I've been in an unspoken relationship with my younger uncle for eight years.

By the time I was ready to break through this silent understanding, I overheard him chatting and laughing with his friends.

"That's your elder brother's daughter. You've shared the same bed for eight years. Your guts are truly massive."

"If you're betrothed to Qingqing, then you'd better find a solution. If your elder brother finds out, it would be a disaster."

The one who had been silent throughout finally spoke feebly." What’s the rush? Qingqing is not back in the country yet."

Shen Xiujing, what exactly do you consider me?

Holding back my breaking voice, I called my dad.

"Dad, I agreed to the marriage arrangement with the Gu family."

What I didn't expect was that my wedding with my younger uncle would be on the same day.

At the moment of exchanging bouquets with my aunt, my younger uncle surprisingly lost his composure.

"Your marriage with the Gu family... your dad will help you…”

"Dad, I'm getting married."

This time, it was my father who was stunned.

This issue has been brought up three times in our house.

However, each time I coldly refused it.

Each of the fruitless attempts made my dad feel that there was no room for further mediation.

And when my dad was just about to give in,

Unexpectedly, I agreed.

My dad fell silent for half a minute, "The Gu family has set the date abruptly, now that you've agreed, there's no room to change your mind."

I kept quiet for a moment.

"Think it over carefully, dad will be waiting for your call."

"Okay."

Just as I finished speaking, Shen Xiujing came back.

"Why so gloomy?"

Shen Xiujing hugged me from behind, his hands restlessly roaming on my body.

"Shen Xiujing...don't be like this."

I tried to break this ambiguous atmosphere by elbowing him.

But Shen Xiujing was persisting, he lifted me up and threw me onto the bed.

"What's the matter? Not fond of your uncle anymore?"

Complicated emotions descended with his dense kiss.

I tried to push him away.

Yet, Shen Xiujing arrogantly lifted my hand above my head.

I let him have his way.

My dad didn't have any siblings, but he did have nine brothers who had been through life and death together.

Shen Xiujing was the youngest of the nine, and the one I had liked since I was a little girl.

When I came to Jiang City to find him, he was rather impatient.

We did not interact every day, and he seldom came back.

Later on, he started buying me flowers, even though they were in colors that I didn't like.

He would take me out for meals, and go shopping.

He would even buy clothes that didn't quite fit me.

Then, after my bold attempts, I stayed in his room.

I thought his silence was an acknowledgement of our relationship.

This clandestine relationship lasted for eight years.

As it turned out, it's not that he couldn't remember what I liked.

But he was molding me into a replacement for Zhou Qingqing.

A readily available stand-in that comes and goes at a beckoning.

"Hum..."

Shen Xiujing's internal phone was vibrating.

That was the mobile phone exclusively used for communicating with my father.

Shen Xiujing almost instantly stood up.

The affectionate look in his eyes suddenly vanished.

"Hello, Brother..."

He respectfully walked away with his phone.

I watched as constant messages popped up on Shen Xiujing's private phone.

I don't know when.

But Shen Xiujing had changed the screen picture from me to Zhou Qingqing.

Zhou Qingqing had sent a message to him.

"Xiujing, I am back in the country, waiting for you at the usual place."

When Shen Xiujing came back, the smell of smoke was strong.

His expression looked complex when he looked at me.

"Did Big Brother say you're going back?"

I hummed in affirmation while he raised his hand and pinched my face.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Not hesitating, I asked, "Who are you referring to? Which identity of yours?"

"Shi Yu, stop messing around."

He showed deep affection, yet was in a hurry to reply to a message.

"I... have to take care of something."

"Can I make it up to you later?"

The words he said were extremely sincere.

Yet there wasn't a hint of inquiry in them.

He was in a rush to go out.

To pick up Zhou Qingqing.

"Are you coming back tonight?"

"With you at home, how could I not come back?"

I knew when Shen Xiujing left, he might not come back.

"But I still waited until 5 in the morning.

When the clock points to 5.

I wiped the tears on my face and dialed my dad's number.

