Night Fire Lingering

Chapter 152 Loyalty Like a Dog

Wen Yan went back to bed and immediately covered her head to sleep.

In her dazed state, she felt as if someone was touching her forehead.

She lost consciousness for a while, then someone woke her up and put something to her mouth.

Wen Yan opened her eyes with difficulty and saw the maid's anxious face.

"Madam, you have a fever. Please take your fever reducer first!" The maid helped Wen Yan sit up.

Wen Yan touched her forehead. Her palms were also hot, so she couldn't really feel it, but she did feel weak all over and dizzy. Something was wrong.

At first, she thought Gu Yanci had overdone it, but she didn't expect it to be a fever.

"Thank you."

After taking her medicine, Wen Yan lay down again and noticed that the maid was still standing beside her, looking as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Is there anything else you want to say?"

She closed her eyes wearily, still feeling that Gu Yanci had come in before. She initially thought that Gu Yanci would be the one to give her the medicine, but it turned out not to be.

"Uh, no, no." The maid shook her head.

A moment later, he left the master bedroom.

The corridor outside was filled with the smell of tobacco, and the cigar between the man's fingers had burned out.

The maid quietly closed the door to the master bedroom, walked up to Gu Yanci, and whispered, "Madam has taken her medicine."

Gu Yanci saw the cigar butt being thrown into the ashtray: "Go in and check on it in an hour."

"Huh? Okay."

The maid was puzzled. The husband was the one who first discovered that his wife was sick, and he was also the one who first went into the room to touch her forehead and take her temperature. Why was he unwilling to go personally to give her the medicine, and instead waited outside the room? Now, she even gave special instructions for the follow-up, but did not go in person.

Don't understand, don't understand.

An hour later, the maid brought good news: Wen Yan's fever had subsided.

Gu Yanci sat on the sofa in the living room and nodded.

He recalled the scene when he went into the master bedroom an hour ago and touched Wen Yan's forehead with his palm, and she subconsciously pulled away.

His heart felt like it was being pricked by needles, a dense, persistent pain.

Lou Qi never expected to receive a call from Gu Yanci, asking him to come out for drinks.

"You go out drinking, and your wife doesn't care about you?"

Lou Qi sat down in a booth, the booming drumbeats filling his ears, while in the distance, amidst the bright lights and revelry, a chaotic scene unfolded.

Gu Yanci didn't say anything, but poured himself a cup.

Lou Qi's teasing smile faltered: "You two had a fight? Didn't you just make up? Why are you fighting again?"

Gu Yanci didn't say anything, but pushed two glasses of vodka in front of him, indicating that he should drink more and talk less.

Lou Qi drank while trying to comfort his brother: "Women, they all like to be temperamental, and there are plenty of times when they're not polite. We men just pretend we don't hear them! If they're really being unreasonable, then we just ignore them!"

Lou Qi, a heartless person, doesn't really understand Gu Yanci. With so many women in the world, why be so infatuated with Wen Yan?

I've known him since I was a child, watched him grow up. Haven't I gotten tired of that face and that personality long ago?

There are plenty of women out there. If one is disobedient or unsatisfactory, it's so easy to find another one!

"Not her."

"Wen Yan is indeed more difficult to deal with than the average woman, and—what?"

What do you mean it's not her?

Lou Qi looked at Gu Yanci in confusion. Had he just imagined it?

“It’s not her fault.” Gu Yanci lowered his eyes, concealing the intense mix of emotions. “I did something excessive.”

However, Lou Qi was right about one thing—ignore it.

However, Wen Yan ignored him.

"...What did you do?" Lou Qi leaned closer, his face full of doubt. "You hit her? -- No way, she went to study in England, and you even managed to arrange everything for her by pretending to be her roommate. You would have the heart to hit her?"

Gu Yanci gave Lou Qi a cold look.

Lou Qi shrugged, looking completely innocent: "I'm just telling the truth."

Gu Yanci was unwilling to admit that he had forced himself on Wen Yan and had sex with her.

Firstly, from the man's perspective, he and Wen Yan were still husband and wife, so this was not a big deal, especially since this man was Lou Qi.

Secondly, this was a private matter between him and Wen Yan, and his possessiveness made him unwilling to tell anyone.

"What upset you?" Lou asked, settling for second best, his words of comfort for his brother tinged with gossip.

“There’s a man pursuing her,” Gu Yanci said, without finishing his sentence.

