Chapter 59 He's here to back her up
The message was sent successfully, and the other party replied almost within seconds:
[Huo Nanchen? Are you in Hong Kong?]
Huo Nanchen looked down at the reply, his fingertip paused for a moment on the screen, then turned off the phone and put it back in his pocket.
He has informed them, and his goal has been achieved.
He then opened his suitcase, took out a few essential personal items and a change of clothes, neatly placed them in the empty half of the wardrobe, and took out his toiletries.
After tidying up, he opened the bedroom door and went out.
Lin Xili was sitting on the small sofa in the living room, looking down at her phone, seemingly checking emails.
Hearing the door open, she looked up: "All done?"
Huo Nanchen nodded.
"Let's go then!" Lin Xili stood up, picked up her coat and bag.
The restaurant is not far from the dormitory; it's within walking distance.
The two walked side by side on the sidewalk, maintaining a perfect distance, without exchanging a word.
The restaurant wasn't crowded at this time.
Lin Xili was clearly a regular customer, and skillfully ordered several light and delicious signature dishes.
"I'm fine with anything," Huo Nanchen said, glancing at the menu. "Just don't add too much MSG."
Lin Xili nodded and repeated it to the waiter.
While waiting for the food to be served, the atmosphere once again fell into a subtle silence.
Lin Xili held the warm teacup, her fingertips tracing the inside of the cup, and looked up at the man sitting opposite her, whose posture was upright and whose expression was as calm as ever.
Huo Nanchen suddenly looked up at her, and their eyes met. Lin Xili hurriedly looked away.
Huo Nanchen asked, "Is the Endocrinology Department of the Municipal Hospital far from here?"
Lin Xili breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "It's a bit far, in the east of the city. It takes about forty minutes by subway. Are you going to report for duty tomorrow?"
"Yes, everything has been arranged at the hospital!"
Lin Xili's hand holding the teacup tightened inexplicably.
When he arrives, the hospital will definitely arrange accommodation for him.
Wasn't her suggestion that he stay in her dorm unnecessary?
Just then, the waiter began serving the dishes, breaking the brief silence.
"Let's eat first." Lin Xili picked up her chopsticks, trying to hide her momentary embarrassment and awkwardness.
Huo Nanchen also picked up his chopsticks. He tasted the steamed fish and commented, "The cooking is just right, and the fish is very fresh."
"Yes, their fish is delivered on the same day."
The meal was eaten faster than I expected.
Neither of them were the type to engage in lengthy discussions at the dinner table; they spent most of their time eating quietly.
After paying the bill, the two walked back into the night.
Returning to that small one-bedroom apartment and closing the door, the cramped feeling of the space became even more apparent.
Only a warm yellow floor lamp was on in the living room. The soft light made the subtle awkwardness between the two of them impossible to hide.
Lin Xili stood in the entryway, watching Huo Nanchen change his shoes, and finally asked, "If the hospital provides dormitories, wouldn't it be more convenient to stay there?"
Huo Nanchen changed into slippers and straightened up: "I live here."
Hearing him say he would stay here, Lin Xili inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. Was she really that attached to sleeping in his arms?
Huo Nanchen walked straight to the small sofa in the living room, picked up the forensic file copy that Lin Xili had looked at before, and asked, "Can I look at this?"
"Huh? Oh, okay." Lin Xili snapped out of her daze. "They're some old case study materials, nothing confidential."
Huo Nanchen sat down and started flipping through the pages, quickly dispelling the awkwardness and ambiguity of the previous moment.
"Then I'll go take a shower first!" Lin Xili said, quickly heading to the bedroom to get her clothes.
The Huo family mansion.
Lu Qingshu had just finished a conference call and casually placed her phone on the dressing table.
The screen was still showing the WeChat conversation with Huo Nanchen.
She frowned slightly as she looked at the unanswered question that seemed to have sunk into the sea, then turned to look at Huo Nanyu, who was leaning against the headboard reading a financial report.
