Wen Lingyuan only smiled, her heart finally at peace. She said quietly, “Thank you for saving him.”
Afterward, Su Wantang averted her gaze and asked the nurse to bandage her wounds. Then, she left.
In her previous life, Su Wantang had been the first to save Gu Yanze, and for that, she’d been tormented endlessly. This time, if Su Wantang wanted to save him, so be it. It no longer had anything to do with her.
After finishing the hospital paperwork, Lingyuan bought some food. But when she returned, she was greeted by the urgent, impatient sounds of a man and woman behind closed doors. She stood there in shock, the food slipping from her hands.
She had already decided to give up, but her heart still ached uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face, but she smiled through them.
Good. Very good.
This was the clean break she needed to sever all her foolish attachments. She would never repeat her mistakes. From now on, she would live freely, with no more Gu Yanze.
The sounds from the room grew sharper. Staggering out to the hospital terrace, she called her grandfather.
When he answered, his voice trembled with disbelief. “Lingyuan? Is that really you?”
Ever since her parents’ accident left them in a vegetative state, she’d clung to Gu Yanze’s side, ignoring all her grandfather’s attempts to reach her. Even at her wedding to Gu Yanze in her previous life, her grandfather had been stopped outside, crying and begging her not to marry.
Thinking of this, Lingyuan’s nose stung and tears welled up again. She’d already done enough foolish things—now, she would let Gu Yanze and Su Wantang have each other. It was time to go home, to see her parents, and to shoulder the family business on her own.
“Grandpa, I’m coming home,” she said softly.
Her grandfather’s voice choked with emotion, and after a long pause, he finally replied, “Good, good, Lingyuan. As long as you’re willing to come home. Gu Yanze’s wild ways have only led you astray. Your senior brother is about to expand the family business, and I’m getting old. If you two could get along, I’d be at peace.”
Hearing her grandfather’s familiar voice after so long, Lingyuan couldn’t help but cry again. The wind on the terrace whipped around her as she hugged herself tightly, finally letting go of her stubbornness.
“Okay, Grandpa. I’ll be home soon.”
After the call, she suddenly felt dizzy and touched her forehead—it was burning hot. She’d almost forgotten that in her previous life, she’d discovered Gu Yanze’s affair with Su Wantang while she was feverish.
Forcing herself to stay awake, she picked a few medicinal herbs from the garden and then fell into a deep sleep.
She was awakened by a loud knocking. Groggy, she opened the door to see Gu Yanze, his face stern and mature.
He froze for a moment before grabbing her arms. “Lingyuan, you’ve been missing for two days. Are you still angry? You won’t even go to the hospital?”
Lingyuan was stunned. Had she really been unconscious for two days? But now her fever had broken, and aside from some weakness, she felt fine. Even if she tried to explain, Gu Yanze wouldn’t believe her.
She lowered her eyes and gently pushed him away. “It’s nothing. Teacher Su took care of me. I’m fine now.”
Her obvious indifference made Gu Yanze inexplicably irritable. He tried to explain, “Nothing happened that night. Teacher Su and I were just talking about dance practice.”
“You must still have a fever,” he said.
“Last time, Teacher Su lost a lot of blood to save me. I just wanted to repay her by taking care of her.”
“In the future, be nicer to her.”
Every word seemed to defend Su Wantang and cover up their affair.
What else could Lingyuan say? She simply replied, “Alright.”
Her calmness was so unusual that Gu Yanze grew even more agitated. As she tried to walk past him, he grabbed her wrist.
“You’re not even going to say thank you for saving you? Didn’t your family teach you manners?”
His grip hurt, and the pain reminded her of the cuts she’d made in her previous life. Her hand trembled as she looked at him, as if he were a stranger.
“Thank you, Uncle,” she said, her voice catching. Since she’d confessed her feelings, she hadn’t called him “Uncle” again. He’d always treated her affection as a childish crush, never taking it seriously. Even now, he had no reason to object.
But a strange discomfort churned in his chest.
Lingyuan saw the food she’d brought was already set out for Su Wantang. She paused, but acted as if nothing was wrong.
Su Wantang, looking pale and fragile, smiled softly. “Lingyuan, I’m sorry for taking up your time.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about missing a lesson.”
Gu Yanze soon joined Su Wantang, carefully serving her a bowl of jujube and gelatin soup, blowing it cool before handing it to her.
Seeing Su Wantang insist on teaching despite her condition, he frowned. “You shouldn’t be teaching in your state. Let Lingyuan practice on her own.”
Su Wantang glanced at Lingyuan, her eyes full of concern. “Alright. Lingyuan has been preparing for the troupe audition for a long time. Since I’ve been a judge before, I know the requirements well. Practicing alone might not be enough…”
Suddenly, Su Wantang began to cough violently, as if choking on the soup. Gu Yanze immediately pulled her into his arms, patting her back anxiously.
Lingyuan had never seen him look so worried about anyone.
When Su Wantang finally stopped coughing, the two of them were completely wrapped up in each other.
Lingyuan stood up, her eyes stinging. “I’m full.”
Chapter 03
*