Flash Marriage: He is a Wife-pampering Addict

Chapter 673: Pretending Not to Know

The flight of Mo Xiuchen and Qin Mu to G City was only twenty minutes later than the one Shen Yuting was on.

Wen Ran discovered this after she and Gu Kai ended their phone call and received a message from Mo Xiuchen.

They had already grown used to communicating via messages. After receiving his message, Wen Ran replied that she would meet him at the airport.

Sitting in the passenger seat en route to the airport, Wen Ran felt a bit nervous. Over and over again in her mind, she contemplated what expression and tone she should use when seeing Mo Xiuchen.

Should she ignore his apparent weight loss?

Should she wait for him to tell her the truth, confront him, or continue to feign ignorance if he keeps quiet?

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

Whether she knew or didn’t, both scenarios had their advantages. Even though she suspected that Mo Xiuchen had guessed she went to D Country, it was just an assumption after all.

Another reason for her pretending not to know was self-deception.

Sometimes she actually managed to deceive herself into thinking that Mo Xiuchen was merely investigating Fu Jingyi abroad and not seeking treatment for an illness.

“Ranran, you don’t have to be anxious. If you want to go to D Country with Xiuchen, just tell him you already know about his illness.”

Gu Kai couldn’t help but speak up gently.

All the way, he had been observing Wen Ran in the passenger seat; her tight interlocking hands on her lap, her lips pursed from time to time, the occasional furrowing of her brows, and other small movements.

A twinkle flashed in Wen Ran’s eyes as she forced a smile: “Brother, is it that obvious?”

Gu Kai nodded, his voice full of concern: “Very obvious.”

Wen Ran bowed her head, pursed her lips, and fell silent.

With another soft sigh, Gu Kai reassured her as he gently patted her head: “Ranran, nothing will happen to Xiuchen. Just think of it as he is going on a business trip, and he will be back after some time. He will return to your side safe and sound.”

He understood the conflict in Wen Ran’s heart and did not want to force her.

In truth, Mo Xiuchen was not entirely unreasonable. If Ranran were to see how hard Mo Xiuchen had suffered, she would probably be heartbroken.

When Gu Kai accompanied Mo Xiuchen abroad, Xiuchen had already been experiencing frequent headaches and nosebleeds. While nosebleeds weren’t painful, the headaches were different – he had personally witnessed Xiuchen suffering to the point of turning pale.

These days, although treatment was ongoing, ordinary painkillers were not helping his condition. Xiuchen was reluctant to use them, and the severity of the headaches was escalating each time.

This meant that enduring severe headaches time and again required tremendous willpower, each time leaving him as white as a sheet, drenched in cold sweat.

“Brother, I’m fine. Let’s just let everything run its course,” Wen Ran said, looking at Gu Kai with a gentle smile. She forced down her internal conflict and sadness, resolved to meet Xiuchen cheerfully.

They did not wait at the airport for long before Shen Yuting emerged from security with the other passengers. Wen Ran hugged her first, then said after releasing her, “Sister Ting, whatever work you’ve been doing, it’s made you lose a lot of weight.”

Shen Yuting’s eyes twinkled, then she laughed: “Not at all, I’ve been envying your figure, so I’ve deliberately eaten less these days to try and lose weight.”

At her words, Gu Kai’s brows furrowed as he chided, “Yuting, don’t try to imitate Ranran. She is the kind of person who can eat a lot without gaining weight. Unless you start eating only one meal a day, you won’t be able to get as thin as her.”

Wen Ran was truly slim, especially after the physical and emotional torment of the past few days, which had made her already slender body even thinner – her chin was now pointed.

Shen Yuting had also lost weight recently. As he watched her forced smile, he remembered what Wen Ran had said on the phone that morning and narrowed his eyes, asking with concern, “Yuting, is something weighing on you?”

Shen Yuting laughed and shook her head: “Cousin, what could be bothering me? You really believed what I just said, didn’t you? It’s only because I’ve been too busy lately and only been having two meals a day. Don’t worry. No matter how much weight I lose, I won’t become as thin as Ranran.”

“Ranran, how dare you call me skinny when you look like you could be blown away by a gust of wind!”

Shen Yuting playfully rolled her eyes at Wen Ran, took her by the hand, and suggested, “Let’s go, Ranran. We haven’t seen each other in ages. Let’s go have a delicious meal tonight and replenish ourselves.”

Wen Ran giggled, “Sister Ting, we can’t go yet. Xiuchen and Qin Mu will be here soon. Let’s wait for them, and we can all leave together.”

“Xiuchen?”

Shen Yuting paused and looked at Gu Kai. When he nodded, her eyes flickered, and she laughed while teasing, “Ranran, it turns out you didn’t come to pick me up? I was flattered for nothing.”

Wen Ran glared at her: “How could I not be here to pick you up? Brother, back me up.”

“I can vouch for that, Yuting. Ranran came to pick you up, and since she was already here, she is also picking up Xiuchen and Ah Mu.”

Gu Kai looked at Wen Ran and Shen Yuting with a smiling expression, pleased with their sisterly relationship.

Initially, Shen Yuting’s infatuation with Mo Xiuchen had worried him. Especially on Wen Ran’s birthday when Shen Yuting confessed her feelings to Mo Xiuchen after getting drunk. After Mo Xiuchen rejected her and he had scolded her in her room, she had distanced herself from him.

It had taken her a while to become close to him again, just like before.

The three of them stood outside the security checkpoint, chatting while waiting for Mo Xiuchen and Qin Mu.

Assuming that Wen Ran was still unaware of Mo Xiuchen’s condition, Shen Yuting didn’t want to say too much. They stuck to trivial topics. With Gu Kai present, Wen Ran also couldn’t ask Shen Yuting about her relationship with Jiang Liu.

After checking the time, Wen Ran took Shen Yuting to the restroom, where she casually asked, “Sister Ting, didn’t you tell your boyfriend about your arrival today? Why didn’t he come to pick you up?”

Hearing her words, Shen Yuting, who had been washing her hands, paused, the smile on her face freezing. Looking at Wen Ran in the mirror, she said quietly, “Ranran, I ended things with him.”

Wen Ran was taken aback, her face showing concern as she watched Shen Yuting: “Sister Ting, what happened? Is there a misunderstanding between you two? Didn’t you say earlier that he was good to you, that being with him felt relaxing and happy?”

Shen Yuting’s lips lifted in a bitter smile, “Ranran, that was in the past. From now on, he and I will have nothing to do with each other.”

Recalling Jiang Liu telling Cheng Jia about her and Mo Xiuchen’s trip and even suggesting to Cheng Jia that she could take advantage of Mo Xiuchen’s absence to make her move on Wen Ran, it was impossible for her not to feel hateful and annoyed.

How could she continue with a man who had helped a vile woman harm her family and friends?