Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 22
Yang Ou didn’t dare to look up, only feeling a powerful aura from the woman standing next to Yun Shu.
“An acquaintance?” the woman asked.
“Someone from a cooperating company. Wait for me a moment, Old Ling.”
“No rush.”
Yun Shu looked Yang Ou up and down, her gaze lingering on the untouched dishes.
Although she had met Yang Ou only a handful of times, Yun Shu remembered him as a sunny, clean-cut man. Today, however, he was unshaven, dressed oddly in a suit paired with a baseball cap, and wearing headphones, looking completely out of place for the dining setting.
“Are you alone?”
“Ah, yes. I, I came to dine.” Yang Ou couldn’t lie. Meeting Yun Shu was unexpected, and he was nervously at a loss.
His reaction was strange, and he kept pressing his hand against his headphones.
“The third floor is the hotel. The scenery is lovely, and there’s an outdoor pool and sauna. Shall we go try it?”
“Sounds good. The third floor, right? Let’s go.”
On the other end of the phone, Gu Weiran purposely repeated “the third floor.” Yang Ou understood her hint and was anxious to leave.
“General Manager Yun, I’m finished eating. I’m going upstairs to look around.”
“Wait.” Yun Shu stopped him. Yang Ou was inwardly agonizing. He didn’t dare waste time but couldn’t disobey Yun Shu either, so he forced a smile. “What can I do for you?”
Yun Shu’s eyes were bottomless. She stared at Yang Ou, as if she could see right through him.
“Where is Weiran?”
Yang Ou was startled. The sound of Gu Weiran entering the elevator came from the other end of the phone, followed by a blurry signal. He was frantic. “I don’t—I don’t know, General Manager Yun. I have an urgent matter. I have to go.”
He turned to slip away, but Yun Shu swiftly stepped across and blocked his path.
Yang Ou and Gu Weiran had timed it perfectly. If he was delayed, Gu Weiran could be harmed.
“General Manager Yun, please let me go! I need to save Weiran!” In his desperation, Yang Ou couldn’t hold back. He took off running towards the stairs.
Yun Shu’s expression solidified, and she quickly followed Yang Ou.
The sound had cut off the moment she entered the elevator. Yang Ou was worried Gu Weiran had run into trouble.
“Weiran, can you hear me? Say something?!” Yang Ou ran panting to the third floor. The hallway was deserted. He checked the outdoor pool—no! The sauna area—no!
Where is she? Where is she?!
“Weiran, say something! Weiran!” Yang Ou no longer cared about the setting. Losing contact with Gu Weiran had thrown him into disarray.
He couldn’t imagine what that pervert would do to Gu Weiran if anything went wrong.
While Yang Ou was in a state of chaos, Yun Shu remained steady. She glared at him and demanded, “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
Yang Ou nervously briefly explained the situation. Yun Shu’s face instantly went pale. Without another word, she made a phone call. “Old Ling, I’m about to cause trouble. Help me deal with the aftermath.”
“Don’t worry. Do what you need to do.” The person on the other end was Miss Ling Er. They had planned to go to the hot springs but hadn’t expected to encounter something like this.
Although the backer of this place was the actress Lan Ying, Lan Ying worked for Miss Ling Er, which meant this was essentially her turf.
Just as Yang Ou was about to knock on doors one by one, Yun Shu walked straight to the fire alarm and pulled it.
The piercing “ding-ding-ding” of the alarm sounded. People thought there was a fire and rushed out of their rooms. At the same time, a group of security guards also rushed to the third floor to evacuate the crowd.
“Fire, fire, run!” Some people rushed out of their rooms half-dressed. Yun Shu and Yang Ou searched against the flow of the crowd. As they passed room 318, Yun Shu noticed a card stuck in the door crack, as if deliberately left there.
She stopped, pinched the card, and tried prying it. The door actually opened.
Yun Shu rushed in quickly, only to see Wang Sen lying on the ground, unconscious and looking disheveled. Gu Weiran was sitting calmly in a chair, scrolling through her phone. A glass of red wine was on the table, and next to it was a short-handled stun gun. She fiddled with the switch, and the stun gun occasionally emitted a “zzz-zzz” electric sound.
At this moment, Gu Weiran was composed and aloof, like a machine, even exuding a subtle, ruthless intensity.
The urgent alarm outside seemed irrelevant to her. She took a photo of the red wine, then pointed the camera at Wang Sen, only then noticing someone had entered.
She looked up, her pupils wide, startled by the arrival.
Yun Shu’s eyes were filled with coldness and anger. Gu Weiran stared blankly at her, stupefied, until Yang Ou rushed in and shouted, “Weiran!” Only then did she regain consciousness.
