"Teacher didn’t call for me either."

Ji Yueyi stepped out of the homeroom teacher’s office, puzzled. She was about to find Ji Tianyang when she spotted him standing outside the restroom—looking even more confused than she was.

He waved as she approached.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. Just... city folks are so open-minded." Ji Tianyang stroked his chin thoughtfully, then pointed at the girls’ restroom. "A really pretty girl with purple hair just walked in holding another girl’s hand. Then all these muffled giggles and splashes started coming from inside."

Ji Yueyi’s eyes widened. *Since when did our school get this progressive?* A sudden flash of intuition struck her. She turned to Ji Tianyang. "Did that girl have short, purple hair?"

He nodded after a moment’s thought. But before he could finish speaking, the air around him turned icy. The pressure dropped sharply, centered on his daughter.

Cold sweat beaded on Ji Tianyang’s forehead. He knew that aura—it meant Yueyi was about to snap. *What did I do today to set her off?*

"Sweetie, let me explain! I wasn’t trying to snoop about boyfriends at your school!"

"Dad, not now!" Ji Yueyi cut him off. Heart pounding, she trudged toward the restroom door. Ji Tianyang clamped a hand over his mouth, blinking in confusion as he watched her.

Just as Ji Yueyi’s fingers touched the doorknob, a force pushed from inside. She stepped back. The door swung open.

Mu Yue Ran stood there, head slightly bowed, wearing a dazed, satisfied expression. Ji Yueyi’s gaze sharpened. She tiptoed, peering past Mu Yue Ran’s shoulder.

Only then did Mu Yue Ran notice Ji Yueyi. Caught under her scrutinizing stare, she flashed an awkward smile and blocked the doorway. "A-ah, Xiao Yue! What brings you here?"

System: ...

Ji Yueyi swept a glance over Mu Yue Ran’s flustered face. She huffed softly, then sidled up to her. Wrapping both arms around Mu Yue Ran’s elbow, she pressed her cheek against it. Her voice dropped low. "Sister Yue Ran... why are you here? You said you wouldn’t come."

Mu Yue Ran stiffened as soft warmth sank into her arm. "I... came to see you. Wanted to meet your dad!" The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to slap herself. *Why did I dig myself deeper?*

Sure enough, Ji Yueyi’s gloom vanished. Beaming, she dragged Mu Yue Ran to Ji Tianyang. "Dad! This is the person I told you about—the one who’s helped me so much!"

Ji Tianyang’s eyes narrowed, mirroring his daughter’s piercing stare. Mu Yue Ran’s panic spiked. Standing face-to-face with him, that soul-deep dread of impending disaster flared stronger than ever.

Forcing down the urge to flee, she extended a trembling hand. "N-nice to meet you. I’m Mu Yue Ran. Twenty-two. Only child."

*This feels like an interrogation,* Ji Tianyang thought dryly. He wiped his palm on his pants before giving hers a brief, firm shake. "Let’s walk and talk. Sweetie, tell me more about your friend."

Relieved to see his daughter’s "friend" was another girl, Ji Tianyang’s worries melted away. He noticed nothing amiss.

All the way out of school, Ji Yueyi chattered nonstop about how amazing Sister Yue Ran was. She skipped the messy details—just mentioned noisy dormmates and thugs who’d harassed her until Mu Yue Ran stepped in.

By the end, Ji Tianyang’s suspicion had turned to tearful gratitude. He grabbed Mu Yue Ran’s hands again, shaking them fervently. "I owe you my life! If there’s a next lifetime, I’ll repay you as your servant—"

Terrified, Mu Yue Ran bowed deeply. Ji Tianyang mirrored her. On the sidewalk, they kept lowering their waists like kung fu disciples pledging brotherhood.

Crimson-faced, Ji Yueyi yanked them upright and shoved her father into a taxi. Then she turned to Mu Yue Ran, fingers twisting together. "Sister Yue Ran... will you join us? I told Dad we’d have dinner together."

Mu Yue Ran’s eyes darted to the taxi—especially Ji Tianyang in the driver’s seat. A wave of traumatic memories crashed over her. She stumbled back, ready to refuse.

But then she saw Ji Yueyi’s face. Golden strands of hair framed features shifting from bright hope to quiet disappointment. The refusal died on Mu Yue Ran’s lips.

She opened her mouth soundlessly. Finally, jaw clenched, she held out her hand. "Take my hand."

Ji Yueyi grasped it without hesitation, lacing their fingers tightly. "Why?"

"I get carsick."

Defeated by that tender plea, Mu Yue Ran slid into the taxi. She gripped the seatbelt until her knuckles whitened, sweat beading on her palm where it met Ji Yueyi’s.

"Sorry, Miss Mu," Ji Tianyang called from the front. "Could you come with us to one place? It’s nearby."

Mu Yue Ran nodded blindly, eyes shut.

When she stepped out, she froze. Ji Tianyang had brought them to a cemetery.

Ji Yueyi smoothly pulled flowers and fruit from the trunk—clearly prepped for this visit. Mu Yue Ran stayed silent, trailing the father and daughter without a word.

Ji Tianyang stopped at a gravestone. He dropped to his knees. Ji Yueyi placed the offerings down and knelt beside him.

"Brother... I’m back again. Hope you don’t mind the visits." His voice cracked. "You gave me back my life. No debt could ever repay that. If there’s a next life... I’ll serve you as your beast of burden."

"Rest well."

Mu Yue Ran moved closer, listening to the raw prayer. Three bouquets lay before the stone. She read the name carved there.

A faint smile touched her lips. *How strangely the world turns.*

**[Brother—Tomb of Mu Yueran]**

A breeze lifted strands of hair from Mu Yue Ran’s ear, veiling her eyes. Like sand flowing backward through an hourglass, memories she’d buried surged back. Fate whispered, undeniable: *Nothing is ever truly gone.*

After a long silence, she sighed inwardly. *"Aren’t you going to explain?"*

**[I thought you’d be angry.]**

"How could I be? You know me. The past is past. I don’t hold grudges." Her gaze softened on Ji Yueyi’s back. "If I were that petty, I wouldn’t have saved her father that day."

"Besides... in that crash, he and I were both victims. I just happened to be the one in that car."

*Yes,* she thought. *Looking back... it’s almost a relief it was me. Only me.*

**[Consider it a gift. The person on that stone has no claim on you now. This new life deserves new stories.]**

"I know."

Mu Yue Ran agreed. But the System didn’t probe her true thoughts. It, too, had withheld a truth:

**[Every gift from fate carries a hidden price tag.]**

**[Just not yours to pay. So live well. Live the life your heart truly wants this time.]**