Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 12
A City is a coastal tourist city that attracts visitors from all over the country and even the world every year. The “City That Never Sleeps” is a distinctive commercial area built along the coast.
Gu Weiran wasn’t originally interested in tourism or these popular online attractions. However, she wanted to relax after finishing a task, and she had slept too long in the afternoon, which made her feel especially energetic at night.
So, when Yang Ou suggested going to the City That Never Sleeps, she readily agreed.
As winter approached, there were relatively fewer tourists in A City, but this didn’t affect the liveliness of the City That Never Sleeps at all. This was a contained scenic area with an observation deck for taking photos of the sea, a sandy terrace, and a commercial street that extended over the water.
The two of them walked along a scenic corridor. Before them was an endless 3D stereoscopic painting, with crisscrossing lights that made it feel like being in a hazy time tunnel.
Yang Ou enthusiastically took out his phone to take pictures, while Gu Weiran walked along, feeling bored. Everything felt uninteresting.
She would occasionally take out her phone to check the feedback, sharing rate, and popularity of her article. Every time she clicked on the comments, she felt immense struggle, afraid of seeing more negative comments about Yun Shu, and also afraid that her article wasn’t well-received.
This feeling of apprehension was terrible. She never thought that the comments from the two-dimensional world, which she didn’t care about, would one day become a source of trouble.
“Weiran, should we go browse the Twelve Beaches area? I want to bring some local specialties back for Xiaoya and Xiaoluo.” Yang Ou’s stated reason was to buy gifts for other colleagues, but he also wanted to take the opportunity to give something to Gu Weiran.
“Hmm, okay.”
It was a rare chance to be alone with her, but Yang Ou couldn’t create a good atmosphere. Gu Weiran was uninterested in everything, and her detached attitude made him hesitant to overstep.
Sometimes he felt that she was out of place in this world, with a kind of otherworldly气质 (qìzhì – temperament/demeanor). While she was physically beside him, her thoughts seemed to have wandered somewhere else.
Yang Ou didn’t know what kind of spell she had cast on him, but he was fascinated by her. Over the past few years, he had gotten used to her indifferent attitude.
The Twelve Beaches area was a shopping street and was relatively lively. Yang Ou spent a lot of money, buying many things, but when he tried to choose something for Gu Weiran, she rejected everything.
There should be a boundary in relationships between people. Gu Weiran had her own bottom line. She knew what Yang Ou was thinking.
Precisely because she knew, she would not accept any kindness. Sometimes an unintentional action could give the other person hope or become a hint.
Gu Weiran would nip everything in the bud.
“Weiran, with so many things here, isn’t there anything you like?”
Gu Weiran shook her head. “I only buy what I need. You can just buy things for them, don’t worry about me.”
“Then are you hungry? Should we get some late-night snacks? Some seafood barbecue or something?”
“Sure.” Gu Weiran was cold and lacked enthusiasm. She kept thinking of Yun Shu, wondering if those comments had affected her, and if she was still working overtime.
Before leaving the hotel, she had seen Yun Shu still working at her desk.
Their worlds seemed to be filled with work, with little else. This world was full of wonders, but Gu Weiran had never had the heart to appreciate the scenery.
Now that she thought about it, she might be a rather pessimistic person. She had no enthusiasm for people, no passion for life, and her heart was barren. Thinking about it, she was truly uninteresting.
After Yun Shu left, she lost the heart to appreciate beauty.
Only after Yun Shu returned did her heart have ripples again.
It was already past midnight, and the City That Never Sleeps was still bustling. The brightly lit corridors made it hard to distinguish day from night.
“Weiran, Weiran, is that a shell carving shop? Let’s go take a look?”
Shell carving, or “kè diāo,” was not just the traditional hand-carving on eggs. It was a major feature of the City That Never Sleeps. Artisans would select various shells to carve, then customize them into crafts or decorations for sale.
These things were quite interesting. Gu Weiran appreciated them with rare curiosity. It was a rare item that attracted her attention, and Yang Ou was very proactive in helping her choose.
But Gu Weiran was thinking, “I wonder if Yun Shu would like this kind of thing?”
The thought startled her. How could she possibly think of giving something to Yun Shu?
It was ridiculous.
She patted her forehead, feeling she was getting a little obsessed. It must be because of the recent news report on Mind Virtue.
