In the end, they never got to eat the beggar’s chicken. Qin Zhonghui was worried the snow would get too heavy and make the road home treacherous, so he had the three kids pack everything up, and they headed back early.

Oh, they did bring back the plucked chicken along with the rest of their haul. Xiao Shi was very disappointed that she didn’t get to eat beggar’s chicken. In the end, Qin Zhonghui consoled her, saying that they would roast the chicken at home and that it would taste just as good. Only then did Xiao Shi cheer up. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Qin Jiao noticed that her sister, Xiao Shi, had learned how to be affectionate and wheedle her parents, just like any other little girl her age.

Her heart ached a little.

Because in her past life, Xiao Shi had never once been openly affectionate with their family—not as a child, not as she grew up, not even right before she was abducted and sold...

On the way back, their seating arrangement was the same as before. And since it was snowing, it was even more out of the question to have Shen Yi sit in the truck bed.

The two of them were pressed close together. Even through their heavy clothing, a steady warmth radiated from where their bodies touched.

’This little truck isn’t nearly drafty enough,’ Qin Jiao thought.

’Otherwise, why do I feel like it’s getting hotter and hotter?’

Thankfully, the incident with Shen Yi grabbing her hand didn’t happen again on the way back. The moment Qin Jiao saw her family’s front gate, she was practically moved to tears with relief.

However, she was in the middle seat, so she had to wait for Shen Yi to get out first. Over on the other side, Qin Zhonghui had already climbed out with Xiao Shi in his arms, but Shen Yi was still busy gathering the drawing board by his feet.

Shen Yi was wearing a sweater that Su Yun had knitted for him; the scarf and gloves were her handiwork as well. With his eyes half-lidded, his long eyelashes brushed against his fair skin, giving him a somewhat sorrowful look.

"Qin Jiao, did I do something wrong? Is that why you’re upset with me?"

Qin Jiao, who was anxious to get out of the truck, was taken aback. ’What?’

Shen Yi clutched his drawing board and said softly, "When I grabbed your hand in the truck earlier, it was only because I was worried you’d get knocked around. If that made you angry, I apologize."

Qin Jiao’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

It was just that Shen Yi’s expression was so sorrowful, his tone so forlorn. He looked completely wronged. By comparison, it made Qin Jiao seem incredibly petty for getting angry and ignoring him just because he’d held her hand.

’Objectively speaking, the Shen Yi of this lifetime really is so much better than the one from her last,’ she thought. ’If he weren’t... Shen Yi... Qin Jiao would be willing to be good friends with him. She might not even be opposed to taking things further someday.’

’But he *was* Shen Yi.’

Qin Jiao said, "You don’t have to apologize. You’re overthinking it. I was just distracted with something on my mind. My bad."

Shen Yi knew she wasn’t telling the truth. He lowered his gaze. "Qin Jiao, you’re the only friend I’ve made since I came to Ping’an Town."

Qin Jiao’s mouth opened, but for a moment, she was at a loss for words. Her rational mind told her to be ruthless, to draw a clear line in the sand. A "good friends" sort of relationship was simply not right for them.

But just then, Shen Yi looked up, his gaze sorrowful as he looked at Qin Jiao. "Or has this all been one-sided? You don’t actually think of me as a friend, do you?"

Qin Jiao had no doubt that if she dared to say they weren’t friends, Shen Yi would burst into tears right then and there.

She let out a soft sigh.

’How could I possibly refuse a Shen Yi like this?’

After a few seconds of silence, however, Qin Jiao finally spoke. "Of course we’re friends. In fact, let’s be good friends for life, okay?"

Shen Yi: "..."

This was a classic case of hoisting himself by his own petard. Even after getting out of the truck and returning home, Shen Yi was still annoyed.

’A miscalculation.’

’After all, "good friends" was just a pretext. His real goal was for her to be his wife again.’