Chapter 41: Picking Up a Runaway High School Girl on a Rainy Day

After agreeing on a meeting time with the lawyer over his phone, Yan Xuan prepared to head back.

While driving past the eastern gate of the university, a figure suddenly darted out directly toward the front of his car, startling Yan Xuan into slamming on the brakes.

"What the hell! Are you trying to get yourself killed by staging an accident for insurance?"

Yan Xuan stepped out of the car, cursing angrily, until he clearly saw the person's face.

"Mi Xiaomao?"

Still shaken from the near miss, Mi Xiaomao sat slumped on the ground, clearly terrified out of her wits.

Compared to the glamorous appearance she had when Yan Xuan first met her, Mi Xiaomao now looked disheveled and unkempt. Her school uniform was covered in grime, and it was impossible to tell how long it had been since she last took a bath or changed her clothes.

Wobbling as she got to her feet, Mi Xiaomao challenged, "Where is my sister?"

"I have no idea."

Yan Xuan had zero desire to deal with her. He turned back to open his car door, but Mi Xiaomao rushed forward and blocked his path once again.

"If you don't tell me, you're not going anywhere."

"Do you really think you can stop me?"

Yan Xuan pushed her aside and got into the car, but before he knew it, Mi Xiaomao dove underneath the vehicle, splayed her limbs out, closed her eyes, stretched out her neck, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"If you have the guts, run me over!"

Yan Xuan's expression grew even gloomier. He had originally thought that fifteen-year-old Mi Xiaomao was merely a crafty little girl with a bit of scheming in her, but he never expected that this kind of shameless, vicious stubbornness was cut from the exact same cloth as her parents.

She must have been driven to a dead end...

Yan Xuan got out of the car once again, grabbed Mi Xiaomao by her ankles, and attempted to drag her out from under the chassis.

Mi Xiaomao struggled fiercely, but how could the strength of a scrawny teenage girl match Yan Xuan's? Within moments, she was forcefully hauled out from beneath the car.

"Let go of me! You bastard!"

Yan Xuan bent down, hoisted her over his shoulder—completely unfayed by her struggling and kicking—and finally dumped her into a roadside flowerbed.

"First of all, I have no obligation to entertain your tantrums, and whether you live or die has absolutely nothing to do with me. Secondly, Xiaoyue is no longer your sister, so don't even think about trying to bleed her dry anymore."

After dropping these two cold sentences, Yan Xuan turned, got into his car, and drove away.

In the rearview mirror, Mi Xiaomao ran frantically down the main road in a desperate attempt to catch up with the rear of Yan Xuan's car, screaming and cursing incessantly until countless drivers honked their horns in warning.

Even until Mi Xiaomao completely vanished from his field of vision, Yan Xuan's expression remained completely unchanged.

In his heart, the Mi couple would ultimately get what they deserved.

As for Mi Xiaomao, Yan Xuan had not held a shred of fondness for her since the very first day they met. As for how she would survive now that she had neither a father nor a mother, that was something for the state and society to worry about.

By the time Yan Xuan arrived home, it was already two o'clock in the afternoon. Fang Lian was attending classes at university, and Yang Qingqing had gone to the supermarket.

Returning to his room, he turned on his computer. Mi Xiaoyue happened to be online, and Yan Xuan pulled her into the party voice channel.

"Brother Yan!"

Mi Xiaoyue's voice remained soft, sweet, and pleasant, always making Yan Xuan's ears itch with delight whenever he heard it.

"Xiaoyue, where are you?"

"At Beiyang Film and Television City. Auntie is filming here. Brother Yan, are you coming to see me?"

"How long will you be staying? If it's convenient, I'll come over this weekend."

"Mm-hmm!"

After that, the two chatted about some random, trivial matters. Mostly it was Mi Xiaoyue chattering away endlessly while Yan Xuan listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words of agreement.

The topic they discussed the most was Mi Xiaoyue reporting to Yan Xuan how she had seen celebrity XXX and celebrity XXX the day before yesterday, and celebrity XX yesterday, all of whom were filming right there in Beiyang Film and Television City.

Mi Xiaoyue even concluded, "Brother Yan, I've noticed that celebrities are actually very easy-going. It's completely different from what people say online; they don't act like big stars at all."

