Shen Yi said, "Feng Dayong has a history of domestic violence. He regularly beats his wife, Wang Li. She’s probably terrified of him. If she dared to say anything, a man like Feng Dayong is capable of killing her."

"That’s simple," Qin Jiao said after a moment of thought. "When the time comes, we’ll have Wang Li act as a witness and directly accuse Feng Dayong. That’ll be enough to seal his fate. Once he gets the death penalty, she’ll finally be free. Of course, she’s still an accomplice for standing by while her cousin died, but if she testifies against Feng Dayong, she can redeem herself. I’ll go talk to her once he’s in custody."

While Qin Jiao was speaking, Shen Yi just watched her. ’My Jiao Jiao looks so beautiful when she’s so fiercely principled!’

Of course, his admiration was subtle. The moment Qin Jiao looked over, he casually averted his eyes.

With their discussion over, Shen Yi stored the materials in the space—the safest place for them. Before he left, Qin Jiao made a point of going into the garden to pick some vegetables and fruits for him to take back to Grandpa Du.

Du Liya had already returned to North City for some business. Apparently, her new boyfriend—who was six years her junior—had just arrived in the city.

Qin Jiao couldn’t resist teasing him. "Shen Yi, looks like you’re getting a new, younger father."

Shen Yi replied with a deadpan expression, "I don’t really care about that. What matters is whether he treats my mother well. If he does, I wouldn’t mind if he were my age. If he doesn’t, I’ll throw him out myself, whether he’s seventy or eighty."

Qin Jiao: "Heh."

"Jiao Jiao, you don’t believe me?" Shen Yi asked, stepping closer. Qin Jiao was startled by their sudden proximity. She quickly pressed a hand against his chest, saying, "Alright, alright! You have the evidence. We need to get out."

Taking the opportunity, Shen Yi reached out and covered her hand—the one pressed against his heart—with his own. "Jiao Jiao," he said, "we haven’t had a chance to talk alone. Besides, if we leave now, my grandfather might be in my room."

They had entered the space from Shen Yi’s room in his family’s home. If two people suddenly materialized out of thin air, Mr. Du would likely faint from shock.

Qin Jiao gritted her teeth. ’This guy is just making excuses.’

She snatched her hand back and retreated a few steps to put some distance between them. "What is it you want to say?" she asked coldly.

"Jiao Jiao... in our past life, when we were married... did you ever love me?"

Du Liya had asked Shen Zhengfeng the same question when they divorced. It was only now that Qin Jiao realized that Shen Yi truly was his mother’s son—just as obsessed with romance.

’Wait, that’s not right. Why would he care about this?’

She frowned. "Is that really important? You didn’t love me in our past life, so why are you so hung up on whether I ever liked you?"

"Who says I didn’t love you in our past life?"

Shen Yi suddenly looked up, his gaze intense. His eyes were naturally dark—the kind that looked terrifying when he was angry—but now they were filled with deep affection. Even Qin Jiao found herself instinctively turning away, unable to meet his eyes.

Qin Jiao’s gaze fell to the photos on the table. Her voice was soft but firm. "Impossible. Forget love—if you’d had even an ounce of affection for me, our life together wouldn’t have ended up the way it did."

At that, Shen Yi fell silent. "I’m sorry," he said in a low voice.

Qin Jiao waved a dismissive hand. "I’m ready to forget what happened in our past life. Objectively speaking, it wasn’t entirely your fault. There were so many factors—your condition, your family... it was inevitable that being your wife would be difficult. So, I’ve made up my mind for this life. I’m just going to focus on working hard and giving my parents and sister a good life. I don’t want to get entangled with you again. Shen Yi, in this life, let’s just be friends."