Chapter 1966: After the Rewind, I Love You Again 42

It's almost nine. Jinyan glanced at the clock, yawned, and asked, "I'm heading back to catch up on sleep. What about you?"

It's almost nine. Jin Chen glanced at the time, yawned, and asked, "I'm going back to catch some sleep. What about you?"

"I'll stay with you." Ruifu said quickly, fearing Jinyan would refuse, and didn't want to deal with other matters that still needed decisions.

"I'll keep you company," Ruan Fu said hurriedly, afraid Jin Chen would refuse, and she didn't want to deal with any other matters that still needed deciding.

There was only one umbrella in the greenhouse.

There was only one umbrella in the flower room.

Jinyan simply held them and let Ruifu take the umbrella back.

Jin Chen simply held her, letting Ruan Fu hold the umbrella as they went back.

Before getting some sleep, Jinyan hadn't forgotten that Ruifu had lain there for days without eating, so he gave her a few nutritional supplements and then went to the kitchen to find something to eat.

Before going to sleep, Jin Chen hadn't forgotten that Ruan Fu had lain there for days without eating, so he gave her a few nutritional supplements, then went to the kitchen to find something to eat.

When he came back, he saw the person on the bed waving a dagger, nearly drawing blood.

Upon returning, he saw the person on the bed gesturing with a dagger, nearly drawing blood.

The door swung open, and both were a little stunned.

The door was pushed open, and both were somewhat stunned.

Jinyan: "What are you...?"

Jin Chen: "What are you—"

Ruifu hesitated briefly, then said, "I want to give this knife back to you."

Ruan Fu hesitated for a moment, "I want to return this knife to you."

Jinyan: "..."

Jin Chen: "..."

That's a simple yet frightening explanation.

What a plain yet terrifying explanation.

"'Let's reason...'"

"Let's reason…"

"No, we can't reason."

No, we can't reason.

Jinyan changed tactics, half-leaning on the bed, he pulled his stubborn wife over and said, "You're hurt—who do you want to take care of you?"

Jin Chen changed tactics, half‑leaning on the bed to pull his stubborn wife over, "You're hurt—who do you want to take care of you?"

Ruifu silently lifted her hopeful gaze and met his eyes, saying nothing but conveying everything.

Ruan Fu silently lifted her hopeful gaze to meet his, saying nothing yet conveying everything.

"'So you're not just taking your anger out on me.'"

"So you're not doing this to vent on me."

Jinyan looked grave, as if staring at a capitalist, rubbing his face and muttering, "Do you want to anger me to death, or wear me out for months?"

Jin Chen grew stern, as if looking at a capitalist, rubbing his face and muttering, "Do you want to piss me off and tire me out for months?"

His expression was gloomy, and he felt deeply wronged.

His expression was dim and gloomy, feeling deeply wronged.

The reverse consolation technique really worked well.

The reverse consolation technique really worked well.

Ruifu immediately tossed the dagger aside, straddled Jinyan's leg, leaned in and kissed him several times, saying, "Yes..."

Ruan Fu immediately tossed the dagger aside, straddled Jin Chen's lap, leaned in, and kissed him several times, "Yes…"

"'Don't apologize—let's eat first.'"

"Stop apologizing, let's eat first."

Jinyan pinched his chattering mouth.

Jin Chen pinched his chattering mouth.

Ruifu leaned in, rubbing against him, and nodded in response.

Ruan Fu leaned into it, nodding in response.

【Detected villain corruption -10, total 20!】

【Villain Blackening Value decreased by 10, total now 20!】

The rain outside the floor-to-ceiling window continued to patter.

Outside the floor‑to‑ceiling window, the rain continued to patter.

In the room, Jinyan unconsciously slept to catch up on rest, holding in his arms a patient who had lain there for days.

In the room, Jin Chen unconsciously fell back asleep, holding in his arms a patient who had lain there for days.

Ruifu gazed at him for a long time, then moved closer, burying her face in the crook of his neck; even though she wasn't sleepy, she couldn't bear to let this moment of warmth pass.

