Chapter 16

 Lin's mother's attempt at a placating smile froze on her face as she nervously rubbed her palms together, feeling awkward. She said, "Young lady, I was just angry at the moment, and it doesn't sound good to escalate such matters to the police..."

"I think it sounds just fine," An Nuo lifted her eyes, showing no signs of backing down. "In fact, I'd love to hear more."

Upon hearing her assertive words, Lin's mother widened her eyes and seemed ready to protest.

Lin Wei clenched his teeth, taking hold of Lin's mother's elbow and whispered, "Let it go. What do you expect to gain from this?"

"What do you mean 'let it go'? What's the use of an apology? It's all that wicked girl's fault! She's the one who lied, isn't she?" Lin's mother said, becoming more agitated. She pushed Lin Zhi, who was crying and yelled, "Do I owe you from a past life? At such a young age, you let someone get you pregnant! Are you trying to humiliate me?"

The woman's voice was sharp and unpleasant, akin to the sound of metal grinding.

Chen Baifan glanced at An Nuo. She was watching the scene with a relatively calm expression, keeping her composure.

Chen Baifan turned to one of the police officers and asked, "Are we going to the police station now?"

The police officer, watching Lin's mother's continued outburst, looked slightly troubled. "If you decide not to settle, you'll need to undergo a medical assessment, then head to the designated facility for the evaluation."

Chen Baifan thought for a moment and bent over slightly, asking An Nuo, "Do you need to get home urgently?"

An Nuo shook her head. "We can deal with this first. I would like to listen to this, actually."

At this point, Lin's mother was ready to argue again. She confronted the police officers and even threatened to sue them. Lin Wei, seeing no other way, gave in and walked away, trying to reason with his mother.

Upon reaching the entrance, Lin Wei looked back at An Nuo and apologized again, "An Nuo, I'm truly sorry."

His mother was standing next to him, wiping her tears and sneering. "Why are you apologizing? It's useless. This girl is heartless. If her mother were here, would she act the same? She lacks empathy."

An Nuo's anger disappeared halfway when she heard Lin Wei's words. She blinked and turned to Chen Baifan.

From this angle, she could only see his profile, where his lips slightly curled. However, the smirk that usually graced his face was now missing, and his deep black eyes looked rather eerie. He was still wearing a clean white coat, hands in his pockets, and his demeanor appeared nonchalant and cold.

Yet, his presence carried a sense of mockery.

Had she been upset by the woman's words earlier?

An Nuo squinted at him, and he avoided eye contact with her, his hand rubbing his nose. "I will not return any favors for the wrong reason," she said. "I just looked at my wound. It's not big. I'll take care of it myself; it won't leave a scar."

Chen Baifan, who was struggling with his own feelings, raised his eyebrows slightly. "But I don't want to. Can't you feel a little grateful? I'm willing to help you."

"What's wrong with you?" An Nuo thought she should give a call to Hé Xìnjiā, the author of romantic novels. She wanted to know how to show someone she was interested in them without being too obvious. She found herself frustrated.

On the other hand, Chen Baifan was also puzzled. He had been patient with her and showed interest in her, but why couldn't she see it? Had he not acted this way earlier?

After all, she was not without her own vexations. She decided, "I don't want to trouble you. Besides, you've spent the whole afternoon with me. You must be late for your flight, and it's going to be difficult for you to take more days off. It's unnecessary."

She felt her annoyance fading away. It seemed petty to keep him by her side for such a minor matter.

And today's scene at the clinic was pretty embarrassing. She didn't want him to be criticized or lose his job because of her.

Chen Baifan was beginning to worry. He didn't want to lose his job or have people complain about him. But he also wanted to make sure she was okay. He suggested, "Why don't I help you schedule the flight ticket, and you can take a rest today? We'll get this over with quickly."

An Nuo stared at him, shocked by his offer. She paused for a moment and finally replied, "Let's consider it a return for you helping me buy a car earlier. My friend will accompany me."

Chen Baifan couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. "What about the flight ticket?"

"My friend will take care of it."

She called her a friend. Chen Baifan felt as if he had no place in An Nuo's heart, and he didn't know how to express his interest.

But An Nuo felt uneasy too. She wondered why she was making such a fuss and decided she should spare him from any further trouble. She tried to ease the situation by saying, "It's a small matter, really. Consider it a return favor for you accompanying me to buy a car. You don't need to think too much about it."

"Oh…" Chen Baifan replied, disheartened. "I'll take a cab back."

An Nuo's heart raced, feeling regretful that she might have hurt his feelings. She told herself to act more casually in the future.

Chen Baifan called a cab and got into it with An Nuo.

However, let's take it slow. Don't scare her.

The next day, early in the morning, An Nuo and Ying Shuhe left the house. Chen Baifan, who had already taken a leave of absence, was sulking at home. He would occasionally send An Nuo messages on WeChat to inquire about her well-being.

As they chatted, time passed quickly. Hé Xìnjiā sat on the side, resting his head on his hand, chewing gum absentmindedly, and with a casual demeanor.

He observed Chen Baifan's lovey-dovey expression.

Halfway through the conversation, An Nuo thought about Chen Baifan's work and hesitated. She carefully typed, "Aren't you busy?"

Chen Baifan, upon seeing the message, paused for a moment. He quickly responded, "Not busy, I have plenty of time."

He rethought his answer and realized it might not be quite right.

He raised his head, looked at Hé Xìnjiā, and asked earnestly, "An Nuo asked me if I'm busy, how should I respond?"

Hé Xìnjiā blew a bubble and nonchalantly said, "She's asking if you talk too much, isn't she? In this case, you should respond smartly and say, 'I'm a bit busy.'"

Chen Baifan was baffled.

Hé Xìnjiā's remark instantly killed his enthusiasm for conversation. He got up, headed back to his room, and sat on the edge of his bed. He thought for a moment and then typed back, "Not busy. What's up?"

He waited for a response for two minutes but got nothing.

Five minutes passed, still nothing.

Ten minutes, twenty minutes.

Could it be that Hé Xìnjiā was right?

Chen Baifan couldn't help it. He got up, returned to the living room, and stared down at Hé Xìnjiā.

His facial expression was unnaturally stiff, and he appeared as if he were facing a great crisis.

Hé Xìnjiā, confused, glanced at him.

Just when he thought Chen Baifan was about to reveal something earth-shattering, Chen Baifan spoke.

Though his face remained expressionless, his words were blatantly trying to appease Hé Xìnjiā. "Jia Jia."

Hé Xìnjiā felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

"Teach me how to pursue a girl."

Hé Xìnjiā was speechless.

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