Chapter 21 They were a step apart, on the ground…

Ning Yao didn't notice anything amiss with the person beside her. She simply looked at the newcomer with surprise and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Xu Zheng was very sensible. Seeing that it was someone the Ning family's daughter knew, he waved for everyone else to leave.

He stepped back a few steps to make room for the others.

The person who arrived was Sun He'an, accompanied by someone Ning Yao did not recognize.

Sun He'an is also a smart man.

After glancing at the movements of the group of people inside the police station, he knew that his actions today were unnecessary.

He gave an awkward laugh, his initial seriousness gone.

He raised his hand and touched the back of his head. "I saw you being taken away on the street, and I was thinking of coming over... but I didn't expect it wouldn't be necessary."

Ning Yao wanted to move forward, but her wrist was still firmly held in Ning Yiwen's hand.

He could only stand there and thank Sun He'an.

"Thank you, Brother Sun."

She really didn't expect that Sun He'an was actually a man who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

She seemed to have only exchanged two or three words with him at the gathering that day, and afterwards her attention was entirely focused on the stage and Yan Sifan beside her.

This was practically a one-time encounter.

But despite this chance encounter, Sun He'an actually tried his best to save her after seeing her being taken away by the police officers!

Ning Yao was very touched.

"Brother Sun, let's invite Sifan and the others over again, and we'll get together again."

She doesn't want to let any of these friends go now.

Sun He'an nodded, "It's good that you're alright. My home is right here..."

At this point, perhaps because the man next to Ning Yao's eyes were too sharp, Sun He'an changed the subject: "Never mind, it's not convenient for a girl like you to come alone. You and Sifan are both at Wanzhong Girls' School, you can just ask her out."

When Sun He'an mentioned Wanzhong Girls' School, Ning Yao subconsciously felt a little shy.

Ning Yao nodded, "Okay."

After saying that, he shook his wrist, "Brother Ning, this is Sun He'an."

Then he introduced Sun He'an, "This is my brother Ning, Ning Yiwen."

Sun He'an nodded to Ning Yiwen, "If you're alright, I'll be going now."

Without lingering after saying that, he turned and left with his friends.

The figure quickly disappeared into the night.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Xu Zheng quickly stepped forward and led Ning Yiwen and the other person to the patrol car.

"Mr. Ning, it's getting late. I'll send a car to take you both home."

Ning Yiwen nodded and looked at Ning Yao, "Are you hungry?"

Ning Yao touched her stomach. "I'm a little hungry."

Listening to their conversation, Xu Zheng turned and glared at the two troublemakers again.

"Then I'll take you two to the grand restaurant in the center of the street. This meal is on me."

After saying that, he led Ning Yao and the other person into the car.

He got into the car himself and drove them to their restaurant.

It was getting dark, but there were still quite a few people coming and going on the street.

The streets leading from the police station to the restaurant were among the busiest, and the car moved very slowly.

Xu Zheng drove even more steadily.

Inside the car.

This was Ning Yao's first time riding in a car, and she was very curious, touching and feeling everything around her.

The dim lighting inside the car couldn't dampen her enthusiasm.

After a while, Ning Yiwen lowered his eyes and looked at her restless appearance.

He spoke up to draw the person's attention back: "When did you meet Sun He'an?"

assembly.

But that doesn't seem appropriate to say right now.

Ning Yao noticed there was another person in front of the car, so she stepped aside and said, "We met outside the school."

Ning Yiwen lowered his eyes, noticing the obvious evasion in her words.

His heart swayed along with the car, and finally sank.

He said in a low voice, "Ning Yao, you've made friends outside of school now, but you don't tell me anymore."

These words... Ning Yao tilted her head and looked at Ning Yiwen.

She really wanted to clean her ears, wondering if they were blocked or if she had misheard.

Why did she feel that Ning Ge's words carried a hint of grievance?

But before Ning Yao could reply, Ning Yiwen realized the problem with his words.

The somber mood vanished, and he looked up, his expression serious, toward the driver's seat. "Captain Xu."

As soon as he spoke, Ning Yao quieted down and listened attentively to their conversation.

Xu Zheng tightened his grip on the steering wheel and quickly replied, "Please speak, Mr. Ning."

"Find out why those two thugs started this trouble. As for those two patrolmen, get rid of them too." Ning Yiwen methodically assigned tasks to Xu Zheng.

He looked exactly like Xu Zheng's superior.

In his tone, he casually dismissed the work of the two patrol officers.

Ning Yao instinctively grabbed Ning Yiwen's sleeve.

Ning Ge's voice was calm and composed.

But the wind was a cold wind.

It was like a chilly wind that went straight into her neck.

Xu Zheng didn't even hesitate before replying, "Okay. I'll arrange it."

Considering there were still people in the car, Ning Yao remained silent.

But she gently released Ning Yiwen's sleeve and quietly looked at Ning Yiwen beside her in the dimly lit car.

The car continued to move forward, with occasional lights from outside shining into the car through the windows.

When Ning Yiwen's face was intermittently illuminated by the lights, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing a gentle and refined demeanor.

But is he still like this when it's dark and no one is watching?

Ning Yao began to have doubts.

Is the Ning Ge she knows the whole picture of him?

Ning Yiwen sensed Ning Yao's gaze.

But he didn't ask any questions, nor did he turn to meet her gaze.

He simply remained silent, letting her gaze fall upon him.

