Chapter 25: Continuing the Ambiguity

The next day, Wang Yan sent Gu Jia a message expressing his thanks, then stopped flirting.

You can’t flirt too hard with this kind of thing—randomly stirring up trouble only backfires; you mustn’t act rashly.

In the following days, Wang Yan didn’t contact Gu Jia or the others, sticking to his routine and focusing on his own affairs.

At the same time, he kept a close eye on Gu Jia and Xu Huanshan’s movements, since the plot didn’t specify exact timing—he knew something would happen, but not when.

As in the original plot, with Mrs. Wang’s help, they contributed more money to successfully enroll Xu Ziyang in a premium kindergarten.

She also caught a glimpse of Mrs. Wang’s lifestyle and began her rise into the circle of wealthy wives.

In these matters, Wang Yan had virtually no influence on her.

He didn’t want to meddle in that group of women’s endless petty dramas—it was simply meaningless.

To be honest, he disliked most of the characters in the plot, including the entire circle of wealthy wives—no need to name names specifically; it’s pointless.

They hadn’t done anything to him; he couldn’t just harass them because he disliked them—it wasn’t worth the effort.

In real life, there were too many people he disliked—he couldn’t possibly deal with them all; better to just ignore them.

That day, Wang Yan received a phone call.

The caller said Gu Jia had gone to Muzi’s mother’s house.

These were two little brothers Wang Yan had recently brought under his control—through a combination of force and money, the process was flawless. Neither was any good; Wang Yan had gathered dirt on them, enough to land each of them in prison for at least ten years. He’d completely broken them and assigned them specifically to tail people.

After hanging up, Wang Yan didn’t hesitate—he drove straight to the area to stake out.

Soon after, Gu Jia emerged, looking disheveled, clutching Xu Ziyang.

Today, Xu Huanshan threw a tantrum and got into a fight with that Boss Wan. She went to host a banquet to apologize, hoping Wan wouldn’t hold a grudge against Xu Huanshan—they should all get along for the sake of business. But that old bastard Wan had ulterior motives—he took advantage of her, groping her shamelessly. Naturally, she stormed off in anger.

Their fireworks company had been counting on this deal to stay afloat. Now it was ruined—they could barely pay salaries, let alone figure out how to recover.

When she got home, she found her son wasn’t back and Xu Huanshan wasn’t home either—she immediately knew he’d gone to play soccer. She went to look for Xu Ziyang and discovered he’d been locked in a dark room and abused by Muzi’s mother and the others. Women are weak by nature, but become fierce as mothers—she wouldn’t tolerate this. She took on all of them at once and gave them a beating.

Walking home, Gu Jia thought about what had happened today, and sorrow welled up inside her—her eyes turned red.

She kept thinking—about Xu Huanshan, about their once-sworn vows, their romantic love story. Then the scene shifted to today’s humiliation—her husband and child had been bullied, yet he was out playing soccer like nothing had happened. She silently cursed Xu Huanshan.

As she thought, she remembered Wang Yan from their meal a few days ago.

If it had been Wang Yan, none of this would’ve happened.

She couldn’t help recalling the ambiguity of that night—the warmth and breadth of Wang Yan’s chest, the defined muscles she could feel even through his clothes.

Wang Yan seized the opportunity, pretending to drive past Gu Jia and her son.

He turned around and reversed his car back.

Gu Jia, puzzled by the car, saw the window roll down to reveal Wang Yan’s smiling face.

Seeing Wang Yan, Gu Jia’s face flushed hot—she’d just been lost in thought.

Wang Yan opened his door and stepped out, greeting her: “Gu Jia, why are you walking alone with the kid?”

He opened the car door. “Get in, I’ll take you home.”

As Gu Jia approached with the child, Wang Yan noticed her red eyes and messy hair. “What happened? Your eyes are all red—did you cry?”

Gu Jia didn’t look at him. As she settled into the car with Xu Ziyang, she said, “Just a strong wind—something got in my eyes.”

Seeing she clearly didn’t want to talk, Wang Yan didn’t press.

He closed the door, stepped on the gas, and headed toward Junyue Fu.

On the way, Wang Yan drove while asking, “Where’s Lao Xu? Why isn’t he with you?”

You don’t drink for free—they called each other brothers. He called Xu Huanshan Lao Xu; Xu Huanshan called him Lao Wang.

Gu Jia hadn’t even processed it yet—mentioning Xu Huanshan made her angry. Her husband and child had been humiliated, all because of him. After causing the mess, he threw a tantrum and then went off to play soccer like nothing had happened.

But how could she tell Wang Yan something like this? She could only Mianqiang say, “He’s at the company—been busy lately.”

