Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 6

Gu Weiran ate sullenly, without any appetite.

Yun Shu came and went in a hurry, her silence along the way making her feel distant — near yet far, close yet unreachable.

In the end, relationships between people can never withstand reality and time.

She and Yun Shu had long drifted apart. Meeting again was nothing more than Party A and Party B. The past should have long faded like smoke. Gu Weiran shouldn’t keep thinking about it, nor should she admit to herself that when she thought of Yun Shu, the feelings that came were always more warmth and happiness than resentment and sorrow.

On one hand, she wanted to use their personal connection to get the project. On the other, she wanted to distance herself from her.

Gu Weiran really hated how contradictory she was.

“Eh? Yun Shu left again?” The boss lady, Sister Lian, came over carrying a plate of seasonal stir-fry. “She’s still the same as before — here one moment, gone the next, like a dragon that shows its head but never its tail.”

“Again?” Gu Weiran caught the key word. “Sister Lian, she comes here often?”

“Every year,” Sister Lian replied. “And every time she orders the same snacks. Sometimes she sits for a long time, sometimes she leaves without eating. I don’t get her.”

Gu Weiran’s heart gave a hard jolt. Yun Shu came back every year? She had no idea. She thought Yun Shu had completely severed ties with their family, left Xuan’an for good.

“When does she come back?”

Sister Lian thought for a moment and said, “She definitely comes back for Qingming Festival, and also on your mother’s death anniversary. Other times I can’t quite remember.”

Gu Weiran felt as though something had tugged hard at her heart — it hurt.

Why did Yun Shu come back every year, and she never knew? Every year when she went to the grave, she had never run into her.

Gu Weiran had thought Yun Shu had erased every memory of Xuan’an, leaving without any attachments, forgetting everything here.

She had even thought Yun Shu was ungrateful. No matter what, her mother had been Yun Shu’s benefactor. She should at least feel a little gratitude.

Gu Weiran’s resentment over the years, more or less, stemmed partly from that.

But reality gave her a harsh slap in the face — things were not as she had imagined.

“I heard Yun Shu’s a big leader now, but I still feel she doesn’t look happy,” Sister Lian, being talkative, started to chatter on about the Yun Shu in her memory.

Gu Weiran said nothing, quietly listening.

“When she’s here, she always stares off at the road in a daze. I’ve never seen her smile. Makes me miss when your mom was still around — Yun Shu was so cheerful then, and you too. Weiran, you don’t smile like you used to either.”

Gu Weiran lowered her head, her eyes stinging — she suddenly wanted to cry.

Smile? She still smiled, but it was never like before.

Yun Shu too? She could never read Yun Shu’s emotions — after her mother died, she had been calm, almost cold.

But wasn’t Yun Shu someone who loved to smile?

Even when she herself gave her a cold face, Yun Shu would still smile back. How come Sister Lian said she had never seen Yun Shu smile? That was strange.

Qingming Festival and her mother’s death anniversary were three months apart. She had never forgotten them — always remembered those important days.

Gu Weiran didn’t know whether to be happy or sad. Had she misunderstood Yun Shu?

Was it because of the “stepmother” identity that she had always been biased?

Her mind was a complete mess, filled with thoughts of Yun Shu.

Maybe she was just muddled from fatigue — better to go home early and sleep!

Just— please, don’t dream of Yun Shu again.

As she was about to get up and leave, she received a text message.

“Go home early. Don’t mess up your time zone.”

That familiar number — though it was just a string of digits, the warmth that came through was unmistakably Yun Shu’s.

Gu Weiran could even see Yun Shu’s expression and hear her tone from between those few simple words.

Ha, exactly like her nagging back in senior year of high school.

“Mind your own business!” Gu Weiran muttered aloud, yet her fingers typed, “Got it.”

That wasn’t “saying one thing but meaning another.”
It was just basic politeness to the client, that’s all — she told herself that.

The second-round bidding was a war without smoke. Gu Weiran never managed to bring up the subject of kickbacks, but with Yun Shu’s assurance, she was somewhat at ease.

Whenever Yun Shu promised something, she never failed to do it.

There were still four companies in the competition, and this time Fengqi was placed first.

That day, Gu Weiran was radiant — dressed in formal wear, she’d even gotten her hair permed with soft waves. Whether for the occasion or because of Yun Shu, even she wasn’t sure.

Yun Shu sat high above at the main seat that day, and strangely, the always-composed Gu Weiran was nervous.

She’d debated in college, hosted events, and could handle any situation, but this was the first time she was giving a presentation in front of Yun Shu — and she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Before speaking, she tried hard to calm herself, but every time she thought of Yun Shu being there, her heart pounded uncontrollably — thump thump thump.

Poison. It had to be poison.

Finally, she had no choice but to go to the restroom and take several deep breaths in front of the mirror, telling herself silently:

“Yun Shu is invisible. She’s invisible. She’s invisible.”

That worked.

Gu Weiran’s gaze didn’t focus on anyone; she kept her eyes on the projector screen. She didn’t look directly at people — only concentrated on her report.

Her speech was vivid, her emotions layered, her demeanor confident — no less impressive than anyone else’s.

She possessed a calmness and composure uncommon among her peers. In her own field, she always shone with self-assured brilliance.

Yun Shu watched her intently, the corners of her lips faintly curved in a smile. Everyone else took cues from her expression — her reaction represented her satisfaction.

They all said leaders’ moods were hard to read, but since Fengqi was Yun Shu’s company, those who were smart enough knew how to score.

Besides, Gu Weiran’s technical proposal was indeed both bold and creative.

She had suggested inviting the top actress Lu Jingyan to attend the project’s launch ceremony.

To know — Lu Jingyan had retired from acting for years, never accepting commercial endorsements or events, barely taking any new roles. How could such an international superstar possibly attend the launch of a mere real estate project?

