Contract Marriage: The Tycoon's Pampered Wife
Chapter 26 - 026: You really know how to make things difficult for me

Chapter 26: 026: You really know how to make things difficult for me

As the woman approached, the expression on Li Annan’s face became increasingly indescribable.

Dressed in a somewhat worn trench coat and jeans, her hair casually tied behind her head, she was not yet thirty, yet her face was already deeply etched with the marks of time.

"Annan... you..." The woman had well-proportioned features; one could tell she had been pretty when she was younger. Her eyes brimmed with tears, as if she didn’t know what to say.

After a long while, she asked with a choked voice, "Do you still remember me?"

Ning Guiwan observed Li Annan’s expression, and some things became obvious.

Subconsciously, she turned to look at Quan Yu.

The elevator was in Zone A. Quan Yu and Qiao Yishen were walking side by side toward Zone C.

Perhaps sensing something, Quan Yu turned his head to look over. A cigarette butt was clenched in the corner of his mouth. His gaze calmly swept over Ning Guiwan’s face without pausing, as if he had no interest in what was happening behind him.

"An’an!"

A woman’s shrill scream of terror suddenly rang out close by.

Ning Guiwan looked back, her complexion changing dramatically.

The little boy, who had been fine moments ago, suddenly started bleeding profusely from his nose; it was both sudden and fierce. He was somewhat at a loss and instinctively pinched his nose, but blood also gushed from his mouth, leaving the woman half-dead with fright. "Annan, take him to the hospital! Hurry, get him to the hospital!"

With human life at stake, whether the child was his or not, Li Annan couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

He picked up An’an in his arms. Instead of leaving immediately, he looked at Ning Guiwan, wanting to say something. Then he noticed her face was pale, her gaze fixed and very alarming.

"Wanwan..." Li Annan thought she had been frightened and was worried and apologetic. "You go back to the company first. I’ll take the kid to the hospital and then come find you. I will definitely explain this matter to you."

With that, he carried An’an toward his parked car.

The woman trotted after him. Before getting into the car, she turned and gave Ning Guiwan a deep look.

Li Annan’s car disappeared around a bend in the underground garage.

Ning Guiwan hadn’t clearly heard what he said before leaving. At that moment, a scene from four years ago replayed incessantly in her mind:

The flickering car headlights, the panicked crowd, her mother lying in a pool of blood, with blood pouring relentlessly from her mouth and nose...

Ning Guiwan felt a chill slowly enveloping her entire being, her body uncontrollably trembling. Her gaze fell on the patch of blood remaining on the ground. Its deep red color seemed to expand bit by bit until it filled her entire field of vision.

"Ning Guiwan!"

"Ning Guiwan!"

In a daze, she faintly heard someone calling her name.

Ning Guiwan’s vision slowly focused. Quan Yu’s sharply contoured face gradually came into focus.

"Is it that upsetting?" The man’s voice was calm, his gaze serene, seemingly no different from his usual nonchalant demeanor.

Ning Guiwan paused for a moment before understanding what he meant and slowly began to smile. But that smile lacked her usual coquetry; her delicate brows and eyes had lost their luster. Her pale, almost translucent little face showed a touch of fragility and helplessness.

She indeed looked like a heartbroken woman.

"It’s Uncle Yu, isn’t it? You haven’t left yet?"

Ning Guiwan looked around. "Has President Qiao left?"

Quan Yu watched her with an inscrutable gaze and remained silent.

Ning Guiwan found herself at a loss for words as well.

In the silence, the man lit a cigarette. The drifting threads of smoke blurred the expression on his face.

After some time, Ning Guiwan’s complexion slowly returned to normal. The smile she offered now once again sparkled enchantingly.

"There’s something I need to ask Uncle Yu for help with."

Quan Yu took the cigarette from his lips, his gaze focused, still silent.

"Don’t let Grandma Quan know about today’s incident."

Ning Guiwan said, "Her health isn’t good, and it’s not worth her worrying over such a trivial matter."

Quan Yu lowered his hand, flicking the cigarette twice by his leg. Ash fluttered down beside his pristine, black handmade leather shoes. His voice was nonchalant as he said, "Do you think I would tell her?"

Ning Guiwan smiled. "Uncle Yu certainly isn’t someone who talks behind people’s backs. But with so many prattling mouths, Uncle Yu wouldn’t want Grandma Quan to be bothered by this, right?"

Quan Yu paused at this, then said indifferently, "The hardest thing to control in the world is the words of others. You really are putting me in a difficult position."

The news of Li Annan suddenly having a son spread even faster than Ning Guiwan had imagined.

Back at the company, she pondered how to get Wei Chaolian’s number from the old lady reasonably and without arousing Grandma Quan’s suspicion. Currently, Wei Chaolian was the only one who knew Li Annan was her blind date and might tell Grandma Quan about his son.

But before she could devise a plan, the landline number of the Quan Family mansion appeared on her cellphone screen.

She answered, and sure enough, Grandma Quan’s concerned voice came through. "Xiaowan, are you alright?"

Ning Guiwan managed a smile. "I’m quite alright. Why do you ask?"

"Don’t hide it from me; Chaolian has told me all about it." Grandma Quan sighed, paused, then continued, "I never expected Annan to already have a child. Don’t be sad. I’ve already asked Chaolian to find someone suitable for you. Grandma will definitely see you happily and grandly married off this year!"

After hanging up, Ning Guiwan sighed deeply, propping her forehead with her hand and rubbing her temples.

When her phone rang again a short while later, she hesitated briefly before picking it up.

This time it was Li Annan calling.

「Fifteen minutes later, Ning Guiwan appeared in a coffee shop diagonally opposite the Tianchi Group.」

Li Annan looked worried but tried to appear relaxed when he saw her.

"How is the child?" Ning Guiwan sat down, then asked him.

"He... he’s very sick. He needs a bone marrow transplant..." Li Annan gazed at the girl opposite him. She was looking down at the tea menu, the light from the window illuminating her smooth profile, making her look as beautiful as a painting.

Humans are visual creatures, and Li Annan was no exception.

He admitted his attraction to Ning Guiwan had begun with her rare beauty. During their time together, he had gradually become captivated by her personality—seemingly fiery and vibrant, yet actually serene and graceful.

Ning Guiwan had also been slowly accepting him, and a happy future seemed within reach. But the sudden appearance of the mother and son had shattered everything.

He didn’t know how to tell Ning Guiwan that the woman, Zhang Shenglan, was a girlfriend he’d had before going abroad. Zhang Shenglan hadn’t wanted to wait for him, so they had broken up.

He had no idea Zhang Shenglan was pregnant at the time, nor had he known all these years that he had a son.

"Wanwan... I know you must be very disappointed in me. In my current situation, words are useless. Just give me some time. I will handle this properly."

Hearing this, Ning Guiwan smiled faintly. "Why would I be disappointed? You have a child. As a friend, I should be happy for you."

Li Annan’s heart sank.

"Take good care of the mother and son. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know."

Li Annan took a sip of his coffee. He had added sugar earlier, so it should have been sweet, but now he couldn’t taste any sweetness at all—only a mouthful of bitterness.