Night Fire Lingering

Chapter 146 Give Me a Chance, Baby

"you……"

Wen Yan stared at him in astonishment, wondering if she had misheard him because she was too heartbroken.

"What...did you say?" she couldn't help but ask to confirm.

“I said, I wanted to take advantage of her vulnerability.” Gu Yanci loosened his grip on her slightly and wiped away Wen Yan’s tears with his thumb. “Did you understand? Wen Yan, do I need to repeat myself?”

Wen Yan shook her head stiffly.

Got it.

No need.

The light was dim, and she couldn't see Gu Yanci's expression clearly; she could only make out the outline of his eyebrows and eyes.

Darkness allows one to conceal comfort and gives rise to unbridled courage.

"Gu Yanci, didn't you hate me since we were little?" she asked seriously, genuinely puzzled.

Gu Yanci was stunned for a moment, utterly bewildered: "Who told you that?"

"I felt it myself."

Gu Yanci was amused and didn't know where Wen Yan got this misconception from.

"Wen Zhizhi, you've always focused on my brother since you were little, how can you still sense me?"

Wen Yan opened her mouth, wanting to refute herself.

She was also watching him—secretly!

Before she could speak, she heard the man say, "Hmm, you know how to slander me."

Wen Yan: "..."

He...he never disliked her...

The conversation had made her forget Nan Yun for a moment, and the room returned to silence. Wen Yan stopped talking again.

Gu Yanci held Wen Yan's hand. Wen Yan tried to pull away, but after crying for a while, she had no strength left and could only let him hold her hand.

Gu Yanci even gently stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips, as if to soothe her or to show affection.

"Wen Yan, I'm not telling you all this for nothing."

"Comfort me?"

"You think too highly of me," Gu Yanci chuckled. "Wen Yan, I don't like comforting people. Even if I do, it doesn't have to be done this way."

Gu Yanci said, "I want you to change your mind, Mrs. Gu."

After truly confirming and meeting Nan Yun, Wen Yan remained in the pain of being abandoned by love.

Her beloved mother abandoned her when she was young, and she endured pain and suffering in remembrance, as if it were a joke.

At this moment, Gu Yanci's words made Wen Yan feel 'needed'.

He needs her as a person, and he needs her love.

This feeling of being needed was like a rope that suddenly appeared, pulling Wen Yan back from the edge of a cliff.

Wen Yan blinked, and using an inappropriate description, asked uncertainly, "You want to pursue me?"

Why would a married couple who haven't divorced need to pursue each other?

However, Gu Yanci did not refute this, as it was not the point and did not need to be corrected.

He suddenly stood up, bringing his entire face close to Wen Yan's, stopping only when they were almost inches apart.

Her voice held a seductive undertone as she asked, "Give me a chance, Mrs. Gu?"

Wen Yan found the scene before her incredibly unbelievable; nothing about it seemed real.

Does Gu Yanci like her that much?

I like him so much that even when he was such a proud person, he still said, "Give me a chance?" when she brought up divorce time and time again.

"What if I still want a divorce in the end?" Wen Yan asked.

Gu Yanci casually replied, "We'll see when the time comes."

The darkness concealed the gloom and ferocity in the man's eyes.

There was a few more seconds of silence.

Wen Yan suddenly stood up.

"Where are we going?" Gu Yanci grabbed her arm and asked nervously.

"..." Wen Yan was speechless. "Go to the toilet."

……

bathroom.

The water from the faucet was flowing freely.

Wen Yan cupped her hands in water to wash her face. Water droplets mingled with tears, obscuring her disheveled appearance and leaving only the complex emotions in her eyes.

She looked at herself in the mirror.

She used to think that Gu Yanci liked Wen Muzhi, but it turned out he didn't.

She thought Gu Yanci's affection for her was just a post-marital habit, but it turns out it wasn't.

She thought her mother loved her the most, but in the end, it wasn't her.

She has always been wrong.

So, will this time be the right one?

Should she... give Gu Yanci a chance, and give herself a chance too?

"Knock knock knock!"

There was a knock on the door.

Gu Yanci's voice rang out from outside, tinged with worry: "Wen Yan!"

She's been inside for a long time.

Wen Yan dried her face with a towel, opened the door expressionlessly, her face saying two words: What?

Seeing that Wen Yan was acting normally, Gu Yanci breathed a sigh of relief.

"Aren't you going to work today?" Wen Yan began to dismiss him.

Gu Yanci nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The boss has the right to take a vacation.

Wen Yan was somewhat speechless for a moment, then said, "You should leave."

Gu Yanci raised an eyebrow: "Didn't you just agree to let me pursue you?"

Wen Yan had never seen Gu Yanci pursue anyone, nor had she ever imagined that Gu Yanci would pursue anyone, let alone that Gu Yanci would pursue her.

The living room lights were turned back on, and there were several documents left behind by Gu Yanci when he stayed overnight some time ago on the coffee table.

