By the time all the procedures were completed and Shen Youjin signed the papers and left, the sun was already setting.
The police officer handling the case said that, barring any unexpected circumstances, Li Nanchuan would be released the next day. Her heart finally settled down, and she finally had a good night's sleep.
The next morning, as soon as Li Nanchuan came out, he was surrounded by a group of reporters.
His eyes scanned the area, but he didn't see the familiar graceful figure. His eyes dimmed slightly.
"Mr. Li, it's said that this incident was caused by your attempt to save your ex-girlfriend. Does your fiancée know about this?"
"Mr. Li, it's rumored in the capital that your ex-girlfriend is an illegitimate daughter. What's your opinion on this?"
"Mr. Li, will you really marry Miss Bai of the Bai family?"
"..."
Listening to these sharp questions, Li Nanchuan's expression remained as calm as water. It seemed that no one could shake his mind at any time.
He had the reporters driven away and then got into the car that had been prepared. Bai Ningxi and Li Beiyin were already waiting inside.
Seeing him get in, Li Beiyin immediately beamed with joy. Holding onto the back of the passenger seat, she said, "Brother, we owe this success to Sister Ningxi this time. She's been running around these days. She's been so tired!"
Li Nanchuan glanced at Bai Ningxi in the back seat through the rearview mirror and thanked her.
Bai Ningxi gave a gentle smile. "Actually, I didn't do much. It was just a piece of cake."
Li Nanchuan didn't respond. Instead, Li Beiyin continued, "How could that be? If it weren't for you, Ningxi, restoring the video, my brother would still be inside! Unlike Shen Youjin, that ungrateful wretch. She didn't even come to see my brother once these days. It's disgusting!"
"Beiyin!" Li Nanchuan scolded coldly. "Watch your words!"
"She really is!" Li Beiyin flinched and muttered reluctantly in a low voice. "The day after you went in, I saw her and Gu Zhiyuan at an art exhibition together, flirting. She didn't care at all."
"If it weren't for Sister Ningxi, brother, you'd still be inside!"
Li Nanchuan frowned even deeper. "She's not that kind of person."
Hearing this, Li Beiyin got even angrier and was about to say something else when Bai Ningxi on the side slowly said, "Actually, it's all thanks to Miss Shen that your brother was able to get out this time. She gave me that video, and it's very likely that those accomplices were caught thanks to her. Otherwise, besides her, who could order around the young master of the capital's social circle?"
Li Beiyin was stunned. Her first reaction was disbelief.
Shen Youjin was clearly an ungrateful wretch, and she had even slapped her!
But since Bai Ningxi had said so, even if she didn't want to believe it, she had to accept it.
"Fine!" Li Beiyin said reluctantly. "But if it weren't for her, my brother wouldn't have suffered this. This is what she owes my brother..."
Humph, this woman was just a jinx. Don't think she'd be grateful to Shen Youjin.
"Beiyin, have I been too lenient with you lately?" Li Nanchuan rubbed his temples. "You've been getting more and more out of line!"
Li Beiyin sensed the suppressed anger in her brother's voice and finally shut up.
Humph, just you wait! She'd expose Shen Youjin's true colors one day. An illegitimate daughter couldn't be a good person.
When they returned to the Li family mansion, Bai Ningxi didn't get out of the car. "I still have a meeting at the company. See you next time."
Li Nanchuan looked at her. Sitting there in a cheongsam, she outshone all the romantic scenes.
Even without the support of the Bai family, she deserved the best man in the world. It was just a pity that it wouldn't be him.
He felt guilty towards Bai Ningxi. No matter what he thought in his heart, Bai Ningxi was his fiancée in name.
He had saved his ex-girlfriend and made such a big fuss. This was slapping Bai Ningxi in the face.
Even though Bai Ningxi was graceful, he still felt bad.
"Nanchuan, you're finally back!" Mrs. Li was on the verge of tears when she saw her son return. "Let me take a look. Did they do anything to you?"
"Mom, I'm fine."
Although Mr. Li didn't say a word, the graying hair at his temples in just a few days said it all.
Half an hour later, the four members of the family sat together for a reunion dinner. When the atmosphere was harmonious, Mrs. Li brought up an old topic.
"Nanchuan, I think Ningxi is a great girl. The Bai family only has this one daughter, and they've always doted on her. You can't keep stringing her along. You should hold the engagement ceremony as soon as possible."
"Mom, I don't like her." Li Nanchuan paused and slowly put down his chopsticks. "The alliance between the Li and Bai families was decided by you. The only relationship I can have with her is that of friends. There's no other possibility."
Hearing this, Mrs. Li was about to cry again. "She's hurt you like this again and again. Why are you still so stubborn? You..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Mr. Li interrupted her. "Alright, the child just came back. Don't say anything more."
Mrs. Li reluctantly shut up. Before she could change the topic, Li Nanchuan had already stood up.
"I have a lot of things to take care of. I'll go back first."
Mrs. Li was stunned. She didn't expect her son to leave so soon.
Li Beiyin was also surprised. "Brother, aren't you going to stay at home for a few days? We all miss you so much."
"Go back!" Mr. Li was quite calm and didn't even try to stop him. "Have a good talk with your superiors. Don't give them any excuses."
Li Nanchuan responded and left without looking back.
The sound of a car horn sounded outside the villa and gradually faded away. Only then did Mrs. Li look at her husband. "Why didn't you try to persuade him? I was so scared this time. I thought..."
"Could you persuade him? When has he ever listened when it comes to that girl from the Shen family?" Mr. Li glanced at his wife indifferently. "If you keep persuading him, he might really risk his life for Shen Youjin!"
"Are we just going to let him be like this?" Mrs. Li said unwillingly. "I'm putting it out there. I'll only recognize Ningxi as my daughter-in-law in this lifetime!"
"Let's wait and see." Mr. Li looked meaningfully in the direction where Li Nanchuan had left. "Extremes meet. We can only wait for him to figure it out on his own!"
...
Shen Youjin was woken up by a call from the hotel receptionist. She looked at the time and realized that she had slept until noon.
She packed up and went downstairs to check out. Bai Ningxi sent her a message saying that Li Nanchuan had returned home. She replied with an "OK" and then checked out.
She drove to the hotel where she could stay with the card Fu Qingye had given her and started thinking about how much she should list her house for.
The incident with Chi Tingwan had made a big stir. The house would probably have to be sold at a much lower price. Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
However, even so, she still listed it for sale and started looking for a new place to live.
Perhaps it was a case of bad luck turning into good. She actually quickly found a house she liked, and it was right near her studio.
Most importantly, the price was right. It was much cheaper than the normal housing price. She was really lucky.
She quickly set a time to view the house. After making sure there were no problems, she paid the full price and bought it.
But before she could enjoy her happiness for long, her phone rang. Someone was coming to inspect the fire safety of "Chasing Light".
She couldn't help but feel a bit strange. Weren't there already inspections before? Why were they coming again?