Wang Yan smiled inwardly, grunted, and fell silent, focusing on driving—Gu Jia clearly wasn’t in the mood to chat.

The two sat in silence; the car was utterly quiet.

Sitting in the back, Gu Jia watched Wang Yan’s focused driving through the rearview mirror, recalling the thoughts she’d just had—her heart stirred.

After their meal a few days ago, even Xu Ziyang kept complaining he wanted to play with Uncle Wang—he adored this man who respected him.

The next day, after sobering up, Xu Huanshan kept talking about Lao Wang.

She didn’t need to mention it—she kept thinking of Wang Yan.

Now, after today’s events and Wang Yan’s timely appearance, he was firmly established in Gu Jia’s heart.

The place where Gu Jia got in the car was close to Junyue Fu—they arrived quickly.

Wang Yan drove into the underground garage, took Xu Ziyang from Gu Jia’s arms as he slept.

During the transfer, Wang Yan brushed against Gu Jia’s hand—she hissed sharply.

Wang Yan heard the sound. “What’s wrong? Let me see.”

He held Xu Ziyang with one hand and reached for Gu Jia’s hand. She instinctively tried to pull away, but she was no match for his speed—he grabbed it firmly. She gave a half-hearted tug, then gave up.

Wang Yan examined her hand—some areas were scraped and bleeding, others were bruised. He rolled up her sleeve and saw more scratches.

It made sense—Gu Jia had taken on several women at once. Even if she trained, she was still just an ordinary woman, not a professional fighter. How could her injuries be just scrapes? Xu Huanshan had only noticed the hand wounds—he was utterly clueless.

Wang Yan feigned casualness. “How’d you get these?”

Before Gu Jia could fabricate a story, he added, “Forget it, don’t make up lies. If you don’t want to say, don’t.”

Gu Jia smiled awkwardly, said nothing, and simply gazed tenderly at Wang Yan.

“Come on, come to my place—I’ll put some ointment on you. If it leaves scars, it’ll be bad—better to treat it now.”

Before Gu Jia could refuse, Wang Yan firmly picked up Xu Ziyang and turned to leave.

Gu Jia opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately stayed silent and followed him into the elevator.

On the 18th floor, Wang Yan opened his door and carried the child to his bed, letting him sleep comfortably.

He poured Gu Jia a glass of water, told her to look around, and went to find medicine.

Gu Jia had already seen the interior decoration—newness wore off after one look. Now she was studying the room’s artwork.

A few days ago, at Mrs. Wang’s house, she’d been stunned by the water lilies painting.

Now, seeing Wang Yan’s walls covered in calligraphy and paintings, she felt intense curiosity—she’d only glanced hastily last time; now she studied them carefully.

Wang Yan returned with the medicine and saw Gu Jia staring at a landscape painting on the wall.

“Do you know anything about this stuff?” Wang Yan asked.

“Oh, no, I don’t understand—I’m just curious.”

Gu Jia said, “Wang Yan, you’ve got so many of these—do you really like them?”

He wasn’t one to pretend knowledge: “They’re fine. I just think they look natural and comfortable on the walls. Honestly, I know nothing about them—just trying to cultivate a hobby, a bit of pretentious elegance.”

Gu Jia was surprised by his honesty: “Then these must be expensive?”

“About a few hundred thousand per piece—mostly by lesser-known artists,” Wang Yan replied. These were all details the system had given him—no famous names or masterpieces.

“Forget about those things—your injuries matter more.”

Wang Yan urged, “Hurry up, let me treat you.”

They sat on floor cushions in the living room, and Wang Yan began treating her wounds.

No magical remedies—just common household supplies. Nothing serious; a little ointment was enough.

Watching Wang Yan carefully apply the medicine, feeling the warmth of his touch on her skin, Gu Jia began drifting into thoughts again.

She shook her head quickly, searching for something to say, and brought up Mrs. Wang.

She said, “You know Mrs. Wang? She lives on the top floor.”

Seeing Wang Yan nod, she continued: “A few days ago, I went to her place about Ziyang’s school enrollment—I saw a Monet water lilies painting there.”

Wang Yan didn’t look up, still tending to her wounds. “Fake. I don’t know art—I’ve only heard of Monet, never studied him.”

“But I know quite a bit about Mrs. Wang’s household.”

This was what Wang Yan had uncovered during his investigation—he’d researched nearly every character in the plot.

Hearing this, Gu Jia said, “Oh?” and waited for him to continue.

“Too much to list—I’ll keep it simple. Mrs. Wang’s family mainly does real estate—modest scale, maybe ten or twenty billion.”

