Chapter 3

Shi Ye buried her face in the pillow for a full thirty seconds before taking a deep breath, turning over, and sitting up, staring at the two messages side by side on her phone screen.

Lin Xiaoyu: "Sister Shi Ye, I got the exhibition tickets! I'll pick you up next Wednesday at 2 PM?"

Qi Jin: "I suddenly remembered that I'm free next Wednesday afternoon. Do you need me to take you there?"

Shi Ye's finger hovered above the screen, her mind racing. She had agreed to Lin Xiaoyu's request long ago, but Qi Jin's sudden "initiative" caught her off guard. More importantly, the two messages arrived almost simultaneously, their timing as precise as if they had been pre-arranged.

"System," she cried out in her mind, "what's going on?"

"Data analysis: Qi Jin sent his message 3.2 seconds later than Lin Xiaoyu, but due to network latency and differences in mobile phone systems, the actual sending interval may be less than 1 second. Coincidence probability: 12.7%. Probability of deliberate arrangement: 87.3%."

Shi Ye raised an eyebrow: "You mean, Qi Jin might have seen the message Lin Xiaoyu sent me?"

"It cannot be determined. However, based on the analysis of the character's behavior pattern, Qi Jin showed unusual attention to the interaction between Lin Xiaoyu and the host."

Shi Ye sighed and decided to go back to Lin Xiaoyu first: "Okay, see you on Wednesday~"

Then she switched to Qi Jin's chat window, typed and deleted on the keyboard, and finally sent the message: "No need to bother, Xiao Yu said she'll come pick me up. But thank you anyway~"

The message showed as read, but there was no reply for a long time. Shi Ye stared at the "typing..." notification flashing and disappearing three times before finally settling into silence.

Five minutes passed, and there was no reply.

Ten minutes.

Shi Ye put down her phone, feeling inexplicably guilty. She walked to the window, drew back the curtains, and squinted as the sunlight stung her eyes. The old locust tree in the yard swayed gently in the wind, its leaves rustling softly.

The phone suddenly vibrated, and Shi Ye almost lunged at it.

Qi Jin: "Understood."

Just three words, plus a period. Shi Ye stared at that period, feeling that it was round and somewhat indifferent.

"System, how is Qi Jin feeling right now?"

"Based on text analysis: Calm with slight displeasure. Favorability fluctuation: -2, current total favorability: 33/100."

Shi Ye sighed, "This works? Just because I didn't let her deliver it?"

"Insufficient data to confirm causality. However, the system detected a slight negative fluctuation in Qi Jin's emotional value."

Shi Ye lay on the bed, staring at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. The crystals refracted the sunlight, casting tiny, dappled patterns of light on the ceiling, making her eyes water.

"What should I do then? Send a follow-up message to explain?"

"Recommendation: Keep it natural. Over-interpreting may backfire."

Shi Ye agreed with the system. She tossed her phone aside and decided to wash her face to clear her head. Just as she stepped into the bathroom, her phone rang again.

This time it was Lin Xiaoyu: "By the way, Sister Shi Ye, is Senior Sister coming too? I saw her ask you~"

Shi Ye almost squeezed face wash into her eyes. She wiped her hands and quickly replied, "No, she said she didn't need to bring it."

Lin Xiaoyu replied instantly: "That's good! I just wanted to be alone with Sister Shi Ye~ (shy.jpg)"

Shi Ye stared at the shy emoji, feeling that something was off. The Lin Xiaoyu in the original novel was a pure and innocent girl, speaking softly and gently; she would never send such a suggestive emoji.

"System, isn't this Lin Xiaoyu a bit strange too?"

"Lin Xiaoyu's behavior pattern is 78% similar to that of the original work. The main difference is that she is significantly more interested in the host and has more social initiative. Possible reason: the change in the world line caused the character to adapt and adjust."

Before Shi Ye could figure out what "adaptive adjustment" meant, the doorbell suddenly rang.

She went downstairs and opened the door. Standing outside was Old Chen, the family's gardener, holding a large bouquet of white lilies.

"Miss, here are your flowers." Old Chen handed over the flowers. "They were just delivered, there's no card."

Shi Ye accepted the bouquet. The lilies were in full bloom, their petals still glistening with dewdrops, and their fragrance was delicate and elegant. She examined them carefully; there was indeed no card, only standard florist packaging.

"Who sent it?" she asked Old Chen.

"The deliveryman said it was an anonymous order and only said it was for Miss Shi Ye."

