Night Fire Lingering

Chapter 149 Darling, Don't Look for the Reason Within Yourself

"Zhizhi, what... what do you mean by this?" Nan Yun's face turned pale.

"This was your dowry back then, which you liked very much. It should be returned to you."

Wen Yan pushed the jewelry box forward again.

This is an action to urge the other party to take over.

Wen Yan's words made sense, but Nan Yun vaguely felt that once she took the things, many things would change, many things would become irreversible, and many feelings would become irretrievable.

Nan Yun smiled with difficulty, "Zhizhi, this is what Mommy left for you, so just keep it. It was originally meant to be your dowry."

Speaking of dowry, Nan Yun couldn't help but glance at Gu Yanci, the son-in-law she had never considered from beginning to end.

Gu Yanci stood silently beside Wen Yan, raising an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"Leave it for my dowry?" Wen Yan suddenly looked up at her and asked, "What about Nan Zhiyi?"

Nan Yun was surprised that Wen Yan would bring it up, and a relieved smile appeared on her face. "You don't need to worry about this. Zhiyi's father will prepare these things, and I've also prepared other things for her over the years..."

As Nan Yun spoke, she noticed a gaze falling on her growing colder and colder; it was Gu Yanci.

Only then did she belatedly realize that what she had just said might have hurt Wen Yan—

Over the years, she has not only prepared a dowry for Nan Zhiyi, but also provided her with companionship.

Conversely, she abandoned Wen Yan.

"Are you thirsty?" Gu Yanci brought a glass of warm water to Wen Yan's lips without her noticing.

The water glass was too close, and Wen Yan's mind was on edge, unable to refuse. She subconsciously took a sip.

The water left a sweet aftertaste in her bitter mouth, which also relaxed her nerves.

Wen Yan glanced at Gu Yanci gratefully.

"We'll talk later, Mommy will cook for you first!" Nan Yun felt out of place here and tried to find something to do.

"No need," Wen Yan stopped her.

Nan Yun looked at her with hurt in her eyes.

Even in middle age, her eyes still revealed the delicate and pitiful look of a young girl, which could easily soften people's hearts.

Wen Yan felt a soreness in her eyes, as if they had been stung by something, and she could barely open them.

For kind people, being a villain is a torturous experience.

Let him be the villain!

“Mrs. Tang,” Gu Yanci suddenly spoke, looking at the fruits and vegetables Nan Yun was carrying, “she only eats carrots, and only likes mangoes and lychees among tropical fruits. She doesn’t eat scallions, cilantro, or onions. She only eats chicken wings and drumsticks, and she doesn’t like fish…”

Gu Yanci is usually a man of few words, but at this moment he rattled off a long string of words, each one of which was in opposition to Nan Yun.

Most of the ingredients Nan Yun bought were things that Wen Yan wouldn't eat.

Wen Yan looked at Gu Yanci with some surprise.

How could he know her preferences so well?

Nan Yun's face turned even more pale, and she looked at Wen Yan almost pleadingly.

Having been away for nearly ten years, she had forgotten her daughter's tastes and preferences. Her daughter seemed picky about food, yet Gu Yanci remembered every single one of those picky eating habits perfectly…

In an instant, the inadequacy made her feel incredibly embarrassed.

"There are some things I've always been curious about." Wen Yan held a cup of warm water, the rising steam blurring her features.

"Zhizhi, what do you want to ask Mommy?" Nan Yun felt as if she had been granted a pardon.

I was thinking to myself, if only I had known my daughter's tastes sooner, I wouldn't have bought the wrong thing...

"Back then, I received news that you had committed suicide, but now, you are standing alive and well in front of me. I want to know the details and the truth of the matter."

Wen Yan spoke each word very slowly, as if she were simply a lawyer questioning her client about the case.

Nan Yun's eyes showed struggle as she looked at Wen Yan, hesitating to speak several times, unable to utter a word.

"Is it that hard to say?" Wen Yan looked at Nan Yun with unusual calm. "How about I ask and you answer?"

Before Nan Yun could agree or refuse, Wen Yan continued, "How have you been doing all these years?"

Nan Yun's tears welled up instantly, and she nodded with emotion, "I...I'm fine."

"How were you feeling when you left?"

"I'm doing well, Zhizhi, you don't need to worry about me..."

Gu Yanci's expression was exceptionally cold.

Because he knew that Wen Yan's question wasn't out of concern.