“They have some other random businesses, but nothing systematic, no future—I won’t mention them.”

“Mrs. Wang’s husband is named Wang Hongyuan—famous for his philandering. He’s got… well, plenty of outside women.”

He gave her a knowing look: “Mrs. Wang’s old and faded—you get it.”

Gu Jia instantly understood.

Mrs. Wang was the legal wife, the main household, rich—but still dependent on her husband. Forget cash flow or funding chains—even if she could afford it, she knew the value of antiques—collecting art would appreciate over time. But why waste money on paintings? Put it into real estate—returns are far better.

If her husband found out she was doing this, he’d kick her out immediately.

Thinking of Wang Yan’s ambiguous glance earlier, Gu Jia’s face flushed—she couldn’t meet his eyes.

Gu Jia’s current demeanor was undeniably alluring.

Wang Yan’s unusual behavior didn’t escape Gu Jia’s notice—but neither dared to speak up; they both kept playing their parts.

After a long while, he finished treating the external wounds.

“Alright, that’s enough. Judging by how you look, you’ve got injuries elsewhere too.”

Wang Yan said, “I can’t help with those—go home and have Lao Xu take care of them.”

Ignoring Gu Jia’s flushed face, Wang Yan packed up the medicine: “Bring Ziyang over to play sometime—I really like this kid.”

“I won’t keep you—Lao Xu might worry. Go home.”

Gu Jia clutched the child and fled awkwardly.

Back home, her face still flushed, she brushed off the nanny’s concern with vague answers.

After settling Xu Ziyang, Gu Jia hurried into the bath. She had no energy left to dwell on today’s humiliation—she needed to calm down.

After soaking in the bath and applying medicine to herself, Xu Huanshan returned.

Seeing Gu Jia alone on the balcony admiring the view, Xu Huanshan walked over and sat beside her: “What’s wrong? Something on your mind?”

Gu Jia didn’t look at him, afraid he’d notice her guilt: “Nothing, just enjoying the view.”

Xu Huanshan took her hand, about to speak, but felt its texture was off—not smooth as usual.

He lifted his hand to his eyes and saw the treated wound: “How did this happen?”

Gu Jia explained: “It’s nothing, I just slipped and fell. I’ve already taken care of it.”

Xu Huanshan didn’t suspect a thing, only reminded her to be careful, then asked about Manager Wan.

Gu Jia was somewhat disappointed by his reaction. How could two men be so different?

Perhaps her self-reconstruction was complete, or perhaps the guilt from her ambiguity with Wang Yan held her back—Gu Jia didn’t press him. Instead, she began comforting him, respecting his views, agreeing to go along with his plans.

After chatting for a while, they went to bed.

Xu Huanshan wanted to be intimate, but Gu Jia refused, citing the medicinal smell on her skin and feeling unwell.

He didn’t press the matter—he’d played soccer all evening and was tired. His urge had been nothing more than post-exercise excitement.

After Gu Jia left, Wang Yan received a WeChat call from Wang Manni; the other end said she needed comfort.

Wang Yan, still craving release after the earlier romantic atmosphere, welcomed it gladly. Old Wang was always direct—he never wasted time. He immediately asked for her address, got in his car, and headed out to satisfy himself.

At this moment, Wang Manni felt utterly helpless. She’d been framed by Linda and was barely holding on, with no way out. She tossed and turned at home, wondering how to fix this—after all, such a scandal would taint her reputation; she could never continue in this circle.

How could she ever approach elite people again? How would she find a wealthy prince who loved only her?

After endless thinking, she found no solution. She needed to vent—desperately. And so, she thought of the powerful man who had brought her immense pleasure: Wang Yan.

Nervously, she called him. Since their last encounter, she’d been flirting constantly, but Wang Yan had always ignored her. She wasn’t even sure he’d answer now.

To her surprise, he answered. And after she made her intentions clear, he agreed.

After hanging up, Wang Manni hurriedly tidied up her apartment.

Not long after, Wang Yan arrived, parked his car, and found the right place.

Following the address, he reached Wang Manni’s rental, knocked once, and the door opened.

He shut the door, said nothing, and lifted her up by the waist.

Long after, satisfied, Wang Yan leaned against the bed and smoked.

Wang Manni chattered on, pouring out everything she’d been through recently.

This matter had no impact on Wang Yan’s plans, so he gave no thought to caution—he told her exactly what Zhong Xiaoqin had said: find the people who’d accumulated points at the right time, then trace them.

Wang Manni felt as if a thunderclap had split the sky—suddenly, everything became clear.

With a solution found and her heart unburdened, she thanked Wang Yan endlessly.