Hidden from Qin Zhonghui’s view, Shen Yi reached out and firmly gripped Qin Jiao’s hand, lending her both support and a sense of steady protection.

Qin Jiao instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Shen Yi’s grip was too tight.

Just like that, her hand was pinned against his thigh.

Qin Zhonghui was concentrating on driving. The road was muddy and difficult to navigate, after all, so he had to focus.

Only Xiao Shi, nestled in her father’s arms, turned her head to say, "Sis, what’s wrong? Your ears are all red."

Qin Jiao didn’t dare to look at Shen Yi, nor could she pull her hand away. The skin where their palms were pressed together grew increasingly hot.

It was clearly winter, and the tricycle’s windows weren’t sealed properly, letting in a draft as they moved, yet Qin Jiao felt an inexplicable heat.

She couldn’t very well say anything to Shen Yi at a time like this, or her dad would hear. So, the moment the tricycle lurched, Qin Jiao turned her head and shot Shen Yi a glare.

Her cat-like gaze was both lively and alluring. It was bright and dewy, yet carried a hint of anger and resentment, leaving Shen Yi momentarily stunned.

His throat felt tight. He pursed his lips, and his hand shifted subconsciously, almost as if he were stroking the back of Qin Jiao’s hand.

Qin Jiao: "..."

’I never should have gotten in this tricycle!’

The ride was only about twenty minutes, but to Qin Jiao, it felt as long as a century. The moment her dad brought the tricycle to a steady halt, Qin Jiao impatiently pushed at Shen Yi, urging him to get off quickly.

Shen Yi could hardly keep holding her hand, so he took the cue and got out.

While Qin Zhonghui went to get their things from the cargo bed, Qin Jiao walked over to Shen Yi and hissed through gritted teeth, "Shen Yi, what do you think you’re doing?"

"I saw you were unsteady, so I just helped steady you."

His tone remained placid, as if he had simply helped her up after a fall, just doing a good deed.

But Qin Jiao knew something wasn’t right. The back of her hand was still scorching hot.

After all, she had lived two lives. Combining that with Shen Yi’s recent behavior, Qin Jiao reached a conclusion so shocking it nearly sent her back to her past life.

’Which was... could Shen Yi possibly like me?’

As soon as she had this realization, Qin Jiao’s first instinct was to get away from Shen Yi. She darted back to her dad and sister’s side so quickly that Shen Yi didn’t even have time to react.

’Weren’t things going fine just a moment ago?’ Shen Yi had been hoping she would ask a few more questions so he could ride the momentum and subtly express his feelings for her.

’So... why did she run off?’

How could Qin Jiao not run? That conclusion was something even she found difficult to accept.

If she had learned that Shen Yi liked her back when they had just married in her previous life, Qin Jiao would have been ecstatic.

In her parents’ generation, many couples married first and fell in love later. Sometimes, even without love, they could live an entire lifetime treating each other with mutual respect. And while Qin Jiao knew she wasn’t some naive, romantic girl, after reading books like *The Lady of the Camellias* and *Gone with the Wind*, she too had yearned for a love of her own.

But reality had torn those sweet, romantic notions deep in her heart to shreds, piece by piece.

Torn to shreds by the Shen Yi of her past life.

’And now she was reborn. She was finally living a good life with her parents and sister. Thanks to the Spiritual Spring, they could even open a restaurant in the future and make a fortune. She was going to get into a prestigious university. She was on the cusp of reaching the pinnacle of her life—and now *this* Shen Yi had to go and fall for her?’

’It was utterly ridiculous.’

Qin Jiao glanced at Shen Yi, who was holding his drawing board, and made a decision in her heart.

’After the New Year, once the semester is over, I’ll ask my homeroom teacher, Mr. Sun, to change my seat.’