An Ying listened, her smile gradually froze, followed by a trace of worry, "This is too precious." She had personally experienced the effort that went into completing a sweater.
"I knitted one myself. There was quite a bit of yarn left, so I thought I’d knit another one."
An Ying could tell that the other person was just making excuses. Looking at Aunt Zhang’s half-finished sweater, she knew that saying more wouldn’t help, so she stopped dwelling on the matter.
Aunt Zhang saw her compromise and then smiled again.
After that, An Ying heard Aunt Zhang start to ramble.
"When Sir just took over the family business, he was very young, and during that ti, he was always throwing himself into his work day and night, which caused several bouts of stomach problems," as she spoke, Aunt Zhang paused, sighed deeply, and her face was full of heartache.
An Ying listened quietly. During the few days Aunt Zhang stayed with her, she would often inexplicably talk about Bao Shaojin. Both of them were well aware of the deeper implications, but An Ying didn’t point it out and let Aunt Zhang continue talking.
"Because he put all his energy into work, he didn’t have ti to date anyone, so all these years he’s been all alone without a partner who knows him well."
"Ahem..." An Ying pretended to cough, interrupting her, and reminded her, "Yesterday, you said the reason he was single was because he had a cleanliness obsession and didn’t like the perfu scent on won."
"Huh?" Aunt Zhang was speechless for a mont and then mumbled, "Did I say that yesterday?"
"Yes." An Ying confird.
The two exchanged a look and both had a smile on their faces.
Aunt Zhang was ostensibly hired by Bao Shaojin to take care of An Ying, but secretly she was there to play the role of an interdiary for soone.
"He’s a good guy." An Ying gave a firm reply.
Aunt Zhang heard the implied aning in her words and asked, "Do you have concerns?"
"Bao Shaojin is eloquent and certainly cos from a distinguished family. Do you think his family would allow him to be with an ordinary girl?" An Ying’s beautiful and delicate face showed a trace of lancholy.
Aunt Zhang wanted to refute, but suddenly Bao Xun’s image popped into her mind.
The worry on Aunt Zhang’s face was seen by An Ying, which made her more convinced of the enormous gap between Bao Shaojin and her daughter.
And this gap, in the eyes of those in power, was an insurmountable chasm.
For a long stretch, neither of them said a word.
The corridor outside.
An Yin exited the elevator and saw the man standing against the wall. As she raised her eyes, she t his sharp gaze, and she froze on the spot.
Bao Shaojin looked at her dazed expression and took two steps forward, closing the distance between them.
Soon, a strong sll of smoke enveloped An Yin’s nose, "You, you smoked."
After asking, her face flushed as though it was a questioning tone that might make others think there was so relationship between them.
"Hmm."
He not only smoked but also drank a lot, yet the confusion in his heart still remained.
An Yin noticed his unwell expression and comnted shyly, "Did you not rest well?"
When she spoke, the young girl had her head tilted up, and her delicate face seed to be engraved in his heart, staring into her eyes, he couldn’t help but be captivated.
"I’ve been a bit busy lately."
The man wore a long black coat that accentuated his tall stature, and he exuded an aura of elegance and aloofness.
The corridor was filled with a light disinfectant sll, not overpowering.
After hearing him, An Yin paused for a while before squeezing out four words, "Take care of yourself."
Bao Shaojin frowned upon hearing this. Looking at her bashful deanor, he subdued the near-pathological stubbornness in his dark eyes, "Is staying here for the past few days comfortable for you?"
An Yin nodded.
While being with him, the man mostly remained calm and indifferent.
Looking into his deep, dark eyes felt like they were bottomless whirlpools, capable of swallowing her if not careful.
She lowered her head anxiously, holding her breath, embedding her thumb into her index finger until a sharp pain brought her clarity.
She found that lately, she had been losing control over her heart, often thinking of him mysteriously.
The two stood in an empty corridor.
Occasionally, a nurse hurriedly passed by.
Perhaps standing too long, An Yin felt a bit sore in her legs and was just thinking about speaking when the man’s cool voice sounded above her.
"Bao Cheng is getting engaged."
The end of the corridor had panoramic glass, allowing a view of the interior; outside, it was raining heavily, pattering against the glass.
At first, An Yin thought she had misheard, muttering dazedly, "Who?"
The young girl blinked her sparkling eyes, and her bewildered expression in the man’s eyes seed like she was unwilling to face reality.
This ti, he articulated each word clearly and powerfully, "Bao Cheng is getting engaged, his fiancée’s last na is Su."
Upon hearing the first part, An Yin’s expression was indifferent. But when she heard the last na Su, her pupils widened, and she blurted, "How can he, how can he..."
Betray Keke. An Yin thought to herself.
Does Jiang Keke know about this? An Yin stood still, her face full of bewildernt.
The young girl was evidently conflicted, which surprised him a little.
Bao Shaojin thought for sure the young girl would cry.
"Is the news accurate?" An Yin raised her eyes, happening to et his cool, deep eyes.
Being so close, An Yin’s face flushed with a hint of embarrassnt; she quickly averted her gaze, looking at the perfectly pressed, crease-free coat he wore.
"I picked the date for the engagent ceremony, what do you think?" the man coolly, seemingly deliberately saying it for her to hear.
"How can you do this, knowing he has a girlfriend?" An Yin raised her head, forgetting her flushed cheeks, and argued with the man.
She was standing up for Jiang Keke.
The petite girl had to tiptoe just to reach the man’s shoulder.
Bao Shaojin pressed his lips together, his pupils indiscernibly dark, making it hard to read his emotions, as his cold eyes settled on the young girl’s face.
"So what if he has a girlfriend? You were never his only one." Bao Shaojin spoke, while his hands by his sides clenched into fists, veins bulging on the back of his hand, visibly showing the turmoil of his emotions.
Bao Shaojin’s words served as a reminder to her about that last ti Bao Cheng cheated.
Although he was right, from Jiang Keke’s perspective, An Yin couldn’t help but feel so resentnt towards the man in front of her.
Jiang Keke was her friend, and if Bao Cheng was getting engaged, what would happen to Jiang Keke, who had always been by Bao Cheng’s side?
Bao Shaojin saw her standing silent, ashen, with a layer of frost covering his gloomy face, "Even if he’s engaged, shouldn’t it make you change course?"
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