[Acknowledgements: LOVE9186, who has been paying attention and commenting since the beginning of the new book, Old San bows in gratitude. Thanks to: YQ_GhostWolfLegend, Cool, this ID cannot be displayed, please refreshˇ, the pain of missing someone, Cold. And to a few friends for their rewards!!!]

A ray of sunlight fell on Zhou Ruoran's face, and she slowly opened her eyes. She had slept well this night, feeling an indescribable comfort throughout her body.

Zhou Ruoran comfortably stretched.

Hmm? Zhou Ruoran suddenly remembered what happened last night. Her heart condition had flared up, and Ding Fan had come back from outside and then undid her underwear...

"Ah!"

Zhou Ruoran hurriedly checked her clothes. If her body had truly been violated by Ding Fan, then dying would be a better fate.

At that moment, Zhou Ruoran was still wearing her pants, and aside from her underwear being undone at the top, there was no sign of further disturbance. Zhou Ruoran let out a long sigh of relief. It seemed that the good-for-nothing hadn't assaulted her.

But why did he undo her underwear?

Zhou Ruoran quickly thought of the reason; with a sudden flare-up of her heart condition, it was essential to keep her breathing unobstructed. Women's bras can be constricting, so naturally, it would be necessary to undo it.

Having understood this, Zhou Ruoran realized that Ding Fan must have been trying to save her last night. Otherwise, considering the severity of her heart attack, she would have undoubtedly died without treatment.

However, thinking of Ding Fan's hands on her right breast made Zhou Ruoran's cheeks flush. Even if it was to save her, there was no reason for him to press his hand there.

Yet her current mood was something Zhou Ruoran herself couldn't understand. Logically, having been touched by Ding Fan there, she should be very angry, but now she felt unusually calm, as if it wasn't such a big deal.

Recalling Wu Min's animated conversations about boys in her presence, Zhou Ruoran was a bit puzzled. Could it be that she had become as crazy about boys as that girl Wu Min, enjoying being touched there?

...

Zhou Ruoran checked the time; it was already past eight o'clock. Since arriving at the Ding Family at the age of ten, she had never overslept like this. She was a strong-willed person who, aside from helping with household chores at the Ding Family's home, spent her remaining time studying.

That was how Zhou Ruoran had managed to pass the written exam for the graduate program at the Central Institute of Politics and Law.

Zhou Ruoran sat up to find, surprisingly, that she didn't feel the usual pain in her joints after a heart attack, nor the drowsiness in her head.

Today was different; she felt very light and her mind was clearer than ever. By all logic, this shouldn't be the case, given the severity of last night's heart attack.

Maybe it was because last night's sleep was so sweet.

Zhou Ruoran pushed open her bedroom door and, out of habit, headed towards the kitchen. By all accounts, there should be breakfast left for her by Ding Fan in the thermal container.

However, when she opened it, Zhou Ruoran was slightly disappointed to find it empty—nothing inside.

A feeling of emptiness welled up inside Zhou Ruoran, making her uncomfortable.

After leaving the kitchen, Zhou Ruoran looked up at Ding Fan's room upstairs. His door was locked, clearly indicating he wasn't at home.

Could it be that Ding Fan had gone out again last night?

When Zhou Ruoran came home the previous evening, she found that Ding Fan wasn't there. It wasn't until her heart condition acted up that he came back—around twelve thirty at night.

Judging by the current situation, Ding Fan must have left again after putting her to sleep...

With this thought, Zhou Ruoran felt a bitter taste in her heart. Regardless of anything, she was still living under the same roof as Ding Fan, and was officially his fiancée. She had a heart attack; even if they were just friends, he should have stayed by her side. Even if not by her side, at least he should have stayed in the house.

Zhou Ruoran freshened up briefly, donned a coat, and left the house, feeling she had had enough of this home. She was looking forward to the graduate program interview; it would be a relief not to have to see him and be troubled by his presence.

...

After Xu Guanjie had dealt with his family matters, Ding Fan had already left.

However, as soon as he stepped out of the hospital, he ran into Qin Manshu who was already waiting at the entrance.

"Master, we meet again..."

Ding Fan gave a wry smile. Today's events, even if he wanted to keep them hidden, it seemed impossible—the person facing him, Qin Manshu, was clearly aware of his identity.

Since that was the case, there was no need for Ding Fan to keep hiding it. He smiled faintly. "Let's not talk here."

"My car is over there," Qin Manshu pointed to a white sedan parked next to the hospital parking lot.

