No, he wouldn't think that way, because he likes Xia Ran, so he's willing to do it; that's probably what people call liking and love.
After listening to Yu Chao's words, Xia Ran simply lowered her head and chuckled softly, unconsciously kicking a pebble on the ground, and said leisurely,
"You don't understand exactly what happened."
Xia Ran did not deny what Yu Chao said, but he still felt that he was very stupid. He knew that Gu Zheng treated him differently from Gu En, but he was just deceiving himself and did not want to admit it.
"Never mind." Xia Ran took a deep breath. "Everything is in the past now. Senior, I heard there's a new bar that opened in the south of the city. How about we check it out tonight?"
"Sure," Yu Chao readily agreed. "What time tonight? You helped me so much earlier, I'll treat you to a drink."
He knew Xia Ran didn't want to continue the topic of Gu Zheng, so he went along with it.
"Nine o'clock, let's meet at the bar entrance at nine o'clock tonight. You don't mind if I bring Dazhuang along, do you?"
Yu Chao: "Of course I don't mind. I'll drive you home first."
"Okay." Xia Ran smiled faintly, as if she didn't care at all about what had happened at the hotel.
But he himself knows what he really feels inside.
After being taken home by Yu Chao, Xia Ran returned to his own company. Since the small company was just starting out and he had just finished negotiating a cooperation, he had a lot to do.
When Xia Ran pushed open the door, he had already agreed that there was one more person in the house. He was slightly taken aback when he saw He Xiushi sitting in the living room.
"Dr. He, what brings you here?"
Xia Ran's expression became more tense. He looked at the smiling old man beside him, feeling somewhat uneasy.
He didn't tell his grandfather that he had stayed in the hospital for a period of time before.
Chapter 213 Gu Zheng is missing
"I'm just here on a business trip, and I thought I'd drop by." He Xiu had a faint smile on his face, and Xia Ran breathed a sigh of relief.
Judging from Grandpa's expression, he probably doesn't know yet.
Dazhuang was just coming out of the kitchen cutting fruit when he heard this and immediately responded.
"He Xiu came to see me. He has a couple of days off, so he came to visit me for a couple of days."
Grandpa Xia had a smile on his face the whole time, and said,
"Alright, alright, you young people chat. I've arranged to play chess with Lao Li and the others, so I won't bother you any longer."
Xia Ran: "Grandpa, be careful on the road, don't stay in the rain for too long."
"I know, I know. Grandpa isn't a child. Of course he has a sense of time."
Grandpa Xia waved his hand dismissively, while Xia Ran watched the old man's retreating figure with a hint of helplessness.
Who says the old man isn't a child? When he gets engrossed in playing chess or cards, he always forgets the time, and I always have to call him back.
Dazhuang placed the fruit platter in front of He Xiu, and then asked Xia Ran to sit down.
"Xia Ran, please have a seat. Let Dr. He come over and take a look at your condition."
Xia Ran reluctantly sat down and said,
"I'm fine now, I don't need to see it anymore."
"How can we do that?" Dazhuang glared at Xia Ran. "Since He Xiu has come all this way, how can we not take a look at him after he went to all this trouble to come all this way, right?"
Xia Ran felt somewhat helpless after hearing Da Zhuang's words, but in the end she still nodded in agreement.
"Okay, then I'll leave it to Dr. He."
He Xiu nodded. "It's not a problem. I thought we were already friends."
Xia Ran was taken aback for a moment, then smiled, "Indeed, we're friends now."
Since they've already taken the initiative to befriend her, Xia Ran isn't going to refuse them.
He Xiu: "How have you been lately?"
Xia Ran nodded. "It's fine."
"That's true. You seem to be in a good mood, but Gu Zheng is not doing so well. He was in a car accident and almost didn't make it back."
He Xiu brought up the matter as if it were unintentional.
Upon hearing this, Xia Ran was stunned. Gu Zheng really had been in a car accident? So what Qin Hao said today was true? And the reason he was in a wheelchair was indeed due to physical reasons?
After Xia Ran came to her senses, she glanced at He Xiu, as if to see whether He Xiu's words were intentional or unintentional.
However, He Xiu's expression was calm, as if he had said it casually.
Da Zhuang didn't say anything either, because He Xiu had said on the phone that this was also a process to see if Xia Ran's condition had improved or worsened.
Xia Ran suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, smiled slightly, and said,
"That's his business; it has nothing to do with me now."
"Indeed, I shouldn't have brought this up." He Xiu's face showed a hint of regret.
Xia Ran: "It's okay, I don't care anymore."
He said he didn't care, but he couldn't help but think of Gu Zheng in his wheelchair.
Da Zhuang glanced at Xia Ran, but couldn't help but speak up.
"If you ask me, he deserves it. He actually let Gu En come to the door to insult Xia Ran. If it weren't for Grandpa Xia stopping him, I would have rushed up and beaten them up long ago."