Shi Ye carried the flowers back to the living room and arranged them in a vase. The white lilies stretched out in the glass vase, adding a touch of freshness to the living room.

"System, can you find out who sent it?"

"Attempting to trace the order's origin... Query failed. Order information is encrypted."

Shi Ye sat on the sofa, looking at the bouquet of flowers. Could it be from Qi Jin? Was he sending flowers as an apology for not letting her send them? But knowing Qi Jin's personality, he wouldn't send them anonymously.

Could it be Lin Xiaoyu? That would suit her lively style.

Or... Qin Hao? In the original novel, he did frequently send flowers to the original owner of the body.

My phone vibrated again. This time it was a photo sent by Qi Jin—a small succulent plant on the windowsill of her office, with round leaves that looked like green pearls.

"Did you send it to me?" Qi Jin asked.

Shi Ye was stunned: "What?"

"This succulent appeared in my office this morning. My assistant said he didn't see it, and the security cameras didn't capture it either."

Shi Ye zoomed in on the photo to take a closer look. It was a very ordinary succulent, the kind you can buy for 9.9 yuan with free shipping on Taobao, and it had nothing to do with her.

“It wasn’t me,” she replied. “I don’t even know where your office is.”

On Qi Jin's end, the message "The other party is typing..." remained displayed for almost a minute before finally replying: "Understood."

These three words again.

Shi Ye felt that Qi Jin was unusually sparing with words today.

She put the succulents aside and focused her attention back on the bouquet of lilies. Could there be a connection between sending flowers anonymously and sending succulents anonymously?

Shi Ye picked up his phone and sent a message to Lin Xiaoyu: "Xiaoyu, did you send me flowers?"

Lin Xiaoyu replied instantly: "Flowers? What flowers? Did Sister Shi receive flowers? Who sent them? Was it your senior?"

This reaction doesn't seem fake.

Shi Ye: "It's nothing, it's probably a gift from my dad. By the way, do you like succulents?"

Lin Xiaoyu: "Succulents? I love them! I have so many on my balcony, Sister Shiye, would you like to come and see them? They're so cute~"

Shi Ye stared at the reply, lost in thought.

She switched back to her chat with Qi Jin, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Is there anything special about that succulent?"

Qi Jin replied quickly this time: "No, it's a regular variety. I've already had security handle it."

"Dispose of it?" Shi Ye frowned. "Throw it away?"

"After inspection, it was confirmed to be harmless and placed in the public rest area."

Shi Ye breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know why she cared about the life or death of a succulent, but she just... didn't want it to be thrown away.

Qi Jin sent another message: "Your father just contacted me and said he would like to invite you to dinner with me tonight to discuss the details of the engagement banquet."

Shi Ye glanced at the time; it was 3:30 PM.

"Okay, what time? Where?"

"Six o'clock, Ziyun Pavilion. I'll come to pick you up."

“No need, I can do it myself…” Shi Ye typed halfway through, then remembered what happened that morning, deleted it and retyped it, “Okay, I’ll be waiting for you at home at 5:30.”

This time, Qi Jin replied with a simple "Mm".

The conversation ended, and Shi Ye put down her phone, sinking into the sofa. She stared at the bouquet of lilies for a while, then suddenly got up and went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. When she returned, she noticed something reflecting light on the lily petals.

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be extremely fine silver powder, adhering to the edges of the petals, and virtually invisible unless you look very closely.

Shi Ye's heart tightened. He rummaged through the coffee table drawer, pulled out disposable gloves, put them on, and carefully scraped a little powder from the petal, placing it on a piece of white paper. The powder shimmered with a faint metallic luster under the light.

"System, can you analyze this?"

"Sample contact is required for material analysis. Please bring the sample close to the phone camera."

Shi Ye did as instructed. A few seconds later, the system replied: "Analysis complete: The component is mica powder, commonly used in cosmetics manufacturing, and is non-toxic. However, it contains trace amounts of magnetic material, which is iron(III) oxide."

"Magnetic material? What do you mean?"

"This means that these powders can be attracted by magnets. They are typically used for tracking or marking purposes."

A chill ran down Shi Ye's spine. Had someone tampered with the flowers? What was their purpose? To track her location?

She immediately checked the rest of the bouquet and found a tiny black particle, smaller than a sesame seed, stuck to the edge of the tape inside the wrapping paper.

"System, what about this?"

