Chapter 96: Main Story Completed

As Chi Xiao carried Ming Can toward the bathroom, his gaze casually swept across the floor. He caught sight of her discarded loungewear and noticed something familiar clinging to it.

Just as he was about to take a closer look, he suddenly felt a scratch on his back.

“Hurry up,” Ming Can urged, her voice soft and delicate. “Don’t stop here…”

Chi Xiao withdrew his gaze, hitched her up slightly in his arms, and strode forward.

With every step he took, Ming Can drew in a sharp breath. Her slender, fair arms clung tightly around his neck, and her nails left several faint scratches on his shoulders and back.

“Put me down…”

“Can you stand?” He gripped her waist tightly, pressing her against him as he whispered in a low voice, “You seem pretty steady like this.”

“…” Ming Can couldn’t form a response. She lifted her eyes and saw the hot water cascading down, steam curling upward inch by inch until her vision blurred.

In the narrow, oxygen-deprived glass enclosure, she felt like a reed swaying in the wild under a fierce wind—or more precisely, a reed leaf, seemingly on the verge of toppling at any moment, yet each time, the resilient stalk would pull her back into place.

As the kiss deepened, their eyelashes almost tangled together. Chi Xiao’s eyes were half-lidded, watching as she seemed ready to dissolve into the wind. For a brief second, the sight nearly forced him to retreat.

He murmured against her ear, asking her to have mercy. But even after a long while, he only let go after brushing against her lips with a fierce breath, leaving behind his burning affection.

The next morning, Ming Can was awakened by the touch of a tongue.

Under her constant “guidance,” Chi Xiao had gradually gotten used to holding her while sleeping. But to take it a step further and start licking her face while she was asleep—wasn’t that going too far?

Opening her eyes, Ming Can was met with a messy platinum-colored mop of fur, and her gaze froze for a second.

“Xiao Xiao? What are you doing here?” She looked at the little dog standing by her bedside and smiled as she rubbed its head. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind. She brought Xiao Xiao over to Chi Xiao’s face, nudging it to lick him instead.

Chi Xiao was never particularly patient when woken up. Without even bothering to open his eyes, he reached out with one long arm, pulled Ming Can tightly into his embrace, and murmured in a hoarse voice, “Still not satisfied from last night?”

“You’re insane!” Ming Can’s face flushed red as she pushed him away. “Get up and take Xiao Xiao out for breakfast.”

Chi Xiao finally cracked his eyes open. Glancing at the little dog beside him, he arched a cold eyebrow before suddenly flipping over and pinning Ming Can beneath him. As if searching for a hidden switch, he clumsily tugged and pulled at her.

The heated atmosphere was abruptly shattered by a series of urgent knocks on the bedroom door.

Ming Can’s master bedroom was usually left unlocked. After knocking a few times, Miaomiao simply pushed the door open and rushed to the bedside, looking flustered. “Mom! Dad! Xiao Xiao is missing! I searched everywhere and couldn’t find him!”

“Woof!” Xiao Xiao jumped off the bed and excitedly ran to Miaomiao’s side. “Woof woof woof!”

“There you are!” Miaomiao let out a long sigh of relief. “Weren’t you sleeping beside me last night? How did you end up in Mom and Dad’s room?”

Xiao Xiao: “Woof woof woof!”

Miaomiao blinked in confusion. “Huh? What fight?”

Xiao Xiao turned its head to glance at the two adults sluggishly getting up from the bed, then continued barking, “Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

Miaomiao suddenly clenched his little fists and knocked himself lightly on the head.

Something was seriously wrong with his superpowers! Why was even Xiao Xiao’s speech getting censored?

Beside him, Dad was the first to get out of bed. He lifted the blanket, scooped Mom up in a princess carry, and took her to the bathroom to freshen up.

Miaomiao trotted after them, a little envious. “I want a hug too!”

Ming Can looped his arms around Chi Xiao’s neck and lazily wiggled her toes. “Then you’ll have to wait in line.”

“Okay!” Miaomiao obediently stood at the bathroom door, waiting patiently. “Daddy, hurry up!”

Chi Xiao carried Ming Can into the bathroom, but after taking just a couple of steps, he suddenly turned around and walked back.

“No need to wait,” he raised an eyebrow. “I can carry both.”

In the next instant, Ming Can’s body was lifted upright, all her weight shifting onto Chi Xiao’s single arm. Her heartbeat pounded faster as she wrapped her arms around his neck, sitting securely in the crook of his arm. It was steadier than she had imagined—his grip on the back of her thighs was firm, and when he looked up at her, his gaze was brimming with undeniable strength.

