The chubby old man who was speaking was named Nie Lei. He seemed to lack any sense of appropriateness and, even after Jiang Zhonglin had gently reprimanded him, he didn’t take it to heart. Instead, he continued to babble on energetically as Jiang Zhonglin sat nearby.

“Old Jiang, don’t be shy. You’ve been single for so many years, only staying close to Cao Qingling. Everyone knows about it. I don’t believe you two don’t have feelings for each other. You shouldn’t be so old-fashioned. It’s a new era—why can’t old folks get remarried? You and Cao Qingling both lost your spouses and have shared hardships. I think she would be the perfect companion for you…”

Nie Lei was rambling on until another elderly man, who was accompanied by his spouse, bumped into him.

Nie Lei was interrupted and looked around, bewildered. “Old Dong, why did you bump into me?”

The elderly man who interrupted Nie Lei was actually one of Jiang Zhonglin’s good friends and knew about Yu Yao’s identity. Hearing Nie Lei’s comments and seeing Jiang Zhonglin’s increasingly furrowed brow and his wife beside him, Old Dong was sweating with anxiety. Nie Lei had always been a blabbermouth, and his mouth was as off-putting as ever!

Old Dong was genuinely worried that Jiang Zhonglin would be scolded by his wife once they returned home. At his age, he couldn’t handle much trouble. He quickly gave Nie Lei a nudge and scolded him with a stern face, “You’re being too nosy. Be quiet and stop talking. Can’t you see Old Jiang is getting upset?”

Nie Lei finally realized that Jiang Zhonglin was indeed angry. Jiang Zhonglin rarely got angry, and when he did, it was quite intimidating. Even someone as clueless as Nie Lei knew it was best to stop. However, he felt a bit embarrassed to just shut up. He muttered apologetically, “I was just speaking casually. Why are you getting upset?”

Seeing Jiang Zhonglin’s indifferent expression, Nie Lei tried to change the subject. He noticed Yu Yao sitting next to Jiang Zhonglin and curiously asked, “Who is this young lady? It’s the first time I’ve seen you bring someone along. Is she a new student? Why did you pick such a young and pretty girl? It doesn’t seem like you.”

Yu Yao finally smiled and, looking at Nie Lei, said clearly and politely, “Hello, I’m Yu Yao, Jiang Zhonglin’s wife.”

The entire hall fell silent.

Due to Nie Lei’s earlier loud voice, everyone waiting in the hall had noticed them. Some had even been preparing to intervene after seeing the uncomfortable situation. Yu Yao’s simple statement made everyone freeze, including the couples who already knew her identity.

The hall was unusually quiet, with everyone staring at Jiang Zhonglin and Yu Yao. A few who had just entered the hall and hadn’t heard Yu Yao’s words were puzzled by the sudden silence and looked around, wondering, “What’s going on? Why is everyone so quiet?”

At this moment, Nie Lei finally came to his senses. He widened his eyes and exclaimed, “What! Old Jiang, when did you marry such a young wife? You didn’t even invite us to a celebration!”

The room erupted in chaos.

“What? No way, really his wife? Is this a joke?”

“Mr. Jiang… wife?”

“This is… a bit too young… isn’t it inappropriate…”

The news left everyone stunned and bewildered. Even among those who weren’t close friends but were familiar with each other, no one had expected Jiang Zhonglin to be involved in such a situation. Their looks towards him were filled with confusion.

Jiang Zhonglin didn’t immediately react to the whispers and stares. His two friends who knew the situation couldn’t help but speak up, “Old Jiang is not that kind of person. Stop making wild guesses.”

Yu Yao spoke up almost simultaneously, “Jiang Zhonglin and I got married over forty years ago. You might have seen the news recently about the fifth person who traveled forty years into the future. That person is me. I came from 2018 to 2058 about two months ago.”

The continuous revelations left everyone dumbfounded, staring blankly at Jiang Zhonglin and then at her. Especially Nie Lei, who exclaimed, “Oh my! I’ve seen a real one!”

Yu Yao couldn’t help but laugh at the old man’s reaction. Looking around at the astonished faces, she continued, “Jiang Zhonglin and I were a normal couple when we married. Although unexpected events occurred, we still recognize our past marriage. Jiang Zhonglin is willing to fulfill his responsibilities as a husband, purely out of his sense of duty and kindness. I don’t want him to be misunderstood because of me.”

Jiang Zhonglin gazed at her quietly, seemingly lost in thought. He soon came to himself and confirmed to the bewildered Literary Association members, “It’s true. Yu Yao is my legal wife. To ensure her normal life is not disturbed, I previously requested confidentiality and control over her image.”

He then looked at a young student sitting nearby and said, “So, this student, please keep the photos and videos you took secure, do not post them on any public platforms or distribute them widely.”