The small disturbance seemed to blow over just like that. Although their moods were different, they were both composed people, so they tacitly agreed to act as if nothing had happened.

Because they had caught some wild game, Qin Zhonghui and Su Yun cooked up a feast that evening. Naturally, they also sent a portion to their next-door neighbors.

However, when it was time to deliver the food, Qin Jiao didn’t go. She claimed she’d twisted her ankle that afternoon and went to her room to rest. In the end, Su Yun was the one who took it over.

That evening, after Xiao Shi had fallen asleep, Qin Jiao entered her space as usual. She pulled out some test papers, planning to work through a couple of sets to calm her nerves. But as she picked them up, a few photographs fluttered out.

It was the photo of her and Shen Yi, taken together at the photo studio.

In her past life, she had married Shen Yi, but they had never even taken a wedding photo. The picture on their marriage certificate was just two separate ID photos pasted on.

Yet in this life, they were merely classmates, and they had already taken a picture together.

Qin Jiao found it all surreal. ’To think I’d have such a good relationship with Shen Yi in this life.’ But even so, just as she had concluded before, they could only be friends.

’Friends eventually scatter far and wide anyway. They might run into each other occasionally, have a warm chat, grab a meal, and then go their separate ways.’

’That’s how it is with many friends. As you grow up, you just drift apart.’

’After drifting apart, they lead their own lives—getting married, having kids, and so on—growing more and more distant.’

’She and Shen Yi would be those kinds of friends, too.’

Qin Jiao finally calmed down. After completing several long-form problems, she felt her mind and body relax. But when she looked up, she realized something was off.

’Why does the space look bigger again?’

The original studio with a balcony had transformed into a standard two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, complete with a kitchen and bathroom. It was surprisingly thoughtful.

Qin Jiao immediately ran to the balcony to check. She found that it had also expanded significantly. The wellhead of the Spiritual Spring was still situated neatly in the farthest corner, as if its presence marked a boundary.

Qin Jiao was ecstatic. ’If the space can keep upgrading, could it one day become a villa with a garden?’

’But why did the space upgrade?’

’What have I done recently?’

Qin Jiao immediately returned to her desk, took out her notebook, and listed everything she had done recently, one by one.

Since her main focus was now school, most of her activities were routine.

’No, that’s not right. It has to be something I did today.’

After all, when she entered the space yesterday, it was still a studio, not a two-bedroom apartment.

She listed out everything she had done that day and realized the only thing different from the day before was going to the back mountain to gather pinecones and catch wild game.

But she hadn’t done that the last time the space had expanded.

She concluded that the space only expanded when she did something similar or related to the previous trigger.

Qin Jiao’s gaze fell to the last line in her notebook. It read, *Took Shen Yi to the back mountain. Shen Yi held my hand...*

Then she looked at the entry from the last time the space had upgraded. One line read: *Took Shen Yi to catch fish. Shen Yi hugged me for a moment on the cart...*

The pen in Qin Jiao’s hand CLATTERED onto the desk.

’It’s related to Shen Yi?’

’But why?!’

She ran a hand through her hair, forcing herself to calm down. Then, she tidied up the newly renovated space, designating one of the rooms as a separate bedroom. She’d have to buy a bed to put in it later.

’I’m running out of money. Looks like I’ll have to sell some of the fish from the water tank soon.’

After leaving the space that night, Qin Jiao’s mind was still racing with plans. When she finally fell asleep, she had a series of dreams.

In her dreams, she vaguely returned to the moment they were sitting on the three-wheeled cart.

The cart was just as bumpy as before, and she and Shen Yi were pressed tightly together. She could feel her face growing warm, as if she were about to melt.

Then, she heard Shen Yi lean in close, his words practically brushing against her ear. "Jiao Jiao, I don’t want to be your good friend. I want to be your man."

Qin Jiao: "!!!!!!"