Siheyuan: I will never tolerate gambling and drugs!

Steel Rolling Mill Clinic

Because it was going to rain, the sky was gradually being swallowed up by the twilight outside the window.

The old-fashioned wall clock made a crisp "click" sound with each tick of its hands, breaking the overly quiet atmosphere of the room.

Xu Lin finally closed the thick medical record in his hand, his well-defined fingers lightly tapping the cover.

He looked up, his gaze passing over the table and landing on the slender figure who was tiptoeing and carefully organizing the top-shelf medicine cabinet.

"Alright."

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached Ding Qiunan's ears clearly.

"Let's finish this and get off work quickly. Judging from the weather, it looks like it's going to rain today."

Ding Qiunan suddenly stopped arranging the medicine bottles.

She slowly turned around, and a faint but clear expectation instantly ignited in her bright eyes.

"Dr. Xu, aren't you leaving?"

Her voice carried a hint of barely perceptible joy.

"We're going the same way, we can go together..."

"I still have a few special cases to process, so I'll be leaving later."

Xu Lin didn't look up; his gaze remained fixed on the documents on the table. He casually made up a lie.

He was joking, but he had an appointment with Liu Lan today, and he couldn't leave at this time. After all, Liu Lan's land hadn't been thoroughly searched in a while...

Ding Qiunan pursed her lips slightly, and the budding expectation quickly faded away like a flame blown by a cold wind.

Her gaze lingered on Xu Lin's calm, expressionless profile for a full two seconds. She tried to find even the slightest flaw in his focused work expression.

But no.

A wave of conflict washed over her; she wasn't stupid. This wasn't the first time she'd heard this excuse. Last time, near the end of the workday, he'd used a similar pretext to get rid of her.

Then Liu Lan from the cafeteria will come over, and the same thing will happen as she saw last time.

"Oh, then I'll be going now."

Ding Qiunan's voice was muffled, as if it were being squeezed out from deep in her throat.

She took off the white coat that Xu Lin had given her when she first arrived, folded it carefully, and moved slowly, as if every movement had exhausted all her strength.

She walked out of the infirmary and closed the door behind her. The dim light in the corridor cast a long shadow of hers.

As she went downstairs, a cool evening breeze blew by, but Ding Qiunan didn't head straight for her dormitory. Her heart felt heavy, like it was stuffed with a wad of damp cotton, making it hard for her to breathe.

Her feet veered uncontrollably, and as if by magic, she hid in the deepest shadow at the corner of the stairwell. She wanted to verify if her previous encounter was just a coincidence.

Time passed by, second by second.

Maybe it was less than five minutes, or maybe it felt like an eternity.

A familiar figure finally came into her view.

刘岚

She was carrying a cloth bag in her hand, the contents of which were unclear, and she was walking hurriedly.

Before entering the medical building, she habitually stopped and looked around warily.

After confirming that no one was around, she darted into the building housing the infirmary like a nimble cat.

Ding Qiunan leaned firmly against the cold wall, her whole body frozen. Her fingernails dug deep into the wall plaster, the rough texture sending a stinging pain through her fingertips, but she felt nothing.

Although I had a premonition, it was a different story when my guess was confirmed, when my vague premonition turned into a clear picture before my eyes.

She bit her lower lip, and a sudden, inexplicable sour feeling surged from the deepest part of her heart, rushing into her nasal cavity, almost suffocating her.

Why should I?

A huge question mark exploded in her mind.

In terms of looks, she believes she is second to none.

In terms of academic qualifications, she is definitely superior to Liu Lan.

In terms of age, she was much younger than Liu Lan.

But why did Dr. Xu fall for a kitchen helper in the cafeteria?

That Liu Lan, she's even a woman with a man! She already has a child!

Dr. Xu is so outstanding, so brilliant, how could he...

An impulse surged through her; she wanted to rush out and ask Xu Lin face to face.

The toes had just stepped out of the shadow when they abruptly pulled back.

In what capacity did she go?

An ordinary colleague? A lowly subordinate?

What right does she have to question his private life?

just in case……

If I really anger Xu Lin, will I even lose the chance to stay by his side now...?

This thought instantly made her frown.

Ding Qiunan grew increasingly resentful. She stomped her foot suddenly, as if to trample all her unhappiness underfoot. Then, she turned around and ran towards the dormitory without looking back.

