****
After leaving the pharmacy, Su Yue'er and Bai Shishi piled into Lin Fan's supercar. The catch? Supercars typically have just two seats, so Su Yue'er, with her fuller figure, took the bottom spot in the passenger seat, while Bai Shishi perched on top.
Bai Shishi squirmed, her face flushing crimson.
Su Yue'er grinned. "We're all girls here. No need to be shy, little sister."
Bai Shishi's blush deepened, looking like she might burst into flames.
Su Yue'er glanced at Lin Fan in the driver's seat, teasing, "Is she your girlfriend?"
Lin Fan kept his eyes on the road, shaking his head. "Would you believe me if I said we just met today?"
Su Yue'er gasped dramatically. "Taking her home on the first meeting? Didn't peg you for a player."
Lin Fan: "…"
*Hold up, I never said anything about taking her home! You're framing me!*
But Lin Fan wasn't one to back down from a verbal spar. He flashed a wicked grin, leaning into the villain vibe. "You got me. I *am* taking her home. A night of passion's worth its weight in gold."
He winked at Su Yue'er, pushing the provocation. "How about you join us? Make it a double feature."
Su Yue'er: "…"
She knew he was messing with her, so she pouted and rolled her eyes. "Scumbag."
Then she turned away, ignoring him.
Lin Fan focused on driving, letting the banter drop. He could tell Su Yue'er was putting on a brave face to lighten the mood, but deep down, she was likely torn up about her father.
Comminuted fracture. Wound infection. Tricky problems. Lin Fan had ideas from his acupuncture knowledge, but until he tried, he couldn't be sure they'd work.
At a red light, he stole a glance at the two women. Two stunning beauties, pressed close in the cramped supercar, their bodies nearly touching.
Lin Fan cursed his choice to drive. *Why didn't I take the passenger seat?*
As he stared, a warm trickle hit his upper lip. He touched it, glanced down, and his face darkened.
*No way. A nosebleed?*
That was just a cheesy TV trope—beautiful women didn't actually make noses bleed!
He was a gentleman, damn it!
Su Yue'er, ever the mischief-maker, spotted it and shrieked, "Your nose is bleeding!"
Lin Fan wiped it away, playing it cool. "It's fine."
Her grin turned devilish. "A nosebleed from just looking? If you got closer, would you explode?"
Lin Fan nearly choked. *This girl's driving too fast—I need off this ride!*
Bai Shishi, oblivious to the context, looked worried. "Are you okay? Should we go to a hospital?"
Lin Fan shook his head vehemently. "Nah, just ate too much rich food lately. Got a bit of a sore throat."
A hospital for a beauty-induced nosebleed? He'd never live it down.
Amid the laughter, they reached Su Yue'er's home.
Lin Fan had expected a modest place, but it was a villa—old, with peeling paint, but still a villa. Not just anyone could afford that.
As they parked and approached, Su Yue'er caught his curious look and gave a bitter smile. "Looks ancient, right? It's been here for ages."
"My dad ran a restaurant business. Started as a grassroots chef, worked his way up to CEO. But fate's cruel. A car accident left him critical."
"My second uncle swooped in, stole the family business, forced us to sign over shares…"
She trailed off, then forced a smile. "Anyway, enough of that. You're here to help my dad, right? Let's go."
Lin Fan nodded, but inside, he fumed at this second uncle. Taking advantage of family in crisis? Barely human.
The villa's interior was bare, simple, unadorned.
In the master bedroom on the second floor, a middle-aged man lay frail on a bed, hooked to a ventilator and medical equipment, tubes snaking from his arms for IV drips. The room reeked of disinfectant.
Lin Fan's gaze landed on him. The man's features hinted at handsomeness—clearly Su Yue'er's father, given her beauty. But his face was deathly pale, almost lifeless save for the faint heartbeat.
His condition was dire.
Stirred by their arrival, the man's eyes fluttered open, weakly focusing on Lin Fan and the girls. His lips twitched, trying to speak, but no sound came. He lacked the strength.
Su Yue'er sat by his side, her face etched with pain. "Dad, I got your medicine. The doctor said it'll help if you take it regularly. You'll be okay."
"Don't worry. We'll get through this."
Lin Fan knew she was shielding him from the grim truth.
Su Yue'er stood, pulling Lin Fan out of the room. Her voice dropped, heavy. "Lin Fan, I appreciate your kindness, but I know how bad my dad's condition is."
She didn't spell it out, but her meaning was clear—she doubted he could help.
Lin Fan didn't argue. Instead, he asked, "Has your dad been bedridden for a long time?"
Su Yue'er blinked, then nodded. Her father's weakness kept him confined to the bed, unable to move.
Lin Fan pressed on. "Does he wake up at night in pain? Feel numb in parts of his body? Especially the fractured lower body—unbearable pain there?"
"Does he feel anxious daily, struggle to breathe?"
Su Yue'er's face shifted, her expression a mix of shock and intrigue.
Every symptom Lin Fan listed matched her father's condition perfectly.
Those were things only doctors could confirm with specialized tests!
Lin Fan had just arrived—how did he know? Could he *see* it?
Were his eyes better than medical equipment?
Was he even human?
Her heart raced, hope flickering in her once-dull eyes.