“Are you paying for someone’s services, or is someone paying for yours?”
At that point, Nan Chen’s expression began to darken. Regardless of whichever situation it was, he couldn’t accept either.
“Neither, I just said – it was just a slip of tongue!” Ning Ran became anxious.
“But how did you know about such things?” Nan Chen demanded as he glared at Ning Ran.
“People talk about it.”
“Who did you hear it from?” Nan Chen persisted in his questions.
“I need some time to recall as I can’t remember off-hand. It’s just something I overheard when people were talking, so I don’t recall who said what.”
“Then think harder! Who was it that told you, or did you experience it yourself?” Nan Chen wasn’t giving up.
“Ugh, come on! I was only joking. You don’t have to take it THAT seriously. You really have no sense of humor at all.” Ning Ran began to feel frustrated.
By then, she was done drying Nan Chen and had already helped him into his pajamas.
“If you were to pay for my services, how much would you offer?” Nan Chen suddenly asked.
Ning Ran was stunned. What kind of question is that?
“I already said I was just kidding,” Ning Ran repeated helplessly.
“Answer me. How much will you offer?” Nan Chen asked again.
“I’m sorry. I can’t afford you… wait, that didn’t come out right. I meant I wouldn’t offer you anything.” Ning Ran blushed instantly.
Is he flirting with me?
Or is he setting a trap?
“You’re already blushing, and yet you claim that you won’t offer me anything?” Nan Chen fixated his gaze on her.
Ning Ran felt her knees buckling and had the urge to flee.
“Can we stop talking about this? It was just a thought, so don’t take it seriously,” Ning Ran’s tone sounded as she was pleading for mercy.
“Name your price, and I’ll let you pay for me,” Nan Chen’s eyes were filled with mischief.
He found this topic to be extremely intriguing, so he wasn’t going to give it up that easily.
“I don’t want to. I really don’t, so stop harping on this topic. Dabao is worried about you, so I promised him to get you to call him. Since he has been waiting for you, don’t let him wait too long.”
Finally, those words achieved their intended effect as Nan Chen stopped harping about paying for “special” services.
Evidently, Dabao was still waiting. When he saw his Daddy appear on his phone screen, he let out a rare smile.
As he had inherited Nan Chen’s cool demeanor, Dabao seldom smiled during normal times.
For a person who rarely smiled to smile, it would bring one a sense of untold joy.
And since Dabao was already a handsome child. When he smiled, he had Ning Ran mesmerized. “Wow, Dabao is smiling!”
“Daddy, are you alright?” Dabao’s eyes were filled with concern.
“I’m fine. Is Erbao asleep?”
“Yes, she was too tired, so she went to bed first.”
“You should also turn in as it’s already late. You know, kids get taller if they sleep on time,” Nan Chen persuaded.
“I want to talk to you a while more before I go to bed. Daddy, are you and Mommy still fighting?” Dabao asked.
“No we aren’t. Why would we fight?”
“Does that mean you like Mommy now?” Dabao asked again.
It was a tough question to answer, mainly because Ning Ran was sitting right beside him.
“We’re doing fine. You should sleep now since you still have school tomorrow.”
“Alright. We will be staying in Great-Grandpa’s house for a while. So both of you, please take care of each other,” Dabao instructed.
“We’ll see. Once I’m done with my work, I will pick you and Erbao up.”
“Alright, that’s all then. Good night, Daddy. Good night, Mommy.”
Waving his little hands, Dabao happily ended the call.
Ning Ran, too, began to yawn. “I’m going to sleep. Is there anything else?”
“There is.”
As a matter of fact, Ning Ran was just asking out of courtesy, so she didn’t expect him to take it seriously.
“What is it? Why do you have so many requests?” Ning Ran grumbled.
“What kind of attitude is that? I got hurt because of you.”
Ning Ran was losing it. Is this what people consider emotional blackmail? When is this going to end?
“Sir Chen, I know that you got hurt because of me. However, you have also pestered me a lot. So, when are you going to turn the page on this incident?”
“Not anytime soon. My wound hasn’t even healed, and you’re already thinking about turning the page?” Nan Chen questioned in a frosty voice.
“Fine, then please tell me your next request.”
“Sleep with me,” Nan Chen’s reply was short and sweet.
“Huh?”
“I’m injured, so the wound may get infected, or there might be other risks. I need someone to take care of me and provide me with immediate medical attention if anything untoward happens.” Nan Chen explained with a straight face.
Ning Ran felt his explanation made a lot of sense. “In that case, I’ll send you to the hospital. There are a lot more professionals there.”
“I told you that I can’t go to the hospital, because I can’t let anyone else know that I’m hurt. How many times do you need me to repeat myself?”
“But…”
“Just sleep on the same bed. I’ll be fine as long as you take care of me,” Nan Chen insisted.
This must be part of his plot! Ning Ran thought to herself.
No, wait. He is just doing this outright because he knows I don’t have a choice other than to obey him.
In fact, he is taking advantage of me brazenly.
Fine, what’s the big deal about sleeping together. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. What’s there to be afraid of?
“Okay, okay! I will take good care of you and not allow anything untoward to happen to you,” Ning Ran declared.
“Good, now that’s the spirit. Come on. It’s time to help me to the bedroom now,” Nan Chen instructed.
At that moment, all Ning Ran wanted was to kick him in the shin. They both knew that Nan Chen’s wound wasn’t that serious, and there was no need for him to be so dramatic about it.
Furthermore, he had just bathed himself. Why does he need me to support him now? What’s the meaning of this?
“Hurry up,” Nan Chen snapped.
Without a choice, Ning Ran came over to help him.
Compared to Nan Chen, Ning Ran was like an ant. Thus, when she was helping him, she felt like she was supporting a lamp post.
Her height and strength were barely enough to provide him with any meaningful support. Hence, the “support” she provided was simply cosmetic.
I didn’t expect someone as pragmatic as Nan Chen to enjoy such ceremonial displays?
After being helped into the bedroom, Nan Chen lay down and motioned Ning Ran to take off his shoes.
Sighing, she did as he asked.
“What are you sighing for? Are you really that reluctant?” Nan Chen asked.
“Not at all, Sir Chen. It was an honor to do so,” Ning Ran retorted sarcastically.
“Come up here then.” Nan Chen motioned to Ning Ran.
Ning Ran lay on the bed but maintained a safe distance from him.
“How are you going to know if something happens to me if you’re so far away? You need to come closer.”
Resigned to her fate, Ning Ran inched closer to him.
This wasn’t the first time she lay beside him. But for some reason, she was especially shy tonight, and her face was blushing red.
“I’ll turn off the lights.” Ning Ran picked up the remote.
“Why are you in such a hurry? We haven’t even agreed on the price, and you expect me to provide my services already?”
Ning Ran’s blushing intensified. “There’s no such thing. It’s just that the light is too jarring, so I want to turn it off.”
“No, leave it on. In case something happens to me, you will notice it in time. If something happens to you, I can also see easily.”
What Nan Chen was referring to was obviously Ning Ran’s flushing face.
Rolling her eyes at Nan Chen, she turned away from him, so she didn’t have to look at him and that he couldn’t see her either.
