0107: The Lady in White

Page 1/3

Xu Lin helped Mr. Bai with his urinary problem, carefully settling him back onto the pillow.

“All right, Xiao Xu, you go wash your hands first. I’m fine lying here by myself.”

“I’ll be right back. You rest well.”

Xu Lin headed toward the bathroom, glanced at his hands, and thought to himself, I’ve never taken care of anyone this attentively in my life. If you’re not my future father-in-law, I won’t be happy about it!

Muttering under his breath, he walked toward the restroom, only to find that Ji Yun and Bai Xiaoxiao were nowhere to be seen.

He hurried to the bathroom, washed his hands, and took out his phone, intending to call Ji Yun to ask where they had gone. Then he noticed a WeChat message from Ji Yun.

“Wife Ji: ‘I took Senior Sister Bai to buy some things. Don’t worry, just take care of Uncle.’”

Buy things? Why would Ji Yun be buying things for Bai Xiaoxiao? They didn’t seem familiar with each other at all.

Especially since Bai Xiaoxiao looked even more withdrawn than he had been in middle school. It was surprising that Ji Yun, a stranger to her, was trusted enough for her to just follow along.

No wonder Ji Yun is such a popular class monitor—her charisma is impressive. No wonder she became my girlfriend.

But if these two sisters get along well, that’s good for me, after all, we’ll be living together in the future. Heh heh heh.

“Excuse me, can I go first?”

At that moment, a boy of about seven or eight entered from outside. Seeing Xu Lin’s leering smile, he hesitated at the door.

“Come on, kid!”

“No! I’m not coming!” With that, he turned and ran down the corridor.

“Uh…”

Xu Lin sighed and began to walk out, when he noticed a young woman in a white coat washing her hands at the sink opposite him.

Through the mirror, he caught a glimpse of her slightly tired face, one hand supporting her forehead, partially covering her face, evoking a mysterious allure.

Her slender, almond-shaped eyes and finely arched brows alone left a strong impression.

Xu Lin didn’t linger, knowing that the group of girls he was dealing with was already enough trouble, so he turned to leave.

But out of the corner of his eye, he saw her body suddenly sway and collapse.

He hurried over to support her and heard her mumble, “There’s candy in my pocket.”

“Oh, here you go. Let me help you sit down first.”

Realizing it was hypoglycemia, probably because she hadn’t eaten lunch, Xu Lin understood that even doctors didn’t have it as easy as he had imagined.

He guided her to a plastic chair in the corridor, felt into her pocket, and found a half-eaten piece of chocolate with the wrapper torn open.

She was holding her head, looking dazed and confused, so without hesitation, he offered the chocolate toward her mouth.

Page 2/3

She parted her pale lips and bit down, causing him to feel a sharp pinch on his finger.

“Ah!”

“Sorry… sorry!” She snapped back to awareness, quickly relaxing her mouth, only using her tongue to draw the chocolate inside.

After a few seconds chewing, her pale face regained color, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The moment her eyes opened, Xu Lin was stunned, as if his soul had been pulled.

Her long, almond-shaped eyes seemed to contain a flowing spring, framed by loose strands of hair at her temples, her posture slightly languid.

The allure was undeniable—far surpassing any superficial seductiveness. He thought to himself that those flashy displays were vulgar; this was true charm at its peak.

But Xu Lin, self-proclaimed guardian of the twelve zodiac signs, having seen many beautiful young ladies, wasn’t so easily enchanted.

He cleared his throat and put on the air of a gentleman. “Doctor, please rest first. I’ll be going now.”

“Thanks,” she said softly as she lifted her head. Xu Lin stood and walked away.

Yet, unable to fully relax, he glanced back thrice before finally entering the ward after confirming she was fine.

Just as Xu Lin left, the angel in white rubbed her eyes and muttered to herself.

“Good grief, I forgot my glasses. Luckily, there was someone kind. With this severe myopia and low blood sugar, it would have been tough to manage.”

“But I didn’t get a good look at him just now. Oh well, time to get back to work.”

“Xiao Xu’s back. There are apples over there, washed. Where’s Xiaoxiao?”

“She was taken by Ji Yun—the girl who came with me—to buy some things. Uncle, if you need anything, just tell me.”

“No problem. Hey, Xiao Xu, don’t mind me being nosy, but aren’t you and that girl a couple?”

“No, we’re in the prime time of high school, preparing for university. We can’t slack off. After a whole day of classes and homework, there’s no time for dating!”

Xu Lin struck a model student pose, which made Mr. Bai a bit embarrassed. With grades this good, early romance was impossible—he had worried unnecessarily.

But in the two minutes she was gone to the restroom, lying on the bed, Mr. Bai had many thoughts. His daughter’s excellent performance promised a bright future.

Once at university, she would meet many young men from big cities, and if she married, she might become a city dweller herself.

However, having lived through many years, he knew that beyond good conditions, the most important thing was the character of a person. He had only this one daughter and did not want her to suffer.

Therefore, he thought that someone like Xu Lin, with good grades and a kind personality, from a kind family, was not a bad choice.

But he kept these thoughts to himself, thinking perhaps it was all just wishful thinking. Even if it were true, given their current difficulties, matchmaking now would risk disrupting the children’s studies and burdening others.

Mr. Bai was a hardworking man who lived within his means, never reckless or manipulative, and at his age, wouldn’t stoop to such things.

Xu Lin was unaware of the father-in-law’s thoughts and continued, “Uncle, do you plan to continue working in renovation after you recover?”

Page 3/3

“That’s all I know, nothing else, and the pay is okay. So, I’ll keep at it.”

“Actually, I have a job opportunity here. Let’s see if you and Auntie are interested.”

“Your aunt? That’s a pity. With her condition, she can only sit and manage at most. Other heavy work? Eh…”

“No, it’s a sitting job.”

“Sitting? Selling stuff can’t be done sitting all day.”

Mr. Bai looked puzzled, unable to imagine what kind of sitting job she could do with only elementary education.

“I asked Senior Sister Bai the other day. She said when you came to Linshui, you worked with spicy hot pot skewers?”

“Yes. To be honest, the income was decent because our secret sauce was excellent. But since the sauce requires our local chili peppers, costs went up quickly.”

“We stopped because the earnings were low; otherwise, it could have been okay. Xiao Xu, if you want us to run a spicy hot pot skewer stall, it won’t work—it doesn’t pay enough.”

“No, I’m planning to invest in a spicy hot pot skewer shop. You and Auntie will be the managers.”

“Open a shop? That needs a big investment. No, no! There are so many of these shops, it’s hard to get popular! Plus, the cost of the shop won’t be recouped quickly.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll cover it. I’ll pay your salaries. Four thousand each per month, plus bonuses depending on performance.”

“No, no, four thousand is too much. I only make about 150 a day working, and not every day is work available. You can pay me three thousand, and Auntie, who can use the register, maybe five or six hundred.”

“That won’t do.”

“Listen to me, or I won’t do it.” Mr. Bai grabbed Xu Lin’s wrist with his right hand, still weak from infusion, and glared at him.

“All right, let’s start like this then.”

Xu Lin understood that Mr. Bai had his pride, but since they had agreed, it was time to start earning and preparing!

Page 3/3