Hearing this, Yan Xuan couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

The silly girl didn't even stop to think who her aunt was; for a celebrity to put on airs in front of her would be the sheer height of asking for trouble.

"Xiaoyue, I have quite a few things to take care of over the next few days, so I won't be in touch temporarily. I'll see you this weekend."

"Okay, Brother Yan, bye-bye~"

Mi Xiaoyue bid a sweet farewell to Yan Xuan, her heart filled with anticipation.

In the blink of an eye, two more days passed, and Yan Xuan's medical leave came to an end.

A light drizzle was drifting down from the early morning sky. Yan Xuan and Fang Lian woke up at the same time, and after a simple wash and breakfast, they prepared to head to the university for the first class of the early morning.

"So cold... Freezing..."

Opening the door and getting into the car, Fang Lian hurriedly turned on the heater, rubbing her palms frantically against her thighs encased in black silk stockings to generate warmth.

Yan Xuan got into the car a moment after her and took the driver's seat. He raised a hand and slapped her black-silk-clad thigh; the skin felt smooth and tender while sending ripples of flesh cascading outward.

"It's a gloomy, rainy day today, and the lowest temperature is only five degrees. I told you to wear more, but you wouldn't listen."

"I was wondering if Godfather would like it..."

"Here."

"Eh?"

Fang Lian hadn't expected Yan Xuan to pull a pair of jeans out of the wardrobe for her before leaving the house. A faint wave of warmth surged through her heart as she leaned over and gently kissed Yan Xuan on the cheek.

"Godfather is so considerate. Muah."

"All right, go ahead and change."

Yan Xuan started the car. Fang Lian promptly slipped off her short skirt, revealing her legs wrapped in black stockings entirely from top to bottom.

To let Yan Xuan fully appreciate the view, Fang Lian deliberately slowed down, taking a full minute or so to encase her long, black-stockinged legs inch by inch into the jeans.

Once the jeans were on, Fang Lian crossed her slender legs. The length of the trouser legs was just right, leaving the stockings at her ankles faintly visible, gleaming with a delicate sheen under the dim lights of the garage.

Whenever Fang Lian slightly adjusted her sitting posture, the tights beneath her jeans would emit a subtle sound of silk rubbing against silk, driving Yan Xuan's imagination wild.

"Come straight home after class this afternoon."

"Godfather, the student union has a meeting to attend this afternoon."

"You are not allowed to go!"

"Oh... I'll listen to Godfather."

Fang Lian nodded obediently, secretly rejoicing in her heart.

It looked like she would be thoroughly stuffed and satisfied by Godfather again tonight...

Time flew by, and afternoon arrived. Yan Xuan finished class half an hour earlier than Fang Lian and returned to the vehicle first.

The morning rain showed no intention of stopping even by the afternoon; if anything, it was falling heavier than before.

Yan Xuan took an umbrella from inside the car, preparing to head to the teaching building to pick up Fang Lian so she wouldn't end up drenched like a drowned rat.

However, the moment he closed the car door and turned around, that obnoxious figure he detested so much appeared once again.

In the rearview mirror—no, right before his eyes—

"Mi Xiaomao, you..."

Yan Xuan originally intended to scold her severely, but Mi Xiaomao beat him to it by suddenly dropping to her knees, her knees slamming into a puddle and splashing droplets of water in all directions.

With that single kneel, the words Yan Xuan wanted to say were choked back into his throat.

Compared to the previous two days, Mi Xiaomao looked even more destitute and wretched. Her dirty, thin school uniform was completely incapable of keeping out the cold; it was even torn in places and soaked right through by the rain.

The combination of dampness and bitter cold made Mi Xiaomao shiver uncontrollably as she knelt on the ground. Her pale lips moved slightly, but she lacked even the strength to speak, leaving her to rely solely on her eyes to cast a pitiful plea toward Yan Xuan.

Ultimately, Yan Xuan's heart softened. He sighed and asked, "How many days has it been since you last ate?"

"Three..."

Mi Xiaomao managed to squeeze out a single syllable from the depths of her throat, and a tiny glimmer of hope finally appeared in her despairing, hollow eyes.

"Get in the car."

Yan Xuan opened the rear passenger door, signaling for Mi Xiaomao to get inside.

"Th-Thank... you..."

Mi Xiaomao tried to get up, but her weakened legs simply refused to support her. With a stagger, she pitched forward into a puddle, even choking on a mouthful of dirty water.