“Weiran, Weiran!” Yang Ou suddenly called out to her urgently. Gu Weiran sighed. “What is it now? Bro.”
It was strange. When Yun Shu called her name, it sounded so comfortable, but when others repeatedly called her, she felt annoyed.
“Look, isn’t that General Manager Yun?”
Upon hearing the name “General Manager Yun,” Gu Weiran’s heart skipped a beat, as if someone had struck her. She followed Yang Ou’s gaze and, sure enough, saw Yun Shu in a scarf shop across the way.
She was laughing and talking with a middle-aged man, seemingly picking out something. The man was holding a scarf, trying it on Yun Shu’s neck. Yun Shu showed no resistance and accepted it very naturally.
Her smile at that moment pierced Gu Weiran. Her heart involuntarily clenched, and she found it a little hard to breathe. Yun Shu’s smile was irresistible. The way she was smiling at that man made Gu Weiran feel suffocated.
“That person looks familiar. Where have I seen him?”
Gu Weiran lowered her head, smiling bitterly. “That’s the Chairman of Mind Virtue Group, Ming Shangdong.”
This prominent figure was often in industry news. How could Gu Weiran not recognize him?
“Oh, right, no wonder… Hiss, could the rumors be true? Is General Manager Yun really Chairman Ming’s… mistress? No way, that’s too… Although Ming Shangdong is rich, General Manager Yun is talented and beautiful. Why would she do that?”
Gu Weiran desperately wanted to shut Yang Ou up. These words were like salt in her wounds. She didn’t even know when she had been hurt.
Mistress? Ha, what did it have to do with her?
Why did she have to run into Yun Shu here of all places? Was fate playing a trick on her??
Gu Weiran felt as if something was clutching her heart, and it hurt more and more.
She hated this feeling, hated being affected like this, and didn’t want to stain her eyes again.
“Let’s go back. I don’t want to walk around anymore.”
She didn’t wait for Yang Ou and walked out of the store on her own. The two stores were less than ten meters apart, separated by a small water channel. As Gu Weiran walked out, she caught a glimpse of a person at the entrance holding up a phone and filming something.
When she brushed past that person, Gu Weiran felt something was wrong.
She stopped and looked back. The man seemed to be taking photos, and his target was the shop opposite.
To confirm her guess, Gu Weiran quietly took a few steps back, pretending to wait for Yang Ou, and secretly glanced at the man’s phone screen.
He was indeed taking pictures of Yun Shu and Ming Shangdong.
Being followed and secretly photographed while having an affair—who else but the man’s wife would do something like this? Gu Weiran shook her head. “Well, she deserves to be caught.”
“Weiran, I’m here.” Yang Ou hurried over, having paid and grabbed his things. Gu Weiran resolutely walked forward, not wanting to get involved, but after a few steps, her heart became even more tormented.
She had just seen someone trying to harm Yun Shu. Could she just walk away?
Thinking carefully, who would hate Yun Shu so much? Besides the business interests, it could only be the Chairman’s wife. The general public knew about the rumor, let alone the legal wife.
Given Yun Shu’s outstanding ability and youthful beauty, wouldn’t the wife want to get rid of this threat as soon as possible?
Maybe the recent dangers and troubles Yun Shu faced were all caused by that wife.
The thought of Yun Shu almost getting hurt made Gu Weiran feel afraid, and she couldn’t just ignore it.
What a brainless woman! She knew she was in the eye of the storm, yet she still came out with that man. If these photos fell into the Chairman’s wife’s hands or were exposed by the media, her reputation in this industry would be completely ruined.
Who would want her after she left Mind Virtue?
Gu Weiran sighed softly and whispered to Yang Ou, “Brother Yang, someone is secretly taking pictures of General Manager Yun.”
“Huh?” Yang Ou looked back and, sure enough, saw the person filming. From their angle, it was easy to see the screen.
“Do you want to notify General Manager Yun? Well, that’s good. Maybe Chairman Ming will remember our contribution later.”
Gu Weiran lowered her head in thought, then gestured to Yang Ou, leaning in to give him instructions. Yang Ou smiled and nodded, making an ‘OK’ sign.
After giving her instructions, she waited in an inconspicuous corner.
This Ming Shangdong was over fifty. He could be Yun Shu’s father. To be doing these things at his age was disgusting.
Yun Shu also lacked self-respect. From seeking out young men to being with Ming Shangdong, everything showed the messiness of her private life. Gu Weiran somewhat regretted agreeing to her condition. There was no benefit to it, only a feeling of being burdened.
