My Weekend Lover Turned Out To Be My Boss - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: The Plan. “Hu Guangsheng”

Looking back now, Guan Shuyun’s appearance was incredibly fishy. She threw out one tempting project after another, a masterclass in “long-line fishing.” Blinded by profit, I took the bait—a failure of unprecedented proportions. The current situation is a testament to her investment of manpower, wealth, and meticulous planning.

After Jian Yumeng and Yu Xiao stayed for a while, they left Feifan’s place. I stared at Feifan’s number for a long time before finally deciding to hide the truth of her departure from all our friends. I dialed Su Wei.

“Phoebe? Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?”

“Are you free this weekend? I’d like to invite Soso’s family, Pu Ke, and Xi Er over for a gathering. It would be nice for the kids to spend the weekend together.”

“This sudden whim is quite unexpected. Feifan’s birthday hasn’t been properly celebrated yet; a gathering sounds good. We can make it a belated celebration. How are things between you two lately?”

I replied calmly, “She’s gone traveling.”

A person as sharp as Su Wei clearly didn’t buy it. She asked in surprise, “Traveling? Did you two have another fight?”

“A minor disagreement, nothing major. I figured since Qingfan is starting school and Feifan is idle at home all day, it’s better for her to get some fresh air. So, it’s settled.”

“Sigh… fine. I’ll notify them tomorrow. They’re all so busy, it’s hard to get everyone together. It’s late, get some rest.”

Hearing Su Wei’s light complaining, I let out a small breath and said goodnight. “Sweet dreams. See you this weekend.”

After hanging up, I walked into the study and stood there silently, admiring the history displayed on the entire wall. From meeting to being together, it has been nearly ten years. Time is the most ruthless of judges.

‘Do you like reading? This wall of yellowed paper must be quite old.’

‘I love it. These books are older than I am. My grandmother was a teacher; she left them all to me.’

‘Loving books is a good thing.’

I remembered the first time I stepped into this study. Back then, Feifan had the vibrant energy of a youth. I sat on the bay window barefoot. The coldness of the marble tiles traveled from my soles through my entire body. Duoduo nudged the door open with his head and approached me with light steps. I rubbed his head, and he squinted comfortably, curling up into a ball by my feet.

Looking at Duoduo’s content expression, I realized how dull my life had become. I never dared to say “I love you” enough. Only now do I see that her goodness had soaked into my world like water—every corner, every detail. I have been selfish toward her.

With no one to talk to, I muttered to Duoduo, “Do you know what it feels like to love someone to the very end? She gave me everything, but she refused to give me the pain. I have everything, yet I gave her nothing but hurt. I’m the one who isn’t worthy, not her. Why should she have to pay for the sins I committed?”

“Awooo…”

…

In the conference room, various departments reported their progress. When it came to the Business Department, the manager looked troubled. He hesitantly handed me the report. “President Lan, the negotiations with the Guan Group aren’t going well.”

I looked at the files and stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“After winning the Island Project, we’ve been actively participating in the other projects Guan sent over. But their response is slow, and the results are ambiguous. It seems they aren’t sincerely looking to cooperate.”

I frowned. “How long has this been going on?”

“Ever since President Guan proposed the third-party fair bidding projects.”

What kind of play is she running? I closed the file. “Have the Business and PR departments communicate together. If there’s still no progress, let me know. Anything else?”

A representative from Beisheng International raised their hand. “I have a report.”

“Go ahead.”

“Several supply partners in France sent identical documents. They are insisting on a price hike. If we don’t accept, they will terminate the partnership.”

Thud. I slammed the file on the table. “You mean a collective strike? Why wasn’t something this important reported earlier?”

“Uh… these notices… we only received them last night.”

“Go grind them down. No price hikes where possible. If they insist, the unit price increase must not exceed 3%. If they’re still not satisfied, file for breach of contract. I don’t want to see this happen a second time. You people at Beisheng International lack management. I’ll be making some structural adjustments later. Dismissed.”

However, the issues reflected in that meeting showed no improvement half a month later. The suppliers rejected my price cap, so Beisheng International entered legal proceedings. Because it was international, the process was tedious and delayed. Most importantly, negotiations with temporary replacement suppliers were making no headway.

Meanwhile, the Business and PR departments reported that Guan Group’s lukewarm attitude toward cooperation remained unchanged. I had to intervene personally.

“What wind blew you here? Truly a rare occasion.”

Guan Shuyun was still at her tea table. The difference was her attitude—there was a massive gap in her warmth. I leaned back in the sofa and stared at her. “I’m here to ask: do you actually want to cooperate? If not, I can stop participating.”

