"Xiao Yu, how... how could you hit him?" Liu Xiaoyan glanced cautiously while softly reproaching him.
"What's wrong? Shouldn't scoundrels like him be dealt with?" Lin Yu cast a sidelong glance at her.
"That's not what I mean. I mean, he's a thug. If he decides to bring people to attack you, what should we do? No, no, let's go home quickly. If he really gets someone to hurt you badly, what will we do..." Liu Xiaoyan nervously tugged Lin Yu, intending to head back.
"Aren't you a doctor? If I get hurt, you can treat me, right?" Lin Yu said playfully, not taking it seriously at all. Dealing with this scum, even if they gathered a group, he could handle them with a single punch. It would be a joke to care.
"Ah, how can you joke at a time like this? Even if I could help, I'd feel terrible seeing you suffer. Ah... I mean, you don't deserve this." Liu Xiaoyan immediately corrected herself, her face turning crimson as she hurriedly explained.
Lin Yu found it amusing deep down but didn't reveal it, just smiling faintly. "It's alright, don't worry. He wouldn't dare. And even if he did, we can call the police. There are cops everywhere, within two minutes they'd arrive. What are you afraid of?"
"I'm just worried... Let's go home and eat. I'll buy groceries and cook something delicious for you. Whatever you want, I'll make it. I'm pretty skilled in the kitchen," Liu Xiaoyan persisted, still concerned.
"Alright, little one, look at how timid you are, like a little kitten. Let me tell you, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen. If you don't fear it, it won't bother you. Let's go eat. Don't let one scoundrel ruin our good mood," Lin Yu chuckled, tweaking her nose.
"You're so brave. Hey, you didn't really hurt him, did you? If you did, Auntie Wang from their family will come and cause a scene in the neighborhood. Grandpa and Grandma Lin will be furious," Liu Xiaoyan frowned, worried.
"No, I swear, I absolutely didn't." Lin Yu recalled last night's encounter with Bai Lihua, finding it hilarious, but he didn't mention it, just smiling.
"How can you be so sure?" Liu Xiaoyan asked skeptically.
Coincidentally, Bai Lihua was walking past them carrying bags of vegetables.
"Mrs. Wang, just got back from shopping?" Lin Yu greeted her.
Bai Lihua was startled at the sight of him, her face turning pale as if she had seen a ghost. She screamed, dodged around him, dropping a bag of potatoes, and hurried away without picking it up.
"See that? She's especially scared of me now, so she won't dare to cause a scene at my place," Lin Yu chuckled, but internally, he felt some regret. It seemed he had genuinely frightened Bai Lihua last night. He didn't want to cause any psychological issues.
"Why is she so scared of you? It's like she's seen a ghost. She was never like this before. There's no one in this neighborhood she was afraid of," Liu Xiaoyan observed, puzzled.
"Well, maybe she feels guilty inside. People with a guilty conscience tend to be more afraid to face those they've wronged," Lin Yu casually fabricated.
"Nonsense, Xiao Yu, what's the truth? I'm really curious, can you tell me?" Liu Xiaoyan wasn't buying it; she wasn't a naive child.
"Hehe, last night, didn't she block my doorstep and yell at me? When I returned, I was quite upset. So, I put on a white robe, painted my face white, attached a red ribbon to my mouth, and stood behind her suddenly shouting. Just imagine, in the dead of night, while she was passionately scolding, of course, she was caught off guard. As a result, she got scared and ran back home screaming..." Lin Yu started concocting a tale, but it was quite convincing, leaving Liu Xiaoyan unable to doubt him.
"You're so mischievous, scaring her like that." Liu Xiaoyan found it both funny and frightening.
Indeed, in the dead of night, a figure resembling a ghost behind you would be scary. The fact that Bai Lihua didn't faint on the spot was already fortunate.
"Evil begets evil. She deserved it; it's her fault for not being virtuous," Lin Yu retorted.
"Well, I feel like what you did wasn't right. Mrs. Bai, although she's sharp-tongued and likes to take advantage, is still a decent person without ill intentions," Liu Xiaoyan chuckled but also felt sympathy for Bai Lihua.
Lin Yu felt touched by Liu Xiaoyan's kindness; she was genuinely pure-hearted, as innocent as spring water. And truth be told, Grandpa and Grandma's judgment was not wrong.
Looking at the smooth, fair legs beneath a white skirt, Lin Yu's thoughts took a slightly wicked turn.
Meanwhile, burning with jealousy, Wang Ziming watched them departing with bitterness, gritting his teeth as he began dialing a number, preparing to call for help. He didn't even pay attention when his own mother rushed over, frightened by Lin Yu's actions.
"Xiao Yu, to celebrate your triumphant return, let's have a drink," Liu Xiaoyan lifted her glass, smiling warmly at Lin Yu, her face radiating happiness and sweetness.
Originally, Liu Xiaoyan wanted to treat Lin Yu to a good meal. Though she didn't earn anything from her hospital internship, there were some departmental bonuses for outpatient services. It wasn't much after a month, around two thousand, but enough for this modest girl to indulge once in a while. But Lin Yu adamantly insisted, dragging her into a hot pot skewer restaurant called "Good Taste," claiming he was saving for her dowry. This resulted in Liu Xiaoyan landing a few playful punches on him.
"What triumphant return? You're just teasing me." Lin Yu rolled his eyes.
"Then, to celebrate... umm, to celebrate you finding a job as soon as you returned," Liu Xiaoyan didn't mind, continuing to smile.
"That reasoning works." Lin Yu suddenly remembered the fiery yet aloof witch, Lan Chu. He raised his glass and downed it in delight.
Liu Xiaoyan joined him for a drink. She couldn't handle alcohol, so after a sip of beer, her lovely face flushed. Under the dim orange lights, she appeared even more charming, with a natural coyness that made Lin Yu feel a bit captivated.
"What are you staring at? You're so annoying," Liu Xiaoyan felt a bit embarrassed under his gaze. She bit her lip, lightly kicking him underneath the table. It wasn't flirtatious, but rather an even more enticing gesture that stirred Lin Yu's emotions. Drunk as he was, he was about to say something teasing to this young girl when they heard someone behind them, bitterly muttering, "Such tender
affections, truly a blissful sight..."
Turning around, both of them frowned. It was Wang Ziming again.