"Who are you? Where did you find this phone?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

An Yin was certain the voice belonged to Shen Jingrou, albeit her tone sounded quite anxious. An Yin timidly placed the phone beside the man’s hand, remaining silent.

"Hello? Are you still listening?" Shen Jingrou’s voice echoed again.

"It’s me."

Bao Shaojin leaned lazily against the car seat, his dark eyebrows and clear eyes, his cold voice drifting throughout the car.

An Yin’s little heart inexplicably tightened.

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds before a voice, filled with disbelief, spoke, "B-big brother, is it really you?"

Shen Jingrou was indeed quite shocked.

"Yes."

Compared to Shen Jingrou’s enthusiasm, the man was much colder.

"Big brother, I didn’t expect you to send a text. I thought your phone was stolen or lost." Having said that, Shen Jingrou felt foolish for her thoughts. The people who could be close to her big brother were few and far between, and all carefully selected. Moreover, big brother wasn’t someone careless.

"An Yin helped me send it." The man said hoarsely.

"W-what?" Shen Jingrou wondered if she was hallucinating or possibly dreaming? In the middle of the night, these revelations were quite the bombshells.

Hearing her name, An Yin was also bewildered. She glanced at the man in panic, her long lashes trembling slightly.

An Yin knew that at this moment, she had to say something.

"J-Jingrou sis, happy New Year!" The young girl’s voice was rushed yet polite.

The man’s refined and cold face showed a hint of enjoyment as he pressed his lips together, his well-defined fingers tapping lightly on the left armrest. His cool, white, elongated neck moved slightly with a swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

The man’s innate arrogance made An Yin quickly avert her gaze.

Shen Jingrou snapped out of her disbelief, quivering as she spoke, "Happy New Year. Are the two of you together now?"

Without much thought, An Yin replied softly, "Yes."

The man beside her turned his face to peer at her, his eyes deep.

The young girl’s skin was fair, almost glowing, and her features were delicate and pure. For a moment, the man was stunned.

Her words, filled with ambiguity, must have led Shen Jingrou to misunderstand on the other end of the call.

Bao Shaojin’s face was stern, and he had no intention of explaining.

As expected, after hearing An Yin’s words, Shen Jingrou stammered a few times before her tone turned peculiar, "It’s so late, I won’t disturb you two, haha."

Hearing Shen Jingrou’s giggling voice, An Yin responded absentmindedly with a simple "Hmm," then said, "Goodbye."

After hanging up, An Yin felt as though she had overlooked something, but after thinking it over seriously, she was at a loss.

Outside the car window, the rain had reduced to a drizzle. The fine rain sprinkled through the night sky. Under the streetlamp’s glow, the slender threads of rain resembled endless lotus silk, entangled and intertwined.

"Buzz buzz..."

The man’s phone kept ringing, abruptly breaking the quiet inside the car.

An Yin lowered her eyes but hadn’t seen clearly before the man reached out to grab his phone. He held the power button down for a long time until the phone’s screen gradually turned off.

"Why did you turn off your phone? Maybe someone is trying to reach you for something important." An Yin tugged at his sleeve, speaking gently.

Even she hadn’t realized that her little gestures were gradually becoming more frequent around the man.

Bao Shaojin’s deep eyes glanced at his own sleeve. "It’s all inconsequential matters."

A shadow lingered on the man’s face.

On New Year’s Eve, Mrs. Bao unexpectedly invited Lin Lin of the Lin family to the old residence for dinner. The underlying significance was clear. The reason he didn’t leave the table was merely because he didn’t want to make things too awkward for everyone.

The call was from Housekeeper Liu, and he had a good idea of what was to be said.

"Alright then." An Yin mumbled.

She then turned her head to look out the car window, "The rain has lessened."

Bao Shaojin’s eyes were deeply concealed as he followed the girl’s gaze, but he did not respond.

"I need to go home now."

Aunt Zhang often wakes up in the night. If she doesn’t see her in the bathroom, she might search everywhere and inform Ms. An.

If that were the case, how would she explain it?

Last time, Ms. An’s words still echoed in her ears. Ms. An actually, actually believed that she and Bao Shaojin had... done what a married couple does...

Truly absurd.

An Yin brooded, her cheeks gradually stained with a blush. Fortunately, the car’s interior wasn’t brightly lit, so it wasn’t noticeable.

"I’ll take you." The man’s voice seemed to carry a chill, his words exuding a coolness.

"No need, it’s not far anyway." An Yin waved her hand repeatedly, her eyes wide and bright as she looked at him.

Bao Shaojin slightly raised an eyebrow, "It just rained heavily; your shoes will get wet."

An Yin lowered her head, realizing she had left in a hurry and had come out wearing slippers. She pulled the man’s coat closer, mumbling softly, "It’s fine, I’ll be careful and walk under the eaves."

Bao Shaojin gazed at the top of the young girl’s head, her long black hair cascaded down her back and shoulders, the ends swaying slightly with her movements, as if scratching at his heart, making him quite uncomfortable.

Bao Shaojin’s eyes turned cold, his tone chilling and deep, "I’ll take you."

The man repeated his earlier statement, the underlying forcefulness in his words made them irrefutable, especially for someone as timid and meek as An Yin, who could only obediently comply.

An Yin bit her lip, internally grumbling: If you take me, my shoes will still get wet, so why go through all this trouble?

As An Yin thought about this, she noticed that the front passenger door was opened. In the next moment, as she sat bewildered, the man leaned over, placing one hand under her knees and the other around her waist, lifting her up effortlessly.

An Yin’s body stiffened.

"Hold onto me," Bao Shaojin said unhurriedly.

"Oh." An Yin felt a bit dizzy, obediently reaching out to wrap her arms around the man’s neck.

The cold night wind blew unchecked across her face. Though she was usually afraid of the cold, she felt no chill now. Instead, her whole body felt as if it were on fire, burning up.

This feeling left her utterly bewildered.

Undeniably, she harbored intensely complicated feelings toward the man. Seeing him made her nervous, anxious, and her mood uncontrollably restless. An Yin had never been in a relationship and didn’t know if such anxiety was love.

When she began to confront her own heart, deep down, she felt a sense of rejection.

Ms. An had spent a lifetime protecting what she believed was love, instilling in An Yin a deep-seated fear of romance between a man and a woman.

She feared becoming a second Ms. An!

Bao Shaojin walked briskly, the small girl nestled silently in his embrace. He frowned slightly, "Next time you leave the house, wear more clothes. It’s cold outside."