Chapter 86
Shen Yan gently caressed Su Yunzhe’s cheek, softly comforting him, “It’s not your fault. We’ll take it slow, you’ll remember eventually.”
Su Yunzhe rarely felt this defeated. He took Shen Yan’s hand and kissed it near his lips, feeling as though he had a thousand things to say but unable to express them.
From the moment he first met Shen Yan, everything about their relationship had seemed unbelievable, and the love that had grown between them felt almost inexplicable. He had repeatedly tried to make sense of these unusual feelings but had always come up short. Lately, however, he’d begun to have the strong illusion that he had been with Shen Yan before, but that he had forgotten it.
Yet, as he said, he remembered everything from his past, except for Shen Yan.
But tonight, when he saw Shen Yan dressed as a woman, an inexplicably familiar feeling surged in his mind, intense and overwhelming. Even when he was kissing Shen Yan just now, in the heat of the moment, fleeting images of Shen Yan in different feminine outfits flashed before his eyes—each smile, each gesture felt so real, as if he had seen them before.
Then Shen Yan said, “I promise I won’t fall asleep this time.”
This time? Didn’t that imply it had happened before?
So, had he forgotten?
In an instant, memories of nearly everything since he met Shen Yan flooded his mind. He finally realized: it was him who had forgotten. Shen Yan had been trying again and again to awaken his memories through familiar scenes since the first time they met in the elevator.
But no matter what, he still couldn’t remember.
“Yan Yan…” He looked at Shen Yan, his voice hoarse. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I… huh…”
Before he could finish, Shen Yan wrapped his arms around his neck, kissed him, silencing all his guilt and helplessness. Then he pulled back, flashing a mischievous smile. “You already took my clothes off, are you sure you want to waste time? I might fall asleep again.”
As he spoke, Shen Yan deliberately rubbed his leg against Su Yunzhe’s, teasing him playfully.
Despite the memory loss, Su Yunzhe was still the man who had been with Shen Yan for six years. Shen Yan knew exactly how to stir his interest.
The guilt he felt vanished in an instant, and once the impulse was rekindled, it became even more intense.
This time, Shen Yan didn’t fall asleep. Instead, he embraced Su Yunzhe, and they spent the night together, both of them seeking fulfillment.
After all, it wasn’t just Su Yunzhe who was left unsatisfied, Shen Yan was too.
And he didn’t want Su Yunzhe to feel guilty about forgetting him. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, and it was certainly not something Su Yunzhe could control. Everything had happened by accident. Shen Yan hoped that Su Yunzhe would eventually remember him, but it was just a hope, not something he would force. He didn’t want this situation to become a burden on Su Yunzhe’s heart.
He was fine with things happening naturally. After all, even if Su Yunzhe didn’t remember him, he was still the same Su Yunzhe.
Moreover, if Su Yunzhe eventually remembered and realized not only had they been together, but they had even gotten married, that revelation would probably be a huge surprise.
Hmm?
After a night of being completely exhausted, Shen Yan lay in bed, unable to move, watching the still-sleeping Su Yunzhe beside him. A playful thought suddenly popped into his head, and he couldn’t wait to act on it.
He gently traced his fingers over Su Yunzhe’s forehead, across his high nose bridge, and then… pinched his nose.
Su Yunzhe, struggling to breathe properly, furrowed his brow and slowly woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw Shen Yan’s mischievous smile.
He paused for a moment, then quickly flipped over, pinning Shen Yan beneath him, a mock angry smile on his face as he teased, “Looks like I didn’t feed you enough last night, huh? Don’t want to get out of bed?”
Shen Yan, knowing he couldn’t escape, and not feeling like moving due to his aching back, simply relaxed and said, “I’ll tell you a secret. Your son… I gave birth to him!”
Su Yunzhe, who had been preparing for a bit of morning exercise, froze, his body still, as he stared at Shen Yan with wide eyes.
“Hahahaha…”
Shen Yan couldn’t help but burst out laughing, even pinching Su Yunzhe’s cheek, asking teasingly, “What’s your reaction? You don’t believe me?”
Su Yunzhe’s eyes flickered, and then his lips curled into a playful smile. He reached for Shen Yan’s belly, “Not really convinced. How about you have another one and prove it?”
Damn!
Shen Yan hadn’t expected that even after a whole night, Su Yunzhe still had so much energy.
“Stop it, stop it, my back is breaking!” Shen Yan quickly grabbed Su Yunzhe’s hand, begging for mercy.
Su Yunzhe paused but didn’t release him. Instead, he gave him a knowing look, his smile deepening. “Begging for mercy, huh? Shouldn’t you say something nice?”
Shen Yan was slightly taken aback, suddenly feeling like he had missed something important. Su Yunzhe… was different.
That mischievous smile, that teasing tone… it felt like—
Before Shen Yan could make sense of it, Su Yunzhe leaned down, whispering in his ear with a grin, “Looks like you really want to have a daughter for me. Wife, let’s continue!”
