Qin Zhonghui didn’t know his daughter was getting out of school early, so he had come to wait for her.

He’d modified the vehicle with anti-slip features, so as long as he drove slowly, the ride would be manageable. He couldn’t have the kids wading back through the snow; their shoes would be packed with it by the time they got home.

Shen Yi nodded. "Thank you, Uncle Qin."

Qin Jiao, however, was a bit frustrated.

’Does this mean I’ll have to be squeezed in next to Shen Yi again?’

For some reason, every time Qin Jiao resolved to keep her distance from Shen Yi, some accident would inevitably bring them close together again.

But it was freezing cold, and her dad had gone out of his way to borrow a three-wheeler to pick them up. The two families were neighbors, and out of respect for Grandpa Du, it was only natural to give Shen Yi a ride home too.

’It’s less than ten minutes, anyway.’

Once they were in the vehicle, they were again sitting pressed together. For some reason, Qin Jiao always felt incredibly warm whenever she was near Shen Yi. She did her best to ignore the human furnace beside her and asked, "Dad, how was the breakfast business today?"

"It snowed a lot today, so that other family didn’t set up their stall. We sold out of everything we prepared."

Qin Jiao paused, momentarily speechless. "They made such a big fuss about driving us out of business, and this is it?"

’They don’t even bother to show up just because it’s snowing and they’re cold?’

’How pathetic.’

Making money in business isn’t easy, and selling breakfast is tough. You can’t be afraid of hard work and still expect to get rich. That kind of pie-in-the-sky dream just doesn’t exist.

Qin Jiao said confidently, "Just watch, Dad. It won’t be long before that family gives up."

"What’s going on? Uncle Qin, are you having some trouble?" Shen Yi suddenly asked. Although he directed the question at Qin Zhonghui, Qin Jiao was sitting between them.

The cabin of the little three-wheeler was already small and cramped. The hot breath from Shen Yi’s words wafted directly onto Qin Jiao’s face.

The scalding sensation made Qin Jiao subconsciously try to lean away.

But there was nowhere to go.

And yet, Shen Yi hadn’t done anything wrong. He was just asking a question out of concern for her family.

Qin Jiao bit her lip slightly as Qin Zhonghui, who was driving, briefly explained how the other family was trying to steal their customers.

Shen Yi nodded. "Uncle Qin, your buns and pies are the best. Even if they figured out your filling recipe, things like kneading the dough, the timing... all those little details take real skill. There’s no way they can make theirs taste as good as yours."

"Ah, you sound just like Xiao Jiao. But don’t you two worry. In business, you’re bound to run into things like this. We’ll stick it out."

Qin Zhonghui focused on his driving, unaware that his casual remark had made both teenagers fall silent.

One’s heart was leaping with joy, while the other’s was a silent, tangled mess.

Even over the RUMBLE RUMBLE of the three-wheeler, Qin Jiao could hear a powerful heartbeat. THUMP. THUMP. It was enough to make her own heart race in a panic.

She gripped the nearby handrail tightly, admonishing herself not to fall on Shen Yi again. But who would have expected that as they took a sharp turn, Shen Yi would suddenly fall against her!

"The snow is deep here, you two hold on tight!" Qin Zhonghui was driving with extreme care. He couldn’t let his precious daughter get jostled.

As Shen Yi’s body fell against her, their faces pressed together. In the daze, Qin Jiao felt a warm sensation on her cheek, there and gone in an instant. Shen Yi quickly grabbed the handrail to his right and sat up straight.

He hadn’t done anything wrong. Falling over was an accident, and he had quickly righted himself. This left Qin Jiao with no reason to be annoyed, so she could only tell herself that the fleeting warmth from a moment ago must have been her imagination.

But what Qin Jiao didn’t know was that Shen Yi had pressed his lips together, his deep, dark eyes flashing with a boundless tenderness.

’He’d kissed Jiao Jiao!’