Cheng Ying took a deep breath, marveling at how profound their perspective was—wonderful, truly. Moreover, it wasn't running away from home anymore; at most, it was abduction.

When Chi Wu asked, "Do you agree?" he bared eight teeth, perfectly aligned and dazzlingly brilliant, almost painfully so.

Cheng Ying was momentarily blinded, a bit lost in thought. Only afterward did she realize, "I agree," that this was entirely a honey trap, and she had fallen for it completely. The only thing Cheng Ying hadn't figured out yet was why she had fallen for it. But one thing was certain: sooner or later, she, Cheng Ying, would be the one to suffer the consequences, because that expression on Chi Wu's face meant something significant—Cheng Ying had experienced it before; it was reserved for the most critical moments.

Chi Wu thought, This is great, and turned to inform Cheng Ying of his level of acceptance. "Then I'll keep it with me."

Cheng Ying inwardly hesitated. Wouldn't that be inappropriate? You’re not a detective; this might not match your profession at all. Besides, the point isn't just preventing Chi Wu from running away—would keeping this thing on Chi Wu even be effective? "Shouldn't I be the one keeping the 'you containment kit'?"

Chi Wu scoffed, "How could that be? Aren't we progressing together? It's universal; it works the same whether I carry it or you do."

Cheng Ying figured perhaps Chi Wu had been too busy lately; he was equating things that shouldn't be equal. She looked at him, shook her head, and headed off to work. He must really be swamped; Cheng Ying felt she should find time to rest, or she'd start acting foolish.

Chi Wu felt he had found a way to comfort himself and was in high spirits. Furthermore, Chi Wu was far more devoted to the spatial realm than Cheng Ying was.

Like a child with a brand-new toy, he brought strange items into the space whenever he had time. Of course, this always required troubling Cheng Ying to come and help, as Chi Wu couldn't enter alone. And inside the space, Cheng Ying was like the main deity; everything followed her consciousness. If Chi Wu wanted something done, he just had to explain it clearly to Cheng Ying, and usually, neither of them needed to lift a finger to get it sorted.

Even so, with his haphazard efforts, Cheng Ying still hadn't grasped what Chi Wu was ultimately trying to achieve. The place was big enough, after all. Let him tinker around. He was an adult, yet he hadn't lost his sense of novelty. Cheng Ying felt she was the calmer one; when she first obtained the space, she hadn't stayed inside it for such extended periods.

Cheng Ying failed to consider that she and Chi Wu were not comparable then. Back then, Cheng Ying had to sneak into the space. She didn't even have a room of her own, and someone always knew when she wasn't in her quarters. She rarely had a chance to use the space.

How could it be the same as Chi Wu’s situation? Chi Wu was using the main path now, able to enter whenever he pleased. And having her, the guardian, around certainly made things much more convenient. Still, she was genuinely curious about what Chi Wu would transform the interior into. Chi Wu wanted to take the two children inside to play, but Cheng Ying stopped him. It was better to pretend this thing didn't exist; the children were too young and wouldn't understand. If they blabbed outside, it would cause trouble for the whole family.

It wasn't that Cheng Ying didn't care for the children, but her concerns were valid. Some matters weren't suitable for a family group activity.

Chi Wu felt quite regretful. "I was hoping to play with you all together."

Cheng Ying countered, "No need to be too disappointed. One day, when the children are asleep, I'll bring them in and tell them we're taking a trip outside. Then, I'll bring them back after they fall asleep again. When they wake up, we can explain anything; they're small and won't know better, so we can have fun together while we can."

Chi Wu smiled thinly. His wife didn't even trust the children. But the fact that she hadn't hidden this from him meant something, didn't it? It meant their marriage was strong.

Chi Wu was inwardly delighted, automatically concluding why Cheng Ying hadn't told him about this treasure when he was younger. It wasn't that she was hiding it from him; it was because she thought he was young and couldn't keep a secret, so she hadn't told him. She wasn't distrusting him; Chi Wu could extrapolate all of this just from Cheng Ying's attitude toward the children.

It was sheer domestic bliss.

Chi Wu relented. "Alright, I'll bring you and the kids over to play once I get things sorted out inside. I promise the children will be thrilled."

Cheng Ying retorted, "Why isn't the goal to make me happy?"

Chi Wu chuckled, "If I'm happy and the kids are happy, then you're happy. Does that even need saying?"

Cheng Ying sighed. It sounded like she had no self in that dynamic, but perhaps it was true enough.

Days passed amidst Chi Wu's daily busyness. The children began complaining to Cheng Ying. "Dad doesn't like us anymore. Mom, is Dad going to leave us like some other parents? Someone in my class said their parents are divorcing."

Cheng Ying was incensed, feeling the teacher was incredibly irresponsible for letting children discuss such topics at school. "Your father is preparing a gift for you; stop talking nonsense. Your dad won't divorce you, not even for your sake. Our family is fine; don't overthink things, okay?"

The plump little boy sighed, "That's a relief. I was so worried about who I'd have to live with."

The chubby girl chimed in, "Yeah, Peng Peng said his parents are fighting over him, and his mom cries holding him every day because she doesn't want to leave him."

Cheng Ying pursed her lips. "Relax, your mom definitely won't be crying while holding you every day. Honestly, I look forward to having two days away from you two; you both are quite tiresome."

