Before Yan Yunning could ask anything, Gu Jingye told her which hospital and the room number, then hung up.

Yan Yunning’s heart gave a lurch. Hadn’t he been perfectly fine at dinner just now?

How had it suddenly spiked to 39 degrees Celsius?

Yan Yunning bit her lip and looked at Xuan Yanyu. She was sitting right in his arms, and it was obvious he had also heard the contents of the call. He was looking at her silently, saying nothing.

“I need to go to the hospital.” She steeled herself and said it plainly.

“What happened?” The man’s voice went slightly cold.

Yan Yunning kept her voice very soft and called him out directly. “You heard everything — why are you asking what happened……”

Xuan Yanyu’s deep eyes fixed intently on the young woman in his arms. He sidestepped the topic. “Didn’t you say you were hungry just now? Let’s go eat.”

Yan Yunning blinked her wide eyes, her voice sweet. “If you don’t have a meeting tonight, come with me to the hospital, and then we’ll eat after. Alright?”

Xuan Yanyu only smiled faintly. “There are doctors and nurses at the hospital. Going there won’t make him better any faster.”

Yan Yunning: “……”

She understood. In other words, it didn’t make much difference whether she went or not — going was pointless.

“Lulu doesn’t have any friends or family in Chaxi City. He’s sick. As his older sister, I should go check on him.”

Yan Yunning spoke patiently, deliberately giving deliberate weight to the word “older sister.”

Xuan Yanyu’s voice was very flat. “Didn’t you just receive a call from Gu Jingye? Isn’t Gu Jingye his friend? If he weren’t a friend, how would he know Zhilu had a fever, and why would he have the heart to send him to the hospital?”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together and tried to reason with him. “Xuan Yanyu, Wen Zhilu is just a little brother to me……”

“Yan Yunning?” Xuan Yanyu’s gaze turned sharp. His voice was dangerously calm. “A man hugs a woman — do you truly believe there isn’t even a trace of other feelings behind it? If it were me, I would never hug a so-called neighboring older sister with whom I share no blood relation!”

Yan Yunning removed his hand from her waist, stood up, and stepped back two paces. “Xuan Yanyu, you’re overthinking it.”

She and Lulu had grown up together, seeing each other nearly every day. Even after she came to Chaxi City, they kept up video calls. They hadn’t seen each other in four months this time — a hug seemed perfectly natural. She didn’t think Lulu had any other intentions behind it. At most, he was just excited.

“Yan Yunning!” The man’s handsome face was overcast.

“I’m here.” The young woman puckered her lips, her voice soft and gentle. “Can’t you calm down a little?”

“……” Xuan Yanyu laughed out of frustration. He truly had no way of dealing with her.

Yan Yunning walked over and took his hand, testing carefully, “Just go and take one look. Alright?”

If she went to the hospital alone, he’d blow up all over again.

Xuan Yanyu’s throat shifted. He clenched his fist.

Yan Yunning had a headache. She couldn’t understand why Xuan Yanyu harbored such deep hostility toward Wen Zhilu.

The hospital.

Xuan Yanyu, wearing a sour expression, grudgingly carried the fruit basket Yan Yunning had bought at the hospital entrance in one hand, while his other hand was held by Yan Yunning. Together they arrived outside the hospital room.

Yan Yunning raised her hand and knocked on the door. Hearing Gu Jingye call out “come in,” she gripped the door handle and opened it.

“Ning—” He Qingxia saw Yan Yunning holding Xuan Yanyu’s hand and froze, her eyes going wide, as though she’d been struck by lightning.

Xuan Yanyu and Ningning — how on earth did they know each other?!

Oh heavens, wasn’t Xuan Yanyu very protective of Shiyao?!

Hadn’t Ningning been sickened by what Shiyao said to her?!

Wait, how did Ningning end up entangled with Xuan Yanyu?!

And now they were holding hands?!

How did she know absolutely nothing about this?!

“Yanyu-ge, Ningning.” Gu Jingye suppressed the shock at the bottom of his heart.