"Dad, I've made my decision."

"I will get married."

Actually, if I really insist on being with Shen Xiujing.

My dad would support me, right?

However, this sullied relationship, I don't want it anymore.

For three consecutive days, I didn't see Shen Xiujing.

But the unrealistic notifications kept coming one after another.

Uncle 3 and Uncle 5 were also in Jiang City, as well as Uncle 6 who had rushed over specifically.

They had prepared a farewell ceremony for me in Jiang City.

Shen Xiujing also came.

One second ago, he was still at a briefing, on his way to a meeting.

The next second, he gently opened the door of the private room, looking radiant."

Upon seeing me, he was caught off guard.

He didn't expect to encounter me here.

Because he didn't notice that today was my farewell banquet.

"Uncle Shen."

Before Shen Xiujing could react, Zhou Qingqing beside him had already reached out to me.

"This must be my niece, right? I'm your uncle's fiancee, my name is Zhou Qingqing."

I thought Shen Xiujing would be at a loss, greatly embarrassed.

But I underestimated him.

He echoed with a nod, "You should call me auntie."

After greeting my fifth and sixth uncles, everyone sat down.

As we were eating, Zhou Qingqing's foot bumped into mine.

It hurt.

"What are you doing?"

Zhou Qingqing awkwardly put down her chopsticks, “Niece, I'm sorry, I... I was just trying to nudge Shen Xiujing’s... I... I didn't mean to step on your foot."

But whether it was a kick or a nudge, I could tell the difference.

I glared back, but Shen Xiujing was the first one to jump to my defense.

"Your aunt didn't do it on purpose. There's no need to act all high and mighty."

As the situation seemed to further escalate, my third uncle stepped in to calm the tension.

"You two should really head home if you want to flirt. What kind of spectacle do you think you're creating here?"

I lifted the tablecloth, and sure enough, my foot had turned a deep shade of blue.

"By the way Third Brother, didn't you ask Big Brother why he suddenly wanted to bring his niece home?"

"With his temper...how dare I ask?"

Then, all eyes turned to me.

Including Shen Xiujing’s.

"It's nothing, I just wanted to go home."

"When are you leaving, little niece? Shall I escort you?"

"What’s it to you?"

Zhou Qingqing seemed instantly tear-stained, appearing oh-so-innocent.

Their prying gazes were suffocating me.

Finding an excuse, I headed out.

But I found that my foot was hurting dreadfully. I almost toppled over with each step I took.

The longing and worried look on Shen Xiujing's face behind me went unnoticed.

I just stepped out of the private room and received a message from Shen Xiujing.

[Shen Xiujing: Is your foot ok? Shall I come to see you?]

[Shen Xiujing: Qingqing and I are not what you think, I will explain to you when I'm back.]

I gawked at the messages.

The typed message was deleted, letter by letter.

Went to the bathroom and cooled off for a while. While washing my hands upon exiting,

I saw two figures, one big and one small, in the mirror.

At first, I thought I was seeing things.

I turned around only to see Shen Xiujing fervently kissing Zhou Qingqing against the wall.

Clearly, Shen Xiujing's infatuated manner,

Was no different from now.

Shen Xiujing, which of your words are true?

Zhou Qingqing leaned on the besotted Shen Xiujing, pressing him onto her neck.

The two of them looked utterly disgusting.

I was in such a hurry to leave.

But I knocked over the sink.

Their expressions suggested they thought I deliberately interrupted them.

After, I went home first.

Unexpectedly, Shen Xiujing had also returned.

And he was alone.

"I don't want to see you."

Yet, Shen Xiujing burst in.

He carried me to the bedside, then squatted down to check on my foot.

"I won't be at ease unless I take a look."

We have reached this point.

Everyone has already shown their true colors, what's the point in pretending anymore?

Shen Xiujing personally washed my foot.

And applied medicine.

I don't understand his every move.

I just sit here, watching him.

As Shen Xiujing casually wipes his hands, he says, "Today, in front of San-ge, Wu-ge, and Liu-ge, you embarrassed Qingqing. You should apologize."

