But why did he come here? He had finally recovered, so why did he come here instead of resting and recuperating at home?

Ye Xinning knew the answer to this question perfectly well, about 80-90 percent of the time, but she still couldn't convince herself that she was that important to Shen Lin.

Because she knew better than anyone else that once she convinced herself to accept the answer, the softest part of her heart would once again face the darkness.

Who could remain indifferent to someone who cares about them so much?

Thinking this to himself, Ye Xinning shifted his gaze away from Shen Lin.

In the brief silence that followed, Song Xiang spoke up. She looked at Shen Lin, squinting as she sized him up, "Nice to meet you. Should I introduce myself? This is the young master from the Shen family."

"Need not."

Upon hearing this, Song Xiang continued, "So you must know my identity now. I am Ningning's aunt, and logically speaking, you should also call me aunt."

Ye Xinning thought it was truly extraordinary that Song Xiang could say such a thing without blushing or skipping a beat.

Imagine if others didn't know their relationship was tense, Song Xiang herself could still introduce them so calmly, as if the kinship between these relatives really existed.

Ye Xinning smiled helplessly. It's really not easy for someone to live so persistently in their own world.

She looked at Shen Lin, curious about how he would respond to Song Xiang's question.

"I don't need your introduction, there's no need." Shen Lin's deep voice echoed in the large living room. His expression was indifferent, even somewhat cold.

Song Xiang found it hard to believe that this young man possessed such immense power at such a young age. "Why is it unnecessary?"

"My heart is small and can't hold too many things. Apart from her, I don't care about other people or things."

Shen Lin's short sentence made Ye Xinning look up from her low head and gaze at him with a complicated expression.

Song Xiang's laughter came from the side, attracting Ye Xinning's attention. Ye Xinning turned to look at her.

Shen Lin walked up to her without her noticing, and instead of saying anything else, he asked her a question.

Did she do anything to you?

Ye Xinning shook her head and said no.

Shen Lin took her hand again and said the words that Ye Xinning had heard not long ago.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Standing beside Shen Lin, Ye Xinning was still deeply shocked and incredulous by that simple sentence.

Ye Xinning remained silent. She knew in her heart that it would be inappropriate for her to say anything at this time, and she also knew that she shouldn't bring up unimportant things. What she needed to do now was figure out what Song Xiang was up to and ensure her and Shen Lin's safety.

"Aunt, how long are you going to keep us here?" She looked at Song Xiang.

Song Xiang remained the same as before, "I said, I just want you to stay and talk to me, even just chatting is fine."

"I don't think we have anything to talk about."

"Really? But I don't think so. I think there's so much to talk about."

Shen Lin lowered his voice, his tone growing colder with each word, "Madam Qin, is that it? All my men are outside. We are not afraid of whatever Madam Qin really wants to do. We just hope Madam Qin thinks carefully about whether it is really worth it."

"Are you trying to blackmail me, young man?"

"I'm just trying to make Madam Qin understand one thing: don't go further down this path."

The smile on Song Xiang's face gradually disappeared, replaced by an unreadable gloom. "You also think that I've been wrong all along?"

"Otherwise what?"

"Hahaha……"

Song Xiang kept sneering, his voice becoming more and more frightening. Ye Xinning inexplicably felt that Song Xiang seemed to be losing his composure excessively at this moment.

“I am not wrong, I have never been wrong.” Song Xiang stopped laughing, looked at Shen Lin, and spoke coldly.

“Sinking down.”

Ye Xinning tugged at Shen Lin's clothes again.

"Let's go."

Shen Lin gripped her hand tightly, and the force gave Ye Xinning a strange sense of peace.

Shen Lin led Ye Xinning toward the door, and Song Xiang shouted, "Don't let them leave!"

The bodyguards stepped forward and blocked Ye Xinning and Shen Lin's path. Shen Lin immediately started fighting with the bodyguards, and Ye Xinning didn't just stand by and watch. She also joined in to clear a path for Shen Lin.

The bodyguards were all well-trained. At first, due to negligence, Shen Lin and Ye Xinning gained the upper hand. However, seeing that Ye Xinning and Shen Lin were both very skilled, the bodyguards also used all their abilities.

As Ye Xinning gradually became exhausted, a bodyguard attacked her from behind with a stick. By the time Ye Xinning reacted and tried to dodge, it was too late. However, the stick that should have hit her did not land on her.

When Shen Lin saw someone approaching Ye Xinning with a stick, his pupils contracted sharply. Without thinking, he rushed forward to block the blow for Ye Xinning.

The blow landed squarely on Shen Lin's back. Shen Lin cried out in pain and fell forward in front of Ye Xinning. Ye Xinning heard a muffled groan and knew without a doubt that Shen Lin was injured.

Moreover, that blow landed squarely on the spot where Shen Lin had previously been shot.

Ye Xinning looked at Shen Lin, who was pale and sweating profusely, and was so nervous that she didn't know what to do. At that moment, her heart was hanging in the balance for Shen Lin, and all she could think about was what would happen if something happened to him.

The unique scent of Shen Lin wafted past her ear, and Ye Xinning felt her heart race uncontrollably. At this moment, all she felt for Shen Lin was worry; she was enveloped in a sense of fear.

“Sinking down.”

She supported Shen Lin, calling his name, but she didn't realize that her voice was trembling.

"I'm fine." Shen Lin held her hand tightly, his face covered in cold sweat, but he still comforted her, saying, "Don't worry."

Ye Xinning was still able to hold back, but after Shen Lin said those words, her eyes reddened. "What are you doing here? Why did you have to get involved in my own affairs? And just now, why did you shield me? Shen Lin, are you out of your mind?"

"More than myself, I hope that everything goes well for you, that you are safe and sound, and that nothing else happens."

With each word he spoke, Ye Xinning felt even more deeply shocked.

After Shen Lin took a solid hit with a stick, Qin Xiang stopped the bodyguards, saying, "If you want to wait peacefully until you leave, you'd better behave yourselves."

"If I were to cause trouble, and he were to be injured by your people, do you think I would just wait for you to get away with it?"

As soon as Ye Xinning finished speaking in a fit of rage, he heard the bodyguard's cry of pain coming from outside the door.

A moment later, a person stumbled in.

He said in a panic, "Someone's here, someone's coming."

"who?"

"A young man, I don't know him."