"Why are you here?" Gu Yan asked him coldly.
"Xiao Yan!" Gu Boyun scolded her with a stern face. Although he knew that Liang Feifan was extremely tolerant of his youngest daughter, he still had to show some manners in front of him.
Gu Yan was scolded by her father, and she took her anger out on the smiling man, glaring at him fiercely.
Liang Feifan, noticing her displeasure, merely glanced at her indifferently and continued talking to Gu Boyun, "I only heard about this news today, which is truly rude. My father instructed me to make sure everything is arranged properly to ensure Uncle Gu's recovery."
Gu Boyun had followed Liang Feifan's father, Liang Haotian, through thick and thin and greatly admired him. He was very happy to hear Liang Feifan say this, but thinking about his own health, he still sighed, "I wonder if I will ever be able to see Brother Tian again."
"Dad!" Gu Yan frowned. "Don't talk like that."
Liang Feifan also comforted him, "Uncle Gu, please focus on your recovery. I spoke with my father on the phone this morning, and he misses you very much. He said he will definitely come back to visit you soon."
"Alright, alright, I'm not that fragile," Gu Boyun waved his hands repeatedly. "Feifan is usually busy, so go ahead and do your work. Xiaoyan, see Feifan off for Dad."
Gu Yan nodded obediently and saw him out.
They walked down the corridor, out of the inpatient ward, and along the long path leading to the main entrance, both remained silent. Gu Yan's heart was filled with complex emotions. Had he taken her angry words from that afternoon seriously? Had he come all this way to see his father because he knew she was at the hospital? And what had her sister said…
Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm, and she immediately shook it off forcefully, shouting, "Let go of me!"
I heard him scoff, "I was just trying to be helpful by reminding you that there are toads."
Gu Yan screamed!
What toad! Why use such a formal name? Under the moonlight, the thing smiling at her from her feet is a toad!
She turned pale with anger, and without thinking, she pounced on the person next to her, wrapped her arms around his neck, and jumped to hang on him.
She was terrified of small animals, but the landscaping here was excellent, and since it was evening, every few steps she would see small, green, bumpy toads crawling out to greet her.
"Miss Gu, can you let me go now? This position is very indecent if someone sees us." Liang Feifan said in a cool and aloof tone, with his hands placed gentlemanly at his sides, letting her cling to him like a koala.
Gu Yan was in an awkward and unbearable predicament. She was torn between being humiliated by this despicable man and having to stand face to face with that horrifying animal.
But Liang Feifan still had to urge her on: "Miss Gu, how long are you going to keep this up?"
Gu Yan suddenly became furious. "Miss Gu? Are you really going to break up?"
"Send me back!" she shouted angrily, burying her face in his neck, too afraid to get down.
He heard the muffled sound emanating from her chest, the familiar throbbing in his heart. He breathed heavily, then let out a barely audible sigh, reached out to support her, and awkwardly escorted her back to the hospital corridor.
As soon as she reached the marble floor, Gu Yan jumped down and stormed back.
"Don't you need to say thank you and goodbye?" Liang Feifan said coldly from behind.
"We're not that close." Gu Yan stopped and snorted coldly.
“That’s true.” Liang Feifan nodded in agreement, then turned and left.
He really just left like that. Gu Yan stood there watching his retreating figure, her heart heavy with unbearable pain. Although she was still angry, if he had come over and hugged her, said a few comforting words, she would have let it go. Their occasional quarrels always ended like this, with them making up in the same way.
He... seems to be different this time.
Her heart began to race slightly.
Oddities
The next morning, Gu Boyun was transferred to Beishan Sanatorium.
Gu Mingzhu made a brief appearance in the morning before rushing back to the company. Gu Yan was left to settle in as instructed. Gu Boyun was staying in the sanatorium area, a large, scenic area with low hills and clear streams. Scattered among the houses were a dozen or so single-story buildings with pointed roofs, red bricks, and green tiles—very beautiful. The paths in the sanatorium were paved with cobblestones, and walking barefoot on them was very good for your health.
The hospital provided a scenic car, similar to those used on golf courses, which took Gu Yan and the others to the deepest part of the sanatorium. Once inside, the interior was completely different from the natural and rustic exterior. There was an LCD TV, a home theater, wooden furniture, two bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, a living room, and a dining room, all decorated in a simple yet luxurious style.
Gu Yan put away her luggage, helped her father lie down to rest, and then checked the time. It was almost time to go to her appointment with Gu Mingzhu and buy some daily necessities. She planned to stay here and keep her father company every day.
