Long Time No See (GL) - Chapter 8
Gu Weiran walked until she was drenched in sweat, but the moment she looked back, it was without thinking.
She was only a little over ten meters away from Yun Shu, and her speed running back was like a hundred-meter sprint. When Yun Shu pretended to fall, she was certain Gu Weiran would turn back.
Besides this method, she didn’t know how else to get this stubborn mule to turn around.
“Why are you running around in high heels?” Gu Weiran complained while bending down to help her up. “Is your foot okay?”
Yun Shu straightened up, standing perfectly fine. “I’m fine.” She draped the jacket over Gu Weiran and cautioned, “Don’t go from hot to cold, you’ll easily catch a cold.”
“You… you were faking it?” Gu Weiran felt she had been tricked and was instantly furious.
She took her bag from Yun Shu’s hand and turned to leave, but Yun Shu stopped her. “Weiran, this dinner engagement today is unavoidable. Even if it’s just for show, it’s very important.”
Gu Weiran didn’t know what kind of private room she had burst into, who the people sitting inside were, or how important this engagement was.
A slight mistake could potentially ruin all the previous plans and arrangements.
However, Gu Weiran’s outburst actually made the situation seem more real.
But what did all that have to do with her? Important or just for show, Gu Weiran didn’t want to know the truth, and Yun Shu didn’t owe her an explanation.
“It has nothing to do with me.” She shook off Yun Shu’s hand, put on the jacket, and picked up her bag, ready to continue walking. She wouldn’t fall for this manipulative woman’s tricks again!
“If it has nothing to do with you, why did you run back, and why did you ditch the company people back there?”
“I…” Why did she run? She didn’t know either.
She should have returned to the private room and told everyone the dare was complete, and they should continue the party.
Yet, she had done something she herself couldn’t explain.
“It’s too late. I’m going home.” Gu Weiran didn’t answer directly, nor was she in the mood to continue playing. She especially didn’t want to spend time with Yun Shu. The thought of that scene earlier still made her feel sick.
She understood this was the reality of society, but she could choose not to accept it, not to face it, and not to like it.
Most importantly, this was Yun Shu’s private life. Whether it was for an engagement or because she liked to play, who she was with, or who she was close to, it had absolutely nothing to do with her.
“Gu Weiran.” Yun Shu called her by her full name. Gu Weiran had her back to her, feeling extremely irritated. She didn’t know why Yun Shu was stopping her—couldn’t she just let her leave?
“What exactly do you want?”
Yun Shu walked up to her, intending to raise a hand to wipe away her sweat, but Gu Weiran took a step back, dodging her.
“Don’t touch me after that young master touched you,” Gu Weiran said with revulsion.
Yun Shu paused, her eyes shifting slightly, and she calmly explained, “I said that was…”
“I don’t care what it was. Why are you explaining it to me? You should be explaining it to your Chairman, Miss Yun!” Gu Weiran specifically emphasized the three words “Miss Yun.” She didn’t know why she was being so aggressive, but every time she thought about it, she felt incredibly uncomfortable.
The words had barely left her mouth before she regretted it. She shouldn’t have lost control like that. She shouldn’t have said those things. It was hard to distinguish truth from rumour, how could she take a rumour as fact?
But she couldn’t apologize. People say things they don’t mean when they’re angry.
At this moment, Gu Weiran was nothing but angry.
“So… you see me that way too.” Yun Shu took a deep breath and smiled, a fleeting look of disappointment crossing her eyes. Despite this, Gu Weiran still couldn’t detect any sign of joy or sorrow on her face.
She was as calm as ever, wearing a faint smile.
Gu Weiran didn’t know that when the young master had enthusiastically sat down, Yun Shu had already intended to push him away. It was just that Gu Weiran’s sudden arrival made her look up just as her gaze caught them sitting very close.
As for the matter between Yun Shu and the Chairman of Mind Virtue, she wouldn’t say a word about it, nor would she discuss it with anyone.
