"You’re right! You’re right! My mom would never be that kind of person!" Chen Feng exclaimed as if he’d found some irrefutable proof, and he finally seemed to regain his composure.

Lin Nian whispered a few more soft words in his ear, and then the two of them headed home together.

Lin Nian now lived in the same complex as Chen Feng, right next door. It was a single-room apartment, tiny and filled with old furniture. Lin Nian wasn’t exactly satisfied with it, but Chen Feng didn’t have much money at the moment, so she had to put up with it for now.

But...

As she gazed at Chen Feng’s profile, a thought suddenly struck Lin Nian. ’If I could get Li Xiaomei to take Chen Feng back to the Shen Family sooner, wouldn’t he instantly become the young master of a wealthy household?’

’Since Shen Yi and the others already brought this whole thing out into the open...’

’I might as well take this opportunity to give things a little push!’

With that in mind, Lin Nian said to Chen Feng, "Ah Feng, I’m worried you’re so upset you’ll say the wrong thing. I’ll go home with you. That way, you can have a proper talk with your mom and get everything straightened out."

"Xiao Nian, thank you." Chen Feng squeezed her hand, then took out his keys and opened the door.

After all their mental preparation, it turned out Li Xiaomei wasn’t home. She had left a note for Chen Feng saying she was working the night shift.

Chen Feng slumped onto the sofa, dejected. He clutched the photos, his palms sweating so much they dampened the prints.

Lin Nian sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Ah Feng, don’t overthink this. I’m sure there’s more to the story. Just wait for your mom to get back and ask her about it properly."

"Yeah."

"So, want to work on some practice tests together?"

Chen Feng leaned back and rubbed his temples. "I’m not in the mood right now," he said.

"Then let’s watch a movie instead!"

Li Xiaomei had bought a VCR a while back. It was quite a rare gadget to have. Chen Feng and Lin Nian had already been to video parlors and seen some of the more... *advanced* films, so they often took the opportunity when Li Xiaomei was out to watch tapes they had secretly bought themselves.

As they watched, Lin Nian leaned in and kissed him.

Lost in Lin Nian’s gentle embrace, Chen Feng finally calmed down completely.

’No matter what,’ he thought, ’that’s my own mother. I have to believe her!’

* * *

Autumn in Ping’an Town was drawing to a close, and the first hints of winter were slowly starting to creep in.

The withered, yellow leaves on the branches would tremble a few times before being swept away by the cold wind.

Qin Jiao rode her bicycle, silently trailing beside Shen Yi. She didn’t say a word, and Shen Yi’s brow furrowed slightly.

It was as if the two of them had reverted to the wordless, cold indifference of their past life.

Shen Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly. He deliberately rode over a rock, making his bike lurch violently. He almost crashed into Qin Jiao, but thankfully, they both managed to jump off their bikes in time.

Qin Jiao hadn’t wanted to speak, but after that, she had no choice. "Shen Yi, what’s wrong with you?" she asked.

"I couldn’t sleep last night. I was thinking about my parents..."

The weather was getting cold, but the boy was still trying to look cool, dressed in thin clothes. His ears were tinged red from the chill, and his eyes held a profound sadness.

Qin Jiao was speechless.

’She’d almost prefer the Shen Yi from her past life—a prickly hedgehog who stabbed anyone who dared to get close. Not this version of him, whose every glance was filled with such deep sorrow it could easily make a person lower their guard and melt into a puddle of sympathy.’

Qin Jiao got back on her bike. "All bad things eventually pass," she said softly.

Even though she had spoken, Shen Yi could still feel her deliberate emotional distance.

He frowned slightly. ’Where did things go wrong?’