Ming Can weighed more than twice as much as Miaomiao, yet Chi Xiao held him effortlessly. With one arm carrying Ming Can with ease, he used the other to scoop up the little one as if it was nothing.

As Miaomiao was lifted into the air, he instinctively grabbed the little dog from the floor and pulled it into his embrace.

“Woof woof woof!”

Xiao Xiao flailed excitedly, kicking and wriggling, while Miaomiao giggled uncontrollably. Worried the dog might fall, he quickly grabbed onto its tiny paws.

On the other side, Ming Can was also afraid Miaomiao might move too much and lose his balance, so she reached out with one hand to steady him by the shoulder.

“Dad, you’re amazing!” Miaomiao was overjoyed and leaned in to plant a loud kiss on Chi Xiao’s cheek.

“Good job, Miaomiao’s dad.” Ming Can followed suit, lowering her head to press a soft kiss against his cheek. “Holding up our entire family all on your own.”

Her eyes were bright, yet for some reason, her sockets felt a little sore. In that instant, she was overwhelmed with a deep sense of fortune—how lucky she was to have met someone who made her heart race and loved her just as deeply in return.

The girl’s sweet, laughing voice slipped into Chi Xiao’s ears like a cloud made of sugar water, wrapping softly around his heart.

“If you’re tired, put us down,” Ming Can said considerately.

“I’m not tired,” Chi Xiao declared arrogantly. “I feel like I could hold you for another ten thousand years.”

—

In mid-April, deep into spring, Chi Xiao went to pick up Miaomiao from school in the afternoon. On the way home, he called Ming Can.

“I have good news to tell you.”

“I also have good news to tell you,” Ming Can’s side was very quiet. “When will you be home?”

“Within ten minutes.”

Eight minutes later, Chi Xiao arrived home with Miaomiao.

In the living room, near the floor-to-ceiling windows by the balcony, a previously empty corner now prominently featured a sleek, jet-black grand piano with a polished, glossy finish.

“Ta-da!” Ming Can patted the piano lid proudly. “A gift for you. Starting tomorrow, accompany me whenever you have time.”

Chi Xiao’s lips curved into a smirk, his voice drawling, “Thank you for gifting me the opportunity to be your practice partner.”

As she walked past him, Ming Can deliberately stepped on his foot before sitting down on the piano bench. She flipped open the keyboard cover, placed her hands on the black and white keys, and, with a bit of awkwardness, played Für Elise.

“The sound is pretty nice, right?” she said while playing, then motioned for Chi Xiao to fetch a violin. Right now, she just wanted to play a duet with him.

Not long after, Chi Xiao came out holding a violin—one he had crafted with his own hands. But instead of handing it to Ming Can, he rested it against his shoulder, lifted the bow, and seamlessly joined in with the melody she was playing.

Ming Can turned back in surprise. “You can play?”

And clearly, much better than she could on the piano.

The moment she spoke, she realized how pointless her question was. A luthier was the person who understood violins better than anyone in the world—of course he could play.

Chi Xiao raised an eyebrow at her and replied, “A little worse than you.”

Ming Can, though secretly impressed, muttered under her breath, “Well, that’s what you get for liking me so much.”

Chi Xiao tilted slightly, continuing to play. Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow over his tall, upright figure. The music flowed gently through the air, carrying his quiet words along with it: “As long as you know. I just worry that you don’t.”

“How much I like you.”

Ming Can pressed her lips together in a smile, her ears growing warm as she continued playing the piano, stumbling over a few notes.

Miaomiao played with his toys nearby, occasionally perking up his ears to eavesdrop on his parents’ conversation.

At some point, Mom and Dad’s words to each other had started aligning perfectly with their true feelings.

They were no longer people who hid their emotions behind their words. Whatever they wanted to say to each other, they could now say it openly and bravely, without hesitation.

Just then, Ming Can suddenly remembered something. “Oh, didn’t you say you also had good news for me?”

Chi Xiao set down the violin resting on his shoulder and nodded. “Very important good news.”

With that, he reached into the pile of toys and fished out their son, setting him down. “Go get your backpack and show Mom the good news.”

The good news was a math test paper covered in bright red checkmarks— a perfect score.

Ming Can held up the paper in delight, as if it were the first time in her life she had ever seen such an exhilarating number: 100. Chi Xiao, standing beside her, explained that Miaomiao’s teacher had even given him a little red flower today and had called Chi Xiao, as his parent, to the office for a round of praise. The teacher said she could hardly believe how much Miaomiao had improved… At this point, Ming Can’s expression slowly shifted.

