C11 Enchanting

As the situation escalated, the crowd's excitement grew palpably, as if they had leapt onto a movie set and taken the director's chair themselves.

Lin Hao, on the other hand, had no interest in the spectacle. He feigned departure, but as he settled into the driver's seat, he noticed Lee Ruolan had slipped into the passenger seat at some point.

"Get out!" Lin Hao demanded icily.

Tears brimming in her eyes, Lee Ruolan's voice quivered, "You've changed!"

"You've become someone I fear, someone who terrifies me... Why have you changed so much?"

What the heck?

A wave of frustration washed over Lin Hao, almost enough to make him physically ill.

'You've changed'? Wasn't that his line to deliver?

"Enough with the nonsense, I told you to get out!" Lin Hao steadied himself. "I can't stand having anything unclean in my car!"

"I..."

Lee Ruolan leaned forward abruptly, reaching across the center console to clutch Lin Hao's arm.

"I realize my mistake, I truly do!"

"I was foolish, I was blind, but... after all these years together, can you really stand by and watch everything we've built crumble?"

"Do you remember sharing a single lunchbox between us back in our school days?"

"Do you remember..."

"Enough!" Lin Hao cut her off sharply. "I haven't forgotten—it's you who's forgotten!"

"And another thing, stop painting me as some heartbreaker. It seems you still don't grasp who's at fault, who left whom, who betrayed whom."

Lin Hao's voice rose an octave as he warned, "This is your last warning. Don't make this harder than it needs to be. Get out on your own, or... I'll force you out!"

"You..."

Lee Ruolan's lips trembled as she bit them, pleading, "Lin Hao, I'm begging you, just one more chance. One last chance, please?"

"I swear I'll obey you from now on. Whatever you ask, I'll do—just please..."

Lin Hao responded not with words but action, opening his door and striding around to the passenger side. He flung open the door and commanded, "Get out!"

Lee Ruolan looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears and a glint of resentment.

She gritted her teeth and declared, "Lin Hao, you better remember this—I will make you regret everything you've done to me today!"

With those words, she flung the car door open, slammed it shut with force, and stormed off.

Lin Hao was at a loss for words.

This woman's audacity knew no bounds. Even now, she seemed oblivious to her own mistakes. Couldn't she see who was truly at fault?

"Damn, my new car hasn't even hit the road yet, and it's already been damaged!"

Lin Hao examined the scratches on the car door, feeling a pang of distress.

He then drove back to the dilapidated neighborhood.

While other, newer complexes were bemoaning the lack of parking, this run-down area had plenty of open spots. Parking was a breeze.

The elderly folks lounging under the old banyan tree gawked at Lin Hao as he stepped out of his car, their faces etched with curiosity.

"Hey, isn't that Hao? Look at you—what a transformation! Just yesterday, you were on that old electric scooter, and now you've upgraded your ride?"

"Why speak like that? I've always thought Hao was a decent guy. It's just that the woman he's with is a tough nut to crack. Otherwise, I'd have set him up with my granddaughter by now!"

"Oh, come on, Old Chen, don't just say things to be nice. These days, everything costs money. Your granddaughter's a college grad. You really want her to put up with that?"

"…"

The elders meant no harm with their frankness, but their words could sting.

"Uncle Chen, you might as well keep your granddaughter to yourself. She's nearly 200 pounds—I can't afford to take care of her!"

Lin Hao retorted with a chuckle.

Uncle Chen, red-faced with anger, shot back, "You don't know a thing. That's not weight; that's good fortune!"

The group erupted into laughter once more.

Lin Hao, however, didn't linger to chat. He headed straight for the fifth floor.

Arriving at his rental, he noticed a familiar small figure squatting on the stairs across from his door. With only two apartments per landing and his on the topmost floor, the girl's presence there was indeed peculiar.

"Ling, why are you sitting here all alone? Where's your mom?"

Lin Hao crouched down, his voice laced with concern.

He was well aware that Ling came from a single-parent household, her mother always there for her. At around thirty, Lee Ruolan worked tirelessly in the food delivery industry, braving all weather conditions. That's why Lin Hao often stepped in to bring Ling over to his place for meals whenever her mother was away.

Upon seeing Lin Hao, hope flickered in Ling's tear-streaked eyes. She resembled a tiny, weeping kitten as she lunged toward him.

Clutching at Lin Hao's leg, she sobbed, "Uncle, please... save my mom, you have to save her..."

His heart skipped a beat at her plea. "Could something terrible have happened?"

Without hesitation, Lin Hao scooped Ling into his arms and dashed across to the neighboring house.

The scene that greeted Lin Hao was chilling: a figure lay motionless on the floor, surrounded by a scattering of pills.

"Monitor, check this out, quick!" he urged, calling upon his unique ability.

Cradling the fallen person, Lin Hao's gaze fixed on her delicate features.

"Colon cancer?"

He shuddered at the revelation.

The monitor confirmed it was colon cancer, albeit in its early stages. Yet, the mere mention of the word 'cancer' struck fear like a harbinger of doom.

"Little Hao, Little Hao..."

The voice was weak but unmistakable.

Recognizing his name, Lin Hao responded promptly.

"Ms. Pei, you're going to be okay," he reassured her.

Pei Xiu managed a wry smile. "Do you think I'm unaware of my own condition?"

"It's nothing serious. I... I might have just caught a cold in last night's rain, and the fatigue hit me after taking medicine. I just need to rest, and I'll recover quickly."

Lin Hao could tell Pei Xiu was downplaying her illness.

But with Ling at just three years old, unable to even seek help as her mother lay incapacitated, the depth of their struggles was heartbreakingly clear.

"Don't worry. Even if something comes up, you've got me here," Lin Hao said with a smile.

Pei Xiu felt a shiver at his words, followed by an involuntary chuckle.

She was, without a doubt, a beauty with a delicate grace. Despite the hardships etched on her face over the years, her mature allure was undeniable. It made Lin Hao's heart flutter, especially now as she stood before him in her sheer pajamas, captivating and utterly enchanting.