“Ah, brother-in-law, you’re finally here! We were just talking about how late you are today,” An Yang teased as Bai Yichen stepped into the room.

Bai Yichen walked over to the porch, picked up a towel that had been cooling under the eaves, and handed it to Anxin, who was washing her face. His movements were natural and fluid as he responded calmly.

“I’ve been here a little while. I stopped by the hospital to check on Mom and brought An Wen and An Wu back for dinner. They’ve been playing wild all day with the kids near the hospital.”

Before Bai Yichen could finish his explanation, the two little rascals poked their heads out from behind him, pouting in protest.

“Brother-in-law, we weren’t playing wild! We were just picking stones at the entrance!”

They quickly tried to hide their dirt-streaked clothes and faces, fearing they’d be scolded.

When Bai Yichen arrived at the hospital, he found An Wen and An Wu rolling around the ground with other children in the garden. They were so filthy he almost didn’t recognize them until they called out to him. Without hesitation, he grabbed the two and brought them home, saving An Yang the trouble.

Despite their antics, Bai Yichen sighed in relief that the two had at least completed their task of delivering dinner to their mother.

However, no matter how fast they hid, Anxin and An Yang still caught sight of their grime-covered clothes and faces. An Yang was immediately furious. She stormed over, grabbed them by their collars, and began dragging them toward the washroom.

“Look at you two! I just changed your clothes this morning, and now you’re covered in dirt again. Come on, bath time!”

“Second sister, don’t pull so hard—it hurts!”

“Oh, it hurts? Next time you come back this dirty, I’ll spank you instead!”

The two little ones whined but dared not resist, letting An Yang drag them away. Before closing the bathroom door, An Yang stuck her head out and said, “Sister, brother-in-law, you two eat first. We’ll eat later. Anyway, we’re not in a hurry since we live here.”

Normally, Anxin would wait for her siblings to eat together. Family meals were sacred moments of bonding. But today, she had something urgent to discuss with Bai Yichen, so she nodded.

“Alright, I’ll eat with your brother-in-law first. You three figure it out later.”

Anxin and Bai Yichen sat at the table, each serving themselves a portion of rice. While Bai Yichen ate with his usual composure, Anxin found herself unable to focus on the food. Though the dishes looked appetizing, her appetite was gone. She pushed her food around her plate, mentally rehearsing how to broach the subject.

Bai Yichen noticed her distraction and asked, “What’s wrong? Lost your appetite?”

Caught off guard, Anxin hesitated before stammering, “Well… there’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

Bai Yichen paused, picking up some stir-fried garlic sprouts and cured meat. “I’ve told you before, we’re family. You don’t need to be so formal. Just say what’s on your mind.”

His calm tone gave her courage, but his penetrating gaze made her heart skip a beat. Summoning her resolve, Anxin blurted out, “I need to go to the countryside tonight to talk to someone. Can you drive me there?”

Bai Yichen’s immediate silence made Anxin’s chest tighten. Would he say no? Just as she debated whether to explain further, he spoke.

“Alright. Let’s head out after dinner.”

Anxin blinked in surprise. “That’s it? You’re okay with it?”

Bai Yichen remained unfazed. “Why not? I don’t have anything else planned tonight.”

Though she was relieved, Anxin couldn’t help but feel his quick agreement was suspiciously easy. As they finished their meal, Anxin gave An Yang instructions to watch over the twins.

Before stepping out the door, Anxin turned back to An Yang, who was still occupied with her brothers. “Remember to bolt the door before bed. Be alert. We might come back late tonight and sleep here instead of returning.”

Bai Yichen glanced at her briefly, his expression unreadable.

“Not going back home?” An Yang asked curiously.

Anxin waved off the question. “We have some things to handle, so it’ll be more convenient to stay here tonight.”

An Yang scratched her head but didn’t press further. “Got it.”