Xia Ran still seemed unmoved, while He Xiu spoke up.
"You must have misunderstood Gu Zheng. He was in a car accident the day you left and has been in the hospital ever since. As for Gu En, as far as I know, Gu Zheng has already kicked him out of the Gu family, and the two of them have no relationship now."
Xia Ran was stunned again. He originally thought that Gu Zheng had only come to him for the sake of the child, but he did not expect that Gu Zheng had actually severed ties with Gu En.
But didn't Gu Zheng like Gu En very much? Why does he suddenly want to distance himself from Gu En?
Da Zhuang was also dumbfounded; he shared the same thought as Xia Ran.
“That’s their business,” Xia Ran said. “No matter what, we’re already divorced. I don’t want to talk about anything related to them anymore. Dr. He doesn’t need to test me with their affairs. I’m really fine now.”
“At the time, I just couldn’t understand it. I remember what you said to me. You were right. My life isn’t just about him. I also have family and friends. There’s no need to waste time on someone who doesn’t like me.”
He Xiu nodded. He had said everything he needed to say. What Xia Ran thought about it next was up to her and had nothing to do with him.
"Okay, as long as you can figure it out."
For a moment, the three of them were at a loss for words. Dazhuang blinked, glanced at Xia Ran's obviously odd expression, and spoke up.
"How about we go out and get something to eat? Dr. He probably hasn't eaten yet either, right? I remember I still owe Dr. He a meal."
He Xiu had already eaten, of course, but since he was going out to eat with Da Zhuang, he naturally had to go.
"Okay, I really haven't eaten."
Xia Ran: "I won't go. I just came back from eating out with my friends. Da Zhuang, why don't you take Dr. He out to eat? I'll treat Dr. He to a meal next time I have the chance."
Da Zhuang originally wanted to take Xia Ran out to relax, but he didn't expect Xia Ran to refuse. However, he had already said it, so he couldn't go back on his word to He Xiu now.
Da Zhuang scratched his head and could only reply with an "okay".
"Okay, then I'll take Dr. He out to get something to eat first. You can rest well at home."
Xia Ran nodded, and after watching He Xiu and Da Zhuang leave, he sat there in a daze for a while before getting up and going back to his room.
However, Qin Hao on the other side was extremely busy and overwhelmed.
When he chased after Gu Zheng with the child, Gu Zheng was already gone, and Gu Zheng wouldn't even answer his calls.
Normally, Qin Hao wouldn't be too worried, after all, Gu Zheng is such a grown man.
But Gu Zheng's mood is not right now, and his health is not fully recovered. What if something happens to him in the middle of this?
Qin Hao and his group brought two bodyguards and a driver with them, so Qin Hao first called the bodyguards at the hotel to make sure Gu Zheng hadn't gone back before taking the child back to the hotel.
Qin Hao sent two bodyguards to find Gu Zheng, while he stayed at the hotel with the child to wait for others.
But after waiting for two hours, the bodyguards still said they hadn't found anyone, so Qin Hao couldn't help but worry. In the end, he called his parents to tell them, and also mentioned that Gu En had gone to find Xia Ran.
After hearing this, Aunt Gu gave a cold laugh and said,
"He's such a grown man, what could possibly happen to him? Xiao Ran survived such a huge ordeal back then, and he can't even handle this little setback?"
Chapter 214 I can't accept that he doesn't like me
After Aunt Gu finished speaking, she hung up the phone immediately, leaving Qin Hao feeling somewhat helpless.
He knew that his mother was still very angry with Gu Zheng.
Qin Hao put down his phone and sighed, unsure of what to say for a moment.
With red-rimmed eyes, Gu Chen tugged at Qin Hao's hand and asked,
"Uncle, did something happen to my dad? Did they all leave me?"
Although he was young, he understood that his great-father was missing and could not be found.
He felt that his eldest father must have also lost interest in him, just like his younger father, which was why he couldn't find him. So, was he really just a little burden?
As Gu Chenguang said this, tears streamed down his face.
Qin Hao felt heartbroken hearing this and quickly picked up the child to comfort him.
"Nonsense, our Xiao Chen is so cute and obedient, how could we bear to part with him? Don't think nonsense, sweetie, your big dad will be back soon."
"But...but I've been so good, why doesn't my daddy want me anymore?"
Qin Hao didn't know how to answer for a moment, so he could only bite the bullet and say...
"That's between him and your eldest father. We kids shouldn't meddle in adults' affairs, okay?"
However, Gu Chen did not give up on the question; instead, he pressed on until he got to the bottom of it.
"But why didn't he want me after arguing with my dad? He could have taken me with him."
Gu Chen was truly wronged and heartbroken, and he couldn't stop crying.
Qin Hao felt a pang of pain in his heart. He could only hold the child and couldn't explain. He couldn't very well say that the child and the stepfather weren't related by blood, which was why the stepfather didn't want to take the child with him.
But he also knew that if he said those words, it would only make the child more upset.