and she dared not go to the park alone; if Chi Wu hadn't accompanied her, she wouldn't have dared to go.

At noon, if Cheng Ying was home, Chi Wu would definitely stay by her side to eat. If Cheng Ying wasn't home, no matter how far away, Chi Wu would deliver the meal into Cheng Ying's hands, especially since the two now had a 'Big Brother' (mobile phone). Contact was convenient.

It was said that Chi Wu looked at the mobile phone as if it were the red thread tied by the Old Matchmaker himself.

In the evening, he would good-temperedly linger near his wife. If she wanted to pay attention to him, fine; if not, he wouldn't throw a fit. He would just quietly remain by her side. As long as she wanted to look, he would be there without her needing to turn around.

Chi Wu felt that all the patience he had in this lifetime was being used during this period. He understood clearly that this was a crucial moment.

Watching Chi Wu linger beside her, Cheng Ying understood: this old house fire absolutely had to burn; it was an inextinguishable flame, with someone adding diesel fuel beside him.

He tried his best to adjust his feelings. Just accept it, just accept it. When the other person wasn't home, she played lovesick; when the other person was home, she played coy. Wasn't she just making things difficult for herself? Cheng Ying felt it was pointless.

In the Spatial Dimension, feeding pine nuts to the old mother hen, he thought, you are just a chicken, what's with the attitude? Even if your tail feathers were different, you'd still be that same old chicken, and you should still eat pine nuts. It was purely because he spoiled her.