Chapter 24: Be Good, Take Your Medicine Before You Sleep

"Excuse me, is this Ms. Ran, ending in 9395? Your delivery has arrived..."

Bo Qijin leaned his tall frame against the doorframe, arms crossed, wearing a roguish grin. "Ms.? Buddy, take a good look—is there anything I'm missing that a man ought to have?"

"Ah?" The delivery driver blinked, then scrambled to check the order details.

The delivery address was Room 5211, Building 3, Zhonghai No. 9 Mansion, but he was standing at 5212.

"My apologies, sir. It’s your neighbor; I’ve got the wrong door."

No. 9 Mansion consisted of duplex units, two per floor. As the delivery driver spoke, the door across the hall opened, and a woman with a graceful silhouette stepped out.

She wore a navy blue tie-dye printed dress, her lustrous, long black hair braided into a fishtail style and draped over one shoulder. Her skin was as white as snow, her lips naturally crimson without the need for makeup. Under the hallway lights, she looked as beautiful as a blue lotus blooming in the snow.

Bo Qijin’s breath hitched. He was momentarily drawn into those melancholic, clear eyes, staring at her without blinking.

It wasn't until the door across the hall clicked shut that he snapped out of his trance, realizing how foolish he must have looked. Feeling as though he’d lost his soul, he retreated into his apartment.

His phone rang—a call from "Baby No. 1"—but Bo Qijin just glanced at it and ignored it. He pulled open his nightstand drawer, fished out a pack of cigarettes, grabbed a lighter, and headed to the balcony.

*Click.* A flame ignited, illuminating the man’s handsome, sharp features against the thick night. Bo Qijin took a deep drag, his mind flooded with the sight and sound of the woman from moments ago. When she smiled, there was a faint dimple at the corner of her mouth, like a pristine white camellia deep in the mountains.

Why was his head full of her? It was absolutely maddening.

A sudden irritation stirred within him. Bo Qijin tugged at his tie, stubbed out the barely-smoked cigarette under his polished black leather shoe, and turned to head toward the bathroom.

...

Elsewhere, Li Beitian hung up the phone and personally opened the passenger door of the Maybach for Nan Xing.

Nan Xing suddenly remembered that her fifth brother’s car keys were still with her. "Fourth Uncle, could you wait here for a moment?"

Li Beitian paused as he reached for his seatbelt. "What for?"

"I just remembered I left something behind. I want to go back and get it," Nan Xing lied.

"Is it important?"

"Uh, I suppose so."

"If it’s not important, then forget it."

Nan Xing: "..."

Without further discussion, Li Beitian started the engine. Nan Xing was a bit annoyed by his bossiness, but then she thought, he was only doing it for her own good, so she sent a message to her fifth brother on WeChat.

As the car pulled out of the underground garage, Li Beitian seemed to notice her low spirits. He parted his lips slightly: "If you like it that much, I’ll buy you a new one some other day."

Nan Xing’s breath hitched; she didn't know how to respond. Just as the atmosphere grew awkward, her phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, her brow smoothed, and she quickly answered.

"What’s wrong, dear?"

"Nothing, just bored and wanted to chat. I’m eating snail noodles, haha."

"You called just to tell me that?" Nan Xing frowned, her pretty brows knitting. "They smell so strange. Are they really that good?"

"You know me, I’m a loyal fan of snail noodles," the caller said, seemingly slurping a noodle. "Oh, and a serious matter—I think a pervert moved in next door."

"A pervert?" Nan Xing straightened up. "What do you mean?"

"When I was picking up my delivery today, he kept staring at me. A woman’s intuition tells me that man is trouble."

Nan Xing felt a jolt of nervousness. "You’ve always been timid. Do you want me to come over and stay with you?"

"Not yet. I installed surveillance at home, so I’ll observe him for a while first."

After they hung up, Nan Xing was still worried and sent another message: *Ranran, don't be afraid. Contact me immediately if anything happens.*

The reply was a sticker of a cat holding a flower: *I know, thank you Xingxing, Mwah!*

"Did something happen?"

Only after Nan Xing tucked her phone away did Li Beitian speak, his lips pressed into a tight line. Nan Xing shook her head, just about to ask him about the measurement meeting he’d forgotten earlier, when a sharp, stabbing pain suddenly gripped her lower abdomen.

Li Beitian noticed the change in her demeanor. He slowed the car and reached out to touch her forehead. "No fever."

His voice was laced with urgency: "Why do you look so pale? Where exactly does it hurt?"

"Fourth Uncle, I think it’s... my stomach." Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Nan Xing’s face was deathly white as she gripped the seatbelt in pain. "It must be because I haven't eaten properly."

At this, the look in Li Beitian’s eyes darkened, a mix of frustration and heartache. The Maybach accelerated and veered in a different direction.

The car pulled into a high-end residential complex with rigorous security. After passing through three checkpoints, they arrived in front of a European-style villa. This was one of Li Beitian’s private residences in Beixin. He hadn't stayed here in a long time, but a housekeeper came regularly to clean, so the villa was immaculate—only lacking the warmth of a lived-in home.

Li Beitian opened the passenger door and called out to Nan Xing. There was no response, only faint, delirious murmurs. He reached out to brush the messy hair from her face, which was covered in a thick layer of cold sweat.

By now, Nan Xing was semi-conscious from the pain, her small frame curled into a ball. She looked haggard, completely devoid of her usual vitality. Long ago, she had lived a life of inconsistent meals, which had left her with chronic issues; now, whenever she failed to eat properly, her stomach would issue a severe warning. To make matters worse, she had been drugged with alcohol at the club earlier.

Li Beitian’s expression was heavy. He leaned over, unbuckled her seatbelt, scooped her up from the passenger seat, and strode into the villa. Nan Xing clung to him like a weak little wildcat, burying her face in his chest as he carried her upstairs.

He laid her on the master bed, covered her with a thick blanket, and immediately went to the storage room to fetch a first-aid kit.

"Be good. Eat the medicine, then sleep."

Li Beitian’s brows remained deeply furrowed throughout. Seeing that Nan Xing was in too much pain to even keep her eyes open, he slid a large hand behind her head to cradle her, pulling her into his arms. She leaned against him, and he fed her the medicine.

He stayed in that same position for nearly an hour.

As warmth spread through her stomach and the pain finally began to subside, Nan Xing’s dry lips parted. Looking up, she saw Li Beitian’s sharp, superior jawline.

The man’s deep, sculpted features were unusually soft under the dim light. Nan Xing felt a bittersweet ache in her heart, her voice trembling slightly: "Fourth Uncle, I feel much better. Thank you."