Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 5

Yun Shu’s cool and indifferent air chilled the atmosphere around them. Gu Weiran had never seen her like this before.
After all, Yun Shu was now a Party A executive — the client, the one with power. Times had changed; she dared not act recklessly anymore.

 

Sensing Yun Shu’s low mood, Gu Weiran wanted to move to another seat, but such an obvious action might provoke Yun Shu’s displeasure.
What if it affected the “big deal”?

 

She ran her fingers through her hair, pretending to be nonchalant.

 

The night road stretched long; dots of light glittered. The car circled along the moat, and the beauty of Xuan’an unfurled before their eyes.

 

All around was quiet. Yun Shu kept gazing out the window, and Gu Weiran didn’t dare to casually play with her phone — except for occasionally glancing at those two suspicious people behind them.

 

Throughout the whole trip, Gu Weiran kept waiting for them to get off, but those two just wouldn’t move.

 

Only when she and Yun Shu reached their destination did they finally get out too.

 

One or two coincidences could be explained, but to follow from start to finish — that wasn’t reasonable. It was either intentional or had another purpose.

 

Yun Shu walked in front, and Gu Weiran stayed alert at every moment. In today’s society, the space for women to live safely was far too difficult; maintaining vigilance and protecting oneself were the most basic survival skills.

 

She looked back every few steps, always trying to keep an eye on those two behind them — what if they attacked? What if they drugged someone? What if they had evil intentions?

 

Were those two targeting Yun Shu?
Had Yun Shu offended someone?
She was so young yet already a senior executive — that easily invited jealousy. But maybe it was because of her private life.

 

Whichever way you said it, it was still her own fault.
So good-looking — couldn’t she just do something normal?

 

Thinking and thinking, Gu Weiran became too absorbed and didn’t notice what was in front of her — she walked straight into Yun Shu, who had just turned around.

 

The collision of their bodies left them only inches apart, nearly touching nose to nose.

 

Gu Weiran froze for a moment. She seemed to once again smell Yun Shu’s fragrance, even felt the warmth of her breath brushing her own face.

 

Yun Shu said with a hint of amusement, “So easy for you to fall into someone else’s arms?”

 

Gu Weiran quickly stepped back two paces. “Why did you suddenly turn around?”

 

“I was waiting for you. You’re the one who bumped into me.”

 

“I just wasn’t paying attention.”

 

Yun Shu raised an eyebrow. “Really? Eyes are on the front — hard to believe it wasn’t on purpose.”

 

“You… I’d have to be sick to do it on purpose,” Gu Weiran muttered under her breath.
Did Yun Shu think she was lovestruck?
Just because she was good-looking didn’t mean she could seduce people at will.
Gu Weiran was an asexual — supermodels, movie queens, handsome men and beautiful women — none could enter her heart.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing!”

 

For now, Gu Weiran didn’t dare get into a war of words with Yun Shu. The project wasn’t in hand yet; she could only be the fish on the chopping block, to be sliced at will. Later, when she was stronger, then she could speak tough.

 

But she knew clearly that as long as Yun Shu remained a senior executive on the client side, she would never have the confidence to truly stand against her.

 

Party B was still Party B — forever eating from Party A’s bowl.

 

Yun Shu smiled faintly without replying, walking quietly ahead.

 

Her back, stretched long by moonlight, looked a bit lonely.

 

This street was close to Gu Weiran’s home — two hundred meters on foot.
In the past, her mother would always bring her and Yun Shu here, even though her father strictly forbade eating from street stalls.
Her mother, however, feared nothing and ignored all taboos.

 

As long as Yun Shu wanted to eat, as long as Gu Weiran wanted to stroll, her mother would surely bring them here.

 

Back then, her mother walked in the middle, holding her right hand and having Yun Shu looped through her left arm — how blissful it was.

 

Looking back now, all her happiest times were frozen in those few years.

 

Later, her mother died in an accident. Her father soon passed from illness.
After that, Yun Shu and Gu Weiran never came here again.

 

The noise of the street was filled with the warmth of human life.
People eating late-night snacks were like specks of dust in fireworks — enjoying the joy and contentment of nighttime in this ordinary world.

 

Their favorite restaurant was still bustling, but luckily there was an empty table today.
As soon as they arrived, the lady boss recognized Yun Shu.

 

“Hey? Yun Shu, you’re back?”

 

“Hello, Sister Lian.”