Just as Ding Qiunan rushed to the staff dormitory building, she stumbled and almost bumped into a greasy-smelling man's arms.

"Oh dear, Nurse Ding, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry? Who upset our factory's beauty?"

A sticky, musky voice entered his ear. The nickname "factory beauty" was a ranking Cui Dake and some bored workers had made during casual conversations.

Ding Qiunan suddenly stopped and raised her bloodshot eyes.

It's Cui Dake.

He was carrying a wobbly net bag containing two bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and next to it was a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper, the aroma wafting into his nostrils. The smile on his face was so forced it was nauseating.

Ding Qiunan is annoyed by everyone now, and the fire burning in her chest makes her want to explode somewhere.

Too lazy to waste words, she kept a straight face and turned to walk around.

"Get out of the way."

"Don't do that!"

Cui Dake, with his large, imposing body, blocked the way shamelessly.

He pushed the net forward, and the aroma of the wine bottle and roast chicken became even stronger.

"Nurse Ding, what happened in the infirmary last time was a complete misunderstanding. I'm not good with words and offended you, so I've been wanting to find a chance to apologize. Look, I've already bought the food and drinks; I just wanted to treat you to a simple meal to say sorry, nothing more."

I'm not going.

These three words were stuck in Ding Qiunan's throat, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.

Her mind was filled with Liu Lan's furtive figure sneaking into the infirmary building, and Xu Lin's businesslike, emotionless profile.

A surge of anger, mixed with resentment and unwillingness, shot from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.

On what grounds?

Why should he let a married woman with children have her way instead of me? If Xu Lin knew what Ding Qiunan was thinking right now, he would definitely cry out in protest: "I'm willing! I really am willing!"

"Nurse Ding, if you don't give me face, I, Cui Dake, am not leaving here today." Cui Dake continued to ramble on, "We're from the same factory, we see each other all the time. Although I'm a rough man, I sincerely want to make friends. Just have a meal, and I promise I'll personally walk you to your dormitory afterward, no questions asked."

Ding Qiunan's stomach growled at an inopportune moment.

She hasn't had dinner yet, and the overwhelming aroma of roast chicken is relentlessly eroding her last shred of sanity.

I'll go.

A bold idea began to take root in her mind.

She wanted to see if Dr. Xu would care even a little bit if he found out.

"Just a meal?"

Ding Qiunan raised her eyelids, staring at him suspiciously, her voice carrying a hint of wariness and caution.

"Absolutely! We'll eat! I swear to God!"

Seeing that things were looking promising, Cui Da immediately puffed out his chest and patted it loudly, his heart already bursting with joy.

The fish has taken the bait!

Ding Qiunan wasn't stupid after all; a last shred of wariness prevented her from being completely at ease.

Her eyes darted around and she saw her roommate, Xiao Li, returning from the washroom carrying a washbasin.

She grabbed the other person's arm as if it were a lifeline.

"Xiao Li, you haven't eaten either, have you? Come on, someone's treating."

Xiao Li was taken aback. He looked at Ding Qiunan, then at Cui Dake, who was all smiles. When he smelled the aroma of meat, his eyes lit up.

"Really? That's great!"

Cui Dake's smile froze for a moment.

He cursed this unexpected third wheel a thousand times in his mind, but he still had to force an even more generous smile on his face.

"Yes, yes, let's go together! It'll be more fun with more people!"

The three left the steel rolling mill one after the other and headed towards the dormitory for single employees.

Cui Dake's dormitory is located at the very back of the first floor; it is a double room.

Pushing open the door, a mixture of sweat, smoke, and cheap face cream wafted out. The room was simply furnished, with two single iron beds against the wall, one of which was empty, even the bedding was neatly folded.

Cui Dake really went all out for tonight.

Just now, he made an excuse to go to the restroom and deliberately went to the cafeteria kitchen to ambush his roommate Nan Yi, who was about to leave work. He forced a dollar into Nan Yi's hand, telling him to spend the night in a small hotel outside.

One dollar!

That's equivalent to a day's wages for him; this huge sum is enough for him to eat several good meals outside.

But who is Nan Yi? He's a shrewd shrew. The moment he saw Cui Dake's posture, he knew he had no good intentions. He took advantage of the situation and extorted a promise of two meals from him before leaving with the money, completely satisfied.