But a big project’s opening required not only media presence but also big names to boost exposure and publicity, which would drive sales later.

“Fame packaging” mattered more than anything else — that was the highlight of Gu Weiran’s second-round bid.

Because she alone knew — Yun Shu and Lu Jingyan were friends.

That crucial bit of information had come from her best friend, Su Qing, who, under Gu Weiran’s help, had disguised herself as a domestic helper in Lu Jingyan’s house. And one day, by chance, Lu Jingyan had sent Su Qing to deliver a set of keys.

The recipient? Yun Shu.

Lu Jingyan had even lent one of her apartments to Yun Shu to live in.

That kind of closeness — more than just “friends,” surely.

When Gu Weiran learned of this, she stayed up all night revising her proposal — she was going to gamble that Yun Shu could persuade the actress.

Although the final decision would rest with the core leader, presentation mattered.

After the bidding meeting, Mingde Group went into an internal discussion.

The key management from planning and marketing departments all participated, each holding a scoring sheet to rate the technical and business proposals.

Originally, the highest leader was Wang Sen, but now that Yun Shu often came to oversee things, no one knew whom to side with.

One was a powerful outsider parachuted in with authority; the other, a local boss with deep roots.

People said, “Even a dragon can’t suppress a local snake,” but Yun Shu — this “dragon” — was thriving in the headquarters. Who would dare cross her?

Gu Weiran’s bold suggestion was questioned by many — they thought inviting Lu Jingyan was unrealistic.

To shut down those voices, Yun Shu made a phone call to Lu Jingyan right there, in front of everyone.

At that moment, everyone realized just how capable Yun Shu was.

In a sense, Yun Shu was the ultimate decision-maker. Her setting the contract was only natural. But Wang Sen, with the chairman’s wife behind him, had always tried to trip her up.

This time, Yun Shu made up her mind to uproot Wang Sen and his clique at headquarters.

She didn’t confront him directly — instead, she used the comprehensive evaluation. Fengqi’s score was nearly tied with another company, but their business proposal (pricing) was slightly better. Yun Shu overruled the opposition and decided on the spot.
“The advertising contract will go to Fengqi for now. The planning department can visit them this afternoon to discuss the next phase. As for the production and event companies, I’ll leave that entirely to President Wang — you know Xuan’an better, after all.”

Yun Shu gave a slap, then a date. The fat profit from the advertising deal slipped from Wang Sen’s grasp, but she tossed him other benefits as compensation.

Wang Sen looked at her in surprise — he hadn’t expected Yun Shu to hand over such a lucrative piece.

Production companies handled the material printing — the biggest source of profit. She took the ad deal but left him some meat to chew on. Smart move.

Still, Wang Sen was determined to get rid of her.

As long as Yun Shu was there, he would forever be under her thumb.

That afternoon, the restless Gu Weiran received Mingde’s official notice — Fengqi had won the bid. After cost negotiation, the service fee for two projects was set at 250,000 per month, with a one-year contract, paid quarterly.

“Yay!”

“That’s awesome!”

“Didn’t expect Weiran’s PR skills to be that damn good!”

The office erupted in cheers — it felt like salvation at the edge of ruin. Everyone had already prepared themselves for the worst. Against all odds, they had won.

Yang Ou suggested celebrating that night. Everyone had been exhausted lately — he, being the designer, worked most closely with Gu Weiran. They’d pulled all-nighters again and again, all for this day.

Gu Weiran stayed composed as always. She never got carried away — neither overly happy nor sad. Winning was expected, but getting the contract so quickly must have taken a lot of Yun Shu’s behind-the-scenes work.

Considering the company qualifications and Wang Sen’s obstruction, it couldn’t have been easy.

Would she get into trouble for it?

Of course, Gu Weiran would never short Yun Shu on her “kickback.” To ensure smooth cooperation going forward, she would never skimp on money.

“Don’t celebrate too soon — Mingde will come to inspect and meet with us. Let’s tidy up the office and get everything ready,” Gu Weiran said, already showing a leader’s poise. Only a few people knew she had actually taken over the company.

The afternoon sunlight streamed into the office. Gu Weiran felt unusually calm.

Things seemed too smooth.

Would Yun Shu really be that generous? Or would she open her mouth wide for a huge cut — leaving her with nothing in the end? That would be awkward.

She thought for a long time, trying to guess how much Yun Shu might want — and how much she herself could afford.

Negotiating kickbacks after a deal wasn’t unusual, but this time, her counterpart was Yun Shu — a big leader who didn’t lack money. Too little would look stingy; too much, and she couldn’t afford it.

Headache!

At 2 p.m., three people from Mingde arrived — but Yun Shu wasn’t among them.

Gu Weiran arranged the reception and meeting, then went back to her office, wanting to call Yun Shu.

No matter what, now that the deal was done, she should at least say thank you.

Before she could even dial, Yun Shu’s call came in.

What was this — every time she thought of something, Yun Shu appeared?

“Director Yun, hello,” Gu Weiran said stiffly, using a formal tone.

Yun Shu paused for a few seconds, then smiled.

“Congratulations, Manager Gu, on winning the Mingde project.”

“Why didn’t you come today?”
“Did you want me to?” Yun Shu’s tone was light, teasing.

“I thought you would.”

Lately, Gu Weiran had been so tense that now, with everything settled, she felt utterly drained. When that string finally loosened, her heart felt strangely empty.
“Weiran, look downstairs~”

Yun Shu’s voice was soft — especially when she said her name, as if she were holding her gently in her heart.

That one call made Gu Weiran feel an illusion of closeness.

“Hm?” She dazedly walked to the window and looked down. Yun Shu was standing by the road, looking up toward her office, smiling as she waved.