Chapter 15

Although both Ning Qingxue and Lin Luoxuan suspected that Ye Hongli might be more than just Ning Chen's subordinate, they knew their boundaries and did not probe further into the nature of their relationship.

Still, they did not fully believe that Ning Chen could act so recklessly in Chuzhou and completely disregard the Four Great Families.

Even though Ning Chen had slashed Chen Yanran's face, extorted a hundred million yuan from the Chen Family, and secured a share transfer contract from Tianzheng Group, they felt it was far more likely that he owed this all to the fact that he could save Chen Yaowei's life.

Coupled with the Chen Family's misconception that Ning Chen was named Lin Chen and was Lin Luoxuan's younger brother, it was for these reasons that the Chen Family had refrained from taking action against him.

However.

This at least allowed Ning Qingxue to breathe a sigh of relief. From the look of it, as long as Ning Chen went by the name "Lin Chen" while in Chuzhou, he should not encounter any major problems for the time being.

Shortly after.

Ning Chen and the others left the First People's Hospital of Chuzhou City.

Lin Luoxuan went off to work.

As for Ning Chen, he accompanied his sister and the others to the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Chuzhou City for a checkup and to set up a prenatal care file.

Although Ning Chen possessed peerless medical skills and was fully capable of treating his sister's condition, he was not an expert in obstetrics. Going through the proper hospital procedures was, after all, the most appropriate course of action.

That same evening.

After celebrating together, Ning Chen still returned to the apartment where Lin Luoxuan lived.

Because his sister's place was only a two-bedroom apartment, Lin Luoxuan had taken the initiative to invite Ning Chen to continue staying at her home.

"Ning Chen, shouldn't I have invited you to stay here?"

Once they arrived home, Lin Luoxuan furrowed her brows slightly and stared at Ning Chen.

Ning Chen was momentarily taken aback. "What do you mean?"

"I noticed earlier downstairs, when that Miss Ye left, the way she looked at you seemed full of reluctance. If I hadn't invited you, would you have gone to live with her instead? I'm starting to wonder if my good intentions turned into a bad thing..."

Lin Luoxuan said with a somewhat peculiar expression.

Ning Chen: "..."

"I've already told you, she and I are not like that," Ning Chen said helplessly.

"You look like a seasoned veteran among women. With such a great beauty by your side, would you really let her go?" Lin Luoxuan retorted.

She recalled how Ning Chen had flicked her nose and pressed against her lips at the hospital. Though they were minor gestures, they felt intensely ambiguous, as if he were deliberately trying to flirt with her. This led her to believe that Ning Chen must be very experienced when it came to women—a true veteran of the romance world.

A seasoned veteran among women?

Ning Chen never expected her to hold such a misunderstanding, so he immediately said, "To tell you the truth, I'm still a virgin."

Lin Luoxuan curled her lip. "Do you expect me to believe that?"

Ning Chen: "..."

Lin Luoxuan gave a light snort. "In my experience, a man might brag about how many relationships he's had or how many women he's been with, but he would never take pride in still being a virgin. Especially as they get older—haven't touched a woman yet, and talking about it feels humiliating. Even if they've never touched a woman, they'll often boast about how many they've played with, rattling on about it as if they're experts, all because they're terrified of being looked down upon. That's how a man's mind works. But you said those words just now so casually, it looks an awful lot like a seasoned player deliberately putting on a pure act. It has zero credibility."

A ripple went through Ning Chen's heart. He swept his gaze up and down Lin Luoxuan, eyeing her suspiciously. "Based on your experience? Do you have a lot of experience in this area?"

Lin Luoxuan instantly understood what Ning Chen was implying. Her face flushed slightly, and she snapped indignantly, "With the internet so advanced these days, even if you haven't eaten pork, haven't you seen a pig run? Your big sister here is pure and undefiled, so stop looking at me with those suspicious eyes!"

Ning Chen chuckled. "What a coincidence, then. You're still a virgin, and I'm still a virgin—we make a perfect match, and neither of us loses out."

Lin Luoxuan glared at Ning Chen. "Who's making a match with you? Your sister and I are best friends, and I treat you like a younger brother, yet you're eyeing my body?"

Ning Chen almost choked on his own saliva.

To be honest, last night he *did* harbor some impulsive thoughts, especially after catching a glimpse of Sister Luoxuan's half-hidden figure behind the veil of the bath towel; he had indeed felt a bit tempted.

Naturally, he could not admit to that.

At the same time, the memory of that tantalizing, semi-visible sight beneath the bath towel last night stirred his curiosity all over again.

Was Sister Luoxuan really a White Tiger?

At this thought, Ning Chen's gaze couldn't help but drift downward.

Lin Luoxuan felt somewhat uncomfortable under Ning Chen's gaze, especially when she noticed where his eyes were looking. She snapped angrily, "Where do you think you're looking?"

"Cough, cough." Ning Chen gave a light cough and pulled his gaze back.

Lin Luoxuan couldn't help but recall how, after she had fallen last night and Ning Chen came over to help her up, her bath towel had slipped open, seemingly exposing a corner. Could he have seen it?

Lin Luoxuan wasn't certain.

Yet remembering that incident only made her feel irritated—it had been utterly mortifying.

"I'm going back to my room."

With a slightly flushed face, Lin Luoxuan turned and walked toward her bedroom.

"Slow down, don't fall again."

Ning Chen smiled.

"Ah!"

Just as the words left Ning Chen's lips, Lin Luoxuan let out a cry of pain. Her body listed to one side, and she nearly lost her footing. Fortunately, this time Ning Chen instantly flashed forward and caught her, preventing her from actually hitting the floor.

"Are you alright?"

Ning Chen asked with concern.

