The man in the shadows stiffened, his breathing quickening.
Who would she choose?
"Ah Shen, my choice has never been between you two."
"Have you forgotten..."
Suddenly, the man strode forward, his hand tightly gripping her slightly cold one. He said in a low voice, "Ah Qian, I understand now."
He was a smart man.
Women like Xu Qian had too many suitors. While she was still willing to stay by his side, he had to hold on tight and try to make her reluctant to leave him.
After the two had walked far away, the man quietly emerged from the shadows of the corner.
It wouldn't be honest to say he wasn't saddened. They were all people closest to him: Dad, Mommy, brother. He wasn't young anymore, and he could understand why his parents did what they did.
He wanted to remember now, to know about his past with her, to know how he had fallen in love with her.
He still had a chance; he had to fight for it.
Besides, brother hadn't won her over yet...
When the two returned to the villa, Fia came bounding over to greet them, carrying many spoils of war, all things she had swept up at the mall that day.
Of course, she had used the crystal cores rewarded by the Tang Base!
"Sister Qian, I bought you so many clothes, they're all so pretty. Come try them on."
"Okay, I'll try them later."
Tang Zhishen watched the two of them silently from the side, not daring to interject.
"Ah Shen, this is Fia, my good friend."
"Fia, this is Tang Zhishen. You know him."
The two exchanged glances, shook hands, and then released.
"Hello!"
"Hello."
Tang Zhishen knew this woman. He didn't know where she had popped out from, but her sonic attacks were incredibly powerful, and she had made significant contributions against the zombie horde.
He hadn't expected her to be Xu Qian's friend...
"Miss Fia, do you have any accommodation arrangements?"
Fia's eyes twinkled, and she grinned, "I'll just sleep in Sister Qian's room. You two sleep together and hurry up and make a baby."
With that, she tugged Xu Qian into the room and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Tang Zhishen stood frozen, his whole body rigid, his ears possibly turning a little red.
Make... make a baby?
Xu Qian patted her gently and chuckled, "Fia, what nonsense are you spouting?"
All you think about all day is making babies.
"Oh, it's to help your relationship! Come on, try them on."
Fia pulled out several dresses from the paper bags, along with her usual tracksuits. There were so many they covered the entire bed.
Xu Qian's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She said softly, "Why didn't you buy anything for yourself?"
"I did buy some too," she said, pointing to a pile in the corner. "That's all mine."
The young girl sighed, "That's good then."
What followed was a fashion show for the two of them. The two girls took turns trying on clothes, laughing joyfully. Their voices carried outside.
The man who was about to knock on the door to call them for dinner stopped himself.
Forget it. She was so happy; eating a little later wouldn't matter. At worst, he could ask the kitchen to send food again.
"Brother."
The man came back to his senses and nodded.
"Have you eaten?"
The younger brother shook his head.
"Come and eat with us."
Tang Zhishen opened the food containers, arranged them, and filled a bowl with rice. He handed one bowl to his brother and placed the other in front of himself.
They ate in silence. The younger brother slowly began, "I'm going to find Mom and Dad. I've remembered."
"Mm."
The man's expression turned serious, and he said coldly, "I will pursue her openly. We'll compete fairly."
Tang Zhishen let out a choked laugh. "Zhiyuan, let's go talk outside."
Tang Zhiyuan, not understanding, obediently followed his brother to the garden, to the large tree.
The two sat side-by-side like they did in childhood, leaning against the trunk of the tree.
This house had been left behind before the apocalypse; it was their home originally.
"Zhiyuan, do you know how many competitors we have?"