Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 15

The drizzling rain stopped at dusk. Gu Weiran was working so hard that she forgot to eat and sleep, going straight to the company after returning from the cemetery. She thought she didn’t have much luggage and could go directly after work, but once she got busy, she lost track of time.

At nine in the evening, Feng Qi was still brightly lit, and all ten members of Gu Weiran’s team were present. She ordered takeout for everyone; Gu Weiran was never harsh on her old colleagues.

The sense of fulfillment she sought in her work mostly came from the affirmation and recognition of her clients and the feeling of striving together with her team. Financial gain was not the most important thing to her; she was willing to take money from future profits to reward everyone.

Gu Weiran majored in screenwriting-related studies in college. Now, Su Qing was working in her professional field, while she was in the advertising industry, which was not directly related to her major.

Although she was now the boss, her old work habits hadn’t changed.

Overtime was commonplace, and working across time zones was the norm.

“Weiran, aren’t you going home earlier today?” Yang Ou couldn’t help but remind her when he saw her still focused on her work.

Gu Weiran’s eyes were fixed on the screen. Only when Yang Ou mentioned it did she remember that the major task of moving had not been completed.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!” She quickly closed her laptop and glanced at the time—it was almost ten o’clock.

She was doomed; she never managed to complete what she promised Yun Shu.

“You all go home early too, I’m taking off first.” Just as Gu Weiran walked out of the office, she received a text message from Yun Shu: “Bring the company’s official seal back. The door code is 1115.”

Why bring the official seal? Gu Weiran was truly puzzled; this seemingly random sentence left her confused, but she still turned back as if guided by an unseen hand and took the official seal.

All the way, she was wondering how Yun Shu knew the company was in her hands. Did Uncle Da tell her? That shouldn’t be possible; Uncle Da hadn’t even met her.

Or perhaps she didn’t actually know, and her last remark was just a casual comment.

Now she was asked to bring the official seal back again; could she be testing her about something?

But then she thought, whether Yun Shu knew or not, it didn’t seem to affect her in any way. Now she was in a bind and had no choice but to obey.

Gu Weiran rushed home, grabbed her packed suitcase, and left.

In Xuan’an in early winter, accompanied by a touch of chill, the streets at 10:30 were somewhat deserted. The taxi circled out of the old city district. The address of the new residence was on Thirteen Street, a house belonging to the film star Lu Jingyan, temporarily lent to Yun Shu.

Lu Jingyan was her best friend Su Qing’s idol and also Gu Weiran’s favorite actress. She even remembered watching a TV series starring Lu Jingyan with Yun Shu. Who would have thought that an international superstar seemingly so far away would become Yun Shu’s friend?

The shadows of the trees by the street flashed past Gu Weiran’s eyes as she stared blankly out the window.

She was getting closer to the destination, about to return to Yun Shu’s side, and Yun Shu had also returned to her world.

It seemed just like the beginning, yet something was quietly changing in Gu Weiran’s heart.

Thirteen Street was five kilometers outside the old city. The community was named “Ruyuan” (Wishing Well), meaning “life as desired.” It was a community that resembled a huge courtyard, with very few residents, hidden and quiet.

Gu Weiran slowly walked, dragging her heavy suitcase.

It was almost eleven o’clock. Yun Shu might already be asleep. She wondered if she would be scolded for returning now.

But on second thought, Yun Shu had never been fierce with her, nor had she ever blamed her. What was she worried about?

Arriving on the sixth floor, Gu Weiran let out a long sigh and quietly entered the four-digit code. The door slowly opened, and the faint indoor light shone out. She tiptoed in and found a pair of slippers already placed on the doormat.

An unfamiliar place, a familiar scene—it used to be like this. No matter when she came home from school, Yun Shu would always have slippers ready for her.

The darkness truly makes people sentimental. Gu Weiran sniffed and gently changed her shoes. She thought Yun Shu was already asleep and had only habitually left the shoes out for her.

She didn’t dare to touch the suitcase and walked a few steps inside, suddenly hearing music, followed by a singing voice.

“Moon river, wider than a mile I’m crossing you in style some day Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker…”

Gu Weiran followed the singing to the balcony. She was stunned, staring intently. Yun Shu was wearing a silk bathrobe, revealing her fair long legs, lazily leaning on the lounge chair. The blue and purple interwoven into a faint hint of sexiness. The V-neck showed a glimpse of her skin, and her alluring collarbone lines were captivating and seductive.

The light singing, like a sweet spring, slowly seeped into Gu Weiran’s heart. She felt as if she were in a cloud, surrounded by softness, warm and secure.

This was a classic scene from Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Hepburn was Lin Yun’s (Gu Weiran’s mother) favorite actress, and “Moon River” was her favorite song.

Back then, Lin Yun would always play and sing this song on her ukulele, and her most loyal listeners were Yun Shu and Gu Weiran.

Time seemed to be frozen in this moment. Gu Weiran recalled the scene of watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s together when her mother was alive.

She finally understood why Yun Shu had asked for her mother’s ukulele before leaving.

It turned out to be because of longing.

She had always known Yun Shu was a graceful dancer, but she never knew her singing voice could be so beautiful. The song was full of the flavor of time, setting the clock back to the past, softly telling those happy memories.

It was an eternal melody with the beauty of a steady stream, giving Gu Weiran the illusion that she would never be separated from Yun Shu.

