Chapter 32 – Pursuit Anew!

Ning Wanwan gave a faint smile, set her knitting needles aside, and changed the subject.

“Sister-in-law, let’s have dinner together for Mid-Autumn Festival. Just treat it as my farewell gathering.”

Zhang Yun and Li Ping knew that Ning Wanwan had made up her mind, so they no longer tried to persuade her. Instead, they resumed discussing knitting techniques.

Xu Cuihua was already good at knitting and was currently making a bright red sweater for Guo Xiaoling. The little girl was at the age of loving pretty things, and this color had even been picked out by Ning Wanwan.

The group was chatting cheerfully when a few people suddenly appeared outside the yard. Leading the way was the boy who had previously come with appendicitis. His mother followed behind somewhat sheepishly.

A dark, thin military wife who had led the pair over waved to Ning Wanwan from afar.

Ning Wanwan responded with a sweet smile.

Zhang Yun’s face darkened, and she quickly stepped forward. She hadn’t forgotten how that woman had cursed at Ning Wanwan last time. If this mother and son were here to cause trouble, she’d be the first to object.

“Who are you looking for? What are you doing here? This is the family compound! If you’re here to stir up trouble, I’ll shout for help!”

The boy quickly waved his hands and lifted the apples in his hand.

“Auntie, don’t misunderstand! My mom and I are here to apologize to Doctor Ning. It’s all thanks to her that day—otherwise, I…”

His mother nodded vigorously behind him. “Sister, I was really out of my mind that day. I came to sincerely apologize to Doctor Ning.”

Only then did Zhang Yun open the gate and invite them in.

Ning Wanwan glanced over the boy and nodded in satisfaction.

“Ma’am, I accept your apology. You didn’t need to come all the way here.”

“As long as the boy got treated in time, that’s what matters. He looks like he’s recovering well.”

The woman nodded repeatedly, eyes filled with remorse.

“Doctor Ning, it was my ignorance. Please don’t hold it against a foolish woman like me. My son and I are truly grateful to you.”

“These apples are a small token of our appreciation. Please accept them.”

She then pulled the boy into a deep bow toward Ning Wanwan and stuffed the apples into her arms.

Of course, Ning Wanwan wouldn’t accept them. After a few polite refusals, the woman finally took them back reluctantly.

After seeing them off, Xu Cuihua checked the time and went home, while Ning Wanwan also returned to her house.

From a distance, she saw the blind old man waiting at her gate.

She hurried over.

The old man smiled when he saw her, and Ning Wanwan’s eyes lit up with surprise. “Uncle, your eyes… are they better?”

“Mm, they’re healed—better than before! Child, I truly thank you. You’re a miracle doctor. This is a little gift from my wife and me. Please take it.”

He handed her a bundle. Ning Wanwan looked down to see a big bag of bright red wild berries.

She refused a few times, but the old man wouldn’t back down, so she had no choice but to accept them.

After he left, Ning Wanwan went into the bedroom and started tidying up, picking out some clothes she didn’t need to give to Guo Xiaoling and her mother.

The two were slim, so the clothes would fit them well. The other military wives had decent family conditions, and she was worried they might feel insulted, so she didn’t plan to offer the clothes to anyone else.

When He Yunshen returned, his face was still dark. Arms crossed, he stood at the door, watching Ning Wanwan slurp noodles at the table.

“Ning Wanwan, do you even have a heart?”

Ning Wanwan blinked at him in confusion, then remembered what had happened at noon.

“I was just joking. No need to take it seriously.”

He Yunshen gave a cold snort and strode over to her.

He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him.

“Ning Wanwan, what if I said I want to pursue you again—would you accept me?”

Ning Wanwan’s eyes flashed with irritation. She stubbornly turned her face away and rubbed her sore chin.

She met his gaze provocatively. “Let’s see what you’ve got, then…”

Then she slapped away his hand and resumed eating.

She only said that to brush him off. She was genuinely afraid that if this man ever discovered she had transmigrated into a book, he’d ship her off to some secret lab for experimentation.

Her life mattered most—he could pursue her all he wanted. But whether she accepted or not? That was her call.

He Yunshen was stunned by her response. He hadn’t expected Ning Wanwan to agree so easily.

His lips curled into a faint smile. Then his gaze shifted to the shredded pork noodles at her side.

“Any more noodles left?”

Ning Wanwan raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing him. She quickly slurped the last mouthful of noodles, like she was guarding them from being stolen.

With a mischievous smile, she said, “No more noodles, but there’s some soup in the pot. Ten bucks a bowl—want some?”

He Yunshen clearly understood the challenge in her tone. He pulled out a wad of cash and slapped it on the table.

“Twenty bucks. I’m buying the whole pot.”

Without waiting for her reaction, he strode to the kitchen.

He came back holding a small basin of noodle soup—just a few sips worth—but drank it with great enjoyment, even smacking his lips.

“Not bad at all.”

Ning Wanwan glanced at the money on the table, then at He Yunshen with his soup. She stood up with her cane.

“Alright, stop drinking that. Since you paid, I’ll make you a proper bowl.”

Fifteen minutes later, He Yunshen emerged from the kitchen carrying a small basin filled with noodles.

The bowl was loaded with vegetables, plenty of shredded meat, and topped with two golden fried eggs—far superior to the bowl Ning Wanwan had eaten earlier.

She followed him in, eyes gleaming like a money-grubber, and swept the cash from the table into her pocket.

“Enjoy your meal, good sir. Next time you want something this good, come find me again.”

Then she happily skipped back to her room.

As He Yunshen ate, he touched his now-empty pockets.

If it weren’t for payday, he honestly wouldn’t have been able to afford that luxurious bowl of noodles.

Wait—no, that basin of luxurious noodles…

As the eldest young master of the He family in the capital, he wasn’t short on money. But if every meal cost this much, his savings wouldn’t even last a year.

Inside, Ning Wanwan stashed the money into her private piggy bank. She loved money, yes—but the twenty bucks wasn’t the point. She just felt sorry for He Yunshen.

Yes, that was it—pity, nothing more. Otherwise, she couldn’t be bothered with him.

After He Yunshen finished eating, he took the initiative to wash the dishes and even boiled water for the bath.

As he thought back to that awkward moment when he and Ning Wanwan had bathed together, a blush crept up his face.

Even the “little He” in his military trousers began to stir.

Just then, Ning Wanwan walked in holding her clothes. She thought he had already left. Their eyes met—and both instantly looked away in embarrassment.

“Ahem… I’ll just… head out now,” He Yunshen muttered and fled past her.

But in that brief moment as they brushed past each other, “little He” sneakily brushed against Ning Wanwan’s hand.

Ning Wanwan: Did you do that on purpose?

Little He: …

He Yunshen realized it, too. Looking down at the ever-growing bulge, he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the floor.

His handsome face flushed a deep red, and just as he was about to speak, Ning Wanwan cut him off.