Under the night sky, the streetlights stood tall on both sides of the road, with cars racing down the street, the roaring engines echoing throughout.
After listening to Shi Qing’s narration, Bao Shaojin finally understood why the young girl was crying nonstop.
As soon as An Yin got in the car, she curled up in the back seat, constantly dialing the phone to contact An Ying.
Bao Shaojin watched the determined look on the young girl’s face without uttering a word of dissuasion.
This time, the car stopped directly at the entrance of T University. Just as Shi Qing was about to get out, she remembered something and turned to look at An Yin in the back seat.
"Remember to take your keys when you go home."
Reminded by Shi Qing, An Yin was about to push open the car door, "The keys are in the dorm, I’ll go get them."
The girl’s distracted appearance was truly distressing.
Bao Shaojin grabbed the restless hand of the young girl, looking deeply at Shi Qing in the front, "Could I trouble you to get them for her?"
Despite making a request, the man’s tone remained overbearing.
"I can go myself." An Yin tried to break free from the man’s restraint, but in front of him, her strength was hardly comparable.
"Be good." Bao Shaojin softened his stern expression and spoke gently.
"I’ll go." Seeing An Yin’s lost look, Shi Qing couldn’t feel at ease. "I know you usually like to leave your keys on the desk, wait for me a moment."
After speaking, Shi Qing opened the car door and swiftly ran toward the school.
The weather was cold, and there were barely any figures at the school gate, with only the solitary streetlights standing there, illuminating the entire street with bright white light.
Assistant Lin parked the car in the shadows, understanding that the young girls cared about others’ views and tried to avoid it as much as possible.
However, tonight’s unexpected events had led him to drive directly to the school gate, mainly because it was late at night, the wind was cold outside, and there were few people around.
In a short while, Shi Qing arrived in front of the car, panting with one hand on her waist.
Bao Shaojin lowered the car window and reached out to take it, "Thank you."
His voice was cold yet exceedingly serious.
Only Assistant Lin knew how precious Mr. Bao’s "thank you" was.
"You’re welcome." Shi Qing gasped, not taking it seriously. The man’s words gave her an illusion, as if An Yin belonged to him.
Beads of sweat covered her forehead, indicating she had run the entire way here.
Looking at the key in Bao Shaojin’s hand, An Yin’s sincere gaze fell on him, "Thank you, Shi Qing."
Shi Qing waved to her, anxious about the dorm closing time, and hurriedly ran back to the school.
Watching such an earnest young girl, Assistant Lin felt a bit of admiration.
"Tell me the detailed address of your home." Bao Shaojin put the key in his pocket.
An Yin looked at him in confusion.
"You were about to go home, right?" Bao Shaojin said frankly, looking at the confused young girl, "I’ll take you."
"I can take a taxi." An Yin wiped the tears from her cheeks, muttering.
"At this late hour, aren’t you afraid of encountering bad people?" As he spoke, he saw the young girl shiver a bit.
In the next second, An Yin obediently reported her home’s detailed address.
After listening closely, Assistant Lin entered the address into the car’s navigation system, and soon, the car started moving.
With her vacant eyes, An Yin glanced out the car window, her mind filled with the serene face of her mother, Mrs. An.
She kept praying in her heart: Mom, you can’t be in trouble!
You absolutely can’t be in trouble!
Despite the young girl’s efforts to control her emotions, her sobbing sound continuously echoed in the car.
Bao Shaojin’s dark and cold gaze fell on her trembling back.
Assistant Lin focused intently on driving, although the heater was on in the car, he inexplicably felt a chill creeping up his back, tightening his grip on the steering wheel.
He couldn’t help but sigh internally: Young lady, please stop crying, he’s about to be frozen to death by the chill emanating from Mr. Bao.
In the silent night, an expensive luxury vehicle quietly drove toward the old, dilapidated building.
As they wound their way, An Yin peeked ahead of the car, the closer she got to home, the more anxious she felt inside.
When the car drove onto a muddy road, the passengers swayed with it.
"Hold onto the handle." Bao Shaojin reminded her.
At his reminder, An Yin reluctantly grasped it, her heart already arrowing homeward. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⚫𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵
"You can park near the wall up ahead." An Yin looked at Assistant Lin.
"Okay, Miss An." Assistant Lin frowned at the bumpy road.
This neighborhood lacked streetlights for a long stretch; even the roads were unpaved, making it incredibly difficult to drive in on rainy days.
Outside, a light rain was falling.
In the subdivision courtyard, several thriving old trees stood, perhaps previously washed by heavy rain, the ground was strewn with branches, laying crisscrossed, causing inconvenience for passersby.
Even more unacceptable, there were no streetlights anywhere.
After parking, Assistant Lin dared not turn off the lights, but at such a late hour, he also feared disturbing the neighborhood residents, hesitantly turning to say, "Mr. Bao, this..."
"Turn off the lights."
Bao Shaojin said calmly.
With the lights off, the surroundings grew even colder and quieter.
An Yin reached out to push open the car door, eager to hurry back home.
Seeing this, Bao Shaojin first pushed open his side of the car door, and with a handholding an umbrella he had unknowingly picked up, he extended it outside, "Follow me." He spoke while firmly grasping her wrist.
An Yin turned her head, her melancholy face showing a hint of sadness, her tightly shut lips slightly pale, "Okay."
She initially wanted to say "Thank you for taking me home, goodbye," but seeing the pitch-dark and eerie surroundings, she naturally moved closer to the man, clearly seeing him as driftwood in a vast ocean.
After getting out, Bao Shaojin turned on his phone flashlight, "Take it."
An Yin took it, illuminating the ground.
"Lead the way." Bao Shaojin kept the young girl protectively in his arms, holding the umbrella with the other hand.
Assistant Lin opened the car door to follow but was halted by a cold voice.
"Stay here." Assistant Lin paused, watching their figures walk toward the ramshackle buildings, one tall and one short, one strong and one weak.
Arriving at the stairway, Bao Shaojin put away his hand.
Looking at the dim stairway, An Yin stepped up.
"Slow down." Bao Shaojin, seeing her reckless demeanor, couldn’t help the worry that never left his brow.
The man, with his sturdy build, found the narrow stairway too tight; there wasn’t enough space for both to walk side by side, so they proceeded one after the other.
The young girl was struggling by the time she reached the sixth floor, her steps slowing, and just as Bao Shaojin was about to lend a hand, her clear voice rang out.
The two stood before a dark red wooden door, and Bao Shaojin keenly noticed many peeled spots on the door, suggesting it had been in use for quite a long time.