Chapter 139: Quarrel

Gu Yan could not see the man's face clearly; she only saw Fang Qinru turn her head away, dodging the hand he reached out.

Her anger flared up instantly.

She pushed open the car door, her high heels clicking on the ground, and rushed over in a few steps: "What are you doing!"

The man's movements paused, and he turned his head.

Under the dim street lamp, Gu Yan saw that face clearly.

Zhou Wei.

She froze for a moment, but her footsteps did not stop; she stepped directly in front of Fang Qinru.

Zhou Wei looked at her, his brow furrowing: "Gu Yan?"

Gu Yan ignored him and looked back at Fang Qinru.

Her eyes were red, her lips were pressed tightly together, and her whole body was trembling slightly.

Gu Yan's heart tightened.

She turned back to look at Zhou Wei: "What are you doing?"

Zhou Wei was silent for a second: "This is a matter between husband and wife; stay out of it."

"I'm going to stay out of it? Can't you see she doesn't want to see you?"

Zhou Wei's expression changed.

Gu Yan ignored him further, turned, and took Fang Qinru's hand: "Sister Fang, let's go."

Fang Qinru was pulled forward by her, her steps a bit unsteady.

Zhou Wei stood where he was, watching their backs: "Qinru."

Fang Qinru's steps faltered.

But she did not look back.

Gu Yan shoved her into the passenger seat, walked around to the driver's seat, and started the car.

In the rearview mirror, Zhou Wei was still standing under that street lamp, motionless.

It was very quiet in the car.

Fang Qinru leaned back in the seat, looking out the window, not saying a word.

Gu Yan didn't speak either.

She just silently turned up the car's heater a little.

The car drove past one street lamp after another, the light and shadow flickering on their faces.

After an unknown amount of time, Fang Qinru suddenly spoke: "Yanyan."

"Hmm?"

"……Thank you." Her voice was very soft, a bit hoarse.

Gu Yan glanced at her. Her eyes were still red, but no tears fell. Gu Yan withdrew her gaze and continued driving.

"Why are you being so polite with me?" She deliberately kept her tone light.

Gu Yan settled Fang Qinru into the apartment along Chang'an Street. It was a duplex, usually unoccupied but cleaned regularly.

She still didn't ask too many questions, just told her to get some rest early, and then left.

When she returned home, it was almost ten o'clock.

Gu Yan's parents had already gone to sleep, but the living room light was still on; Shen Yanhui was sitting on the sofa with a book in his hand.

He heard the movement and looked up: "You're back?"

Gu Yan gave an "mm," changed her shoes, tossed her bag to the side, and collapsed directly into his arms.

Shen Yanhui caught her, set the book aside, and wrapped one arm around her waist.

"Tired?"

Gu Yan buried her face in his chest and gave a muffled "mm."

He didn't speak, his palm patting her back gently, one tap after another, as if coaxing a child.

Gu Yan rubbed against him, finding a comfortable spot to nestle in. He had a pleasant scent of cedar, mixed with a hint of body wash, which made her whole body relax.

She looked up and kissed his chin: "Did you miss me today?"

He looked down at her, his eyes smiling: "I did."

"That's more like it."

Gu Yan was satisfied and snuggled further into his arms. She toyed with the collar of his loungewear, her fingers hooking the soft fabric and winding it around.

His fingers ran through her hair, gently combing it.

After they had been affectionate enough, she suddenly remembered something: "By the way, I ran into Zhou Wei and Sister Fang today."

"Hmm?" He looked down.

Gu Yan recounted what happened that evening, and after listening, Shen Yanhui was silent for a second.

Then he raised his hand and pulled her up, letting her straddle his lap.

Gu Yan was a bit dazed by this position; before she could react, he had already lowered his head, his lips pressing against the side of her neck.

It was warm, moist, and carried a faint, lingering pressure.

She trembled slightly.

His lips moved slowly along her neckline, finally stopping at her collarbone, where he bit down lightly.

It wasn't hard, but it was enough to make her heart race.

"Shen Yanhui……"

He looked up at her, his gaze deep and filled with a hint of a smile.

"You did the right thing."

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment: "Aren't you going to say I'm meddling?"

He looked at her and said in a low voice, "In that situation, anyone would have intervened."

The slight unease in Gu Yan's heart dissipated; she leaned into his embrace and continued to play with his collar with her fingers.

"Then why didn't you say anything just now?" she accused.

He lowered his head, his nose brushing against her ear: "Listening to you."

As his warm breath brushed past, she shrank her neck slightly.

"Listening to me say what?"

"Say how amazing you are." His voice was low, carrying a hint of a smile, "Rushing over to take someone away, arranging a place to stay—you had it all planned out."

Gu Yan felt a bit puffed up from his praise, but she still gave a huff: "That goes without saying."

He let out a low laugh, kissed her earlobe lightly, and continued: "However..."

"However what?"

"Don't get too involved."

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment.

"Let Zhou Wei and Fang Qinru resolve their own affairs. It's enough that you've settled her in," he said calmly.

Gu Yan thought about it; she truly didn't know what had happened between them, and she truly had no way to help them resolve it.

