Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 1
Gu Weiran often wondered:
If her mother had not brought Yun Shu—who was trapped in hardship—home back then, perhaps they would never have met.
Then there would not have been so much resentment and prejudice that later came from Yun Shu’s identity as her “stepmother.”
And years later, there would not have been that doomed reunion, nor her falling in love with her again, losing her again, and being hurt all over again.
She moved through life like a walking corpse, imagining every day that Yun Shu might suddenly appear at some street corner, smiling like she used to, and say—
“Weiran, long time no see.”
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the shadows of the trees, falling across Gu Weiran’s body.
She carried her laptop bag and looked up at the four big words atop the building—Mingde Real Estate—feeling a bit dazed.
Today might be the closest she had been to that woman in years.
That woman—Yun Shu—was a senior executive at Mingde Real Estate, and also the thorn that could never be pulled from her heart.
All these years, as indifferent as Gu Weiran had become toward the world, she harbored just as much hatred toward Yun Shu.
Whether hatred or anger, none of it changed the fact that she was always thinking of her.
Today’s bidding competition concerned the very survival of her company.
As the representative of Fengqi Media, Gu Weiran had come specifically to take part in the bid for Mingde’s Xuan’an No. 03 Villa Project.
She had always wondered why Mingde Real Estate’s tender documents would be sent to her company.
The scale and qualifications of Fengqi Media clearly did not meet Mingde’s standards.
But since the opportunity came, she accepted it without hesitation.
Even knowing it might be a waste of effort—or that she might just be a filler bidder—she still refused to give up the final sliver of hope.
Fengqi Media was the first company she joined after stepping into society.
It carried her growth, her joy, her attachments, and many good memories.
She could not bear for the company to collapse because of business losses.
But after two full weeks of preparation, her proposal still faced questioning and nitpicking.
Although such open bids seemed fair on the surface, the inside was full of hidden currents.
Among the four companies that came, aside from Fengqi Media, the other three were all deeply connected to Mingde’s mid-to-upper management.
The most fatal problem was that Fengqi had no personal connections at Mingde—no backdoor, no network, no entry point for “relationship management.”
“Fengqi has shown a lot of sincerity, and Manager Gu has clearly put in effort. The technical proposal today was actually quite good.”
The speaker was Wang Sen, General Manager of Mingde’s Xuan’an branch and a key figure in the bidding process.
This compliment made Gu Weiran uneasy.
She had long heard of Wang Sen—smiling-faced, sharp-minded, both EQ and IQ high—a man thriving within Mingde and said to be the confidant of the chairman’s wife.
If her guess was right, the “kill move” was about to come.
“Let’s step away from today’s technical proposal for a moment.
May I ask the scale of your company, which TOP10 developers you’ve cooperated with, and whether you have summarized experience serving high-end property projects? I’d like to hear that.”
What she feared most had happened.
This was Fengqi’s weakness, a problem rooted in reality.
The other three companies were all top-five in the industry, with scale and strength.
Fengqi, however, was a small, obscure firm.
She could only tell the truth—seasoned with a little rhetorical skill.
Gu Weiran smiled lightly and replied calmly:
“President Wang, our company currently has ten people.
We haven’t done many TOP10 projects, but as for experience with high-end properties, I think similar projects can learn from and complement one another.
But Mingde’s projects already have their own mature style and system—whether in marketing or promotion, they’ve become industry benchmarks.
We are the ones others look up to; we have no need to borrow from others.
Be it in the planning or the marketing channels, our professionalism is among the best in the field.
I believe, under the guidance and supervision of your leadership, this No. 03 villa project will surely become the national benchmark for villa developments.”
Wang Sen looked at her with a trace of admiration.
This young woman, barely in her twenties, could speak well indeed.
She had deftly avoided her weak points, praised Mingde, and flattered everyone in the room.
Her words were pleasant to the ear.
A pity—had they come to “prepare” him beforehand, he might have gone easy on her for beauty’s sake.
He narrowed his eyes and smiled:
“Manager Gu makes sense.
Thank you for your participation, and thank you for your hard work.”
Though polite, those words were a subtle death sentence for Fengqi.
Gu Weiran felt no regret.
She knew that in terms of professional merit, she had probably been leading.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to humiliate her on qualifications.
“Thank you. We’re also honored to participate.”
Even in failure, she wanted to preserve her company’s image and composure.
Just as Gu Weiran was about to rise and leave, the meeting room door knocked.
