As for Qin Jiao, if Shen Yi was also reborn, that would be for the best. They would know each other inside and out. But if he wasn’t, ’Would he think something was wrong with me? That I’m some kind of freak?’

The concept of rebirth was too outlandish to ask about directly. ’If I still have doubts, I’ll have to probe indirectly later on.’

And so, the two of them, each with memories of a past life, reached a strange, unspoken agreement. They both carefully retracted the feelers they had been tentatively extending.

Shen Yi spoke up. "It’s unlikely. The paint factory isn’t profitable, so Shen Zhengfeng would never give it to us."

"But what if he insists?"

"My mom is somewhat interested in the apparel business, but neither of us care about the paint factory. If Shen Zhengfeng insists on giving it to us, we’ll just wait until the paperwork is finalized and then sell it."

Qin Jiao breathed a sigh of relief. His answer made perfect sense. Based on what she knew of Shen Yi and Du Liya, they truly would have no interest in the paint factory.

Even if Lin Nian managed to persuade Li Xiaomei and Shen Zhengfeng, she wouldn’t have to worry about Shen Yi and his mother getting the short end of the stick.

Just then, a cold gust of wind made her sneeze. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Shen Yi wanted to keep talking with Qin Jiao, especially since he was about to be gone for a long time. He knew he couldn’t call her constantly, though. If he called too often, she would start to overthink it and might even get annoyed.

But when he saw her sneeze, he worried she would get sick and quickly said, "You should hurry back inside. Don’t catch a cold."

Qin Jiao sniffled. "Okay. You and Aunt Du should take care of yourselves, too. Oh, right, when it’s time to divide the properties, remember to take the courtyard house, not one of those new apartment buildings."

’A courtyard house in the provincial capital will be worth hundreds of millions in the future!’

Right now, people were just starting to move into modern residential buildings, so for properties in the same location, a unit in a new building was actually more expensive than a courtyard house.

Whether Lin Nian had the ability to persuade Shen Zhengfeng was another matter entirely. After all, at the moment, Lin Nian was a nobody.

Shen Yi’s gaze deepened. He nodded and said, "Okay. You should go get some rest. By the time I get back, you’ll have my New Year’s gift ready, won’t you?"

Qin Jiao was a little exasperated. ’Why is he so persistent about getting a gift?’

She gave a dismissive wave and turned to go inside.

Shen Yi stared at the door to her apartment for a long time. He tilted his head, listening, and could still hear the sound of Qin Jiao laughing and talking with her sister. His expression softened, a gentle warmth filling his eyes.

’This time,’ he thought, ’I’ll make Shen Zhengfeng pay dearly. I’ll squeeze every last cent out of him.’ It was because he, Shen Yi, didn’t just have to support his mother and grandfather.

’He had a wife to provide for in the future, too.’

After checking Xiao Shi’s homework, Qin Jiao told her a story. The little girl leaned against her sister, yawning, but her curiosity kept her invested in where the story was going.

"Sis, what happened to the girl in the story? Did she go back to when she was little and get back at all the people who bullied her?"

"Yes, she got back at all of them. Then she studied hard, worked hard to make money, and gave her family a wonderful life."

The story was something she’d made up on the spot. Earlier that day, Qin Jiao had seen Xiao Shi collecting aluminum wire to sell for cash, and it was then she realized her little sister’s declaration about becoming rich someday wasn’t just a childish whim.

She knew her sister wanted to give her and their parents a good life, but Xiao Shi was still too young.

Xiao Shi yawned again, her eyes growing misty with sleep, but her voice was firm. "I’m going to make a lot of money in the future, too! I’ll give you and Mom and Dad a great life!"

"Xiao Shi, that’s a wonderful thought. But to do that, the most important thing is to study hard first, okay? The girl in the story I just told you studied hard, and because of that, she had many more opportunities in life."