Ding Fan had just treated Xu Guanjie and felt somewhat weak; finding a place to rest was of course best, and so he followed Qin Manshu into the white sedan.

Ding Fan didn't know much about cars, but once he got in, he could be certain that this car was definitely an expensive luxury car.

Although Qin Manshu had not met Ding Fan many times, for some reason, sitting with Ding Fan gave her a very familiar feeling.

Moreover, Ding Fan's temperament was extraordinary. Although he didn't display any arrogance, one could see the innate dignity in him at this moment.

"I'm a bit hungry. If you have matters to attend to, we can talk over a meal," Ding Fan said.

Ding Fan's body was weak, and he needed to take in a large amount of food now.

Frank and unpretentious.

Qin Manshu rather liked this characteristic of Ding Fan. She nodded, stepped on the gas, and the white sedan drove out of the hospital's main gate.

It was only about six or seven o'clock in the morning. The specialty restaurants weren't open yet, but Qin Manshu still had a way. After making a phone call to someone, they went directly to the Phoenix Building.

Phoenix Building's normal business hours were from ten in the morning, and the fact that it would open its doors early for them showed that Qin Manshu had quite a bit of power.

Ding Fan had been to Phoenix Building once before and had developed a fondness for their Crystal Pork Knuckle.

Qin Manshu ordered a private room, and Ding Fan entered, chatting casually with her.

Last time, Ding Fan had fought for Zhou Ruoran in Phoenix Building, so many people recognized him. Seeing him arrive so early for a meal with a beauty like Qin Manshu today, people couldn't help but be amazed.

The last time Ding Fan visited Phoenix Building with the big star Lin Qingqing was just a few days ago. Not much time had passed, and now he was dining with a top beauty like Qin Manshu. Although he dressed simply, this guy was no ordinary person.

Keep in mind, not even the young masters of Dancheng could easily invite either of these two ladies out alone, yet within a week, Ding Fan had managed to invite them both.

Inside the private room, Qin Manshu let Ding Fan order the dishes. Without being shy, he ordered eight dishes. Although Qin Manshu thought it impossible for the two of them to finish eight dishes, she didn't mind; after all, in her eyes, Ding Fan was a reclusive expert and could understand even the strangest of actions.

"I haven't had the chance to say thank you," Qin Manshu said sincerely.

If Old Master Qin hadn't received Ding Fan's help, he would have certainly been in a long, unending slumber, and the Qin family would have collapsed. It could be said that Ding Fan saved not just one person but an entire family.

"You paid me for the medicine. I just charged for the treatment, so no need to be thankful," Ding Fan said nonchalantly.

Qin Manshu laughed. Although Ding Fan was technically correct, the value of his Pill that could awaken someone from a vegetative state was certainly worth more than thirty thousand.

"Regardless, you did save my grandfather, and I truly thank you for that."

As they spoke, dishes were served. Ding Fan was very hungry, and he started eating without further ado. Qin Manshu on the other hand, didn't eat much. Out of the eight dishes, she only picked a little from one dish, and then stopped, just watching Ding Fan eat.

After finishing all eight dishes, Ding Fan felt strong again. However, he still felt weak, which was very frustrating for him. He thought about the need to quickly become stronger.

"Ding Fan, I've heard a bit about your situation. Now that the Ding Family has fallen, what are your plans for the future?"

Ding Fan's affairs had been a hot topic in Yanjing. After verifying the facts briefly, Qin Manshu had confirmed that Ding Fan was the same young master who had intruded into Ye Ningbing's changing room.

Initially, Qin Manshu had thought that the intruder into Ye Ningbing's changing room was a worthless playboy. But after seeing Ding Fan, she no longer thought so.

With his exceptional demeanor and clear, clean eyes, how could he be that kind of person? She believed that there must be more to the story of Ding Fan's intrusion into Ye Ningbing's changing room. In the struggles between large families, it's often the case that a few people's interests were sacrificed, and perhaps Ding Fan was one of those few.

"I don't have any plans at the moment,"

Seeing Qin Manshu ask about his future plans, Ding Fan shook his head.

Even if Ding Fan did have plans, he wasn't prepared to tell Qin Manshu. Now that he had some money, he intended to travel to remote places to see if he could find some Spirit Grass.

By relying on alchemy alone, he was afraid he would only stay at the Second level of Qi Cultivation for his entire life.

"I have a company in Dongcheng that could use someone to help manage it. How about it, are you interested in helping me out…" Qin Manshu leaned her cheek on her hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she spoke.