Liu Mengqin drove Lin Xingwan back to her apartment. Apart from feeling weak, she was otherwise unharmed.
Lin Xingwan ate some plain congee and fell asleep.
When she woke up again, it was already afternoon.
On the bedside table sat a brand-new mobile phone with a note attached:
"Xingwan, I've prepared everything you need. I originally planned to go with you, but my son is sick, and I have to go back and take care of him. You'll have to go by yourself tonight."
At the bottom of the note was Zhou Jinbai's number.
Lin Xingwan typed the number onto the phone screen and dialed.
At the same time, in a living room decorated in a classical Chinese style, a white-haired old lady was watching the hottest xianxia romance drama of the moment.
"It's too heartbreaking, too heartbreaking. Little Orchid must end up with the Demon Lord." A pile of tissues lay beside the old lady. The mobile phone on the table vibrated.
"Jinbai, your phone is ringing," the old lady called out loudly towards the bathroom, wiping her tears.
"Grandma, I'm taking a bath. Can you answer it for me?"
The old lady then picked up the phone for her grandson.
"Hello?"
A pleasant voice came from the other end of the line, "Excuse me... is this Mr. Zhou Jinbai?"
Upon hearing it was a woman's voice, the old lady's cloudy eyes immediately lit up, and her tone became gentle. "Yes, yes, yes, I am his grandmother. Jinbai is not available to take calls right now. Who is this?"
Lin Xingwan's tense mood eased slightly. "Hello, Grandma. My name is Lin Xingwan. Mr. Zhou saved me yesterday during the fire at Century Hotel. He was injured, and I wanted to come and see him. Is it convenient?"
The old lady narrowed her eyes, carefully considering Lin Xingwan's words.
Her grandson, a hero saving a damsel in distress?
And now a young lady was coming to repay the favor?
This was a situation she, an old woman, knew how to handle!
"You don't have to be so formal. It was just a small matter for Jinbai. But if you insist on coming, it's not impossible." The old lady 'reluctantly' gave Lin Xingwan the address.
After hanging up the phone, she was so excited that she started to dance.
Heaven had sent her a granddaughter-in-law. She had to make a good impression on this first meeting.
Zhou Jinbai emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and saw his grandmother wearing a red knitted hat and carrying a small bag.
"My dear grandson, I'm going out to buy some groceries."
"Don't we have groceries at home?" Zhou Jinbai frowned, wiping water from his face as he walked towards the refrigerator.
It was full of food!
Had this old lady gone mad?
Meanwhile, Lin Xingwan, carrying the gifts bought by Sister Qin, and a red envelope of five thousand yuan, drove to her destination.
While driving, her phone rang.
It was a call from her fiancé, Gu Shaoting.
Lin Xingwan had no desire to answer and directly hung up.
She had already removed Gu Shaoting from her life plan and couldn't be bothered with further entanglement.
What's more, Lin Xingwan would never forget the scene of Gu Shaoting choosing to save Lin Shirou in the fire.
Before they were even married, this man had disregarded her life. What about when they had children? Would he abandon them like he did yesterday?
Just thinking about it made Lin Xingwan feel breathless.
Less than thirty seconds later, Lin Xingwan's phone chimed with a new message.
She glanced at the phone screen. Gu Shaoting, that persistent man, had actually sent her a message.
"Hanging up on me? Lin Xingwan, when will you stop being so willful? You're fine now, why didn't you report your safety? Do you think it's fun to see everyone worried about you?"
Without any need for buildup, Lin Xingwan's anger erupted like a wildfire.
This text message made her hands tremble as she gripped the steering wheel.
She had thought that no matter how scummy Gu Shaoting was, he would at least show some concern for her.
But this man did nothing but humiliate and condemn her.
Lin Xingwan wished she could appear before Gu Shaoting immediately, tear his mouth apart, and then stab him dozens of times, each stab missing vital organs.
However, she only took one second to block Gu Shaoting.
Wasting time with such a scumbag was disrespecting herself.
No one would wait in the same place for another person forever.
When Lin Xingwan found the address the old lady had given her, she discovered it was in what was rumored to be the "nail house" community in Rongcheng.
She remembered this place because Gu Shaoting had been in charge of developing this area years ago.
Even though skyscrapers had sprung up all around this community, it still maintained the architectural style of a 1980s standalone courtyard house.
Gu Shaoting had gone to great lengths, using all his connections and sending gifts, to acquire this land.
In the end, he was told not to touch this community because there were people living there whom they couldn't afford to offend.
Lin Xingwan found the house number and rang the doorbell, wondering how she would present the red envelope and gifts.
Meanwhile, inside the courtyard house.
Zhou Jinbai, who was stir-frying in the kitchen, held a seasoning bottle in one hand and a spatula in the other, looking at the old lady who was constantly directing him with a headache.
"Why don't you go and watch your drama? Have Little Orchid and Little Grape finished their finale? Or should I have someone film a few more 'Little Apple' and 'Little Pineapple' for you?"
The old lady was about to say something more when her ears perked up. "The doorbell is ringing, I'll get it."
She left the kitchen with a satisfied smile. Zhou Jinbai couldn't help but chuckle.
How come his grandmother's hearing problem, which had plagued her for years, seemed to have suddenly improved?
Based on his years of experience, she had definitely arranged a "senior bestie" gathering with other old ladies.
When the courtyard gate opened, Lin Xingwan was greeted by a kind-looking elderly woman.
Before Lin Xingwan could speak, the woman smiled and said, "You must be Wanwan. It's too cold outside, come in quickly before you freeze."
Lin Xingwan followed the old woman into the living room.
Living in a courtyard house in a prime location, with a large area of vegetables planted in the yard, Lin Xingwan felt as if she had stepped from the bustling city into a simple and tranquil countryside.
The living room's decor was also very classical Chinese. The wooden furniture was simple and elegant, and various ancient paintings hung on the walls, exuding a sense of timeless beauty.
"Wanwan, please sit for a while. Dinner will be ready soon." The old lady solicitously poured Lin Xingwan a glass of hot water and pushed a fruit platter towards her.
During this time, the old lady had already looked at Lin Xingwan multiple times with the eyes of a prospective grandmother-in-law. She was dignified and elegant, with a refined and cool demeanor, like a subtly fragrant orchid.
Very good.
The smile in the old lady's eyes deepened. She was more and more pleased the more she looked.
Just then, a tall figure emerged from the kitchen.
"The dishes are ready, we can—"
Zhou Jinbai's words trailed off as his gaze fell upon the woman in the light blue dress sitting on the sofa.
Lin Xingwan also looked at Zhou Jinbai. He was only wearing pants, his bare upper body revealing well-defined muscles that were even more striking than when he wore a black vest during the day.