Mr. Fang looked at Ling Yan with a puzzled expression, as if recalling something in his mind.
"Hello, Mr. Fang. I am Ling Yan, from Yanjing."
Seemingly sensing his confusion, Lingyan proactively extended her hand and introduced herself.
"So it's Miss Ling."
A look of sudden realization crossed Mr. Fang's eyes; clearly, the combination of this name and the city was extremely iconic.
"I didn't expect Miss Ling to be such a big shot in the mainland."
This reaction surprised Gu Zhong slightly, considering that Ling Yan's family was quite well-known in the inland areas.
"It's just family glory, it has nothing to do with me."
Ling Yan chuckled lightly, distancing herself from her family.
"Miss Ling is indeed a remarkable person. Her achievements at such a young age are truly admirable."
Mr. Fang praised her highly, then changed the subject, looking between the two of them.
"Miss Ling specially accompanied Miss Gu to pay respects at the grave today; their friendship is truly profound."
"I hope I haven't disturbed Mr. Fang."
Avoiding the sharp sarcasm in his words, Lingyan spoke softly.
Mr. Fang sighed heavily, poured a glass of wine, and slowly poured it in front of Grandpa Gu Zhong's grave. The wine flowed with the rainwater, and he began to talk about some old stories.
They talked about it from early morning until noon, until the clouds dispersed, the rain stopped, and the sky began to brighten, and they still felt they hadn't finished.
"As people get older, they always unconsciously reminisce about the past, and they tend to talk a lot."
Mr. Fang smiled apologetically and stopped talking when a young man called out from below.
"Thank you so much for sharing these stories about my grandfather and father today."
For Gu Zhong, it was indeed a chance to relive some stories she had vaguely heard in her childhood, and she couldn't help but immerse herself in a bittersweet nostalgia.
"Miss Gu, would you like to have lunch together today?"
Mr. Fang mentioned it casually, but he deliberately omitted Lingyan.
"I have some things to attend to at noon, so I won't be able to join your gathering."
Although it was strange, Lingyan still tactfully made an excuse that she had something to do and prepared to leave first.
Since others don't want her to know what they're going to talk about, why should she make a fool of herself?
"Miss Gu, please send me a message if anything comes up."
Before leaving, she still gave him a word of advice out of concern, which was met with a nonchalant laugh from Gu Zhong.
Based on their heartfelt conversation that morning, Gu Zhong temporarily believed that the old gentleman was an old friend of his grandfather, so he no longer refused his invitation and went with him to a famous teahouse in the city center for a meal.
"Mr. Fang, what exactly do you want? Why do you insist on sending Miss Ling away?"
Savoring the newly harvested premium pre-Qingming Longjing tea, Gu Zhong directly asked the question that had been bothering him.
"Miss Gu is working at Yaozhong now, right?"
Instead of answering her question directly, Mr. Fang asked a different question.
"That's right, I'm grateful that Miss Ling is willing to give me this opportunity. Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult for me to turn things around on my own."
"But Miss Gu, are you really willing to become just an employee of your former company? Forgive my bluntness, but you really shouldn't get too close to Ling Yan."
Mr. Fang's expression turned cold, and his words became quite stern, as if he were reprimanding an ignorant junior.
What do you mean by that?
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhong put down his teacup with displeasure, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
——
Lingyan received Gu Zhong's text message late at night, and she didn't know what the two of them had talked about that made them talk for so long.
"Miss Ling."
Gu Zhong opened the car door, climbed into the passenger seat, called out to her, and looked extremely tired.
You look tired.
Lingyan greeted her with some concern.
"fine."
Gu Zhong smiled slightly, then closed his eyes, seemingly not wanting to have any further conversation.
With a soft sigh, Ling Yan felt slightly uncomfortable, but she remained silent and started the car.
"Miss Ling, may I ask you a question?"
After a period of silence, Gu Zhong suddenly spoke up and asked a question.
"Hmm? Sure."
Lingyan casually replied.
"If it were you, and you had an opportunity to make a hundred or even a thousand times the profit, would you choose to try it?"
Gu Zhong kept his eyes closed, but his handsome brows were furrowed, looking troubled and worried.
“Miss Gu, I thought you should know this better than anyone else. Behind any huge profit lies an unseen crisis and trap. If you step into it rashly, the only outcome will be utter destruction.”
