“When I chased after that thief, I didn’t know the person whose bag was snatched was you.”
Su Xiahe looked at Shen Jin’s face and found herself lost in thought again.
She thought Shen Jin was truly a kind person—compassionate, brave, and even after getting hurt, he still had such a good temper.
It wasn’t until she was standing by the roadside that Su Xiahe remembered to ask, “Shen Jin, why are you here?”
Shen Jin replied in a calm, unhurried tone, “A friend of mine performed a very successful surgery last week. He happened to be in town on business, so he thought he’d bring the case files over to show me.”
“Did you get the files?”
Shen Jin shook his head. “I’d just arrived when I heard someone shouting ‘Robbery!’…”
The implication was clear: he hadn’t gotten the files.
Su Xiahe understood. “Where’s your friend? I’ll go get them for you right now.”
Shen Jin waved his hand. “No need. He should already be on his plane by now.”
The guilt in Su Xiahe’s heart grew even stronger. She hung her head. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“If you really feel bad about it,”—this was the real point of the show Shen Jin had orchestrated tonight—”then move into the mansion for now.”
Seeing that Su Xiahe hadn’t responded, he added, “Your ID is gone, and getting a replacement won’t be quick. Without an ID, you can’t check into a hotel either, right?”
Su Xiahe felt that she’d really been down on her luck lately.
She was already drowning in debt, then she’d been taken to the police station over the tutoring job search, and the job she’d finally found had vanished because “the boss was operating without a license.” Her dorm had burned down for no apparent reason, and now, when she’d gone out to find a hotel, her bag had been snatched and her ID was gone…
Wah… She really wanted to cry.
But Shen Jin kept reaching out to her, pulling her back from the edge of the abyss.
She felt he was a ray of light in her dark days—so warm.
Shen Jin continued, “You might not know this, but my appointments are really hard to get. My foot is injured now, so I can’t go to the hospital. I’ll probably need to do online consultations from home over the next few days.”
He looked at her. “I might need someone at home who can help me out.”
Su Xiahe immediately jumped in. “No problem. I can help you.”
“Good,” Shen Jin smiled. “Do you know how to drive?”
Su Xiahe hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly.
At nine o’clock that evening, Su Xiahe helped Shen Jin back to Jiangwan Mansion.
Shen Jin frowned slightly. “It hurts.”
Su Xiahe carefully guided him through the door. “Then take it slow.”
Shen Tan had just come downstairs. Seeing Shen Jin limping through the doorway, supported by someone else, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
But she saw through it without saying a word. She walked over and quickly slipped into character. “A-Jin, what happened?”
Shen Jin didn’t answer. Su Xiahe spoke up first. “Tan Jie, Shen Jin got hurt chasing after the thief who stole my bag.”
Oh, so now she was using his full name.
That meant the two-plus hours they’d just spent alone had been quite productive.
Shen Jin said, “It’s nothing serious.”
“Mm, let me take a look.”
Shen Tan examined his ankle carefully. It was only slightly swollen—hardly anything serious. “Aunt Zhou, go get an ice pack.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Soon, Aunt Zhou brought the ice pack over.
“Aunt Zhou, I’ll do it.” Su Xiahe reached out to take the ice pack from Aunt Zhou’s hands.
But Shen Jin took it before she could. “No need. I can just apply it myself.”
Su Xiahe crouched beside him, watching.
Xu Dongdong suddenly popped out from who-knows-where. “Teacher Su, you’re back? Are you going to live with us?”
Su Xiahe looked embarrassed, not knowing how to respond.
“Mm, Dongdong, Teacher Su will be staying with us for a while,” Shen Jin said, then turned to Aunt Zhou. “Could you prepare the guest room on the third floor, Aunt Zhou?”
“Of course. I’ll go do that right away.”
Shen Tan smiled. Her little brother really knew how to play the sympathy card!
When Xu Dongdong heard that Teacher Su would be staying here, his eyes lit up like they’d been switched on. He ran over and tugged at Su Xiahe’s sleeve. “Wow, that’s great, that’s great! Teacher Su, teach me how to play games!”
“Xu Dongdong!” It was Shen Tan’s voice.
Xu Dongdong immediately went quiet as a mouse.
Shen Tan glanced at Su Xiahe and gave a slight smile. “Teacher Su, while you’re staying here, treat this place like your own home. Don’t feel constrained.”
Su Xiahe nodded. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Shen Tan smiled and shook her head. “Teacher Su, what are you saying? With you staying here, you can even help me keep an eye on the kid. How is that any trouble?”
Then she pulled her son toward the stairs. “Look at the time. Still playing games? Go to bed now.”
Xu Dongdong pouted in protest. “I’m not sleepy yet.”
Su Xiahe said to him, “Go to bed early. Teacher Su doesn’t have classes tomorrow morning, so I’ll play with you then, okay?”
The little boy’s face immediately broke into a grin, and he bounced out a cheerful “Okay!”
Then he scampered happily up the stairs.
Jiangwan Mansion had three floors.
Usually, the household staff lived on the first floor, Shen Tan and Xu Dongdong on the second, and Shen Jin lived alone on the third.
And from tonight onward, his A-He would be staying with him on the third floor.
Just thinking about it was enough to get him excited.
After Aunt Zhou finished tidying up the guest room, she led Su Xiahe upstairs.
“Miss Su, this room has its own private bathroom. I’ve already placed fresh toiletries in there for you.”
“Thank you, Aunt Zhou.”
“You’re welcome.”
Aunt Zhou headed back downstairs.
Su Xiahe sat in the room, feeling a bit nervous. Her phone buzzed, and she took it out to check.
It was a WeChat message from Meng Wanxing: [A-He, did you find a place to stay at a hotel?]
Su Xiahe replied: [I’m not staying at a hotel. I’ll be staying at my tutoring student’s house for the next few days.]
Meng Wanxing: [You just started tutoring there today, and you’re already spending the night at their place? Aren’t you afraid they might have bad intentions toward you?]
Su Xiahe: [I don’t think so. My tutoring student is Doctor Shen’s nephew.]
Meng Wanxing: [What!!]
Meng Wanxing: [No wonder you refused to stay at my place and told me you were going to a hotel! You’ve quietly moved right into your idol Shen’s house! You’re way too bold! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻]
Su Xiahe was speechless: [Wanxing, it’s not what you think. I originally planned to stay at a hotel, but then my bag got snatched. Doctor Shen helped me get it back, and I walked him home…]
Su Xiahe typed out a long string of text in one go, unsure if it would clear up Meng Wanxing’s misunderstanding.
Meng Wanxing: [You got robbed? Were you hurt?]
Su Xiahe: [I wasn’t hurt, but Doctor Shen was.]
Meng Wanxing: [So you decided to repay him by offering yourself and moving into his place?]
What kind of logic was this little Meng running on?
Su Xiahe: [It’s not what you think.]
“Knock, knock.”
Someone was at the door.
Su Xiahe immediately put down her phone and got up to open it. “Tan Jie, why are you here?”
Shen Tan smiled and handed her a green bag. “This is from Jin. He asked me to bring it to you. You came in a hurry, so you probably haven’t had time to prepare a change of clothes.”
Su Xiahe glanced at the bag before awkwardly reaching out to take it. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If you need anything, feel free to let me know,” Shen Tan paused, “or if you’re too shy to ask me, you can tell Aunt Zhou as well.”
“Okay, thank you, Tan Jie.”
“Go get washed up then. I’ll be off now.”
“Alright, good night, Tan Jie.”
After Shen Tan left, Su Xiahe closed the door.
She opened the green bag in her hands…