"up to you."

Wen Yan wasn't in the mood to argue with him, so she left him with that remark and went back to her bedroom to sleep.

Once you're asleep, you don't have to think about anything.

However, my brain remained in a dazed state, like a nightmare with various scenes flashing through my mind—

On one hand, there was his unprecedented bluntness, and on the other hand, there was the sudden appearance of Nan Yun, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted.

When Wen Yan woke up again, there was a glass of water on the bedside table, and it was still warm when she touched it.

Wen Yan glanced at the time; it was seven in the morning.

She slept straight through until the next morning.

The fact that the water had to be kept warm meant that Gu Yanci came in from time to time to check on her and change the water.

Wen Yan's heart skipped a beat.

After changing his clothes, Gu Yanci came out of the bedroom and sat on the sofa, holding a document in one hand and reading it. He hadn't changed his clothes, so it looked like he hadn't slept all night.

Noticing Wen Yan's movement, she looked over.

"Aren't you going home?" Wen Yan's mood had improved somewhat.

"Does Mrs. Gu need me to pay rent?" Gu Yanci seemed not to understand that Wen Yan meant to kick him out.

Wen Yan knew that Gu Yanci was unyielding and would not listen to reason. He always followed his own ideas, and if she wanted to stay here, he would always find a way to keep her from leaving.

Wen Yan nodded: "Then you can stay here. I'm going to keep Bei Qing company."

Before Gu Yanci could say anything, Wen Yan had already left.

Gu Yanci wanted to be angry, but couldn't quite muster the anger.

At least she left her house for him to live in, and not only did she not force him to leave, she also trusted him to look after the house.

-

Luo Beiqing didn't expect Wen Yan to adjust so quickly, and to come to him the next day in a normal mood.

Since Wen Yan didn't bring up Nan Yun's matter, Luo Beiqing didn't bring it up either.

Luo Beiqing's residence is a small villa, guarded by bodyguards outside, and housed by two housekeepers, making life very convenient.

During this time, Wen Yan received another call from the law school of Imperial University, where the dean once again urged her to stay at the university. Firstly, the dean admired Wen Yan, and secondly, Wen Yan had once again shone brightly in the debate competition. It was better to keep talented people in the family; it was better to keep them at one's own university.

After careful consideration, Wen Yan finally agreed to stay at the university to pursue her doctoral degree, becoming the first graduate student in the doctoral program jointly run by Beijing Capital University and Harvard University.

"Why did you suddenly decide not to study abroad?" Luo Beiqing knew that Wen Yan had put a lot of effort into applying for overseas doctoral programs. Her hand fell on her lower abdomen, and she suddenly thought, "You wouldn't be staying in the capital for me, would you? Yan Yan, I can take care of myself."

“When I was admitted to the mental hospital, it was you and your uncle and aunt who asked someone to take care of me and visit me often. Otherwise, I might have really become mentally ill in there.” Wen Yan wanted to reassure her. “This doctoral program is very prestigious. Staying here is a good choice.”

Before they knew it, it was the eve of Wen Muzhi's engagement banquet.

Wen Yonghai called Wen Yan to remind her to be there.

Wen Yan used to pretend to be obedient in front of Wen Yonghai in order to find out the truth about her mother's death. But now, she has discovered that her mother is not dead at all, but has abandoned her. Although Wen Yonghai has not been good to her, at least he has not abandoned her.

Wen Yan's feelings were complicated at that moment.

Putting aside the debt of gratitude for being raised, just for the sake of the kindness shown to her over the years, Wen Yan plans to give Wen Yonghai face tomorrow.

"Miss Luo, the He family has sent an invitation." A maid returned from grocery shopping and was handed an invitation at the door.

It was He Zihan and Wen Muzhi's engagement banquet invitation.

"Ha, what kind of things are these!" Wen Yan said coldly.

Luo Beiqing and He Tingchuan are not officially divorced yet, so she is still considered the young mistress of the He family and He Zihan's sister-in-law. I've never seen a sister-in-law need an invitation to attend her brother's engagement party.

"This must have been sent by He Tingchuan to remind me to attend." Luo Beiqing tore up the invitation. "Don't be angry, I wasn't planning on going anyway."

She didn't want to see He Tingchuan again.

-

Although He Zihan is an illegitimate child, he is very favored in the He family and has a certain say in the company. Therefore, the scale of his engagement banquet is no less than that of He Tingchuan.

Wen Yonghai and Wan Ying were dressed very formally and stood in the flower hall talking with the guests.

Wen Yan looked around but didn't see Wen Muzhi.

"Xiao Yan is here!" Wen Yonghai spotted Wen Yan at a glance, smiled, and walked over. Seeing that Wen Yan was alone, he asked, "Where's Yan Ci?"

"He's busy."

Wen Yan didn't tell Gu Yanci about this at all.