Huh? Oh…
Shen Yan’s mind went blank as Su Yunzhe kissed him. The kiss was gentle, delicate, and full of tenderness, but Shen Yan couldn’t help the urge to push him away and confirm things. However, in the end, he just held onto him instead.
Su Yunzhe had remembered.
It was incredible. Throughout the past period, there had been no sign of his memory returning. Even last night, when he realized he had forgotten something important, he couldn’t find any clues or traces to follow.
But when he woke up—no, to be precise, during his sleep—the memories suddenly came rushing back.
When Shen Yan woke him up by pinching his nose, and he saw Shen Yan’s smile, everything clicked into place. He remembered who he was, where he came from, and knew that the person in front of him was his lover and partner.
He had wanted to tell Shen Yan immediately that he knew, and that despite the comforting words last night, Shen Yan must have been hoping for him to remember. After all, who would want to be forgotten by their loved one?
But the moment he looked at Shen Yan, he felt a deep sense of longing. Even though they had spent the whole night together, with Shen Yan begging him to stop, once he remembered everything, something felt different. Something was missing.
So, instinctively, he wanted to hold Shen Yan close, do certain things to bring back the feeling that was slightly lacking.
But then he realized Shen Yan was teasing him.
After playing along and acting naive for a bit, he finally let his longing take over.
Yes, damn it, he really wanted him!
Even though they saw each other every day, the feeling of wanting him was still so intense.
Shen Yan never expected Su Yunzhe’s memory to return so smoothly. After all, they had just been to bed, and his memories had returned immediately.
Damn!
What kind of trigger mechanism was this?
Had he known it was that simple, he would have kidnapped Su Yunzhe the first time they met.
Of course, whether that was the actual reason was unclear.
But Su Yunzhe’s memory had certainly returned, much smoother than expected. He wondered if the little one had remembered too.
Last night, Su Yunzhe had left the little one at the Su family’s house. If the child was like Su Yunzhe, waking up and remembering everything, he would probably be crying and asking to find him right about now.
As Shen Yan lay under Su Yunzhe, this thought suddenly popped into his head, and he couldn’t stay calm anymore. He quickly pushed Su Yunzhe away, about to speak when they suddenly heard a voice from outside the door, “Daddy, Daddy, I had a weird dream…”
Then, as always on weekend mornings, the door was pushed open, and a little soft head peeked inside, blinking big eyes as it looked toward the bed…
Wait?
Wasn’t the little one at the Su family’s place last night? Why was he here in the morning at Qing Shui Bay, wearing pajamas and holding the teddy bear he always slept with?
Both Shen Yan and Su Yunzhe were momentarily stunned, staring at the child.
The little one blinked innocently and suddenly looked as though he understood something, smiling a toothy grin, “Daddy, are you going to help me have a little sister?”
Damn!
Shen Yan finally realized Su Yunzhe was still on top of him.
Although they were covered by a blanket, there was nothing beneath it, and certain parts of Su Yunzhe’s body were definitely pressing against him in a very suggestive way.
He knew the little one had no idea what was going on when he said “have a little sister,” but the situation was still incredibly awkward.
Without thinking, Shen Yan kicked Su Yunzhe off of him, quickly grabbed the child in his arms and gave him a kiss. “Daddy is going to take a shower. You go back to your room, and Daddy will come sleep with you later, okay?”
The little one was easily coaxed and immediately nodded obediently, “Okay, then I’ll wait for you, Daddy.”
Shen Yan rushed to the bathroom to shower, but as the warm water poured over him, he suddenly realized something—had the little one just called him “Daddy”?
Wait?
Did that mean the little one had remembered too?
Was their memory recovery happening simultaneously?
No, wait!
Why was the little one at the Su family’s house last night, but now here at home?
Could it be…
Shen Yan immediately quickened his pace. After finishing his shower, he quickly wrapped himself in a bathrobe and rushed out. Just as he exited, Su Yunzhe came out of the bathroom, also hurried, his expression mirroring Shen Yan’s urgency.
The two of them bumped into each other, their eyes meeting, and in unison, they both said, “Did we come back?”
Both froze for a moment before, without a word, they simultaneously reached for their phones, checking the date and contact list. The date was the second day since they’d returned to the real world, and the contact list was entirely filled with people from the world of the book, with no trace of anyone from the Shen or Su families.
“So…” Shen Yan stared at his phone, unsure whether to feel joy or disappointment. “We’re back, aren’t we?”
Back in the world of the book.
Here, he was 28-year-old Shen Yan, married to Su Yunzhe for five years.
Here, Su Yunzhe remembered him, and the little one would sweetly call him “Daddy.”
Here, there was no overbearing mother-in-law pushing Su Yunzhe to marry, and there were no… family members.
It felt as though nothing had happened. He had simply spent a crazy night with Su Yunzhe, had a strange dream, and when he woke up, everything was the same.
But it wasn’t a dream. It couldn’t have been a dream. How could two people have the same dream?
No, it was three people.
Hadn’t the little one just said he had a strange dream?
So, it seemed that the three of them, for some reason, had indeed traveled to the real world and somehow returned.