*

After a satisfying meal, it was already past 10 p.m. when I got home.

Ning Yao was sitting blankly in the room. She had just washed her hair, and it was still a little wet.

She held a towel, propped her elbows on the table, and absentmindedly dried her hair.

Her thoughts were still on the questions she had asked in the car.

"Ning Yao?"

Ning Yiwen called her from outside, pulling her back to reality.

Ning Yao called out, "Brother Ning, what's the matter?"

"I've written you a list of books about Western learning. Is it convenient for you to go in now?"

Ning Yao glanced at the messy room, thinking about the determination she had secretly made when she was behind Ning Yiwen earlier today.

She refused, saying, "No, I'll go get it."

Ning Yiwen's eyes darkened for a moment.

Ning Yao lifted the curtain, stepped out, and called out, "Brother Ning."

Her hair was loose, and the silky black color of it was even deeper.

On her small, fair, almost translucent face, large, clear black and white eyes looked up at him.

Ning Yiwen forced himself to look away from her eyes and instead looked at the ends of her hair.

My hair was still a little damp, and after I took off the towel, tiny water droplets fell from the tips of my hair.

Tiny marks were left on the light blue school uniform.

"Why didn't you dry your hair properly?"

Ning Yiwen frowned.

Ning Yao laughed: "Isn't this what I'm doing, wiping it?"

As she spoke, she raised the towel in her right hand and haphazardly wiped her hair.

However, if the method is not correct, the effect is almost non-existent, and it only makes the hair more messy.

Ning Yiwen couldn't bear to watch any longer, so he reached out and pulled off her towel, then put it back over her head.

The fabric was soft, and through the towel, he carefully dried the moisture from her hair, strand by strand.

The force was gentle, and the movements carried an unusual patience and delicacy.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, and the courtyard was quiet except for the occasional chirping of insects from the grass.

Under the eaves, two figures, one tall and one short, one in green and one in blue, stood facing each other, their bodies upright.

They were only a step apart, yet their shadows on the ground were pressed close together.

Ning Yao lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the shadow on the ground.

After a long pause, he steeled himself and took a step back.

"Bang!"

"ah!"

Perhaps her retreating steps were too resolute, for Ning Yao crashed heavily into the door frame behind her.

He let out a scream.

Ning Yiwen paused, his hand still frozen in mid-air.

She is retiring.

He twitched his fingers slightly, but in the end, he said nothing and quietly handed the towel to Ning Yao.

"You can wipe it yourself."

He then handed her the paper from his sleeve, saying, "Be careful not to get it wet, don't let the ink get into it."

Ning Yao took them one in each hand.

She saw Ning Yiwen's sudden downcast expression and bit her lower lip.

"Brother Ning..."

Ning Yiwen didn't turn around. With his back to her, he said calmly, "It's okay. Finish up early and go to sleep. I'll still pick you up and drop you off at school tomorrow."

After that incident today, Xu Zheng, the mastermind, has already secretly passed him a note.

Even if the mastermind has been found, Ning Yiwen would not feel at ease letting Ning Yao go to and from school alone.

In this day and age, the streets are bustling with people, looking lively and lively.

But in reality, it's not that safe.

“Okay,” Ning Yao replied obediently.

Back in her room, Ning Yao placed the papers on the table, absentmindedly wiping her hair while staring blankly at them.

The paper is newly written.

Perhaps because he had just returned, Ning-ge hadn't dealt with anything yet, but he prepared these things for her first.

Because she needs it.

Ning Yao pursed her lips, and for some reason, that sour and swollen feeling in her heart returned.

Ning Ge was really good to her...

But siblings are not husband and wife, and one day they will each start their own families.

Ning Yao sighed deeply.

He picked up the papers on the table, turned around, and walked towards the study.

This is not a time for overthinking; it's a good time to read a book.

She had barely reached the study door when the curtain was lifted before she could even reach it.

Ning Yiwen's tall figure appeared at the door of the study.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" His gaze fell on the top of her black head, where her hair was still wet.

Ning Yao murmured, "Come and find the book."

Ning Yiwen moved aside to make room for her. "Two of the books I wrote are at home, and I've put them on your desk."

Ning Yao: "Thank you, Brother Ning."

Ning Yiwen's hand instantly gripped the curtain tightly.

How did they suddenly become so estranged that they needed to express their gratitude to each other?

But Ning Yao didn't even dare to look at him.

She simply passed by him, and through the curtain he had lifted, she entered the study.

From the dimly lit environment, we enter a dark space.

Ning Yao experienced a momentary loss of sight.

But she was too lazy to turn on the light, and relying on her familiarity with the study, she tried to find her way to her desk in the dark.

Unfortunately, due to a miscalculation, he accidentally kicked the corner of the table.

"well!"

The thin shoe material was soft, and Ning Yao's foot hit her toe squarely, making her feel like her toe was about to break.

Ning Yao gasped for breath in pain.

Ning Yiwen's body reacted faster than her mind.

He strode forward, pulled the person up, and gently placed them on a chair next to the table.

"Sit still and don't move."

He turned around and quickly lit the kerosene lamp in the study.

Then he turned around, squatted down, and lifted up Ning Yao's trouser leg.

Ning Yao shrank back slightly.

But Ning Yiwen grabbed her calf, saying, "I told you, don't move!"

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Author's Note: Ning Yiwen: She's being so naughty right now. [Melted]