They had agreed to take their classmates to see the house the next day, sign the rental contract, and discuss the renovation plans. After bidding farewell to the landlord’s family, Lin Fang and the other three went to shop for yoga supplies. On the way, Qin Yi told Lin Fang that he had made a phone call to verify the details and confirmed that they could safely rent the courtyard—everything the landlord’s family had said was true.
“Thank you, Brother Qin. I appreciate your effort,” Lin Fang said, expressing gratitude, though she felt a strange unease inside.
From what she had seen of Qin Yi’s cold and ruthless treatment of that girl at Caixing Foodie in Qiyue County, Lin Fang didn’t think he was a particularly warm-hearted person. They had only known each other for a few days, yet he had gone out of his way to help her without her even asking. If she had requested his assistance, it would have made sense, but his proactive approach made her wary.
Hearing Lin Fang’s seemingly grateful but actually distant thanks, Qin Yi sighed inwardly and decided to clarify: “I did this for my sister’s sake. I don’t want her boss to suffer losses because of fraud and end up shutting down, leaving my sister jobless. Also, don’t forget—I’m planning to apply as your school’s legal consultant. I’d hate for the school to go under before I even start. That would be terrible luck.”
Hearing this, Lin Fang relaxed and even joked with Qin Yi for a bit. But deep down, Qin Yi felt a pang of frustration. *This sharp little thing is so guarded. When will I ever win her trust?*
Qin Ran had given Lin Fang a list of yoga supplies to buy: yoga mats, yoga clothes, yoga blocks, yoga straps, yoga balls, yoga pillows, yoga gloves, yoga socks, yoga stretching bands, yoga VCDs, and yoga books.
Since Lin Fang intended for Qin Ran to train yoga instructors who had never practiced before, they needed to start from the basics. Therefore, Qin Ran had advised Lin Fang to buy thicker yoga mats. As for yoga clothes, Lin Fang didn’t purchase any—her own sports store already carried comfortable, sweat-absorbent, and loose-fitting athletic wear, which was perfect for yoga.
For the other yoga equipment, Lin Fang bought a set for each person. She also took note of a few stores with good price-to-quality ratios, planning to source supplies for her sports store from them in the future.
Lin Fang also bought a set of yoga supplies for herself. Qin Yi wanted to carry them for her, but she refused since he and Xiao Fei were already holding large bags.
“Teacher Lin,” Qin Yi asked, “for beginners, it’s best to practice under professional guidance. Where do you plan to learn?”
“I still need to look into it. Places too far from school are out of the question, and those with bad reputations or overly expensive fees aren’t options either. By the way, Brother Qin, since your family runs a yoga studio, do you know about other studios in the city and how they compare?” Lin Fang turned the question back to him.
Qin Yi was caught off guard. “Oh, I’m not really sure. Hold on, let me call Xiao Ran and ask.”
Compared to Qiyue County, which required a ten-hour train ride, Qin Yi was practically at home here. Yet instead of asking his family, he chose to make a long-distance call to Qin Ran. Lin Fang found this odd but didn’t comment—after all, he was an adult with his own reasons.
When the call connected, Qin Ran insisted on speaking directly to Lin Fang. She enthusiastically recommended the Yi-Ran Studio (their family’s business) but also provided detailed information about other studios she knew of. Lin Fang promised to consider her suggestions before handing the phone back to Qin Yi.
“Well?” Qin Yi asked, curious about her thoughts.
Unlike his sister, he didn’t want Lin Fang to go to Yi-Ran Studio. His relationship with his family was strained, and since Qin Ran was now employed by Lin Fang, he worried that if his family learned about Lin Fang’s background, they might cause trouble for her. He wasn’t afraid of being unable to protect her—he just couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering.
After a moment of thought, Lin Fang said, “Actually, there are teachers at my school who teach yoga, and some of my classmates practice it too. Since my schedule is tight, I think I’ll just learn from our school’s instructors.”
Even though she was proficient in various musical instruments, completing four years’ worth of credits in two years was already demanding. Yoga required time and consistency, and as a student, she didn’t have much flexibility. So, she opted for convenience.
Qin Yi inwardly sighed in relief. “That’s a good idea. Saves you the hassle of traveling.”
“Exactly,” Lin Fang agreed with a smile. “Brother Qin, I’m curious—your family’s yoga studio is called Yi-Ran Studio, which combines your name and Qin Ran’s. So, which came first: the studio or the two of you?”
Though Lin Fang’s appearance in this world was ordinary, her large, expectant eyes, filled with playful mischief, reminded Qin Yi so much of his beloved Fang’er that his heart melted. Without thinking, he flicked her forehead lightly and chuckled:
I was born in a turbulent era when yoga was condemned as a decadent practice. Naturally, Qin Ran and I came first, and the studio followed later. As a child, I loved sweets dearly, so my parents named me “Yi” (饴), meaning “maltose.” But when registering my household, the police officer suggested that given my family background, I should use the character “贻” (meaning “to bequeath” or “to leave behind harm”). And so, that’s how my name ended up this way.
