Dear readers, by the time you read this chapter, I will already be on a train back to my hometown for a month-long family visit. The further I write this novel, the more homesick I become—I miss my parents, who are now in their seventies, and I haven’t been home in years. Since there’s no internet at home and connectivity is generally poor in my hometown, I’ll have to pause updates for a month. Please forgive me.
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“Forget it, I can’t be bothered to wait. I didn’t see any other shops open on my way here, and who knows how long it’ll take for the sandwiches and milk to arrive. Just give me a bowl of soy milk and a fried dough stick—no sugar in the soy milk.”
Ji Xiaorong was indeed starving and had no energy to argue further. In the time it took her to exchange these few words with the girl, Qin Yi had already finished a steamed bun. If she kept arguing, Qin Yi would undoubtedly leave without her once he finished eating. She knew exactly how much weight she carried in his heart.
“It won’t take long. The shop has already prepared a batch at this hour, and I can heat the milk for you when it arrives,” the girl replied with remarkable patience.
“No need. Just the soy milk and fried dough stick,” Ji Xiaorong insisted.
“Alright, the soy milk and fried dough stick are ready. I’ll have someone bring them right away,” the girl said before turning to leave through the back door.
“Wait a moment, little sister. There’s something I’m curious about,” Qin Ran called out, stopping the girl in her tracks.
The girl paused, smiling at Qin Ran, waiting for her to continue.
“Since most of your customers are students, why don’t you sell cakes and milk? Students would love those—they’re nutritious, quick to eat, and perfect for those in a hurry,” Qin Ran said. Having only recently left student life herself, she remembered cakes and milk as her go-to fast meals.
The girl signaled to the young man to bring Ji Xiaorong her soy milk and fried dough stick, then turned back to Qin Ran with a smile. “You’re absolutely right, sister. Cakes and milk are indeed beneficial. But everything in my shop is made fresh to order, ensuring students get the hottest, freshest food possible.”
“Students already face intense academic pressure. Eating processed fast food could harm their health. Freshly made hot meals are gentler on the stomach and prevent them from eating too quickly, which is another way to protect their well-being.”
Qin Ran nodded, still puzzled, but before she could ask another question, Qin Yi cut in: “Are you Lin Fang?”
The girl replied, “Yes, I’m Lin Fang, the owner of Caixing Snacks. My staff call me ‘Little Boss.’ Do you have any advice for me?”
Caught off guard by the question, Qin Yi hesitated, unsure how to explain himself. Qin Ran, however, didn’t miss a beat. “You’re Lin Fang? You’re so young! I thought you’d be… well, never mind. Don’t take it the wrong way. The teachers at Lin’s Talent School mentioned you yesterday, and I assumed you were older.”
Lin Fang was used to such reactions. She laughed. “You’re not wrong. I’m nineteen—legally an adult.”
“Soy milk and fried dough stick—coming right up!”
“Wontons—here you go!”
Two men entered through the back door one after the other. The first was the young man carrying the soy milk and fried dough stick. The second, whom Qin Yi recognized, was the young man who had stepped out of the white sedan earlier, holding a tray with a bowl of wontons.
“Teacher Shangguan, why are you bringing it in? Are the others slacking off?”
Lin Fang reached for the tray, but the young man dodged her. Seeing Qin Ran gesture, he delivered the wontons to her instead.
The young man, whom Lin Fang had addressed as “Teacher Shangguan,” was Shangguan Qinglin, her former high school administrator. After setting down the wontons, he turned back to Lin Fang. “You’ve been out here for a while, so I figured you’d come to the front. I brought the wontons in while checking on you. The yuanxiao are ready—go eat before they get cold. It’s bad for your stomach.”
“Alright, I’ll head back now.”
After acknowledging Shangguan Qinglin, Lin Fang turned to Qin Yi and his sister. “Please enjoy your meal. I’ll be home these next few days. If you need anything, you can find me here. If I’m not in the shop, just ask my staff—they usually know where I am during work hours.”
Qin Ran liked the young girl and smiled warmly in response. Qin Yi, however, had a thousand things to say but couldn’t find the words. He could only watch as Lin Fang disappeared through the back door.
Lin Fang had taken an overnight train back from school. That morning, Sun Siyuan had picked her up from the station in the white sedan Qin Yi had seen. But due to Ji Xiaorong’s sudden interruption, Qin Yi missed seeing Lin Fang step out of the car—he only caught a glimpse of her back as she entered the shop.
While most students complete three years of high school before college, Lin Fang had applied for the college entrance exam during her second year. Her school had allowed her to try, never expecting her to pass. However, art and sports colleges have lower score thresholds—nearly 100 points below regular universities—so her early admission didn’t cause much of a stir, which was exactly what Lin Fang had hoped for.
Shangguan Qinglin, her former high school administrator, had been studying for the college entrance exam while working. He and Lin Fang had taken the exam the same year. Lin Fang attended an art college, while Shangguan Qinglin was admitted to a sports college just across the square. They often met, and this time, he had accompanied her home.
