But no one laughed.

Everyone saw it with their own eyes. The old man who had just been lying on the ground was now gripping Shanshan’s hand tightly.

Hu Lehe caught his breath.

Seeing Shanshan’s flustered expression, his heart went out to her, and he quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Oh, don’t listen to her nonsense! I was just wondering what you were doing, kid, pressing those acupoints willy-nilly. Your technique is completely different from the doctors at the hospital. For a second there, I really thought you had some hidden talent. Turns out your second aunt taught you, huh? No wonder, no wonder."

"Hehe, I’m just glad you’re okay, Grandpa Hu~"

Shanshan laughed awkwardly.

It wasn’t long before the ambulance arrived.

Paramedics quickly disembarked and, after an examination, found the patient’s condition stable—even better than when the episode had first occurred.

They asked about the situation as they carefully lifted Grandpa Hu onto a stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance.

Shanshan stood rooted to the spot.

She didn’t let out a sigh of relief until the ambulance’s flashing red lights had completely vanished around the corner.

She patted her chest, then turned and trudged home with her head hung low.

This time, she didn’t wander off. She went straight back to the Jiao family’s courtyard.

As soon as she pushed open the door, she was surrounded by the Jiao family.

Jiao Qin cut an apple into small pieces and handed them to her.

"Have something sweet. It’ll help you calm down."

Shanshan ate while guiltily sneaking peeks at everyone’s faces.

’No one knows I secretly saved someone, right?’

’As long as nobody mentions it, this whole thing will just blow over.’

But just past noon, a sudden knock echoed from the courtyard gate.

Right after, the Hu Family arrived, carrying bags of all sizes filled with health supplements, to express their gratitude.

Gifts piled high on the living room coffee table, and someone had even brought a red silk banner with yellow lettering.

The Jiao family was completely baffled, having no idea what was going on.

They only understood when the Hu Family excitedly explained that their patriarch had suffered a sudden heart attack and Shanshan was the one who had saved him.

The color drained from Jiao Qin’s face. She immediately whipped out her phone and dialed Ling Anxun’s number.

"Anxun! Something’s happened! Shanshan gave someone first aid on the street, and now they’ve come to our door with a silk banner! You need to get over here, quickly!"

The Hu Family hadn’t even left yet when Ling Anxun arrived in a flurry.

The moment he walked in, he saw the room full of gifts and the banner. Then his gaze fell on his daughter, huddled in a corner of the sofa.

He sighed inwardly and had no choice but to quickly invent a "medical training" backstory for her.

He told the story so convincingly that even the members of the Hu Family were nodding along.

And just like that, a potential crisis was averted.

On the way home, Shanshan kept her head down.

She spoke up before her father had a chance to reprimand her.

"Dad, I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have just treated someone like that... I almost blew our cover, and I made things difficult for you."

Ling Anxun listened, then slowly turned and gently ruffled her hair.

"I’m not blaming you, Dad. But you’re just too exceptional, and your abilities are hard to hide. The moment people notice you, they’ll be watching your every move, waiting for you to slip up. I just want you to be safe and sound. I don’t want anyone to get leverage over you, and I don’t want you to stir up any trouble."

He couldn’t quite explain what was going on with his daughter.

Ling Anxun didn’t dare to probe any deeper.

But the thought of letting her carry on like this terrified him.

If she were ever exposed, attracting investigations, prying eyes, or even deeper trouble, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to contain the fallout.

’These days, a child who’s too bright is easily seen as an anomaly.’

But whenever he saw her with her head bowed, meekly admitting she was wrong, how could he bring himself to scold her harshly?

In the end, Ling Anxun just sighed and began to walk her through everything, one point at a time.

How to talk without arousing suspicion...

Shanshan tilted her head up, listening and nodding along.

"Okay! I’ll remember, Dad. I promise I’ll be careful from now on and won’t do anything reckless again."

Seeing her earnest expression, the tension in Ling Anxun’s chest finally eased a bit.

「In the blink of an eye, Ling Anxun’s birthday was fast approaching.」

He’d been away on business for the past several days, so he hadn’t called much and hadn’t been home at all.

But Shanshan had been fretting about it since Monday.

’What should I get him? A tie? Dad never wears one. A wallet? He’s had that shabby old wallet for five years and refuses to get a new one. Coffee? Hmph, he says it’s too bitter and won’t touch it...’

She tilted her head, staring at her notebook for a long time.

She thought and thought, but nothing seemed right.

What she wanted was something that would make her father’s eyes light up.

So, she grabbed Ling Zhiwei, who was hunched over his desk, completely engrossed in a book.

"Zhiwei! Stop studying! Help me think, what does Dad actually like? You’re a guy, you should get it, right?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Ling Zhiwei was yanked so hard he almost fell out of his chair.

"I... I may be a guy, but Uncle is a beast! A total tough guy! The kind of man who can lift a tire with one hand! How are we even in the same category? Just hearing you lump us together is giving me goosebumps!"

Shanshan rolled her eyes.

"Cut the crap. Let’s go!"

They went to five or six different stores.

Ling Zhiwei shook his head at every single thing they saw.

In the end, they walked out of the fifth store empty-handed.

Just as they were about to enter the next mall, they suddenly came face-to-face with an acquaintance.

"Huh? Shanshan? Isn’t this... what’s-his-name?"

Ling Zhiwei froze, his mind drawing a blank.

"Eh? I... I think I’ve seen you before... but I can’t remember your name right now..."

But Shanshan looked up the moment she heard the voice.

Her gaze hardened.

A faint black aura was already emanating from the man, rising from his collar to his neck.

This black aura was a sign of demonic entanglement, a mark of accumulated malice.

Her heart suddenly sank.

’Just as I suspected. This guy is definitely not a good person.’

She took a quiet breath.

"Yep, that’s the scumbag."

The moment she spoke, Cao Daqiang, who had been talking, slowly turned his head and saw her familiar little face.

His entire body suddenly stiffened.

He instinctively flung off the hand of the woman whose arm was linked with his.

’Why did I have to run into this little terror right now?’

His heart began to pound.

But Shanshan had no intention of acknowledging him.

She tugged on Zhiwei’s sleeve and kept walking without looking back.

"Hey? Shanshan, aren’t you going to ask him about that?"

Ling Zhiwei’s eyes lit up.

"That’s not his wife, is it? I remember his wife has a round face and is on the shorter side. This woman is tall and slender—a completely different person!"

"And doesn’t he only have a daughter? Who’s that boy with them? Don’t tell me..."

"Why would I ask?"

Shanshan rolled her eyes.

"I don’t even want to know who he is, so why would I ask anything?"

She abruptly changed the subject, turning to Ling Zhiwei.

"Zhiwei, if you have time to worry about such trivial gossip, why don’t you help me pick out a gift for Dad?"

"I want to pick something that will make him happy, since he’s been working so hard lately."

"Hang on, hang on, let’s talk about this a little more..."

Ling Zhiwei’s eyes darted around, still trying to fish for more gossip. But just as he was about to press her for more details, Cao Daqiang approached them himself. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Shanshan, and this is...? Aren’t you going to introduce us?"

Cao Daqiang forced a smile.

"Who are you to me?"

Shanshan finally stopped walking, looked at Cao Daqiang, and asked in a cold voice.

"Why should I introduce you?"

’This guy actually has the nerve to approach me?’

’He must have a death wish.’

She sneered inwardly.

’Looks like the woman he’s latched onto now has some serious backing.’

"Why are you so ill-mannered?"

Cao Daqiang’s face darkened.

"So disrespectful at such a young age. Who taught you your manners?"