The song was short, and Yun Shu quickly stopped playing and singing. Her gentle gaze shifted to Gu Weiran, her mouth slightly curved up, exuding an irresistible, provocative air.

“You finally remembered to come back.” She put down the ukulele and slowly walked towards Gu Weiran. The unique charm and sensuality of a woman were fully displayed by her. Every smile and frown hid countless enchanting qualities, making Gu Weiran’s ears burn involuntarily.

“When, when did you learn to play that?” Gu Weiran tried to hide her nervousness and shyness, though she didn’t know why she was shy.

“Just this one song. I only sing it once a year, for Teacher Lin.” Yun Shu answered calmly, the loneliness and isolation from her singing completely gone.

“Sorry, I had a lot of work and came back late.”

Gu Weiran didn’t dare to look at her. A faint, exquisite fragrance drifted from Yun Shu, intoxicating anyone who smelled it.

She must be crazy to be so smitten with Yun Shu.

When Yun Shu walked past her, Gu Weiran subconsciously took two steps back. Yun Shu glanced at her, “Am I going to eat you or something, that you need to keep such a distance from me?”

“That’s not what I meant. Can’t you wear thicker pajamas on such a cold day?” Shouldn’t this kind of pajamas be worn in the summer? Wearing this in the middle of winter, who is she trying to seduce?

As she spoke, Gu Weiran’s forehead started to sweat. She didn’t know if it was from the heat or the nervousness. The underfloor heating made the house feel like summer, oppressively hot.

“The indoor temperature is constantly 28 degrees. Aren’t you hot wearing so much?”

“It’s very cold outside. Who knew it would be so hot in here.” She fanned herself with her hand.

Yun Shu smiled and asked, “Did you bring the official seal back?”

“I did. By the way, why did you ask me to bring this?”

Yun Shu didn’t answer. She walked to the study and came out with a piece of paper. “Stamp it. Starting tomorrow, you will be an employee of Minde, my personal assistant.”

Gu Weiran took a look—a Resignation Certificate?!

“When did I agree to resign?”

“Minde employees have a three-month probation period. If you resign during probation, you can leave the next day. The agreement between you and me is three months. If you submit a resignation application before you become a full employee, I will sign it, and you can leave.”

Gu Weiran was speechless: “I’ve already reached my limit by agreeing to live with you. On what basis are you making this decision for me? I don’t want to go to Minde either.”

“It seems you don’t remember my conditions. Let me say it again: our implicit contract is for you to be my assistant, accompany me at work, accompany me on business trips, and take care of my life. In other words, whatever I ask you to do, you have to do it, right?”

“I…”

“And my office is at Minde’s Xuan’an company. Since you have to follow me all the time, the most appropriate way is to be a Minde employee. This makes everything convenient, including handling other matters.”

Gu Weiran didn’t know what Yun Shu was thinking, doing one unexpected thing after another.

But she was never a person who took things lying down; how could she be arranged like this?

Even if the reasoning was sound, Gu Weiran didn’t want to yield.

“How can I be employed by two companies simultaneously? That violates labor laws. I can be flexible with my time; I don’t necessarily have to become a Minde employee.”

Yun Shu raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “Being overly clever will cost you eventually. Not every employee can casually bring the official seal home.”

“You… blackmailed me…” As expected, she fell for it. Gu Weiran felt like she had confessed without being prompted.

“I blackmailed you?” Yun Shu suddenly lifted her chin. “Then tell me, did I blackmail you for money, or am I coveting your beauty?”

Gu Weiran couldn’t dodge. She just stared at her blankly and stammered, “I, I agreed to help you… but not that…”

“What?” Yun Shu leaned closer, almost touching her. Gu Weiran tightly closed her eyes, trying to stay calm. Her heart was thumping fast, almost leaping out of her chest. She clenched her fists, wanting to push Yun Shu away forcefully but couldn’t bear to.

“Nothing! I’ll stamp it!” She gritted her teeth and turned her face away, avoiding Yun Shu’s intense gaze. She reluctantly found the official seal and stamped it heavily. This stamp felt like signing a deed of servitude, leaving Gu Weiran completely in Yun Shu’s control.

Yun Shu nodded contentedly. “Today is December 14th. I will approve your resignation application in March. At that time, you can leave Minde, and you can move out of here, completely getting rid of me. You can rest assured that I will leave Xuan’an and stop disturbing you.” Yun Shu patted Gu Weiran’s shoulder. “Go take a shower. Your room is the one inside. Get some rest early. Good night.”

Yun Shu returned to her room first. Her final words made Gu Weiran’s mood plummet.

She should have been happy, but she couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. It felt as if everything had ended before it even began.

Unconsciously, she had already been looking forward to it—looking forward to their future interactions, looking forward to returning to the days of mutual care and support.

But neither of them was the person they once were. Separation seemed to be the norm for adults.

Her reunion with Yun Shu was destined to be brief.

Gu Weiran finished her shower with a heavy heart. When she returned to her room, a cup of hot milk had appeared on the nightstand.

After all this time, Yun Shu still remembered her bedtime habit.

She picked up the cup and held it. Her heart felt like melting sugar, a little sweet.

Gu Weiran took a sip. The faint milky scent carried a hint of sweetness. Her nose suddenly stung with emotion, and her eyes moistened.

It turned out that some things had always been in her heart and were never forgotten.

She missed her mother, and she missed Yun Shu too.