She nodded: "I understand."

Shen Yanhui raised an eyebrow: "So obedient?"

"When have I ever been disobedient?" Gu Yan bristled a little and tugged at his ear.

"When have you ever been obedient?"

"Shen Yanhui!" Gu Yan completely bristled; she used both hands to grab his two ears and pull outward, "You explain yourself clearly—where am I disobedient?"

Shen Yanhui let her tug, his eyes filled with a smile.

"You're being disobedient right now."

Gu Yan glared at him, let go of his ears, and changed to pinching his cheeks, pulling them to both sides.

"Say that again?"

He looked at her without speaking.

Gu Yan was unsatisfied and went to ruffle his hair, messing up his originally neat hairstyle into a tangled heap. Once she had ruffled enough, she started poking his Adam's apple.

The Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

Shen Yanhui's voice suddenly turned hoarse: "Don't touch that."

Gu Yan didn't listen to him; as if she had discovered a new continent, she poked it again: "It's so flexible."

He gripped her wrist, his thumb brushing over her palm.

"Not done playing yet?"

"No."

Gu Yan pulled her hand out and touched his chin, feeling the newly sprouted stubble; it was itchy.

"You didn't shave clean today." She lifted her face and crashed into his eyes.

His gaze was deep, his breathing heavy.

Gu Yan suddenly felt something was wrong.

She looked down at her own posture: she was straddling his lap, her hands still resting on his shoulders, and one of his hands was wrapped around her waist, his palm burning hot.

She raised her head again and met his eyes. In those eyes, something was churning.

"Shen Yanhui..."

He spoke, his voice lower than before and tinged with hoarseness: "Had enough?"

"... Enough." Gu Yan admitted defeat quickly.

"Too late."

As soon as the words fell, she was already scooped up horizontally by him.

She gave a startled cry and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. One of her slippers fell off, rolled twice on the stairs, and no one paid it any mind.

——

The next afternoon, Gu Yan went to that small apartment.

She brought fruit and pastries, and also carried a bouquet of flowers. The moment she pushed the door open, she was stunned for a moment.

Fang Qinru was standing by the window with her back to the door, and only turned around when she heard the movement.

Her complexion was better than yesterday, but there were faint dark circles under her eyes; it was clear at a glance that she hadn't slept well.

"Yanyan, why are you here?"

Gu Yan placed the items on the coffee table and looked around: "I came to see you. How is it? Are you getting used to living here?"

Fang Qinru curled the corners of her mouth: "It's quite good, thank you."

Gu Yan hesitated for a moment, but still didn't ask what had happened in the end, swallowing her words back into her stomach.

She picked some other topics to chat about—clothes, jewelry, what she had been busy with lately. Fang Qinru answered quite normally, but Gu Yan just felt something was wrong.

When it was time to leave, Gu Yan took her hand.

"Sister Fang, no matter what happens, you can find me at any time."

Fang Qinru looked at her, her eyes slightly red, and thanked her again: "Yanyan, thank you."

Gu Yan returned home feeling troubled; Shen Yanhui hadn't returned yet. She curled up on the sofa to wait for him, her mind filled with that forced smile of Fang Qinru's.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

When the door sounded, she practically jumped up and ran over.

Shen Yanhui had just entered the door when she threw herself into his arms. He caught her and lowered his head to ask, "What's wrong?"

Gu Yan shook her head and buried her face in his chest: "Nothing's wrong, I just missed you."

He curled the corners of his lips and raised a hand to stroke her hair: "Did you go see Fang Qinru today?"

"How did you know?" Gu Yan was surprised.

"I guessed."

She leaned into his embrace and said sullenly: "She's not in a good state, but she refuses to tell me anything."

Shen Yanhui did not speak.

Gu Yan continued: "I don't know what happened between them, but seeing her like that makes my heart ache."

Shen Yanhui held her as they walked toward the living room and sat down on the sofa: "She is an adult; she knows what she should do."

Although he said that, as a friend, Gu Yan still couldn't help but worry. Anyway, she didn't have much to do lately, so she simply set aside some time every day to go over and keep her company.

Sometimes she brought food, sometimes flowers, and sometimes she brought nothing at all, just sitting with her.

Fang Qinru's state was slowly improving; she would occasionally smile and occasionally take the initiative to speak. She had converted the balcony into a temporary studio, and sometimes she would sit there for an entire day.

Gu Yan didn't ask, either.

She just kept her company.

A week passed peacefully just like that, and when Gu Yan returned home, she discovered that Shen Yanhui had already returned.

He was sitting on the sofa with a glass of water in his hand, and upon hearing the movement, he looked up: "You're back?"

Gu Yan gave an "mm," changed her shoes, and walked over, wanting to lean into his embrace.

He didn't move.

Gu Yan paused for a moment and looked at him: "What's wrong?"

Shen Yanhui looked at her, his tone somewhat flat: "Did you go see Fang Qinru again today?"

"Yeah."

"How long did you stay?"

Gu Yan thought for a moment: "From two in the afternoon to seven in the evening, five hours, I guess. Why?"

