Seeing her daughter’s expression of sudden enlightenment, Chen Hongyan quickly repeated the key point from her earlier words.

“Isn’t he here now? He didn’t even eat before rushing out to look for you.”

This son-in-law of hers, the more she looked at him, the more satisfied she felt. At least, he truly cared for her daughter. Otherwise, why would he skip a meal just to search for An Xin?

An Xin:

“…”
Is it too late to feel guilty? Is it too late to regret?

Of course, it was too late. Who told her to prioritize “loyalty to friends” over everything else earlier?

Realizing this, An Xin quickly addressed everyone in the room:

“Mom, you’ve already eaten, haven’t you?”

While speaking, An Xin’s gaze swept across everyone present, including her younger siblings. She was worried they might not have eaten because they were anxiously waiting for her. If that were the case, she would feel even more guilty.

An Yang piped up from the side:

“Sister, we’ve all eaten. Only Brother-in-law didn’t. He went out to look for you before eating, and he still hasn’t come back. Who knows when he will?”

Hearing this, An Yang’s small eyes were tinged with reproach. Her sister had insisted she couldn’t follow her out earlier, and now this was the result.

An Xin:

“…”
Alright, everyone keeps repeating that Bai Yichen hasn’t eaten and is out looking for her. Her guilt level just hit another layer.

Feeling this weight on her, An Xin turned to her mother and said:

“Mom, you should rest well. An Yang and I will take our younger brother to bed, then I’ll go out and look for Bai Yichen.”

After all, the hospital had nurses on duty at night, so she wasn’t worried about Chen Hongyan. Once her siblings were safely in the rental house, she could head out to find Bai Yichen.

Chen Hongyan was about to respond when the hospital room door burst open with a loud bang.

Startled, An Xin turned her head just in time to meet a pair of dark, cold eyes. Bai Yichen’s icy gaze carried a palpable sense of distance, making the air in the room feel suddenly colder.

From the hospital bed, Chen Hongyan quickly greeted him warmly.

“Yichen, you’re back! Are you hungry? An Xin has returned, so you two should go to the rental house and get something to eat!”

Her daughter had gone out gallivanting, leaving her son-in-law worried and hungry. As a mother-in-law, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Bai Yichen stepped into the room and, looking toward Chen Hongyan, spoke calmly.

“I’m not hungry, Mom. As long as An Xin is back, that’s what matters.”

Lying on the hospital bed, Chen Hongyan could clearly see the fatigue in his posture and responded with a kind, maternal tone:

“Oh, it’s already so late—of course you’re hungry! An Xin, go with him to the rental house and make him something to eat.”

An Xin:

“…”
It feels like I’m not her biological child—Bai Yichen must be!

Truly, the saying “A married daughter is like water spilled out” is accurate.

Though she grumbled internally, An Xin outwardly agreed with her mother:

“You’re right, it’s late. Let’s go to the rental house and get you something to eat.”

As she spoke, she reached out to pick up one of the sleeping twin brothers, An Wen, from the sofa. An Wu had already been gently scooped up by An Yang.

“I’ll carry him.”

Before An Xin could, Bai Yichen stepped forward, effortlessly picking up An Wen. His sharp profile passed briefly before her eyes, his demeanor exuding an air of cold distance.

For a moment, An Xin felt the forcefulness of his actions—perhaps with a tinge of suppressed anger.

Her hands empty, An Xin awkwardly stepped back and moved toward An Yang, trying to take An Wu instead. However, her sister deftly evaded her.

An Xin:

“Uh… let’s go then!”

After all, it was her fault for coming back late. It felt like everyone was united against her.

The group quickly arrived at the rental house. After tucking the twins into bed, An Yang sensibly headed off to sleep herself. Before lying down, she winked at An Xin and whispered cheekily:

“Sister, Mom kept food warm for Brother-in-law. I left it in the pot, so hurry and take him to eat!”

She added mischievously, “Otherwise, if he gets mad, he might ignore you!”

An Xin:

“…”
Alright, even her sister could tell Bai Yichen was upset. Clearly, her earlier hunch was correct—he was mad at her.

Heading into the kitchen, An Xin took out the warmed dishes from the pot. Just then, Bai Yichen’s tall figure appeared in the doorway. His face, half-lit by the orange glow of the kitchen, emanated a cool detachment that filled the small space with an oppressive tension.

An Xin instinctively straightened up, her muscles tensing. Not daring to meet his eyes, she quietly called out:

“Um… come and eat quickly, you must be hungry.”

Don’t blame Bai Yichen for keeping a cold face right now. If she had been wandering around on an empty stomach until this late, past ten o’clock, she would’ve probably already been venting her frustration with colorful language by now.

Bai Yichen didn’t say a word. He just walked silently into the kitchen, sat quietly at the dining table, and began to eat. Today’s dishes were quite abundant—fish soup, stir-fried pork slices, and shredded potatoes. However, An Xin couldn’t shake the feeling that the man, who should’ve been starving, seemed completely uninterested in the food.

Thus, the two of them stayed in the kitchen in silence—one quietly eating, the other standing to the side, feeling guilty like a child who had done something wrong. The narrow kitchen suddenly felt oppressive, as if the air itself had turned eerie and stifling, making one want to scream.

“I’ll wait for you outside. Take your time eating.”

An Xin instinctively wanted to escape the suffocating atmosphere. Throwing out these words, she turned and headed for the kitchen door.

“Wait…”

But just as An Xin was about to step out, a cold voice came from behind. Her footsteps paused briefly, and when she turned around, she saw that the man had already put down his chopsticks.

There was still more than half a bowl of rice left, but it was obvious from his expression that he wouldn’t eat any more. Bai Yichen raised his head slightly and motioned for her.

“Come here and sit.”

“Hmm.”

An Xin hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. Like a reprimanded child, she lowered her head and sat down in front of him.

To be honest, at that very moment, An Xin was already mentally prepared for a scolding or lecture. She was just waiting for Bai Yichen to launch into a tirade.

However, what she heard instead was his calm and distant voice from above her.

“Who was that man who brought you back just now?”

An Xin: “…” A man? What man?
Wasn’t he upset because she came home late, making him search for her on an empty stomach? Shouldn’t he be focusing on criticizing and lecturing her about that? Why was he suddenly asking about the man who gave her a ride?

Perhaps her expression was too ignorant, Bai Yichen continued to remind her, “When I got back to the hospital entrance earlier, I saw you getting out of a man’s car.”

With this reminder, An Xin finally remembered.