"Close-range scanning in progress... Preliminary assessment indicates it is a miniature positioning device, model unknown, suspected to be homemade."

Shi Ye's hands trembled slightly. She forced herself to calm down, carefully removed the small particle with tweezers, and put it into a small sealed bag.

"Call the police?" she asked the system.

"Not recommended. There is insufficient evidence, and it might alert the suspect. We suggest observing first and recording any unusual activity."

Shi Ye took a deep breath, carefully put away the sealed bag, then placed the entire bouquet, along with its packaging, into a garbage bag, sealed it, and placed it by the door. After doing all this, she washed her hands three times, but still felt uneasy.

Who is spying on her? Why?

The phone rang again; this time it was an unknown number. Shi Ye hesitated for a moment, then answered.

"Miss Shi?" It was a male voice, sounding to be in his thirties. "This is Anxin Flower Shop. Are you satisfied with the flowers you received today?"

Shi Ye gripped her phone tightly: "Did you send the flowers? Who ordered them?"

"Sorry, customer information is confidential. I'm just here for a follow-up call."

"Then I demand that you provide the information of the person who ordered the flowers, otherwise I will call the police and say you are harassing me."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end, then a laugh: "Miss Shi, you're quite the joker. If you don't like the flowers, we can offer different varieties next time. Have a pleasant day."

The call ended.

Shi Ye immediately dialed back, but the number was not in service.

She sent the number to the system: "Can you check?"

"Tracking... The number is a virtual number and cannot be located. The call duration was too short to perform voiceprint analysis."

Shi Ye paced back and forth in the living room. Anonymous bouquets, miniature locators, virtual numbers... this was no longer a prank.

She thought of the succulent plant Qi Jin had received. Could it have been made by the same person?

Shi Ye sent a message to Qi Jin: "Could you please not put that succulent in the public area for now? I want to take a look at it."

Qi Jin quickly replied, "It's already been sent over. It should arrive in about ten minutes."

Shi Ye was stunned: "Send it over? To my house?"

"Hmm. Is there a problem?"

Shi Ye looked at the bag of "problem lilies" by the door, then at the plastic gloves he was still wearing, and suddenly felt that things were getting more and more complicated.

"No," she replied. "Be careful on the road."

During the ten minutes of waiting, Shi Ye did three things: he hid the garbage bag in the tool shed in the backyard; he checked all the windows; and he made himself a strong cup of tea to calm his nerves.

The doorbell rang on time. Shi Ye looked through the peephole and saw a young man in a suit and gold-rimmed glasses standing outside the door, holding a cardboard box in his hands.

"Hello, Miss Shi," the man said with a smile, "President Qi asked me to bring this over."

Shi Ye opened the door and took the cardboard box: "Thank you. Who are you...?"

"Mr. Qi's assistant, surnamed Zhou." The man handed over a business card. "Mr. Qi said that if you need anything, you can contact me directly."

Shi Ye glanced at the business card. It only had a name, "Zhou Ming," and a phone number on it, but no company information or job title.

"Assistant Zhou, won't you come in and have a seat?" she asked tentatively.

"No, I have to go back to the company." Zhou Ming nodded politely. "President Qi will pick you up at six o'clock sharp, please don't worry."

He turned and left, his steps steady, his back straight. Shi Ye noticed that his suit was well-tailored, but there was a slight bulge on his left lower back—as if something was hidden there.

Shi Ye closed the door and opened the cardboard box. Inside was the succulent from the photo, in a simple white plastic pot, the soil moist and the leaves plump.

She put on gloves and carefully examined the plant. The leaves, stems, and soil surface all looked normal. But she wasn't reassured, so she took a toothpick and gently loosened the top layer of soil.

The toothpick touched a hard object about two centimeters from the soil surface.

Shi Ye's heart raced. She carefully brushed aside the surrounding soil, revealing a small black device—almost identical to the one she had found in the lilies.

"System, check this."

"Detecting... Confirmed to be the same model as the previously discovered device. It has positioning and audio acquisition functions. Battery remaining: 87%. Current status: Sleep."

Shi Ye's hands trembled slightly. Was the same person simultaneously monitoring both her and Qi Jin? What was their purpose?

She carefully reburied the device, restored the soil to its original state, and then watered the succulents—to make everything look natural.

After finishing, she messaged Qi Jin: "I received the succulents, they're very cute. Thank you for having them delivered."

Qi Jin: "You're welcome. See you tonight."