Shen Yanhui was silent for a second, then said helplessly: "Yanyan, we had an agreement."

Gu Yan paused: "What agreement?"

"Getting her settled is enough."

Gu Yan looked at him: "I am settling her; if she stays by herself, she'll just let her imagination run wild."

Shen Yanhui set down the water glass.

"Only by staying by herself can she think clearly about what she should do. If you go to accompany her every day, she will only rely on you and won't think about how to solve the problem."

What kind of talk was that? Was she wrong for going to keep her company?

Gu Yan's temper began to flare up: "What do you mean by relying on me? I'm just keeping her company, what's wrong with that?"

"Zhou Wei looked for me." Shen Yanhui stood up and walked over to her, "He came to find me this afternoon. He asked me if I knew where Fang Qinru was."

Gu Yan's expression changed: "Did you tell him?"

Shen Yanhui looked at her: "No."

Gu Yan let out a sigh of relief.

But the next sentence made her heart rise again: "Even if I don't say it, he will know sooner or later."

Gu Yan looked at him.

Shen Yanhui's tone was very calm: "Zhou Wei knows that you were the one who took Fang Qinru away; he hasn't checked where she is because he is giving you and me face."

Gu Yan's anger flared up instantly: "Who wants his face! What kind of face does a scumbag who made Sister Fang sad have!"

"The matters between them need to be solved by them. You hiding her won't solve the problem."

Once these words were said, Gu Yan became even angrier, and there was also a trace of grievance. She looked at Shen Yanhui, and her eye rims began to turn red.

"You only know how to speak for Zhou Wei!"

Shen Yanhui reached out, wanting to pull her.

Gu Yan dodged: "Don't touch me."

Shen Yanhui frowned, and with a bit of force, he caught her wrist and pulled her back with a gentle tug.

Gu Yan stumbled and crashed into his arms.

She struggled.

"Shen Yanhui! Let go!"

He didn't let go.

One hand held her waist, while the other hand lifted, his thumb brushing away the tear tracks on her face. The movement was very light, carrying warmth.

But the arm clamped around her waist was too strong to break free from: "What are you dodging for?"

His voice was low, with no discernible emotion.

Gu Yan glared at him, her eyes red: "Let me go! You're blaming me for the sake of someone else, what right do you have?"

Her tears caused a surge of irritation in his heart; he took a deep breath and said in a low voice: "I am not blaming you."

"You are!" Gu Yan glared at him, "You are blaming me, and you're still speaking for Zhou Wei!"

Shen Yanhui did not speak.

Gu Yan waited for a few seconds, but he didn't open his mouth.

Her tears fell: "Shen Yanhui, you are my husband; you don't stand on my side, you stand on someone else's side."

"I hate you to death!"

She struggled as she spoke, but she couldn't break free, and her tears fell even more fiercely.

"Yanyan—" Shen Yanhui's heart softened; he wanted to coax her.

Before his words had even faded, the young girl bit down hard on his forearm. She held nothing back, her teeth sinking into his flesh, and he let out a muffled groan, his grip loosening.

Gu Yan seized the chance to push him away, then ran up the stairs, stomp-stomp-stomp, without looking back. She reached the bedroom door, pushed it open, went inside, and then turned to look at the man.

Shen Yanhui had already followed her up and was standing at the top of the stairs.

The two of them stared at each other from a distance.

Gu Yan's eyes were red as she glared at him. Then, with a "slap," she slammed the door shut.

She even locked it.

Shen Yanhui stood in the hallway, looking at that tightly closed door.

He was silent for a few seconds.

He raised his hand and knocked gently on the door. There was no movement inside, so he knocked again.

"Yanyan, open the door."

"I won't."

"Let's talk."

"No talking." The voice from inside was nasal, but the tone was firm. "Go sleep in the study."

Shen Yanhui was silent for a second: "Alright."

Gu Yan leaned her back against the door panel, and upon hearing that word "alright," she felt even more stifled inside.

He just left like that?

He wouldn't even coax her a little more?

She bit her lip and said nothing.

It was quiet outside the door for a few seconds, and then footsteps could be heard, moving further and further away.

Gu Yan listened to those footsteps disappear at the end of the hallway, and her eyes turned red again.

What kind of person is he!

He really left!

She stood up from the door in a huff, threw herself onto the bed, and buried her face in the pillow.

One moment she was thinking of Sister Fang, the next of Zhou Wei, and then of that "alright" Shen Yanhui had just said.

Alright, what's alright about it? You go to the study just because you're told to? Where did that usual overbearing streak of yours go?

She rolled over and stared at the ceiling.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Just as she was thinking, a sound suddenly came from the direction of the balcony. It was very light, like something landing on the floor.

Gu Yan froze for a moment and turned her head.

The curtains weren't drawn tight, and moonlight shone in through the gap.

Then she saw a figure pull back the curtain and step onto the balcony.

Gu Yan was so startled she almost screamed, but the next second, the man had already pushed open the balcony door and walked in.

The man she had chased off to the study had appeared in her room.

It seemed...

He had climbed over from the balcony next door.