Night Fire Lingering

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Wen Yan could hear the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the leaves outside the window.

Gu Yanci sat on the sofa, his elbows propped on his knees, looking at her sideways with a deep gaze that carried emotions she couldn't understand.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto his knees, but his upper body remained hidden in shadow, making him appear somewhat lonely and desolate.

"What about you?"

After a few seconds, the man spoke.

"Wen Yan, from childhood to adulthood, who have you ever liked? Who have you ever had feelings for?"

Gu Yanci asked concisely, wanting to know the answer but also afraid to know it—was he on her list of crushes?

Wen Yan's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't fall for his trick and said, "I asked you first."

Gu Yanci was very assertive, staring intently at Wen Yan, and asked again, "Did you? Who was it? Who was it?"

It was like a silent battle, a long stalemate.

Neither of them was willing to speak first, nor was anyone willing to compromise first.

Until it was interrupted by a phone call.

It's Wen Yan's phone.

Wen Yan glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was Wen Muzhi.

She glanced at Gu Yanci subconsciously, then hung up immediately, too lazy to answer.

A few seconds later, Wen Muzhi sent a text message: [Wen Junming is sick and hospitalized]

"Where are you going?" Gu Yanci asked as he saw Wen Yan about to leave.

"Something came up, Bei Qing is here to pick me up." Before he could speak, Wen Yan said, "I'll be back for dinner tonight."

Wen Junming's matter is her family affair, and Wen Yan doesn't want Gu Yanci to get involved, nor does she want to see Gu Yanci and Wen Muzhi at the same time.

Upon hearing her words, sure enough, the man who had originally intended to keep an eye on her changed his mind about following her.

Gu Yanci asked, "What do you want to eat tonight?"

Wen Yan wondered if it was just her imagination, but Gu Yanci's voice seemed gentler, as if he was in a good mood.

Wen Yan casually named a few dishes and hurriedly left.

As for whether he'll go back tonight, that's hard to say.

-

private hospital.

Wen Muzhi sat on a chair outside the ward, his left hand still wrapped in thick gauze, looking somewhat haggard.

"I thought you wouldn't come." Wen Muzhi glanced around at Wen Yan and asked with a light laugh, "Didn't Ci-ge come with you?"

"You really want to see him that much?" Wen Yan asked back.

"I just happened to have something to tell him," Wen Muzhi said vaguely.

This is her usual trick, easily leading people to mistakenly believe that she and Gu Yanci have a close relationship. If Wen Yan and Gu Yanci hadn't been more open with each other recently, hearing this would probably have made her feel depressed and nauseous as before.

At this moment, however, it seems ridiculous.

Wen Yan actually laughed, a laugh that was both cool and sweet, but it sounded particularly grating to Wen Muzhi.

Wen Muzhi's smile froze. "What are you laughing at?"

"you guess."

Wen Muzhi's expression changed several times: "Ci-ge told you that his feelings for me aren't romantic, is that right? You believe him? He doesn't want to divorce you right now, so naturally he's willing to say anything, you—"

"I believe."

Wen Yan interrupted her and, sure enough, saw an expression on Wen Muzhi's face that resembled a mask cracking open.

"Wen Yan, aren't you afraid of being schemed against again if you come alone?" Wen Muzhi said through gritted teeth.

The two parties involved know best what really happened; it was simply a matter of scheming and being schemed against.

Wen Yan certainly didn't trust Wen Muzhi. When she arrived at the hospital, she first checked with the front desk and confirmed that there was indeed a patient named Wen Junming before coming up.

Wen Yan ignored Wen Muzhi, knocked on the ward door, and went inside.

Wen Junming lay in the hospital bed receiving an IV drip, his face very pale. His medical record stated that he had taken an overdose of cold medicine and ingested an excessive amount of acetaminophen, resulting in acute renal failure.

Fortunately, he received timely treatment and is no longer in danger of dying.

"Wen Yan, what brings you here?" Wen Junming asked weakly.

"Wen Muzhi called me." Wen Yan breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was alright, and asked, "Wen Muzhi is the only one taking care of you? Where's your mother?"

Wen Yan felt it was wrong, as Wan Ying cherished her son Wen Junming very much.

“She went to the United States on a business trip with her father.” Wen Junming looked away, not wanting to talk about it.

Wen Yan immediately understood. Wan Ying was probably implicated by Wen Muzhi, which displeased Wen Yonghai recently. Wen Yonghai had been keeping his wife at home while having affairs outside. Wan Ying felt threatened and went abroad with her husband to keep an eye on him.

Who would have thought that her beloved son would fall ill and be hospitalized no sooner than she left.

