CHAPTER 369: CHAPTER 369: ANKLE CHAIN

Bao Shaojin merely glanced at it, then followed the path that An Yin pointed out.

The dim, narrow corridor was flanked by dilapidated houses. Smoke filled the air, with occasional ashes drifting past and gently landing on the ground.

An Yin nestled in the man’s embrace, holding the gift he gave her. Her breath, warm and soft, hovered around the man’s neck, seemingly burning his skin and making his heart itch with a yearning. Yet, the man had always had good self-control. At this moment, while cradling a soft and fragrant treasure, his steps remained steady.

As they walked along the base of the wall, despite the absence of light, the man’s eyes were completely unaffected by the night.

The sixth floor.

An Ying, supporting herself with one hand on the windowsill, stood quietly to the side. The sound of the door closing just now startled her. She was about to call out her daughter’s name but hesitated as a thought crossed her mind. Pressing her lips together, she carefully moved her inconvenient body to the window.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before she saw the tall man holding a familiar figure in his arms.

It was her daughter.

At this moment, An Yin was tightly held in the man’s arms, and what worried her more was that An Yin was draped in the man’s coat.

An Ying’s grip on the windowsill tightened slightly, and a hint of worry appeared on her face.

This man exuded an aura of coldness and nobility, surely indicating an extraordinary background.

With men of such family backgrounds, marriage is usually beyond their control.

Thinking of this, a trace of concern flashed in An Ying’s eyes. Her daughter, raised carefully by her since childhood, was unaware of the dangers in the world. Such a pure-hearted person was the most vulnerable to getting hurt.

An Ying furrowed her brows, her worries gradually deepening. Having experienced ultimate happiness and fallen into the mire, ever since having her daughter, all her hopes were pinned on her child. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she lived for her daughter.

Because of this deep love, she hoped even more that her cherished daughter could find happiness.

Trapped in her dilemma, An Ying stood by the windowsill for a long time, torn between respecting her daughter’s private life and wanting to interfere to help her avoid unnecessary detours.

Bao Shaojin parked his car in a concealed spot in the neighborhood, beside the corner of someone else’s house.

An Yin knew that this family would close their shop and return to their hometown every New Year, which was why the parking spot next to them was vacant.

Once in the car, the man placed her in the passenger seat, circled around the front of the car, and returned to the driver’s seat. The young girl was afraid of the cold, so he started the car and turned on the heater.

The car’s interior was dark; the man had no intention of turning on the lights.

Not far away, the dim yellow streetlights illuminated the concrete road, casting a faint glow even on the spot where Bao Shaojin parked.

An Yin’s heart raced, and the chain in her hand felt slightly sweaty.

"Give it to me," Bao Shaojin turned, his eyes deep.

An Yin turned her head in confusion, seeing the man’s gaze on the hand she was holding the chain in. She nervously handed it over to him, "Here."

In An Yin’s understanding, after midnight, it’s New Year’s Day, and if children pay New Year’s greetings, they should receive red envelopes.

But instead, the man gave her a chain?

That could only mean one thing: did the man give her the wrong thing? An Yin mused silently.

Bao Shaojin’s well-defined fingers took the chain from her palm, "Lift your foot."

His tone was commanding, carrying an air of dominance.

An Yin looked at him in shock; did she... hear wrong?

"Be good, lift your foot."

The man’s voice sounded again.

"Wh-why." An Yin timidly moved back, her eyes fluttering as she stared at the man.

Seeing her fearful expression, Bao Shaojin’s face grew steely and dark.

The next second, the man leaned down slightly, reaching out to grip her slender ankle.

"Bao... Bao Shaojin, what are you doing?" An Yin’s bright eyes stared up at him, her eyelashes blinking rapidly, glazed with a thin layer of mist, as if about to cry.

Bao Shaojin swept his gaze over her face and easily slipped off her slipper, placing it beside her foot.

An Yin pulled her foot back forcefully.

Her foot was placed on the man’s thigh. Though he seemed to hold her ankle with little effort, no matter how hard An Yin tried, she couldn’t budge an inch.

"Don’t move." Bao Shaojin commanded sternly.

An Yin froze completely, not daring to make any sudden movement.

The man lowered his head, and after looping the cold chain around her foot three times, he carefully found the clasp. It took him a bit of effort, but the clasp had corresponding numbers that An Yin couldn’t quite make out.

Then, nearly a minute passed before the man released her.

With composure, he helped her put the slipper back on, and his eyes lingered on the glittering anklet on her fair ankle, its allure seemingly mesmerizing, stirring hidden desires.

Bao Shaojin pursed his lips without saying a word, his gaze deep on the small exposed ankle of the young girl.

An Yin didn’t notice the man’s strange demeanor; she timidly eyed the item on her foot.

This is... an anklet?

At first glance, she thought it was a necklace since it seemed a bit long.

So, is this the New Year’s gift from the man? An anklet?

An Yin couldn’t quite grasp the man’s intentions. After all, who gives an anklet as a New Year gift? Hesitantly, she pulled her foot back, placing it on the car’s carpet.

"Is this expensive?" An Yin extended her foot, under the faint light, the anklet still sparkled. She had no concept of such things and wasn’t sure what material it was made from. However, during previous shopping trips with Jiang Keke, they’d look around boutiques, and Jiang Keke, immune to none of these, would buy whatever caught her fancy. At that time, An Yin followed and knew such items typically cost around a hundred yuan.

"Quite cheap," the man replied leisurely.

Little did she know, ’quite cheap’ was relative to him. This anklet, designed by a world-renowned master and made entirely of high-purity diamonds, appeared delicate and exquisite but was actually quite valuable.

Of course, Bao Shaojin would never disclose such things to her.

The young girl was principled when it came to money. If given something even slightly expensive, she would find every way to return it.

"Thank you for the gift." An Yin’s tender lips parted, whispering softly.

Since the gift wasn’t expensive, An Yin didn’t fuss over it and accepted it quietly.

Meanwhile, she pondered over the return gift.

Since the man gave her a gift, she should also reciprocate. However, she had no money at the moment, and it was already the middle of the night with all shops closed.

Bao Shaojin noticed her gloomy expression, sensing a trace of sullenness beneath her downcast face. A shadow of gloom crossed his rigid features, "Don’t like it?"

He squinted, his mild gaze falling on her.