Back when he worked at No. 2 High School, his friend Teacher Su had teased him about liking Lin Fang, but he’d denied it, believing his feelings were merely friendly. It wasn’t until college applications that he realized his true feelings—after learning Lin Fang had applied to the provincial art college, he chose the nearby sports college. He couldn’t explain why he liked her; perhaps it was love at first sight.
What frustrated him was that no matter how much he insisted, Lin Fang refused to call him by his given name, always addressing him formally as “Teacher Shangguan.” Her politeness created an unbridgeable distance between them. Though everyone could see how much he adored her, he couldn’t bring himself to confess. He couldn’t understand what he’d done wrong.
Poor Shangguan Qinglin. He’d never guess that Lin Fang had no intention of accepting anyone’s affections.
Behind Caixing Snacks was a small courtyard surrounded by buildings. The kitchen occupied the side wings, while the room facing the shop’s back door served as the staff lounge. Another door led from the lounge into the Lin’s Talent School.
Shangguan Qinglin had called Lin Fang back to the lounge to eat, but she barely touched her food, lost in thought.
Before stepping out of the sedan earlier, she’d heard Ji Xiaorong call out “Yi-ge.” Her heart had clenched, and she’d instinctively glanced at the man addressed as such. His cold demeanor reminded her faintly of her own Yi-ge, but she quickly dismissed the thought. How could her Yi-ge be here? They were separated by lifetimes—reunion was impossible.
Entering the shop, she’d heard the woman call “Yi-ge” again, pausing only slightly before continuing inside.
Waiting for breakfast in the lounge, she couldn’t help overhearing the conversation in the shop. Hearing the shop assistant mention “Officer Qin” ignoring the haughty woman gave her an inexplicable thrill, and she yearned to witness the scene herself.
On a whim, she took over from the shop assistant to personally deliver the pepper soup and steamed buns to Qin Yi, seizing the opportunity to observe this man addressed as “Yi-ge” at close range. When inquiring if he had any feedback, she meticulously registered every subtle shift in his expression.
Though his cold mask hid most emotions, Lin Fang sensed the turmoil beneath from his fluctuating aura. She was puzzled—she’d never met this man, so why did he react this way?
When Shangguan Qinglin came to fetch her and she bid farewell to the siblings, the “Yi-ge’s” gaze clung to her, thick with reluctance. She felt it keenly without even looking, deepening her confusion.
After Lin Guicheng’s case, she’d briefly wondered if the officer might be Qi Biao, but she dismissed the idea immediately. What were the odds that everyone connected to her would follow her into this world?
Besides, if Qi Biao had truly pursued her here, he’d emit his unique aura—she’d recognize him without a word. But aside from sharing Qi Biao’s cold demeanor, this officer carried none of his essence.
“Something wrong, Lin Fang? No appetite? You said you were starving on the train—why eat so little?”
Noticing Lin Fang stirring her bowl absently, taking only occasional bites, Shangguan Qinglin interrupted her thoughts.
Lin Fang shook her head. “Just tired, I guess. Not hungry anymore. I’ll go check on my parents at the farmhouse first, then come back. When Teacher Wang arrives, ask her about that girl who wanted to teach yoga—she said she’d kept her number. I came back partly to meet her.”
Shangguan Qinglin offered, “I’ll go with you.”
“No need. Visit the school’s teachers instead. Or stroll around town—buy some local specialties for your classmates.”
As expected, Lin Fang declined his company to see her parents. Back at No. 2 High School, he’d met them before, but since Lin Fang became aware of his feelings, she’d deliberately distanced herself. It frustrated him endlessly—if not for his persistence this time, he wouldn’t even have made it home with her.
Back in the snack shop, Qin Ran finished her wontons, praising their flavor, but her brother remained unresponsive. His soup and buns had gone cold as he stared blankly at the back door.
Waving a hand before his eyes, Qin Ran asked, “Brother, why aren’t you eating? Weren’t you just complaining about being hungry?”
“Yi-ge, that girl’s so ordinary she’d disappear in a crowd. Why stare so long?”
While Qin Yi could ignore his sister’s interruption, Ji Xiaorong’s jab demanded a response: “Xiao Ran and I have things to do. You should leave.”
“Leave? Go where? I just got here—you can’t mean send me home!” Ji Xiaorong’s voice trembled with hurt.
“Just don’t follow me.” Qin Yi had no patience for even a few extra words with her.
“But I came for you!” Ji Xiaorong nearly shouted, tears welling.
“That’s not my concern.” With that, Qin Yi grabbed Qin Ran’s hand and left.
“Yi-ge—!” Ji Xiaorong chased after them, anger and humiliation spilling into sobs.
To her shock, Qin Yi turned back and said coldly, “Only one woman in this life may call me Yi-ge—and you are not her.”
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