He frantically held Gu Weiran’s shoulders, urgently asking, “Weiran, are you okay? Why did the phone cut off? You scared me to death! Did he do anything to you?” Seeing that she wasn’t wearing a jacket, Yang Ou draped his own clothes over her, terrified that she had suffered any slight. He then looked at Wang Sen on the floor, who was still unconscious.
His palpable anxiety was evident. Yun Shu looked at him like this, frowning, and didn’t utter a word.
“I’m fine,” Gu Weiran replied coldly, her eyes reflecting Yun Shu’s emotionless face.
Yun Shu walked up to Wang Sen, her expression dark, like a sky covered by storm clouds. Even without asking, she could guess what had happened.
“How did you end up here today?” Gu Weiran asked timidly.
“It seems you really didn’t want to run into me.”
“That’s not what I meant. I… I’ll explain it to you when we get back.”
It was impossible to clearly explain the current situation in just a few words. There was an awkwardness like a major disaster on the scene. Yang Ou quietly whispered in her ear, “I ran into General Manager Yun in the restaurant. She stopped me and asked about you, so I could only tell her briefly.”
“Why did you say so much?!” Gu Weiran nudged him with her elbow.
“I didn’t dare not to say anything!” The two exchanged whispers, standing very close. Yang Ou kept his arm around Gu Weiran. Yun Shu glanced at the two of them, her expression as dark as a thunderstorm.
She walked to the bed, picked up Gu Weiran’s jacket, and threw it over. “Both of you, get out first.”
The jacket landed in front of Gu Weiran. She took it in a daze, just about to say something, when the security guard outside entered. The man respectfully said, “Hello, General Manager Yun. I am the Security Department Manager. The crowds outside have been evacuated. The boss instructed us to follow your command. What are your orders?”
“Guard the stairs and elevator. Don’t let anyone near here. Take them to the lounge.”
“Yes, please come this way, sir and madam.”
Gu Weiran stood up and said to Yun Shu, “He was stunned by me. There was a drug in the wine glass, and there’s a recording on my phone. I’ll edit it and send it to you. These are all evidence. This isn’t the first time Wang Sen has sexually harassed a female employee. This time, it was attempted rape. You should take advantage of this…”
“I don’t need you to tell me how to handle things.” Yun Shu’s expression was indifferent, her eyes filled with suppressed anger. Gu Weiran felt a chilling coldness and moved her lips but didn’t dare to speak again.
The security guard led them to the adjacent, empty lounge, leaving two others to assist Yun Shu in dealing with the matter.
Yun Shu indifferently picked up the wine glass from the table and splashed the wine on Wang Sen’s face.
The icy chill jolted the unconscious Wang Sen awake. He sat up abruptly and shouted angrily, “Gu Weiran!”
“General Manager Wang is awake.”
Hearing the familiar voice, Wang Sen wiped the wine from his face and stared at Yun Shu in shock.
“General Manager Yun?”
He realized he had been played. This strategy of luring the enemy into the urn was brilliant!
“General Manager Wang certainly has a great taste for life. With performance like this, you can still live a carefree and indulgent life. That mindset is worth learning.” Yun Shu narrowed her eyes, radiating a cold, fierce aura.
Caught red-handed, Wang Sen was powerless to argue. He could only make a desperate attempt, figuring he had nothing to lose.
“I can’t compare to your tactics, General Manager Yun, using your own people as bait. That move of the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole watches is brilliant. A stepdaughter is just a stepdaughter, useful as a pawn, for taking kickbacks, and as a cover. How convenient.”
Wang Sen deliberately tried to provoke her, but Yun Shu was cold, arrogant, and showed no emotion. She calmly said, “Will you write your resignation yourself, or should I have headquarters send you a notice of termination?”
“Hahaha, Yun Shu, you want to get rid of me? Ask the Chairman’s wife if she agrees.”
“Surveillance, drugging, recording, attempted rape by a Mingde executive. If such a scandalous matter makes the headlines, would that madam still dare to protect you?”
“Don’t you threaten me! You ungrateful wretch! The Chairman has been so good to you, yet you are using Mingde’s reputation to vent your personal frustrations? This matter won’t benefit anyone if it gets out. General Manager Yun, think twice before you act.” Wang Sen was certain that Yun Shu wouldn’t escalate this. Even if she didn’t consider herself, she would consider the Chairman’s reputation and Mingde’s image.
She wouldn’t dare do anything to him. Perhaps she only wanted him to genuinely concede.
Yun Shu let out a slight sneer, smiling without speaking.
Wang Sen seized the opportunity. “I admit defeat in this matter, but I didn’t do anything to Gu Weiran. I’m willing to give you the kickbacks from the production company and the event company. I can also assist you in getting Gu Weiran promoted and a raise. Can we just drop this? From now on, we’ll keep to ourselves. For these three months you’re in Xuan’an, I will treat you with respect. How about that?”
