Chapter 5: Guan Yizhou Is Here!

Kitten: [Who's crying!]

Wen Nianqi was furious. Shen Wang was being extra venomous today.

……

Switzerland.

On the way to class.

Shen Wang saw the message and let out a soft laugh.

Fu Yan caught sight of this bizarre scene and froze.

"Wang-ge… you're not possessed, are you? What are you laughing at?"

Shen Wang put his phone away, his usual cold expression snapping back into place.

He snatched the milk Fu Yan had just opened. "Thanks."

"Hey! I offered you some and you said no, and now you're stealing mine."

"Wang-ge, wait up."

Fu Yan caught up, hands clasped behind his head. "Wanna grab dinner out tonight?"

"No money."

Shen Wang answered without missing a beat. Every time Fu Yan came bearing unsolicited kindness, it was either to borrow money or borrow his car to chase girls.

Fu Yan frowned. "Am I really that much of a snob?"

"Made a killing on secondhand stuff today. Flip it and I'm looking at about forty grand."

"This month's girl-chasing budget is covered."

Shen Wang snorted. "Broke bastard."

"Do you have to curse that hard? There's a test this month—I'll pay someone to take it for me, get a decent ranking, and maybe my allowance gets restored next month."

Shen Wang tossed the empty bottle back to him. "Lame."

"I'm serious. There's a party tonight. Guaranteed you'll like it."

……

"Niannian, your dad had a sudden stroke. He's at the hospital right now."

After taking Aunt Zhou's call, Wen Nianqi shot to her feet.

"What?"

She smacked her own head. Why had her dad's stroke come early this time!

Wen Nianqi threw her things together and hurried to ask the counselor for leave. "Which hospital is he at? I'm coming right now."

Ji Haitang asked, "What happened? Why so urgent?"

"Something happened to my dad. I'm going to the hospital to see him. I already got leave from the counselor—could you help me ask the teachers for leave for tomorrow's classes?"

Ji Haitang: "Okay, go quickly."

Jiang Yue and Su Qinghe overheard and said worriedly, "Is everything okay?"

"They caught it in time, so it's not serious. I'm heading out."

"Okay."

……

Hu City People's Hospital.

Third floor, patient ward.

The ward was crowded with people—all friends of her dad.

Wen Shiping was on an IV drip, wearing a breathing mask, but his spirits were good and he was chatting away.

Wen Nianqi greeted everyone one by one, walked in, and asked Aunt Zhou, "How is he?"

Wen Nianqi's parents divorced when she was five. She grew up with her grandmother, and her dad took her in when she was seven.

Zhou Bei was her stepmother, only thirteen years older than Wen Nianqi. Their relationship was more like sisters.

Aunt Zhou said, "Your dad got angry early this morning. After that phone call, his right hand and right foot went numb. I immediately called Aunt Yanzi, and she said to bring him to the hospital right away."

Aunt Yanzi's real name was Shi Yan. She was a senior nurse.

"Bleeding in the left brain. Caught in time, so it's not a big problem. But your dad's blood pressure is a bit high—he needs to stay a week for observation."

Wen Nianqi breathed a sigh of relief.

In her previous life, her dad's stroke had been in the second half of the year. Why was it half a year early?

At least the situation wasn't serious.

Ding dong—

Shen Wang sent a screenshot of her WeChat step count.

Shen Yan: [Where'd you go?]

Wen Nianqi's mind spawned a question mark.

Was this guy a scout or something?

He could tell she wasn't at school just from her WeChat step count?

Terrifying.

She hesitated for a second—the next second, the call came in.

Wen Nianqi didn't dare not answer. She got up and walked outside, then pressed accept.

"Hello?"

Shen Yan: "Where'd you go?"

Wen Nianqi glanced at the ward, confirmed no one was looking her way, and said, "I'm at the hospital."

Her voice didn't sound like she was sick.

Shen Yan's tone turned cold. "You know the consequences of lying to me?"

Wen Nianqi was helpless. She took a photo of the hospital corridor and sent it. "I really am at the hospital."

"What are you doing at the hospital? Seeing which friend? Male or female? Why are you seeing them?"

Wen Nianqi's delicate brows knitted slightly. She checked the contact name.

It was definitely Shen Wang calling. Why had he become so long-winded?

"My dad's sick. I came to see him."

After a long pause, an "mm" came through the phone.

Shen Yan said, "I have class. Hanging up."

Wen Nianqi: "……"

What was wrong with this guy?

Then.

Shen Yan: [Transfer 30,000]

Kitten: [Why are you sending me money?]

The chat box showed "the other party is typing…" for a long time.

She waited and waited.

Shen Yan: [Got too much money.]

This time Wen Nianqi didn't immediately return it. She pretended not to see it.

If she returned it too many times, he'd get suspicious.

Before long, hurried footsteps came from the corridor. A tall boy in a school uniform ran over.

"Jie."

Wen Yanshuo was Zhou Bei's child from her previous marriage. The divorce happened early, and he'd grown up alongside Wen Nianqi—their bond no different from real siblings.

After living together long enough, he'd simply changed his surname too.

Wen Nianqi: "Why aren't you at school studying? What are you doing here?"

Wen Yanshuo said, "I live closest. I happened to have PE this afternoon, and Mom wanted me to come back and help pack luggage."

He was carrying a small white suitcase.

"Is Uncle okay?"

"He's fine."

Even though they were married, both sides had called each other's elders "Uncle" and "Aunt" since childhood.

No one forced a change.

Before leaving, Wen Nianqi earnestly advised, "Dad, you're not young anymore. Take care of your health. After you're discharged, smoke less and drink less."

Wen Shiping, tired of being nagged, turned his face away. "Nag nag nag."

Wen Yanshuo still had school, so Wen Nianqi dropped him off first, then headed home.

It was getting late.

The school gate was already locked.

She might as well stay home for the night.

……

Switzerland.

Gletscherbar, Glacier Sips.

A light-luxury bar.

Shen Wang had both hands in his pockets, lazily leaning against the far end of the booth, one foot propped on the table, a black backpack lying beside him.

Fu Yan sat down next to him with a bottle of Dolay Cabernet Sauvignon. "How can you sleep with the music this loud?"

"It's Gu Manni's birthday today. She's always had a thing for you—at least give her some face."

Shen Wang lifted his eyelids. "How much did you get out of it?"

Fu Yan immediately stammered, "What do you mean, got out of it? She's a great beauty—plenty of rich young masters would throw themselves at her, and she's only got eyes for you."

"None of my business."

Shen Wang glanced at his phone. Kitten should be up and heading to class by now.

He'd sent her thirty thousand yesterday. He wondered if it was enough to cover the medical bills.

Realizing what he was thinking, Shen Wang froze, frowned, and turned off his phone.

Ridiculous. How could he care about a woman he'd never even met?

He stood up to leave.

Gu Manni hooked her arm through his. "Wang-ge, thanks for coming to my birthday party."

Shen Wang looked down at her hand wrapped around his arm and said coldly, "Let go."

Gu Manni pretended not to hear and reached for his hand. The moment she touched it—

Shen Wang grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against the wall. "Do you not understand what I say?"

"Wang-ge, we've known each other for so many years. Do you really not understand my feelings for you at all?"

Shen Wang sneered. "I warned you the very first time—I don't like women."