Ruan Fu gazed at him for a long time, then snuggled into his neck, and though she felt no sleepiness, she couldn't bear to give up this moment of warmth.

Thus, while Jinyan was unaware, Zero Gulong came online again.

Thus, while Jin Chen remained unaware, Ling Gun Gun came online again.

【Detected villain heartthrob +5, total 100!】

【Villain Heartthrob Value increased by 5, total now 100!】

Jinyan turned over, holding Ruifu tighter, and slept very peacefully.

Jin Chen turned over, holding Ruan Fu tighter, and slept very peacefully.

——

——

On the day he returned from the lab, Jinyan packaged the thread ball that had trapped the main creative team, together with all the important data he had scavenged and the disk storing the core brain data, and handed them all over to the newly reorganized Imperial Research Institute.

On the day he returned from the lab, Jin Chen packed up the silk‑thread ball that had trapped the core team, together with all the important data he had scavenged and the disk storing the main brain's core data, and handed everything over to the newly reorganized Imperial Research Institute.

It's worth noting that even though Jinyan no longer has the protagonist's halo, after all influences and misunderstandings have cleared, he is still welcomed by the holographic research community.

It's worth noting that, even though Jin Chen no longer has the protagonist's halo, after all influences and misunderstandings cleared, he is still welcomed by the holographic research community.

It is said that a former researcher, now the deputy director of the Imperial Research Institute, recommended him.

It is said that a former research mentor, now the vice dean of the Imperial Research Institute, recommended him.

But Ruifu herself had no intention of taking credit.

But Ruan Fu herself had no intention of taking credit.

Jinyan didn't expose his wife's hidden merits and fame, gave her an idle position at the Imperial Research Institute, and occasionally went to assist in analyzing the thread space.

Jin Chen didn't expose his wife's hidden merits and name; he took an idle post at the Imperial Research Institute, occasionally assisting in the analysis of the Silk Thread Space.

He's still someone who has work.

He still had a job, after all.

Jinyan recalled having squandered a clean ill-gotten fortune, feeling regretful, wishing he had extorted more.

Jin Chen regretted having let a clean sum of ill‑gotten wealth slip away, wishing he had extorted more.

Zero Gulong commented: With the corruption value cleared to zero, his thoughts have become somewhat lawless.

Ling Gun Gun commented: It can be said that with the Blackening Value cleared to zero, his thoughts have become somewhat lawless.

The lawless Jinyan also took Cheng Chuan and a few others to the Imperial Research Institute to cooperate in repairing and reverse‑studying the brain‑machine interface.

The lawless Jin Chen also dragged Cheng Chuan and the others to the Imperial Research Institute to cooperate in repairing and reverse‑studying the neural interface.

That noon.

That noon.

Jinyan crawled out from under the blankets and turned off the eleven o'clock alarm.

Jin Chen slipped out from under the covers and turned off the eleven‑o'clock alarm.

Jinyan suddenly felt something was off, lowered his head and met Ruifu's obedient‑looking gaze.

Jin Chen suddenly felt something was off, lowered his head, and met Ruan Fu's obedient‑looking gaze.

Ruifu snuggled up close, already very accustomed to the biological clock of the 'salty fish' version of Jinyan.

Ruan Fu rubbed up against him, already well accustomed to the lazy‑fish version of Jin Chen's biological clock.

Jinyan pressed his fingertip against her rosy lips, held her and lay back down, asking, "Why are you still at home?"

Jin Chen pressed his fingertip to her flushed lips, then pulled her back down to lie with him, asking, "Why are you still at home?"

"'Does the model worker Deputy Director Ruifu also want to sleep in?'"

"Even the model Deputy Director Ruan wants to sleep in?"

Ruifu's cool brows and eyes warmed, she pursed her lips around the probing fingertip, and murmured, "There's nothing important today."

Ruan Fu's cool brows and eyes warmed, she pursed her lips around his probing fingertip, and murmured, "There's nothing important scheduled today."

Jinyan saw through it but didn't expose it, kissed her for a while, then got up to change clothes.

Jin Chen saw through it but didn't expose it, kissed her for a while, then got up to change clothes.

