A bucket of cold water was dumped over his head, chilling him to the bone.

The truth that good girls fall for bad boys is just as Bai Haonan said: the more obedient a girl is, the more likely she will grow weary of upright, rule-following men, for it dooms her life to monotonous dullness. If she never discovers the allure of a bad boy, that’s one thing—but once she’s tasted the sweetness, she comes to realize that only a bad boy can bring her blushing romance, can conjure surprises and unforgettable moments, satisfying both emotional and physical needs. Ultimately, women are creatures who crave both material and emotional fulfillment. Even if she claims to prefer honest, promising men, when confronted with a bad boy, she can’t help but want to join him in wild adventures—how exhilarating that would be.

Just thinking of that thrill, she forgets the bad boy’s hidden cruelty, fickleness, and selfishness. It’s precisely as Qiao Yingna sensed: bad boys are often both handsome and talented, able to perfect even their eyeliner with relentless practice, while good men rarely get the chance—managing to wield an eyebrow pencil without trembling is already commendable, let alone attempting something as advanced as blending.

So, even if Bai Haonan said not another word, Guo Xiaoxiao was already somewhat dizzy, perhaps even burdened by moral self-reproach: as if she wasn’t deeply in love with someone, how could she behave like this? How unforgivable! Standing in the hospital elevator, whenever Bai Haonan glanced at her, she’d turn her head away like a revolutionary martyr.

Bai Haonan, ever perceptive, admired the rosy flush on her cheeks—such a lovely sight, though he could only look, not touch, and had to resist the urge to tease her. “Guo Xiaoxiao, let’s be honest: aside from your fiancé who sacrificed himself, you’ve never been in a relationship, have you? Surely someone at your workplace must have pursued you?”

Perhaps because he mentioned that man, Guo Xiaoxiao finally took a deep breath, turned to look at the elevator’s panel of buttons. “We were classmates from the police academy, then worked at the same unit. All my colleagues are his comrades. Whoever’s with me can’t avoid him, and I don’t want to date anyone else in the system. As for others, I hate it when, as soon as we meet, they ask how tall I am, and then size me up like I’m some kind of spectacle. I’m a person, not a freak.”

Bai Haonan watched the stubborn yet slender policewoman before him, feeling a keen urge to comfort her. Guo Xiaoxiao, hearing no response, turned to meet his gentle gaze, but immediately looked away in panic, losing all the policewoman’s composure she had shown with Qiao Yingna. Bai Haonan quickly adopted a more mischievous look; in this tiny elevator, so many emotions could be played out.

Luckily, the elevator chimed and the doors opened. Guo Xiaoxiao hurried out, straightening her uniform, though it was unchanged. Bai Haonan, hands empty, passed the nurses’ station, poked his head in to banter, then nonchalantly took a bouquet from the counter and, entering the ward, grandly presented it to Guo Xiaoxiao’s mother as part of his self-introduction!

In truth, Mrs. Guo’s figure was much like her daughter’s—tall and slender. Perhaps seeing Bai Haonan properly for the first time, she scrutinized him closely.

The young policewoman’s expression was full of “I can’t believe he did that,” as Bai Haonan, completely at ease, greeted her, “Hello, Auntie. I’ve been leading the team in competitions lately, and had to accompany my girlfriend to a singing contest, so today’s the first chance I’ve had to visit Uncle Guo.”

Seated amid a tangle of medical equipment, old Officer Guo began shaking vigorously. Bai Haonan approached, speaking loudly into his ear, drawing out the words, “Are—you—well?”

Guo Xiaoxiao, who had tried to ignore Bai Haonan’s nonsense, couldn’t help but laugh, swaying with amusement. “Please! My dad has chest fractures and other injuries, not hearing loss!”

Bai Haonan, slightly embarrassed, explained, “All those tubes and masks made me think he couldn’t hear clearly…”

Mrs. Guo, who had been feeling down, now looked with curiosity at her daughter’s expression. Guo Xiaoxiao quickly regained her seriousness. “Get closer. Right now, he can only use his vocal cords—he can’t resonate from his chest.”

Bai Haonan wasn’t trying to be funny, so he moved closer to old Guo’s mouth and heard him struggle, “Isn’t… your girlfriend fake?”

Bai Haonan turned to shoo the two women, who were craning their necks, “Let me talk to Uncle Guo. You two take a break.”

Mrs. Guo clearly didn’t want to leave, but her daughter dragged her out. Bai Haonan took a peach from the nearby table, peeled it with a fruit knife laid on a clean napkin, and began eating. “Uncle Guo, to be honest, I really wanted to run away that day, but it was seeing you that made me stay and help. Honestly, your colleagues owe it to you—because you look a bit like my father, both with those square faces…”

Behind the tubes and mask, the middle-aged patient was surprised.

But this fellow quickly finished peeling his peach and started eating it himself. “But my dad raised his kids to fend for themselves; if he got drunk and felt off, he’d haul us up and beat us. Usually, poor kids learn to be independent early. I’ve always been self-reliant, though I haven’t done well, at least I can support myself. By contrast, your daughter is a bit too honest, just like you. She should find an honest man, not someone like me—a drifter who doesn’t know where he’ll be tomorrow.”

The patient moved his lips with difficulty. Bai Haonan leaned closer and heard, “What… honest?”

Bai Haonan threw the peach pit in the trash. “That day, some bureau chief brought the young policewoman to the stadium, and there was some party secretary from the medical university—apparently you all knew each other twenty years ago. Decades have passed, others have risen to power and wealth, you’re still the one checking for drunk drivers. I know it sounds harsh, but isn’t that the story for most people? How many get to make it big? I even think you live more honestly and freely this way. In twenty years, those two might not be better off than you. That’s fate. Uncle Guo, you’re destined for honesty. So is your daughter. I’m not. I’d ruin her.”

The middle-aged police officer shook his tubes vigorously. Bai Haonan leaned in to reassure him, “Don’t feel inferior…”

But the old policeman cursed him, “You’re just a kid, pretending to be deep with me!” His voice even grew stronger in anger.

Bai Haonan rushed to calm him, “Don’t strain your injuries—it’s not worth getting upset at me. Really, it’s just that young Officer Guo is curious about someone as out-of-line as me, so I came to talk to you. We’re not the same kind. Don’t let her marry someone like me. Once you’re better, help her find someone honest and steady…”

The old policeman was sharp. “Who exactly are you?”

Bai Haonan forced a laugh. “How much of a future can a football coach have?”

The old policeman looked at Bai Haonan—a gaze far more powerful than his daughter’s. After several seconds, he spoke, “Young man, society isn’t so simply divided into honest and dishonest, nor is right and wrong so absolute. You’re probably not rotten to the core, but you definitely need to be scrutinized.”

Bai Haonan suddenly realized his own hubris—he’d forgotten that the old man in hospital garb and bandages was a lifelong policeman, probably more familiar with his work than any famous official. Teasing young Officer Guo was one thing, but pretending to be wise before such an old fox was simply digging himself deeper.

This was nothing but falling for the policewoman’s beauty and getting himself trapped!

Bai Haonan could barely escape, utterly flustered.