After entering the house, Cui Dake spread the oil paper wrapping on the table, revealing the golden-brown and fragrant roast chicken inside.

He then took out two enamel mugs and a chipped bowl, unscrewed the caps of the Erguotou bottles, and began to pour liquor for the two people in front of him.

"Come on in, Nurse Ding, Comrade Li, don't be shy!"

He filled Ding Qiunan's cup first.

"Nurse Ding, this first drink is for you. I was ignorant before, so I'll punish myself with one!"

After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed the wine in his bowl.

Ding Qiunan had something on her mind, so she picked up the enamel mug with a blank expression and took a big sip, just like him.

The spicy liquid burned her throat instantly, bringing tears to her eyes and causing her to furrow her brow.

Xiao Li over there was a straightforward girl; her world wasn't filled with complicated schemes. At that moment, all she could see was the roast chicken. She didn't care about being polite, reaching out to tear off a large, glistening chicken leg and stuffing it into her mouth to chew heartily.

Cui Dake's eyes twitched as he watched. That was the essence he had prepared to enhance his relationship with Ding Qiunan, but now, this unexpected troublemaker had devoured it all.

He felt a pang of heartache, but he still had to put on a smile.

Everyone was preoccupied with their own ulterior motives during the meal.

Ding Qiunan barely touched her chopsticks, just silently drinking one glass of spicy liquor after another.

Xiao Li, on the other hand, focused intently on dealing with the roast chicken.

Cui Dake's gaze remained fixed on Ding Qiunan's flushed cheeks, never leaving them for a moment.

The dinner party was halfway through.

"Boom—"

A muffled clap of thunder suddenly sounded outside the window, shaking the dimly lit room three times.

Immediately afterwards, large raindrops pounded against the window, instantly forming a curtain of rain that blurred the entire world.

"Oh no! My clothes!"

Xiao Li suddenly cried out, his mouth still stuffed with half a piece of chicken, and stood up incoherently.

"Xiao Ding, the new shirt I made is still hanging outside to dry! If it rains, I won't be able to wear it to work tomorrow!"

"Okay, I'll go back too..."

Startled by the thunder, Ding Qiunan also stood up and tried to leave.

Cui Dake had been waiting for this opportunity!

He couldn't let her go, so he strode forward and placed his large hand on Ding Qiunan's shoulder.

"Nurse Ding, what's the rush? Look at this rain, it's pouring down, and it's not going to stop anytime soon. It's not too late to leave when the rain subsides. Comrade Li had no choice; his clothes were the priority."

His palms were thick and hot, making Ding Qiunan feel uncomfortable even through the thin fabric of her clothes.

As Cui Dake spoke, he pulled out an oil-paper umbrella from behind the door, the umbrella surface still had several holes.

He shoved the umbrella into Xiao Li's hand.

"Go back quickly, don't catch a cold from getting wet."

Xiao Li took the umbrella, extremely anxious, and shouted something to Ding Qiunan.

"Xiao Ding, come back quickly after the rain stops!"

After saying that, she opened the tattered umbrella and dashed into the vast rain without looking back.

Only two people remained inside.

The smell, a mixture of alcohol, food, and hormones, instantly became thick and ambiguous.

Cui Dake closed the door slightly with his other hand, and the hinges made a soft "creak" sound.

He turned around and poured Ding Qiunan's enamel mug to the brim.

"Nurse Ding, that last drink doesn't count. This one is the real apology."

He moved closer, and the smell of smoke on his body became even stronger.

"Look, even God has spared you, which means we are destined to be together."

As Ding Qiunan listened to the pattering rain outside the window, the alcohol in her heart was stirred up like a turbulent sea.

She thought of Xu Lin again.

What were he and Liu Lan doing in the infirmary at that moment?

Are you listening to the rain too?

is not it……

She didn't dare to think about it anymore.

A sense of resignation washed over me.

She picked up the enamel mug, closed her eyes, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Impressive drinking capacity!"

Cui Dake's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he immediately poured her a third cup.

After a few glasses of strong liquor, Ding Qiunan felt dizzy and the whole world was shaking.

The roast chicken on the table and Cui Dake's greasy face both became double images.

She couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed onto the cold table, mumbling incoherently.