 

“What would you like to eat?”

 

Gu Weiran couldn’t help but feel surprised — after all these years, she still remembered her?

 

“The usual — some grilled skewers. Weiran likes them.” Yun Shu’s smile didn’t fade.

 

Sister Lian looked in surprise at Gu Weiran. “This is Weiran? Wow, it’s been so long! You’ve really grown into such a beauty — more and more like Teacher Lin.”

 

The moment Teacher Lin was mentioned, the boss lady’s expression changed.
She realized she shouldn’t have brought it up and awkwardly tried to smooth things over:
“Weiran, hello — do you still remember me?”

 

Gu Weiran forced a polite smile and nodded. Of course, she remembered.

 

The reason she hadn’t come for so long wasn’t because she’d forgotten, but because she didn’t want to come here just to add sorrow — didn’t want to be reminded of Yun Shu.

 

“Stop chattering and go prepare the food.” The boss came over and pulled his wife away.

 

Yun Shu sat upright, a faint smile still on her lips. She noticed that Gu Weiran kept staring behind them.

 

Had she noticed someone following?

 

“What are you looking at?”

 

“Nothing.” Gu Weiran lowered her head to take a sip of water, but just seeing those two men made her uncomfortable.
Back in university, she’d always hated being followed. Because of obsessive pursuers, she’d come to loathe romance itself.
Later, there had even been female classmates…

 

Unable to bear it, she’d publicly declared herself asexual — she would like no one and would never marry, to make everyone give up hope.

 

It wasn’t the best solution, but her coldness and tactics had indeed driven away many.

 

She knew very well that in today’s world, not only must one protect oneself — one must protect oneself well.
When it’s time to be tough, be tough.
Sometimes being merciful to others is just making things harder for yourself.

 

Anyway, people who could make her feel uncomfortable were never good people.

 

Thinking this, Gu Weiran stood up and walked toward the cooking stall.
She lowered her head and whispered something to the lady boss, then came back carrying a basin filled with water.

 

Since those two liked following so much, she might as well give them some “reward.”
Couldn’t let them have wasted the trip, right?

 

Gu Weiran carried the basin straight toward the two men under the streetlight.

 

Yun Shu didn’t understand what she was doing, and stood up to follow — but before she could, she saw Gu Weiran raise the basin and dump the water right over those two.

 

The act drew every diner’s gaze — even Yun Shu was startled.
The two men were drenched and glared angrily at Gu Weiran, just about to raise their fists.

 

Seeing that she might be in trouble, Yun Shu hurried a few steps toward her.

 

But Gu Weiran calmly lifted her phone — the screen showed “110” (the police number), already connected.

 

“Hello, 110?”

 

The two men pointed at her but dared not speak, trembling with rage.

 

“I feel like two men have been following me — from the airport to the shuttle bus, and now all the way here where I’m having a late-night snack. I have photo evidence.”

 

The two men wiped the water off their faces, nearly choking with fury.

 

“I’m so scared…” Gu Weiran said pitifully, pretending to be fragile and afraid.

 

The two looked at each other, realizing they couldn’t afford trouble.
If they really got taken to the police station, they wouldn’t be able to explain back at work.
Their fists half-raised, they finally dropped them in frustration.

 

Seeing them walk away, helpless and defeated, Gu Weiran smiled playfully and said into the phone,
“It’s fine now, they ran off. Thank you, miss — I’ll be careful going home.”

 

Finally driving away the two pests, Gu Weiran felt light and happy.

 

No one had expected the dainty, pretty Gu Weiran to do something so bold — all eyes turned toward her.
She already had delicate, classical features; now she was even more striking.

 

Yun Shu smiled as she watched her — she really admired such a spirited, quick-witted act.
Ordinary girls would never dare this.
Facing two big men, even if they realized they were being followed, they’d first seek safety or help.
But Gu Weiran? She wasn’t afraid of retaliation at all — she went straight for it.

 

She had first noticed something wrong, then secretly taken photos, then used the crowded area for safety, and finally called 110 to scare them off.

 

Calm from start to finish — not the slightest fear.

 

And the partnership hadn’t even officially started yet — and she was already surprising (and startling) Yun Shu.
Gu Weiran truly hadn’t disappointed her.

 

Yun Shu’s earlier melancholy was swept away; thinking of those two men drenched like chickens made her want to laugh.
How would they report back?
Say they were splashed by the woman beside Yun Shu?
Or say Yun Shu was discussing kickbacks at a food stall in Xuan’an?

