Shen Yi heard the commotion and came out of the main house just in time. It was winter now, and the grapevines were just bare sticks. The courtyard was empty and bleak, but Qin Jiao, dressed in a light blue padded jacket, instantly became the sole splash of color in the small yard.

Shen Yi watched her carrying so many things. Just then, music started blasting from a stereo at a neighbor’s house, and a song played: "A chicken in my left hand, a duck in my right, oh oh oh, going back to my mother’s home."

He couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The scene was just too perfect.

The corner of Qin Jiao’s mouth twitched. She glared at Shen Yi. "What’s so funny? Aren’t you going to come give me a hand?"

Her mom was a sincere soul; the sweater she had knitted for Shen Yi was huge and heavy. The other bag held frozen tofu—still solid, with bits of ice clinging to it, and it was seriously heavy.

There were also salted duck eggs and freshly made buns.

All these things together were anything but light.

Shen Yi immediately reached out and took everything from her. He was tall and sturdy with strength to spare. Seeing him carry it all so effortlessly, Qin Jiao felt another pang of jealousy. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She zoned out for a moment. It seemed like Shen Yi had grown even taller, his shoulders broader. He wasn’t bulky, but just right.

Qin Jiao remembered that in her past life, Shen Yi had been rail-thin around this time. His skin had always been incredibly fair, even paler than hers, and he carried himself like a caged animal.

But now, he had transformed into a bright, cheerful guy.

The change was just too drastic.

Shen Yi knew Qin Jiao was sizing him up. It wasn’t just women who dolled themselves up for those they admired; men did it too.

He remembered how in their last life, Qin Jiao had once casually mentioned that she liked his face, but he was too thin and frail, which didn’t make her feel secure.

So after being reborn in this life, he paid special attention to his physical condition. Besides constantly suppressing his violent temper, whenever he wasn’t studying, he would find time to work out and play basketball.

Seventeen or eighteen was also the prime age for a boy’s growth spurt. His family wasn’t short on money, so there was no issue with not getting enough to eat or being malnourished.

His physique in his past life had really been his own doing.

He suddenly spoke up, "Qin Jiao, what are you looking at?"

"N-nothing. Let’s hurry inside. It’s so cold out here."

Shen Yi pressed his lips together and hummed in agreement.

The two entered the house. The heat was already on inside, and a wave of warm air washed over them. Qin Jiao sweetly greeted Mr. Du, who was sitting on the sofa listening to a storytelling performance.

"Grandpa Du, these are the flatbreads my mom made. You can just heat them up to eat; they’re very soft. And these salted duck eggs are delicious—they’re so oily the yolk runs out as soon as you poke them. Oh, and this frozen tofu, you can add some when you heat up pickled cabbage soup or other dishes. The sweet and fragrant broth will soak right into it."

Mr. Du didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "You little rascal, I just finished eating, and you’ve already made me hungry again. Ah, but it’s true, thanks to your parents’ care over the past six months or so, my health has improved a lot, and I’ve even put on a few pounds. And look at Xiao Yi, he’s gotten taller too."

Qin Jiao wasn’t short by any means—she was almost 1.7 meters tall—but seeing Shen Yi shooting up past 1.85 meters still made her a little jealous.

’I wonder if I can still grow a few more centimeters.’

She said to Mr. Du, "You shouldn’t say that. It’s only right that we take care of you. My maternal grandparents live far away, and as for my paternal ones... well, you know them. Their favoritism could stretch to the Pacific Ocean. My mom even said we should treat you like our own father and grandfather."

Her words made the old man so happy that a new wrinkle crinkled at the corner of his eye.

Meanwhile, the neglected Shen Yi picked up the other bag, forcefully making his presence known. "What’s in here?"