Shi Ye stared at the message and suddenly realized something: Why did Qi Jin give her the succulents? Was it really just to let her see them, or... did Qi Jin discover something himself and want to use her to investigate?

She placed the succulent on the windowsill, among other green plants in the house. Sunlight shone on its round, plump leaves, giving them a healthy sheen. Anyone who saw it would think it was just an ordinary succulent.

Shi Ye glanced at the time: 4:20. There was still more than an hour before Qi Jin was supposed to pick her up.

She went upstairs to change her clothes, choosing a simple dress and putting on light makeup. Looking at the person in the mirror, she suddenly felt a little dazed—this face belonged to Shi Ye, but the soul within was her own. And this world, seemingly like that old-fashioned domineering CEO novel, was also filled with an eeriness.

“System,” she asked, “are you sure this is a fictional world?”

"Based on the analysis of existing data, this world meets the basic characteristics of a novel world: it has a clear plot line, character settings, and conflict structure. However, the specific category cannot be determined."

"Is it possible... that this is a real world? I just happened to be transported into a situation similar to that in the novel?"

The system was silent for a few seconds: "The theory is possible, but cannot be verified. We suggest the host focus on the current task: survive and find out the truth."

Shi Ye sighed. She sat down at her dressing table, opened the jewelry box, and inside were the pair of pearl earrings Qi Jin had given her. She picked one up and held it up to the light; the pearl's warm luster seemed to soothe the soul.

She put on earrings.

At 5:25, the doorbell rang again. Shi Ye went downstairs to open the door, and Qi Jin stood outside, still wearing his signature black suit, but with a dark blue tie that subtly echoed the misty blue of her dress.

"Ready?" Qi Jin's gaze lingered on her earring for a moment.

"Okay." Shi Ye picked up his bag. "Let's go."

In the car, Qi Jin focused on driving, while Shi Ye watched the street scene rushing past the window. Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere wasn't awkward; instead, there was a strange tranquility.

"That succulent plant," Qi Jin suddenly spoke up, "did you notice anything?"

Shi Ye's heart tightened, but he kept his expression calm: "She's very cute, what's wrong?"

"My office's surveillance camera went black for four minutes between 10:03 and 10:07 this morning," Qi Jin said calmly. "The technical department said it was a system malfunction. But at the same time, the surveillance cameras in other areas of the building were working normally."

Shi Ye turned to look at her: "You suspect that someone deliberately hacked the surveillance cameras just to put a pot of succulents in there?"

“It’s not suspicion, it’s confirmation.” Qi Jin stopped at a red light. “There aren’t many people who can bypass the Qi Group’s security system. The other party is very professional.”

"Is there anything special about that succulent plant?" Shi Ye asked tentatively.

“There was something buried in the soil,” Qi Jin said directly. “I checked it; it was a locator. It’s been taken care of.”

Shi Ye looked at her in surprise: "You already found out? Then why did you still send it to me?"

"I wanted to see if you'd notice." Qi Jin turned to look at her, his eyes calm. "You noticed, didn't you?"

Shi Ye paused for a few seconds, then nodded: "There were some among the flowers I received."

She briefly recounted the story about the lilies, omitting her flustered state and simply stating the facts.

After listening, Qi Jin frowned slightly: "Where is the locator now?"

"In my tool shed, with the flowers."

"I'll have someone pick it up after we finish eating," Qi Jin said. "They're targeting both of us at the same time, and their goal might be the marriage alliance between the Qi and Shi families."

The light turned green, and the car continued forward. Shi Ye leaned back in his seat, suddenly feeling very tired.

“Qi Jin,” she asked softly, “are you afraid?”

"What are you afraid of?"

"Someone is spying on us from the shadows, their motives are unclear. Aren't you afraid?"

Qi Jin was silent for a moment: "I'm used to it."

Just three words, a simple statement, yet Shi Ye sensed their weight. In the original novel, Qi Jin had countless enemies, experiencing kidnapping, car accidents, poisoning... There was a reason he survived to become the villain in the end.

“But this time is different,” Qi Jin continued, “the other side didn’t target me directly, but started with you. This is more dangerous.”

"Why?"

"Because you are my publicly acknowledged fiancée." Qi Jin glanced at her. "To harm you is to harm my reputation. It's also a test of my bottom line."

Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat. Not from fear, but from the tone in which Qi Jin said "my fiancée"—so natural, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Then what should we do?" she asked.