Instead, they wanted to determine whether Nan Yun's neglect over the years was due to poor health or amnesia, and whether their indifference towards her was out of necessity.

The answer is no!

Wen Yan tugged at the corner of her mouth and asked again, "Your current husband is Daniel, right? When did you two meet?"

"Zhizhi, Mommy doesn't want to lie to you. I've known him since I was fifteen, much earlier than I knew your daddy."

When Nam Ji-yi mentioned Daniel, her eyes revealed an undisguised tenderness and love.

She loves her current husband, Daniel.

It's highly likely that she and Daniel were still entangled long before she left.

Wen Yan's heart went from pain to numbness, and she continued to ask, "Is Nan Zhiyi your biological daughter?"

"Zhizhi, she—"

"It seems so."

Wen Yan could tell the result just by observing Nan Yun's expression. Moreover, Nan Zhiyi's appearance overlapped with both hers and Nan Yun's.

"Nan Zhiyi and I are the same age, so it's impossible that we were both born to you."

"Zhizhi, don't misunderstand, I'm definitely your mommy's!" Nan Yun finally sensed that Wen Yan's attitude was off and hurriedly explained, "I donated eggs before marriage. I am Nan Zhiyi's biological mother. Daniel just happened to use that egg for IVF, and that's Nan Zhiyi."

Therefore, biologically speaking, Nan Zhiyi is indeed her half-sister.

Wen Yan found it utterly ridiculous.

exactly?

The world is so big, how could Daniel possibly use Nan Yun's egg during his IVF treatment?

It was merely Nan Yun covering up Daniel's actions, and in the time that followed, she and Daniel would enjoy the fruits of his decision together!

Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken such good care of Nan Zhiyi for so many years, only to abandon her!

"Thank you, I've finished asking." Wen Yan looked at Nan Yun coldly. "I don't like any of these dishes, and I don't need any supplements. You can take them with you."

"Zhizhi!" Nan Yun's tears kept rolling down her cheeks. "Zhizhi, are you blaming Mommy? Mommy didn't mean to avoid you before, nor did I mean to say bad things about you. Mommy didn't know it was you. Mommy... Mommy is so sorry!"

Nan Yun was sobbing uncontrollably; she looked extremely distressed.

Wen Yan looked at her sadly, not believing that Nan Yun was acting.

But now, she doesn't even know why she's sad!

"Take this jade with you; after all, it's your favorite piece of jewelry."

Wen Yan stopped looking at her, her refusal was very firm.

Take whatever you like, without leaving any trace.

Nan Yun took the jewelry box with trembling hands, feeling its unusual weight.

Nan Yun was shy and had never been rejected so many times in all her years of pampered life. She could only say while shedding tears, "Zhi Zhi, then Mommy will come to see you again next time."

She glanced at the tall Gu Yanci standing next to her and couldn't help but ask, "Zhizhi, are you happy? I heard... he treats you badly."

Gu Yanci, the person in question, looked at Wen Yan with a slightly darkened gaze.

He knew he didn't have a good image with Wen Yan, otherwise she wouldn't have insisted on a divorce.

If her dissatisfaction with him escalates further to his biological mother, will it become even more difficult for him to salvage the relationship?

Wen Yan also looked at Gu Yanci, but only for a brief moment before looking away.

"He's very good to me."

The woman's voice sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Gu Yanci's surprised gaze was mixed with delight, but he quickly realized that Wen Yan's words were just an excuse to appease Nan Yun.

Nan Yunzhang opened his mouth, but had nothing to say.

“Madam Tang, let me see you out.” Gu Yanci opened the door for Nan Yun.

Now she has no choice but to leave, as Nan Yun wouldn't do anything undignified.

Gu Yanci escorted Nan Yun downstairs.

A driver was waiting respectfully downstairs.

Nan Yun suddenly stopped and said to Gu Yanci, "To be honest, if I were here, I wouldn't agree to Zhizhi marrying you."

Gu Yanci chuckled: "But the truth is, you've never come back all these years."

Nan Yun's face turned ugly as she argued, "I did come back! In the second year after I left, I secretly returned, but I saw Zhizhi having a great time with Wen Yonghai's illegitimate daughter. She didn't seem to miss me at all, nor did she care that the girl was evidence of her father's infidelity!"

Nan Yun clutched her chest and cried, saying, "I was very sad at the time. I felt that I probably shouldn't bother her anymore. Meanwhile, a girl of the same age was longing for maternal love and was completely dependent on me."

