For the first three days Jian Mubai was hospitalized, someone had to stay with him overnight.
Even though Jian Mubai said he could manage on his own, Lin Zhuyin was still worried.
After the critical three days passed, Lin Zhuyin would go home every night.
Jian Mubai, fearing for her safety, asked her to return home by 7 PM, but she insisted on staying until 10 PM.
On this day, as she was about to leave the hospital, Jian Mubai reminded her, "Did you bring everything?"
Lin Zhuyin patted her bag, "Don't worry, I've got pepper spray and a stun gun. And the police number is at the top of my contacts."
Jian Mubai nodded, "Good. Be careful on your way back, and call me when you get home."
"Okay, you need to rest well too, and don't do anything reckless! I might not be able to come tomorrow or the day after, but I'm at ease knowing Qinqin will look after you."
The thought of Shen Keqin brought a gentle smile to Jian Mubai's lips, "Mm."
Previously, for convenience, Lin Zhuyin had bought a small car. The parking lot was a bit far from her home. After parking, she grabbed her bag and started walking home.
It was late at night, and most people were already asleep. The weather was nice tonight, with moonlight, so it wasn't so scary.
But just then, Lin Zhuyin keenly sensed someone following her.
She walked faster, and the person behind her walked faster.
She slowed down, and the person slowed down.
She glanced in the moonlight and indeed saw a tall, dark shadow behind her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she was suddenly terrified.
Damn it, was she being followed?
She reached for her bag, took out the pepper spray, and with her other hand, pulled out her phone and pretended to make a call, "Hello... Yeah, I'm almost home, are you going to..."
Before she could finish, something tripped her, and without a moment's notice, she fell heavily to the ground.
At that moment, her shoulder was grabbed.
A chill ran down her spine, and she screamed, "Ah... Don't touch me!"
She sprayed the pepper spray wildly at the person. The next second, her wrist was grabbed, and a cold, familiar, and pleasant voice said, "It's me!"
Slowly opening her eyes, the moment she saw Shen Liubai, Lin Zhuyin's taut nerves suddenly relaxed. She slumped to the ground, tears streaming down her face.
Shen Liubai had never seen Lin Zhuyin cry so miserably. Even when they divorced, she hadn't shed a single tear. Today, she was so terrified.
"It's okay now."
Shen Liubai held Lin Zhuyin and comforted her for a while. Lin Zhuyin cried for a long time, still shaken, before slowly calming down.
Shen Liubai took the items from her hand and looked at them. He let out a soft snort, "At least you remembered to bring pepper spray. But remember, next time you use it, make sure to take off the cap."
Lin Zhuyin then realized she hadn't even removed the cap when she sprayed the pepper spray.
It was utterly useless.
Thinking that the person wasn't a bad guy but Shen Liubai, she felt incredibly fortunate that she had acted foolishly.
Otherwise, she didn't know what she would have done if she had sprayed Shen Liubai in the face.
Just as she was about to get up, she realized she had sprained her ankle. The moment she stood up, a piercing pain shot through her ankle.
Shen Liubai squatted down, lifted her trouser leg, and took a look. He saw that her ankle was already swollen. He frowned and picked her up directly.
Smelling the pleasant scent of Shen Liubai, Lin Zhuyin's heart began to race uncontrollably.
"Where do you live?"
"Huh?"
Her mind went blank for a few seconds. Realizing Shen Liubai might want to take her home, she struggled, "I... I can get back myself."
"What? Do you have someone at home, making it inconvenient for me to visit?"
Shen Liubai's tone was cold, and his gaze was not very friendly.
Lin Zhuyin didn't know why he was here, but after being together for so many years, Shen Liubai had always felt gentle and considerate, not so overbearing as he was now.
She had only said that she was being picked up to scare away the potential attacker. In reality, she was alone at home.
"If there's no one, then give me directions."
After a moment of hesitation, Lin Zhuyin pointed towards the building ahead, "That one, the eighth floor."
Shen Liubai said nothing more and carried Lin Zhuyin towards her home.
The moon was very bright tonight, and Lin Zhuyin could clearly see Shen Liubai's handsome face.
She had heard people say before that the Shen family had good genes; the men were all handsome, and the women were all beautiful.
That saying was truly not without reason.
Heaven seemed to favor the Shen family, bestowing them with not only the best appearances but also sharper minds than ordinary people.
While Shen Liubai's appearance wasn't as striking as Shen Chiyan's, both his eyes and nose were exceptionally handsome.
She felt like it had been ages since she and Shen Liubai divorced, but if she calculated carefully, it had only been two months.
In the past, when Shen Liubai held her like this, her favorite thing was to rest her head on his chest and listen to his strong heartbeat.
Now, she not only didn't dare to get close but also had to find ways to distance herself from him.
Because the moment she touched him, she craved more.
She didn't know what Shen Liubai was thinking at this moment, only that her own heart was in turmoil.
When they finally reached her doorstep, Lin Zhuyin looked at Shen Liubai, "Thank you, you can put me down now."
Shen Liubai didn't move. He just glanced at her indifferently, "Open the door."
Lin Zhuyin mused inwardly, would he want to come in?
Then she thought, he had already brought her home, and it would seem rather inhospitable to just let him leave.
Still being carried by Shen Liubai, she found her keys in her bag and opened the door.
The door was pushed open, and Lin Zhuyin looked at Shen Liubai, "Um... please come in..."
Shen Liubai didn't hesitate and walked straight in.
Seeing that it was a one-bedroom apartment, his dark eyes grew cold. After placing Lin Zhuyin on the sofa, he walked over and opened the shoe cabinet.
Seeing men's slippers inside, his handsome face grew colder.
He took out a pair of women's slippers and placed them in front of Lin Zhuyin, "Where's the medicine box?"
Lin Zhuyin felt awkward about ordering Shen Liubai around, so she said, "I'll get it myself."
But before she could get up, Shen Liubai pressed her back onto the sofa, "If you don't want your legs, then go!"
Lin Zhuyin pointed towards the TV cabinet, "Underneath there."
Jian Mubai walked over, found the medicine box, opened it, took out some muscle liniment, poured it into his hands, and began to massage Lin Zhuyin's ankle.
Shen Liubai's hands were a bit cool, and when they touched Lin Zhuyin's ankle, her heart trembled slightly.
As Shen Liubai's grip gradually tightened, she gritted her teeth in pain.
Shen Liubai looked up at Lin Zhuyin and said faintly, "You don't watch where you're going, you fall even in your own neighborhood."
Hearing this, Lin Zhuyin became displeased, "It's all because you were following me! I thought you were a bad guy."
Seeing Shen Liubai frown and remain silent, she was quiet for a moment before asking, "It's so late, why are you here?"