I am not angry.

Moreover, I watch Shen Xiujing with a light smile.

This is his purpose.

"What if I don't?"

Shen Xiujing looks up at me.

He looks fierce and terrifying, truly scary.

"In front of Big Brother, would you act the same?"

"If my dad was here, both you and Zhou Qingqing wouldn't have been able to leave that room today."

Shen Xiujing stops talking.

He knows that what I am saying is true.

"I was just taking a bath, what is going on?"

I turn my head; Zhou Qingqing, wet all over, stands by the door.

She was just wrapped in a pink bath towel.

That bath towel, it was mine.

"Shiyu, I brought you some clothes. Do you like them?"

"No."

"Ahh. Is that so? But from what I've seen, your closet is full of this style. I thought you liked it."

Zhou Qingqing's laughter was very grating.

Indeed, my wardrobe was full of these kinds of clothes.

Without exception, they were all bought by Shen Xiujing.

"Right, Big Brother said you're going back, right? On the day you leave, I have something to do. Let Sixth Brother send you."

"Hmm."

"You should go to sleep early."

Shen Xiujing took Zhou Qingqing out.

I threw away all the clothes Zhou Qingqing had brought.

Zhou Qingqing's sudden appearance made me feel like our eight years together were nothing but a joke.

Every time during those eight years when I wanted to lay everything out in the open...

Shen Xiujing would always say,

"If Big Brother found out, he would surely strip me. What, do you want to get rid of your little uncle that badly?"

"I'll talk to my dad about it."

Shen Xiujing never lets me finish my sentences.

What I once thought was true love now seemed incredibly ridiculous.

As expected, I couldn't sleep that night.

In the group chat with all my uncles, Fourth Uncle posted a photo.

It was a tantalizing photo of Zhou Qingqing and Shen Xiujing on the bed, their fingers tightly intertwined.

But Fourth Uncle quickly deleted it.

He even jokingly sent a voice message, "Little Ninth is shy, isn't it? Wasn't it you who posted this on your social media?"

I checked my social media, and there was nothing.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

I'm done with this relationship, and with him.

The day I went home, Shen Xiujing indeed did not come to see me off.

Fifth Uncle and Sixth Uncle came to pick me up together.

Just as I got in the car, I received a friend request from Zhou Qingqing.

She sent me a picture.

It was a photograph of my room in the process of being redecorated.

[Zhou Qingqing: Shi Yu, you won't be coming back often, will you? Your uncle and I are planning to turn your room into our marital bedroom. You don't mind, do you? He said we don't need to tell you, but I feel it's better to let you know]

I only responded with three words: "Up to you."

Unless something unexpected happens, I don't think I'll come back here again.

After deplaning, the butler practically hauled me off to try on a wedding gown.

The Gu family's procedures are detailed and arduous.

For three days, I was incessantly busy.

During this time, I also found out that the wedding date for Shen Xiujing was in the next few days.

He didn’t see me off because of his own wedding.

"Your uncle is getting married today, so he couldn't see you off. Your dad will personally drive you there later."

"Okay."

I blocked all the ways Shen Xiujing could contact me.

As I was getting inside the wedding car, I only prayed that I would not run into Shen Xiujing.

What's meant to come will always find a way.

Sometimes, luck plays tricks on people quite like this.

Father braked hastily, then turned back and gave me a gentle smile.

"We've run into Xiujing's wedding procession."

I gripped my bouquet tightly.

The ones accompanying Shen Xiujing were all our family from Xiang's side.

Upon seeing that the driver was Father, they all waved hello.

Shen Xiujing hurriedly got out of the car.

"Isn't that a wedding car? Who is Big Brother driving the wedding car for?"

As Shen Xiujing anxiously walked towards us, Father rolled down the window.

"Big Brother."

"Hmm."

Shen Xiujing waved his hand, instructing his entourage to make way.

"Big Brother, who are you driving this wedding car for?"

As he spoke, he looked inside the car.

Our gazes met across the void between us.