Lin Fang froze. Only her loved ones from another world had ever flicked her forehead like that. She and Qin Yi weren’t that close—why had he done it so naturally? *Maybe he mistook me for Qin Ran?*
That made sense. Qin Ran was about ten years younger than her brother, just like Lin Fang’s own brothers, who still treated her like a child. And since Lin Fang now looked even younger than Qin Ran, perhaps he was used to doing this to people much younger than him.
After flicking her forehead, Qin Yi himself was momentarily stunned. He quickly masked his reaction by continuing the conversation, though deep down, he wished Lin Fang would swat his hand away like she used to—just so he could feel her soft touch again. But Lin Fang, lost in thought, didn’t react at all.
“Brother Qin, you and Xiao Fei have been accompanying me all afternoon. I should repay you. Let’s go to the hospital now and see if that Pi Xinhong is really my high school classmate,” Lin Fang said, changing the subject to ease the awkwardness.
“Alright,” Qin Yi replied simply, though he couldn’t shake a sense of disappointment.
Lin Fang followed Qin Yi and Xiao Fei to the hospital, while Guo Hongping went off to attend to her own matters.
At the hospital, Xiao Guanpeng was overjoyed to see Lin Fang. He offered her a seat, poured tea, and bombarded her with questions—all out of concern. His enthusiasm was so excessive that Xiao Fei wished he could pretend not to know him. Qin Yi, however, didn’t compete and let him fawn over her.
Lin Fang, exhausted from walking so much, merely shook her head politely at Xiao Guanpeng’s attentiveness, too tired to engage in conversation. After resting briefly, she urged them to take her to see Pi Xinhong. Once she confirmed whether this girl was her classmate, she needed to return to school.
After changing into a doctor’s coat, mask, and cap, Lin Fang followed Xiao Guanpeng into the ward. Up close, despite the girl’s severe facial injuries, Lin Fang recognized her—Pi Xinhong, the high school classmate who had left a scar on Chen Dong’s face and nearly deafened Fu Hongxia.
Having confirmed Pi Xinhong’s identity, Lin Fang didn’t linger. She bid Xiao Guanpeng farewell and prepared to leave.
Xiao Guanpeng inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. He could tell Lin Fang was exhausted—if only he could drive her back, it would have been the perfect chance to impress her. Unfortunately, he was still on duty and couldn’t leave.
Declining Qin Yi’s offer to accompany her, Lin Fang took a taxi back to school with her yoga supplies. Instead of returning to her dorm, she headed to the small garden in the faculty housing area. Since classes were still in session, the garden was quiet and empty.
Three years ago, Lin Fang had asked Lin Guicheng to investigate the robbery involving Lin Yong. Later, Lin Guicheng told her that the mastermind behind the robbery was none other than Pi Xinhong’s stepfather—the same man Fu Hongxia had referred to as her “godfather.”
After Fu Hongxia was hospitalized from Pi Xinhong’s beating, her own family ignored her. Instead, Pi Xinhong’s stepfather visited her frequently, paid all her medical bills, and even agreed when Fu Hongxia asked to call him “godfather.” On the day Fu Hongxia was discharged, it was her “godfather” who picked her up and brought her back to school.
Lin Fang remembered that after she and Rou Qiu returned from delivering peppers to Teacher Gao, Fu Hongxia had just been discharged. Though Lin Fang didn’t enter the dorm, she could sense the atmosphere inside—Fu Hongxia suppressing sobs, Pi Xinhong seething with anger, Officer Shangguan trying to mediate, and an unfamiliar male presence. At the time, Lin Fang hadn’t recognized who it was, but after hearing Lin Guicheng’s account, she realized it must have been Pi Xinhong’s stepfather.
After that, Lin Fang never saw Pi Xinhong again. Rumor had it that she couldn’t stand her stepfather’s relationship with Fu Hongxia and transferred to a school in another county. Some even said she had dropped out and married young.
According to Lin Guicheng, Pi Xinhong’s stepfather was a swindler with no legitimate job, relying on his good looks to deceive people. He had even been involved in corpse theft. His concern for Fu Hongxia was never pure—by the time she confided in him, their relationship had already crossed the line from “godfather and goddaughter” to lovers.
Lin Guicheng used his methods to drive Pi Xinhong’s stepfather out of the province, forcing him to flee elsewhere. Later, Fu Hongxia also transferred to a school in another city, but Pi Xinhong and her mother stayed behind, along with Pi Xinhong’s half-brother.
After that, Lin Fang stopped paying attention to the matter. So how had Pi Xinhong ended up so severely injured and sold as a ghost bride? What had happened?
Lin Fang had no fondness for either Pi Xinhong or Fu Hongxia, but she had a gut feeling that this incident might somehow involve her.
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