Chapter 272: Awareness

“Good, as long as you’re fine.” Wan Caixuan’s voice on the other end of the phone seemed to relax briefly, but it quickly turned cold. “Don’t forget that you’re my bodyguard now. Without my permission, you’re not allowed to skip work. Even if you can’t come in, at least let me know beforehand.”

“Sorry, that’s on me. Next time, I’ll make sure to inform you,” Lin Xiao said.

He had to admit he was in the wrong this time.

“Next time?” Wan Caixuan snorted softly.

After hesitating for a moment, she added, “About Wan Shixuan, Ning Xi explained everything to you yesterday, right?”

“She did,” Lin Xiao confirmed.

“Good. Just be careful,” Wan Caixuan said before hanging up.

In truth, this was the real reason she had called.

Not seeing Lin Xiao at work that morning, and without receiving any notice, had left her feeling uneasy.

Given her usual personality, Wan Caixuan rarely took the initiative to call anyone. But since this involved Lin Xiao, she hesitated for a while before finally making the call.

On the other end of the line, Lin Xiao felt a warmth rise in his heart. He wasn’t oblivious. He could tell that, despite her aloof tone, Wan Caixuan was concerned about him. Beneath her seemingly indifferent words was a hint of genuine care.

However, her mention of Wan Shixuan brought Lin Xiao’s thoughts back to the lurking threat he posed.

While Lin Xiao was confident in his ability to detect malice around him quickly, constant vigilance wasn’t a long-term solution.

There’s no such thing as guarding against every thief every day.

What worried him most was the possibility of Wan Shixuan targeting Yuan Yu. That would be a real problem. Yuan Yu still had to attend school, and Lin Xiao couldn’t stay by her side every minute.

The best solution was to deal with Wan Shixuan as soon as possible. But for now, without knowing Wan Shixuan’s exact whereabouts, Lin Xiao could only adapt as threats arose.

Setting those thoughts aside, Lin Xiao continued driving. He spent some time at the hospital visiting Yuan Yu’s mother before moving on.

After undergoing treatment with the special medicine, Yuan Yu’s mother’s condition had significantly improved. According to her attending doctor, with another two or three months of therapy, she would no longer need inpatient observation and could be discharged from the hospital.

This news undoubtedly lifted Lin Xiao’s spirits.

At around 5 p.m., Lin Xiao left the hospital, planning to pick up Yuan Yu.

The school wasn’t far from the hospital. About twenty minutes later, Lin Xiao arrived at the school gates.

It was just dismissal time. Lin Xiao stood outside his car, waiting for Yuan Yu.

“Big Brother Lin, why are you here?” Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing’s figures quickly appeared at the gate.

When they saw Lin Xiao standing there, their faces immediately lit up with joy. They hurriedly half-ran to stand before him.

Huang Caixing didn’t hesitate to grab Lin Xiao’s arm and cling to him like a koala.

“…” Lin Xiao looked helplessly at the excited Huang Caixing clinging to his side. “I didn’t have much to do today, so I figured I’d come pick you up.”

“Big Brother Lin, your timing is perfect. I actually needed to talk to you about something,” Huang Caixing said with a big grin.

Lin Xiao didn’t respond to her directly but instead glanced around and said, “Let’s get in the car first.”

Around them, envious, jealous, and hostile gazes were fixed on Lin Xiao.

If looks could kill, Lin Xiao would have been struck down countless times by now.

Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing were famous school beauties. Seeing them act so close to a man, especially Huang Caixing clinging to him, was enough to drive the male students into a frenzy.

Although Lin Xiao didn’t care about their glares, seeing the growing crowd and considering Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing’s reputations, he decided it was best to leave quickly.

Yuan Yu finally noticed the gazes from the people around them and quickly said, “Okay, Big Brother Lin, let’s get in the car.”

However, Huang Caixing didn’t move. Instead, she tightened her grip on Lin Xiao and smiled.

“Brother Lin, why the rush? Let me properly introduce you to our school.”

“…”

Lin Xiao looked at Huang Caixing helplessly. He knew she was bold, but he hadn’t realized just how bold. It was the peak of after-school hours, with students everywhere, many of whom were their classmates. Yet Huang Caixing didn’t seem worried about being misunderstood.

What Lin Xiao didn’t know was that Huang Caixing was hoping for such misunderstandings. Of course, she wouldn’t say that outright, but her actions made it more than clear.

Fortunately, Yuan Yu stepped in, tugging on Huang Caixing’s arm and forcibly pulling her into the car. Only then did Lin Xiao breathe a sigh of relief.

As Lin Xiao and Yuan Yu got into the car, the students outside erupted into murmurs.

“Who was that guy just now? How dare he take away our goddesses!”

“Yeah! Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing have always kept their distance from everyone. Even the rich kids couldn’t get close. How could they leave with some random guy? Could he be their boyfriend?”

“Shut up, will you? Their boyfriend? Are you insane? I heard Yuan Yu has a brother, so maybe that’s him.”

“Then how do you explain Huang Caixing clinging to him like that?”

While the students speculated about Lin Xiao’s identity, Lin Xiao himself frowned slightly as he opened the car door to get in. It seemed as though he had sensed something, but he quickly returned to his calm demeanor and said nothing.

“Big Brother Lin, we have a day off tomorrow. Are you free?” Huang Caixing asked from the back seat, her eyes sparkling.

“What is it?”

“If you’re free, could you take us hiking?” Huang Caixing asked eagerly. “The college entrance exams are just a month away, and Little Yu and I want to go climbing to relieve some stress.”

“Go hiking? Sure, I’ll go with you.” Lin Xiao agreed without hesitation.

He didn’t have much choice. Aside from him, who else could accompany Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing? He wouldn’t feel at ease leaving them with anyone else.

Huang Caixing clapped her hands together excitedly and jumped from her seat, nearly hitting her head. She didn’t care, though, and exclaimed, “That’s awesome! Little Yu, this is great! Big Brother Lin is coming with us tomorrow.”

Yuan Yu’s lips curved into a gentle smile, her happiness evident.

After dropping Huang Caixing off at her home, Lin Xiao and Yuan Yu returned to Maple Leaf Street.

“I’ll go prepare dinner. You can wait in the living room,” Yuan Yu said upon arriving home.

“Alright, go ahead.”

As Yuan Yu disappeared into the kitchen, Lin Xiao’s smile slowly faded, replaced by a cold, expressionless look.

Beneath his calm exterior lay an icy intensity that couldn’t be ignored.

What he had feared most had come to pass—Wan Shixuan had indeed shifted his focus to Yuan Yu.

Earlier, when Lin Xiao had picked Yuan Yu up at the school gate and opened the car door, he felt a malicious gaze sweep over Yuan Yu. Though the glance quickly shifted away, Lin Xiao’s sharp senses had caught it.

However, he chose not to react at the time. With Yuan Yu and Huang Caixing present, making a scene would only cause unnecessary worry. Acting as if nothing had happened was the better option.

“Looking for trouble, huh? So, you’ve really decided to come after me. Should I call you brave or just plain stupid?”

Lin Xiao walked to the window, staring out at the darkening sky. His eyes narrowed, and a cold, murderous intent flickered in his gaze.

“Very well. Let’s see how much courage you really have,” he muttered to himself.