After breakfast, while wandering around the courtyard, Chen Xi suddenly noticed that several grapes on the vine had turned purple-red.

She stood on a stool and reached up to pick those fully ripe grapes.

Fan Mingsu came out of the kitchen carrying a large thermos and placed it on the dining table.

She said to Chen Xi, “Take this thermos of apricot skin tea to Yang Shan. Drinking this will help her appetite.”

Chen Xi nodded, jumped down from the stool, and went next door with the picked grapes cupped in her palm.

“Grandpa Guan, try this year’s freshly ripened grapes.”

The old man was half-lying on the sofa and nodded with a smile.

Chen Xi peeled a grape and fed it to Grandpa Guan.

She watched his eyebrows scrunch up dramatically, then his withered face immediately broke into a smile.

“Sweet, sweeter than any previous year.”

Grandpa Guan said with a smile.

Coming out of Grandpa Guan’s courtyard, Chen Xi looked up and saw an SUV parked at her front door.

Taking a closer look, she realized it was Qin Lie’s car.

She walked to the driver’s side and knocked on the car door.

Qin Lie had one elbow resting on the car window, sitting in the car, smoking, wearing a black baseball cap.

Hearing the sound, he turned to look out the car window.

The low brim of the baseball cap completely covered the gauze on his forehead, making his nose bridge appear even more prominent.

Chen Xi asked with a trace of surprise: “How did you get here?”

Qin Lie stubbed out his cigarette and said, “Shall we go?”

Chen Xi was stunned, then nodded: “Let’s go.”

She went back home to get her bag, picked up the apricot skin water Fan Mingsu had made for Yang Shan, and got into Qin Lie’s car.

“Let’s go to the traditional Chinese medicine hospital first.”

She said while fastening her seatbelt.

Qin Lie suddenly glanced at her, his gaze tightening almost imperceptibly: “What for?”

Chen Xi: “To deliver something to Yang Shan.”

Qin Lie made a sound of acknowledgment, started the car, and slowly drove out of the alley.

Outside the car, the sun was bright and the morning breeze refreshing, making Chen Xi’s hair flutter.

She tucked her messy hair behind her ears and suddenly remembered something, unable to hide her joy.

“Oh, by the way, do you know? Brother Yang Guan and Han Susu have a chance together.”

Qin Lie held the steering wheel and glanced at Chen Xi.

The morning sunlight streamed through the car window onto her vibrant face.

The smile in her eyes was about to overflow.

Qin Lie’s thick eyebrows raised slightly as he said quietly: “Is that so?”

Chen Xi looked at Qin Lie with bright eyes.

She and Qin Lie had twice witnessed this mismatched pair’s struggles together.

At this moment, she could hardly wait to share this good news with him.

Chen Xi nodded.

“Yes, Brother Yang Guan admitted it himself last night—he likes Han Susu too.”

The corner of Qin Lie’s mouth curved slightly, and a trace of warmth appeared in his dark eyes.

Chen Xi relaxed against the seat back, smiling as she reflected.

“To be seduced like that by Han Susu and still not give in—Brother Yang Guan has self-control.”

Qin Lie looked at the road ahead and suddenly spoke casually: “What about you?”

Chen Xi looked at Qin Lie with confusion.

“Me? What about me?”

Qin Lie didn’t speak, and the curve at the corner of his mouth took on a hint of faint mockery.

Chen Xi looked at that indescribable smile at the corner of his mouth and suddenly seemed to understand what he was asking.

Chen Xi deflected the conversation.

“Me? I’m waiting to drink at their wedding.”

Qin Lie smiled and said no more.

He drove to the entrance of the traditional Chinese medicine hospital, waited for Chen Xi to deliver the apricot skin water to Yang Shan, then drove her to the repair shop entrance.

Chen Xi got out of the car, walked a few steps, then turned back to see Qin Lie still in the car.

She asked: “Aren’t you going to the shop?”

Qin Lie: “I have some other business.”

After saying this, he turned the steering wheel and drove away.

Chen Xi watched Qin Lie’s car drive away before turning to walk into the shop.

Qin Lie drove straight to the used car market Chen Xi had visited.

For caution, he parked outside the market and casually put on sunglasses when getting out.

He wandered around the market once before, slowly strolling to the shop next to the one Yang Shan had mentioned, stopping in front of a black Mercedes.

Just as he was examining the car’s exterior, the shop owner came over to chat.

“How does it look? Want to test drive it?”

Qin Lie asked casually, “How many kilometers on this car?”

The boss said eagerly, “Eighty thousand kilometers, in excellent condition.”

He opened the car door to show Qin Lie the interior.

Qin Lie bent down to look inside the car, then straightened up and said quietly: “The car’s a bit old. How much?”

Boss: “This car was originally five hundred thousand. I’ll give it to you for three hundred fifty thousand.”

Qin Lie thought for a moment and shook his head: “Too expensive.”

The boss asked: “What’s your price range?”

