Lin Nian was afraid of Chen Feng like this.

’Didn’t the book say Chen Feng was a gentle, ambitious, and very considerate male lead?’

’Why is Chen Feng so terrifying now!’

But even so, Lin Nian refused to say why. It was a reason she would take to her grave.

Meanwhile, just after finishing a particularly tricky problem, Shen Yi suddenly asked, "Why is Lin Nian always worried you’ll fall for Chen Feng?"

The tip of Qin Jiao’s pen faltered.

’True, this was hardly the first time Lin Nian had acted this way. Lin Nian was a transmigrator who knew the book’s plot. She knew that the male lead, Chen Feng, would become a huge success in the future—the richest man, even. That’s why she’d latched onto him so early and so tightly.’

’As for herself... Qin Jiao remembered taking a fleeting glance at that book as she was dying. In the original story, her fate was indeed intertwined with Chen Feng’s. They were two young people who had been through a lot, both passionate about their studies and about life. They were supposed to get together, overcome countless obstacles, and finally live happily ever after.’

’But Qin Jiao knew that in her past life, Lin Nian’s arrival had already ensured she had almost no interaction with Chen Feng. Later, after Chen Feng joined the Shen Family, she was already Shen Yi’s wife—making her Chen Feng’s sister-in-law. It was even more impossible for anything to happen between them.’

’But in this life... since she hadn’t been expelled and her grades were consistently at the top of the class, that must be why Lin Nian was so insecure.’

’A thief always has a guilty conscience, after all.’

But she felt she couldn’t tell Shen Yi any of this. Looking at his composed gaze, she knew he wouldn’t believe it if she just made up some casual excuse.

Finally, Qin Jiao could only say helplessly, "I’m not sure either. Maybe Chen Feng gave her the wrong impression and caused a misunderstanding? You’re with me all day; you know I’m only interested in the college entrance exams right now. Why would I be thinking about dating? Let alone falling for anyone."

"Oh." Shen Yi looked down, his eyes half-lidded. He believed her. ’How could his Jiao Jiao ever fall for that bastard Chen Feng?’

’He tried to recall his past life. Back then, it seemed Jiao Jiao hadn’t had anything to do with Chen Feng either. Oh, no, wait. There was one time they had argued about something, and Jiao Jiao had said, ’You’re not even half the man Chen Feng is.’’

Shen Yi’s gaze lowered again.

’That bastard was probably trying to steal my girl in our past life, too!’

’I’ll let the past life slide. But in this one? Don’t even think about it, Chen Feng!’

**

The weather was gradually growing warmer. Cicadas perched on tree branches, buzzing endlessly. On the court, a few young figures were playing basketball. They were sweating so much that they’d stripped off their T-shirts. Some were pale and scrawny, while others were tan and well-muscled, making the girls who passed by blush instantly.

After playing for a bit, Shen Yi sat down on a courtside bench to drink some water. The guy next to him glanced at his water bottle and said in surprise, "Hey, Shen Yi, your water bottle looks just like Qin Jiao’s! What’s that term... oh, right, a couple’s set!"

Shen Yi loved the sound of that. He grinned broadly and shot back, "Get outta here!"

A moment later, Chen Feng also came off the court and sat down not far from Shen Yi, wiping the sweat from his face with a towel.

Shen Yi narrowed his eyes, his voice low and predatory. "Chen Feng. Stay away from my Jiao Jiao from now on."

Chen Feng, who was in the middle of wiping away his sweat, froze.

He frowned and looked over at Shen Yi, who met his gaze with a slight tilt of his chin, his eyes glinting dangerously.

Chen Feng understood.

"You like Qin Jiao?"