In Yun Shu’s world, the word “explanation” didn’t exist. Those who understood didn’t need an explanation, and for those who didn’t, an explanation would be futile.
Besides, she never cared about gossip or what others thought of her.
Her life was her own. She never planned to let anyone into her heart to understand her.
The moonlight was soft, scattering down from the branches. Gu Weiran was in no mood to argue with Yun Shu, nor did she want any further entanglement with her.
From now on, they were just Party A and Party B, with no mutual interference.
Gu Weiran wanted to distance herself from Yun Shu. Beyond the business partnership, she didn’t want any other connection; she didn’t want to experience these strange emotions anymore.
She silently prepared to leave, but Yun Shu called her back again.
“What do you want now?” Gu Weiran was exasperated. Yun Shu slowly said, “How about we discuss the ‘business’ you mentioned earlier?”
“I’m not in the mood to talk today. Let’s reschedule.”
Gu Weiran needed to calm down. This emotional fluctuation was abnormal. She needed to settle her feelings properly before she could calmly discuss these things.
People tend to make mistakes when they are emotional, and they can easily mess things up impulsively.
But Yun Shu wouldn’t yield.
“I want to talk today.”
“Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?” Not only did she make her angry, but she insisted on this. This fox spirit truly was detestable.
“Yes, I am deliberately making things difficult for you.”
“You…”
A mischievous smile played on Yun Shu’s lips. The moonlight shone into her deep eyes like stars. When did she develop this wicked sense of humour? She felt happy seeing Gu Weiran frantic and anxious.
She wanted to break free from her, yet she was forced to submit to Feng Qi’s current situation. It was truly fascinating.
“Manager Gu, I’d like to kindly remind you that the contract between Mind Virtue and Feng Qi cannot proceed without my signature. Also, your company’s future payments won’t reach finance without my signature. I’m a person whose mood is always unpredictable. It’s possible that one day I’ll be unhappy or have a lapse in memory and forget to sign, or simply not want to.”
“You…”
She was threatening her!
Gu Weiran clenched her teeth in anger, yet was utterly helpless. She raised a fist, then lowered it, saying resentfully, “Fine, I’ll talk to you. Tell me, how much do you want?”
“Can you make the decision?” Yun Shu asked deliberately.
“I can.”
Gu Weiran had truly lived long enough to be standing on the side of the road in the dead of night, negotiating a kickback with Party A.
Yun Shu smiled and slowly spoke, “Based on the standard kickback rate in your industry, for a monthly fee of 250,000, the return should be between 50,000 and 100,000. My monthly salary is 250,000. Do you think I’m short of your few tens of thousands?”
“Don’t pretend to be high and mighty. In all your years in Party A, dare you say you haven’t taken any money? No one ever complains about having too much money. To climb to your position today, you must have stepped on countless people and taken countless kickbacks.”
The waters of Party A had always been deep. For Yun Shu to reach this position, her methods must have been extraordinary. Whether by beauty or by strategy, it was her capability.
“It seems you’ve been severely beaten by society over the past few years. You’re right, no one complains about too much money. I don’t care about others, but at least right now, I’m not that short of money, and my need for money isn’t that great.”
“You don’t want money? Then what do you want?” Gu Weiran didn’t believe Yun Shu would help her unconditionally. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Even if she wasn’t short of money, she must want something else.
However, she had nothing to offer. This industry was driven by profit. Strip that away, and there was no genuine affection between Party A and Party B.
Yun Shu crossed her arms, saying with interest, “I said what I want can only be given by you.”
“You don’t want money, and I have nothing else to give you. You’re not going to ask for a share in our company, are you?”
The simple-minded Gu Weiran was completely unaware of Yun Shu’s intentions, her thoughts still on the surface.
“I have absolutely no interest in your company.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I want…” Yun Shu leaned her face slightly closer, within inches of Gu Weiran. The warm breath of her exhalation brushed against Gu Weiran’s face.
“I want you to be my life assistant, my work assistant, and stay with me for three months.”
“What???” Gu Weiran looked back at her in disbelief.
