The man kept addressing her as "you," which made An Yin realize that her current identity was as Bao Cheng’s "girlfriend". She wasn’t aware of Jiang Keke’s current situation, so when she heard the man’s aggressive words, An Yin chose to remain silent. Bao Shaojin’s dark eyes silently fell on her. The young girl’s sullen silence, in his eyes, was taken as her not having given up on Bao Cheng. His voice was cold, "An Yin, can’t you have a bit of backbone?" The man’s gaze was dark, cold, and weary. An Yin looked up, eager to retort, "I..." She only got to say one word before she feared revealing herself as Bao Cheng’s fake girlfriend, finally suppressing her displeasure and saying sullenly, "None of your business." None of your business. This was the second time Bao Shaojin heard this phrase. There was fundamentally no relationship between them, and the girl’s words clearly told him he shouldn’t meddle in her affairs. His long, cold eyes eyed her sharply as if they were blades, "Ha..." Bao Shaojin looked at the girl’s stubborn face and let out a cold sneer. The next second, An Yin saw the man with a darkened face, turning around and walking towards the elevator. The man’s back was straight, and just looking at it from afar, there was a sense of desolate solitude about him. An Yin opened her mouth as if to call after him until the man completely disappeared from her view, a hint of dejection crossing her face. The words she just said weren’t intentional, only prompted by the man’s provocation did she end up speaking without thinking. When An Yin returned to the ward, she was in a state of dejection. Aunt Zhang, holding knitting needles, automatically retreated to the rest room, leaving space for the mother and daughter. Sitting on the sofa, An Yin picked up the blanket from it, her hands tightly twisting and fiddling with it. On the hospital bed, An Ying stared at her daughter. Since she entered the room, she had already sighed three times in that short span. "Something on your mind?" An Ying curved her lips, her tone soft. Over the past few days, with Aunt Zhang’s care and her daughter’s company, An Ying’s complexion had improved significantly, and even the bandage on her forehead had been removed, leaving only a medical adhesive bandage. Despite this, it did not hide her beauty. Lying in the hospital bed, her eyes were as gentle and serene as the warm breeze of spring. An Yin continued to remain silent. An Ying didn’t press her, as her daughter grew and developed her own thoughts, An Ying also learned to respect her. Afterward, An Ying picked up the nearby remote control and turned on the TV. Every now and then, she looked at her daughter, the love evident in her eyes. After returning to the ward, An Yin was immersed in her own world. The words she said to Bao Shaojin out of anger made her very regretful. Besides, she didn’t know if Jiang Keke had received the news about Bao Cheng’s engagement, or if she should call to ask. The more she thought about these issues, the more conflicted she became. An Yin sighed once more. An Ying, unable to ignore her daughter’s troubled appearance any longer, spoke, "Yinyin." "Mom? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call the doctor?" Hearing her mother’s voice, An Yin jumped up from the sofa and rushed to the bedside. "Don’t worry, I’m fine." A hint of helplessness crossed An Ying’s face. An Yin’s tense heart finally relaxed. "Are you in a bad mood?" Hearing An Ying’s words, An Yin was stunned for a moment, "No, I’m not." Unbeknownst to her, the words coming out of her mouth were entirely unconvincing; her forlorn little face practically had the words "something is troubling me" written all over it. An Ying lowered her eyes, softly saying, "Let’s get discharged before Little New Year." Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a light rain continued to fall, and the cold wind invaded the air, making passersby shiver. An Yin took out her phone and glanced at the calendar, "Only eight days until Little New Year." The days spent in the hospital flew by, An Yin thought to herself. "Yes." An Ying murmured, unknowingly, another year had passed. Pulling herself away from feelings of melancholy, she spoke nonchalantly, "I won’t be able to cook this year, but I’ll make dumplings for you." "When we get home, you can just lie down and relax, and leave the cooking and dumpling making to me." An Yin said confidently. Listening to her daughter’s confident words, a faint smile appeared on An Ying’s face. This daughter was so much like herself back then; she had no talent for cooking and could ruin any dish she attempted. An Ying didn’t want to dampen her daughter’s enthusiasm, "Then I look forward to it." On the day An Ying was discharged, Assistant Lin helped with the discharge procedures. The bill for hospital expenses was handed to An Ying, but all medical expenses were covered by Su Jianteng. Assistant Lin hadn’t informed An Yin of this. Seeing the bill, An Yin’s eyes widened, though she dared not reveal too much. They had bought a wheelchair from the hospital. While taking the elevator, Assistant Lin helped push it. They arrived at the parking lot. They saw a familiar figure; a man standing by the car, holding a cigarette between his fingers, the smoke curling around his face. He suddenly looked up, noticing the little girl standing beside Assistant Lin. At that moment, she looked like a child who had done something wrong and, realizing his gaze, she quietly hid behind Assistant Lin. Did she really think someone else could protect her? Bao Shaojin deftly tossed the cigarette butt into the designated gap for cigarette butts in the trash can, and then walked towards them. An Ying looked at the man in front of her; although he was speaking to her, his sharp, deep eyes were intensely focused on her daughter. "Mm." An Ying gently tugged at her lips. "Assistant Lin, you take Aunt Zhang back." Bao Shaojin instructed. "Okay." Assistant Lin nodded. Aunt Zhang, following behind, hesitated as she looked at An Ying and her daughter, her face full of reluctance. "Aunt Zhang, thank you for taking care of my mom during this time." An Yin turned around, her eyes sincere. "Thank you." An Ying raised her head, sincerely said. Aunt Zhang, looking at the mother and daughter who looked so alike, suppressed the reluctance in her heart and exchanged a few pleasantries. Finally, Assistant Lin left with her. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝙣𝙚𝙩 In the parking lot, bright incandescent lamps were shining not too far apart. The three of them stood there in silence. Bao Shaojin broke the silence, moving in front of An Ying, "Aunt An, let me carry you inside." An Ying initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the casts on her foot and hand, she finally compromised, "I’ll trouble you." "Aunt An, no need to be so formal with me." His voice carried a chill mixed with the air. No need to be formal? An Ying only felt her heart stifled; they weren’t family, and throughout the lengthy hospitalization, her daughter hadn’t introduced what their relationship was. How could she not be formal with him? "Don’t dawdle, open the door." Bao Shaojin gently lifted An Ying, carefully avoiding her injured places. With his stern voice resounding, An Yin suddenly realized the man was talking to her. She pulled her down jacket tighter, and said muffled, "Oh."