This was the biggest concession he could make and his only way to save himself, completely harmless to Yun Shu.
A cold smile crossed Yun Shu’s lips. She stood up and looked down at Wang Sen. Her intimidating presence was so powerful it took his breath away.
“Wang Sen, I didn’t care that you were greedy for money and lustful, but your behavior is utterly disgusting. You even dared to plot against my person.” Yun Shu offered a charmingly sinister smile that made one’s bl00d run cold. “But I won’t kill you. If you don’t get out within a week, someone will take care of you.” With that, she walked toward the door.
Wang Sen panicked and quickly said, “Look at the person, not the monk’s face. Are you really not going to consider Mingde’s reputation?”
Yun Shu slowly turned her eyes and said distinctly, “Mingde is not as important as her.”
“Madwoman! You crazy woman!” Wang Sen collapsed despairingly on the floor, finally terrified. He had underestimated Gu Weiran’s importance to Yun Shu. He thought she was just a stepdaughter. He thought the two of them really didn’t get along.
The most venomous heart belongs to a woman. Was this a trap they deliberately set for him? Was he truly going to be ruined by women?
In the lounge, Gu Weiran explained the sequence of events to Yang Ou. She always carried a stun gun for emergencies. To obtain more conclusive evidence, she pretended to drink the wine.
Knowing the wine was drugged, Gu Weiran only took a small sip, feigning unconsciousness. When Wang Sen tried to do something to her, she took out the stun gun, turned it to the maximum power, and immediately stunned him.
To ensure her safety, Gu Weiran had inserted the card into the door upon entering. When she heard the alarm, she thought Yang Ou had set it off, which was why she could sit so calmly.
She had prepared thoroughly, ready for the trap, but she never expected Yun Shu to appear suddenly.
She felt that Yun Shu was genuinely angry.
After a tense ten-minute wait, Yun Shu finally arrived. The two of them stood up from their chairs like children who had done something wrong, waiting for her judgment.
“Yang Ou, you leave first.”
“General Manager Yun…”
“I don’t want to say it a second time.” Yun Shu’s eyes were like water, filled with a subtle coldness.
Yang Ou gave Gu Weiran a long, deep look and had no choice but to say, “Then I’ll leave now. Weiran, let’s keep in touch.”
“Mm, you go ahead.”
Only Gu Weiran and Yun Shu remained in the quiet room. Outside the window was the outdoor pool, where the sky and water merged into a beautiful sight. From the moment she gave her the list to the planned encounter with Wang Sen today, Yun Shu knew that this plan had been in Gu Weiran’s heart for a long time.
But how could she dare to take such an action? How could she put herself in danger?!
“How are you planning to deal with him?” Gu Weiran asked cautiously.
“How did you plan to deal with him? Call the police? Or write an article to make it a trending topic, forcing Mingde to deal with him?” Yun Shu’s words were pointed, clearly indicating that she knew about the article to save Mingde.
“I originally planned to leave it to you to handle. The Xuan’an company is in disarray now, and the performance is a mess. Since you’re here, you can’t be constantly held back by him. Failing to meet the gambling agreement will affect your future, and I also can’t stand his disgusting face.”
“Gu Weiran, my gambling agreement with the company is my own business. It’s not your concern how I manage the personnel. Who I want to eliminate or promote is even less relevant to you. Who told you to be meddlesome and do all this? Do you think you’re very impressive or great? Are you trying to move me, or are you trying to move yourself, huh?”
Her heart suddenly ached.
Gu Weiran felt as if cold water had been poured over her, chilling her to the core.
“I just wanted to do something for you. I never intended to put myself in danger. It’s just the fastest way to get rid of him. More than half a month has passed, and your abilities are being stifled by these people who only pretend to cooperate. He even intended to sabotage the event with Lu Jing Yan’s attendance to embarrass you!”
“How I fare is none of your business, do you understand? None of your business. Don’t think that just because you have a bit of cleverness, you can control everything. Don’t think that doing all this is for my own good…”
“That’s enough!” Gu Weiran’s eyes welled up. Her heart was shattered by Yun Shu’s words.
She hadn’t sought any reward and knew Yun Shu might be angry, but she hadn’t expected her words to be so harsh.
“What did I do wrong that you have to lecture me like this? Do you just want me to obey you in everything and follow the path you set for me? Why? I just can’t stand him! I can’t stand him talking back to you! I can’t stand anyone speaking ill of you! And I can’t stand anyone treating you badly, including myself!”
“Weiran…”
“Yun Shu, I hate you!” Having screamed these words, Gu Weiran rushed out, tears silently streaming down her face. Her heart felt heavy, as if it were filled with cold lead.
Caring leads to confusion. For the first time, Yun Shu felt the terror of losing control.
It turned out she could also have moments like this…