"You think you're worse than that man?" Lou Qi scoffed. "Bro, let's be more confident, okay?"

Gu Yanci suddenly looked up at Lou Qi: "What if that man looks a lot like Gu Jingzhou?"

Lou Qi's expression froze.

……

Wen Yan slept too much during the day and couldn't sleep at night, so she continued reading the documents she hadn't finished last time.

My phone suddenly rang, and the caller ID showed: Lou Qi.

"Sister-in-law, Brother Ci is drunk, can you come and pick him up?" Lou Qi's voice was a bit noisy, but you could barely hear what he was saying.

Wen Yan frowned subconsciously, then relaxed her brows in an instant: "No."

Her calm and unwavering refusal left Lou Qi speechless for a second.

He glanced at Gu Yanci, who was pretending to sleep with her eyes closed because she had drunk too much, and continued, "Sister-in-law, I really didn't lie to you this time!"

"I need to rest, don't call me." Wen Yan hung up the phone directly.

As for Gu Yanci, let him do whatever he wants; Lou Qi can find someone else to take care of him.

As soon as he hung up the phone, Gu Yanci opened his eyes.

His eyes were clear and showed no signs of intoxication, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that his gaze was exceptionally bright, as if it had been washed clean, unlike his usual self.

"Should I find someone to take care of you?" Lou Qi asked Gu Yanci. "You like someone like Wen Yan, so should I find you someone similar?"

Lou Qi glanced around and saw many figures, elegantly dressed and beautiful. There happened to be a woman whose lower half of her face looked like Wen Yan's, and she was looking in his direction!

Lou Qi was overjoyed and immediately said to Gu Yanci, "Brother Ci, look at that woman, isn't she similar to Wen Yan? Should I call her over?"

"Get out." Gu Yanci coldly rebuked, "Have Zhou Qi come and pick me up."

Lou Qi: "..."

The prodigal son didn't understand, but he did it anyway.

Assistant Zhou must have had some terrible luck to have to pick up his drunk boss after get off work!

Zhou Qi arrived quickly and skillfully helped Gu Yanci into the car.

"Let's go to the hotel," Gu Yanci said.

Zhou Qi said okay, and called the hotel where Gu Yanci usually stayed, asking them to change Gu Yanci's usual bedding.

"Young Master Lou, are President Gu and his wife...?" Zhou Qi asked in a low voice, making a cross with his hands, subtly inquiring whether they had quarreled.

Lou Qi, with a "what else?" look on his face, sincerely advised Zhou Qi: "A wise man does not fall in love!"

Zhou Qi: "..."

He simply doesn't have time to find a partner with his current job!

From the moment Nan Zhiyi saw Zhou Qi arrive, she knew she wouldn't have a chance to get close to Gu Yanci today.

Assistant Zhou prioritized Gu Yanci's first instinct, just like Wen Muzhi said: "He was as loyal as a dog."

Gu Yanci's first thought right now is Wen Yan.

-

The real estate agent introduced seven properties to Wen Yan.

Wen Yan went out to look at apartments early in the morning and booked a three-bedroom apartment in a high-end community that afternoon. The apartment wasn't large, but it was more than enough for her to live in by herself, and it wouldn't be crowded if Luo Beiqing came to stay.

With a house that was completely her own, Wen Yan's mood improved somewhat.

Just then, several messages popped up on WeChat:

[Senior, check the school intranet right now, something's happened!]

[Senior, those things aren't true, are they?]

Completely bewildered, Wen Yan logged onto the school's intranet, only to find it flooded with discussions:

If Wen Yan really does have a mental illness, then she should probably drop out of school; it's too unsafe!

[Cutting off his own sister's hand—how horrifying!]

I heard she didn't even meet the discharge criteria when she was discharged... Could she relapse at any time? I'm scared!

[Holy crap, I wouldn't dare go to the same school as someone like this. Mentally ill people can kill people without getting away with it!]

If the university allows Wen Yan to continue her doctoral studies, I will drop out!

Yes, drop out of school! My life is at stake!

……

As Wen Yan looked at these words, she felt a chill run through her body, as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Soon, a professor from the college called: "Wen Yan, the direct PhD application process will probably have to be put on hold..."

"Because of what's on the forum?" Wen Yan immediately said, "That's not true."