The little chubby boy clutched his chest dramatically. "My heart is wounded. I can never love again."

The chubby girl gasped, "You are so heartless! I'm telling Dad!"

Cheng Ying rubbed her forehead. Where did they pick up all this? Who taught them these things? Naughty children, saying such things! "It must be hard on your little brains. Just focus more on eating and drinking; being a little dense is better."

As a parent, Cheng Ying truly didn't feel proud of having such thoughtful, overthinking children; in fact, it was more annoying. What nonsense were they worrying about? Her husband hadn't ignored them for more than a few days, and they were already spinning tales of their parents divorcing.

Cheng Ying suspected the school environment was poor, negatively influencing her normally innocent and lovable children. Of course, they were less lovable now.

When Chi Wu finally finished work and his new toy project, Cheng Ying told him, "Stop playing around and go manage your children. They both need to divide up the divorce assets for Mom properly."

Chi Wu responded that the children were smart, considering everything so comprehensively, which earned him a punch from Cheng Ying.

Chi Yong hadn't been wandering aimlessly either. He had things on his mind that he was constantly mulling over. Since he couldn't rely on his eldest son, he needed to boost the younger son's authority, make him more assertive, hoping this might increase his own odds of success later on.

Chi Yong was also using his own methods to woo his wife; saying things like making her love him to death was flowery nonsense, but making her reluctant to leave him was the truth. He refused to believe that he, a living, breathing man, couldn't win against some dusty old village tradition.

Chi Yong had defined his role perfectly: he saw himself as a determined digger chipping away at a wall. As long as he diligently scratched at it twice a day, he was sure he could undermine the structure.

If Chi Yong had been nice to Yang Zhi before, now he treated her exceptionally well. He drove her to work. He escorted her home when she rode her bicycle.

He picked her up after work, and they strolled home together, stopping for a meal or catching a movie along the way. Their little life was definitely more flavorful than that of Chi Wu and his wife.

Cheng Ying felt recently that she had grown much younger, much more vibrant than she had been in her youth.

Chi Ye felt slightly annoyed lately—neglected by both father and mother. Most evenings, he ate at his grandparents' house, and his parents seemed to be off doing something; three or four days a week, no one picked him up to go home. Such were the troubles of a young man.

Old Man and Old Lady Chi remarked, "What is our son up to? He never caused this much fuss when he was young. Now that he’s older, he’s going to make a fool of himself in front of the children."

Old Lady Chi glared at her husband. "This is my son! He takes after me; his emotions are so delicate." Although she verbally supported Chi Yong, her eyes still shot daggers at her son—it was too embarrassing. She never acted like this when she was young.

Old Man Chi had an aching jaw and cheek, his aged eyes unable to bear such sticky displays. Crucially, the people involved were wrong for it. Good heavens, they were both nearing eighty; what were they being so mushy about? If it were the grandson and his wife, that would be one thing; at least they were young. Chi Yong was shameless; what an embarrassment.

He glanced at his wife, standing beside him with her back straight, completely devoted to her artistic pursuits. She had no sense of practical living anymore. This wouldn't do; he needed to have a talk with Chi Yong soon. Living life wasn't about being this way; poor little Ye was suffering for it. Unreliable adults were making life hard for the child.

If Cheng Ying hadn't been tethered by her two children, leaving her no time to offer a barbed comment, she would have already gone over to caution Chi Yong. Had he done something wrong? Why was he flattering her mother so intensely? She needed to be careful; he was either cheating or plotting something nefarious. Sadly, she had no time to warn Yang Zhi to be wary of her stepfather. Cheng Ying, in retrospect, had been quite prescient.

Chi Yong, to his credit, was determined. He had managed to secure Yang Zhi, both in spirit and in daily life, believing their affection could transcend certain customs, perhaps even the memory of her previous husband. Chi Yong ceased holding back; he presented his wife with a truly special gift.

And he did it in front of the entire family. His confidence in his demeanor was such that even Chi Wu couldn't gauge whether he was nervous inside. Why couldn't his father just live his good life without causing himself unnecessary problems?

Looking at the gift, Cheng Ying thought Chi Yong possessed a truly epoch-spanning insight; her father-in-law’s affection for her mother spanned even beyond death.

Old Man Chi looked at the two items that looked suspiciously like property deeds and felt a sense of unease. "Yongzi, did you get the wrong ones? Aren't these for your mother and me?"

Chi Yong beamed at his wife. "How could that be? Don't overthink it. We’re still young; we have plenty of life left to live! These are for Yang Zhi."

Cheng Ying got a toothache. Thank goodness her mother-in-law got regular check-ups, or she might have thought the woman was dying. This gift was truly unique. If her own mother were alive, she would have smacked Chi Yong first for such a lack of propriety.

Yang Zhi held the items, unsure of what to say. Her mind was reeling. It seemed Chi Yong wasn't acting on a whim. Her lips moved, but she finally just tucked the documents away.

Chi Yong genuinely couldn't decipher his wife’s reaction. Did she have nothing to say? He spoke dryly, "I just happened to have some work with colleagues over there. It's a great area, and everyone says the land prices are rising. It’s good to have this secured now." (To be continued)R580