"Why...why her..."

Cui Dake looked at Ding Qiunan, whose face was flushed, eyes were glazed, and who had completely lost her ability to resist, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

His small eyes could no longer conceal his naked desire.

He stood up, tiptoed to the door, and gently and steadily inserted the old wooden door bolt into the latch.

"Click".

A soft sound shut out the entire world.

He turned around and walked back to the table, looking at his defenseless prey lying there, his smile turning ferocious and lewd.

"Nurse Ding?"

"Qiu Nan?"

He lowered his voice and tentatively called out twice.

Ding Qiunan only let out an unconscious groan and lay there motionless.

Cui Dake's courage grew completely.

He stretched out his strong arm and lifted Ding Qiunan's soft body off the stool, dragging her staggeringly toward the bed.

"Um... I want to go home..."

In her dazed state, Ding Qiunan instinctively pushed him, but his hand was limp and powerless.

"This is home, baby. From now on, this will be our home."

Cui Dake was panting heavily, his mouth almost watering. He used all his strength to throw Ding Qiunan heavily onto the creaking single bed.

At this moment, the rain outside the window was getting heavier and heavier.

Like parched land receiving rain, Liu Lan, empowered by his new role as the groom Xu Lin, performed exceptionally well until his legs ached. Xu Lin, a responsible man, naturally wanted to see it through and take him home; after all, he was quite satisfied with Liu Lan's performance, which lasted all three rounds.

After dropping Liu Lan off near her home, Xu Lin was caught in a sudden downpour on his way back. Although he was physically fit, he didn't want to get soaked and worry Qin Huairu, so he ran to take shelter under the eaves of a row of bungalows nearby. September rains are usually intermittent, stopping and starting as soon as they come, so Xu Lin wasn't worried.

This area is a dormitory area for single employees. It is relatively remote. At that time, the steel rolling mill had just become a joint state-private enterprise, and there were not many people. So, there were not many people living in the dormitory area.

As Xu Lin was patting the water droplets off his clothes, he suddenly saw a door open not far ahead. The young woman who worked in the personnel department rushed out with a tattered umbrella and hurriedly ran away.

"Isn't that Li from HR? Strange, isn't she staying with Ding Qiunan? What's she doing here?" Xu Lin raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, a gossipy expression appeared on his face. "So late at night, she must be here for a secret rendezvous with her lover... Who could it be?"

Xu Lin's gossipy heart, belonging to later generations, was instantly ignited. Since the rain was too heavy to leave anyway, and he had nothing better to do, he might as well go and see what the commotion was about.

He slipped along the wall and came to the window of the room. The curtains were not drawn tightly, leaving a gap about the width of a finger.

Xu Lin leaned closer and squinted to look inside.

Upon seeing this, anger instantly surged to his head.

Inside the room, Cui Dake, that bastard, had stripped down to his underwear and was lying on the bed tearing at Ding Qiunan's clothes. Ding Qiunan was clearly drunk; although she struggled, she couldn't push away Cui Dake, who was like a boar in heat.

"Damn it, this Cui Dake has some nerve! Daring to raid my base right under my nose? If I hadn't happened to be here, he would have succeeded!"

Xu Lin cursed angrily, all his gossip thoughts gone. He took two quick steps, raised his foot, and kicked the wooden door hard.

"Bang!"

The kick was powerful enough to break the latch, and the wooden door slammed heavily against the wall with a loud bang.

Cui Dake, lying on the bed, shuddered in fright and almost lost his erection. He turned around in terror, but suddenly everything went black. Before he could see who it was, he felt a large hand grab his neck and was lifted off the bed by a tremendous force.

"Who...ah!"

Xu Lin didn't waste any words with him. He grabbed Cui Dake and threw him to the ground, then kicked him hard in the stomach.

"You want to force yourself on me, huh? You want to take advantage of me, huh?"

With each question Xu Lin asked, he increased the pressure of his footing.

Cui Dake curled up like a shrimp, in so much pain he couldn't even scream, only able to make "hehe" gasping sounds, his face covered in snot and tears.

Startled awake by the loud commotion, Ding Qiunan, still somewhat drunk, clutched her torn collar and huddled in the corner. Seeing it was Xu Lin, tears instantly streamed down her face: "Dr. Xu... Dr. Xu, save me..."

