Night Fire Lingering

Wen Yan wanted him to go back, but she didn't have the strength.

"When I look at myself in the bathroom mirror during the day, I realize that I no longer look like my mother."

Wen Yan hugged her knees with both hands. She didn't turn on the light, nor did she cry, but her voice sounded like a sad murmur in the darkness.

“When I was little, many elders said I looked like my mother, but now I have almost forgotten what my mother looks like.”

The image in the photograph wasn't exactly the same as the image in her memory, and the image in her memory was gradually fading. The image in her memory and the image in the photograph were at odds; she didn't know which one was the real mother.

I don't know which one is the real mother, the one who loves her and the one who abandoned her.

Suicide, in a sense, is also a form of abandonment.

"Maybe you'll see her again later and remember what she looks like." Gu Yanci's words of comfort sounded weak.

He's really bad at comforting people.

Only his brother, Gu Jingzhou, is good at this kind of thing.

If Gu Jingzhou were here, he would probably be able to say a lot of comforting words.

Wen Yan's eyes were unfocused, staring into the void of darkness.

"If she were still alive, why wouldn't she come back to see me all these years?"

Gu Yanci opened his mouth, about to say something.

Then I heard her say, "But I still hope she's still alive."

Wen Yan looked at Gu Yanci and asked, "Could it be because I wasn't obedient enough that she's leaving me on her own initiative?"

"Wen Yan".

When the man spoke, his tone wasn't one of infinite tenderness and affection, but rather one of helpless indulgence.

“Look at me,” he commanded.

Wen Yan looked up in confusion. In the moonlight, the man's appearance was not very clear, but it gave her a strange sense of peace.

It was as if, in the darkness of the night, there was still someone who hadn't abandoned her.

Gu Yanci moved the wheelchair forward a little, and the wheelchair stopped almost at Wen Yan's feet.

He reached out and gently stroked Wen Yan's face.

Even without light, even if he couldn't see clearly, he knew what she looked like.

"Wen Yan, you are very good, very well-behaved, good enough," Gu Yanci said gently.

—I already love you so much, and so many people like you and covet you, how much more obedient can you be?

—You're fine. Whether she's still alive or not, whatever choice she makes, you bear no responsibility whatsoever.

She looked directly at Gu Yanci without any attempt to hide her gaze.

Gu Yanci raised his hand and turned on the floor lamp next to him.

The woman's expression became clearer, and her clear eyes seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words.

Gu Yanci grabbed Wen Yan's arms with both hands, lifted her up slightly, and then put his hands on her waist.

Wen Yanshun struggled to her feet, then unexpectedly fell into the man's arms, where she was met with a warm kiss.

Long and gentle.

Wen Yan had neither the strength nor the energy to struggle, nor was she bothered to struggle, so she let Gu Yanci kiss her.

She thought he would take advantage of her today, but she didn't expect him to only scratch the surface and offer obvious reassurance.

The woman's beautiful almond-shaped eyes were slightly watery, glistening and hazy, pitiful yet alluring, making one's heart flutter.

Gu Yanci's Adam's apple bobbed, and he raised his hand to cover her eyes, suppressing the desire that still lingered in his eyes at this moment.

"What were you trying to say just now?" Gu Yanci asked.

Wen Yan blinked, her eyelashes gently brushing against his palm.

"No," Wen Yan said. "No one is obligated to accompany anyone for a lifetime, and no one can accompany anyone for a lifetime."

She told herself she shouldn't get stuck on that one thing.

We shouldn't panic because of this news about Wan Ying.

"Gu Yanci, you shouldn't be discharged from the hospital yet." Wen Yan switched back to her housekeeper mode, though her voice still sounded a little unnatural.

"Zhou Qi will come to pick me up in a little while."

"Oh."

Relieved, Wen Yan got up and carefully put away her mother's belongings that she had found.

Diaries, oil paintings, stamps, photographs...

Gu Yanci watched her busily carrying things like a tiny ant, as if watching a delightful program.

The phone vibrated.

The message came from Zhou Qifa: "Mr. Gu, the doctor is urging you to go back immediately."

The disobedient patient has read the message but is not replying, as if he did not hear it.

Ten minutes passed, and the woman who had gone into the study still hadn't come out.

Gu Yanci sensed something was wrong and drove his wheelchair to the study.

The woman lay face down on the carpet in the study, holding a huge dog plush toy in her arms, her eyes closed and motionless, seemingly asleep.

This doll was a birthday gift from Wen Yan's mother when she was eight years old. During her winter vacation that year, she came to the capital and brought the doll from Hong Kong to the capital. Later, she went to England alone as an exchange student and took the doll with her.

She truly loves Nan Yun and cherishes her relationship with him.

Gu Yanci had never received Ji Chang's favor since childhood, and he still held onto hope for her. His Zhizhi was still so young, and having already received her affection, he naturally couldn't accept losing her.

Gu Yanci waited for a quarter of an hour, thinking that Wen Yan was fast asleep, and prepared to carry her to bed. However, as soon as his hand touched Wen Yan's cheek, he felt a burning sensation.

He has had recurring high fevers for the past few days and knows the symptoms of a fever.

Gu Yanci brushed aside Wen Yan's stray hairs and saw that her cheeks were flushed and her forehead felt relatively cool to the touch, indicating a low-grade fever.

I developed a low-grade fever for no apparent reason, even though I hadn't caught a cold. It was probably triggered by today's news.

Gu Yanci sighed.

"Wen Zhizhi, people don't always have to leave." Gu Yanci helplessly kissed the woman's forehead. "I will love you more than anyone else."

Before those warm lips had even left the woman's skin, Gu Yanci seemed to sense something.

He was startled and lowered his eyes—

Wen Yan opened her eyes at some point, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright, filled with obvious astonishment.

The study was silent.

As their eyes met, the surrounding temperature silently rose.

A few seconds later, Gu Yanci sat up straight.

He was in a wheelchair, a head taller than Wen Yan, and calmly said, "You have a fever."

Wen Yan's mind went a little slow. "What did you say?"

Gu Yanci grabbed her hand and touched her forehead, repeating, "Wen Yan, you have a fever."

"That's not it."

"..."

Wen Yan tried to get up from the ground, but her body, which was weak from the low fever, was too weak. She simply knelt on the ground, grabbed the armrest of his wheelchair, and looked up at him.

The woman's gaze was stubborn and direct, as if she absolutely had to get an answer.

"Gu Yanci, I heard you!" Wen Yan said firmly. "Do you dare to say it? Do you dare to admit it? Or are you lying to me while I was asleep?"

Gu Yanci was silent for two seconds, then asked, "Are you still conscious?"

Wen Yan asked incredulously, "You're saying I have something wrong with my head?"

"..."

Wen Yan was so angry that she felt dizzy and got up to leave.

I finally heard a nice thing to say, and then someone immediately accused me of having a problem with my brain.

"Where are we going?" Gu Yanci quickly grabbed her arm.

Where I go is none of your business!

Just as Wen Yan was about to explode, the man said, "I'm not lying to you."

Wen Yan looked at him.

Gu Yanci looked into her eyes: "You heard me right, I agree."