Chapter 19: The Wolf Is Coming!
“Fourth Brother said he’d come pick me up on the phone, but I don’t know if he’s arrived yet.”
“The people in front are walking too slowly. I really want to climb out the window and jump down.”
Before her muttering could finish, she suddenly felt a crisp tap on her head.
Shen Yi’an clutched her head and spun around quickly. “Why did you flick my forehead?”
Just then, she spotted the “culprit’s hand” that hadn’t yet been withdrawn, and immediately pouted in displeasure. “What kind of man resorts to sneak attacks?”
Hearing this, Li Beichen raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Whether I’m a man or not should be up to An An to decide, don’t you think?”
Catching the implication in his words, Shen Yi’an turned away in both embarrassment and irritation. “I’m not talking to you anymore.”
Afraid of truly upsetting the young woman, Li Beichen leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Want to jump from the train window? Do you really think you’re made of springs?”
“Don’t be fooled by the window being less than 1.5 meters from the ground. If you actually jump from here, you might land on the tracks.”
“And if you get hurt, won’t I be the one who’s heartbroken?”
Knowing he was right, Shen Yi’an still defiantly lifted her chin. “I’m not stupid enough to actually climb out and jump from a train!”
“I was just saying it casually!”
She even shot a glare at the man behind her. “Can’t even recognize a joke, hmph! I’m not talking to you anymore.”
Turning around, she picked up the spring tea and health supplements she had prepared earlier on the seat and quickly joined the line of passengers disembarking from the train.
Seeing this, Li Beichen shook his head with a mix of helplessness and affection, then hurried after her with the cigarettes and alcohol in his arms.
Over ten minutes later, the slow-moving disembarkation line finally reached Shen Yi’an’s position.
Before stepping off the train, she turned back to remind him, “Stay close to me so you don’t get swept away by the crowd.”
If they got separated, she’d have to painstakingly search for him in the sea of people.
Understanding the concern in her eyes, Li Beichen smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure not to fall behind.”
After this brief exchange, the two disembarked one after the other.
Looking at the crowded platform, Shen Yi’an felt momentarily dazed.
The familiar place, the familiar crowds, the familiar local accents—she hadn’t experienced these in many years.
How wonderful!
It felt so good to be immersed in this atmosphere again!
Before her reflections could conclude, a familiar, hearty male voice cut through the crowd and reached her ears.
“Little sister! Little sister!”
“Fourth Brother is here! Fourth Brother is here!”
“Little sister! An An! I’m here! Can you see me?”
Snapped out of her thoughts, Shen Yi’an’s gaze fixed intently in the direction of the voice.
A tall young man in a white short-sleeved shirt and black pants was striding quickly toward her.
However, due to the dense flow of people moving in the opposite direction, his figure was pushed back several steps by the crowd.
Fortunately, his goal was clear. Using his height advantage—standing a full ten centimeters taller than those around him—he maneuvered forward skillfully.
Seeing this face that so closely resembled her own, tears immediately streamed down Shen Yi’an’s pale cheeks, and her voice grew hoarse. “Fourth Brother, Fourth Brother!”
“Fourth Brother, I’m here! I’m here, Fourth Brother!”
Hearing her response, Shen Junkai, now almost in front of her, broke into a radiant smile.
“Little sister, stay where you are! Fourth Brother will come to you!”
“It’s crowded and stuffy—be careful not to get stepped on!”
As he spoke, the long-legged man deftly maneuvered around the nearby passengers and took two or three steps to stand opposite Shen Yi’an.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes and the tears streaming down her face, the smile on his face instantly gave way to concern.
“Little sister, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
“Did someone with no eyes pick on you?”
As he spoke, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to help wipe her tears. “Don’t cry, what will you do if you turn into a little tear-streaked kitten?”
“If you go home looking like this, Mom and Dad will think I bullied you on the way.”
“Do you want to see your fourth brother get a mixed doubles beating?”
Hearing this, long-buried memories stirred awake once more.
It forced Shen Yi’an to break into a smile through her tears. “Fourth Brother, saying that is just no fun.”
“Every time Mom and Dad spank you, it’s because you brought it on yourself. You can’t blame anyone else.”
Though her voice was still hoarse, the sadness in her eyes faded considerably with her reply.
Seeing this, Shen Junkai secretly breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to reach out and ruffle her hair.
“Knew you were a little heartless one.”
“Alright, no more crying.”
“It’s only been one semester apart, no need to get this emotional!”
As he spoke, he moved to take the things she was holding. “Let me carry these. Don’t let your little frame get crushed.”
“Otherwise, I’ll get blamed again for you not growing taller.”
Mentioning the topic of not growing taller, Shen Junkai, who had silently taken the tea and health products, felt a pang of heartache.
There was only a year’s difference between his and his little sister’s births.
They ate the same things, yet he shot up quickly while his little sister’s growth seemed to dawdle.
Now, at 22, he stood at 1.83 meters, while his sister, a year younger, looked to be only around 1.65 meters.
Because of this, as they grew up, they often heard neighbors say he had absorbed all the nutrients in their mother’s womb, causing his younger sister to be born prematurely due to malnutrition.
When he was little, he believed it too. On his way home from school, he would search everywhere for bird eggs to bring home and supplement his little sister’s nutrition.
Later, as he grew more sensible, he realized his sister’s poor health wasn’t his fault.
Now, bringing up the topic again,
the caution in his tone was long gone, replaced by the familiar self-deprecation.
Knowing this was just an excuse to keep her from tiring herself, Shen Yi’an smiled and loosened her grip. “Fourth Brother, you better hold these carefully.”
“They’re good stuff, rare here in Lancheng.”
“Got it!” Shen Junkai nodded with a smile as he took the items.
“But, didn’t these things cost you a lot of money?”
“Did you clean out all your private savings?”
“Don’t worry, when we get home, Fourth Brother will top you up. I won’t let our college student go empty-handed.”
Hearing this, Shen Yi’an glanced somewhat guiltily at the man slightly behind and to her side.
Ever since her fourth brother appeared, this man’s presence seemed to have vanished.
Not only were they both ignoring him, but now the gifts he brought were being attributed to her name.
Tsk, truly unfortunate!
Sighing inwardly a couple of times, she tugged on Shen Junkai’s sleeve. “Fourth Brother, I didn’t buy these things.”
As she spoke, she tilted her head to indicate the side behind her, making her meaning perfectly clear.
Finally hearing this explanation, Shen Junkai, who had turned slightly, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.
Wolf’s here!
From the moment he saw his younger sister appear, he had noticed the man following closely behind her.
The man’s towering height stood out in the crowd, and his sharp, commanding presence was even more eye-catching.
Though dressed similarly to him, the muscles in the man’s arms, which were carrying some items, were particularly well-defined.
Based on the experience he had accumulated over the years of working, he could tell at a glance that this man was no ordinary person.
But since his younger sister hadn’t introduced him, he naturally pretended not to see him.
Now that the conversation had finally turned to the man, Shen Junkai turned around and faced him directly.
The man was slightly taller than him, with a standard short, neat haircut.
His posture was steady, and his eyes, though smiling, held a hidden sharpness.
Overall, his appearance was quite good. As for his background… that would have to wait until after the test.
While Shen Junkai was sizing up the man before him, Li Beichen, the one being sized up, was also assessing his future brother-in-law.
He was beyond expectations.
Whether it was his height or his resemblance to his fiancée.
But the crowded train platform was not the right place for a conversation.
Before Shen Junkai could speak, Li Beichen took the initiative and spoke first.