Hearing Ding Qiunan's cries for help, Xu Lin became even more aggressive. Ignoring Cui Dake's pleas for mercy, he grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the wall twice until the guy rolled his eyes back and passed out. Only then did Xu Lin stop.

Then Xu Lin turned to Ding Qiunan, took off his coat and handed it to her: "It's alright, put it on quickly."

A warm, soft body bumped into him, carrying the coolness of rain, the spiciness of cheap liquor, and a heavy aura of fear.

Ding Qiunan shivered as she wrapped Xu Lin's coat tightly around herself, as if the thin fabric was her last barrier. She clung to Xu Lin, her legs too weak to stand, her face buried deep in his chest. The fear and grievances she had suppressed for so long finally broke through the dam and turned into a burst of sobs.

The cries were heart-wrenching, filled with lingering fear.

Xu Lin's hand hovered in mid-air before finally landing gently on her trembling back, soothing her with a steady rhythm.

His brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Today, that scoundrel Cui Dake almost took advantage of me; this is troublesome.

Xu Lin's mind raced as he calmly analyzed the possible next steps.

Should they be directly handed over to the neighborhood office or police station?

No.

In this era, the reputation of women is valued above all else. A young woman drinking in a men's dormitory late at night, and almost getting... If this gets out, no matter the truth, the gossip will drown Ding Qiunan.

Her life is over.

Moreover, this is a scandal within the factory. Xu Lin is the head of the infirmary, and Ding Qiunan is his subordinate. Yang Anguo entrusted her to him out of trust. Now that this has happened, how can he explain it to Yang Anguo? Where will the steel rolling mill's reputation be?

The impact must be kept to a minimum.

The goal is to make Cui Dake pay a heavy price while also protecting Ding Qiunan's reputation.

"Don't cry."

Xu Lin's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power, instantly drowning out the sound of rain outside the window and Ding Qiunan's crying.

"Wipe away your tears first."

The sobbing in her arms gradually subsided, leaving only soft sniffles.

Xu Lin released her and turned to scan Cui Dake's messy room. A bundle of hemp rope used for drying clothes was hanging in the corner. He pulled it down and skillfully tied the unconscious Cui Dake to the ground.

The binding method was the grappling lock commonly used by special police in later generations; the more you struggled, the tighter it would become.

To prevent the guy from yelling and screaming after waking up, Xu Lin casually picked up the smelly sock on the ground and expressionlessly stuffed it into Cui Dake's mouth.

After doing all this, he turned to look at Ding Qiunan.

"Let's go to the security office."

The rain had lessened considerably, but it was still drizzling, and the night wind was exceptionally cold.

Xu Lin placed Cui Dake, who was only wearing underwear and was tied up like a dumpling, on the back seat of the bicycle, as if he were carrying a freshly slaughtered pig, while Ding Qiunan tightly gripped the corner of Cui's clothes from behind.

She followed closely behind, like a frightened little animal clinging desperately to its only support.

The lights in the factory's security office were still on.

The security guard on duty was dozing off when he was startled awake by the sound of the door being pushed open. He looked up and immediately became alert.

He saw Xu Lin, the now highly sought-after director of the steel rolling mill.

Then, his gaze followed Xu Lin's hand downwards and saw a humanoid object on the ground that was bound and wriggling like a maggot, with something stuffed in its mouth.

The security guard was so startled that he jumped up from his chair.

"Director Xu, this...this is..."

"This kid got drunk and started acting like a scoundrel, and I caught him in the act."

Xu Lin spoke succinctly, throwing the dead-dog-like Cui Dake onto the cold cement floor.

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Lock him up first, don't interrogate him, and don't tell anyone."

Xu Lin emphasized his words.

"I'll report to Director Yang personally tomorrow when he arrives. This concerns the factory's overall atmosphere, understand?"

The security guards dared not ask a single extra question.

The person Director Xu personally brought in was specifically instructed to wait for Factory Director Yang to handle it; there's more to this than meets the eye.

He nodded repeatedly, bowing deeply, as if he had received an imperial edict.

"I understand, I understand! I promise my mouth is tighter than a belt! I won't let a single word slip out!"

After saying that, he quickly called another colleague, and they hurriedly dragged Cui Dake into the dark solitary confinement cell next door.

As I left the security office, a cold wind blew by.