The receptionist opened it and said:
“President Yun has arrived.”
Before anyone could react, the entire Mingde team immediately stood.
Gu Weiran also turned toward the door—
And froze.
At that instant, the calm surface of her heart was stirred like a lake rippled by a passing boat.
The composure she had maintained throughout the bid shattered completely.
If not for the makeup masking her face, her cheeks would have flushed red with shock.
Her expression stiffened, her gaze filled with disbelief, her breathing uneven—
Her colleague, Yang Ou, could not tell whether she was startled or terrified.
It was the first time she had ever seen Gu Weiran so shaken.
The “President Yun” standing at the door—was the very woman who had left that thorn in her heart.
Yun Shu.
She wore a beige, mid-length suit—fashionable, composed.
Her every movement exuded the poise of a powerful career woman.
She did not emit an oppressive air, yet her presence alone was enough to command the room.
It was as if all elegance had been carved into her bones, yet she still could not hide her stunning beauty.
Many had only seen her in the company magazine—few expected her to be this breathtaking in person.
When Yun Shu’s gaze turned, it met Gu Weiran’s.
She smiled—softly, dazzlingly.
For a moment, Gu Weiran felt dizzy.
Was it that time had stopped—or that the years had forgotten to pass?
Yun Shu seemed exactly as she was back then.
When she smiled, the whole world seemed to brighten.
But at the same time, old, dark memories were awakened.
“Weiran, from now on, Yun Shu will be your guardian.
I’ve added her name to the house deed.”“What do you mean?”
“I mean, from now on, show Yun Shu some respect.”
“You’re making her my stepmother?!”
That day, Gu Weiran had stormed out, not waiting for her father’s answer.
But she already understood.
Adding her name to the house deed, making her guardian—it all meant the same thing.
Her mother had been gone less than half a year,
And this woman—
How shameless.
How ungrateful.
At the thought, all that remained of their reunion was resentment and disgust.
Now, Yun Shu stood before her, smiling brightly:
“Weiran, long time no see.”
Her voice was still as pleasant, still seductive.
Memories flashed like spliced film fragments across Gu Weiran’s mind—
She forgot to react.
She was now Yun Shu, General Manager of Mingde Real Estate’s East China Region.
Everyone present was stunned by her arrival—
Even more shocked at Gu Weiran’s cold indifference toward her.
At such a formal bidding event, where Yun Shu was the highest authority,
Gu Weiran’s composure felt almost rude—
and the atmosphere grew awkward.
But Yun Shu did not get angry.
She looked at Gu Weiran, smiling all the while.
After several years, Weiran’s demeanor had become more and more like Teacher Lin.
Thinking of her mentor, Yun Shu’s smile faltered briefly, a trace of sorrow flickering in her eyes,
before she regained her calm.
“Please, sit down, Manager Gu.”
She broke the silence herself, rescuing the moment.
Anyone could see that she and Gu Weiran shared an unusual history.
Gu Weiran, frozen like a statue, immediately went limp and sat down when Yun Shu gently patted her shoulder.
She was filled with frustration.
The world was vast—why must they meet again?
Wasn’t Yun Shu working at Mingde headquarters as a senior executive?
Why had she come back to Xuan’an?
Was Heaven playing with her on purpose?
She felt suffocated—like fate’s hands were around her throat.
Yun Shu’s polite greeting had been deliberate—a message to all that Gu Weiran was her person.
The company she had personally named to participate in the bid was Fengqi Media.
All those who had targeted Fengqi moments ago had, in effect, been opposing her.
Who could have imagined that the small, inconspicuous Fengqi Media would have President Yun behind it?
Yun Shu walked to the head of the table.
Wang Sen reluctantly yielded his seat, scowling as he moved aside.
Now that she was here, things were out of his control.
She didn’t sit.
Instead, her presence filled the room—commanding, effortless.
No one dared to sit, except for Gu Weiran.
“Weiran, stand up,” whispered Yang Ou, nudging her with an elbow.
Gu Weiran stood again, still dazed, unable to recover from the shock of reunion.
Yun Shu’s gaze swept lightly across her before turning to the others:
“Fengqi Media’s technical proposal was very professional and complete.
Manager Gu’s presentation was excellent.
I’ve read the other three proposals and listened to their remote presentations.
Please submit your evaluation scores for the technical round.
Also, notify the other three companies—there will be a second round of bidding in two weeks.
This time, integrate the C5 project into the plan.
