Bai Xiaonian's father placed the things by the side and pulled over the chair he was sitting on a moment ago, motioning for Lin Nuan to sit. He then said to Lu Jinnan's father, "I'm not playing anymore, my daughter's friend is here to visit me!"
Lu Jinnan's father looked displeased. When he turned to see Lin Nuan, he got stunned for a moment, gazing at Lin Nuan as though something just occurred to him. "This young lady here looks familiar…"
"How could she not look familiar? She's the 'A Sunday Date' host Lin Nuan. We were watching the show together yesterday, and you even praised her for being pretty, remember? Some brain you've got!"
From the way Bai Xiaonian's and Lu Jinnan's fathers were talking, it seemed like they had been friends for decades.
"What about my brain? My brain is full of ways to abduct your daughter Bai Xiaonian to become a daughter-in-law of my Lu family!"
"We've said it before, let's talk after you win three rounds against me! With your lousy standard, I feel bad winning against you, there's no glory in doing so…" Bai Xiaonian's father cheerfully poured Lin Nuan a cup of tea. "Look at how chilly you've gotten from being outdoors, drink some tea to warm up your body!"
"Thanks, Uncle!" Lin Nuan received it with both hands, not interrupting their conversation as she gloated to herself.
Perhaps these two seniors didn't yet know that Bai Xiaonian and Lu Jinnan had gotten together.
But… Lu Jinnan's father mentioned abducting Bai Xiaonian to become his daughter-in-law, was it for Lu Jinnan or Lu Jinbei?
Lu Jinnan's father grabbed the delivery flyer on the bed and fanned himself with it, then got up and supported himself with the foot of the bed before going back to his own bed. "You feel bad about winning against me, and yet you went on to win ten consecutive rounds? If you're that capable, try losing three rounds to me!"
To be fanning himself on a cold day like this, Lu Jinnan's father must have been really mad.
Lu Jinnan's father suddenly thought of something and asked, "Why hasn't your daughter visited you since yesterday? 'Morning News Daily' wasn't hosted by Xiaonian this morning either. And my sons are also nowhere to be seen…"
Upon hearing this, Lin Nuan had wanted to set down her teacup, but she realized there was nowhere for her to set it down, so she could only speak with the tea in her hands. "Uncle Bai, Xiaonian fell down the stairs in her heels yesterday. It was nothing too serious, just a little fracture in her leg. She's complaining about the pain right now in the hospital!"
"Xiaonian fell? Is it serious? Which hospital?" asked Lu Jinnan's father.
"Minor fracture, nothing serious. But she has to stay for observation in the hospital for several days. She's in the affiliated hospital of Haicheng Medical University." Lin Nuan gave a slight smile as she answered Lu Jinnan's father.
Bai Xiaonian's father looked worried the minute he heard Bai Xiaonian had fallen. When he heard Lin Nuan's "complaining about the pain" in the latter part of what she said though, he heaved a sigh of relief. "That darned kid! Fancy climbing the stairs in those vain heels!"
"Xiaonian said… it was to lose weight!" Lin Nuan chirped up in accordance to the story she had agreed on with Bai Xiaonian in advance. "Don't worry about it, Uncle. I just came from the hospital, and Xiaonian's doing quite well. If you're still worried, you could call her and ask her."
"Which part of Xiaonian is fat? Why does she need to lose weight? Isn't she kidding around?" Lu Jinnan's father raised his teacup and took a sip, unable to resist joining in.
Lin Nuan had excellent credit with Bai Xiaonian's father, so he nodded after hearing Lin Nuan put it this way, his expression calmer than earlier.
On the other hand, Lu Jinnan's father seemed to think of something after taking another sip of his tea and started busying up. He called Lu Jinbei on his phone and urgently ranted once the latter picked up. "Xiao Bei! Hurry up and get to the affiliated hospital of Haicheng Medical University to visit Xiaonian. She has fallen off the stairs, and her leg is fractured. Grab hold of this opportunity to get into her good books!"
Upon hearing Lu Jinnan's father say the name Lu Jinbei, Lin Nuan's heart sank.
What would Lu Jinnan's father think if he found out that the ones who finally got together were Bai Xiaonian and Lu Jinnan?
It was unknown what Lu Jinbei said on the other end of the line that caused Lu Jinnan's father's face to dim. "I don't care what important matter you have to attend to! Xiaonian is the most important thing! I'll skin you alive if you lose this daughter-in-law of mine!"
After hanging up the phone, Lu Jinnan's father angrily fanned himself with the flyer again, the whitening hairs shifting with the wind.
Lin Nuan was rendered speechless.
Was this really Lu Jinnan's father?
Didn't that sound too cruel? Skinning someone alive…
Furthermore, how could he goad his son into getting into the girl's good books right in front of said girl's father?
Even so, couldn't he have put it across more subtly? Like taking care of Bai Xiaonian?
"It doesn't matter how hard he tries to get into her good books if you don't manage to win against me! I'll be the first to object, who asked your Xiao Bei to betray our Xiaonian in the past? Of all people, he had to find our Xiaonian's roommate and good friend! Wasn't he asking for a beating?"
At the mention of this, Lin Nuan tightened her grip on the teacup. She looked down… to hide the look in her eyes.
Even after so many years, this was a name that Lin Nuan and Song Yao, much less Bai Xiaonian, weren't willing to bring up again.
"Then, if you don't disdain my elder son, that works too! Actually, I feel that Xiaonian and my elder son are quite compatible in temperament. I just don't know if you disdain my elder son for…" Lu Jinnan's father was straightforward, but as he blurted out those words, he realized Lin Nuan was also around, so he swallowed back the rest of that sentence.
"What compatible? The moment they meet, I get a headache just listening to them argue!" Bai Xiaonian's father shook his hands.
Lu Jinnan's father glanced at Lin Nuan, who had a twinkle in her eyes as she said, "Uncles, you're both looking super energetic…"
Having vaguely recalled the news from not too long ago, Lu Jinnan's father now looked at Lin Nuan differently from before. He remembered that the news said… that this young lady had disregarded her life and gone to Iraq in search of the Young Master from the Wens.
Seeing that Bai Xiaonian's father was in good condition, Lin Nuan got up and set the mostly untouched, still steaming-hot teacup on the bedside cabinet. "Uncle, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving first."
Lin Nuan planned on going to the supermarket to personally whip up a good meal tonight to please Fu Huai'an's stomach, as well as the person.
Understanding of how busy young people got these days, and of how Lin Nuan had frequently been visiting as a friend of Bai Xiaonian's, Bai Xiaonian's father naturally looked upon Lin Nuan as half a daughter.
After sending Lin Nuan to the elevator, Bai Xiaonian's father didn't forget to nag a little, saying, "You're even thinner than Xiaonian. You must remember to take your meals regularly, don't skip meals just because you got busy with work. You had gastric problems previously and only started getting better in the past few years. Don't forget the pain when the wound has healed!"
Lin Nuan hurriedly nodded. "I got it, Uncle Bai!"