“Live a normal life,” Qi Jin said. “Eat when you’re supposed to eat, get engaged when you’re supposed to get engaged. The more the other party tries to disrupt things, the more flawless we need to appear.”

She paused, then added, "Of course, I will increase security for you and your family. Starting tonight, you will be secretly protected when you go out."

"Spying on me?"

"To protect you," Qi Jin corrected, "unless you'd rather stay home every day and never go out."

Shi Ye thought about the scene for a moment and shook his head: "Then let's protect it."

Ziyunxuan is a private restaurant tucked away in an alley in the old town. Its storefront is inconspicuous, but the interior is a hidden gem. Shi Ye followed Qi Jin through the bamboo-shaded courtyard and into a private room.

Shi Zhenghong had already arrived and was making tea. Seeing them come in, he put on a smile: "You've arrived? Please have a seat."

The dishes had been ordered and were being served one after another. Shi Zhenghong was clearly very happy, talking twice as much as usual, from the engagement banquet menu to the guest list, and from the wedding venue to the honeymoon trip.

“Dad,” Shi Ye couldn’t help but interrupt, “it’s too early for these things.”

"It's getting late," Shi Zhenghong placed a piece of fish on her plate. "President Qi is so busy, you need to make arrangements in advance, right, President Qi?"

Qi Jin nodded: "Uncle is right. I've already asked my assistant to schedule a time, and I can bring you the preliminary plan for review next week."

Shi Zhenghong smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits: "Good, good, I trust President Qi to handle things."

Shi Ye kept her head down as she ate, occasionally glancing up to find Qi Jin looking at her. Their eyes met, and Qi Jin naturally looked away, continuing his conversation with Shi Zhenghong.

Halfway through the meal, Shi Zhenghong received a phone call saying that there was an urgent matter at the company and he had to leave first.

"Enjoy your meal, I've already paid the bill." He picked up his coat. "Yeyue, after you're done, let Mr. Qi take you home."

After her father left, only the two of them remained in the private room. A waiter came in, brought in a new pot of tea, and then quietly left.

“Your father is very happy,” Qi Jin said.

"Yes, he hasn't been this happy in a long time." Shi Ye looked at the tea leaves unfurling in the teacup. "Ever since the company ran into trouble, he's been very anxious every day. Today he can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"And what about you?" Qi Jin asked, "Are you happy?"

Shi Ye looked up at her. Qi Jin's expression was calm, but his eyes were serious; he was truly waiting for her answer.

“I don’t know,” Shi Ye said honestly. “It all happened so fast. Sometimes I feel like I’m dreaming, and when I wake up, my whole life has changed.”

"If you were given a choice," Qi Jin said slowly, "would you choose the way things are now, or your old life?"

Shi Ye didn't answer immediately. She thought of her former life—an ordinary office worker, rushing to catch the subway, working overtime, and eating takeout every day, ordinary but stable. Then she thought of this world, the crisis in the Shi family, Qi Jin, and that problematic bouquet of lilies.

“I don’t know,” she repeated, “but since we’re already here, we can only move forward.”

Qi Jin looked at her for a long time, then nodded gently: "You're right."

She poured Shi Ye a cup of tea: "Do you have any special requests regarding the engagement banquet? You can make any requests you have."

Shi Ye thought for a moment: "No pink decorations."

"good."

"Don't play those cheesy love songs."

"good."

"Don't let my dad speak on stage for more than three minutes—he talks a lot when he's drunk."

Qi Jin's lips curved into a smile: "This is a bit difficult, but I'll try my best."

Shi Ye also smiled: "Also, not too much media. I know it's impossible to have none at all, but try to have as little as possible."

“I can guarantee that,” Qi Jin said. “We will only invite three authoritative media outlets, and all others will be declined.”

"Thanks."

The two remained silent for a while. The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and lanterns in the courtyard lit up one by one, casting a soft, warm light through the window paper onto the table.

“Qi Jin,” Shi Ye asked softly, “why did you help me to this extent? It’s not just because of the engagement, right?”

Qi Jin's fingers gently traced the rim of the teacup. Her eyelashes were long, casting a soft shadow beneath her eyes when they fell.

“I’ve seen you before,” she finally said, “when you didn’t know.”

Shi Ye's heart tightened: "When?"

"Many years ago." Qi Jin raised his head, his gaze piercing through time. "Back then, you were still in middle school, wearing your school uniform, feeding stray cats on the street. It was raining heavily that day, and you were holding a tattered umbrella, completely soaked, but you still insisted on putting the cat food under the eaves."