Wen Junming found it strange that Wen Muzhi had taken the initiative to contact Wen Yan. He glanced at the door to make sure Wen Muzhi hadn't come in, and whispered to Wen Yan, "Her hand isn't healing well, and she's been emotionally unstable lately. Don't see her! You should go back first, lest she say something crazy again."

Wen Yan chuckled, not wanting Wen Junming to be caught in the middle, and nodded in agreement, telling Wen Junming to take good care of himself.

Wen Muzhi's care for Wen Junming was always more talk than action, just a facade. When Wen Yan came out of the ward, she sat at the door, lost in thought.

"Wen Yan!" Wen Muzhi called out to her, "I drove Junming's car here. I was in a hurry on the way and we had a minor collision. The hood is deformed. Why don't you take it to the 4S shop for repairs? I can't leave the hospital."

Because it was Wen Junming's beloved car, Wen Yan didn't mind spending more time and money and readily agreed.

Wen Muzhi gave her the car keys.

When they found Wen Junming's car in the garage, the Ferrari sports car not only had its hood deformed, but the bumper and rearview mirrors also needed to be replaced. This level of repair would cost at least six figures.

However, Wen Yan didn't think Wen Muzhi would ask her for a six-figure car repair bill.

She cautiously refrained from getting into the car and instead called the dealership to have it towed and repaired.

Wen Junming still needed to be hospitalized for another week, so Wen Yan ordered a week's worth of private kitchen meals for him nearby and then took a taxi away.

She hadn't decided where to go, nor did she want to go home. After getting on the bus, she hesitated for a moment about her destination.

A few minutes later, she came to her senses and found that the taxi had already driven far away from the hospital and was heading north without any hesitation.

Wen Yan was startled and looked towards the driver's seat.

The man in the driver's seat was wearing a baseball cap. From behind, his face was obscured, but he was thin and looked like a young man.

Wen Yan pretended not to notice anything amiss and quietly took out her phone to call the police.

"Don't even think about it, there's a signal jammer in the car."

A cold male voice came from the driver's seat, laced with a malicious laugh.

Wen Yan sat upright, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, her voice trembling: "Who are you?"

The man in the driver's seat took off his baseball cap, revealing a gaunt, sunken face.

In the rearview mirror, you can see that one of the other person's eyes has a mechanical, rigid look, and it doesn't move in sync with the other eye.

It's a prosthetic eye!

"You...you are Zheng Wenguang?!"

……

Gu Yanci was fairly at ease with Luo Beiqing. Although Luo Beiqing was suspected of leading Wen Yan astray, she was indeed Wen Yan's most reliable friend.

Gu Yanci was relieved that she was taking care of Wen Yan.

Gu Yanci happened to have a project to discuss with He Tingchuan recently, so after a brief contact with him, she inquired about Wen Yan and Luo Beiqing's schedule for the day.

Don't go to the male model shop again!

He Tingchuan frowned in confusion: "Bei Qing is at home, not with Wen Yan."

His words provoked Gu Yanci's nerves.

Luo Beiqing didn't end up with Wen Yan?

Did she deliberately lie to him in order to get rid of him and go out?

Did she go to see Jiang Huaixu?

Gu Yanci felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking at the vegetables and fresh meat prepared in the kitchen, and the fact that he was planning to cook himself, he felt extremely ironic.

Gu Yanci took out his phone, instinctively wanting to call Wen Yan.

However, just when his relationship with Wen Yan had finally improved a bit in the last couple of days, he made a rash phone call questioning her, and Wen Yan got angry.

She was on her period, and her temper was even worse!

Don't just kick him out!

Gu Yanci gritted his teeth and put his phone back on the table, feeling so sour he had to drink some water.

For no apparent reason, the water glass slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor with a "crash!"

Gu Yanci felt inexplicably flustered.

He glanced at his phone; less than five minutes had passed.

I held back again.

I can't bear it anymore.

He picked up his phone again and called Wen Yan.

"The number you dialed cannot be connected..."

Gu Yanci immediately frowned, his unease intensifying.

Gu Yanci made several calls, but could not get through.

Without the slightest hesitation, he dialed Jiang Huaixu's number: "Is Wen Yan with you?"

Jiang Huaixu was a little confused by the question, but he quickly recovered: "No, what happened to Yan Yan?"

Gu Yanci hung up the phone immediately and contacted Zhou Qi to send people to search.

When Wen Yan was abroad, Gu Yanci arranged for bodyguards to protect her secretly. After returning to China, he would still make this arrangement when he was not in the capital. Ever since Wen Yan started her divorce proceedings, she has used her right to privacy as grounds to prevent him from having anyone around her anymore.

Gu Yanci originally thought the capital was safe and nothing would happen, but he didn't expect...

Time passed little by little.

Gu Yanci paced back and forth in the living room, restless.

Where did you go?

Why can't I get through on my phone?

what happened?

