Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Lin Bufan stood in the empty courtyard, listening to the girls' laughter fade into the alleyway, and touched his nose with a wry smile. Well, they really left him here all alone.

With nothing else to do, he strolled out of the courtyard and headed towards Youfeng Restaurant.

The afternoon sun shone warmly on the stone path. The small cafe wasn't crowded; people sat in twos and threes, chatting quietly or reading peacefully. Nana was arranging the newly delivered coffee beans behind the counter when she heard the wind chimes at the door. She looked up, her eyes lighting up instantly.

"President Lin? When did you get back?" Nana asked with a surprised smile, putting down what she was holding.

Lin Bufan walked to the bar stool in front of the bar and sat down casually: "Just got back not long ago. What, missed me?"

Nana smiled, turning to get her coffee cup as she said, "Even if they wanted to, it would be Nanxing and Hongdou who would want to, not me."

“What are you saying?” Lin Bufan rested his elbow on the bar, propping his chin up as he looked at her. “Let me ask you another way—have you been thinking about your money? Are you worried that I’ll run off with your savings?”

Nana was amused and pushed a cup of hand-drip coffee in front of Lin Bufan, lowering her voice to laugh, "Then I'm even less afraid. Nanxing and Hongdou are still in the village. You can run, but they can't. At worst... I'll detain them!"

"Wow!" Lin Bufan exclaimed in exaggerated surprise, "Nana, I didn't realize that your move was so ruthless, attacking where the enemy must defend."

“Of course,” Nana raised her chin slightly, with a hint of pride: “After spending so much time with smart people like you, I have to learn a few self-defense tricks.”

As the two were chatting and laughing, the landline phone on the bar suddenly rang, the sound particularly jarring in the quiet little restaurant.

Nana's smile froze almost instantly. She turned to look at the constantly ringing black phone, a clear look of panic and resistance flashing in her eyes. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the rag she was wiping the table. She stood there, not answering it immediately.

Lin Bufan took in her reaction and immediately made a guess.

In the original drama, after Nana's identity was exposed, many people called the restaurant, some offering encouragement, but most showering her with insults and slander. Judging from Nana's current reaction, it seems that people had already called her before!

The phone kept ringing, drawing the attention of the few customers scattered around the shop.

Lin Bufan put down his coffee cup, gave Nana a reassuring look, and calmly picked up the receiver.

"Hello, this is Youfeng Restaurant." His voice was as steady as ever.

A somewhat rough male voice came from the other end of the phone, with an unsettlingly inquiring tone: "Where do you live? Is there someone named Nana?"

"Yes."

Upon hearing that the caller was looking for Nana, Lin Bufan became even more certain of his guess and immediately pressed the record button on the landline while answering.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, as if gathering strength. Then, a voice filled with malice and profanity rained down on him:

"Is that bitch Nana over there? Tell her to stop fucking hiding! Charity fraudster! Show-off! She swindled money from her fans and now she's acting all high and mighty! She still has the nerve to hide? Tell her to get out here..."

Lin Bufan listened expressionlessly, and when he felt it was about time, he spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice cold and clear: "Finished cursing? First of all, let me introduce myself. I am Lin Bufan."

The voice on the other end of the phone stopped abruptly, as if someone had suddenly grabbed him by the throat. Clearly, he had heard of Lin Bufan's great name.

Lin Bufan continued in a calm yet authoritative tone, "I've recorded every word you just said. Based on your explicit mention of Nana and your insulting and defamatory accusations, this recording, along with this caller ID, will be submitted to my legal team as evidence. They will file a lawsuit against you for defamation, disturbing public order, and infringement of another person's right to reputation. The summons will be sent to your registered address or your current workplace."

"Who...who are you trying to scare!" The voice on the other end of the phone was clearly weak, but still trying to hold on: "What Lin Bufan...I, I was cursing that fraudulent donation Nana, what's it to you! Go ahead and sue me if you dare!"

