The Gentle, Sickly Beauty Is Won Over By The Loyal Big Shot - Chapter 18

After Gu Han realized this, he looked back at the tightly closed door of the hospital ward, appearing somewhat at a loss.

In the beginning, when Gu Han first started pursuing Qi Ran, he hadn’t even dared to dream of a scene where Qi Ran would proactively curl into his arms and act spoiled. It had happened so naturally just moments ago, but Gu Han had been too sleepy. After waking up, he tended to be forgetful, and the moment had simply passed. Gu Han felt he should have held Qi Ran for a little while longer.

Gu Han hated himself for being as dense as a rock.

At that moment, the elevator stopped on the 19th floor. Gu Han planned to rush down to buy breakfast. The doctor had instructed that Qi Ran shouldn’t eat much meat as it was difficult to digest, instead, he should have fish, shrimp, and eggs to nourish his body. Gu Han remembered that the shrimp wontons at the first floor restaurant were delicious. He decided to buy some for breakfast today and resolved to learn how to make them himself for Qi Ran in the future.

In truth, Gu Han didn’t really know how to cook, nor was he very good at taking care of sick people, but for Qi Ran’s sake, he was willing to learn anything.

Hospital patients generally ate breakfast around seven o’clock. By the time Gu Han reached the first floor at nine, there weren’t many people left. Purchasing the food was quick, though the wontons took a bit of time as they had to be cooked fresh.

By the time Gu Han returned, Qi Ran had already changed his clothes. He was wearing the same white shirt and black trousers he arrived in, sitting on the sofa opposite the hospital bed. Seeing Gu Han swipe his card to enter the ward, he greeted him softly, “You’re back. That was fast.”

“Ranran, you look so good in that shirt.” Gu Han placed the breakfast on the table. Looking up, he noticed Qi Ran’s expression seemed unnatural. Feeling concerned, he sat down beside him. “Why do you look so pale? What’s wrong?”

“My stomach is uncomfortable,” Qi Ran said. “But it’s no big deal. Let’s go.”

“Is it hurting again?” Gu Han rubbed his hands together to warm them, then gently massaged Qi Ran’s abdomen with his palms, soothing the rhythmic spasms of his stomach wall. “Is it because breakfast is too late? It’s my fault. I should have gotten up when you woke.”

“No, gastric ulcers are just like this. They hurt from time to time.”

Qi Ran touched Gu Han’s hand as it massaged his belly. “Don’t blame yourself, President Gu. You are really wonderful.”

Gu Han suggested, “Then, do you want to eat something now? Would that make it better?”

Qi Ran shook his head. “No need. Let’s go home.”

“Okay, I’ll do as you say.” Gu Han supported Qi Ran’s waist, waiting for him to stand up. “How is it? Do you have the strength to walk? Shall I carry you to the parking lot?”

“I can walk,” Qi Ran said, taking Gu Han’s hand. “President Gu, I’m not that fragile.”

Qi Ran said that, but how could Gu Han feel at ease? He kept Qi Ran pulled close into his embrace, walking very slowly the whole way for fear that Qi Ran might get tired.

Gu Han helped Qi Ran into the car and buckled his seatbelt. He asked, “Ranran, where do you live? I’ll set the navigation.”

Qi Ran said, “Litian Mingzhu Garden Villa District.”

Gu Han hummed in response and began typing the name into his phone. Halfway through, his fingers suddenly stopped. He turned his head to look at Qi Ran. “Did you just say Litian Mingzhu Garden Villa District?”

Qi Ran smiled. “Yes. It’s a Jianchen development.”

“How is the property manager over there?”

Gu Han drove out of the underground parking lot following the navigation’s instructions and asked casually, “And the service, do you think it’s good?”

“President Gu, it’s best not to ask me about such things. Everyone is just trying to earn a living,” Qi Ran answered evasively. “I wouldn’t want to break someone’s rice bowl.”

“Ranran, I didn’t mean it that way,” Gu Han explained. “The property managers at Jianchen developments are all internal staff appointees, we never hire third parties. They have monthly evaluations, and many of their ratings require resident feedback. These managers almost always pass with full stars. I was just curious if their service is truly that good, or if the residents are just very tolerant even if they aren’t that great.”

“That’s why I said don’t ask me,” Qi Ran said. “Everyone has a different yardstick in their heart. What I find good, President Gu might find bad. Or we might find it bad, but their performance meets the requirements. Since they are within requirements, no one is obligated to go the extra mile for anyone else. So how do you define good or bad? To be honest, I don’t really want to get involved in that kind of friction. I just want to live my life well. Sorry, President Gu, I can’t give you an answer.”

“No, Ranran, don’t be angry.”

Gu Han noticed Qi Ran’s tone was very serious and worried he had upset him. Conveniently, they reached a red light. Gu Han stopped the car, reached over, and bunched his fingers to massage Qi Ran’s abdomen. He said softly, “I’m sorry, Ranran. It’s my fault for putting you in a difficult position. You’re not well, you shouldn’t get angry.”

“President Gu, I’m not angry. It’s just that there are some things I have principles about,” Qi Ran realized he had been a bit too harsh and comforted Gu Han. “Did I scare you? Don’t take it to heart. I won’t speak like that next time, okay?”

Gu Han felt a bit aggrieved. “I’m so afraid of making you unhappy.”

“President Gu, I’ve never lived with anyone else before. I’m used to being alone. When I’m not working, I don’t always weigh my words carefully,” Qi Ran’s voice was very gentle. “President Gu, I will learn to manage my emotions. You cherish me, and I cherish you just the same. I don’t want to make you sad.”

