Yu Yao had been playing games all night but woke up quite early in the morning.

Jiang Zhonglin was heating soy milk when he saw her come downstairs and remarked in surprise, “Why are you up so early? Didn’t you get enough rest?”

Yu Yao replied that it was nothing and went to the kitchen to help reheat the buns. After they finished breakfast, someone called Jiang Zhonglin, and he went into his study. Yu Yao stayed in the living room, holding a personal terminal to check things, while a video call with Yang Jun was still open, showing her three-year-old grandson’s chubby, adorable face.

Yu Yao glanced at the screen a few times and said, “He is quite cute.”

They chatted casually for a bit, and when Yang Jun mentioned she was heading out, Yu Yao ended the video call and went to pour herself some water. Passing by the study, she noticed the door was open and peeked inside.

Jiang Zhonglin was writing something on a light screen. Modern electronic devices offer various input methods like typing and voice input, but Jiang Zhonglin preferred handwriting input. This type of input preserved the appearance of the handwriting, almost like traditional writing.

Jiang Zhonglin had excellent penmanship. Yu Yao remembered that years ago, he had written her a love letter with beautiful handwriting. She had kept that letter under their marriage certificate and some documents, but she wasn’t sure if it was still there.

Noticing Yu Yao’s gaze, Jiang Zhonglin stopped writing and asked, “What’s the matter? Is there something you need?” He seemed ready to stand up. Yu Yao waved her hand and said, “It’s nothing, you keep working.” She then returned to the living room.

The living room had a clock, not one of those modern smart clocks with endless information, but a simple round clock with a ticking second hand. It was a bit old-fashioned, a reminder of the past, reflecting the habits of someone born over half a century ago.

When the shortest hand of the clock reached 9, Yu Yao tidied up and prepared to leave. She called out to Jiang Zhonglin in the study.

“I’m going out for a bit.”

Jiang Zhonglin immediately looked up and asked, “What’s wrong? Do you need me to go with you?”

Yu Yao casually said, “It’s fine, you stay here. I’m just going to the community’s fruit and vegetable store to buy some groceries. I’m cooking today.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhonglin immediately stood up, still holding his pen. He said, “No need, I’ll go buy them. You stay home and rest.”

He then added, “Didn’t you say you were still stuck on that game you bought last time?”

Yu Yao thought it was no big deal, but seeing the underlying anxiety in his eyes, she hesitated. “…Really? Is it like being bitten by a snake once and then being afraid of ropes for ten years? I don’t think I’m that unlucky. I’m just going out to buy groceries, not time-traveling again.”

Jiang Zhonglin didn’t say much more, just silently capped his pen and came out, clearly intending to go with her.

Yu Yao watched him change his shoes and said, “I’ve been back for a few days, and I haven’t been out to buy groceries. You can’t go with me every time I need to shop, can you?”

Jiang Zhonglin paused, sighing inwardly. He knew it wasn’t necessary, but hearing her say she was going out alone still made him instinctively uneasy.