"'Then just rest well at home; I'll come back tonight.'"

"Then rest well at home; I'll be back tonight."

Yesterday the director's deadly trap forced Jinyan to participate in the final research on the thread space, even patting his thigh to guarantee absolute safety, letting Jinyan experience the new game.

Yesterday the Dean laid out a deadly chain of demands, insisting Jin Chen join the final research on the Silk Thread Space, even slapping his thigh to guarantee absolute safety, and had Jin Chen try out the new game.

They have already devised a new 'Dream Weaving Game'.

They had already devised a new "Dream Weaving Game."

As a new game, they retained the immersive quality of the original death game while eliminating all harmful factors; players can choose dreams via the brain‑machine interface, with nutrient solution supplied, and immersion can last up to 30 days.

As a new game, they retained the immersive quality of the original Death Game while eliminating all harmful factors; players can choose dreams via the neural interface, with nutrient solution supplied, and immersion can last up to thirty days.

If the experiment succeeds, for today's imperial technology it would be a milestone leap, and could later be applied to the intelligent medical industry.

If the experiment succeeds, for today's Imperial technology it will be a milestone leap, and it could later be applied to the intelligent medical industry.

Jinyan was quite interested in this, so he readily agreed and also summoned the lively Cheng Chuan and the others.

Jin Chen was quite interested in this, so he readily agreed and, for fun, invited Cheng Chuan and the gang.

But it's obvious that Ruifu, who overheard the call last night, wasn't very happy.

But it was obvious that Ruan Fu, who had overheard the call last night, was not happy.

He didn't want Jinyan to risk himself again.

He didn't want Jin Chen to risk himself again.

Jinyan could hardly fail to notice Ruifu's hesitation, but changing his wife's aloof, reticent mindset is his responsibility.

Jin Chen could hardly miss Ruan Fu's hesitant words, but changing his wife's aloof, tight‑lipped mindset is his responsibility.

So after waiting for Jinyan to slowly finish changing clothes, when he came out he saw Ruifu sitting on the bed, torn up and almost wrinkling.

Thus, after waiting for Jin Chen to finish changing clothes at his leisurely pace, he came out to see Ruan Fu sitting on the bed, torn up enough to almost wrinkle her brow.

Jinyan walked over, lifted Ruifu's chin, kissed her, and smiled, saying, "I'm going to the Imperial Research Institute."

Jin Chen walked over, lifted Ruan Fu's chin, kissed her, and said with a smile, "I'm heading to the Imperial Research Institute."

「……」

"……"

Ruan Fu silently exuded disapproval, somewhat nervously grabbing the corner of Jin Chen's just-smoothed clothes, 'You said last night that Cheng Chuan and them were also there.'

Hmph.

Jin Chen nodded in cooperation.

'I hope the team is the one you organized.' Ruan Fu lowered her eyes, naturally wrapping her arms around Jin Chen's neck, saying the excuse she'd thought up all night, 'I'm also a member.'

Jin Chen then let out an 'ah' as if suddenly realizing, 'Then what does our Vice Dean Ruan mean…?'

Ruan Fu, to avoid suspicion, shouldn't have participated in the trial.

Ruan Fu clearly saw the teasing, finally becoming somewhat embarrassed and angry, she pinched Jin Chen's earlobe, 'I'm with you.'

Jin Chen finally laughed out loud, his fingertips flipping open the collar, poking at the mark on Ruan Fu's neck that was about to fade, with a hint of regret.

No wonder you didn't let me leave a mark last night.

Turns out the wife is shy.

The lab coats of the Imperial Research Institute are notoriously thin, and they have a V-neck.

The first time Jin Chen used it, he almost thought he'd entered some soft, soggy organization.

Ruan Fu's face flushed red, she jumped off the bed to the wardrobe to change clothes, got halfway then came back, fierce but lacking confidence, 'You don't agree, do you?'

Agree, that's totally agreeing.

Jin Chen rubbed his wife's stubborn head, smoothing her hair, 'Go wash up and change, I'll wait downstairs for you.'