They lived their own lives, not disturbing each other.
She said it so calmly.
He should have been happy; the hurt he had caused her had finally been erased by ti.
It felt as if a rope was tied to his heart, the other end attached to Ning Guiwan. The further she walked away, the tighter the rope pulled, and the more his heart ached.
Ning Guiwan didn’t know how long she had been walking; her feet gradually began to ache from the high heels.
She finally rembered to hail a cab.
However, on this road and at this hour, it seed it wouldn’t be easy to find one. The bus stop was nearby. Ning Guiwan waited for a while, gradually drifting into a trance. Her gaze was empty, like an exquisitely crafted doll. Passersby couldn’t help but turn back for a second look.
Her phone suddenly rang.
Ning Guiwan paused for a mont before answering, her lovely features tinged with lancholy. "Lai Yang."
"Why aren’t you back yet?" Lai Yang, who had left the hospital that evening, sounded much more spirited.
"I’m waiting for a ride. I should be ho soon."
"Waiting for a ride? Where are you?" Lai Yang asked. "Send your location. I’ll have Uncle Wang pick you up."
About half an hour later, a BMW 7 Series slowly stopped below the steps of the bus shelter.
The car window glided down, revealing not Lai Yang’s driver, Uncle Wang, but Quan Yu himself.
Ning Guiwan was startled for a mont, then smiled and stood up. "Oh, it’s you."
Quan Yu’s deep eyes gazed at her.
The young woman wore a white blouse and a black business skirt suit, with a red coat draped over her shoulders. The coat reached her knees and was open at the front, revealing her bare legs standing out against the winter night. She was strikingly beautiful and exuded a powerful presence, like a photoshopped model from a fashion magazine cover, outshining everyone and everything around her.
Ning Guiwan was about to pull open the rear car door when she heard Quan Yu say, "Sit in the front."
His tone brooked no argunt.
Ning Guiwan’s fingers paused on the handle. Silent for less than half a second, she pivoted and reached for the front passenger door instead.
The warmth inside the car enveloped her instantly, and she couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
She noticed Quan Yu taking off his coat from the corner of her eye. Before she could fully process it, his warm coat was draped over her legs.
"Going out dressed like this in winter isn’t a wise choice," the man said mildly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Ning Guiwan was taken aback for a second, then a slow smile spread across her face. In the darkness, her eyes were as captivating as if they were subrged in water. "But it looks good."
Quan Yu started the car. Hearing her words, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "What’s more important, looking good or your health?"
"Do you think health is important?" The man’s coat was very long on her, nearly reaching her feet. Ning Guiwan pulled the black coat up, tucking the sides under her legs to keep it in place. As she lowered her head, she continued, "Because I think looking good is more important."
Finding a comfortable position, she rested her elbow on the windowsill, propping her cheek in her hand as she looked at Quan Yu. In the dim light, his expression was hard to discern, but his profile was clearly visible—rugged and handso.
"When getting along with people, shared values are important. It’s like a business partnership; you need common goals to make it last long-term. Don’t you think?"
Her words were laden with aning.
The car was silent for several seconds. Then, Quan Yu suddenly turned the steering wheel to the right, slowly pulling the car over to the curb and stopping.
Ning Guiwan looked at him, perplexed.
Quan Yu didn’t speak. He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned towards her.
Ning Guiwan flinched, instinctively trying to shrink back, but the space was so confined. Where could she possibly go?
His breath brushed her face; she was so close she could even see his eyelashes in the dark. She held her breath, instinctively raising a hand to create a barrier between them, but before her hand could touch Quan Yu’s shoulder, he had already pulled back.
His left hand... was grasping the seatbelt on her side.
CLICK. The seatbelt was fastened.
Quan Yu pulled out his own seatbelt, calmly stating, "We really aren’t in sync. I just wanted to help you with your seatbelt, but you were thinking of sothing else."
Ning Guiwan was speechless.
She suddenly realized this man was petty and calculating.
The man’s serious voice sounded by her ear again. "Wear pants next ti you go out. I don’t want my other half to be relying on a wheelchair by the ti I’m in my sixties or seventies."
He made it sound as if she’d gone out naked!
"What I wear is my freedom, you..." She stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing she had fallen into his trap.
Looking at Quan Yu again, just as a beam of light illuminated his face, Ning Guiwan saw the corners of his lips curve upwards. He seed to be in a rather good mood.
She turned her head to look out the window, saying no more.
As Ning Guiwan pushed open her bedroom door, she caught a glimpse of Lai Yang quickly pulling her head back.
Lai Yang pretended to be engrossed in a book, one that Ning Guiwan had left on the bedside table. Ning Guiwan walked over and tapped the book with the back of her fingers. "It’s upside down."
Lai Yang took a closer look. It really was. How embarrassing.
"I didn’t an to trick you," Lai Yang giggled guiltily, looking up at her. "Why did you argue with your second cousin? He called you, but you didn’t answer. He was worried about you, so he got to trick your location out of you."
Ning Guiwan looked at her. What a little fool.
"It’s nothing, just so disagreents." With that said, Ning Guiwan entered the bathroom.
On New Year’s Day, Ning Guiwan received a call from Ning Honghua.
At that mont, Ning Guiwan was sitting by the window, reviewing docunts for Tianchi Group.
She stared at the number displayed on her phone screen for a long ti. The phone rang, stopped, then rang again before she finally answered.
"I have sothing to ask you. Co back here," Ning Honghua said, his tone icy.
Ning Guiwan didn’t want to get into it with him, but the words that tumbled out seed to bypass her brain. "’Return?’ That word hardly applies to anymore. If you have sothing to say, say it over the phone."
"Ning Guiwan! How long are you going to keep this up?" Ning Honghua’s tone was extrely harsh. "Did I spoil you too much? Is that it?"
"Get back here this instant!"
Is he fighting for his illegitimate daughter again?
"’In what capacity are you ordering ? As the chairman of Tianchi Group? My apologies, but you no longer hold that position. As my father? My apologies again, but you aren’t that to either.’"
"Ning Guiwan! COUGH. COUGH..." Ning Honghua coughed violently for a spell. Even after he cald down, he was still gasping for breath. "You unfilial daughter!"
It felt as if soone was twisting a knife in her heart, making even a gentle breath painful.
"’Then just consider dead.’ Four years ago, when I fled the country alone in disgrace, the Ning Guiwan of the past died then. ’And don’t call again trying to demand justice for your precious daughters. I despise them—everyone knows that. I despise them so much I wish they would die.’"
"’The suffering Ning Rongyue has endured at the company these past two days is just the beginning. If she feels she can’t take it, she should submit her resignation. The board of directors guarantees it will be approved swiftly and without fuss.’"
"’You sin—’" Ning Honghua couldn’t get the rest of the word out before the call disconnected.
COUGH. COUGH... A gasp of air surged up but caught in his chest and lungs, and he coughed even more violently.
"Dad, are you okay?" Ning Rongyue gently patted Ning Honghua’s back to help him catch his breath. Her tone was as gentle and filial as ever, but deep within her eyes lurked an almost imperceptible annoyance.
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