Chapter 86: Dad, You’re Hurting Me
The two female classmates froze, no longer arguing or fighting.
Everything had happened too fast; even the people around them were stunned.
“Li Xiaonan, y-you… are you okay?” The two girls were on the verge of tears. They’d heard that Li Xiaonan’s family had some powerful backing. If her family pursued responsibility, they would be in serious trouble.
“I—I’m fine.” As soon as Nan Xun spoke, blood started seeping from her lips again, and it hurt so badly that she hissed.
The two girls hurriedly helped Nan Xun toward the infirmary. Halfway there, they ran into Ji Shaoqing—the handsome boy who had confessed to her yesterday.
Ji Shaoqing was even more anxious than they were. He quickly took over, scooped Nan Xun up onto his back, and ran.
“Pu—put me dooown…” Nan Xun patted his shoulder. She’d only hurt her mouth, not her legs. Was this Ji the Pretty Boy joking around?
Ji Shaoqing immediately comforted her. “Li Xiaonan, don’t be scared. We’ll be at the infirmary soon.”
Nan Xun was completely speechless. Her mouth hurt too much for her to say another word.
She was lucky there weren’t many people on the way to morning self-study. Otherwise, who knew what kind of gossip would spread if other students saw them.
Ji Shaoqing carried Nan Xun all the way to the school infirmary. When the nurse auntie saw Nan Xun’s bleeding mouth and then glanced at the handsome young man beside her, she thought to herself that this little couple was really too bold. If the dean found out, they’d definitely be suspended for two weeks.
The nurse carefully examined Nan Xun’s injured lip and realized it wasn’t from biting. Her attitude softened a bit. “Nothing serious. It’ll heal on its own in two or three days.”
She dipped a cotton swab in some medicine and gently applied it to Nan Xun’s lips.
“All right, all right, hurry back to class,” the nurse urged. Then she earnestly advised Ji the Pretty Boy, “You’re still young. Your focus should be on studying.”
She could tell at a glance that these two were a young couple. She’d seen plenty of them and wasn’t surprised. Since they looked well-matched and not like delinquent troublemakers, she reminded them a little more.
Ji Shaoqing’s face instantly turned bright red. He hurriedly explained, “Auntie, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not like that.”
The nurse looked like she didn’t want to hear any explanations and directly shooed them both out.
Nan Xun thanked Ji Shaoqing. Afraid he might try to carry her again, she ran off on her own first.
Ji Shaoqing chased after her, his grin stretching nearly to his ears.
Nan Xun’s lips were a bit swollen, and all the way home she felt uneasy. Given how dotingly indulgent Li Chen was with her—without any limits—she didn’t dare let him know.
But damn it, the two people secretly watching her must have already reported everything to Li Chen.
She had just reached the door and was about to unlock it with her fingerprint when the door opened from the inside before she could.
“Baby, come in.” It wasn’t Uncle Wang or Auntie Li. It was Li Chen himself.
He stood at the doorway, his face dark as thunder.
Nan Xun lowered her head, half-covering her lips with her hand, and mumbled, “Dad, you’re back so early today.”
Hearing her speak with her tongue curled like that, Li Chen’s expression grew even darker. He grabbed Nan Xun and pulled her into his arms, carrying her inside.
Seeing his posture, Nan Xun hurriedly explained, “Dad, don’t be angry. My classmate did it by accident. Please don’t make them suspend or transfer schools or even bankrupt their family or anything.”
“Baby, put your hand down. Let Dad take a look.” Li Chen’s voice was flat, but danger lurked beneath it.
Nan Xun knew that when Daddy Li Chen spoke in this tone, no one should even think about disobeying him.
So she resigned herself to her fate and lowered her hand, letting him see her sausage-like lips.
When Li Chen saw her red, swollen lips, his gaze sank instantly, icy cold air radiating from him.
Nan Xun quickly said, “Dad, it really has nothing to do with my classmates. Don’t get angry.”
Li Chen’s focus seemed different from Nan Xun’s. He suddenly lifted her chin and examined her lips closely. After looking for quite a while, he extended his index finger and gently rubbed the swollen spot with his fingertip. At one moment, the pressure grew uncontrollably heavier.
“Baby, I heard a boy carried you to the infirmary today—the same boy who confessed to you last time, hmm?”
Nan Xun hissed in pain and said aggrievedly, “Dad, you’re hurting me.”
Li Chen immediately eased his strength, but his gaze remained dark and heavy as he looked at her.
Nan Xun explained tearfully, “I didn’t want him to carry me either. His shoulders aren’t sturdy at all—I felt like I could fall off at any moment. But Dad, my mouth hurt so much at the time, I didn’t get a chance to refuse. After the medicine was applied, I was afraid he’d carry me again, so I ran off first.”
“Dad, I really meant it when I promised you last time that I wouldn’t date. I don’t like Ji Shaoqing, and I don’t like anyone. I only like Dad,” Nan Xun hurriedly emphasized.
“Baby, Dad will believe you for now. So tomorrow, go and cut off contact with him, understand? Hmm?” Li Chen said.
Nan Xun was practically about to cry.
What kind of believing was this? He clearly didn’t believe her at all!
Nan Xun knew that no matter how she explained, Li Chen had already decided she had something going on with Ji Shaoqing. So she could only nod with tears in her eyes. “Okay. Tomorrow I’ll go and make things clear to him.”
“Baby has to listen to Dad. Dad loves you more than enough—how could I ever harm you?” Li Chen pinched her little cheek and said earnestly.
Nan Xun: Old pervert.
At dinner, Nan Xun was listless. Because her mouth was injured, everything she ate hurt. In the end, she only swallowed a few mouthfuls of porridge.
Li Chen thought she was unhappy because she’d agreed to his demand. He could indulge her in anything else—but not this. God knew how violent he’d felt when he saw the photo of that boy carrying Li Xiaonan.
He’d wanted to kill someone.
His baby was his—every inch of her body belonged to him. No one else had the right to touch her!
Old Master Li also sensed something off between the father and daughter. For some reason, he felt a bit pleased and even wanted to hum a tune.
“Nan Nan, the TV show’s about to start. Watch it with Grandpa?”
Nan Xun replied without much interest, “Grandpa, you watch it yourself. I won’t watch today. Tomorrow you can tell me the plot.”
After saying that, Nan Xun didn’t even glance at Li Chen. She grabbed her schoolbag and stomped upstairs.
Li Chen frowned slightly.
Old Master Li chuckled. “Oh? You argued with Nan Nan again? Li Chen, at her age she’s in a rebellious phase. Don’t restrain her too much, or it might backfire.”
Li Chen kept eating, but his movements slowed.
Old Master Li glanced at him. Rare indeed—his son actually seemed to be listening?
After finishing dinner, Li Chen went upstairs to coax the child. But when he opened the bedroom door, he found that the bed—which should have had a raised, silkworm-shaped lump—was flat, and there was no one in the bathroom either.
Looking closer, one of the teddy bear pillows on the bed was missing.
Li Chen’s face instantly darkened.
