CHAPTER 168: OUR PARENTS

Mother Qi sat quietly on the edge of Qi Jianyi’s bed. Qi Jianyi, who had just finished brushing her hair, turned around to look at her mother.

"Mom, what’s wrong?" she asked softly, her voice filled with warmth and concern.

Mother Qi gently reached out and patted her daughter’s hand, shaking her head with a calm smile.

"Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you before I go to sleep."

Realising that her mother actually came to spend time with her—perhaps for the last time before the swap—Qi Jianyi’s heart softened. She smiled and shifted over on the bed, making enough space for her mother to lie down beside her.

"Mom, why don’t you sleep with me tonight?" she said playfully, her voice taking on a coquettish tone to coax her mother.

"Should I?" Mother Qi asked with a small chuckle, the tenderness in her voice unmistakable.

Qi Jianyi nodded firmly, her eyes filled with determination.

Seeing her daughter’s insistence, Mother Qi gave in with a sigh and laid down beside her.

The moment she settled into the bed, Qi Jianyi immediately scooted closer and wrapped her arms tightly around her. She buried her face in her mother’s shoulder, hugging her as though she never wanted to let go.

"Mom, I’ll come visit you often," she promised, her voice muffled but full of conviction.

It was a vow—a quiet promise that Qi Jianyi was determined to keep no matter what.

Mother Qi returned the embrace, her arms tightening protectively around her daughter.

"Then I’ll be here waiting for you to come home," she replied, her voice gentle, brimming with maternal affection.

The room fell into a peaceful silence. There were no more words between them—just the steady comfort of each other’s presence.

After a while, Mother Qi spoke again, her voice soft and laced with concern.

"Make sure you eat well and don’t work yourself too hard. Isn’t that Qi family rich? And that Song Chengfeng—he comes from money too, doesn’t he? Then don’t bother working anymore. Just enjoy your life." She couldn’t help but say it.

As a mother, all she wanted was for her daughter to be free—free from the weight of responsibility, free from the pressure of making a living.

Now that Qi Jianyi was going to a place where wealth wasn’t an issue, Mother Qi only hoped her daughter would finally relax and live for herself.

Qi Jianyi chuckled at her mother’s words, her heart warmed by the concern. But she didn’t argue. She didn’t protest.

"I understand, Mom. I won’t work. I’ll let Chengfeng take care of me," she said firmly, her tone laced with playful assurance.

Of course, Qi Jianyi knew exactly what her mother meant. There was no point debating it. Rather than pushing back, it was better to comfort her mother and put her mind at ease.

Mother Qi, pleased with her answer, closed her eyes as she muttered softly, "I hope the people from that Qi Jianyi’s world will accept you like we accepted her..."

Qi Jianyi rested her head on her mother’s arm, her smile lingering. She closed her eyes, pressing herself closer to her mother’s embrace as she whispered back.

"I hope so too..." She whispered.

"Good night, Mom..."

"Good night, Jianyi."

That night, Mother Qi stayed by her daughter’s side. She never once said the word goodbye—she didn’t believe in it.

She believed, with all her heart, that they would meet again. And so, mother and daughter embraced one another and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Not long after, Father Qi quietly entered the room. He walked to the bedside and looked at the two of three women he loved most in the world, sleeping peacefully in each other’s arms.

With a warm smile, he leaned down and gently kissed both his wife and daughter on their foreheads.

Then, brushing his hand against Qi Jianyi’s fair cheek with the utmost tenderness, he whispered softly, "Jianyi, be happy."

...

Qi Jianyi opened her eyes and saw a figure before her. She instinctively closed her eyes again.

"Can you not look at me like that?" she muttered in complaint. Miss Qi laughed lightly and took a seat across from her.

"I’ve been waiting for you for hours," she pouted. Qi Jianyi raised her head and laughed.

"Did you go to bed early tonight?"

"Of course," Miss Qi nodded proudly, a bright expression on her face.

"I went to sleep as soon as the moon rose!" she bragged, and for once, she wasn’t exaggerating.

After dinner with her family, she had gone straight to bed, not even lingering to chat.

"Have you told them?" Qi Jianyi asked cautiously, not wanting to ruin Miss Qi’s good mood.

To her surprise, Miss Qi simply nodded, her expression neutral. It was as if the whole thing hadn’t stirred her emotions much.

Seeing her reaction, Qi Jianyi felt a small wave of relief. She continued, "How did they react?"

"Well, devastated, obviously," Miss Qi replied, casually shrugging her shoulders.

"They were shocked when I told them about you, and they cried once I said I was leaving." Her voice was even, the answers clipped and plain. As if it was a simple matter.

But only Miss Qi knew how chaotic the scene had been when she revealed the truth. Her eyes lowered slightly as she recalled her mother’s tearful, pleading gaze.

For a moment, Miss Qi had felt a pang of sorrow. But there was never any regret. She had stayed firm, unmoved by their desperate pleas. It would be a lie to say she’d never loved her family. But that love had long withered away—dissolved completely the moment she realized she had always been alone.

This time, it could even be said that Miss Qi broke her parents’ hearts in the same way they had broken hers.

