Chapter 641 - 656

"Sis—are you okay? Why didn’t you tell me? If I hadn’t seen Jiang Xia, I would’ve never known you were hospitalized."

An Guoping walked to the foot of An Ning’s bed and casually picked up her chart to flip through it. His eyes then darted to her IV drip. He anxiously checked over everything he possibly could.

"Alright, that’s enough. If you keep staring, your head nurse is going to chew you out."

An Ning’s words finally made An Guoping stop.

Only then did he remember the girl behind him. He introduced her, a little embarrassed, "Sis, this is Min Xiaorou. I’ve told you about her. She’s my girlfriend."

As he spoke, An Guoping lowered his head shyly. He then introduced them to Min Xiaorou. "This is my sister, An Ning, and this is my future brother-in-law, Jiang Xia."

’Future brother-in-law?’

Jiang Xia’s heart leaped for a moment, but he quickly suppressed the feeling. He nodded at Min Xiaorou in greeting.

An Ning, lying in bed, disliked Min Xiaorou from the very first glance. The feeling was even stronger than her initial impression of Miao Xiaohua.

"Hello."

She greeted her first. Min Xiaorou, who was behind An Guoping, took a step forward. True to her name, she smiled gently and politely at An Ning.

"Hello, An Ning. I’m actually an alumna of your school, too. We just never met."

"Mm."

"Sis, Xiaorou just started working at our hospital. She’s the one who saw you and told me."

"It seems your powers of observation could use some work."

In response to An Ning’s remark, An Guoping just grinned foolishly and said, "Alright, I’ll start practicing when I get back."

An Guoping and Min Xiaorou didn’t stay long. An Ning made the excuse that she wanted to get some sleep, and since they both had to work, they left after checking in on her.

After they left, Jiang Xia speared a slice of apple he had just cut and offered it to An Ning.

"I don’t like her."

"I don’t know why, I just don’t. It’s almost a physical aversion."

An Ning didn’t hide anything from Jiang Xia and told him about her investigation into Min Xiaorou.

"So, a person who is ’too perfect’ just happened to show up at a particularly convenient time."

"Exactly."

An Ning chewed on the apple, her spiritual power following Min Xiaorou out the door. But a second later, her spiritual power snapped back.

"Just as I thought. She’s more than she seems."

Min Xiaorou was the second person who could sense her spiritual power. The last one had their soul shattered.

An Ning whispered to Jiang Xia that Min Xiaorou could sense her Mystic Power.

Jiang Xia grew thoughtful.

"Could she be from the Mystic Sect?"

"I don’t think so. There’s no Mystic Power circulating in her body. But we can’t rule out some unorthodox methods."

An Ning started to worry. If Min Xiaorou was really that capable, wasn’t An Guoping in great danger?

’But how should I tell him?’

She was sure An Guoping would listen to her, but right now, everything was just speculation. And besides, she couldn’t ask An Guoping to stop living his life over a baseless threat. It would be too unfair to him.

"Worried about Guoping?"

"Yeah."

Jiang Xia thought for a moment before suggesting, "Why don’t you have An Guoping move in with you? You can keep a close eye on him that way. The chances of something happening during the day at the hospital are lower, and if you make him a few protective talismans or something, that should be enough to keep him safe, right?"

Jiang Xia’s words gave An Ning an idea.

"I’m checking out of the hospital."

"What?"

Jiang Xia hadn’t expected An Ning to be in such a hurry, but then again, this was about An Guoping.

"You can check out, but at least wait until this IV drip is finished."

In the end, An Ning finally finished her IV drip and checked out of the hospital immediately.

After leaving the hospital, An Ning didn’t go home. Instead, she went straight to the research institute.

That night, An Ning left the institute with two pea-sized objects and, late at night, knocked on Jiang Xia’s door.

Jiang Xia came to open the door in a daze, his head stuck in the armhole of his tank top.

"This is for you."

Jiang Xia instinctively took the small box An Ning handed him.

"It’s a locator I made for you. Go stick it on something you use all the time but isn’t too conspicuous. If you’re in danger, press the small bump on it, and I’ll know where you are."

"There’s one more. I’m going to give it to An Guoping."

An Ning was as good as her word, acting with swift decisiveness. Jiang Xia could only watch as she got into Yu Zheng’s car and disappeared into the night.

Holding the box, Jiang Xia stood at the door as his words of thanks were scattered by the wind.

A knock on the door in the dead of night is definitely a frightening thing.

When An Guoping opened the door and saw An Ning, he wondered if the apocalypse had arrived. After all, the chances of An Ning getting into a fight with Jiang Xia and running away from home were lower than the chances of the world ending.

"Sis—"

"Get inside. We need to talk."

An Guoping was so scared he nearly wet himself. He followed An Ning inside and stood opposite the sofa, waiting for her to speak.

"This is for you. It’s a locator. Put it somewhere you use often but where no one will notice it. If you’re in danger, press the bump on it, and I’ll come save you."

"Keep these talismans on you, too. I’ve already had Baobei empower them for you."

"One last thing. How much do you know about Min Xiaorou? And how much do you love her?"

In the middle of the night, An Guoping did his best to keep up with An Ning’s train of thought.

"Sis, is there something wrong with Min Xiaorou?"

An Guoping wasn’t stupid. For An Ning to come so thoroughly prepared, she must be fairly certain about something.

"I don’t know."

An Ning leaned back on the sofa in frustration and explained her suspicions.

"So, I have no proof of what she might do, and I don’t know if she’s a good person or not. I just have a bad feeling."

"What’s there to even talk about? If you have a bad feeling about her, then something’s definitely wrong!"

An Guoping’s unwavering support took An Ning by surprise; even she wasn’t that certain.

"Sis, what should I do? Do you want me to go undercover and stay by Min Xiaorou’s side?"

An Ning stared at An Guoping for a long moment.

"I’m starting to think you don’t even like her that much, kid."

"Mm, it’s hard to say. I do have feelings for her, that’s true... but you’re my sister."

You’re my sister, so I trust you unconditionally. I’ll support you in whatever you need.

"You silly kid!"

For a rare moment, An Ning was touched. She helped An Guoping put the items away safely.

"Don’t do anything. I’ll be near you. Your sister won’t let anything happen to you."

After the two siblings finished talking, An Ning left first.

The next day, An Ning did something unprecedented: she drove An Guoping to work. After he went inside, she didn’t leave. Instead, she sat in the car and sent her spiritual power in after him.

A moment later, Min Xiaorou appeared.

But she didn’t head for the hospital. Instead, she walked straight toward An Ning’s car.

KNOCK KNOCK.

Min Xiaorou knocked on the car window. An Ning rolled it down, and their eyes met.

"Care to talk?"

"Get in."

An Ning unlocked the door, Min Xiaorou got in, and the car drove off.

Min Xiaorou was calm in the passenger seat as the car drove further and further, taking a more and more remote route.

"You’re really not afraid of me?"

Min Xiaorou spoke first. An Ning just smiled.

"You’re the first person to suggest I should be."

"And why shouldn’t you be?"

Before An Ning’s eyes, Min Xiaorou snapped a pen in half. A colorless, odorless gas drifted out, accentuating Min Xiaorou’s eerie expression.