Shi Ye was stunned. Were these the original owner's memories? She tried hard to recall, but only vague fragments came to mind—the sound of rain, the damp and cold air, and a thin cat.

“How could you…” she murmured.

“I saw you in the car that day.” Qi Jin’s voice was very soft. “The driver asked me if I wanted him to bring you an umbrella, and I said no. Then I saw you standing in the rain for ten minutes until the cat finished its food before you left.”

Shi Ye's heart pounded wildly. Was this the original owner's first interaction with Qi Jin? It wasn't mentioned at all in the original novel!

“I saw you a few more times after that,” Qi Jin continued. “At the art exhibition, you stared at an abstract painting for half an hour; in the library, you were frantic because you couldn’t find a book; in the coffee shop, you were crying while doing your homework—although I don’t know why you were crying.”

She looked at Shi Ye, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "So when my family brought up the arranged marriage, I looked up your information and found out that you were the girl who fed the cat in the rain. I thought, if it were you, maybe I could give it a try."

Shi Ye's throat tightened. She didn't know what to say. All of this was beyond her comprehension—not only beyond her understanding of the original work, but also beyond her understanding of Qi Jin.

"Then..." she began with difficulty, "Do you see me now as the same as before?"

Qi Jin did not answer immediately. Her gaze lingered on Shi Ye's face, as if she were carefully examining a precious piece of porcelain.

“It’s different,” she finally said, “but some things haven’t changed. For example, you unconsciously purse your lips when you’re nervous, your right eyebrow raises slightly when you’re thinking, and so on…”

She paused for a moment: "For example, the way you look at me is still the same as that day in the rain. Even though you are in a sorry state, you are still worried about others."

Shi Ye's nose suddenly stung with tears. She lowered her head, not wanting Qi Jin to see her reddened eyes.

"System," she asked in her mind, "is all of this true? Did the original owner and Qi Jin really have this past?"

"Retrieving the original owner's memory data... Retrieved some vague fragments, consistent with Qi Jin's description: 87%. However, there is no relevant record in the original work."

"So this isn't a novel plot, but the real past of this world?"

"Insufficient data, unable to confirm."

Shi Ye raised his head, trying to keep his voice steady: "Why didn't you tell me before?"

“Because I don’t think it matters,” Qi Jin said. “Our past interactions were just coincidences; what matters is the present. But now I think I should tell you—I chose you not because of the Shi family, nor because of the marriage alliance, but because you are you.”

The private room was so quiet you could hear each other breathing. The lanterns outside the window swayed gently in the wind, casting flickering shadows on the walls like a silent puppet show.

“Qi Jin,” Shi Ye said softly, “if I told you that I am no longer…”

Her words trailed off. She couldn't speak. She couldn't reveal that she was a time traveler.

"Not what?" Qi Jin asked.

"I'm not the same person I used to be," Shi Ye changed his tune. "People change."

“I know,” Qi Jin said. “I’ve changed too. But some core things will never change.”

She stood up, walked to the window, and said with her back to Shi Ye, "It's getting late, I'll take you home."

On the way back, neither of them spoke. But the atmosphere was different this time—it was no longer a distant calm, but a subtle, indescribable tension.

The car stopped in front of the Shi family's house, but Qi Jin did not immediately let Shi Ye get out of the car.

"Regarding those surveillance devices," she said, "I've already had someone pick them up. Security personnel will come tomorrow to install the system. It won't disrupt your life, but it will protect your safety."

"Thank you." Shi Ye unbuckled his seatbelt.

"Shi Ye," Qi Jin called out to her.

Shi Ye turned her head and saw Qi Jin looking at her in the dim light inside the car, his eyes deep.

“No matter what happens,” Qi Jin said, “I will protect you. That’s a promise.”

Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat. She nodded, opened the door, and got out of the car.

Stepping inside, she leaned against the door, listening to the sound of Qi Jin's car slowly driving away. Raising her hand, she touched the pearl earring on her earlobe; the cool touch calmed her down slightly.

My phone vibrated; it was a message from Qi Jin: "Let me know when you get home."

Shi Ye replied, "We've arrived."

Almost simultaneously, Lin Xiaoyu's message arrived: "Sister Shiye, are you asleep? I found a really beautiful picture book, I think you'll love it~"

Shi Ye looked at the two messages side by side and suddenly laughed. But as he laughed, tears fell from his eyes.