"Yes, he used to dislike women. Whenever a woman got close to him, he would become agitated and disgusted. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to test whether his condition had improved."
Gu Kai affirmed in a confident tone.
Wen Ran found it hard to believe. She knew that there had never been any women around Mo Xiuchen—not even his assistant was female. But she had always assumed it was because of his 'condition' that he didn't want women around him.
She never imagined that he actually disliked women.
Yet, every night, he held her while they slept, and she never sensed any aversion from him.
Gu Kai noticed the doubt in Wen Ran's expression. He set down his insulated cup, the corners of his thin lips curving up in a faint smile. "When Xiuchen suddenly decided to marry you, I thought it was strange. But after our dinner that day, I realized he doesn't dislike you. That's a good sign."
A trace of confusion flickered across Wen Ran's face, but she vaguely understood what he was implying.
"You said earlier that you want Xiuchen to be healthy and happy, right?"
He smiled gently at her, his voice soft.
Wen Ran nodded, and he continued, "Then why don't you try? Maybe you can cure him."
Gu Kai's handsome face carried a genuine smile, along with a hint of anticipation, as if he truly hoped she could help his good friend recover.
Wen Ran had no doubts about his words. Thinking back to Mo Xiuchen's reactions when they were together, she also felt a glimmer of hope. The dullness in her eyes faded, replaced by renewed brightness.
"Thank you for telling me this, Dr. Gu."
Gu Kai replied casually, "If you really want to thank me, then stop calling me 'Dr. Gu.' Xiuchen and I are good friends. Just call me by my name."
"How can I do that?"
Wen Ran shook her head. Mo Xiuchen was a few years older than her, and since Gu Kai was his good friend, he was also much older than her. Calling him by his name felt too disrespectful.
"I used to have a younger sister. If she were still here, she'd be about your age now. You can call me Brother Gu instead. Just don't keep calling me 'Dr. Gu'—I'm getting tired of hearing it."
As he spoke, he even made a playful gesture as if clearing his ears.
Wen Ran thought for a moment and chose the latter option. "Then I'll call you Brother Gu. Thank you, Brother Gu!"
Gu Kai laughed heartily. When he heard her call him "Brother Gu," an unexpected warmth and emotion filled his heart. It was as if the lively and charming girl in front of him was not an outsider but the sister he had been searching for all these years.
Just then, a nurse knocked on the door, calling Gu Kai to a patient's room. Since Wen Ran had asked all her questions, she returned to her brother Wen Jin's hospital room.
Gu Kai called Mo Xiuchen just as he finished a phone conversation with Qin Mu, who had been sent to F City over the weekend to investigate Wen Ran's early childhood before she turned six.
Mo Xiuchen lazily answered with a simple, "Hello?"
On the other end, Gu Kai's cheerful voice rang out, "Xiuchen, I did you a huge favor. You owe me big time."
"What favor? Did you call the wrong number?"
Mo Xiuchen's gaze darkened slightly, his tone indifferent.
"Wen Ran came to see me just now. She asked about you."
Gu Kai deliberately teased him by stopping there.
Mo Xiuchen narrowed his eyes slightly, quickly deducing why Wen Ran might have sought out Gu Kai. His gaze flickered, and he asked in a deep voice, "What did she say to you?"
"Do you really want to know?"
Gu Kai chuckled over the phone.
"Cut the nonsense!"
Mo Xiuchen's face turned cold with displeasure. When Gu Kai didn't continue, he asked directly, "Did she ask if my 'condition' was real or not?"
"That's not exactly how she put it. She asked if your condition was treatable. She said she hopes you can be healthy and happy. Xiuchen, I don't know why you married Wen Ran, but she genuinely cares about you."
Gu Kai's use of "genuinely" did not mean that Wen Ran was in love with Mo Xiuchen, but rather that her attitude toward him was sincere. She truly wanted to treat him well.
Mo Xiuchen's mind flashed with images of Wen Ran's delicate, fair face and her gentle smile. A warmth spread through his chest, and the corners of his lips curved slightly. "How did you respond to her?"
Hearing the change in his tone, Gu Kai rolled his eyes before replying, "I told her that your condition had been treated before, but because of your aversion to women, the effectiveness was unknown. I suggested that she try to help you recover. Pretty good of me, right?"
Mo Xiuchen frowned slightly before breaking into a smile.
Now, he was quite curious to see how Wen Ran would "help" him.
"Is she still at the hospital?"
Mo Xiuchen didn't answer but asked another question instead. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was indeed grateful to Gu Kai.
"She's probably in her brother's room right now."
Gu Kai replied uncertainly.
Mo Xiuchen glanced at the digital clock on the wall. After briefly telling Gu Kai that he had something to do, he hung up the phone and immediately dialed Wen Ran's number.
G City, a certain café.
Xiao Wenqing walked into the café, scanned the room, and headed toward a secluded corner in the southeast. She sat down at a table and asked impatiently, "What's so urgent that you had to call me out?"
Zhou Mingfu smiled obsequiously and said flatteringly, "I have something important to discuss with you. What would you like to drink?"
"Just a cup of Blue Mountain coffee."
Xiao Wenqing ordered from the approaching waiter. The waiter responded politely and turned away.
"Mrs. Mo, I heard from A-Lin that you invited her to dinner at the Mo residence tonight. Is that true?"
Zhou Mingfu carefully observed Xiao Wenqing. Although they had certain shared interests, she was still the mistress of the Mo family and the wife of A City's wealthiest man, Mo Jingteng. She was far above him in status.
Xiao Wenqing lazily responded with a casual "Hmm" and said, "If Zhou Lin can give Zixuan a son, she's more than welcome to dine at the Mo residence. In fact, she could even marry into the Mo family."
Zhou Mingfu beamed with delight and immediately reassured her, "Don't worry, Mrs. Mo. A-Lin will definitely give birth to a son for Zixuan and continue the Mo family lineage. Who knows, she might already be carrying your future grandson!"
This wasn't just Xiao Wenqing's wish—it was also Zhou Mingfu's biggest dream.
But Xiao Wenqing wasn't someone who could be easily swayed by a few flattering words. After the waiter served the coffee, she stirred in some sugar and said, "Since you called me out today, go back and tell your daughter to cooperate with me tonight. No matter what, she must keep Wen Ran occupied."
Zhou Mingfu nodded without hesitation. "No problem, Mrs. Mo. I'll make sure A-Lin does as you say. But could you give me more details? That way, she can better assist you."
Xiao Wenqing frowned slightly, a trace of impatience flashing across her face. However, she still explained her plan. She told Zhou Mingfu that tonight, she needed to test Mo Xiuchen—and the plan had to succeed!