"Xiao Yan?" She was standing at the hospital entrance hailing a taxi when a gentle male voice called out to her. Gu Yan turned around and saw Fang Yicheng's handsome face appear through the rolled-down window of a black BMW.
"Yicheng? What are you doing here?" Gu Yan asked in surprise.
Fang Yicheng was also surprised. He got out of the car and walked up to her. "My father is recuperating here."
Gu Yan responded with an "oh".
It's amazing how things work out. These two old men, who have harbored a lifetime of hatred for each other, are now receiving treatment in the same hospital. No matter if you are a general commanding thousands of troops amidst gunfire or a powerful underworld boss living a life of violence, you can't escape the passage of time.
"Uncle Gu—what happened to your father?" Fang Yicheng asked hesitantly.
"Liver cancer, terminal stage." Gu Yan said sadly.
"I'm sorry," Fang Yicheng quickly apologized.
"It's okay." Gu Yan cheered up. "I have something to do, so I'll go first." She planned to walk to the next intersection to hail a taxi.
"Xiao Yan—" Fang Yicheng strode after him, his brows furrowed, and finally spoke, "May I go visit Uncle Gu?" He had followed Gu Boyun for six years; the two were both teacher and friend, and there was a bond between them. Back then, when he reported the time and place of the transaction to his father, it was after much struggle. In the end, the sense of justice instilled in him since childhood prevailed, and he personally led his men there, catching them red-handed. A firefight broke out on the spot, and Gu Boyun escaped alone. He would never forget the sharp look in Gu Boyun's eyes when he jumped into the water—anger, disbelief, and heartache.
Seeing that he seemed lost in thought, Gu Yan lowered her head and said softly, "It's a bit difficult."
Fang Yicheng instantly sensed the resistance and resentment in her words.
Years ago, he was Gu Boyun's most favored subordinate, his approved son-in-law, and his key successor.
Then, it was also him who ruined Gu Boyun's life's work. If it weren't for the huge price Liang paid to make arrangements inside and outside, Gu Boyun would probably have lost his life.
In the end, it was he who indirectly caused the death of Gu Boyun's wife, Ruan Wushuang.
It was because of him that Gu Boyun's family was ruined, his wife died, and his daughters scattered.
"Alright, I got it. Well then, I hope he recovers soon. I'll be going now." Fang Yicheng smiled and patted her head.
Gu Yan didn't have time to dodge his hand, so she could only smile and say goodbye.
“I need you to come to Web International English to help me,” Gu Mingzhu said to Gu Yan, taking a sip of coffee.
“But I don’t know anything about business,” Gu Yan hesitated.
“No one is born knowing how to learn. I went through the same thing.” Gu Mingzhu elegantly cut her steak.
"But, sister, haven't you always done very well?" Gu Mingzhu is now considered a strong woman in City C. Although Weber can't compare to a large enterprise like Liang's, it is still a leader in the industry.
"Do you know what it means when everyone kicks someone when they're down?" Gu Mingzhu put down her knife and fork. "Now that Dad's gone, there will be no shortage of people trying to take advantage of Wei Bo. I need someone they'll all be afraid of."
"Sister! Dad will be alright!" Gu Yan reacted with extreme sensitivity.
"Naive!" Gu Mingzhu glared at her, clearly disappointed in her. Did she think that not mentioning her father would prevent his death? If she lived in a fairytale like Gu Yan, Wei Bo would be dragged down with her father the moment he passed away.
Gu Yan lowered her head guiltily, poking at the pudding in her bowl. "Besides, what did I do that was scary?"
"When beating a dog, you have to consider its owner. If anyone tries to take advantage of Weber, they're going against the Liang family."
"Sis—I broke up with Liang Feifan." Gu Yan was annoyed. Was she... a dog?
"Don't bother me with these trivial squabbles between you two young lovers," Gu Mingzhu said dismissively. "I need you to expose your relationship with Liang Feifan so that everyone knows about it."
"I don't want to!" Gu Yan threw down her fork and refused decisively.
"Shut up!" Gu Mingzhu scolded her, as if reprimanding an ignorant and awkward little girl. "Three months—that's the limit of my body. I want everyone to know that the person Liang Feifan has been keeping hidden away is the second young lady of the Gu family, who is now the vice president of Web International English."
After Gu Mingzhu finished speaking, she picked up a gleaming knife and cleanly and efficiently cut the remaining steak into pieces. In Gu Yan's eyes, this was a blatant threat.
Gu Yan sniffled, feeling wronged, and didn't dare to talk back.