"Mr. Gu, Madam went to the hospital after leaving home today. Her younger brother, Wen Shao, is sick and hospitalized, and Madam must have gone to visit him."

Why didn't Wen Yan tell him when she went out to visit Wen Junming? Why did she keep it a secret from him?

"Who else is in the hospital?" Gu Yanci asked.

"Miss Wen Muzhi."

……

hospital.

"Brother Ci." Wen Muzhi answered the phone, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Where is Wen Yan?" Gu Yanci asked bluntly, his voice extremely cold.

"Yan Yan?" Wen Muzhi asked in confusion, "Hasn't she gone home yet? She left the hospital two hours ago!"

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps approached.

Gu Yanci held his phone in one hand, talking to Wen Muzhi as he hurried over.

Before anyone could react, he grabbed Wen Muzhi by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

"Wen Muzhi, what exactly did you do?" Gu Yanci's eyes were filled with a dark storm.

Wen Muzhi grabbed the hand that was choking him, his face flushed, and said painfully, "I...I didn't...do anything..."

"Let go, let go!"

"Call security!"

"security guard!"

The surrounding doctors and nurses were shocked.

Gu Yanci kept his rationality under control. He knew what he was doing. He observed Wen Muzhi's expression and only released her when she was about to suffocate.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Wen Muzhi slumped to the ground in a disheveled state, her injured left hand instinctively bracing itself against the ground, a piercing pain shooting through her. She clutched her throat, coughing violently, her eyes filled with terror at the prospect of surviving such an ordeal.

"Wen Muzhi, where is Wen Yan?" Gu Yanci asked again.

After catching her breath, Wen Muzhi said weakly, "I only asked her to help Junming fix his car, and all the nurses who were passing by heard it! What happened?"

Wen Muzhi looked completely innocent, and her performance was flawless. The doctors and nurses around her persuaded her and surrounded and protected Wen Muzhi, the victim.

Zhou Qi rushed over and said, "Mr. Gu, that's true. The car was involved in a collision on its way to the hospital and is parked in the garage downstairs."

Wen Muzhi lowered his eyes, concealing the anticipation and joy within them.

Zhou Qi continued, "However, the lady did not get into that car; instead, she called the 4S shop to tow it away."

Wen Muzhi looked up abruptly, the joy in his eyes fading, leaving only stiffness and shock.

"The 4S store staff said that the car not only had exterior problems, but also brake failure."

Gu Yanci's gaze pierced Wen Muzhi like a cold light.

Wen Muzhi reacted quickly, revealing a shocked expression: "How...how could this be...it was fine when we arrived, and Junming was driving that car the whole time..."

The car belongs to Wen Junming, not her, and it was perfectly fine when it arrived. No matter how they investigated, they couldn't trace it back to her.

A car accident, a wrecked car and fatalities—what a perfect story.

It's a pity, why didn't Wen Yan get on the bus?

"Where did Wen Yan go?" Wen Muzhi asked urgently.

Zhou Qi didn't want to tell Wen Muzhi, but Gu Yanci was also waiting for an answer.

Zhou Qi said, "My wife got into a taxi, and the last surveillance footage showed that the taxi headed towards Beishan."

Beishan is located at the border of two cities. The mountains stretch endlessly, but there is no scenic area development, it is desolate and uninhabited, and there is no surveillance.

As the sun sets in the west, the light and shadows fade away.

Night engulfed the city, as if foreshadowing the end of the danger.

……

Wen Yan had only met Zheng Wenguang, the young master of the Zheng family, twice, both times at banquets. She didn't have a deep impression of him and almost didn't recognize him now.

Wen Yan immediately went to open the car door, but Zheng Wenguang was prepared and had already locked the car door.

"Wen Yan, I'm glad you still recognize me," Zheng Wenguang said with a smile, flooring the accelerator.

"What do you want?" Wen Yan tried to remain calm. Seeing Zheng Wenguang's expression, she realized he was probably a drug addict. "You want money?"

"Of course we want the money! Gu Yanci's wife is probably still quite valuable."

Of course I want money, but it seems I want more than just money.

"Wen Junming injured your eyes, and your father agreed to settle the matter privately as I wished. Do you hate me? Do you want to take revenge on me?" Wen Yan guessed.

"No, no, no!" Zheng Wenguang said cheerfully, "Wen Yan, do you know why I fought with Wen Junming?"

Wen Yan wasn't interested, but she knew she couldn't upset the madman at this time.

She wanted to wait for the car to stop before looking for a chance to escape!

She followed his lead and asked, "Why?"

A light shone in Zheng Wenguang's one intact eye, filled with intense emotion: "Because I said—I want to sleep with you!"

Wen Yan finally understood what that emotion was.

It's not liking, but a morbid obsession.

Zheng Wenguang said, "My target for revenge is also Gu Yanci!"