Ning An sat silently in the back seat, resting her eyes. Though she hadn't opened them, she could still feel the intense gaze of the young man beside her. Ning An felt some regret; she had no idea how to interact normally with Ning Xuan.
The driver in the front seat quietly observed the two in the back through the rearview mirror. Having served the Ning family for many years, he keenly sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere of the back seat, as he had never witnessed the two of them together before.
As he pondered this, suddenly the car jerked, veering out of control. Ning An, caught in a panic, couldn't help but think, What's going on? Did I never experience a car accident in my past life?
"Ah..."
Ning An was pulled by inertia, about to collide with the back of the front seat, but she fell into a warm embrace with a hint of mint fragrance.
With one hand protecting her head and the other around her waist, Ning Xuan locked her in a posture of absolute protection. She felt his heart pounding violently, almost synchronized with hers, unintentionally calming her anxiety.
With a screeching halt, the car came to a stop just before breaking through the guardrail.
"Sister!"
Ning Xuan's tone was concerned, his eyes carrying an indescribable darkness, his icy gaze shifting to the driver in the front seat.
Ning An, still in shock, her beautiful face pale, eliciting sympathy, took a deep breath before realizing how intimate their position was. She pushed him away hastily.
Looking at the driver, whose face had turned pale, she directed her anger towards him.
"What's going on!"
The driver nervously explained, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. The car suddenly lost control, and both young master and miss were frightened. I'll go check."
The driver got out of the car, and Ning An looked at the young man who instinctively protected her in his arms, feeling a complex mix of emotions. She knew that momentary reaction of his, completely disregarding his own safety.
"You... are you okay?" she asked awkwardly.
Ning Xuan looked at Ning An with concern and discomfort. "It seems like I bumped my arm a bit. It hurts, Sister," he said in a low, hoarse voice, his tone carrying a hint of coquetry.
Seeing the cold sweat on the young man's forehead and his trembling arm, it didn't seem like he was lying.
The driver knocked on the car door. "Young Master, Miss, someone tampered with the car. It's not safe to drive."
At the same time, the faces of the two darkened.
Someone wanted to kill them? Who? Was the target Ning Xuan or her, or both of them?
Ning Xuan's eyes flashed with something, and he clenched his lips tightly, a muffled grunt interrupting Ning An's thoughts. She looked at him uncomfortably.
"Get another car arranged and take us to the hospital," she said.
In the sterilized-smelling hospital room...
Ning An watched as the doctor bandaged Ning Xuan's arm and asked, "How is his arm? Is it serious?"
The doctor lowered his head. "Miss Ning, rest assured, it's just a bruise from the impact. The wound is a bit swollen. Don't let it touch water for a few days and apply anti-inflammatory ointment regularly. It'll be fine in a few days."
As the doctor was about to leave, Ning An stopped him.
"Wait!"
The doctor looked at the young, beautiful girl, slightly puzzled.
The girl, slender yet graceful, exuded an aura of nobility, and the doctor respectfully waited for her to continue.
"If anyone asks about Ning Xuan's condition, no matter who it is, don't disclose anything," she instructed.
The doctor looked puzzled but nodded.
The door was closed, leaving only Ning An and Ning Xuan in the room.
"Thank you," Ning Xuan said, his lips curving slightly. "As long as Sister is fine."
His gaze shifted to the water jug on the table, his expression showing discomfort. "Sister, I'd like some water."
Water? Wasn't his left hand fine? Was this his way of asking her to pour him some water?
Ning An inwardly rolled her eyes, then poured a glass of water and handed it to him. Leaning against the head of the bed, Ning Xuan seemed weak. "Sister, I'm too weak. The wound hurts."
She snorted inwardly. This kind of injury was nothing to him...
She remembered one time when Ning Xuan came back late at night, covered in blood, a long wound on his left arm still bleeding. It startled her! She was already hating him at that time, thinking of ignoring him since someone would eventually take care of him... But to her surprise, Ning Xuan stood there motionless, staring at her, with a stubbornness she couldn't understand... It made her feel that if she let him go, he would stand there until he bled out.
Although she hated him, seeing the bleeding wound was still shocking. In the end, she took out the medical kit and bandaged him. Throughout the process, he didn't even groan, as if that arm wasn't part of his body, and his eyes never left her.
Seeing him now so weak, she sighed inwardly, forget it, it's just water...
She brought the cup of water to his lips, watching him drink, her gaze inexplicably drawn to the movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, feeling... somewhat seductive.
What's going on? Am I still being captivated by his beauty?
Ning Xuan noticed her slight shake of the head, feeling a bit relieved from the oppressive feeling of the assassination attempt.
Thinking of this, he pursed his lips, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes. Whoever wants to harm you, I'll kill them, Ning Xuan added silently.
"Xuan, don't you find it strange?" Ning An put down the water glass, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Uncle Wang checks the car every day; he wouldn't be so careless..."
Ning Xuan raised an eyebrow, pretending not to understand. "What do you mean, Sister?"
Ning An hesitated for a moment before speaking sternly, "We usually don't ride together. Uncle Wang and Uncle Li pick us up separately, but today I happened to be with you..."
She paused, her tone becoming serious. "The car just happened to have an accident. If something had happened... we would both be dead."
Ning An's heart sank as she remembered! In the past life, it was Ning Xuan who almost had an accident, though it ended without incident.
After the incident, Dad was very angry and ordered a thorough investigation, but unfortunately, the surveillance in the garage was maliciously damaged, leaving no evidence, and the matter was eventually dropped...
She had actually forgotten about this... and ended up riding in the same car with him. Ning An gripped her hand tightly, completely unaware of the force she was exerting, her fingertips deeply embedded in her palm.
Thinking about it this way, apart from that bastard Ning Nanfeng, there probably wasn't a second person who wanted Ning An and Ning Xuan dead.
"Sister, I understand what you mean. By instructing the doctor to say that, you want to see the reaction of people outside, right? Don't worry, no matter what, I'll protect you." Ning Xuan held her hand, gently massaging her tightly held palm, caressing it tenderly...
Ning An's heart skipped a beat.
"You'll protect me?" Ning An rebuffed, somewhat mocking. "On what basis?"
"I'll spare no effort, Sister. Trust me..." Ning Xuan added silently, Whoever wants to harm you, I'll kill them.
Ning An lowered her head, subtly curling her lips where Ning Xuan couldn't see, her voice somewhat uncertain. "Actually, you can also guess who might be behind this. Dad isn't here, and he's probably already planning to strike. Why not... call Dad back first? With Dad here, I don't believe he'd dare to be so brazen."
Ning Xuan was taken aback, then looked at the girl's lowered head, his gaze somewhat indulgent. So, this was her intention...
"Alright," he said.
Ning An raised her head, her eyes showing some curiosity and perplexity. Did he just agree to let Dad come back so easily?
Ning Xuan's response was a frank and natural gaze, but it was Ning An who felt the weight of his gaze, as if those eyes had some kind of magic... trying to draw her in deeper.
She snapped out of it, her face excited, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I'll call Dad. I miss him so much."
The girl skipped away like a cheerful little bird, with a hint of underlying meaning.
Ning Xuan's gaze followed her calmly and tenderly until she disappeared from his sight. Then, his eyes suddenly changed, emitting an aura that warned others to stay away. He sat quietly for a moment, then got off the bed, walked to the window, glanced outside, and immediately dialed a phone number...