Night Fire Lingering

Gu Yanci looked at Wen Yan, whose eyes were wide open, and said, "She's still resting," without knowing what Wen Muzhi said on the other end of the phone.

Wen Yan: "?"

Gu Yanci then hummed in agreement and hung up the phone.

Wen Yan carefully observed his expression but found no guilty conscience on his face.

"Aren't you afraid I'll turn around and tell Wen Muzhi that you were lying to her?" Wen Yan was genuinely curious.

She smiled, a hint of amusement in her expression, as if threatening Gu Yanci.

"How do you plan to tell her?" Gu Yanci asked nonchalantly.

Wen Yan thought for a moment: "I'll open the door right away and tell her, 'Oh! I wasn't sleeping at all, I wasn't resting at all, Gu Yanci lied to you!' Guess how Wen Muzhi will react?"

In the end, Wen Yan revealed a hint of wicked humor.

A smile flashed in Gu Yanci's eyes, as if he were educating a child: "Wen Zhizhi, these little tricks won't work on her much. She's more composed than you."

Wen Yan's smile faded, and she became uninterested.

Gu Yanci is right. When she told Wen Muzhi that Gu Yanci might have another woman, Wen Muzhi didn't flip the table and calmly negotiated with her.

"Your brother-in-law seems to know my stepsister quite well," Wen Yan said sarcastically.

Before he could react, Wen Yan struggled to sit up.

Gu Yanci's attention seemed to be entirely on her, and he immediately helped her up.

"Go to the toilet? I'll take you."

As he spoke, the man's arms slipped behind her knees, and he was about to carry her to the bathroom.

"No! I'm not going!" She didn't need his help to go to the toilet!

Wen Yan straightened up and said, "Let them in."

The group of people waiting outside were getting impatient, their faces extremely grim. But when the ward door suddenly opened, they immediately put on smiles, their expressions changing faster than turning the pages of a book.

Apart from Wen Muzhi.

Wen Muzhi only learned a few minutes ago that Gu Yanci said Wen Yan was still resting!

So, Wen Yan wasn't resting at all; he was lying to her!

Wen Muzhi's sense of crisis grew stronger, and he frequently looked at Gu Yanci, only to find that Gu Yanci's attention was always on Wen Yan.

As expected, Wen Muzhi acted like a caring older sister to Wen Yan throughout, as if that phone call had never happened. The others also put on a facade of kindness, showing concern for her health.

Aunt Gu was probably wary of Wen Yan, so Gu Jingxi didn't come along. She spoke recklessly in front of Wen Yan, but was as obedient as a quail in front of Gu Yanci.

"Jingxi originally wanted to visit his third sister-in-law, but he got into a fight with some unlucky guy at the banquet and got injured. That's why he's staying at the old house with the old lady and taking the opportunity to recover. Please bear with him."

Unlucky kid?

Wen Yan looked at Gu Yanci.

“His injuries shouldn’t be serious,” Gu Yanci said calmly to Aunt Gu. “I know how to use my strength.”

"You?" Aunt Gu's expression was indescribable. She wanted to stand up for her son, but she didn't dare to offend Gu Yanci.

Uncle Gu was the first to react. He pulled his wife aside and gestured for her to shut up. He smiled and said to Gu Yanci, "I know my son's character. He must have made some mistake. It's your duty as his older brother to educate him."

Gu Yanci didn't bother to reply.

"Yan Yan, you still need to take better care of yourself. What happened to you today scared Old Madam Gu. Today is her birthday, and she should be happy..." Wen Muzhi seemed to care about Wen Yan, but if you listened carefully, there was something more to his words, and he couldn't find fault with her.

Wen Yan looked at her calmly: "Gu Yanci didn't blame me, and neither did Old Madam Gu. You are quite sensible, blaming me for having an accident at the wrong time."

"I... I didn't mean that!" Wen Muzhi looked at Wen Yan with hurt in his eyes.

Wen Yan sneered. These people's acting was quite boring; they were just here to disturb her rest!

"I had an acute allergic reaction. The lemon water I drank before the incident had raw peanuts in it." Wen Yan looked at Aunt Gu and asked, "Why were there raw peanuts in the lemon water?"

The afternoon tea at Madam Gu's birthday banquet was prepared by Third Aunt Gu.

Wen Yan is not allergic to cooked peanuts, only to raw peanuts, and raw peanuts are rarely used in beverages.

"Wen Yan, you don't suspect me, do you?" Aunt Gu suddenly became agitated. She caught sight of Gu Jinzhi out of the corner of her eye and pointed at her. "That drink was given to you by Jinzhi!"

The second wife's family immediately shielded their daughter behind them, saying, "Jinzhi just grabbed a glass of lemonade; don't try to make baseless accusations here!"

The two argued back and forth, each afraid that Gu Yanci would pin the blame on them.

"Wen Yan, believe me, your mother and I have been friends for many years, how could I possibly take your life?!" Aunt Gu tried to grab Wen Yan's hand.

He used to say that she was not good enough for his son, but now he is friends with her mother for many years. It's disgusting!

Wen Yan instinctively shrank back, but Gu Yanci blocked her aunt first, his eyes sharp.

Aunt Gu shrank back dejectedly, not daring to touch Wen Yan.

Why is Gu Yanci so wary of her, a woman?

Wait, when did Gu Yanci become so concerned about Wen Yan?!

Seeing that Uncle Gu was about to explain, Gu Yanci said, "The steward checked the kitchen and indeed found no raw peanuts."

Not many people knew that Wen Yan was allergic to raw peanuts, including other members of the Gu family, but Gu Yanci had specifically instructed that such things were not allowed in the kitchen.

"Then...then I'm the only suspect left?" Gu Jinzhi pointed to her nose, looking left and right helplessly.

“I believe it wasn’t you,” Wen Yan said.

“Wen Yan…” Gu Jinzhi’s eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Gu Jinzhi was very moved and ran over to hug Wen Yan, but was stopped by Gu Yanci's watchful look, like a guardian deity.

"Wen Yan, to be honest, even my mom secretly asked me if I drugged you. Only you believe me!"

Gu Jinzhi cried so pitifully, with snot and tears streaming down her face, that Wen Yan wanted to laugh but held it back.

Seeing Gu Jinzhi, the only suspect from before, Wen Yan thought of herself five years ago. Back then, everyone suspected that she was the one who caused Wen Muzhi's serious hand injury. There was no other suspect besides her.

At that moment, she desperately wished someone would stand up and tell the others: I believe Wen Yan, it wasn't Wen Yan who did it!

Unfortunately, no.

"Yan Yan, you...you believe my daughter?" Aunt Gu was overjoyed.

Her daughter not only has no relationship with Wen Yan, but the two even had an argument yesterday!

Wen Yan spoke frankly: "If I had been given a laxative today, I would probably suspect you. But an acute allergy... that doesn't seem like something you would do."

Gu Jinzhi: "...?"

Why did she feel that Wen Yan was implying that she was stupid?

"Sister, what do you think about this?" Wen Yan suddenly looked at Wen Muzhi, who had been silent all along.