So much had happened in the past year; treating each other as strangers felt too harsh. ’It would be better to just be friends,’ Qin Jiao thought. ’If one of us needs help, we can lend a hand if possible. If not, so be it. That seems like a good arrangement.’

But Shen Yi didn’t think that was a good arrangement at all! 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

He said, flustered, "Jiao Jiao, don’t be so quick to decide. The truth is, there was a lot we didn’t see clearly in our past life. You don’t believe me when I say I like you, so let time prove everything, okay?"

Qin Jiao lifted her eyes to look at him.

Shen Yi said seriously, "Besides, your goal right now is to give your family a better life. So you probably aren’t thinking about something as serious as marriage in the near future, are you?"

He could accept Qin Jiao turning him down for now, but he hoped she wouldn’t start dating anyone else anytime soon.

That was his main goal right now.

Qin Jiao had expected him to confess his love and ask them to get back together. If he had, she would have kicked him out of her space without a second thought.

Fortunately, he didn’t.

’I don’t know what he’s so fixated on,’ she thought, ’but I know I can’t change his mind right away. In time, though, after we both start college, maybe he’ll meet a girl who catches his eye. Then he probably won’t be so hung up on his ’ex-wife’ anymore.’

So Qin Jiao nodded. "I won’t date anyone before I graduate from college. After all, you should only date someone with marriage in mind. Since I don’t plan on getting married, I can’t hold someone else back, can I?"

Hearing her say that, Shen Yi could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He picked up his pile of groceries and left in high spirits.

Time passed, day by day. Worried that Feng Dayong would show up, Qin Zhonghui had been staying up almost all night, every night, keeping watch. Since he didn’t have to run the stall during the day anymore, he could use that time to catch up on sleep.

Su Yun figured that since they were relatives, Feng Dayong probably wouldn’t come after all. But Qin Jiao just shook her head.

’That man is incredibly greedy. He’d even kill someone. What’s stealing from a relative to a person like that?’

"They must be waiting for the perfect moment."

Sure enough, the perfect moment arrived.

One day, the phone at Qin Jiao’s house rang. The school was calling to say her acceptance letter had arrived. They told her to come pick it up and to let her neighbor, Shen Yi, know as well.

Back then, it wasn’t as convenient as checking results online. Acceptance letters were mailed to the school, which would then distribute them to the students.

Qin Jiao’s bicycle was wrecked, so she went to get Shen Yi. She sat on the back of his bike as before, but this time, instead of holding his waist, she gripped the metal rack on the side of the seat.

Shen Yi felt a twinge of disappointment but didn’t say anything. As the bike rounded a corner, however, Qin Jiao caught a glimpse of her old aunt, Feng Lan, acting furtively.

Shen Yi had clearly seen her too. Just before they reached the school, he said in a low voice, "They’ll probably make their move tonight."

"Mm."

’Hanging around the school, they must have found out the acceptance letters were being given out today.’

Qin Jiao had figured as much. They were likely waiting for a few days to pass since the last incident, letting her family lower their guard. Then, they would strike right when her acceptance letter arrived and everyone was celebrating.

’You had to admit, this Feng Dayong was pretty cunning, not one to act rashly.’

’But for someone with a bit of a brain, why couldn’t he put it to good use?’

The two of them arrived at the school. They had just gotten off the bicycle and hadn’t yet walked through the entrance when they saw a large red banner stretched across the school gate with a line of text written on it.