What was the difference between Yun Shu and those rich women who went out to have fun? Messing around with men, relying on a sugar daddy, and then using his money to go after young boys.
It was more disgusting than swallowing a fly.
But Gu Weiran really couldn’t turn a blind eye. What kind of situation was this? It was truly ironic.
Yun Shu was getting more and more annoying. Really annoying.
“Weiran, I’m back.” Yang Ou brought a cup of milk tea, uncovered the lid, and was ready.
Gu Weiran squinted, took the hat from Yang Ou’s head, and put it on her own. “I’m going to the other side. You’ll act according to the plan in a moment.”
This was the most intimate action Gu Weiran had ever done toward him. Yang Ou happily patted his hair, nodding repeatedly.
Gu Weiran just wanted to hide herself, hoping Yun Shu wouldn’t recognize her.
Yun Shu stayed in the scarf shop for a long time. Ming Shangdong picked out a grey shawl for her, and Yun Shu bought a bright red one for herself.
“When did you start liking red?” Ming Shangdong asked with a smile.
“I didn’t buy it for myself,” Yun Shu said. She insisted on paying for her own scarf but accepted the one Ming Shangdong gave her.
“Looks like you’re giving it to a girl.”
“Of course. It’s for a very beautiful girl.” Yun Shu smiled, holding the scarf in her hand. She wondered if Weiran would like it. Her skin was fair, and red would suit her very well.
Just as the two were about to leave, a commotion broke out outside.
“Are you blind when you walk?”
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’ll pay for your phone.” Yang Ou kept apologizing. He had spilled his milk tea on the person’s phone.
“Can you even afford it? Do you know I have a lot of important documents and photos in there?”
The commotion outside hadn’t stopped, and now there was noise coming from inside the shop as well.
“Can you be more careful?”
“Sorry, sorry, little brother, I’m sorry.”
Was that Weiran’s voice??
Yun Shu turned in surprise. Gu Weiran quickly picked up the person’s phone, saw the screen that hadn’t been closed, and deliberately exclaimed, “Hey? Isn’t that the gentleman and lady from the store?”
She pointed to Yun Shu and Ming Shangdong. In the moment their eyes met, her heart felt a pang of bitterness.
But she didn’t let her emotions get the best of her. Instead, she feigned surprise. “Little brother, were you secretly filming them, or did you accidentally catch them?”
Originally, Gu Weiran’s plan was to go over and warn Yun Shu herself. But then she accidentally noticed a suspicious person inside the store, so she decided to improvise and coordinate with Yang Ou, one inside and one outside.
She believed that in this situation, Yun Shu would definitely understand what she meant.
The commotion drew a crowd. Yun Shu understood immediately. She took advantage of the chaos to push Ming Shangdong out, saying in a low voice, “We’re being followed and secretly photographed. You go first.”
Ming Shangdong’s face changed slightly. He didn’t expect that woman would be so brazen.
“I’ll go back and handle this. I won’t let the photos get out. You be careful yourself. Don’t go out for the next few days. Go back early and stay safe.”
“I’m fine. You should hurry and go.”
Ming Shangdong tucked the scarf into Yun Shu’s hand, seemingly reluctant to part. “Let’s not see each other for a while. We can talk about it after this passes. In a couple of days, you should go back to Xuan An to avoid the trouble.”
As Gu Weiran apologized, she saw the tangled and ambiguous farewell between them and felt disgusted again. Why did she even get involved? Why?
Her eyes felt as if they had been rubbed with chili water, both spicy and numb.
The man, seeing he had been discovered, tried to run away, but Yun Shu blocked the door.
Yun Shu stared at him with a dark expression. The man nervously hid his phone. “I didn’t film you. I was just taking pictures of the store and accidentally caught you.”
Yun Shu sneered, “Give your boss a message for me. If she wants a mutual destruction, I’ll see it through to the end.”
The man didn’t respond, as if admitting it by default. Seeing that Yun Shu wasn’t going to make things difficult for him, he scurried away.
Yun Shu lightly furrowed her brow and looked up, only to find that Gu Weiran had also disappeared.
Now, it’s Arrogant Gu running, and Yun Shu chasing and looking. Later, it will be the other way around, hee hee.
This story won’t be very sad. Just a little, a very little bit.