The old man smiled. "Oh, thank you for these. By the way, Xiao Yi’s mom mailed a lot of mooncakes last time. Wait here, I’ll go get you some."

"Oh, Grandpa Du, you don’t have to."

Mr. Du was still preoccupied with his storytelling show, so he finally said, "Ah, why don’t you just get them yourself? They’re on the living room table. Don’t be so formal with Grandpa Du, or I’ll get upset, you hear?"

Qin Jiao quickly nodded. "Then let me put the dumplings in the kitchen for you. It’s cool enough out that they won’t get cold right away. If they’ve cooled down by the time you eat, just warm them up."

"Alright."

Qin Jiao carried the dumplings inside, and her eyes were immediately drawn to a fancy, red-and-green mooncake box on the table.

In those days, mooncakes that came in a box were already considered quite a luxury. Most people ate the unboxed kind, sold individually, with fillings like candied winter melon and rose petal.

When you broke them open, they were mostly sugar inside, with some bits of red and green stuff that Qin Jiao had never been able to identify.

They tasted sweet, but they also made the entire mooncake even more cloying.

But this box of mooncakes Mr. Du was letting her take had exquisite packaging. It even said on the box that there were four different flavors. It must have been very expensive, even in the provincial capital.

Qin Jiao’s gaze swept past the mooncake box as she remembered the notes in her schoolbag. She called out, "Shen Yi? Are you home?"

Shen Yi didn’t answer, but Mr. Du, who was outside, called back, "Xiao Yi is upstairs studying! If you need him for something, just go on up."

"Oh, I have a book to give him."

Qin Jiao started up the stairs.

In her past life, she had lived in this house for a while. Shen Yi had lived upstairs back then, too, and the second floor had been forbidden territory for her.

If she so much as accidentally set foot upstairs, he would act like a wild beast whose territory had been violated.

He’d sooner hire a cleaning lady to tidy up than let Qin Jiao set foot up there.

Qin Jiao felt a little apprehensive coming upstairs this time, so she stopped at the landing and called out again, "Shen Yi!"

’From here, he can definitely hear me unless he’s asleep.’

"Mm."

He responded, though she had no idea what that grunt was supposed to mean. Qin Jiao was a little exasperated, but she could at least be sure he wasn’t about to tell her to leave.

She walked toward the sound, which came from Shen Yi’s study. As she went, she pulled the notebooks from her bag, deciding to make this quick.

Then, Qin Jiao saw him. The young man had just showered and was drying his hair with a white towel in one hand while holding a book in the other.

’Shen Yi really is much more studious than he was in my past life.’

’Looks like his determination to surpass Chen Feng is strong.’

After tearing her gaze away from the young man’s fair-skinned body, Qin Jiao held out the notebooks. "These are the notes I’ve compiled. See if they’re any use to you. Also, I brought over some dumplings. You and Grandpa Du can try them in a bit. Just heat them up if they get cold."

Shen Yi had actually noticed her little glance just now... the one where she’d stolen a look at his body.

A faint smile touched his lips, but when he glanced down at his own pale, untoned physique, it vanished.

He said, "It’s the Mid-Autumn Festival today."

"Right. That’s why my family made dumplings. And Grandpa Du said he’s giving me a box of mooncakes."

Qin Jiao suddenly felt the room was strangely stuffy and hot. Being Shen Yi’s deskmate was one thing, but now, being alone in a room together felt... weird. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She said, "Well, I’ll be going. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival."

With that, Qin Jiao turned and fled, her steps so quick it was as if an army were at her heels.