Xiao Nainai finally took the toy she liked into her hands. Her gaze moved from Gu Xingyi to the doll, and her tiny fingers gently brushed the doll’s soft dress. Her eyes curved into crescent moons.

After the first meal her papa ever made for her, she had now received her first gift.

Seeing the little one so delighted, holding the toy in her hands, Gu Xingyi felt a storm of emotions in his heart.

Especially now, seeing up close her dry, yellowing hair, her thin little face, and the clothes she wore—faded from too many washes and clearly too small.

Gu Xingyi’s heart ached like it was being stabbed with needles.

She was only three years old. This should have been the age where she was cherished like a treasure. And yet now, a simple toy had made her this happy.

Gu Xingyi gritted his teeth and quickly wiped his eyes, forcing a smile as he quietly watched Xiao Nainai playing beside him.

Sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell on her face. Beneath her wispy bangs, her round almond eyes sparkled, and her long eyelashes fluttered like little fans. Her delicate nose wrinkled every so often as she smiled.

At that moment, Gu Xingyi’s world held nothing else.

Inside the master bedroom, Xia Xiyao was even more anxious. She didn’t know if what she was doing was right or wrong.

But she agreed with what Gu Xingyi had said earlier. The child was still young. She shouldn’t grow up in an atmosphere like this. Letting her get close to Gu Xingyi—that was the furthest she could go for now.

Outside, Xiao Nainai’s laughter rang out like silver bells. Hearing it made Xia Xiyao tear up again. She simply sat quietly on the bed, wiping away tears in silence.

Not long after, Xiao Nainai seemed to tire from playing. She held the doll tightly, glanced at her papa who was still grinning at her, her expression conflicted for a moment—then turned and pitter-pattered back into the bedroom.

Gu Xingyi stared blankly at her disappearing figure, rubbed his nose, and let out a quiet laugh.

Looks like he needed to buy her a proper pair of slippers. Always going barefoot wasn’t a good habit!

Time passed slowly. Gu Xingyi made dinner again—three dishes and a soup. As usual, he waited for the mother and daughter to finish eating first before starting his own “clean plate” campaign.

Tonight, Gu Xingyi went to bed early. He had decided to start jogging the next morning—this body really couldn’t take much. Just going out shopping earlier had already worn him out.

So by 8 p.m., he was already fast asleep.

8 p.m.—the time most people start to relax. At Jiangcheng Institute of Technology, Xiao Ming was lying in bed, swiping Douyin out of boredom.

After a while, he yawned. The videos being pushed to him were all unwatchable.

“Sigh. So boring. It’s all the same junk over and over.”

He kept swiping, deciding he’d watch two more, then go play games.

“Ding dong ding dong ding dong~”

Suddenly, a soft guitar melody played from his phone. Xiao Ming subconsciously paused and looked at the screen. A thin young man, his face not shown, was strumming a guitar.

This melody’s pretty good!

Xiao Ming nodded and kept listening.

“Because I dreamed of you leaving, I woke up from crying.
Watching the night breeze brush the window sill—can you feel my love?”

Huh? That’s unexpectedly good.

Xiao Ming sat up, turned the volume up.

Gu Xingyi’s clean and gentle voice echoed in his ears, making Xiao Ming’s eyes light up.

“So many once admired your youthful beauty,
But who would bear the ruthless passage of time?
So many came and went in your life,
But I'll be by your side for a lifetime.”

Whoa! A hidden gem!

What’s this song called? Xiao Ming swallowed nervously. He was sure he’d never heard it before, so he clicked into the creator’s profile.

A newcomer—username: Xingyao.

It was an original! A Lifetime with You! A song called A Lifetime with You!

Xiao Ming quickly returned to the video page and listened again. He became completely absorbed, as if the girl by his side had been with him from youth to old age—and no matter how she changed, he would love her just the same.

From adolescence to gray hair. A love that never wavered.

The song moved Xiao Ming deeply. He gave it a like, left a long comment, then shared it with the girl he liked.

A moment later, he had another thought—and shared it to the class group chat.

A song this good—how could it go unheard?

What Xiao Ming didn’t know was that many others were doing the same.

Wang Gang, a mid-level manager at a company, was sitting in his car scrolling Douyin. His home was just upstairs, but he didn’t want to go up.

Ever since getting married, his wife had become incredibly naggy.

After a long day of work, he came home to no peace—just her voice complaining while cooking.

“This guy earns so much more… That family’s kid is so obedient…”

Stuff like that. He was sick of it. Every time he saw her face, he felt irritated.

It was like that saying—once a woman becomes a nagging old wife, she’s just unbearable. So now, after work, he always stayed in the car for a while, enjoying a moment of peace.

While scrolling through videos of pretty girls, he often thought—if only his wife were like them.

Just as he was thinking that, another gentle guitar tune slipped into his ears. He glanced at the video—it was a man playing a guitar.

He was about to scroll past, but the man began singing.

“Because I dreamed of you leaving, I woke up from crying…”

The voice flowed into Wang Gang’s ears and pierced his heart. He froze. His finger stopped.

By the time the song finished, Wang Gang sat in silence.

The guitar started again—the song looping back to the beginning—but Wang Gang’s thoughts were far away.

Back to when he’d first met his wife. Her face came clearly to mind—she had been pursued by many, but chose him in the end.

He remembered her every smile, her youthful beauty. He remembered the vow he made when they married.

Whether in wealth or poverty, health or sickness, beauty or age, joy or sorrow—from that day forward, he promised to love her, comfort her, respect her, and protect her.

For a lifetime. Until death.

He also remembered the small surprises she gave him when work was tough—her happy smile, her encouraging eyes.

When had he started getting annoyed with her?

Was it when he became too busy with work to notice her anymore? Or when he came home drunk and snapped at her after a few words?

Lost in thought, Wang Gang suddenly broke down in tears.

When did he begin neglecting the woman he once loved most?

The song continued. Wang Gang quickly gave it a like, closed the app, started the car, and drove out of the parking lot. When he returned, he rushed upstairs.

Open door. Close door. He saw that familiar figure in the kitchen.

“You’re back this late and didn’t even call? The food’s gone cold…”

Hearing that familiar nagging voice, Wang Gang smiled. He stepped quickly into the kitchen, wrapped his arm around her waist, and rested his head on her shoulder.

“You’re so annoying! What are you doing?! The kid’s still home!”

Wang Gang looked at the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, at her rough hands from years of housework, and suddenly smiled again.

Then he pulled out a bouquet of vibrant red roses from behind him—the same red as her youth.

“Wife, I love you. I’m so lucky to have you.”

“……”