I want to see a joint marketing strategy that also incorporates Mingde’s brand communication.
Scoring will be weighted: 70% technical, 30% commercial.”
Yun Shu’s appearance completely reversed the situation.
Those who had expected to finalize the deal today—and pocket their kickbacks—could no longer act freely.
Everyone was miserable; scoring meant choosing a side.
Between Yun Shu (the chairman’s confidant) and Wang Sen (the chairman’s wife’s confidant),
no one dared offend either.
Yun Shu’s position in Mingde was complex, and rumors about her abounded.
Some said she rose through seduction, the chairman’s secret lover.
Others said her performance alone earned her place—an icon for the sales department.
Gu Weiran had already resigned herself to losing.
Now, hope reappeared—but it felt like crumbs tossed from Yun Shu’s table.
She didn’t want to accept it—yet she had no choice.
Was Yun Shu here today to save her—or to toy with her again?
That woman’s mind had always been unreadable.
The meeting ended quickly, tension dissipating.
But Yun Shu called Gu Weiran to her office alone.
So blatant—was she planning to ask for a kickback?
Gu Weiran would rather assume the worst.
Everyone in the business knew how things worked—kickbacks were an open secret.
She didn’t believe Yun Shu could be clean.
Sitting in the general manager’s office, she felt as if in a dream—too vivid, yet too unreal.
The person who should have vanished from her life had returned—
as her client, her superior, the one she now had to please, flatter, and maybe even bribe.
Truly, fate…
She looked around the office—it felt strangely empty.
The desk was spotless, no documents.
The bookshelf held only a few decorative books.
Aside from a few potted plants, there was no trace of life.
Had Yun Shu just been transferred back?
The office looked newly vacated.
Judging from everyone’s surprise earlier, no one had known she would show up.
So when she’d been presenting, Yun Shu had been listening remotely all along.
She couldn’t help feeling… violated.
Just as she thought that, the door opened.
Yun Shu entered, carrying a box of band-aids.
She walked straight to the sofa, knelt at Gu Weiran’s feet, and gently removed her shoes.
“Your feet aren’t suited for high heels. Don’t wear them anymore.”
She carefully tore open the band-aid and began applying it to the blisters on Gu Weiran’s heels.
She had noticed earlier that Gu Weiran’s feet were rubbed raw and had searched the office for a band-aid.
A faint fragrance filled the air—perhaps perfume, perhaps Yun Shu herself.
Gu Weiran didn’t remember anymore, nor did she want to.
What was this supposed to mean?
She wanted to pull her feet back—or kick her away.
Wake up! she told herself.
This was the client, the decision-maker, the person who controlled the project’s outcome.
How could she dare?
Yet she could hardly stand being alone with Yun Shu, so she feigned silence.
Still, after a whole day on her feet, the band-aid really did ease the pain.
Yun Shu didn’t mind her coldness or silence, focusing quietly on the task.
From time to time, Gu Weiran’s gaze landed on her—
Damn it, why did she look even more beautiful at thirty?
Her features hadn’t changed, but her aura had deepened—gentle yet commanding.
Perhaps time’s greatest gift to a woman was this kind of calm allure.
A fox spirit, Gu Weiran thought bitterly.
Heaven gave her a perfect face—and she used it to seduce her teacher’s husband!
At that thought, anger and resentment flared anew.
Her emotions tangled—resentment and fascination, rejection and yearning.
But Yun Shu remained serene, quietly doing what she intended, indifferent to all else.
When the receptionist came in with tea and saw Yun Shu kneeling at Gu Weiran’s feet,
she nearly dropped the tray.
“P-President Yun, the tea… is here…”
“Put it down.”
Yun Shu didn’t even raise her head, focused on her task, ignoring the other woman’s bewildered expression.
The receptionist, flustered and confused, set down the tray and hurried out—
President Yun doing such a thing? What was their relationship?
Yun Shu tidied up, then looked up at Gu Weiran and said gently:
“It’s done. You can go now. Be careful when you bathe—if it gets wet, take care of it yourself.”
She didn’t mention the bid, nor bring up the past.
Whether it was professionalism or avoidance, Gu Weiran couldn’t tell.
As she reached the door, she paused.
She couldn’t just leave—not for herself, but for her company.
If she needed to follow up or handle negotiations, she at least needed Yun Shu’s contact.
She turned, about to ask—
When Yun Shu spoke first, her voice calm, sure, and soft:
“My phone number hasn’t changed.”