"I kept my promise and told them all my resentments over the years. I made it clear they were forgiven, but I also told them not to expect anything from me anymore." She tilted her chin slightly, her voice firm.

"I did try to explain things clearly so they wouldn’t blame you. But I can’t guarantee how they’ll treat you. If they mistreat you or make things hard—then we’ll just switch back..." Qi Jianyi blinked in surprise.

She hadn’t expected Miss Qi to be the one suggesting a body switch again. And how could Miss Qi not catch that stunned look in her eyes?

She rolled her eyes and said sharply, "We’re both old now. Do you really think I’m still the greedy twenty-year-old I once was?"

Her voice was direct, making Qi Jianyi laugh, which only seemed to annoy Miss Qi further.

"Well, it’s just a surprise that those words actually came out of your mouth," Qi Jianyi teased, grinning.

Her smile was wide, and Miss Qi couldn’t help but mirror it with her own reluctant chuckle.

"I wasn’t that young back then. But I was greedy, and I envied your life. That doesn’t mean I’ve stayed the same all this time," Miss Qi said, her smile fading into something quieter.

"Of course I still want to live in your world. But this time, I want it to be fair. I want both of us to be happy and at peace. So..." She looked at Qi Jianyi, her gaze serious.

"If my parents—or anyone from that family—mistreat you, or disrespect you in any way, let’s switch back. I won’t let you suffer while I enjoy the life I always wanted."

She swallowed the last sentence: I wouldn’t have the face to ever meet your parents again if that happened.

But she didn’t need to say it because Qi Jianyi would understand. And Qi Jianyi did. That unspoken meaning between the words was enough.

She understood too well—and because she understood, she knew she would endure it if the Qi family ended up hating her.

After all, she was returning to that world not for the Qi family, but for Song Chengfeng. If it ever came to it, she could do exactly what Miss Qi had done: sever the ties. Qi Jianyi was not someone who silently suffered losses.

"Don’t worry too much. You were the one who said we’re both getting old, and yet you’re still worrying about me?" Qi Jianyi said with a light tone.

"Just enjoy life in my world and switch with me once a month. I’ll be doing the same. Didn’t you once say you knew me better than I knew myself? Then you should already know the kind of person I am. I’m willing to give up everything if it means getting what I want. I’ve done it twice already. And now you’re worried whether your family might mistreat me?" What Qi Jianyi didn’t say aloud was that she didn’t believe the Qi family would hate her.

Not because she was so confident that they would love her for who she was. But because she’d be in Miss Qi’s body.

How could they hate her, when she wore the face of the daughter they love so much? It was that simple.

Her confidence didn’t come from belief in her own charm—it came from the face she wore. The one they longing to.

Of course, this unspoken reasoning was something Miss Qi wasn’t aware of. And even if she were, she’d probably roll her eyes and say, "In your dreams."

"Shall we go now?" Qi Jianyi softly asked as she stretched her body and stood up. Miss Qi mirrored her movements and looked at her with complicated eyes.

"So fast?" she whispered.

"What?" Qi Jianyi turned toward her, smiling in confusion.

"I thought you’d been waiting for me for so long?"

"I did," Miss Qi replied shortly.

"Then why are you hesitating?" Qi Jianyi quickly noticed the subtle unease and nervousness on Miss Qi’s face. Her sudden change of expression caught Qi Jianyi’s attention.

"What are you afraid of?" she pressed, urging Miss Qi for an answer.

On the other hand, instead of answering, Miss Qi shook her head slightly, letting out a deep sigh that sounded as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.

"What are you sighing for?" Qi Jianyi laughed lightly at her response. Did she suddenly change her mind? Qi Jianyi silently wondered.

"What if your parents don’t like me?" Miss Qi finally confessed after Qi Jianyi’s persistent questioning.

Miss Qi’s concern, which clearly weighed heavily in her heart, didn’t strike Qi Jianyi as serious. She stepped forward, gently placing a hand on Miss Qi’s shoulder and giving it a soft pat.

"Our parents," she said. Just two words. One sentence. Brief and simple. Yet, it brought tears to Miss Qi’s eyes.

Qi Jianyi, however, ignored the tears and continued, "From this day on, my parents will also be yours. I’m the eldest daughter, so you’ll have to settle for being the second. A bit of a shame for Jianning, since she’ll remain the youngest—but let her deal with it." Qi Jianyi smiled, picturing her little sister’s inevitable pout upon realising she had gone from second to third daughter.

All this time, that girl had always whined for a younger brother or sister. Who would’ve thought that she ended up with another older sister instead?

"Jianning can be annoying at times, but she was genuinely afraid you wouldn’t like her. I hope you’ll spend more time with her—unlike me, who was always too busy working."

As she thought of Qi Jianning, Qi Jianyi couldn’t help offering a few sincere words to Miss Qi.

Miss Qi nodded solemnly and reassured her, "I like Jianning too, and I’ll treat her well."

She paused briefly before speaking again, her voice softer this time.

"You..."

Qi Jianyi looked at her, puzzled.

"Take care of Jinlu and Jinli for me too."