Chapter 332: An Irrefutable Command

Aside from Gu Yang, Su Yan and the Ma Chulong siblings had all completed their discharge procedures.

Having just received the news, Lu Feng and the leaders of the publishing house rushed over to visit immediately.

There were certain circumstances that Gu Yang could not disclose directly; fortunately, Du Jinsong had already prepared an explanation for the public.

He had been kidnapped by criminals and was injured during a struggle, resulting in severe blood loss.

After Gu Yang finished dealing with the leaders, Lu Feng lingered, acting indecisively instead of leaving right away.

Only after everyone else had left did Lu Feng begin to ask serious questions.

Gu Yang could deceive others, but he could not deceive him.

His current state looked like much more than just simple blood loss; he was so weak that he lacked even the strength to speak.

"How did it get this serious? What the hell did that damn Liu Yiyi do to you?"

Even though he knew Liu Yiyi was dead, Lu Feng still grit his teeth whenever he mentioned her.

Gu Yang replied feebly, "It's all in the past. I don't want to mention it again."

Looking at his withered complexion, Lu Feng felt that aside from his physical body, his spirit seemed to have suffered a massive blow as well.

"I really should have brought a mirror so you could see yourself clearly. Is there something on your mind that you can't tell me?"

They were his closest friends; there was absolutely no need for any reservations.

Gu Yang gave a bitter smile but still did not speak.

Lu Feng let out a long sigh.

At that moment, the ward door opened, and Su Yan walked in from outside.

Beside her was Zhou Ye.

"Brother Lu, are you here to visit Brother Gu?" Su Yan greeted Lu Feng proactively upon seeing him.

Lu Feng hurriedly smiled at her, but his expression soon turned to confusion.

"Sister-in-law, what happened to your eyes?"

She was Gu Yang's fiancée, so the title "sister-in-law" came quite naturally to him.

Su Yan gave a dry cough, not wanting to waste energy correcting him, and simply replied, "I injured my eyes a few days ago, but it's nothing serious."

"Then since you're using a cloth to cover your eyes and can't see, won't it be very inconvenient for your daily life? Do you need me to help you find a reliable nanny temporarily? Also, how did you know I was in the ward?" Lu Feng first asked with concern, then stared at her suspiciously.

After all, his good friend was currently in such a sickly state that he certainly wouldn't be able to take care of her.

Gu Yang shook his head helplessly; he knew Lu Feng meant well, but he didn't know that Su Yan didn't need any help at all.

Sure enough, in the next second, Su Yan refused directly. "I heard Brother Lu speaking from outside the door when I walked in. As for a nanny, it won't be necessary."

Lu Feng realized the situation, and then his searching gaze fell upon Zhou Ye.

"And this is...?"

Zhou Ye's temperament was simply too outstanding; it was difficult to intentionally ignore him.

A smile immediately surfaced on Su Yan's face as she looked directly at Gu Yang in the hospital bed.

"Brother Gu, this is my teacher, Zhou Ye. Teacher had things to attend to yesterday, so I brought him here today."

Whether it was Zhou Ye or Gu Yang, they were the most important people to Su Yan, and she naturally hoped they could get along amicably.

A complex emotion flashed through Gu Yang's eyes for a split second before he deliberately put on an air of enthusiastic surprise.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou. I've often heard Yan Yan mention you, but I didn't expect you to be so young."

Zhou Ye similarly showed no sign of abnormality. "I've also been hearing Yan Yan talk about you these past two days. You truly are young and promising. Thank you for your hard work this time."

Lu Feng's gaze drifted incessantly between Gu Yang and Zhou Ye, sensing the scent of gossip in the air.

After a brief exchange, Zhou Ye made a casual excuse and left.

Su Yan remained by the bedside; she had things to discuss with Gu Yang.

"Brother Gu, I will be setting off with the Zhou family tomorrow."

After discussing it with her teacher, she had decided to go.

Firstly, the opportunity was rare, as she could interact with members of the four great families simultaneously. Secondly, to fully control the energy in her eyes, she needed to absorb a large amount of *Sui* Qi (evil aura). To achieve this in a short period, her only option was to try her luck during this trip.

Gu Yang's nerves instantly tightened. "You're leaving tomorrow?"

Su Yan nodded. "Don't worry, everything has been arranged with Brother Ma. I will take good care of myself."

Her tone was exceptionally serious and solemn, intended to prevent Gu Yang from worrying.

But how could Gu Yang truly be at ease?

He had promised Zhou Ye that he would stay away from Su Yan; perhaps the chances of seeing her again would only grow slimmer.

Thinking of this, Gu Yang felt as if his heart were being sliced by a knife.

"Brother Gu, why does your complexion look so terrible? Are you feeling unwell somewhere again?"

Su Yan's concerned words left Lu Feng, who was standing nearby, dumbfounded.

Wasn't her eyes covered? How could she know Gu Yang's complexion looked terrible?

But it truly did look terrible.

"Gu Yang, do you not want Sister-in-law to leave? Well, it makes sense; you're so weak right now, you definitely need someone by your side to take care of you."

He raised his voice intentionally, fearing Su Yan wouldn't understand.

Gu Yang, however, gave him a look that said *stop talking*.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me. Yan Yan, you must prioritize your safety on this trip. If anything happens, discuss it with Brother Ma and the others."

Even with a thousand words of admonition, he could not diminish even a shred of the reluctance and unease in his heart.

At this moment, Su Yan's feelings were almost identical to his; she had already made up her mind to distance herself from him.

Even if they were not by each other's side, as long as he was safe and well, that would be enough.

"I will contact you often."

"Alright. Go ahead and do what you want to do and what you must do. Don't worry about me or the family." Gu Yang pulled at the corners of his mouth to reveal a gentle smile.

A wave of bitterness rose in Su Yan's heart, but she quickly suppressed it with effort.

Regarding the state and decisions of the two, Lu Feng truly could not understand.

Clearly, Gu Yang didn't feel that way, yet he seemed to sense a sense of impending separation and death between the two of them.

Something was wrong; it was far too strange.

***

Kong Nian entered the hospital alone. Tomorrow, she would be following the Zhou family to the ancestral lands, so she naturally wanted to come and see Gu Yang today.

Just as she was walking up the stairs toward Gu Yang's ward, a man came walking down toward her.

The man exuded a powerful aura from head to toe that was impossible to ignore; as he passed her, he actually came to a sudden halt.

Kong Nian had always maintained a high and aloof posture when facing anyone, but this time, she only wanted to distance herself from this strange man as quickly as possible.

"You are Kong Nian?"

The other party had actually spoken her name directly.

Kong Nian's breath hitched, and a look of defensiveness instantly appeared on her face.

"You know me?"

Yet, she did not know him.

Zhou Ye swept a gaze over her with an expressionless face.

The seemingly simple scrutiny caused the hairs on Kong Nian's body to tremble in terror.

"Follow me."

It was not an invitation, nor a question, but a command that could not be refused.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on Kong Nian's palms. By the time she reacted, she was already following in Zhou Ye's footsteps.

(End of Chapter)