Chapter 12: Going to the City for Shopping

Lin Zhixia saw Bai An’s brother come to pick her up and casually started heading back. Since someone was already here to pick her up, there was no need for her to see her off, which was a relief.

Cui Ju saw her brother had returned and hurried over to him, holding up the books in her hand. “Brother, look at what this is.”

Lin Zhixia took the books from her, leaned in to take a closer look, and when he finally saw the writing on them, he excitedly asked, “Where did you get these from?”

“Bai An lent them to me,” Cui Ju said, looking at the books. “I told her before that you like reading, so she said she would borrow a few books from her dad for you.”

“White An is such a good person, she even placed the books on my desk for me. But brother, did you see White An come by? How did she know this is my room?”

Before Lin Zhixia could answer, Cui Ju got more and more excited as she spoke, “What’s it called again? Heartfelt understanding.”

“Heartfelt understanding?” Lin Zhixia knocked on Cui Ju’s head. “Mom just gave you a different name, and now you’ve become silly?”

Cui Ju covered her head, a bit resentful, but still pulled out a note from her pocket and handed it to Lin Zhixia, asking, “Brother, can you help me see what White An wrote on the note?”

Lin Zhixia casually took the note, noticing that his younger sister still couldn’t read. He started lecturing her, “I told you to study hard, but all you do is run off to play.”

Looking at the content of the note, Lin Zhixia glanced up at his sister.

Cui Ju,

I brought the books for you.
Remember, don’t let your brother see them.
He’s a bad person.
But you can show off in front of him.

If Lin Zhixia hadn’t known his sister genuinely couldn’t read many words, he might have thought she was playing a prank on him.

Cui Ju saw her brother looking at the note with a strange expression, then glancing at her. Confused, she touched her face and asked, “What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing.”

Lin Zhixia tucked the note into his pocket, holding the books and saying, “Your friend said to keep the books safe and return them to her.”

“Is that all?” Cui Ju asked, a bit disbelieving. “The note has so many words, but you’re only saying one sentence.”

Not too dumb.

Lin Zhixia ignored what Cui Ju said and turned to leave.

Cui Ju immediately grabbed her brother’s shirt and reached into his pocket to take the note out.

Lin Zhixia stopped her, holding her wrist and lightly chuckling, “Lin Baiwei.”

Every time her brother called her full name, Cui Ju always felt a little scared.

Looking at her sister’s dazed expression, Lin Zhixia couldn’t help but laugh, “It’s already dark. You should go to bed now.”

Cui Ju watched as her brother walked away with the books, strutting proudly.

Lu Demin was sitting on a bench, reading by the oil lamp, when he heard a noise at the door and looked up.

Bai An was being carried back by Lu Jin’an.

Lu Demin immediately stood up, anxiously asking, “Wasn’t Bai An out? Why is she being carried back like this?”

Wan Qing also looked at Bai An in Lu Jin’an’s arms with concern.

Bai An, curled up in Lu Jin’an’s arms, saw the worried expressions on her parents’ faces and awkwardly smiled. “I just accidentally fell.”

“Where did you fall?” Wan Qing urgently checked Bai An’s hands and feet, trying to figure out where she was hurt.

“I didn’t fall anywhere,” Lu Jin’an said, gently setting Bai An down on the ground and tapping her on the head. “It’s just that her clothes got dirtier.”

Seeing that Bai An wasn’t hurt, Lu Demin and Wan Qing both felt their worries lift.

“Why did you let your brother carry you back if you weren’t hurt?” Wan Qing pulled Bai An to sit by the table and served her a bowl of rice. “Your brother cares about you too.”

Lu Jin’an sat across from Bai An, and seeing his mother talk about her, he spoke up. “At first, she didn’t want me to carry her, saying she didn’t feel safe without something to lean against, and insisted on me holding her.”

Wan Qing found this a little funny and gently patted Bai An’s head. “Since you’re so scared, you shouldn’t go out at night. It’s still dangerous for little girls to go out after dark.”

Bai An nodded. The night without streetlights really was frightening.

Lu Demin, eating the spicy stir-fried pork Wan Qing had made, kept drinking water to cool off from the spice.

Clearing his throat, Lu Demin said, “My royalty payment has come through. Who wants to go with me to the city tomorrow to buy some things?”

“I do!” Bai An raised her hand excitedly. “Me, me, me!”

Lu Demin glanced at the excited Bai An, then nodded, though his eyes kept drifting toward Lu Jin’an.

Lu Jin’an felt his father’s gaze and continued eating without changing his expression.

Seeing that Lu Jin’an wasn’t paying attention to him, Lu Demin gave Bai An a look.

Understanding the signal, Bai An nodded and put a piece of meat in Lu Jin’an’s bowl.

Seeing the piece of meat suddenly appear in his bowl, Lu Jin’an looked up at Bai An. When he met her hopeful gaze, he remained silent for a while.

“I’m not going.”

“Ah.” Bai An ran to Lu Jin’an’s side, eagerly patting his shoulder. “Why aren’t you going? If you go, Dad will buy you something to eat.”

“Bai An, eat your food properly.” Wan Qing saw Bai An running to Lu Jin’an and gently said, “Your brother will go with you, just finish your meal first.”

“Really?” Hearing her mother’s promise, Bai An obediently returned to her seat. “Brother will really go with me?”

When Lu Jin’an felt the pressure from her hand on his shoulder disappear, he looked at Bai An, who was eating, and raised an eyebrow. He said slowly, “No.”

Hearing that Lu Jin’an wouldn’t go, Bai An widened her eyes, looking at her mother with a pitiful gaze.

Her pitiful expression nearly made Wan Qing laugh. “Has your brother ever refused you when you asked him for something? Don’t worry, he will end up going with you.”

“Really?” Bai An looked toward her father again.

Receiving Bai An’s pleading look, Lu Demin coughed awkwardly. He wasn’t too sure himself.

Seeing her father’s hesitance, Bai An wasn’t sure if Lu Jin’an would go or not.

“Brother, you will go, won’t you?” Bai An turned back to Lu Jin’an, who was eating.

Lu Jin’an glanced up just in time to meet Bai An’s pitiful gaze. He couldn’t help but smile faintly. “You really want me to go?”

Bai An nodded vigorously. “Mm-hmm.”

“Why do you want me to go so much?” Lu Jin’an took a sip of soup, speaking casually. “You can just go with Dad.”

Bai An didn’t know how to answer, lowering her head and eating her food, glancing at her father from the corner of her eye.

Lu Demin saw Bai An’s silent plea but was helpless.

The table fell silent, only the sound of chopsticks clinking against bowls could be heard.

Fortunately, Wan Qing broke the silence. “Jin’an, Bai An just likes having you as her brother, which is why she wants you to accompany her. Tomorrow, go with her.”

Bai An eagerly agreed with her mother’s words.

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Lu Jin’an gave a slight smile, calmly meeting Bai An’s eyes, and asked, “Is that really the reason?”