Wen Yonghai wanted his son-in-law Gu Yanci to be present so he could save face, and upon hearing this, his smile froze.

Just as she was about to lash out, a male voice rang out: "Yan Yan."

Wen Yan looked at Gu Yanci who had suddenly appeared: "?"

"My dear son-in-law!" Wen Yonghai immediately beamed, then his expression changed as he glared at Wen Yan reproachfully. "Didn't you say Yan Ci was busy? You really are something else!"

Wen Yan looked up at the sky and down at the ground, pretending not to hear what was said.

Just as Wen Yonghai was about to say a few words to Gu Yanci about business matters, Gu Yanci noticed that Wen Yan was distracted and subtly declined, then left with Wen Yan.

Wan Ying said sarcastically, "You like Gu Yanci so much, but I haven't seen him give you much benefit. In the end, he's probably not as good as our Mu Zhi's Zi Han!"

"He Zihan is just an illegitimate child. The majority of the He family's wealth is with He Tingchuan. How can he compare to Gu Yanci?" Wen Yonghai muttered, "Women are all talk and no action!"

Are illegitimate children inferior to others?

Wan Ying was indignant, but dared not argue with her husband.

……

"Why are you here?" Wen Yan asked the man beside her.

"I happen to have some free time." Gu Yanci had arrived long ago, but he was in the car and too lazy to get out, not wanting to deal with these people.

He didn't appear until Wen Yan arrived.

"Miss Wen!" He Tingchuan appeared out of nowhere. "Where's Bei Qing?"

He Tingchuan was dressed very formally today. The striped suit made him toned down his unruly aura, making him look like a ruthless businessman with a tough hand.

Wen Yan spotted Qiao Weiwei, who was a few steps behind him. Qiao Weiwei's face was rounder, and her belly was showing, indicating that she was pregnant.

"Brother Chuan, you're walking too fast, wait for me!" Qiao Weiwei said coquettishly.

Wen Yan rolled her eyes and mocked He Tingchuan: "Bei Qing is naturally resting at home, otherwise why would she come here? It's such an eyesore. There are too many mistresses here, which is not good for prenatal education!"

The mistress and her children are both numerous!

"Wen Yan!" Qiao Weiwei shouted angrily, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding guests.

Qiao Weiwei played along, softening her voice and saying, "I'm only thinking of Bei Qing. Today is a joyous occasion for the He family, and it's really impolite for Bei Qing to be absent at such an important time."

Wen Yan found it baffling: "Even you can show up here, so what's the point of talking about manners?"

"You—!" Qiao Weiwei pointed at Wen Yan angrily.

However, just as he extended his finger, Gu Yanci turned to the side, shielding Wen Yan behind him, and looked at Qiao Weiwei with an indifferent expression.

Qiao Weiwei withdrew her hand in fear; she dared not point at Gu Yanci.

The guests looked at each other and whispered among themselves.

"Didn't the Gu family couple say they were getting a divorce?"

"Judging from the way Gu Yanci defended Wen Yan, could it be a divorce?"

"After all that drama, you're not getting a divorce? He Tingchuan and Luo Beiqing are getting a divorce, but this couple isn't?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. I heard that Young Master Gu will be unhappy if he hears this. Be careful he doesn't hold a grudge!"

……

"The protagonist is here!"

Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted.

Wen Yan looked over.

Wen Muzhi walked over wearing a custom-made pink cheongsam with a subtle jacquard pattern. Standing beside her was a tall, slender man with handsome features, bearing a five-point resemblance to He Tingchuan. However, standing next to someone as unrestrained and flamboyant as He Tingchuan, he appeared somewhat ordinary. In terms of refinement and temperament, he was far inferior to Gu Yanci.

When Wen Muzhi caught sight of Wen Yan and Gu Yanci in the crowd, he unconsciously clenched his teeth, trying to hide the resentment in his eyes.

The man she had liked for many years stood next to Wen Yan, while she stood next to an illegitimate child. Why was that?!

Wen Yan couldn't help but glance at Gu Yanci.

The man immediately looked at her, wrapped his long arm around her waist, and pulled her into his embrace.

"Hey!" Wen Yan, wearing high heels, almost stumbled and fell into his arms.

Then she heard Gu Yanci whisper in her ear with a hint of gritted teeth, "How many times do I have to say it, I don't like her."

The rumors about Gu Yanci and Wen Muzhi were already rampant, and now that Wen Muzhi is engaged and Gu Yanci is personally attending, many people are secretly watching the drama unfold.

Gu Yanci's action immediately attracted everyone's attention.

Wen Yan's ears turned slightly red. She quietly nudged Gu Yanci and whispered, "Let go!"

The man remained calm and composed, his movements slightly relaxed, but his hand remained on Wen Yan's waist in an intimate and possessive posture.

He glanced around casually, and everyone's eyes immediately looked away.

There was no smile in his eyes, but he asked with a laugh, "What are you looking at?"