Ding Qiunan shivered violently, gripping Xu Lin's clothes even tighter until her knuckles turned white from the force.

She refused to let go.

"Dr. Xu, I..."

Her voice was thick with sobs, and her eyes were filled with unbearable fear.

"I...I'm too scared to go back to the dorm."

She is afraid.

I'm afraid of being alone in the dark, afraid that when I close my eyes I'll see Cui Dake's hideous and lewd face, afraid of his dirty hands.

Xu Lin looked down at her pale face and terrified eyes, and sighed inwardly.

This girl was truly terrified today.

If she were to go back to her dorm alone now, she'd probably be struggling with nightmares all night.

"Alright, you can stay at my place for the night."

Upon hearing this, Ding Qiunan felt as if she were a drowning person grabbing onto a last piece of driftwood, and nodded gratefully.

She loosened her grip on Xu Lin's clothes, but still followed closely behind him, never falling behind, like a little tail afraid of being abandoned by its owner.

……

Back in the courtyard house, the lights in the west wing were still warm.

Xu Lin pushed open the door.

The aroma of food mixed with the warm scent of home wafted over, dispelling the chill from my body.

In the living room, Qin Huairu was sitting and knitting something. There were two plates on the table, covered with upside-down bowls, clearly waiting for him to come home for dinner.

Since the basement was built, Tan has rarely appeared in public at Xu Lin's house to avoid suspicion. Now, Qin Huairu prepares the meal and sits quietly in the living room, waiting for Xu Lin to come home from get off work.

Hearing the door open, Qin Huairu looked up in surprise, but her smile froze as she was about to speak.

She saw Xu Lin, and also saw Ding Qiunan, who was following behind Xu Lin in a disheveled state.

The pretty young nurse was wearing Xu Lin's cadre coat, her hair was messy, her big eyes were red and swollen, and there were still tear stains on her face.

Qin Huairu was stunned.

"Brother Xu, what's this...?"

Xu Lin closed the door behind him, shutting out the wind and rain from the courtyard.

He first led Ding Qiunan to sit down on the stool by the table, then picked up the thermos on the table and poured her a cup of boiling water.

After doing all this, he turned to Qin Huairu and explained in as simple a language as possible.

"On the way, I ran into a scoundrel named Cui Dake from the steel rolling mill who was being indecent, and I almost got into trouble."

"This girl is a nurse in my infirmary, named Ding Qiunan. She was terrified and didn't dare to go back to her dormitory alone, so she wanted to stay at our house for the night, so I brought her back."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu dropped what she was holding to the ground with a "thud".

She stood up abruptly, her face instantly filled with heartache and utter anger.

"That damned Cui Dake! How dare he! He deserves to be shot!"

She walked over quickly, not caring about any impropriety between men and women, and hugged Ding Qiunan, who was still trembling slightly. She wrapped her warm body around her and gently patted her back like she was comforting her wronged younger sister.

"It's alright, girl, you're safe now. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, that beast will definitely get what's coming to him."

Ding Qiunan felt the warmth emanating from Qin Huairu's embrace, a soft yet firm comfort belonging to a woman. She looked up and then at Xu Lin beside her, who stood there with a serious expression, shielding her from all the storms of life. The string in her heart, which had been stretched to its limit, finally relaxed completely.

Feeling wronged, fearful, and relieved, all these emotions intertwined and turned into warm tears, which silently streamed down my face once again.

But this time, it was tears of peace.

Qin Huairu looked up at Xu Lin, her beautiful eyes showing not a trace of blame or jealousy for her husband bringing a strange woman home.

It was full of trust in him and heartfelt tenderness.

"Brother Xu, go wash your face and change into some dry clothes so you don't catch a cold. Leave Ding to me, I'll take her upstairs to tidy up and let her get a good night's sleep."

Xu Lin nodded, watching Qin Huairu carefully lead Ding Qiunan by the hand, like an older sister leading her towards the stairs leading to the attic.

Xu Lin breathed a sigh of relief, then lit a cigarette and began to think seriously as he smoked. It seemed that even with his protagonist's halo, he could still be taken advantage of if he wasn't careful. This time it was just bad luck; if he wasn't so lucky next time, it would be much more troublesome. It seemed he needed to be more careful in the future and not let the female leads fall into someone else's clutches...