Chapter 8: If You’re Afraid of Pain, Then Behave Yourself, Won’t You?

Their chests pressed tightly against each other, so close that they could hear each other's breathing and heartbeat. Nan Xing's cheeks flushed rapidly as she broke free from Li Beitian's embrace.

"I'm fine, thank you, Fourth Uncle."

She tidied her disheveled hair and then offered Li Beitian a sweet smile.

"Hmm."

Li Beitian remained expressionless, sitting upright, his deep eyes fixed on Nan Xing.

When the girl had just buried herself in his arms, a faint scent of orange wafted from her hair—tart and sweet, utterly enticing, yet strangely familiar.

"Then I'll hold onto this for Fourth Uncle," Nan Xing said, no longer being coy as she carefully tucked the limited-edition black card into the innermost compartment of her wallet.

Li Beitian had made it clear that he disliked being refused; with that in mind, there was no need for her to make things awkward.

Seeing Nan Xing secure the card, a subtle smile finally curved at the corner of Li Beitian’s mouth, a rare sign of satisfaction.

"Drive slower next time!"

With those words, Li Beitian shot a sharp glance at Qi Zheng.

"Yes, Fourth Master," Qi Zheng replied, feeling somewhat wronged by the sudden shift in their boss’s attitude; it was clearly someone else who had cut in and changed lanes, though he had reacted quickly. Still, he dared not disobey orders and complied obediently.

By the time the car stopped outside the hospital, the rain had ceased.

Nan Xing got out, retrieved a seven-star fish ball soup from the supermarket, and returned to find Li Beitian still there.

The tall man leaned against the car, talking on the phone, exuding the charm of a mature man in every gesture.

Noticing Nan Xing, Li Beitian gave a brief instruction before ending the call.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Fourth Uncle. But why haven't you left yet? Aren’t you busy?" Nan Xing asked politely as she approached.

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, lowering his gaze to the food in her hands, his tone stern.

Nan Xing quickly replied, "No, I just didn’t want to keep you from work."

Li Beitian narrowed his eyes and snorted skeptically, then strode toward the hospital building.

Nan Xing followed close behind, thinking it was good she came after all—she could finally see Li Sicheng’s true colors.

The two entered the elevator one after the other. Just as the doors closed, a tall figure slipped inside.

Jin Yao was thrilled to see Nan Xing again, paying no attention to the man beside her.

"Miss Nan, I didn’t expect to see you so soon. By the way, what are you doing at the hospital?"

"I’m here to visit a friend," Nan Xing replied calmly and briefly. "How is the elder?"

"Grandma is fine now. After waking up, she kept mentioning you," Jin Yao said, his gentle gaze resting on Nan Xing. "Do you have time? Grandma wants to thank you in person."

Nan Xing hesitated slightly but didn’t notice the sharp, cold outline of the man in the elevator’s wall reflection.

"If I’m not too busy later, I’ll visit her."

Hearing this, Jin Yao was delighted.

During the elevator ride, he enthusiastically shared stories of his overseas studies with Nan Xing, apparently oblivious to Li Beitian’s incongruous presence beside them.

When the elevator stopped at the floor with the VIP ward, Jin Yao waved to Nan Xing before leaving.

"I’ll go tell Grandma the good news. Don’t forget, Miss Nan."

"Okay."

Once the elevator doors closed, silence fell.

As the floor numbers climbed, Nan Xing felt the atmosphere grow heavier.

After a moment, Li Beitian’s sudden voice broke the quiet.

"Are you close?"

Nan Xing blinked, then shook her head.

"Not at all."

"Really not?"

Li Beitian turned, his probing gaze sweeping over her with a tone tinged with playful reproach, as if settling an old score.

"Yes, really not."

Hearing this, Li Beitian narrowed his sharp, icy eyes. Taking a long stride, he cornered Nan Xing against the elevator wall.

"But why do I get the feeling you two are like old friends reunited?"

Li Beitian’s hand pressed firmly on the wall behind her, leaving Nan Xing nowhere to retreat. The air between them grew charged with subtle tension.

"Do you?" she teased.

Li Beitian’s lips pressed into a straight line, clearly reluctant to answer.

After a while, Nan Xing brushed a strand of hair from her ear, smirking playfully.

"Uncle, you really make it easy to misunderstand. It’s like—"

She trailed off.

"Like what?"

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a bottomless icy pool.

"Nothing."

Li Beitian seized her chin gently, his gaze tinged with a hint of grievance.

"Tell me."

"Uncle, you’re hurting me."

Nan Xing had now experienced his domineering side, pouting with a hint of complaint.

"You feel pain?" Li Beitian smiled faintly, his cello-like voice laced with irresistible temptation. "Then behave, okay?"

Nan Xing puffed her cheeks, her pink face resembling a little piglet.

"Respecting elders and cherishing the young is a traditional virtue of our nation, Fourth Uncle. How come you don’t cherish the young at all?"

Li Beitian’s forehead darkened.

This girl actually dared to call him old?

No one had ever dared to be disrespectful to him before.

She truly had a bold spirit!

The pressure on her chin suddenly intensified as Li Beitian leaned in, his features sharp and stern.

"Nan Xing, you better behave, or I can’t guarantee what might happen."

A mischievous glint flickered in the girl’s eyes.

She thought to herself, the worst has already happened—what else could be worse?

Worse than having slept with her fiancé’s younger uncle?

Just then, the elevator doors dinged open. Nan Xing seized the opportunity to break free from Li Beitian’s hold and stepped into the VIP ward.

Upon entering, she immediately witnessed a tender scene.

Li Sicheng leaned against the headboard, receiving an IV drip, while Nan Zhen’er sat beside him, carefully peeling an orange to feed him.

Noticing Nan Xing, Nan Zhen’er quickly stood and offered her seat.

"Brother Sicheng wanted some oranges. It’s inconvenient to peel them while on the drip, so I helped."

Before Nan Xing could ask, she had already explained herself, gentle and sweet as a little white rabbit.

Li Sicheng, however, sat there openly watching Nan Xing’s expression.

Clearly, he did not see what he had hoped for on her face.

Nan Xing paid no mind to this and placed the packed food on the small dining table, nodding toward Nan Zhen’er.

"Since you’re so helpful, why don’t you handle these too?"

Nan Zhen’er pinched her palm, glancing at the food boxes.

"It’s been less than forty minutes. Are you sure you didn’t buy the wrong thing?"

Just considering the trip from the east to the west side of the city, and then back, would take over an hour by taxi.

Nan Xing couldn’t possibly have done it.

She probably just grabbed something random to bluff her way through.

Thinking this, Nan Zhen’er eagerly opened the box, desperate to see Nan Xing embarrassed.

A country bumpkin like her couldn’t possibly have tasted any delicacies, maybe not even seen them.

"Ah, sis, you—" Nan Zhen’er was stunned the moment she opened the box.

Then incredulously looked at Nan Xing.

"Sis, did you buy this from the place Brother Sicheng mentioned? Why are there so many coriander leaves in this seven-star fish ball soup?"