So it seemed Uncle Xuan hadn’t just been talking idly last time. It had only been this short a time, and he’d already brought Ningning and Yanyu-ge together.

On the hospital bed, connected to an IV drip, Wen Zhilu felt as though he’d been struck by a paralysis spell — every drop of blood in his body had gone cold. He’d only been away from her for four months. Just four months……

Just four months……

“How did you end up with a fever?” Yan Yunning took the fruit basket from Xuan Yanyu’s hand and set it on the table.

He Qingxia let out a sigh. “Right after you left, Wen Zhilu also went. Gu Jingye and I hadn’t finished eating yet when Gu Jingye got a call from Wen Zhilu saying he felt terrible and was about to faint.”

“We rushed to the hotel and took him to the hospital. Fortunately, nothing serious — just a fever.”

Yan Yunning narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at the pale young man in the bed. “Did you catch a cold?”

Ever since he was small, as long as his body was exposed to cold, he’d develop a fever within two hours.

Wen Zhilu turned his head to the side, yanked the hospital blanket over himself, and presented Yan Yunning with nothing but his back.

Yan Yunning pressed her hand to her forehead. Was he angry because she hadn’t stayed to finish the meal with him?

“We’ve seen him. Let’s go eat.” Before Yan Yunning could say anything, Xuan Yanyu was already urging her to leave.

“Gu Jingye and I haven’t eaten our fill either — let’s all go together.” He Qingxia sidled up next to Yan Yunning and shot her a fierce sideways glare.

At dinner earlier she’d said she wasn’t in a relationship, and now they were holding hands.

Yan Yunning touched her nose guiltily.

“Zhilu hasn’t eaten either. Let’s wait until after his IV finishes.” Gu Jingye, understanding Wen Zhilu’s feelings all too well at that moment, suggested as much.

Yan Yunning squeezed a certain someone’s fingers.

Xuan Yanyu said nothing, but he didn’t refuse either. He pulled Yan Yunning over to sit on the sofa.

“Since when?” After a long silence, He Qingxia finally couldn’t hold it in and walked over to sit beside Yan Yunning, asking under her breath.

Yan Yunning’s lips pressed together slightly. She genuinely didn’t know how to answer this one. After a moment’s thought, she leaned close to He Qingxia’s ear and lowered her voice. “We haven’t made it official yet.”

He Qingxia secretly glanced past Yan Yunning at Xuan Yanyu. Other than being the heir to the Xuan Group and having an absolutely stunning face, what else did he have to offer, really?

“Why do you have to get involved with him?” He Qingxia continued unhappily. “Ningning, have you forgotten that Shiyao used him to make trouble for us? And that last time he had his bodyguards protect Shiyao? Anyway, you haven’t made it official yet — just date someone else.”

“Yanyu-ge, some water.” Gu Jingye brought over a cup of water from the dispenser and handed it to Xuan Yanyu.

Taking advantage of Xuan Yanyu’s conversation with Gu Jingye, He Qingxia lowered her head toward Yan Yunning and said in a hushed voice, “Ningning, do you remember that time we went to the amusement park — the time that couple was fighting — Shiyao took a photo of you and Gu Jingye out of context, twisting what was actually happening.”

She paused, glanced at Xuan Yanyu again to confirm he was still chatting with Gu Jingye, then continued,

“Shiyao showed the photo to Xuan Yanyu’s father. His father called Gu Jingye in to question him about it. When he found out it was all a misunderstanding, he had Gu Jingye go after whoever took the photo and hold them accountable.”

“And then Xuan Yanyu said no real harm had been done and shielded Shiyao — let it go after Shiyao apologized. Just like that.”

“You absolute fool — can’t you stay away from him?!” He Qingxia was fuming.

This whole matter was something she’d only found out about later from Gu Jingye. She’d decided not to mention it to Ningning, not wanting to upset her over nothing — and yet here Ningning was about to get together with Xuan Yanyu of all people.