As he looked over, seemingly recognizing her, Chen Jiaojiao opened her mouth to speak.
"How is your hand?"
Just then, a bus arrived behind her, its driver honking a long, insistent note, urging her to move.
Beep—
Xiang Yang heard nothing, afraid the bus wouldn't wait for him and he'd miss the last one. He quickly stood up and ran towards the back.
He was the only one to board. The driver swiftly closed the doors, drove around Chen Jiaojiao, and pulled away.
Watching the number 168 bus flash past, Chen Jiaojiao was speechless.
How could this person be so rude? She had kindly shown concern, and this was the result…
Number 168. She turned her head to glance at the bus route map beside her.
This bus went to University Town, and it was the last one.
He wasn't a resident of the complex? Was he a student? Then why was he walking his dog in the complex that night?
Chen Jiaojiao's intuition told her that things were not as simple as they seemed.
Feeling guilty towards this young man, she decided to go and see.
If he was indeed a poor student and she, through her mistake, had caused him to be bitten by a dog, she wanted to compensate him in some way.
Chen Jiaojiao disliked owing others.
She followed him all the way to near his university before he got off the bus.
His phone was running low on battery. He had already turned off the music and taken out his earphones.
He was walking briskly forward when a car slowly came into his view.
The car window rolled down, and the same female voice from before reached his ears again.
"Hey, stop. Don't you feel anything after I followed you all this way?"
Xiang Yang stopped, turned his head, and looked into the car.
It was her again.
This woman was really something, following him all the way from the entrance of the complex.
"Do you need something? Sorry, I didn't hear what you said just now."
Chen Jiaojiao pulled the car over to the side and got out, leaning against the car.
"What could it be? It's about you being bitten by the dog that day… Aren't you a resident of that complex?"
After being bitten by the dog that night, the student's mother had noticed the abnormality on Xiang Yang's arm and asked him what had happened.
Xiang Yang had simply said he had fallen accidentally.
As a university student, he knew perfectly well that the first thing to do after being bitten by a dog was to go to the hospital for a rabies vaccine.
However, it was too late that day, and he had too many classes these past two days. After school, he didn't want to lose his hard-earned tutoring job.
So, he planned to wait until Sunday to go.
None of his roommates had noticed anything unusual about him. Chen Jiaojiao was the first person to show such eager concern.
However, he was old enough to take care of himself and didn't need anyone's concern.
"I'm a student at Nanda University, and I tutor in your complex. The injury is fine now, thank you for your concern."
Tutoring, Chen Jiaojiao realized with a start.
"So, you've already been to the hospital for the vaccine?"
"Yes, I have."
Xiang Yang thought the conversation could end here, but Chen Jiaojiao continued.
"I'm sorry. I haven't had any experience with this before, so I don't know how many shots are needed, or how much each shot costs."
"As a student, your living expenses are probably not much. I'm half responsible for what happened."
"How about this, tell me how much you spent, and I'll pay you half."
This woman, with her bright face and curvaceous figure, and her bold, decisive demeanor, looked like a formidable woman. Yet, she turned out to be quite decent.
Xiang Yang couldn't help but smile at her sense of responsibility.
"No need, it wasn't much. It has nothing to do with you; it was my own carelessness that day."
"It's so late, and you've gone to such trouble. You should head back quickly."
He was just a student working in the complex; how could she ignore it if he was bitten by a dog?
Perhaps he was a man and too proud to ask her for money.
Chen Jiaojiao insisted.
"Don't be shy with me. I have to take responsibility where it's due. I'm a reasonable person, don't let me have a guilty conscience."
"Quick, tell me how much it is, and I'll transfer it to you."
The more she insisted, the more awkward Xiang Yang felt as a man.
"Really, no need. It's not much money, and I can afford it. Please go back quickly."
Saying this, he turned and ran forward.
Chen Jiaojiao watched him run away, "You really don't want it?"
"Really, no need. Please go back quickly!"
It was a small incident that had passed, and Chen Jiaojiao hadn't dwelled on it.
Who would have thought that by sheer coincidence, after drinking with Jiang Nan Fang that night and calling for a designated driver, she would run into him again.
The three of them had drunk quite a bit. Before she lost complete control of her senses, Jiang Nan Fang announced the end of a pleasant day.
She had to go back to be with the children.
A Cheng and his brothers had been following them, staying at a discreet distance, and Jiang Nan Fang was aware of it.
That was why she dared to go out and have fun so unrestrainedly today, not even picking up the children.
Since Zhan Bei Jue remembered that he was the biological father of the children and wanted to make an impression, she would give him a chance.
After all, she wouldn't mind having more people to help look after the children.
Seeing her stumble out of the bar, A Cheng immediately went to greet her.
"Madam, I'll take you home."
"Where are the children?"
"At home. My brother is with them."
Jiang Nan Fang walked to the car and waved to the two of them.
"Forgive me, their mother, I have no choice. I'll be going ahead. Let's meet up another day."
It was at this moment that Xiang Yang, wearing the fluorescent vest of a designated driver company and riding a small electric scooter, arrived in front of them.
His young, handsome face was illuminated by the hazy red light of the bar's sign, making him look particularly vibrant.
Chen Jiaojiao recognized him at a glance.
Xiang Yang followed the navigation prompt on his phone to the location, parked the scooter, and looked down at his phone.
A moment later, his gaze fell on the two of them. Perhaps he recognized Chen Jiaojiao too, looking surprised and a little shy.
"Which one is Ms. Chen? I'm the designated driver."
Chen Jiaojiao, supporting the drunken Zhou Jin Bei, took a step closer to him.
"It's me, I called for the designated driver. Don't you need to go back to school this late?"
It was already ten o'clock at night. After finishing this job, Xiang Yang had to return to school.
Chen Jiaojiao's question made him a little embarrassed.
"I'll go back after I drop you off. Where is the car? I'll put the scooter on it."
Chen Jiaojiao handed him the key and pointed in the direction of the car.
He efficiently folded the scooter and placed it in the trunk.
Looking at his young, earnest profile, Zhou Jin Bei pinched Chen Jiaojiao's cheek.
"Where did such a handsome young man come from? Do you know him?"
Chen Jiaojiao looked at his profile.
"I've met him once. He tutors students in our complex."
"Why is this child so short of money? He tutors and also works as a designated driver."
"What? Feeling sorry for him?"
Zhou Jin Bei smiled at her meaningfully.
"You think everyone is like you, born with a silver spoon in their mouth? Many people can't even afford tuition fees and spend their days working hard to earn living expenses."
"As if you've ever lived like that."
Chen Jiaojiao nudged her with her arm.
"Let's go. We're delaying him too much, and he might not be able to get back to school. Let's get in the car."