“Nan Chen has returned to Hong Kong.” She turned her phone screen towards Huo Nanyu. “He never contacts me on his own initiative. When he does, it’s to question the security situation at the Justice Bureau dormitory. If it’s not about Xi Li, then who else could it be about?”
Huo Nanyu looked up from the report, took his phone and glanced at it, but he wasn't surprised.
"When my grandma called me this afternoon, she mentioned that she was going to the Department of Endocrinology at the city's central hospital for a three-month exchange program."
He put down his phone. "Since he took the initiative to contact you and point out the security issues, it means that Xili may have encountered some trouble."
“I’ll arrange for someone to investigate tomorrow. Nan Chen is right. It’s not easy for the Justice Bureau to cultivate a talent. It was my oversight in management.”
Lu Qingshu then said, "Shall we find a time for him to bring Lin Xili along for a formal meeting?"
Huo Nanyu shook his head, his expression solemn: "Five years ago, he decided to give up his identity as a member of the Huo family and had no intention of having much involvement with this circle anymore. He probably never wanted Xili to know about his past."
"Alright then, find a chance to talk to him and see how things go?"
Huo Nanyu nodded, then couldn't help but smile. At least he was back.
Lin Xili, from the Justice Bureau, left his dormitory.
A sense of peace and focus permeated the small space.
Huo Nanchen had finished washing up and was wearing simple dark pajamas, his hair still slightly damp.
He walked out of the bathroom and saw Lin Xili still sitting curled up on the small sofa in the living room, with several thick books and dense notes spread out on her lap, looking at them intently.
Hearing footsteps, Lin Xili looked up, rubbed her slightly sore neck, and explained, "There's still a point of knowledge I don't quite understand. I need to organize it and send it to Dr. Lan for guidance right away. You go and rest first, don't worry about me."
He grunted in agreement, then turned and went into the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.
In the bedroom, he didn't lie down to sleep immediately, but went to his desk and opened his laptop.
The screen lit up, and he logged into his email.
I had just logged in when I received a new email notification in my inbox. The sender was Lin Xili.
Huo Nanchen paused, his hand holding the mouse pausing, and his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the door.
He opened the email and quickly scanned her questions, which were well-organized yet revealed her confusion.
Then he started typing replies on the keyboard.
He knew that Lin Xili would never pry into his privacy.
As long as he doesn't reveal his identity as "Dr. Lan," Lin Xili will never know, and it's better that he doesn't.
After Lin Xili received the enlightening reply from "Dr. Lan," she reviewed it carefully before tiptoeing into the bedroom.
Huo Nanchen had already lain down and seemed to be asleep. Lin Xili carefully lifted the blanket and lay down on the other side, trying not to disturb him.
Even on a spring night, her hands and feet were still ice-cold.
She had just curled up, trying to warm herself up, when the man beside her, who had been facing away from her, moved.
He turned around naturally, just like that night in the small town of lychee when they shared a bed during the Spring Festival.
He carefully placed her icy feet between his warm legs.
"Are you cold?" His deep voice echoed in the darkness.
"Yes, it is a bit cold," she replied softly.
She felt his arm reach out as before, gently wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her into a warm and firm embrace.
“I will talk to your aunt and uncle. You can focus on your training and exam preparation.”
He paused, then said, "Go to sleep, I'm here."
Lin Xili leaned against his warm chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
It turned out he had noticed, and he told her he was there so she could focus on her training and exam preparation.
She didn't say anything, but from those three seemingly random words and the less than one-minute phone call, he keenly sensed that she might have been wronged at the Lin family's house.
So he came.
It wasn't for any academic exchange at the city hospital; that was just a convenient excuse.
His real purpose was to prevent her from suffering any injustices alone in this cold city, with no one to confide in or rely on.
He came to support her.
So this is what it feels like to be protected silently and steadfastly like this.
She didn't say anything more, her nose tingled, and she gently adjusted to a more comfortable position in his arms, closing her eyes.
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