Once Auntie left, only Chen Xin'an and Ning Xiruo remained at the dining table.
Along with Third Brother, Ning Ke.
"Thank you… for letting me off the hook." Ning Ke looked at Chen Xin'an and spoke solemnly.
Chen Xin'an glanced at him, feigning ignorance. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."
Ning Ke pushed up his glasses and smiled. "I may not have seen exactly how you did it, or what method you used, but I'm certain you tampered with the tea."
"Friends or not, accusing me like that is still slander. I can sue you for defamation."
Chen Xin'an smiled faintly, his eyes sharp despite the calm tone.
A shiver ran through Ning Ke. He hurried to explain, "Don't get me wrong—I'm not blaming you!
Honestly, I can't stand the way my mom, Second Aunt, and Fourth Aunt act sometimes.
You were just defending your dignity and gave them a little payback. I don't think you did anything wrong."
Ning Xiruo chimed in softly, "Third Brother isn't like the rest of the Ning family. He's always been good to me."
Clever, timid, and with a faint sense of justice—that was Chen Xin'an's impression of Ning Ke.
The dishes covered the entire table, but only the three of them remained to eat.
None of them minded. They chatted and laughed as they finished the meal together.
That night, Chen Xin'an was assigned a room on the fifth floor. After taking a shower, he changed into the pajamas that had been prepared for him.
He had planned to visit the old lady on the second floor to ask about his parents, but seeing how frail she looked, he decided instead to perform some acupuncture for her.
The old lady soon drifted into a peaceful sleep, leaving Chen Xin'an to quietly return to his own room and turn off the lights.
When he woke, dawn had not yet broken. Chen Xin'an got up from the floor, dressed, and went downstairs.
Years of habit had him rising early to train. When he reached the gate, the security guard was still fast asleep at his post.
Unfamiliar with the area, Chen Xin'an decided to jog along the main road, using the time to get to know the surroundings.
After running seven or eight kilometers, he turned back.
By then, the sun had risen, and the guard was awake. When Chen Xin'an approached the gate, the man frowned and stopped him.
Chen Xin'an was now wearing the tracksuit he had brought from Mount Qingniu—simple and ordinary, the cheapest kind.
The guard yawned, gave him a once-over, and waved him away.
"Go on, move along. No entry here."
Chen Xin'an blinked in confusion. "Isn't this Panlong Bay? Why can't I go in? Those two just entered a moment ago."
"They have access cards. Do you?" The guard gave him a sidelong glance. "If you've got a card, I'll let you in too."
Then Chen Xin'an remembered—Ning Xiruo had mentioned yesterday that a card was needed to enter or exit the community. His documents had already been submitted, and the card was supposed to be issued today.
"My card hasn't been given to me yet," Chen Xin'an said honestly.
The guard snorted. "Oh, sure. You think I was born yesterday? Everyone trying to sneak in says that!"
His face darkened as he barked, "Get lost! Don't loiter here! You even know this is Panlong Bay and still dare to trespass? Do you have any idea who lives here?"
Chen Xin'an sighed and pointed toward the distant Ning family villa. "I live there. If you don't believe me, call and ask."
"Call? At this hour? You want me to get yelled at first thing in the morning?" The guard's patience snapped.
"Didn't you hear me? Leave! If you can't afford to live here, stop dreaming about sneaking in to look at mansions! No matter how many times you stare, you still can't buy one!"
Chen Xin'an clenched his jaw. This guy really didn't believe him, huh?
He wasn't exactly known for his patience, and he was just about to lose his temper—when his eyes caught sight of a red Lexus pulling up to the gate.
He stepped aside and said coldly, "Fine then. Let Ning Xiruo come get me."
The guard scoffed. He didn't want trouble, but the moment the name Ning Xiruo came up, his irritation flared.
His glare turned hostile, as if Chen Xin'an had just insulted his wife.
"So that's what this is. Another toad dreaming of eating swan meat!"
"Scram! We kick out dozens of guys like you every day!"
"You want to touch Miss Ning? Go jump off a building or lie on the tracks—maybe next life you'll be born rich enough!"
The Lexus stopped at the gate. Ning Xiruo rolled down her window and immediately spotted Chen Xin'an standing by the security booth.
"Where the hell have you been all morning?" she shouted. "I searched every room and couldn't find you! Get in the car! We're going to the Civil Affairs Bureau to register our marriage—did you forget?"
The guard's jaw nearly hit the ground—he could have fit a whole durian in his open mouth.
He stared at Chen Xin'an in utter disbelief.
"S-sorry, brother! I didn't know you were actually—"
Chen Xin'an shook his head and said calmly, "Doing your job is fine, but don't judge people by their looks. Remember my face—don't stop me next time."
When the car drove away, the bystanders around the gate began mocking the guard.
"Hey, security guy, got a problem seeing people clearly, huh?"
"I was watching the whole time—man, your mouth really runs wild. You went way too far!"
"Good thing he's got a good temper. If it were me, I'd have slapped you already!"
"He's way more magnanimous than you deserve. Don't act like you're one of the homeowners!"
"You think just because others can't afford a place here, you can? Dream on!"
The guard's face turned red, his neck stiff with embarrassment. He couldn't say a single word in reply.
After breakfast, Chen Xin'an and Ning Xiruo grabbed their IDs, got in the car, and headed for the Civil Affairs Bureau.
"How about the usual—you drive, I give directions?"
Chen Xin'an's hands itched the moment he saw the steering wheel.
The usual?
Yesterday was the first time he'd driven, and now it was a routine?
Ning Xiruo rolled her eyes. "Forget it! You're not driving without a license again! Zhou Zhi already signed you up for driving school, didn't he? Once you get your license, the BMW in the garage is yours."
Chen Xin'an pouted regretfully. "Getting a driver's license is a piece of cake."
"Yeah, sure. Talk after you pass. I'll give you three months." Ning Xiruo shot him a look of disdain.
This bumpkin really thought driving around once meant he could pass a test?
There's a world of difference between casual driving and a real driving exam!
Even veteran drivers sometimes fail!
She herself had taken nearly two months to get hers!
For someone like him, fresh out of the mountains, three months was already generous.
Of course, she hadn't seen Chen Xin'an's performance at the driving school yesterday. If she had, she would never have doubted him.
"Grandma said you're good at medicine," Ning Xiruo said quietly as she drove.
Her grandmother had told her that Chen Xin'an's master was once a famous healer in Huaxia, a man of exceptional skill.
If Chen Xin'an had been allowed down the mountain, it meant his abilities already rivaled his master's—that was the rule of Qingniu Mountain.
But Ning Xiruo wasn't convinced.
Someone their age, who'd never received formal education, raised by some eccentric hermit—how good could his medical skills really be?
Chen Xin'an glanced at her, puzzled. Why was this girl suddenly complimenting him? Nothing good ever followed that.
Biting her lip, Ning Xiruo whispered, "Then can you… help Grandma—"
"No."
He cut her off before she could finish.
"I'm not a god. I can't make a candle that's already burned to the end whole again."
Ning Xiruo's eyes welled with tears, but before she could speak, Chen Xin'an suddenly grabbed the steering wheel and shouted—
"Watch out!"