“Oh, really?” She squinted at Chi Xiao. “Being called to the teacher’s office for praise—must’ve felt great, huh?”

“Of course.” Chi Xiao nodded, then clicked his tongue. “That feeling… absolutely amazing.”

Before he could finish speaking, Ming Can tackled him, raining down a flurry of punches.

She was furious! Why was it that when Miaomiao scored 2 points, she was the one called in for the talk? No one knew how much she had suffered during that time, teetering on the brink of a breakdown, questioning life itself—wondering if both her son and husband were just plain stupid…

Chi Xiao wrapped his arms around her tightly, pinning down her hands. “I told the teacher—it was all thanks to Miaomiao’s mom.”

Hearing this, Ming Can finally felt a little better. A smile returned to her face. “The main credit still goes to Miaomiao for working hard.”

“That’s right.” Chi Xiao pulled Miaomiao into his arms as well, ruffling his hair. “Tonight, we’re going out for a big celebratory dinner. What do you want to eat, baby?”

“I want hot pot!” Miaomiao spread his arms wide and hugged both his parents. “If I get a perfect score again, will we go out for another big dinner?”

Ming Can laughed. “Of course!”

Miaomiao cheered. “Yay!”

So he didn’t have to be a silly kid just to get more attention from his parents after all.

“Not only will we go out for a big meal, but we can also take you to an amusement park.” Ming Can pulled out her phone and checked their schedule. “Your dad and I are both free next weekend. Let’s go to Didi Land then!”

“Yay!”

…

A week passed. Before their planned trip to the amusement park could happen, their lives were turned upside down.

A few nights ago, in the dead of night, Miaomiao woke up from a nightmare and ran into his parents’ bed. He told them he had dreamt of being in a room filled with the smell of disinfectant, something covering his face. After a short while, he felt like he couldn’t breathe—then suddenly woke up.

Sensing that something was off, Ming Can and Chi Xiao held Miaomiao tightly in their arms the entire night.

But when they woke up the next morning, only the two of them remained in bed.

They searched every corner of the house. Checked every second of the security footage from the night before. No one had entered or left the room. And yet, there was no trace of Miaomiao anywhere.

He had vanished into thin air—just like how, six months ago, he had suddenly appeared in the pavilion where Ming Can had been taking a walk.

Ming Can sat on the bed, awake for a long time but still not dressed. Her gaze was empty as she spoke to Chi Xiao, “From now on, we can go back to a normal student life. More time to study, work, go shopping, play games… It’s nice…”

“Is that so?” Chi Xiao leaned in closer, his fingertips brushing against the dampness on her cheek. His voice held the faintest tremor. “Then why do I feel like that’s not true…?”

In the next moment, Ming Can suddenly buried herself in his arms, pressing her cheek against his chest and shaking her head fiercely.

Even though she had prepared herself for this, the emptiness in her heart was unavoidable.

Tears flowed endlessly into the hollow space within her. But no matter how much she poured in, when she shook it—there was still only a vast, empty echo.

With Ming Shu’s help, Miaomiao’s fabricated existence in this world had been perfectly erased.

Life had to go on. Both Ming Can and Chi Xiao had strong self-control. Aside from feeling a little dazed during class for the first two days, they quickly adjusted, pressing all their emotions deep down. On the surface, they seemed no different from before.

Until the weekend arrived.

They had originally planned to go to the amusement park together and had bought three tickets. But now, there were only two of them left.

In the days since Miaomiao left, the two had stuck to each other like glue. Even as they sat at the dining table, Ming Can’s leg was almost resting on Chi Xiao’s knee.

“Have you ever been to Didi Land before?” Ming Can tilted her head and asked Chi Xiao.

“No.”

“You really haven’t?” Ming Can pouted. “Didi Land has been open for over ten years. I went there several times as a kid, and Miaomiao has been there too.”

“Is it fun?” Chi Xiao asked.

“It’s fun,” Ming Can said. “I’ll take you there tomorrow, and you’ll see for yourself.”

As soon as the words fell, both of them inevitably thought of the joyful moment last week when they had planned to go to the amusement park together.

The atmosphere grew heavy. Ming Can rubbed her face and suddenly said to Chi Xiao, “You’re just a kid too.”

Chi Xiao was stunned, not understanding what she meant.

Ming Can continued, “You’ve never even been to an amusement park. You couldn’t be more of a little kid.”

He had never experienced childhood—if he made up for it now, it still wouldn’t be too late.

Chi Xiao seemed to understand. “So, is Big Sister Volcano taking me to play?”