A look of pain appeared on Lin Luoxuan's fair, tender face, and she glared resentfully at Ning Chen. "It's all your fault, you jinx. I've sprained my ankle."

As she spoke, Lin Luoxuan drew in a sharp breath.

For when she tried to move it, a sharp pain shot from her left ankle, draining the color from her face.Lin Luoxuan was wearing a white dress paired with crystal high heels. She was tall, with fair, tender, and delicate skin, and a pair of beautiful legs partially exposed. Because of this, when Ning Chen lowered his head, he saw that her ankle was severely swollen. "I tripped and sprained it yesterday. It was just a dull ache at first, and fortunately it didn't affect my mobility, but before it could heal, I sprained it again today." Lin Luoxuan's eyes welled up with mist, her eye sockets moist from the pure pain. "Don't move. I'll carry you to the couch." With that, Ning Chen scooped Lin Luoxuan up in a bridal style, cradling her in his arms, and walked toward the couch. "What are you doing?" Lin Luoxuan was startled, instinctively wrapping her arms around Ning Chen's neck. "Naturally, I am going to use my superb medical skills to cure your sprained ankle. Or would you rather just stay in pain and not be able to get out of bed tomorrow?" Ning Chen said with a smile. Lin Luoxuan looked at him in skeptical surprise: "You know how to treat a sprained ankle?" "I can even bring people back from the brink of death. Could a mere sprained ankle possibly stump me?" Ning Chen laughed. "Go on, keep bragging..." Lin Luoxuan pouted, but right as the words reached her lips, she suddenly realized that Ning Chen didn't seem to be bragging at all. Thinking of this, she stopped resisting. Her ankle was throbbing with pain, and if Ning Chen could really restore her foot to normal and take the pain away, that would be for the best. Besides. Being held in Ning Chen's arms, she could feel his masculine aura and his chest muscles—though hidden beneath his clothes and not very obvious visually, they felt remarkably firm to the touch right now. This caused a faint blush to rise once again on Lin Luoxuan's face. In her memory, Ning Chen was still just an underage little brother, and most of her memories of him were frozen in time from seven years ago. Yet now, Ning Chen had grown into a real man. Furthermore, even she had to admit that Ning Chen fit her aesthetic preferences to absolute perfection. Most crucially of all, while she wasn't a lesbian, she had never been particularly fond of men. If a man got too close to her, it would instinctively repel her; otherwise, she wouldn't have kept so many suitors at arm's length. Yet, Ning Chen was an exception. For instance, as she was being held in Ning Chen's arms right now, to keep from falling, she had instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, yet there wasn't even a trace of disgust in her heart. This realization made Lin Luoxuan's expression somewhat unnatural. *He's my best friend's little brother. What on earth am I thinking?* Lin Luoxuan bit her lip and hurriedly chased these chaotic thoughts out of her mind. It was then that she noticed Ning Chen lowering his head, looking at her with a peculiar expression in his eyes. "What is it?" Lin Luoxuan's gaze instantly turned guarded. Ning Chen smiled and said, "Sister Luoxuan, you can let go of me now." Let go? Lin Luoxuan suddenly snapped back to reality. Ning Chen had already carried her over to the couch, bent down, and placed her on it. But because she had zoned out earlier, she was still clinging to his neck and hadn't let go. Her cheeks instantly turned crimson, and she quickly pulled her hands back: "I, I was just spacing out." "I know. My charm is simply too great, so it's only natural that you'd be infatuated with me." A smile hung on Ning Chen's face. "You..." Lin Luoxuan arched an eyebrow and said playfully, "Narcissist!" Yet, teased by Ning Chen in this manner, Lin Luoxuan's awkwardness largely dissipated, and her face was no longer burning red. Knowing his objective had been achieved, Ning Chen smiled. He pulled over a small stool and sat down opposite Lin Luoxuan. Then, he lifted her left foot and placed it across his lap. "What are you doing?" Lin Luoxuan was startled and instinctively tried to pull her foot back, but the moment she exerted force, a stabbing pain surged through it. Unable to hold back the agony, she let out a soft groan. Ning Chen immediately said, "Naturally, I'm reducing the swelling on your ankle. Also, Sister Luoxuan, could you please not make sounds like that? It leaves far too much room for imagination." "You..." Lin Luoxuan glared at Ning Chen through clenched teeth. "That was from the pain! What on earth are you thinking?" She felt that Ning Chen was nothing like a miraculous doctor. He was worlds apart from the cold, ruthless image he had projected back at the Ning Family Old Mansion—where he effortlessly overturned Zhou Shihao's subordinates with a wave of his hand—and at the hospital, where he slashed Chen Yanran's face. Right now, he was unserious and completely mischievous. Yet this made him remarkably similar to the Ning Chen she remembered from seven years ago. Although Lin Luoxuan suspected that Ning Chen was deliberately teasing her, upon second thought, she figured this was actually a good thing. It proved that Ning Chen was completely normal, and that the destruction of the Ning Family hadn't filled his heart with hatred, turned him cold and merciless, or reduced him to a single-minded revenge machine—let alone a warped, twisted periot. "Mmm~" Just as these thoughts crossed her mind, she couldn't help letting out another soft moan. Half from the pain. Half from the relief. It turned out that while she was spacing out, Ning Chen had already placed his palm over her sprained left ankle, and a wave of warmth was radiating from his hand. There was a twinge of pain at the initial touch, but soon, as Ning Chen's palm massaged gently, a mysterious force seemed to permeate her skin, bringing a tingling, slightly itchy sensation that felt indescribably wonderful. Yet when she noticed Ning Chen suddenly raising his gaze to look at her, a blush crept up her cheeks once more. She glared at him, but didn't say any harsh words; instead, she simply bit her lip, determined not to make another sound.