Shen Yan felt a pang of loss because he hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to his family.
He had thought he still had plenty of time to be with his family. Maybe he would even see his work turned into a movie, or maybe one day, Bi Fan would muster the courage to confess his feelings to Shen Fei, and Shen Fei would finally end up with Bi Fan. Maybe he could even wait for the day Shen Yue had a child and see if his little nephew was cute.
He had even been planning, once Su Yunzhe and the little one’s memories returned, to find an opportunity to tell his family about his experiences so they would know that, no matter which world he was in, he had been happy.
But, just like last time, everything had happened without warning. He had left without saying goodbye.
He didn’t know if his family in the real world would be affected in some way.
“Alright, stop thinking about it. Since we went to that world and these two worlds have this bizarre way of merging, there will definitely be some reasonable changes when you leave,” Su Yunzhe said, sensing Shen Yan’s sorrow.
He had heard Shen Yan talk about his family before and knew that Shen Yan lived in a happy household. This time, he had even seen it firsthand, which made him better understand Shen Yan’s feelings toward his family.
If he could, Su Yunzhe would have stayed in that world with Shen Yan and the little one.
But this was something beyond their control.
All they could do now was adapt.
Shen Yan lowered his head and let out a small laugh, “I suddenly feel a little pretentious. I already accepted the fact that I couldn’t go back and see them when I came to this world six years ago. But now, with this opportunity to go back and see them, and let them know that I met… you, and let them see my precious son, I should be grateful. There’s no need to be sad. Alright! I’m going to sleep with my precious son now, lunch is on you, my husband.”
Shen Yan quickly shook off his melancholy, his mood lifting. He wrapped his arms around Su Yunzhe’s neck, gave him a kiss, and ran next door to join the little one.
The little one was lying on the bed, talking to his teddy bear in boredom. When he heard the sound of Shen Yan coming in, he happily stood up on the bed, opened his arms, and jumped into Shen Yan’s embrace.
The little one snuggled in his arms, happily rubbing against him. “Daddy, I missed you so much. Last night, I had a dream, and in the dream, I didn’t remember Daddy, and I thought Daddy was my brother. And Daddy… Daddy is a fool because he didn’t remember me either.”
The little one spoke with a pout, his eyes full of grievance. “I don’t like that dream. I won’t forget Daddy, I love Daddy the most.”
Shen Yan’s heart melted. He kissed the little one repeatedly. “Dreams are all fake. You and Daddy will always be together, and so will Daddy. Our family will always be together, right?”
The little one nodded seriously. “Yes, I love being with Daddy and Daddy the most. Um… but in the dream, I also saw Grandpa and Grandma, and a handsome uncle, and a beautiful aunt. They were all really nice to me, and I really liked them.”
The little one seemed to be thinking about the Shen family. Tilting his head, he appeared a little reluctant to leave them behind.
This must be the miraculous bond of blood relations.
Shen Yan gently pinched the little one’s cheek and comforted him, “They definitely like you very much. Maybe they’ll even come visit you in your dreams in the future and meet you.”
“Really?” The little one’s eyes lit up.
“Of course it’s true. You’re so adorable, they’ll definitely want to meet you. When that happens, you can tell them that you love them a lot, okay?”
The little one nodded eagerly, “Yes, I’ll definitely tell them. By the way, I also saw… in my dream…”
The little one seemed to have a lot to say, almost as if he hadn’t seen Shen Yan in a long time, and was going on and on about everything he had experienced in the real world, his words coming out in a disjointed manner.
Shen Yan had been feeling a bit tired, after all, he had been up all night with Su Yunzhe, his back and waist sore, and had hoped to take a nap while holding the little one.
But listening to the soft, sweet voice of the little one in his arms, he felt so happy, so content, that he couldn’t sleep at all.
It was strange—though he had always been able to see the little one before, it never felt as comforting as now, being able to hold him at home.
So, his plan to rest before lunch was soon forgotten.
The two of them chatted away until Su Yunzhe called them downstairs for lunch, though the little one seemed to still have a lot to say.
After lunch, the little one was set on taking his nap, which was just the right opportunity for Shen Yan to rest. However, once they lay down, he couldn’t fall asleep. He kept feeling like there was something important that he had forgotten.
It wasn’t until around two in the afternoon, when he was finally about to drift off to sleep, that he suddenly jolted awake. With a start, he pulled Su Yunzhe up too. “Quick, quick, let’s go to the hospital!”
Su Yunzhe, who had been close to sleep, was momentarily confused when Shen Yan called him, but then he quickly realized what was going on. He immediately got up and began to get ready while Shen Yan rushed to wake the little one up.
The three of them hurriedly packed up, went downstairs, and drove off to the hospital.
It wasn’t until they were in the car that the little one realized where they were going. Tilting his head and blinking his big eyes, he seemed to be thinking for a moment before suddenly remembering something. Excitedly, he clapped his hands. “Uncle Ling is having the baby today, right? He promised me he’d have a baby sister for me! Are we going to see the little sister now?”
Indeed, today was the due date for Ling Sicheng’s baby.
