Chapter 488 – Classmate, Can I Ask Your Name?
Even though Lin Bai noticed the system was acting strange, as if it was trying to help him avoid someone, he still chose to follow its directions.
After all, it was because of the system that he had been able to travel through time, because of the system that he got into the university he had always dreamed of, and because of the system that he would be able to obtain the comprehensive cancer cure manual by checking in at Country A.
Considering all that, and the fact that the system had never shown any malice toward him, he decided to trust it.
However…
While Lin Bai was following the system’s constantly changing routes, Xu Jinning, on the other hand, although heading to her brother-in-law Song Yi’s office, was somehow not following her usual path.
In fact, at each intersection, instead of taking the familiar turns, she chose different ones from her previous routes.
From the campus gate to Song Yi’s office, though the destination remained the same, the varying paths meant encountering different people, and of course, covering different distances.
She didn’t know why she was acting so strangely today, but she chose to follow her instincts.
If someone had been observing from above the medical university at that moment, they would have seen that every time Lin Bai changed his route, following the system’s guidance, Xu Jinning would quickly change hers as well.
Lin Bai’s altered routes, upon closer inspection, seemed to be designed to avoid crossing paths with Xu Jinning’s group.
Meanwhile, Xu Jinning’s changes in direction seemed to perfectly align with where she would meet Lin Bai.
Each time, it was as if she could predict his every move with remarkable precision.
In the end, even the system, seemingly aware that it couldn’t outmaneuver Xu Jinning, was on the verge of giving up. It appeared to foresee the inevitable outcome and simply surrendered.
So, feeling confused, Lin Bai had been too focused on talking to the system, which led him to not notice Xu Jinning and her group approaching.
As a result, he nearly collided with Xu Jinning.
However, instead of crashing into her, he ended up bumping into Xie Ting’an.
Although the collision wasn’t too hard, and neither of them fell, it was still a real bump.
“Sorry, sorry,” Lin Bai apologized while rubbing his aching chest. Despite the pain, he quickly realized what had happened and hurried to apologize again.
He knew it was his fault for being distracted by the system and not paying attention to the road ahead, which caused the accident.
Especially when he looked up and saw that if Xie Ting’an hadn’t stepped in, he would have run into a pregnant woman, Lin Bai felt even worse.
“I’m really sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you alright?” Lin Bai apologized again and bowed deeply.
Xie Ting’an’s face was tense, clearly showing he was upset.
He couldn’t even imagine what could have happened if Ningning had been the one hit.
Xu Jinning gave Xie Ting’an an apologetic smile. She knew her husband had been worried just moments before.
She tugged on his sleeve gently, signaling him not to be angry with her. It had been her own inexplicable decision to walk those unusual routes.
Xie Ting’an felt helpless inside. He wasn’t angry with Xu Jinning—he was frustrated with himself.
He could tell that something had seemed off with Ningning earlier. These weren’t the usual paths she would take. Xie Ting’an knew his wife’s habits well, down to even the smallest changes.
He rarely ever questioned her decisions.
He understood that when Ningning did something out of the ordinary, she usually had a good reason for it.
He was only upset that he hadn’t done a better job protecting her.
Especially now, with Ningning being pregnant, he should have been more vigilant.
So, when Xu Jinning tugged on his sleeve, Xie Ting’an reached out and gently held her hand, letting her know through his actions that he wasn’t upset with her.
He then turned his gaze toward Lin Bai, who was still apologizing. After a quick glance, Xie Ting’an could tell that this young man didn’t seem to have acted intentionally. He looked like a student from the university.
Since Xu Jinning hadn’t been hit, Xie Ting’an didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. However, he still said, “You need to be more careful in the future. I reacted quickly this time, but do you understand what could have happened if you had hit my wife? She’s pregnant.”
Normally, Xie Ting’an was laid-back about most things, and his emotions were always calm, almost indifferent. But when it came to anything involving Xu Jinning, even the usually composed Xie Ting’an couldn’t remain calm.
“I know, I know! I really didn’t mean to. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention,” Lin Bai apologized again, knowing full well that Xie Ting’an was right. He understood how fragile pregnant women could be.
If he had hit her, even if nothing serious had happened, he would still feel incredibly guilty. And if something had happened, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
Seeing that Lin Bai didn’t mean any harm and had already apologized, coupled with Xu Jinning signaling for him not to dwell on it, Xie Ting’an decided to let it go. He nodded to show he accepted Lin Bai’s apology.
Lin Bai breathed a sigh of relief and nodded back to Xu Jinning as well before turning to leave, carrying his luggage.
As Lin Bai walked past Xu Jinning, he continued forward, still talking to the system in his head. ‘System, system, why aren’t you saying anything?’
The system, however, remained utterly silent.
At that moment, it dared not speak.
It feared that if it made a sound, it would be noticed by Xu Jinning, this extraordinarily lucky person, who was also the daughter of the Tiandao itself.
If the system could manifest itself at that moment, Lin Bai would have seen it curled up, hugging its frail, trembling from fear. It would have looked weak, helpless, and pitiful, filled with nothing but anxiety.
All it wanted was for Lin Bai to get away from Xu Jinning as soon as possible and head to Country A. It swore that it never wanted to encounter Xu Jinning again for the rest of its existence! The constant route changes had nearly driven it into a mental breakdown.
And now, all the system could do was pray for Lin Bai to quickly get far away from Xu Jinning.
Just a little more, it thought. Almost there!
But in that crucial moment, just as both parties were about to pass each other and head their separate ways, Xu Jinning suddenly spoke up.
“Wait.”
Both Lin Bai and Xu Jinning had already begun walking in opposite directions when she suddenly turned around and called out to him.
She then asked, “Excuse me student, could I ask for your name?”
Lin Bai stopped in his tracks, startled that Xu Jinning had called out to him, even more so that she was asking for his name.
He wasn’t the only one confused. Xu Jinning herself didn’t even know why she felt compelled to ask for his name. But the thought had come to her, and she acted on it without hesitation.
Lin Bai, unsure but seeing no reason to hide, answered honestly.
“My name is Lin Bai. ‘Lin’ as in two trees, and ‘Bai’ like the cypress tree.”
The system, inside Lin Bai’s mind, panicked: It’s over! We’re doomed.
Both Xu Jinning and Xie Ting’an widened their eyes slightly upon hearing his name.
“So, you’re Lin Bai,” Xu Jinning muttered to herself.
Now that they knew his identity, there was no way they could let him leave.
Before Xu Jinning could even say anything else, Xie Ting’an stepped forward and said, “Hey, Student Lin, how about we find somewhere to sit and chat for a bit?”
**TN
Oh my, only 3 chapters left. Σ(゚口゚;)