"Whether it's a bluff or not, you'll soon find out. Also, let me correct you on one point: Nana's donations are verifiable and completely legal and compliant. The so-called fraudulent donation is pure fabrication. Your actions constitute defamation." Lin Bufan's tone remained calm, yet every word was like a knife: "By the way, the litigation process may be a bit lengthy, but rest assured, we will ensure that every step—including the notice of case filing, mediation, and summons—is delivered to the relevant departments in your community or workplace as thoroughly as possible. After all, clarifying the facts and eliminating the negative impact is also one of the purposes of litigation."

"You...you fucking..." The person on the other end seemed completely panicked, stammering incoherently, "I...I dialed the wrong number! I don't know any Nana!"

"Beep-beep-beep-"

A busy tone came through, and the other party hurriedly hung up the phone.

Lin Bufan slowly put down the receiver, pressed the record stop button, then turned around and looked at Nana, whose face was slightly pale and who was tightly clutching the rag. His usual lazy smile returned to his face: "Where were we?"

Nana didn't answer immediately, but just looked at Lin Bufan quietly for a while before speaking softly, "You... don't you want to ask anything?"

"What do you want to ask?" Lin Bufan stroked his chin, his eyes starting to wander as he looked Nana up and down, before asking seriously, "What are your measurements?"

"You!" Nana nearly choked on her own saliva, stumbled, and quickly grabbed the bar counter to steady herself. Embarrassed and angry, she grabbed the rag she'd just used and threw it at Lin Bufan: "Who told you to ask that! I was talking about the phone call earlier! Those words!"

Lin Bufan easily caught the "hidden weapon," casually placed it aside, and shrugged: "That? I guessed it already, what's the point of asking?"

Nana paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly: "That's true."

Just as Nana was about to say something, the phone on the bar rang again.

Nana pursed her lips instantly, her eyes still filled with a conditioned reflex of tension as she looked at the phone.

Lin Bufan naturally picked up the receiver again: "Hello, this is Youfeng Restaurant."

This time, a timid, slightly excited female voice came through the receiver: "Excuse me... Nana-chan... is Nana there?"

Lin Bufan glanced at Nana, pressed the record button, and asked in a calm tone, "What do you need her for?"

"I...I'm her fan, my name is Xiaoyu." The girl's voice was a little hurried: "I've seen all that nonsense online, and I don't believe it at all! Nana-chan isn't that kind of person! She's helped so many people during her live streams before...I...I just want to tell her that there are still many people who believe in her and support her, please...please her keep going, don't let those bad people get to you!"

Lin Bufan's expression softened. He covered the receiver, turned to Nana, and mouthed silently, "I support you."

Nana's eyes widened slightly, and her fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of her apron.

Lin Bufan released his grip and said into the phone, "Thank you for your support. I will pass on your message to her. She is doing well and is trying to live a positive life."

After hanging up that warm call, the black landline didn't stop ringing all afternoon. The ringing intervals, sometimes long, sometimes short, seemed like an invisible boundary separating the small restaurant into two worlds—outside was the leisurely afternoon, inside was a continuous barrage of sounds from the other end of the network.

Lin Bufan practically became a full-time operator. He answered every call, pressed record, and calmly handled each one. Most were filled with malicious insults and speculation, so he used the same method he used on the first call to calmly inform the caller that he had recorded the conversation and would pursue legal action. Occasionally, there would be one or two warm supporters like "Xiaoyu," and he would convey their gratitude on their behalf.

Nana went from being tense at the beginning, her body stiffening every time the phone rang, to gradually relaxing. She stopped staring intently at the phone and instead tried turning her back to tidy up the coffee bean jars, wiping the now spotless utensils, or pretending to look at her phone. But her ears were still involuntarily perked up, trying to catch every word Lin Bufan uttered.

She watched Lin Bufan respond to the various phone calls, some cool, some calm, his tall figure leaning against the bar, like a sturdy dam, steadily keeping out the surging malice and noise. A strange, long-lost sense of security quietly enveloped her. She realized that having someone stand beside her, facing the torrents that had once left her devastated, felt so different.

