"Someone’s here to pick you up, girl. Get out of the car." Bao Yun lowered the driver’s side window, and soon, a tall figure headed towards him.
The man’s words made An Yin look back again. Soon, a familiar face entered her view. She hurriedly unbuckled her seatbelt, pushed open the car door, and ran towards the man.
An Yin circled around the front of the car and came to the driver’s side, her long lashes fluttering constantly. She looked pleasantly surprised, "Bao Shaojin, you’re here!"
Bao Yun sat in the car, silently watching the scene before him. His nephew had been cold and indifferent to matters of the heart since childhood. Now seeing the gentleness in his eyes, he was quite reminiscent of his own past self...
Beside the road, the greenery sprouted new branches, verdant and lush.
Bao Shaojin’s dark eyes obsessively fixed on the young girl. Seeing her safe before him, his dark aura subdued a bit. He took a deep breath, low and hoarse, "Go wait in the car; I’ll be there in a moment."
The two were less than a meter apart, and the young girl, looking up, made her eyes appear adorably crescent-shaped when she spoke.
An Yin nodded sensibly, then looked at the man in the driver’s seat, whispering, "Goodbye, Second Uncle!" Fresh chapters posted on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝘯𝘦𝘵
"Hmm." Bao Yun glanced at her bright eyes. His gaze flickered, and there seemed to be a faint trace of sadness in his expression.
As An Yin passed by Bao Shaojin, she tilted her head to glance at him. His profile was hard and sharp, giving off an impression of pride and certainty. For some reason, she felt that the Bao Shaojin before her seemed... unhappy.
An Yin retracted her gaze, approached the car behind, and upon entering, discovered that the heater was still on. She craned her neck, unable to resist glancing back at the man’s figure.
However, the soundproofing of this car was quite good. She couldn’t hear a word of what the man was saying.
Bao Yun’s alabaster fingers gently tapped the steering wheel. Without the young girl nearby, his brow exuded a coolness.
When the uncle and nephew were together, from a distance, their features bore a slight resemblance.
"Second Uncle." Bao Shaojin’s gaze turned cold.
Bao Yun squinted, his dark pupils quietly watching his nephew, "Ah Jin, if you can’t protect her, don’t drag her into a family like ours."
Bao Shaojin, tall in stature, with his dark eyes showing a hint of cold detachment, replied, "This time was an accident." His voice was icy cold.
Bao Yun turned his face aside, gazing at the grayish sky through the car window, his lips barely moving, "Life often changes completely because of one unexpected incident."
Dismayed by the resignation in the other’s eyes, Bao Shaojin straightened up, "I’ll be careful."
Then Bao Yun shifted the topic, asking, "Still taking the prescribed medicine?"
"Remember, you have to drink it every week." Bao Yun looked serious.
With the reminder, Bao Shaojin’s expression turned somber, "Got it."
"That girl..." Bao Yun murmured the words, his gaze shifting, failing to continue.
Bao Shaojin’s sharp black and white eyes stared at the man, "Second Uncle, do you know Aunt An?"
A fleeting, uncertain worry flitted across Bao Yun’s gentle face.
Bao Shaojin, fully confident in his inquiry, just wanted to confirm his thoughts without delving into the elder’s past.
"Is she okay?" Bao Yun’s expression tightened, not directly answering his nephew’s question. He himself failed to notice the slight tremor in his voice.
"She fell from a height before, injuring her limbs." Bao Shaojin said bluntly, concealing nothing.
"Broke them?" Bao Yun playfully asked, but his hands on the steering wheel were trembling.
Bao Shaojin observed the subtle change, "Yes, I had Aunt Zhang take care of her there."
"Hmm, thank..." Bao Yun began to thank him but stopped, swallowing the words of gratitude. What capacity did he have to express thanks? A somber look passed over Bao Yun’s face, "I’ll send some ointment over in a few days, you... give it to her."
"Okay." Bao Shaojin readily agreed, not asking more about the "thank you" Bao Yun almost voiced.
"Go on, the little girl has been waiting for a while." Bao Yun reminded.
"Second Uncle, thank you for today." Bao Shaojin sincerely expressed.
"In the future, if the little girl experiences any difficulties, you can let me know."
Bao Yun’s words were a promise.
The weight of this reassurance was not lost on Bao Shaojin.
All these years, concerning Bao Yun, he remained indifferent, especially to anything related to the Bao Family, displaying an air of unattached nonchalance.
However, Bao Shaojin knew very well that his Second Uncle was far from as simple as people imagined.
Bao Shaojin turned and walked towards his car.
Inside the car, An Yin noticed the movement and sat up straight, watching the driver’s side door open. Instantly, a male aura enveloped her as the man sat by her side with an air of arrogance.
The man’s posture was upright, and his limbs were long. Even though the vehicle was already sufficiently spacious, he seemed slightly cramped inside.
An Yin hurriedly fastened her seatbelt. As the car started, she glanced towards where the man’s second uncle was, noting his car hadn’t moved, blending into the road’s scenery—it appeared solitary and bleak.
"Bao Shaojin, why did your family suddenly want to see me?" An Yin asked nervously, looking at the man.
Bao Shaojin, sitting formally and driving skillfully, his deep pupils took on a complicated hue, "What do you think?"
An Yin retracted her gaze, shrinking slightly, and voiced her previous suspicion, "Is it because Bao Cheng is getting engaged?"
Hearing her address, the man’s icy face gradually softened. Previously, when she called him by his name "Ah Cheng," it proved to be truly irritating.
Seeing the man’s silence, An Yin continued to mumble, "So your family wants to drive away the girls around Bao Cheng?" An Yin didn’t realize that her form of address for Bao Cheng had unintentionally changed.
Bao Shaojin listened to her speculation, following her words, he asked, "Will you listen to their advice?"
An Yin, uneasy, bit her lip. In truth, she wasn’t involved with Bao Cheng, and facing the man’s question, she didn’t know how to answer.
"Answer me." Bao Shaojin demanded sharply.
An Yin sat up, smoothing a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze fixed, "I would never interfere in someone else’s marriage."
That was her principle.
"So, before Ah Cheng gets married, you won’t end your relationship?" Bao Shaojin probed further, unhurriedly, his clear pupils reflecting a shadowy glint.