"Later, when Zhiyi was fifteen or sixteen, she was in poor health and had a very full schedule with many activities and competitions every month. I missed out on her childhood, and I... I want to make it up to her."

"Fifteen or sixteen years old?" Gu Yanci was very sensitive to this age.

At fifteen or sixteen, when Wen Muzhi's hand injury was making headlines and Wen Yan admitted to hurting Wen Muzhi, Wen Yan was secretly sent to a mental hospital by the Wen family under the guise of being her guardian.

That was when Wen Yan was most isolated and helpless!

"All this talk is just an excuse to justify your years of indifference," Gu Yanci said, mercilessly exposing her little scheme.

"No, no..."

Nan Yun kept shaking her head; anyone who didn't know better would think that Gu Yanci had bullied her.

Gu Yanci had one question: "When you left under the pretense of suicide, how did Wen Yonghai agree to cooperate?"

“My husband promised to sell a company’s shares to Gu Yonghai at 70% below market price.”

Gu Yanci almost didn't realize which husband "my husband" was referring to.

He took out his cigarette case, flicked out a cigarette, and held it between his fingers without lighting it.

"Madam Tang, since you chose love and Nan Zhiyi back then, I hope you will not disturb Wen Yan."

……

Gu Yanci originally thought that when he got home he would see Wen Yan curled up, hugging him and secretly wiping away tears, but he didn't expect to see her calmly packing her luggage.

"Run away from home?" Gu Yanci asked, seemingly in a lighthearted joke.

Wen Yan didn't want to talk to him, but remembering that he had stood up for her earlier, she paused for two seconds and replied, "This is her house. Since we're returning it, let's return it together."

This is truly heartbreaking.

Gu Yanci squatted down beside her and stroked her hair: "Zhizhi, you don't want any of my assets when you divorce me. You're angry with Madam Tang, but you still want to return her belongings and the house. Is this your way of fighting back?"

Wen Yan knew this behavior was interesting, aloof, and somewhat foolish. She didn't want their things and wouldn't cause them any loss.

But she found it disgusting.

"Where do you plan to move to?" Gu Yanci asked patiently.

"I can buy a house myself."

Nan Yun left behind some cash, which Wen Yan invested herself. Another part was financial management done for her by Luo Beiqing's parents when they were alive. Over the years, she has accumulated some assets, more than enough to buy a house.

“Looking for and buying a house takes time. Where do you plan to go during this time? To Luo Beiqing’s place?” Gu Yanci analyzed the pros and cons with her. “If you go to stay with her, he will easily discover the conflict between you and Madam Tang, which will make you worry.”

How can we let pregnant women worry?

Wen Yan also felt that it was not advisable.

She vaguely felt that everything Gu Yanci said was a prelude.

Sure enough, he revealed his true purpose: "Zhizhi, come back to live with me, okay? If you stay in other places, there's no guarantee that no one will come looking for you."

Gu Yanci paused, then added more weight to the argument: "You are still Mrs. Gu, and it is your right to live there."

Wen Yan's resolute refusal gradually turned into hesitation.

She knew that Gu Yanci was setting a trap for her.

However, perhaps it was because every reason he gave resonated with her, perhaps it was because his way of speaking was gentler than ever before, and perhaps it was because his actions over the past few days had subtly begun to waver in her resolve...

Wen Yan nodded involuntarily.

Gu Yanci was secretly delighted, though he didn't show it on his face. However, his body language betrayed him as he began to help Wen Yan pack her luggage.

In less than ten minutes, Gu Yanci packed a suitcase and said, "Let's go, we have everything else at home."

Why are you moving so fast? Are you worried I'll change my mind?

Gu Yanci sighed silently, and said with a hint of self-abandonment, "Isn't it obvious?"

Wen Yan stood there, looking around at the house she had put so much thought and effort into decorating.

"For so many years, I always thought that Wen Yonghai had wronged her. I cursed Wen Yonghai countless times in my heart as a despicable scumbag who couldn't control his body and heart, haha..."

"Zhizhi, this is not your fault."

“I know.” Wen Yan laughed self-deprecatingly. “Nan Zhiyi and I are both her daughters. I was born after she carried me for ten months. Why would she abandon me and choose her?”

"Honey, don't always look for the reasons within yourself."

Just as Ji Chang only ever loved Gu Jingzhou, Gu Yanci had also asked himself countless times in his nightmares if he had done something wrong or something he hadn't done well.

The answer is, no.