But Liu Shuang'er hadn't given up. She had latched onto Lin Chaoci, seeking him out every day and bringing him water, food...
She was so attentive that plenty of people jokingly called her "Lin Chaoci's little wife-to-be."
Back then, Lin Chaoci had always treated her with cool indifference.
That hadn't changed until several years after graduation. Lin Chaoci remembered it clearly: he had gone to work in a rural township to build his résumé, and Liu Shuang'er had followed him without complaining about the poor conditions.
When Lin Chaoci fell ill there, Liu Shuang'er had cared for him around the clock, barely even taking time to change her clothes.
Only after that had Lin Chaoci's attitude toward Liu Shuang'er changed.
He had always treated her as more than a friend, but less than a lover.
Lin Chaoci hadn't had much choice. As a government official, he had to be careful about his private life. If a political rival got hold of anything compromising, they could report him in a heartbeat, so he had never taken that final step.
Now, however, Lin Chaoci had no intention of entering government service. He only wanted to be a wealthy man living freely, so he no longer had so many concerns.
Meanwhile, in an upscale residential complex, a lively, adorable young woman saw the message on her phone and leaped up in delight.
"Hehehe, I knew it! A sincere heart is bound to win another heart over! Chaoci finally messaged me on his own! I've taken the first successful step toward romance!"
Clutching her phone, the girl read the message over and over, already seeming to picture the face she dreamed of day and night smiling at her.
She wanted to reply, but another glance at the time told her it was already late. She held back her excitement and decided to respond tomorrow.
Once he had more or less finished replying to all his messages, Lin Chaoci went to bed.
A little after six the next morning, Lin Chaoci woke up feeling refreshed.
"Whew! Being young really is great. One night's sleep, and I feel completely refreshed! Now that I've been reborn, I need to take good care of myself. I can't spend entire days sitting in an office like I did in my last life!"
"When I got older, it was all lower-back strain, neck problems, and every other occupational ailment..."
Lin Chaoci stretched comfortably, feeling as though he had never slept so well.
After he had started working, the overtime had never stopped. He had lost all his hair while still young, developed dark circles, and grown steadily more worn down, relying entirely on tea to stay alert.
In this life, Lin Chaoci would exercise properly and never repeat those mistakes.
Lin Chaoci washed up, changed into workout clothes, and headed downstairs for a morning run.
"You know, my body really does feel much healthier since I was reborn! I've run a kilometer or two, and I'm barely tired. With my old body, I'd have collapsed by now!"
Lin Chaoci felt more energized the farther he ran. Rebirth had not only improved his memory but also given his physical fitness a considerable boost.
After running a little longer, Lin Chaoci had worked up quite a sweat. Knowing Qin Chi Chi would be coming over soon and seeing that it was nearly time, he returned early to shower and change.
After his shower, Lin Chaoci had just come downstairs when he saw Qin Chi Chi and his father sitting on the sofa, chatting and laughing.
"Chaoci, I'm leaving Chi Chi in your care! Look after her properly. If you upset her, I'll give you a beating when I get back!"
Seeing Lin Chaoci come downstairs, Lin Jianguo walked over to his son with a "kindly" smile and raised a hand to give his shoulder several heavy pats.
It was quite the picture of "a loving father and a dutiful son."
Lin Jianguo had transferred from the military to government service, and he was no weakling. His pats left a red patch on Lin Chaoci's shoulder.
Lin Chaoci stood stunned for a while, not understanding at first why his father was hitting him.
Then he quickly remembered how he had ordered his father around and lectured him the night before.
He immediately understood that his father was using this opportunity to settle a personal score.
Outwardly, he was telling him to take care of Qin Chi Chi. In reality, he was taking the chance to hit him.
This old rascal really plays dirty. He's thought it all through, too. He knows I have to preserve his dignity in front of other people, so I have no choice but to force a smile and pretend nothing happened!
"Hahaha, Chi Chi, you're here! Let's hurry to the kitchen and make Laba porridge!"
Not wanting to give his father another excuse to teach him a lesson, Lin Chaoci hurriedly pulled Qin Chi Chi into the kitchen.
Qin Chi Chi was tugged inside, looking a little dazed.
For some reason, Lin Jianguo suddenly smiled at the sight and murmured, "Old Qin, oh, Old Qin. Looks like the pig in my family is about to snatch up your precious little cabbage!"
He watched the two of them acting all lovey-dovey in the kitchen.
"You two have fun. I've got something to do, so I won't be having breakfast at home!"
Lin Jianguo didn't want to spoil their mood, nor did he want to be subjected to their lovey-dovey display.
He glanced at his phone, pretended he had something to attend to, and walked straight out, planning to get breakfast elsewhere.
Lin Chaoci and Qin Chi Chi merely gave casual replies without paying him any attention, let alone asking him to stay.
Both of them were eager for Lin Jianguo, their third wheel, to leave as soon as possible.
"They won't even make a polite show of asking me to stay? Gets himself a wife and forgets his father. What a darling son I've raised!"
Only after stepping outside did Lin Jianguo realize he seemed to have become unwelcome. The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily. He looked back, saw how sweet the two were together, and ultimately decided not to disturb them.
He planned to find an opportunity to give his darling boy a proper lesson once it was just father and son.
After his father left, Lin Chaoci became even bolder. He pressed himself against Qin Chi Chi's back, quietly breathing in the delicate fragrance she gave off.
It was a lovely scene, with Lin Chaoci gathering the petite Qin Chi Chi into his arms.
"Y-you big jerk! What are you doing?"
Qin Chi Chi's mind went completely blank. Her face flushed bright red, and her hands froze.
Once she came to her senses, she wriggled, struggling to get free.
She was rather embarrassed. This was Lin Chaoci's home. How mortifying would it be if someone saw them?
"My father's already gone out. There's no one else home. I told the housekeeper not to come until this afternoon!"
Lin Chaoci leaned close to Qin Chi Chi's pale earlobe and spoke softly.
Hearing that no one else was home, Qin Chi Chi breathed a sigh of relief. Her struggles weakened, but her maidenly reserve still made her resist a few more times.
"This is..."
Qin Chi Chi seemed to have noticed something.
With her perfect marks in biology, she soon realized...
Her little face grew even redder, and she immediately stopped daring to struggle.
"Ahem... Let's keep making the Laba porridge!"
Lin Chaoci played dumb despite knowing exactly what was happening and took Qin Chi Chi's hands to carry on cooking.
The Laba porridge should have taken just over half an hour to make, but with the two of them working together, it took an extra half hour to finish.
"This is all your fault! You kept hugging me and made my hand shake, so I added too much sugar!"
After tasting the porridge she had made, Qin Chi Chi frowned slightly and complained to Lin Chaoci in a sweet, petulant tone.
Qin Chi Chi had spent ages learning to make Laba porridge from her family's chef, all so she could make it for Lin Chaoci herself.
But now the finished porridge was a little too sweet... Qin Chi Chi worried that Lin Chaoci would dislike her cooking.
Lin Chaoci said nothing. Instead, he proved through his actions that whatever the Laba porridge tasted like, all he had to do was shovel it into his mouth.
He wolfed down the entire bowl.
Before you continue