After Ye Tianyi was taken away by Chu Haoran, Chu Yuxuan composed himself before heading upstairs and knocking on Zhao Yanan's door.
Zhou Xiaoruo, with half of her face swollen like a bun, tiptoed to the door upon hearing the knock. Peering through the peephole, she saw Chu Yuxuan and that Korean "oppa" and then cautiously opened the door.
"Mr. Chu! ... Oppa, are you okay?!"
Chu Yuxuan glanced at her asymmetrical face with a faint smile, nodded, and walked into the room.
The Fourth Brother stood outside the door, seemingly uninterested in entering, and ignored Zhou Xiaoruo.
At this moment, Zhao Yanan had calmed down and was sitting on the sofa, reviewing company emails. Seeing Chu Yuxuan enter, she managed a faint smile and said, "Yuxuan."
Chu Yuxuan, without asking about her well-being, sat down opposite her with a gentle gaze and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't protect you well."
Zhao Yanan shook her head lightly, saying, "You can't blame yourself for this."
After a pause, she glanced towards the door and asked, "Chu Yuxuan, that Korean friend of yours, he was sent to protect me, wasn't he?"
Chu Yuxuan didn't deny it, "Yes, since Ye Tianyi was able to find you at the hotpot restaurant, I figured he could find this place too. So, I had my brother stay at my place just in case. I didn't tell you to avoid adding to your anxiety and stress."
"Thank you," Zhao Yanan said sincerely, hesitating for a moment before extending her hand.
Chu Yuxuan smiled warmly, gently holding Zhao Yanan's fingertips. The cold touch felt soothing, penetrating his palm and reaching his heart.
"Yanan, how about you treat me as a hand warmer and let me warm your hands?" Chu Yuxuan's eyes showed concern.
Zhao Yanan felt a bit uncomfortable and withdrew her hand slightly, saying, "It's okay."
Watching the two of them, Zhou Xiaoruo felt a bit uneasy. It seemed like their relationship was progressing beyond the point it had reached when Zhao Yanan was sick. She couldn't help but worry that her good friend might be captivated by this playboy Chu Yuxuan!
From a medical perspective, she absolutely supported it. But from an emotional standpoint, she couldn't bear to see her good friend fall into a pit step by step.
However, in the current situation, she couldn't say much—or rather, she didn't dare to. She could only wait until Chu Yuxuan left and then sound the alarm to her good friend.
Chu Yuxuan seemed to notice her unusual gaze and turned to look at her, his eyes sincere. "Dr. Zhou, thank you. The injury on your face isn't serious, is it?"
Zhou Xiaoruo was taken aback, then laughed awkwardly, "It's nothing, really…"
"I'm not sure how to thank you," Chu Yuxuan pondered and then said, "How about this: I'll introduce you to a client. Treatment costs twenty thousand per session, just like mine. What do you think?"
Zhou Xiaoruo imagined a money-printing machine in her mind, her eyes sparkling as she said, "That... might be a bit much, hahaha… Is it okay?"
Seeing her greedy expression, Zhao Yanan couldn't help but chuckle.
"It's not a problem," Chu Yuxuan said with a smile. "The patient is right outside."
He then called out, "Park Bu-cheng!"
The Fourth Brother walked in with a somber expression, blinking his eyes.
"Park Bu-cheng?" Zhou Xiaoruo muttered, "Is it because the money isn't enough?"
Zhao Yanan:…
Chu Yuxuan:…
The Fourth Brother: Ah, crazy woman!
"Haha…" Zhou Xiaoruo laughed awkwardly, trying to save face. "Well… I was just joking. You've heard Uncle Guo's cross-talk, right? Haha…"
Chu Yuxuan shook his head and said to the Fourth Brother, "The psychologist I mentioned before is her. From now on, you can get treatment from her."
The Fourth Brother: ???
"Dr. Zhou, how about this: My place is empty. You can go there with him and do an initial examination. How does that sound?" Chu Yuxuan suggested.
"Sure!" Zhou Xiaoruo agreed cheerfully. "Oppa, shall we go then?"
The Fourth Brother looked at Chu Yuxuan with a hint of helplessness, then turned and left after a few seconds.
He knew his older brother wanted to spend some alone time with his sister-in-law, so he left that glowing and energetic woman to him. Truly admirable!
Of course, Zhao Yanan also realized Chu Yuxuan's true intention but didn't say anything. After the two left, she got up to make Chu Yuxuan a cup of coffee. They sat facing each other, the atmosphere a bit awkward.
"Yanan, I want to discuss something with you."
"Hmm?"
Chu Yuxuan smiled, "In the future, could you not call me by my full name? It sounds too distant."
Zhao Yanan pondered, "What should I call you then?"
"Just call me Yuxuan… or, if you prefer, 'shameless scoundrel'? You used to call me that quite naturally."
Zhao Yanan smiled, "I've realized you're not that much of a scoundrel after all."
"Then it's settled. From now on, call me Yuxuan."
Zhao Yanan nodded and picked up her coffee cup, her fingers gently caressing it.
After a moment of silence, she asked, "What about Ye Tianyi? How did you handle him?"
Chu Yuxuan didn't hide anything, "Chu Haoran took him away."
"Oh…" Zhao Yanan didn't say much. Although she couldn't imagine Ye Tianyi's fate, she was sure he wouldn't appear again.
"Yanan, do you know why I used to like Xia Zhu so much?" Chu Yuxuan suddenly asked.
Zhao Yanan blinked, remaining silent.
"When a man likes a woman, it often starts with physical attraction," Chu Yuxuan said. "In high school, I thought she was very beautiful. Later, I discovered she had a nice personality too. Haha… I grew up in a rather distorted environment, so I might have some personality flaws. I've always craved love and to be loved. So, once I've decided on someone, I'll give my all."
"In life, every encounter is fate. Each meeting is one less, so if you like someone, you should go for it. Failure isn't scary; what's scary is regret."
As Zhao Yanan was reflecting on this, Chu Yuxuan's tone shifted, "Yanan, I feel the same way about you."
The sudden confession left Zhao Yanan at a loss, "Yuxuan, I… I can't. We can only be friends. My condition…"
"If the ship were to leave in one minute, I would still stand on the shore, holding your hand tightly for that one minute." Chu Yuxuan's gaze was sincere. "I mean, I don't want to give up this moment because of the uncertainties of the future. You can't always shy away from challenges and refuse every new beginning, can you?"