As the sun set, it gilded the wooden window frames of the small restaurant. The last table of guests paid their bill and left, the wind chimes chiming a clear farewell.

Nana locked the door of the small restaurant and walked side by side with Lin Bufan back to the windy courtyard on the stone path. The evening breeze was cool, dispelling the hustle and bustle of the day.

After walking for a while, Nana suddenly spoke, her voice not loud but exceptionally clear: "I'm ready."

Lin Bufan turned his head to look at her: "What are you preparing?"

“Tonight, I’ll use my old account to go live.” Nana looked up at the distant, red-tinged horizon, her profile resolute in the afterglow: “Clarify, fight back, just like you said.”

Lin Bufan asked with a hint of curiosity, "You've hesitated for so long, why did you suddenly see the light today?"

Nana didn't turn around, nor did she stop walking. She just stared at the end of the bluestone path ahead, her voice soft but carrying a resolute strength: "I used to feel like I was alone in a dark room, the door blocked, and all I could hear outside was banging on the door and cursing. I covered my ears, turned my back to the door, and always thought that if I just held on a little longer, maybe it would pass, or... I should just give up."

But today… I discovered that the room actually had a window, small though it was, but light could still get in. And, it seems… I wasn't the only one in the room anymore. Someone was standing between me and the door that was being banged on, making me think that I could try to ignore the banging, turn around, look at the window, and even… think about how to open the door and go outside.”

As Lin Bufan listened, the corners of his mouth gradually lifted, and his eyebrows rose. He leaned closer, turning his head to look at Nana's expression, his tone filled with undisguised smugness: "Oh—I understand! Nana, you mean that I—Lin Bufan—am handsome, intelligent, brave, and incredibly reliable in crucial moments, like a ray of light illuminating your dark little room, like a mountain shielding you from the storms of the outside world, giving you an unprecedented sense of security, thus igniting the dormant courage within you, finally making you decide to face the bleak reality of life, to confront the brutal reality… Ouch!"

Before Lin Bufan could finish speaking, Nana nudged him lightly with her elbow, interrupting his long-winded rant and self-absorption.

Nana turned her head, gave Lin Bufan a disapproving glare, and her tone became slightly reproachful: "Stop being so self-pitying! I'm talking about those who called today, and the fans who have always silently believed in and supported me! It's their voices that make me feel... I'm not fighting alone. You, at most... at most, are just one of those two stone lions that happened to be standing by the door! And the particularly ugly kind at that!"

Lin Bufan immediately clutched his chest, feigning injury and staggering, his expression one of deep sorrow: "Ah... I'm heartbroken, my heart is shattered into eight pieces. All that hard work, being a switchboard operator and a spiritual mentor, and I've become a stone lion? Nana, you're so cruel..."

"Then you can keep breaking slowly," Nana suppressed a laugh, quickened her pace and took a few steps forward, leaving Lin Bufan a short distance behind. Her voice was light and cheerful: "When you're all broken, remember to put it back together yourself. I'm not responsible for gluing it back together."

The two walked the rest of the way, bickering as they went. The evening breeze swept through the alley, rustling the grass on the walls and dispelling the last trace of the day's gloom.

When they returned to the Windy Courtyard, it was already dark, and the lamps under the eaves shone warmly. The courtyard was quiet; it seemed that Xu Hongdou and the others had not yet returned.

Nana sat down on a stone bench in the courtyard, gazing absently at the last wisp of crimson on the horizon, seemingly preparing for her live broadcast that evening.

Lin Bufan didn't disturb Nana. Instead, he went back to his room and called Lucy to tell her that Nana was going to go live that night and to be ready!

Lin Bufan had communicated with Lucy about Nana's situation beforehand, so Lucy was already prepared. After receiving Lin Bufan's notification, she immediately made arrangements and was just waiting for Nana to start her live stream!

After hanging up the phone, Lin Bufan rushed into the kitchen. He had no choice; he'd already promised Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun!

Sure enough, you can't expose too much of yourself, otherwise things will just keep getting messy!