Qin Lie thought and said, “Within two hundred thousand.”

The boss pointed to a Volvo nearby.

“Look at this one, one hundred eighty thousand.”

Qin Lie walked to the Volvo, circled it, his brow slightly furrowed, unable to make up his mind.

The boss enthusiastically promoted this car while Qin Lie listened silently.

Finally, he said: “I still want to buy something that holds its value—BMW, Mercedes, Audi are all fine. It’ll be easier to sell when I change cars again.”

The boss said with difficulty, “If you’d come two days earlier, I would have had a BMW that I sold yesterday.”

Qin Lie said nothing and continued examining the other cars parked under the canopy.

The boss of the shop, Yang Shan, had mentioned, sat under the awning, looked Qin Lie over twice, and chatted cheerfully with the neighboring shop owner: “Old Qiao, don’t you still have a BMW?”

Hearing this, Qin Lie turned to look at the shop owner behind him: “Do you?”

Boss Qiao scratched his head and said with a smile: “I do, BMW X5, over four hundred thousand. Want to see it?”

Qin Lie smiled without speaking.

After looking at several other cars, he showed little interest.

Boss Qiao saw that he probably couldn’t make a deal with this person, so he decided to do his neighbor a favor.

He smiled and asked: “Old Zhao, don’t you have a BMW? What’s your asking price?”

Boss Zhao said cheerfully, “One hundred eighty thousand, BMW 3 Series.”

Hearing this, Qin Lie unhurriedly strolled over and asked: “Can I take a look?”

Boss Zhao pointed to a white BMW parked at the far end of the canopy: “Go ahead, that one.”

Qin Lie walked around the car once. Boss Zhao followed and opened the car door for him to see.

“Almost like new, only fifty thousand kilometers.”

Qin Lie nodded, his face showing some interest.

He sat in the car, started it, and carefully checked the data on the dashboard.

He mentally recalled the height and build of the person who attacked Chen Xi—it didn’t match this Boss Zhao at all.

Just as he was about to get out and see if there were other people in the shop, he saw a motorcycle turn in and stop under the canopy.

A tall, burly man got off the motorcycle and limped over to Boss Zhao.

Qin Lie’s gaze suddenly tightened as he inconspicuously glanced at the man’s leg.

He saw two hideous scars on his right knee.

His gaze then fell on the man’s two prominent tattoo sleeves, and he was slightly stunned.

He suddenly understood why the person who attacked Chen Xi wore long sleeves on such a hot day, covering his upper body completely.

Qin Lie looked again at the man’s injured right leg, recalling how Chen Xi had chased after the dark figure with an iron rod that night, and the two screams that rang out in the darkness.

So she had struck this man’s leg twice.

Looking at the injuries, the beating was quite severe.

This person originally intended to ambush, but gained no advantage, instead getting hurt.

From the looks of it, it wouldn’t heal in a month or two.

Qin Lie couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly, thinking that Chen Xi was indeed not someone to mess with.

The man walked to the car. Qin Lie turned his head, pretending to examine a scratch on the leather passenger seat.

Boss Zhao said quietly, “I told you to stay home, why did you come out?”

The tattooed man said in a low voice: “It’s fine, it’s been two days without any movement.”

Boss Zhao snorted coldly: “At least she knows better.”

He waved his hand, and the tattooed man strode into the shop.

Two light knocks came on the car window. Qin Lie turned his head and looked coldly at Boss Zhao from under his sunglasses.

“How is it? This car’s not bad, right?”

Boss Zhao was all smiles.

Qin Lie pushed open the car door and smiled faintly: “Not bad.”

Boss Zhao: “Young man, you’d better decide quickly. Someone looked at this car yesterday and will pay a deposit in the next couple of days.”

Qin Lie nodded and said unhurriedly: “I’ll think about it some more.”

…

Business was busy at the shop today, and Chen Xi and the others worked until dark before closing.

Qin Zhan was eager to get back to Fangfang, so he instructed Liu Boyang to definitely escort Chen Xi home before hurrying off.

But as soon as he walked out, he saw Qin Lie’s car parked at the shop entrance.

Qin Zhan turned back and whistled roguishly toward the shop, shouting: “Boyang, Sister Xi has a driver, you don’t need to escort her.”

Qin Lie leaned against the car hood, smoking, giving Qin Zhan a half-smile.

Qin Zhan winked at his brother: “Bro, persistent men win reluctant women—keep at it and you’ll succeed.”

Qin Lie smiled and told him to get lost.

Soon, Liu Boyang also came out, grinned, and greeted Qin Lie before leaving.

Qin Lie stubbed out his cigarette and walked to the shop entrance to wait.

Soon, Chen Xi came out with her bag, looking up at him with a half-smile.

“Being my driver?”

Qin Lie looked down at her, the corner of his mouth curving faintly: “Let’s go.”

Chen Xi locked the door and got into Qin Lie’s car with a smile.

