“I never expected Xiao Yi to be so dependable. If I were twenty years younger, I might’ve actually fallen for him,” Lin Hanzhang teased with a playful smile, walking beside Qin Yi while holding the new household registration booklet and ID card.

Qin Yi deliberately put some distance between them and cleared his throat lightly. “Ahem… so you don’t like me anymore now, Aunt Lin?”

*Ew, so cheesy~*

Trailing behind, Lin Jin—the Kitten Girl—muttered under her breath, a shiver rippling down her spine.

Why did she feel this double ache of loss…?

“Still… thank you. Truly, for today,” Lin Hanzhang said sincerely to the boy. She’d heard bits from Qin Yi’s grandmother about his father’s family background, so she could guess his quiet role in today’s resolution.

If only that man from back then had been like Qin Yi… she wouldn’t have walked away while pregnant.

Maybe good men *do* exist in this world. She’d just stumbled headfirst into the absolute worst one.

Liu Yidao dropped them off at the village’s west end and turned back. With only the three of them continuing onward, Lin Hanzhang’s cheerful spirit returned.

“Xiao Jin, I’ve decided—you’re moving out.”

“Meow?” Lin Jin blinked. *So sudden… Mom’s brain wiring is still gloriously unpredictable.*

Qin Yi perked up, listening closely.

“Now that you’re a girl, staying in a crowded hotel isn’t safe. I’ll find an apartment near campus—and move in to accompany you.”

“Huh?” The Kitten Girl froze, utterly bewildered.

“You may look like a girl now, but you’re clueless about so many things young women need to know. This is your final high school year—stressful, and with your fragile state of mind? I can’t possibly feel at ease leaving you alone.”

Lin Hanzhang’s reasoning was flawless, reasonable, utterly unassailable.

Qin Yi fell silent, deep in thought.

*How do I convince Aunt Lin to drop this whole “moving in” idea?*