Hearing him call her that, Ming Can’s ears burned. “Can you move your hand off my leg before saying that?”

Chi Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Not really an option.”

The next day arrived in the blink of an eye.

They spent the entire day running wild in the amusement park, trying all kinds of food, riding every attraction, and taking photos at every scenic spot. Ming Can had indeed been here many times before—she was even more useful than a guidebook. Their itinerary was packed, and her execution was flawless. Chi Xiao had no complaints about her as a tour guide. The only thing he took issue with was the rabbit-ear headband she forced him to wear. He had styled his hair specifically for their outing today, and now it was completely flattened.

As dusk settled, they boarded the Ferris wheel by the lake.

Ming Can leaned against Chi Xiao’s shoulder, gazing at the first twinkling stars in the sky. She raised a hand to press lightly against the dull ache in her chest and asked softly, “Do you think Miaomiao will miss us?”

“He will, but not too much,” Chi Xiao replied. “Because we’re there too.”

After a brief pause, he looked toward the distant stars, a hint of worry in his voice. “But… the us over there don’t have the same bond. He might feel really lost.”

“Not necessarily.” Ming Can suddenly turned to Chi Xiao, looking at him seriously. “I used to think that if Miaomiao had never traveled here, if he had stayed on his original timeline, I definitely wouldn’t have fallen for you. But then I thought about it again… and I realized that’s not true.

“I might be stubborn, not easy to get along with. But I like you so much now. After spending so many years with you in the future, how could I not develop feelings for you? Even if I don’t at first, give it more time—ten years, fifteen years… As long as you don’t change your heart, I know I’ll still end up falling for you.”

After listening to her long speech, Chi Xiao chuckled. “That’s a pretty strict condition.”

Ming Can shot him a look. “What, is liking me for over a decade that unreasonable?”

“Not at all.” Chi Xiao took her hand. “For me, it’s the easiest thing in the world.”

Ming Can’s heartbeat suddenly sped up. She gazed at the twilight sky, the soft hues of smoky purple melting into his light-colored eyes. As the world sank into its blue hour, she sank into the depths of his gaze, never wanting to leave.

“Oh, right.” Chi Xiao suddenly spoke casually. “There was something you said just now, can you say it again?”

“Which part?”

“‘I like you so much right now.’ That part.”

“No way.” Ming Can turned her back to him. “Didn’t you already hear it?”

“I want to hear it again.”

“I want to hear you say it yourself.”

“I love you.”

The three words came out without warning.

As the deep, magnetic voice fell, the Ferris wheel reached its highest point.

Gazing out the window, Ming Can watched as several fireworks suddenly shot up from the adjacent tech park, blooming simultaneously in the dusky night sky and scattering dazzling light.

She stared without blinking, her heartbeat pounding so loudly in her ears that it completely drowned out the explosions.

Until a voice suddenly sounded beside her:

“Can I take out the diamond ring now?”

Ming Can stared at him in shock, her face flushing bright red. She glared at him, frustrated by his lack of tact. “Why would you ask me something like that?!”

“It’s not a proposal.” Chi Xiao’s voice was slightly tense. They were still too young—Ming Can wouldn’t even turn twenty for another four months. Marriage wasn’t something to consider just yet. And if he were really proposing, how could he possibly be this careless about it? “I just want to give you a diamond.”

Ming Can let out a slow breath. She thought back to the moment he had startled her, realizing that despite the shock, not once had the thought of refusing crossed her mind. Her face grew even hotter, her lips parting slightly as she asked softly, “And then?”

“And then, to tell you, that diamond is nothing more than coal that persisted to the end.”

As Chi Xiao spoke, he solemnly lifted Ming Can’s left hand and slowly slid a modest diamond ring onto her middle finger. “Just like me.”

For so many years, he had repeated the same actions every day, passing through one indistinct day after another.

Waiting indifferently, hopelessly, for the possibility that one day, light might shine on him again.

Until finally, that day arrived. The sun crashed straight down upon him. Yet instead of being reduced to nothingness in its blazing heat, he embraced it.

“Then you have to keep holding on.” Ming Can stroked the diamond on her finger, then suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned in, kissed his lips, and enunciated each word clearly: “I will never let you go.”

“Please, never let me go either.”

Two pairs of slightly reddened eyes met within the slowly revolving Ferris wheel.

Beside them, fireworks bloomed in the sky. On their fingers, a diamond stood resilient. In their chests, hearts pounded fiercely.

Everything, everything would burn on forever, along with this love.

—— End of Main Story ——