ABT ### Chapter 146: A Bay of Spring Water

Sigh... being a woman is not easy.

Li Fanyu sighed inwardly, and then without further ado, he picked up An Ning and carried her up the stairs.

An Ning was so dizzy from being jostled that it wasn't until Li Fanyu reached the top floor that she burst out laughing.

Even though she knew she should restrain herself, she was still quite happy that Li Fanyu had come back. As the older one, she always provided Li Fanyu with meticulous care. Suddenly switching roles, she felt a warm glow in her heart.

"Silly brother, you passed it," she said, smiling into his ear.

"Huh? Which floor?"

"The third floor..."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Well, you didn't ask for my permission before carrying me up."

"Oh, never mind, just hold on tight, let me catch my breath before we go back down."

...

Panting heavily, Li Fanyu watched as An Ning took out her keys. He steadied his breath and asked, "Sis, why are you living here? I remember your home wasn't in this area."

An Ning opened the door and stepped inside, blocking Li Fanyu from entering. "This is my family's old house; I sold the previous one. It's too late; I won't invite you in. Be careful on your way back."

She was about to close the door when Li Fanyu wedged his arm in the doorframe. "When did this happen? Why did you sell it?"

"When the lab didn't have enough funds for construction... Alright, stop looking so concerned. I'm not homeless, just go back."

"If you were short of money, why didn't you tell me? I thought... Damn! If I had known, I would have funded everything myself!" Li Fanyu said, feeling guilty. He had assumed An Ning was using her spare money.

He had been too careless; although An Ning used to have a million-yuan salary, she had only worked at Mercedes-Benz for a few years. The initial 8 million yuan investment had been gathered by her in a desperate effort. As her most valuable asset, the house was the first thing she sold.

"Shh! Keep your voice down," An Ning said, covering his mouth as he yelled in the hallway.

Just then, the door of the neighboring apartment opened, and a woman with cucumber slices on her face peeked out.

"What's all the noise about so late at night?" she said, then noticed Li Fanyu and An Ning at the door. "Ms. An, you promised me you'd live here alone, and I told you not to bring any riffraff into the house. This is your first warning; if I catch you again, you'll have to move out. If you're going to be noisy, get a room at a hotel."

Li Fanyu flared up instantly. "Is this place rented?"

An Ning's face burned as her lie was exposed. Seeing that she couldn't hide it anymore, she nodded.

The landlord, seeing they were ignoring her, repeated, "Did you hear what I said?"

Li Fanyu glared at her, making her step back in fear.

"What... what are you looking at?"

"This dump, we're not renting it anymore! We'll come back for the stuff in a few days. Sis, let's go," Li Fanyu said, grabbing An Ning's hand and pulling her close, kicking the door shut.

The landlady wiped off the cucumber slices, revealing a face full of hostility. "Who do you think you are? Ms. An, think it over; this is a breach of contract. I won't refund the remaining rent and deposit!"

Li Fanyu waved dismissively. "Keep the money. Buy more cucumbers, and make sure to clean them properly to avoid infections."

The landlady, a single woman for over a decade, immediately understood his insinuation and started cursing. Li Fanyu ignored her, pulling An Ning downstairs.

"Sis, why didn't you tell me anything?" Li Fanyu released An Ning's hand only when they reached the entrance of the complex, turning her to face him.

"You... have no right to make decisions for me..." She wanted to scold him but found she had no strength to do so.

Because she realized she actually liked this feeling; it had been so long, so long, so long since she had felt so cared for.

Her mother had passed away when she was a child, and her father had died a few years ago while she was in college. This background had forced An Ning to develop a maturity and independence beyond her years.

Because no one cared for her, she became accustomed to spreading her warmth to others, finding solace in caring for them.

Now, faced with Li Fanyu's somewhat domineering concern, her heart melted into a bay of spring water.

"If I don't make decisions for you, how long will you stay in that dump?" Li Fanyu asked angrily.

"Until the lab becomes profitable," she replied, seeing him widen his eyes. She quickly changed the subject, "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. But you can't let me sleep on the streets, can you? Tell me where I'll be staying, and I'll comply, okay?"

Li Fanyu smacked his forehead. He had planned to buy a house tomorrow, but what about tonight... he hadn't thought it through.

"Let's go to a hotel for tonight, and tomorrow we'll find a new place!"

An Ning frowned. "No need, just rent me a better place. I was in a rush and couldn't find a good spot back then."

Li Fanyu placed his hands on her shoulders and said slowly, "Sis, can you let me do something for you? Listen to me and make me feel better."

An Ning gazed into his sparkling eyes and smiled. "Alright, I’ll listen to you."

Only then did Li Fanyu feel satisfied. He took her hand, saying, "Let's find a hotel to settle you down for the night."

An Ning, feeling playful, leaned back, letting him pull her like a little pig.

As they walked, they discussed.

"Rich little brother?"

"What?"

"I'm afraid of living in a big house."

"Why?"

"It's scary when it's empty."

"So what should we do? How about I stay with you?"

"Watch your mouth. Something smaller, not too high up, facing south, preferably furnished so I don't have to set it up..."

...

They walked for over half an hour in the biting cold before hailing a cab. But looking at An Ning’s smiling face, Li Fanyu didn’t feel cold at all.

It was really such a strange feeling.

After settling An Ning in a well-known hotel, it was already past 10 PM. Both were yawning constantly, staring at each other.

In the end, An Ning couldn't hold out any longer. "Ahem, it’s half past ten."

"Yeah, time flies."

"I usually sleep by now. It’s cold outside, take my scarf when you leave."

"Mm, the wind tonight is quite loud..."

"What, are you planning to stay here?"

Li Fanyu replied sheepishly, "If you agree... I could."

An Ning squinted at him for two seconds, then took off her coat, and crawled towards him on the sofa like a cat.

She was wearing a pure white, tight-knit sweater, and in her leaning position, her soft curves swayed slightly, making Li Fanyu's eyes go wild.

He gulped, quickly closing his eyes and tilting his head up, his lips quivering.

The next second, he felt a warm breath on his ear—a tingling sensation spread through his body, making him softly moan.

An Ning used her fingers to fasten the button on his shirt collar, whispering huskily, "Naughty brother, don’t overthink. Be good and go home."

NEXTNEXT