Yan Xuan had no choice but to bend down, hoist Mi Xiaomao up, toss her into the back seat, and then turn around to take the driver's seat.

"Xiaolian, wait for me for a bit after class. I have to take care of something and will be right back."

After sending a voice message to Fang Lian, Yan Xuan drove away from the campus.

"Where are you taking me?"

The car's heater allowed Mi Xiaomao to regain a little strength, finally enabling her to form a complete sentence.

"You're a minor, and I'm not your legal guardian. Where do you think we can go?"

Yan Xuan's tone remained ice-cold, causing Mi Xiaomao to feel a trace of unease.

Sure enough, upon seeing the gates of the police station, the last shred of hope Mi Xiaomao held instantly vanished.

Even though she had knelt before Yan Xuan, he had not pitied her for even a single second from start to finish.

The only reason he had agreed to let her into the car was simply out of fear that she might collapse and die on campus, bringing him unnecessary trouble.

Stepping out of the car and walking into the police station, Yan Xuan briefly explained Mi Xiaomao's situation to the officers. Shortly after, a gentle-looking female police officer approached the car.

"Young lady, why don't you get out of the car, come inside the station to eat something, and change into a clean set of clothes? We'll help send you home."

"No... No..."

Mi Xiaomao shook her head incessantly, casting a desperate plea for help toward Yan Xuan.

Yet Yan Xuan turned a blind eye, watching blankly as Mi Xiaomao was lifted out of the car by the female officer and gently nudged step by step into the police station.

An older police officer walked over, raised a hand, and patted Yan Xuan on the shoulder. "Thanks for the trouble of making this trip, young man. This girl was just added to the missing persons list the day before yesterday, and her local police station has been frantic.

We've already contacted her household registration jurisdiction, and a guardian will be arranged for her shortly."

Yan Xuan smiled and nodded. "Helping others brings happiness; it's only right."

Driving back to the university, Fang Lian stood quietly waiting in front of the teaching building.

Yan Xuan walked up to her with an umbrella. "How long have you been waiting?"

Fang Lian smiled sweetly. "Class just ended five minutes ago. What about you, Godfather? What were you doing just now?"

"Ran into a runaway brat and dropped her off at the police station."

"Let me guess, that brat must have been a female high school student, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Well..."

Fang Lian raised a hand and pointed toward the back seat of the Bentley.

Only then did Yan Xuan notice that Mi Xiaomao's school uniform jacket had been left behind in the car, with half of a pink headband sticking out from the pocket, revealing that the owner was indeed a young girl.

Fang Lian teased, "Rainy day, female high school student, running away from home... All the elements are here. Godfather, didn't you bring her home?"

"This is Nanjiang, not Tokyo. Besides, am I really that kind of person in your eyes, Godfather?"

"Didn't Godfather have a blast playing 'high school girl' the other day? You refused to let me go even when my voice went hoarse from shouting."

"Then can you make Godfather even happier tonight?"

"Ma daru say, Otousan!"

Chatting idly, the two returned to the car, and Yan Xuan shifted the topic to more serious business with Fang Lian.

"I might need to make a trip to Beiyang Film and Television City this weekend to find someone."

"I'll book the plane tickets and hotel for Godfather right away. Also, does Daughter need to accompany you?"

"No."

"Oh... It seems to be someone Daughter isn't very convenient to meet, then."

Fang Lian pouted her cheeks in slight grievance.

"Indeed, it's not very convenient."

Yan Xuan nodded without denying it, though his attitude actually served to dispel Fang Lian's misgivings.

Fang Lian asked again, "Does Godfather have any other arrangements?"

After pondering for a moment, Yan Xuan pulled a business card out of his pocket and handed it to Fang Lian.

"This is the lawyer I made an appointment with. We were supposed to meet this weekend, but since I won't be free, you can go in my place."

"Kaiyun Law Firm?"

Fang Lian took the business card and read the name softly.

The card was styled upscale, the slightly raised lettering gleaming with a faint dark-golden luster.

"Who recommended this to you, Godfather?"

"My ex-girlfriend."

Yan Xuan answered with complete candor.

Fang Lian's smile remained intact as she gripped the business card tightly in her hand.

"Don't worry, Godfather! Daughter will definitely not let you lose face!"