Chapter 72: Going Together

Han Ruobing watched Yang Fan seated on the bus with curiosity. Somehow, her feelings toward him had softened; though he seemed cold on the surface, there was warmth beneath that exterior. When Yang Fan had been about to get off the bus alone earlier, Han Ruobing had seen him as a hero, sacrificing himself to protect everyone else.

“Would you like to come with us to visit the elderly at the nursing home?” Han Ruobing sat down beside Yang Fan, a sweet smile lighting up her face. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to figure out what kind of person Yang Fan really was. There was another reason, too—she was afraid of running into those gangsters from Hongyuan. This time, they were heading to a nursing home in the Mayuan district to visit the elderly.

“Not interested,” Yang Fan replied coolly. He had no time to spare for visiting old folks; if he had free time, he’d rather spend it training and improving his strength.

“If you agree to come, I can give you one of those white stones,” Han Ruobing offered, her tone enticing. In truth, her family still had a piece of that white stone at home.

Yang Fan was surprised to hear she had another piece of Frost Jade.

“You really have one of those stones?” he asked.

Han Ruobing nodded, smiling. “There’s one at my house, though it’s a bit smaller than yours.”

“All right, I’ll go to the nursing home with you,” Yang Fan agreed. He would never turn down a chance to get more Frost Jade.

“But I have one more condition,” Han Ruobing said, her gaze fixed on his handsome face.

“What condition?” Yang Fan frowned.

With a faint smile, Han Ruobing replied, “Don’t worry, it’s nothing harsh. Once we’re there, just help me take care of the elderly—keep them company, chat with them, that sort of thing.”

“I’m not much of a talker,” Yang Fan said, curling his lip.

“That’s fine, just go with the flow,” Han Ruobing said with a laugh.

Yang Fan shrugged and said nothing more, silently agreeing. With Frost Jade as the prize, he didn’t mind making the trip. The more Frost Jade he had, the more ice talismans he could craft, giving himself more ways to protect himself.

“By the way, where are you from? What’s your name?” Han Ruobing asked, curiosity shining in her eyes. To her, Yang Fan was shrouded in mystery, and she wanted to know more.

“Yang Fan. As for where I’m from, there’s no need to say,” he replied. With that, he closed his eyes to rest, signaling the end of the conversation.

Seeing how indifferent Yang Fan was, Han Ruobing felt a pang of disappointment. She was considered a campus beauty, with enough admirers to form an entire platoon, yet Yang Fan showed no sign of interest in her at all. It made her doubt her own charm.

“Could this girl have feelings for that guy?” Zhu Xiaomei muttered to herself as she watched Han Ruobing. As Han Ruobing’s best friend, she knew her well. At school, Han Ruobing never initiated conversations with boys and ignored all her suitors. Now, seeing her take the initiative with Yang Fan was definitely out of character. Zhu Xiaomei concluded that Han Ruobing must be interested in him—perhaps because he had saved her, sparking her affection.

On the other side, Guo Xiong watched his goddess sitting with Yang Fan, his heart filled with bitterness. Though he was angry, he didn’t dare show it. He knew Yang Fan wasn’t someone to cross; he had no wish to get beaten up. After about an hour, the bus finally stopped in Mayuan District. Yang Fan and Han Ruobing joined the others as they made their way to the nursing home.

The others were surprised to see Yang Fan tagging along. After Han Ruobing explained, everyone understood, but they all thought Han Ruobing must be interested in Yang Fan. Why else would she have invited him? Guo Xiong was filled with jealousy and hostility. He had pursued Han Ruobing for so long without so much as a glance from her, yet after just one meeting, Yang Fan was invited to visit the elderly with her.

Once at the nursing home, everyone began helping the residents with chores like laundry. Most of the elderly there were alone; some had been sent by their children. Yang Fan and Han Ruobing handed out gifts and chatted with the residents, bringing them joy. Yang Fan realized that Han Ruobing was truly kind-hearted.

“I told you not to come, but you insisted! Look at this old man—he can barely walk. It’s so annoying!” A shrill voice rang out nearby. Yang Fan looked over to see a middle-aged couple pushing an elderly man in a wheelchair.

The woman scolded her husband with obvious disgust. “As his child, it’s only right to visit and show some filial piety,” the man said, though his voice lacked confidence; it was clear he was afraid of his wife.

“Hmph, you can show filial piety with money. As long as you pay the nursing home every month, that’s enough. Why waste time coming here to take care of him?” the woman sneered. “I don’t have time for this; I’ve got plenty of other things to do.”

“If you don’t want to come, I’ll come alone from now on, all right?” the man snapped in frustration.

“Oh, so you want to argue with me? Fine, but don’t ask me for money anymore. You can use your own money to support your nearly-dead old man,” the woman retorted, her eyes filled with cold amusement.

“You—” The man was so angry he was at a loss for words. He was a live-in son-in-law, with no authority at home, and his wife managed all the finances. At home, he was a small man with no dignity, forced to watch his wife’s family’s moods.

“How can you treat an elderly person like that? Aren’t you afraid that one day, when you’re old, your own children might treat you the same way?” Han Ruobing couldn’t stand it any longer and stormed over to confront the woman.

“This is my family’s business. Stay out of it and get lost!” the woman snapped, not bothering with courtesy.

“I can’t ignore it when you treat an elder like this,” Han Ruobing said angrily.

“So you want a beating, huh?” The woman raised her hand to strike Han Ruobing.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and grabbed the woman’s wrist, squeezing hard.

“Aaah!” the woman screamed in pain.

Yang Fan flung her aside with a flick of his hand.

“What are you standing there for? Didn’t you see I was hit?” the woman shouted at her husband.

Yang Fan fixed the man with a cold stare. “As a man, you’ve lost all dignity. Pathetic.”

The man’s face flushed with shame at Yang Fan’s words.

“I told you to hit him, didn’t you hear me? If you don’t, don’t come home. Stay here and look after your dying father,” the woman yelled at her husband.

With a sharp smack, the woman’s face was struck hard.

She stood there, stunned, unable to believe her husband had actually hit her.

“If I can’t go home, so be it. We’re getting divorced right now!” the man roared. “I’ve put up with you for over ten years, and I’ve had enough. I’ll take care of my father myself. I don’t need a cent from your family.”

The woman was left utterly speechless by his outburst.