“I’m telling you, aren’t you all being a bit overly nervous?”

She fastened her seatbelt and spoke in a relaxed tone.

Qin Lie didn’t bother responding, started the car, and drove out without a word.

On the empty highway, streetlights flew past one by one.

Warm yellow light fell on the windshield, and the car was quiet.

Qin Lie casually tossed Chen Xi a package of painkillers.

“Brought from overseas, strong painkillers, for Grandpa Guan.”

Chen Xi picked up a box of medicine and looked at it—all foreign text.

She asked: “How do you take this?”

Qin Lie: “One pill morning, noon, and night. If the pain is severe at night, you can add another.”

Chen Xi nodded: “How much? I’ll transfer the money to you.”

Qin Lie ignored her, just glanced at her coolly.

Chen Xi stopped talking.

After a long while, Qin Lie spoke again.

Out of nowhere, he said: “Chen Xi, you don’t have to shoulder some things alone.”

Chen Xi didn’t understand why he suddenly said this.

She looked at him with a smile: “What am I shouldering?”

Qin Lie looked at her with a complex expression but said nothing.

Chen Xi smiled and said quietly: “What have I ever shouldered alone? You all pooled money for me to open the repair shop, Dr. Yang takes care of my grandmother’s health, you help with Grandpa Guan’s illness…”

Qin Lie interrupted her: “Do you not know who attacked you that night?”

Chen Xi was stunned, then smiled faintly.

“So what if I know? Without evidence, should I drag those two hotheads Qin Zhan and Boyang into it?”

She looked at the flowing light and shadow on the car window and said slowly: “That matter is over. There won’t be any more danger—trust me.”

Qin Lie’s face showed no expression, but his heart suddenly sank inexplicably.

Not much, just enough to fit the glimpse of her in his peripheral vision.

Her strength, in his eyes, became an indescribable tenderness.

It was a very deep feeling—for Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang, for Yang Shan, for the relatives and friends she cherished around her.

He suddenly felt inexplicably jealous of those people.

The car entered the city. Qin Lie asked: “Want to eat something?”

Chen Xi shook her head: “My aunt came, and she made cold noodles tonight.”

Qin Lie smiled and drove into the lively streets.

At her front door, Chen Xi got out and bent down to look into the car.

“Thanks.”

She said with a smile.

Qin Lie looked at her. In the dim night, his gaze seemed to hide something, yet its content was obvious.

Chen Xi’s ears unconsciously warmed slightly. She patted the car.

“Go on, drive safely.”

Qin Lie made a sound of agreement and was about to turn around when he heard Fan Mingsu’s dramatically surprised exclamation from the gate.

“Oh my, is that Little Qin?”

In the blink of an eye, the little old lady swept over to the car like a gust of wind.

Qin Lie smiled at Fan Mingsu, opened his mouth, and called: “Grandma.”

The low, husky tone combined with this sudden obedience left Chen Xi speechless.

Fan Mingsu smiled so widely her eyes disappeared: “Ah, Little Qin, have you eaten tonight?”

Qin Lie shook his head: “Not yet.”

Fan Mingsu: “Come, come quickly. Chen Xi’s aunt made cold noodles and fresh chili oil—delicious!”

Qin Lie: “Alright.”

Chen Xi stood to the side unable to get a word in, watching helplessly as Qin Lie got out of the car and was enthusiastically welcomed into the courtyard by Fan Mingsu.

Chen Mei was tidying up miscellaneous items in the courtyard. When she looked up and saw it was Qin Lie, her face immediately showed a delighted smile.

“Little Qin is here.”

She greeted Qin Lie, then looked at Chen Xi meaningfully.

When she first saw this young man in Xi’an, her eyes lit up.

After returning, she heard from Fan Mingsu that when Grandpa Guan was sick and hospitalized, this young man had run around helping.

Looking at this situation, the young man’s intentions were obvious—she just didn’t know what Chen Xi was thinking.

Fan Mingsu didn’t care what Chen Xi was thinking. She wished her little courtyard were a spider’s den where this good young man, hard to find even with a lantern, couldn’t escape even with wings.

Her thoughts aligned perfectly with Qin Lie’s subtle intentions.

One was eager to please, the other climbed up the offered pole, leaving Chen Xi stunned.

Fan Mingsu brought out the white liquor left over from Grandpa Guan’s birthday and cheerfully offered it to Qin Lie: “Have a couple of drinks?”

Chen Xi came out from the kitchen carrying prepared cold noodles and quickly said, “He drove here, he can’t drink.”

But Qin Lie had already accepted the liquor, filled Fan Mingsu’s cup, and then unhurriedly filled his own.

“It’s fine, I’ll take a taxi home.”

Fan Mingsu smiled as she accepted the cup and shouted toward the kitchen.

“Mei, stir-fry two more dishes.”

Chen Xi glanced at Qin Lie and caught his faintly smiling gaze.

She dropped the line: “I’ll go help.”

And turned into the kitchen.