 

Heh… they’d return empty-handed.

 

When Gu Weiran came back to the table, the skewers had already arrived — her old favorites.
Faced with the food, she suddenly had an appetite.

 

“Ever encountered stalkers before?” Yun Shu asked curiously.
Her whole series of moves had been so practiced — it seemed learned by experience.

 

“No stalkers, but I’ve had troublesome pursuers. I was being polite this time — if it were the old me, I’d have splashed them with dishwater. In college, once a guy lit candles, played guitar, and sang love songs downstairs — shouting ‘Gu Weiran, I like you!’ — disturbing the whole dorm. So annoying. I happened to be washing my feet then, so I just poured the water down from the sixth floor and put out his candles.”

 

Gu Weiran said this carelessly, as if it were nothing — but Yun Shu couldn’t help laughing aloud.

 

“That does sound like something you’d do.”

 

“I just hate that staring and pestering. It makes my skin crawl.”
Gu Weiran always felt such people needed to be taught a lesson, otherwise they’d never learn.

 

Some people once said she was heartless, cold, unfeeling — she admitted it.

 

Living without attachments was wonderful.
If she were truly detached, she wouldn’t be sitting here talking to Yun Shu for the sake of Fengqi’s future.

 

Yun Shu didn’t reply, only stared at her without blinking.

 

Feeling the heat of Yun Shu’s gaze, Gu Weiran looked up. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

 

“Seeing whether you’ll splash me with water.”

 

“You’re Party A, how would I dare?”

 

Yun Shu raised an eyebrow. “Not… mm?”
She deliberately paused two seconds in the middle, shaping her lips into a silent “ma.”

 

Gu Weiran instantly understood her meaning — “not daddy?” — and almost exploded.
She snatched up her glass of water, nearly ready to throw it — but!

 

“What’s this? Going to splash?” Yun Shu’s smile deepened.

 

She was obviously teasing her! Setting a trap!

 

If she splashed now, all her effort and patience would go to waste.

 

No — she had to endure humiliation and crawl forward!

 

Gu Weiran forced a stiff, fake smile. “I’ll… drink!”

 

If she couldn’t splash her, she could at least drink!
Gu Weiran downed the full glass of water in one gulp.

 

Only then did Yun Shu feel a true sense of reunion and joy.
Gu Weiran’s flustered, exasperated reaction was exactly the same as when she was young.
She felt genuinely happy — as if she had regained something from the past.

 

That long-lost feeling warmed Yun Shu’s heart.

 

She wanted, with everything she could, to keep protecting Gu Weiran like this.

 

There was a pile of food on the table, but Yun Shu hardly touched it — only ate some sweet osmanthus taro balls.

 

Glancing at her bowl, Gu Weiran asked, “You still love that stuff?”

 

“Some tastes can’t be replaced.”

 

Unexpectedly nostalgic.
Gu Weiran said nothing more; she knew if they kept talking about the past, it would go on forever.
It was time to talk business — with the stalkers gone, she needed Yun Shu to give her some reassurance.

 

“Well…”

 

Before she could finish, someone appeared beside their table.

 

“Miss Yun, the chairman sent me to protect you. I’ll take you to the hotel — this isn’t a place you should stay.”

 

The speaker was a tall man around 180 cm, dressed in a black shirt, looking strong, but when he spoke to Yun Shu, he bowed slightly, showing deep respect.

 

And he called her “Miss Yun,” not “President Yun.”

 

Seeing him, Yun Shu’s smile faded. She said quietly, “Understood.”

 

He took her luggage, waiting silently.
Yun Shu stood up and said to Gu Weiran, “As long as your technical proposal doesn’t make things difficult for me, everything will be fine.”

 

That was the answer Gu Weiran had racked her brains to get.
Yun Shu was the decision-maker — the meaning behind the words was already clear.

 

Without further delay, Yun Shu followed the man into a black sedan parked by the road, disappearing into the night.

 

Gu Weiran looked toward the street. The happiness she should have felt instantly sank.

 

Chairman… Miss Yun…
Just after discovering they were being followed, a “protector” appeared.
Heh… what a mess.

Gu the proud one — wasn’t this the answer you wanted?
She’s given it to you.
So why aren’t you happy??

 

Projects are easy to win, but Yun-mama is hard to get — cherish her, okay?