Ahem. While Qin Jiao did plan to work hard and earn a lot of money so her parents and sister could live a good life, she had never said she would never get married.

Her last life had been a disaster in the romance department, so this time around, Qin Jiao intended to just go with the flow.

She might be content to leave things to fate, but she needed to have a serious talk with her sister. She didn’t want the little girl to get a one-track mind at such a young age.

Qin Jiao said, "Getting married and making money don’t necessarily conflict, but right now, getting married *would* conflict with your studies. You should focus on school first. You can think about settling down when you’re a little older."

At home, Xiao Shi always listened to her sister most. She blinked and asked curiously, "Sis, when you say ’a little older,’ do you mean old like you are now?"

Qin Jiao was nineteen and had graduated from high school. After a moment’s thought, she nodded and said, "Sure."

"Oh. In that case, Sis, are you going to marry Brother Shen Yi?"

Qin Jiao: "..."

She was completely thrown by her own sister’s question. ’Good thing I’m not drinking anything, or I would’ve done a spit-take.’

Qin Jiao said with a sigh, "And who told you that?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

’Xiao Shi is still too young; she couldn’t have come up with that on her own. So where did she hear it?’

Xiao Shi said, "Mom and Dad, my aunt... they’ve all said it. They said you and Brother Shen Yi are a good match. I think Brother Shen Yi is really nice, too! And Grandpa Du and Aunt Du are super nice. Sis, if you get married someday, you should really consider Brother Shen Yi!"

Qin Jiao sighed and reached out to stroke the soft crown of her sister’s head. "Relationships are complicated. You can’t be with someone just because their family is nice. You’ll understand when you’re older."

"Oh, I get it! It must be because Brother Shen Yi would be a distraction from your studies. No matter who you choose someday, Sis, I’ll always support you!"

Qin Jiao didn’t bother to explain, just offering a faint smile instead.

’She wasn’t sure if she’d ever get married, but she was certain of one thing: it definitely wouldn’t be to Shen Yi.’

’Things had gotten so ugly between them in their last life that they’d ended up divorced. The fact that they could start over and be friends in this life was probably the most progress their relationship could ever make.’

’As for the fact that Shen Yi was also reborn, and that he’d confessed he liked her... Qin Jiao refused to even think about it.’

’As long as Shen Yi could maintain this simple, friendly relationship between them, she wouldn’t make things too awkward for him. If for no other reason, she’d do it for Grandpa Du and Aunt Du’s sake.’

Just then, there were two knocks on the window. When Qin Jiao turned her head, she saw Shen Yi sitting on her balcony. He spoke, "Jiao Jiao, I think I left something in your space last time. Can I go in and look for it?"

Qin Jiao’s gaze dropped. "Fine," she said softly.

Xiao Shi stood guard outside for them—after all, they couldn’t leave the house completely empty. Then, Qin Jiao brought Shen Yi into her space.

Once they were inside the space, Qin Jiao was about to ask what he’d lost so she could help him look, but Shen Yi simply turned and pulled a small box from his pocket.

"Jiao Jiao, my mom brought this back from her trip abroad. See if you like it."

"Aunt Du has already given me so many gifts."

"This one is different."

Shen Yi stubbornly took the item out and slipped it onto Qin Jiao’s wrist.

The delicate, translucent jade bracelet felt cool against her skin, but it was an incredibly pleasant sensation.

The moment Qin Jiao got a clear look at the jade bracelet, she began to struggle. But Shen Yi refused to let go. Her first instinct was to throw him out of the space, but then she remembered Xiao Shi was just outside. It wouldn’t be good for her sister to see them tussling like this, so she gritted her teeth and stopped herself.

She demanded, "Shen Yi, what do you think you’re doing? Who goes around forcing gifts on people?"