CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 120: THE BIRTHMARK ON THE LOWER BACK

In the private room of the café, Ye Ningwan was stirring her coffee while staring absentmindedly at a painting on the wall.

Wen Jianan pushed the door open and immediately saw this static picture of a beauty.

Momentarily lost in thought, he quickly came back to his senses, walked over, and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Why did you suddenly ask to meet me?" Wen Jianan asked.

Ye Ningwan snapped out of it, her expression grave as she took out a recorder, playing the conversation between her and Li Qingqing for him to hear.

Wen Jianan’s face changed drastically as he listened, growing more and more shocked, unable to stop his eyes from widening and his fists tightening.

"Ye Ningwan, what do you mean?"

"Wen Jianan, you’re a smart person. You should understand what I’m trying to convey." Ye Ningwan said slowly.

Indeed, Wen Jianan wasn’t foolish and naturally could understand the deep implications contained in that conversation.

But he hadn’t expected it to really be Li Qingqing.

"My cousin treated her well," Wen Jianan said through gritted teeth. "Her family’s circumstances are poor; her father is a drunkard, and her mother loves gambling. If it weren’t for my aunt’s family taking her in, she might have been sold off by her parents long ago. How dare she... how could she."

"I don’t know how she managed it—she’s very clever, probably impossible to get the truth from. This is what I promised you, to help you investigate the cause of Li Weiluo’s death, and now I have done it," Ye Ningwan said.

Wen Jianan angrily responded, "She likes Zhan Hanjue, so although my cousin wasn’t killed by Zhan Hanjue himself, she died because of him. If you stay by Zhan Hanjue’s side, you’ll end up like my cousin and that actress sooner or later."

Ye Ningwan replied, "Whatever fate awaits me is none of your concern. We aren’t in a relationship where we care about each other."

Wen Jianan immediately said, "Certainly, I’m not concerned about you, I’m just warning you."

"Thank you for the warning, but it’s unnecessary."

"Obsessed, what good does that man have that makes you all gravitate towards him, even committing murder," Wen Jianan couldn’t understand.

Ye Ningwan said, "Whether he’s good or not, you certainly won’t get to experience it in your lifetime. Have you made any progress on what I asked you to do?"

Wen Jianan shook his head with a somber expression: "No, he had studied medicine outside, but whether he brought back a child, no one knows. You spoke too vaguely; do you have any more specific information?"

"Oh, that child has a blue birthmark on the waist. But most newborns have birthmarks; they fade as they grow older. I don’t know if it’s still there," Ye Ningwan said.

"Blue birthmark? On the waist?" Wen Jianan’s face showed great surprise.

"What, is there a clue?" Ye Ningwan asked understandingly, seeing his reaction.

Wen Jianan quickly shook his head: "No, no clues. This information is very useful, I’ll keep an eye out."

His gaze fell, across the table, his hand unconsciously touched his lower back.

With a "bang", the door opened.

Zhan Hanjue walked in with a grim expression.

Wen Jianan suddenly stood up, seeing Zhan Hanjue, his enemy, made him red with anger.

As for Ye Ningwan, she was relatively calm, looking at him quietly as he came in, raising her eyebrows to ask, "Looking for me, are you?"

Zhan Hanjue’s gaze sank heavily, looking at Wen Jianan.

Wen Jianan also stared at him angrily.

"You really hate me?" Zhan Hanjue asked.

Wen Jianan snorted coldly, "Not hate, resent. If it weren’t for you, my cousin wouldn’t have died."

"Your cousin?"

"Li Weiluo."

"Turns out you’re Dean Wen’s son."

"My name is Wen Jianan."

He most hated being referred to as Dean Wen’s son, living in his shadow.

"Why are you two meeting?" Zhan Hanjue asked.

Ye Ningwan replied, "It’s nothing. We are classmates discussing school matters. Now that we’re done discussing, I can leave."

She said this while standing up, intending to leave.

But Zhan Hanjue was not convinced by her answer.

He grabbed her wrist and turned to Wen Jianan, asking, "What school business requires you to discuss it here?"

Ye Ningwan angrily shook off his hand and said furiously, "Zhan Hanjue, are you being reasonable or not? You can meet your confidante late at night, so can’t I have a coffee with a classmate? It’s not even dark; we’re open and aboveboard, much more straightforward than your clandestine encounters."

Seeing her anger, Zhan Hanjue, upon hearing her jealousy-laden words, was torn between being upset and delighted.

Wen Jianan, beside them, saw that Ye Ningwan was merely being petty and voicing jealousy without mentioning a word about Li Qingqing’s vile deeds.

He thought she sympathized with Zhan Hanjue, not wanting him to know the danger.

Frustrated, he said, "Ye Ningwan, even now you don’t want him to know the truth?"

"What truth?" Zhan Hanjue asked.

Ye Ningwan, panicking, said, "No truth, let’s go home, don’t listen to him rant."

As she spoke, Ye Ningwan was about to drag Zhan Hanjue away.

But Zhan Hanjue stood still, his gaze heavy as he looked at Wen Jianan, waiting for him to speak.

Wen Jianan saw that Ye Ningwan indeed cared for Zhan Hanjue, not wanting him to know Li Qingqing’s malice.

Angry, he said to Zhan Hanjue, "She’s reluctant to tell you; I’ll tell you."

"Wen Jianan, enough," Ye Ningwan shouted sharply.

"Ye Ningwan, it’s you who should stop. Do you have to be harmed by Li Qingqing before he realizes?"

Wen Jianan took out Ye Ningwan’s recorder and played the conversation for Zhan Hanjue to hear.

After it finished, he coldly mocked, "Zhan Hanjue, you aren’t foolish, you should understand what this means. My sister Li Weiluo and your once celebrity fiancée were both killed by Li Qingqing. She likes you; as long as there are other women around you, she’ll harm them, making you an isolated person belonging only to her."

"She never told me she liked me," Zhan Hanjue said deeply.

Wen Jianan was stunned, showing a surprised expression.

Li Qingqing had never confessed?

Ye Ningwan smiled bitterly, saying to Wen Jianan, "That’s why I didn’t tell him. I said it, but he wouldn’t believe it; he’d only think I’m sowing discord. Why should I make myself into such a clown-like figure?"

Wen Jianan angrily said, "Zhan Hanjue, are you stupid? Li Qingqing is slowly eating away at you, yet you still believe she’s innocent? One day, Ye Ningwan will also be harmed by her."

"She is my wife; no one dares hurt her," Zhan Hanjue said coldly.

Saying this, he took Ye Ningwan away.

Wen Jianan, filled with rage, went to find Li Qingqing to confront her.

However, his status meant he couldn’t meet Li Qingqing at all.

Even saying he had a familial connection was met with refusal.

His furious indignation found no outlet.

Meanwhile, in the car with Zhan Hanjue, Ye Ningwan remained silent.

Feeling wronged, she leaned against the car window, blinking tears that made Zhan Hanjue’s heart ache terribly.