It's clear that Gu Chao ruined the Gu family in this way, yet Gu Zhong still asked this question. It certainly wasn't a sudden whim; he must have been influenced by something.
What did Fang Yu say to you?
"nothing."
This time was completely different from before; Gu Zhong still chose to remain silent, as if he had lost all trust in Ling Yan.
"Miss Gu!"
Lingyan felt a little agitated, so she slammed on the brakes and pulled the car over to the side of the road, calling out to him sternly.
Gu Zhong then lazily opened his eyes, his eyes revealing nothing but exhaustion.
"···"
After just one glance, Ling Yan swallowed all her questions. Even though she was annoyed by the loss of trust, she didn't need to get so worked up as to interfere with and criticize Gu Zhong's decision.
“Miss Gu, if you can’t decide on something for the time being, you might as well think about it some more. Don’t be affected by the nominal deadline. There’s nothing that you have to do right now.”
She softened her tone, returning to her gentle and soothing manner.
"Miss Ling, please allow me to think about it some more."
Looking at her, Gu Zhong was stunned for a moment before speaking, seemingly responding to the question from before, but also seemingly not.
——
Counting the time, I've been in Ling Yan on Hong Kong Island for a full six months. My initial purpose for coming here, whether it was business with the government or providing support for Gu Zhong, has been basically achieved.
The vast majority of her businesses were still inland, and she couldn't simply ignore them. An urgent phone call across the river and sea was ultimately urging Lingyan to return.
During this time, it was unclear what Gu Zhong was busy with, as he was often nowhere to be seen for days on end.
Their schedules were no longer in sync; they couldn't see each other even at dawn or dusk, making this farewell seem so rushed and hurried.
Ling Yan only had time to say a few words in the message before leaving Gu Zhong with an empty villa and boarding a plane back to Yanjing.
When Gu Zhong received Ling Yan's message, she was buried in a sea of documents, verifying the opportunity Fang Yu had offered her. She wanted to rely entirely on her own abilities to determine whether it was an opportunity she should invest in.
She initially thought it was just a regular greeting text message, but after seeing the message, "Urgent matter has arisen. I am returning to Yanjing today and will be back soon. Please call me if needed," she was stunned.
Only then did she realize how much she had neglected their time together during this period, to the point that she hadn't even had time to say goodbye.
Although we are all busy adults and don't need to be together all the time, having that person around makes me feel at ease.
Even though what Fang Yu told her planted a small thorn in her heart, causing Gu Zhong to avoid her lately, it did not prevent the deep-seated dependence she had developed in such a short time.
When that person truly left, it felt like a piece of my heart was empty, and I could even find time to daydream amidst my busy schedule.
Fortunately, this is not a permanent separation, and Lingyan will always come back.
With that in mind, Gu Zhong threw herself into her busy calculations as always.
——
After spending three days dealing with the decisions that required her personal approval, Lingyan was exhausted and began to consider moving the headquarters to Hong Kong Island.
After all, Gu Zhong cannot lead Yao Zhong out of that island city for the time being. The development of a group takes a lot of time. If they do not want to be in such a hurry in the future, the relocation of the headquarters seems to be an inevitable thing.
Just as Lingyan was thinking about returning in a couple of days and wondering what special gift she should bring for Gu Zhong, a piece of devastating news that chilled her to the bone arrived first.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Thank you so much for the landmine from the angel "Wind Passes Without a Trace"! Mwah!
//Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:16:26 and 23:35:40 on December 15, 2021!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Wind Without a Trace (1);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 107 The Newly Rich CEO and the Fallen Heiress (Thirteen)
====================================
Leaning back in the soft chair made of fabric and sponge cushions, Lingyan wearily supported her forehead with her hand, her eyes staring blankly ahead.
The pure white ward contained only a hospital bed, a ventilator, and an electrocardiograph; there were no other decorations.
The person lying on the bed was pale, with their eyes closed, their beautiful hair shaved off, and white gauze wrapped around their head, making them appear overly peaceful.
Only the rise and fall of her chest and the regular, steady beeping of the machine could tell that she was at least still alive.
Lost in thought, Ling Yan looked at Gu Zhong lying unconscious on the hospital bed, feeling a pang of self-reproach—she shouldn't have left.
Upon receiving the news that day, Ling Yan rushed back to Hong Kong Island overnight and met Gu Zhong, who had just been rescued from the ICU.