“Didn’t hear clearly? I’ll say it again. I want you to be with me. I want you to live with me, travel with me on business, work with me, and take care of my daily life. Got it?”
“Three months???”
“Uh-huh.”
“Are you crazy? Sorry, I can’t do that.”
“Think carefully before you answer. The money I’ll forgo each month is enough to pay several of your employees’ salaries.”
“Even so, I can’t…”
Gu Weiran’s first reaction was to refuse, but something about the conversation felt off. Yun Shu’s tone sounded like she knew Gu Weiran had taken over the company?
“You know?”
“What I know and what I don’t know isn’t important. I’ve laid out the conditions. You don’t need to rush to answer. Calculate the numbers properly and think it through.”
“Impossible!”
“Don’t be so absolute, and don’t make a decision based on emotion.”
“You deliberately chose this moment when I’m emotional to talk about this! You want to take advantage of my confusion to manipulate me!” She was doing it on purpose. Gu Weiran felt like she had jumped into a trap dug by Yun Shu, sinking deeper and deeper.
“Not bad, you’re not completely stupid. You finally know you’re emotional and that I’ve seized an opportunity. So why are you angry if I socialise with a young master or accompany others?”
“You…”
Gu Weiran was speechless. (x3)
Yun Shu lightly patted her shoulder, leaned in, and whispered with a smile, “You used our private relationship to secure the project, and now you want to cut ties with me. There’s no such good thing in this world. I won’t do a losing deal. You don’t even dare to agree to the condition I proposed. What are you afraid of?”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Then are you refusing me because you dislike me? I think, perhaps you are afraid…”
“You…”
Gu Weiran was speechless. (x4)
“Three months from now, Feng Qi will receive the first payment from Mind Virtue. That day will be your day of liberation. I am not negotiating with you now; I am informing you. This is the condition I set for giving you the Mind Virtue project.” Yun Shu’s tone was strong and brooked no discussion.
“Do you have to be this way?”
“Do you have to be this way?” Yun Shu countered with the same question. Gu Weiran was speechless with frustration. She couldn’t win an argument with Yun Shu. She just didn’t understand why she was doing this.
She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live together again. The future was full of uncertainty. She was afraid. She didn’t even know what she was afraid of.
Her original plan was to dedicate her life to work, but with Yun Shu’s interference, everything changed.
And she might even have to stand by and watch Yun Shu go to more social engagements and spend time with those “young masters.”
It was unbearable! Gu Weiran couldn’t bear to think about it. Every time the image came to mind, she felt a stinging discomfort all over, and she wanted to shake off Yun Shu and never see her again.
“I don’t have that much patience to wait. Give me your answer by eight tomorrow morning. The moment you reply, this invisible contract between us begins to take effect.”
Gu Weiran’s mind was a mess, and she couldn’t answer any of Yun Shu’s questions.
Yun Shu planned to use these three months to improve Gu Weiran’s professional abilities and teach her how to manage and operate a company, how to control company costs, and so on.
Weiran was already more talented and capable than her peers. With such excellent genes and talent, she would definitely achieve great things with a little guidance. At the very least, she hoped she could become a prominent figure in the advertising industry and handle the work with ease.
Even if she disliked or hated her now, Yun Shu didn’t care. As long as she could help her grow and get Feng Qi back on track, Yun Shu would let go and disappear, no longer bothering her.
It would just be another separation, no different from before.
She had promised Professor Lin and Professor Gu to take good care of Weiran. Once this final task was complete, she would retire gracefully.
“Beep beep beep~” Yun Shu’s private car drove up, and two bodyguards who had been following her rushed over.
“I’m leaving now. I’ll wait for your good news.”
Yun Shu only walked towards the car after the two bodyguards had gotten close.
Gu Weiran noticed there was an extra bodyguard today. They were very vigilant, as if they were worried about danger.
Before Yun Shu got into the car, she looked back and smiled. An abundance of tenderness surrounded her eyes, a complete contrast to her previous demeanour. Illuminated by the moonlight, she was still so moving.