Is there someone in your life who, no matter what he or she says, makes you think, "Hmm, that makes sense"?
Gu Mingzhu is a special person to Gu Yan.
So on Monday morning, Gu Yan, dressed in a beige suit and with her long hair tied up, sat in Weber's large conference room, her face almost frozen from smiling.
"That concludes today's meeting. Also, this is Gu Yan. She'll be here for the next couple of days to familiarize herself with the business. Starting next week, she will be our company's Vice President. She will primarily be responsible for business dealings with the Liang family, and will be directly in charge of the Public Relations Department. Meeting adjourned." Gu Mingzhu snapped her folder shut and got up to leave.
Gu Mingzhu strode out of the conference room, immediately followed by a buzz of discussion. Most of the higher-ups knew that Gu Yan was the second young lady of the Gu family, but they had heard long ago that she didn't live at the Gu family residence. Her sudden return, and her appointment to a high position, was quite strange. Was something about to change?
Gu Yan sat awkwardly in her seat, accepting everyone's seemingly casual but actually curious gazes. Did her sister really have to be so blunt? Business dealings with Liang's Group? Public relations department? Why not just package her up and hand her over to Liang Feifan?
She knew that Gu Mingzhu had been using her to curry favor with Liang Feifan all these years. At first, she was slightly annoyed by her sister's actions, but when she thought about how her sister single-handedly ran such a large company, what right did she have to criticize her?
Speaking of Liang Feifan, it's been several days since we've heard from him.
A beautiful morning.
Rong Yan reported on his work to Liang Feifan, while Chen Yubai elegantly enjoyed a delicious toast with coffee. Li Weiran and Qin Song were filling in idioms on a newspaper, while Ji Nan dozed off at the table.
"Fourth brother, this batch of goods will go through your company and be delivered directly to Chen Yifeng. How much of the container is still empty?" Liang Feifan asked Ji Nan, tapping on the table.
Ji Nan mumbled an indistinct "uh," then turned her face away to continue sleeping. Chen Yubai frowned as he saw her drooling, and casually grabbed a pineapple bun to stop it.
Ji Nan unconsciously took a bite in his sleep and screamed in pain from the burn.
"Third brother, are you out of your mind?!" Rong Yan cursed, got up and handed Ji Nan a glass of milk to rinse his mouth.
Chen Yubai shrugged.
Ji Nan waved his hands repeatedly to indicate that he was fine, but Rong Yan felt even more distressed. "I knew An Xiaoli was a menace. Chen Yubai, she's dragged your IQ down."
Li Weiran, always eager for chaos, immediately put down his newspaper, pulled out his phone, and texted his wife, "An Xiaoli is a menace—what was it again? Second brother, say it again, I don't remember—"
"Get lost!" Rong Yan threw a coaster at him. "Go get some ice."
Li Weiran stood up and saluted, "YES SIR!"
Ji Nan pulled Li Weiran back, "It's okay, you're not that young."
Qin Song walked past Li Weiran, touched her face, and deliberately looked lecherous: "Who said that? I think she's very young!"
Ji Nan, looking sinister, was sharpening two knives. Qin Song stuck out his tongue, went back to sit down obediently, and picked up the newspaper to continue filling it out.
Chen Yubai picked up a sandwich, adjusted his glasses, and asked Rong Yan unhurriedly, "Haven't you sorted things out with Chen Yifeng in the south yet?"
“Chen Yifeng is adamant about getting 15 percent. How can I let him have his way?” Rong Yan replied irritably.
"I'll go," Chen Yubai said casually.
The others stopped what they were doing and glanced at him; even Liang Feifan was slightly surprised.
"Great!" Rong Yan exclaimed excitedly. When it comes to business acumen, even the eldest brother, a graduate of a prestigious Harvard Business School, can't compare to the third brother's cunning. Chen Yifeng has been putting on airs for so long; it's time to teach him a lesson. "Third brother, you should have taken action sooner! I'll send the documents to you this afternoon."
"Hmm," Chen Yubai put down his knife and fork, finishing his breakfast. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said, "Brother, what about that development project I have? I can't come back before the bidding."
"I'll take it, I'll take it!" Rong Yan readily agreed. Several developers would beg him to take on these kinds of bidding cases all day long, so he was happy to do it.
"Second Brother, thank you for your trouble." Chen Yubai handed Rong Yan a cup of coffee.
Rong Yan immediately sensed something was wrong. The third brother usually wouldn't address him as "second brother," and besides, his smile was so sinister.