Night Fire Lingering

Wen Yan hung up the phone, still somewhat stunned.

This wasn't the first time Gu Yanci had offered to accompany her on her way to see Ji Chang. But this time, she had already left home and arrived at the hospital, and he rushed over without hesitation.

Wen Yan felt a sense of satisfaction welling up inside her, as if she were filled with something.

The man arrived quickly, his black Maybach standing out conspicuously in the bustling hospital.

After getting out of the car, Gu Yanci naturally took the tonic from Wen Yan's hand and led her towards the inpatient department—clearly, he already knew Ji Chang's ward number on the way there.

"Aren't you busy today?" Wen Yan asked, looking up at him.

As soon as he turned his head, he almost bumped into a patient's family member who was walking in a hurry. Gu Yanci quickly pulled her aside and manually made her turn back.

"Watch the road."

Wen Yan thought for a moment and then suddenly said, "Gu Yanci, the person who called me was Nan Zhiyi, so she might also be at the hospital."

"Oh." Gu Yanci's face was completely indifferent, as if to say: So what?

Wen Yan was silent for two seconds, then awkwardly pursed her lips and said, "Actually... I wasn't very happy yesterday, when you said you and Nan Zhiyi were going to have lunch together."

Gu Yanci was slightly taken aback, and then carefully corrected her: "We eat at the same table."

It wasn't a lunch together.

The atmosphere was wonderful, suggesting we have lunch together.

Gu Yanci ruffled her hair and asked patiently, "Why didn't you say so yesterday?"

Wen Yan muttered to herself, "You've already taken the initiative to report to me, and I'm still not happy? Wouldn't that seem petty?"

A smile and doting look flashed across Gu Yanci's eyes as he said, "Mrs. Gu doesn't need to learn to be magnanimous."

Wen Yan nodded, indicating that she appreciated it, but then realized what she meant the next second: "So you mean I'm stingy?"

Wen Yan asked incredulously, "Gu Yanci, are you saying I'm stingy?"

“…” Gu Yanci said, “I didn’t.”

Wen Yan snorted, her face saying, "I know you lied to me, but I won't hold it against you."

Gu Yanci carried the tonics Wen Yan brought in his left hand and held her hand in his right hand as he led her through the hospital building, saying, "Next time you're unhappy, just tell me."

Wen Yan turned to look at him again, then suddenly remembered that she had almost bumped into someone, and immediately looked at the road again.

The man's words came from beside her: "This is your right, Mrs. Gu."

……

Ji Chang's heart attack was not serious. She received timely medical treatment and did not even need minimally invasive surgery.

When Wen Yan and Gu Yanci arrived at the ward, Nan Zhiyi was sitting by the bed feeding Ji Chang soup.

Ji Chang's face was a little pale and she looked weak, but she was in good spirits.

One second he was speaking to Nan Zhiyi with a friendly smile, the next second he saw Wen Yan and Gu Yanci, his face turned cold: "What are you doing here?"

“Auntie, it was me, I told Yan,” Nan Zhiyi said apologetically. “She is your daughter-in-law. According to your country’s tradition, when the mother-in-law is sick, shouldn’t the daughter-in-law come to help?”

Ji Chang glanced at her, but it was clear that she only disliked Wen Yan and did not take her anger out on Nan Zhiyi at all.

She scoffed, "Ha, a daughter-in-law? Not only does she not come to take care of me, she comes empty-handed."

Gu Yanci placed the tonic on the bedside table and asked Ji Chang, "Would you like me to help you make an appointment with an ophthalmologist?"

"you……!"

"Wen Yan is my wife. If you need someone to take care of you, and you don't have enough servants, I'll arrange a few more for you."

"Gu Yanci!"

Ji Chang was so angry that her chest heaved repeatedly, and she could hardly breathe.

"Auntie, don't worry! You can't get angry! Mr. Gu didn't mean to upset you, he just felt sorry for Yan!" Nan Zhiyi quickly patted Ji Chang's back to soothe her.

Wen Yan watched this scene with a calm and collected expression, finding it rather amusing.

Anyone who didn't know better would think Nan Zhiyi was Ji Chang's daughter-in-law, and every word Nan Zhiyi said was a subtle attempt to sow discord between her and Ji Chang!

Wen Yan looked at Gu Yanci and found that the latter also looked bored and watched the show, as if everything Nan Zhiyi did was a ridiculous self-directed drama in his eyes.

After Nan Zhiyi's voice fell, no one responded. Wen Yan's expression was a bit nonchalant, while Gu Yanci's face was completely indifferent.

No one cared what Nan Zhiyi was saying.

The VIP ward was spacious, as if it were Nan Zhiyi's stage.

Nan Zhiyi's expression froze for a moment. She wanted to say something, opened her mouth, but then didn't know what to say.

"Wen Yan, since you're my daughter-in-law, why don't you come to the hospital to keep me company during this time?" Ji Chang suddenly said, contrary to her usual behavior.

Wen Yan looked at her in surprise.

Gu Yanci spoke first: "She doesn't know how to take care of people."

"Just let me talk to you. I have servants to take care of me."

“She’s busy, she has to keep me company.” Gu Yanci didn’t know what Ji Chang was planning, but he absolutely refused to accept it.

Ji Chang repeatedly ran into obstacles with Gu Yanci, and her face turned pale with anger.

"Yan, I have something I want to talk to you about alone." Nan Zhiyi gestured for Wen Yan to go out with her.

Wen Yan glanced at Gu Yanci, then left the ward with Nan Zhiyi.

The ward door was closed.

Nan Zhiyi then said, "Actually, I just wanted to call you out so that Aunt Ji and Mr. Gu could have a private conversation. There are always some things between a mother and son that are best left unsaid to outsiders."

Wen Yan didn't mind her calling her an 'outsider' and said, "I do have something to say to you."

Nan Zhiyi was stunned: "Please speak."

She grew up in Spain, and her style and demeanor were very British. Standing in the corridor, she was poised and elegant, and you couldn't tell at all that she had any ulterior motives.

Wen Yan crossed her arms and asked directly, "Nan Zhiyi, what is your purpose in approaching Gu Yanci's mother?"

Nan Zhiyi had anticipated that Wen Yan would ask this question sooner or later, and calmly replied, "It was Mommy who asked me to do this. She was absent from your upbringing for so many years, and she hoped that I could find out some things about you from Aunt Ji Chang. After all... you and Mommy are not willing to be close anymore."

This makes it sound like Wen Yan is in the wrong, and that Nan Zhiyi and Nan Yun are the ones who have compromised.

Wen Yan chuckled softly, "If you really want to find out about me, wouldn't it be better to contact Old Madam Gu? Before she faked her death, Old Madam Gu doted on me, and over the years, everyone knows that Old Madam Gu favors and protects me. Why did you choose Aunt Ji?"

Nan Zhiyi hadn't thought that far ahead and was momentarily speechless: "I..."

“Because you know Aunt Ji doesn’t like me. And you guessed that Old Madam Gu wouldn’t like you either,” Wen Yan asked with a smile. “Right?”

Nan Zhiyi unconsciously clenched her fists. "I... I didn't think that way. I just felt that Aunt Ji was easier to approach..."

Wen Yan seemed not to hear her words and continued, "Why does Old Madam Gu dislike you? Because the old lady has a sharp eye, and over time, she has seen through your little schemes!"