The teacher sighed helplessly: "I also believe it's not true, but the students are reacting very strongly now. Several nearby schools have also heard about it and are spreading the word... The impact is too widespread. We must investigate first and give everyone an explanation."

"How long will the investigation take?"

Wen Yan's composure surprised the teacher, who immediately felt sorry for her: "We'll do it as soon as possible! Wen Yan, it's an honor for the department that you've chosen to return to school to pursue your doctorate. All the teachers in the department believe in you and support you!"

"Thank you, teacher."

Wen Yan's expression was very unpleasant.

The doctoral program openings will be announced next month, and the investigation period is extremely tight. Revealing what happened back then at this critical juncture is clearly intended to make her miss out on the doctoral offer!

Not many people know what happened back then, but this time, the fact that she injured Wen Muzhi and was admitted to a mental hospital has been exposed all at once. It is highly likely that it was done by the Wen family!

Wen Yan was on her way to the Wen family home when she received a call from Luo Beiqing.

"Yan Yan, where are you?" Luo Beiqing asked immediately, his voice filled with urgency and tension.

"You found out too?" Wen Yan keenly sensed that something was wrong.

Neither of them said anything, but they both knew what the other was referring to.

Luo Bei heard the sound of a car horn coming from Wen Yan's direction.

She knew how much of a negative impact what happened back then had on Wen Yan.

"Where are you? I'm coming to find you now." As the call continued, Luo Beiqing had already put on her shoes and left the house.

Wen Yan gave an address and said worriedly, "Don't rush, be careful with your stomach."

Luo Beiqing was both amused and exasperated; even at a time like this, he still remembered to remind her of her stomach.

She was clearly more worried about her condition!

Luo Beiqing had only taken a few steps outside when he stopped—a familiar McLaren sports car was parked outside the villa.

When He Tingchuan saw Luo Beiqing come out, he strode over, but was stopped by the bodyguards.

"I don't have time to argue with you right now," Luo Beiqing warned He Tingchuan with an unfriendly expression.

He Tingchuan asked calmly, "Are you in such a hurry to find Wen Yan?"

Luo Beiqing looked at him with surprise.

Even He Tingchuan knows about Wen Yan's affairs?

He Tingchuan saw through her thoughts and said, "Now, almost everyone in the capital knows about it."

Luo Beiqing's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

“Bei Qing, you’re carrying my child. I don’t trust you to protect him,” He Tingchuan said. “Unless I send you to find Wen Yan.”

"He Tingchuan, are you sick?" Luo Beiqing asked impatiently.

Can't you even listen to the bullshit you're spouting?!

He Tingchuan didn't care what nonsense he was spouting. He went back and opened the passenger door: "Bei Qing, listen to me. That's the fastest way you can see Wen Yan. You don't want to waste time with me, do you? After all, I'm not as important as Wen Yan."

The last sentence struck a chord with Luo Beiqing.

Luo Beiqing stepped out from under the layers of bodyguards' protection.

This was the first time she had taken the initiative to approach He Tingchuan after receiving the divorce agreement.

As He Tingchuan saw her getting closer and closer to him, his mood improved somewhat.

His gaze shifted downwards, landing on Luo Beiqing's lower abdomen.

She was wearing a loose coat, which concealed her pregnant belly.

Luo Beiqing walked to the car, then suddenly paused and turned to the back seat.

"What?" He Tingchuan asked, puzzled.

"I think the place where Qiao Weiwei sat is dirty." The passenger seat belt has been replaced with a style suitable for pregnant women, which is obviously prepared for pregnant women.

"When did she ever sit in it?" He Tingchuan glanced at the seatbelt, realized what was going on, and said irritably, "I prepared it for you!"

Luo Beiqing remained unmoved and continued to open the back door.

The door was pressed down by He Tingchuan's palm!

The man's handsome face turned towards the passenger seat: "Want to get in or not? I'm not afraid of wasting time."

It's like saying: take it or leave it.

Luo Beiqing clenched her fist, wanting to smash the phone in his face!

One minute later, the McLaren sped onto the road.

Luo Beiqing turned her head to look out the window, not even wanting to glance at the man in the driver's seat.

"You really don't want to talk to me?" He Tingchuan clicked his tongue lightly, his emotions unclear.

Luo Beiqing didn't react; he didn't even turn his head.

“Bei Qing, if you want to protect Wen Yan, Mrs. He’s status is much more effective than Miss Luo’s.”