Guan Shuyun chuckled into her tea. “President Lan, you’re quite cute when you’re angry.”

“Do I look like I’m joking? I set up a dedicated department for Guan projects. My people are diligent and responsive to all your requirements. And you? What’s with this ‘no rejection, no agreement’ stance?”

She waved her hand and poured a new pot of tea. “President Lan, you must understand: one can only be a ‘good person’ once. Do it every time, and you become a pushover. I laid my sincerity out for you. Remember what I said? ‘When your company wins the bid, don’t forget my kindness.’ Yet, after Jieshi took the Island Project, I haven’t seen your sincerity. Do you follow? I’m just having your people do a few more rounds to perfect the data, and you come here to cross-examine me? It makes things very difficult.”

“I see. You’re making things difficult for me on purpose?”

” ‘Difficult’ is such an ugly word.”

“Then how do you want me to show my ‘sincerity’?”

The moment I finished, Guan Shuyun called her secretary in. They brought a new cooperation agreement. I flipped through the contents and looked at her coldly. “We each invest 35%. Who gets the other 30%? We agreed on a 50/50 split for absolute control.”

She shook her head, negating the original deal. “For the other 30%, we will seek external partners publicly. We need to diversify the risk. If you’re suspicious, we can look for suitable Venture Capital. If you can’t even offer this much sincerity, how can I trust you?”

Her mind was a maze, but I agreed without hesitation. “Diversifying risk is a good idea. But for the public VC, we must both be satisfied. If you have other intentions, I’d be walking into a trap.”

“Hahaha, you’re a straightforward person, President Lan, and very meticulous. We can look for more than one VC, but we must both agree. It’s a deal then. I’ll have the legal counsels draft the formal contract later. Happy cooperating.”

“I hope this is sincere. Happy cooperating.”

Leaving the Guan Group, I drove along the coastal Lovers’ Road. I parked and walked to the railing to watch the murky seawater. I dialed a number.

“Phoebe? What is it?”

“Duoran. How is the Doris Fund doing lately?”

“Excellent. Haven’t I sent you the quarterly reports? You usually never ask; I was starting to think Doris wasn’t your ‘biological son’.”

“I trust you. I need you to do a few things.”

“Name them.”

“First, re-verify the funding structure of Doris. It must not be linked to my identity. Second, I’ll send you a draft cooperation agreement. Calculate the VC investment ratio and make a budget. Third, hand over all your current business to the team and prepare to return to China.”

“Return to China? Did something happen? Doris has always focused on European markets; a domestic enterprise would be a first.”

“I never intended for Doris to surface, but I want to play it safe. I’ve encountered a big tiger; I can’t afford not to be prepared.”

“Understood. I’ll wrap things up here as quickly as possible and join you.”

…

Feifan has been gone for nearly five days. There have been no updates on her WeChat Moments. I feel as if I’ve suffered a major illness—weak all day and plagued by dreams at night. I always dream of her holding my hand and walking forward; no matter how I struggle, she never looks back.

I wake up in a cold sweat. I never realized my bed was so big. Without her, no matter how thick the blanket is, the bed never gets warm. My hands and feet are cold; these nights terrify me.

It took her so long to break my bad habit of only drinking coffee in the morning. Now, with no one to manage the house and an unappetizing fridge, I looked for the coffee she used to grind for me. Opening the jar, I realized I had finished it. I had to settle for instant coffee and cold bread—a messy, pathetic breakfast.

“How many times have I told you? Don’t drink coffee in the morning. Woman, can’t you be a little better to yourself?”

“Aiya! Eating bread straight from the fridge? Do you think your stomach is made of iron? You have to toast it! Luckily, I bought a toaster…”

“If I’m not here one day, who’s going to take care of you? You’re like a stone Buddha who doesn’t touch salt or oil—you’re a total failure at life! A good day starts with a good morning. I made vegetable congee; have a bowl to warm your stomach.”

A lapse in concentration, and boiling water scalded my hand. I jerked back, accidentally knocking the cup to the floor. The sound of breaking glass was followed by splashes of scalding water on my feet. I set the kettle down in pain and went to the living room to treat the burn. Whether it was because of the pain or because of the image of Feifan in my mind, I couldn’t stop myself from weeping.

I still refuse to believe she is gone. I once built myself into a fortress—no one could get in, and no one could pull me out. You Feifan was the most stubborn one. Even with her head bloodied, she tore at my indifference. Now that I have become flesh and blood again, the person who stayed by me like a streetlamp doesn’t want me anymore.

In the days without You Feifan, the words that haunt me most are “never before.” So many things are happening for the first time—like this “never before” feeling of utter helplessness.