"I don't know what's going on either. It's been happening for over a year now. Every evening, my grandpa will inexplicably fall into a deep sleep. Then he'll start struggling as if he's having a nightmare. We've hired many famous doctors to see him, but they all just prescribe some calming medication, and it doesn't have much of an effect!"
Thinking of her grandfather Chu Tianxiang's illness, Chu Yan's heart ached. Her face was a mask of confusion and worry, so much so that she didn't even notice Zhou Fan was still holding her hand.
"Don't worry, I'll go with you to take a look tonight." Zhou Fan frowned slightly. He had his suspicions, but he couldn't make a rash judgment before seeing the man himself.
"Are you trying to comfort me, or are you just using this as an excuse to take advantage of me?"
"Honey, that's not fair. We're a married couple—we have the certificate and everything. How can you call this 'taking advantage'?"
"So that's why your hand is on my leg and you're not moving it? If I hadn't said anything, were you planning on putting your other hand there too?"
"Ahem, you can't blame me. Who could, when my wife is this charming?"
"Get out. Just come to my office before you leave for the day."
After being mercilessly kicked out of the office by Chu Yan once again, Zhou Fan hummed a little tune and headed for the sales department, his spirits high.
Back in the office, Chu Yan let out a helpless, wry smile. 'That damn scoundrel,' she thought, 'he's always pushing my buttons. If it were anyone else, I would've had security throw them out long ago!'
"Brother Fan, why did President Chu keep you? Was she giving you a promotion and a raise?" The moment Zhou Fan got back to the sales department, Gu Feifei popped her head up curiously, a gossipy look on her face.
"Oh, dear, my memory's suddenly gone bad. Maybe it's because I'm so thirsty!" Wanting to tease Gu Feifei, Zhou Fan leaned back in his chair and glanced at the empty cup on his desk.
"I was standing for too long in the president's office just now. My legs are a little sore!"
"My shoulders are a little stiff, too!"
And so, the moment Chen Yi walked in, she saw Gu Feifei bustling about Zhou Fan like a little handmaiden, one moment holding a cup to his lips, the next massaging his shoulders and legs.
"Are you two role-playing?" Chen Yi stood before them, clutching a stack of files, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Oh, it's nothing much. President Chu just asked me to accompany her home after work. You know I can treat illnesses, right? Apparently, her grandfather isn't doing too well."
Zhou Fan said this casually, but his eyes were fixed on the buttons of Chen Yi's blouse, visible behind the files she was holding.
"Still looking?" Chen Yi noticed his gaze and, remembering the scene in the car, couldn't help but blush. She shot him an angry glare, then pulled Gu Feifei back to her desk to get back to work.
After an afternoon of doing nothing, Zhou Fan went to Chu Yan's office when it was time to leave. He waited a few minutes for her, and then the two of them left in a car, heading for Chu Tianxiang's residence.
The Chu Family was a prominent and influential clan in Nanjiang City, easily ranking among the top five in terms of overall power. They owned a massive estate in North City.
The security guard at the gate saw Chu Yan and let them in. But the moment the car entered the estate grounds, Zhou Fan, in the passenger seat, stiffened. He furrowed his brow, rolled down the window, and looked up at the sky.
To an ordinary person, it was a beautiful, cloudless day. But what Zhou Fan saw was a black cloud shrouding the Chu Family estate, with waves of frigid air pulsing out from it from time to time.
"Our grandfather lives over there, right?" Zhou Fan asked, pointing to a building on the eastern side of the compound.
"Yes, he does. How did you know?" Chu Yan was taken aback. Although Chu Tianxiang's residence was slightly larger than the other buildings, the difference wasn't obvious. Most first-time visitors would never be able to guess.
Zhou Fan didn't answer. He could see the chilling energy from the black cloud funneling toward that very building in the east.
Just then, a group of people burst out from all directions, running frantically toward Chu Tianxiang's room. It looked like something terrible had happened.