Just as Gu Han was about to say something, the light changed. Gu Han followed the flow of traffic. Once the road conditions stabilized, he said to Qi Ran, “You don’t have to be so tired. You have me.”

The drive was smooth without much traffic. They arrived at Litian Mingzhu Villa District after ten o’clock. It happened that the property manager was patrolling the entrance, greeting residents as they passed.

Gu Han drove up to the gate. Since it was an unrecognized vehicle, the property manager raised a hand to stop the car. Gu Han stopped, and as the window slowly rolled down, the smile on the manager’s face froze the moment he saw Gu Han. “G-President Gu?”

The next second, the manager saw Qi Ran sitting in the passenger seat and was completely stunned.

“Manager Liu, take down my license plate number,” Gu Han said. “I’ll be driving this car in and out of this villa district frequently from now on.”

“Ah, okay,” the property manager was bewildered. “Which building do you live in? I need to register it.”

“Just register the building and door number of Mr. Qi next to me,” Gu Han pulled the handbrake. “The gentleman beside me should be a long-time resident of yours. From now on, he will be my personal secretary. If you’re greeting him, just call him Secretary Qi. Secretary Qi hasn’t officially started yet, and you just happened to meet him first, so I have instructions for you. I know you youngsters play on video platforms like TikTok and such. Do not spread things about me and Secretary Qi on there just for the sake of traffic. Do you understand?”

The manager nodded hurriedly in agreement. “Understood. I will keep it a secret.”

“It’s not about keeping a secret, there’s no need for that. Since I’m driving Secretary Qi home, this matter is public. I don’t care who sees,” Gu Han corrected. “What I’m saying is don’t spread it around loosely. I dislike my business being turned into a spectacle. I don’t care about others, but my employees are not allowed to behave that way.”

The manager nodded again. “Yes, I understand. I understand.”

Gu Han drove smoothly into the villa district. Following Qi Ran’s directions, he found the building number and drove into the underground garage of the detached villa. Because the garage was independent and private, it was relatively small with only two spots. Qi Ran’s car was parked next to them, a black Mercedes with a matte black wrap. It was very clean, showing that Qi Ran wiped it down often. Gu Han parked his car in the empty space.

“Ranran, you like Mercedes?”

Gu Han got out first and helped Qi Ran down. “You really have good taste. This car model suits matte black perfectly. Looking at it like this, it’s truly a work of art.”

“President Gu thinks so too? Hehe,” Qi Ran naturally took Gu Han’s arm. “President Gu really understands me. When I first bought it, my colleagues all said this model had low cost performance and was just a ‘beautiful useless thing.’ But I just liked how good it looked.”

“I will come to understand you even more,” Gu Han asked softly. “How is it, little Ranran? Does your stomach feel any better?”

“A bit better,” Qi Ran tilted his head, resting it on Gu Han’s shoulder. “But it still hurts.”

Gu Han lowered his head and kissed Qi Ran’s forehead. “Once we get home, you’ll rest in bed. I’ll give it a good massage for you.”

The two walked to the front door. Qi Ran took out his keys to open it. A small dog heard the sound from afar and came racing to welcome them, wagging its tail furiously and whimpering while looking at Qi Ran.

Gu Han looked into the distance and noticed that the interior of Qi Ran’s home was in a New Chinese style. The first floor was the living room, featuring antique style solid wood furniture and a rosewood coffee table. The walls were covered in pale primrose-yellow wallpaper, and there was calligraphy and paintings in the hallway. There was a lot of furniture and decor, but it was extremely tidy and appeared spotless.

Although Qi Ran hadn’t explicitly mentioned it, Gu Han felt that he likely had a bit of a cleanliness obsession. In a way, Qi Ran and Gu Han were the same kind of person.

“Little Hamburger, Daddy’s home.”

Qi Ran closed the door and crouched down to pat the dog’s head. “Look, I brought a big brother home. We’ll be living together from now on.”

Qi Ran called it a “small dog,” but it was actually quite large, a purebred Chinese Rural Dog. It had a well-proportioned, sturdy build with thick, dense fur. It looked very clean and exceptionally smart. Its head and limbs were plump and sturdy. Ever since Gu Han entered, the large yellow dog had been lowering its head to sniff Gu Han’s clothes. It sniffed for a long time, very seriously, as if trying to memorize Gu Han’s scent. After sniffing, it also began wagging its tail at Gu Han.

Dogs understand everything. It loved Qi Ran, so it would love the person Qi Ran loved.

Gu Han had never petted a dog. Because of his cleanliness obsession, he never went near anyone’s pets. Additionally, he felt a bit of fear toward a dog of such a sturdy size. He didn’t quite dare to touch it and stood at the door somewhat awkwardly. With the dog blocking the way, he didn’t dare move forward, and they remained in a slightly awkward standoff.

“What’s wrong? Is President Gu afraid of dogs? Or do you dislike him because of your cleanliness?”

Qi Ran felt a bit dejected. “It’s okay. I’ll just have him leave the room. In this season, his bed is in the garden anyway.”

“No, Ranran. I said I would like your dog. It’s just… I’ve never petted a dog before,” Gu Han said with some difficulty. “I… I don’t know how to pet him. Ranran, can you teach me?”

Qi Ran put his arm around Gu Han’s waist, and they both crouched down. His snow-white fingers lightly held Gu Han’s wrist, guiding his hand onto the big yellow dog’s back. “President Gu, isn’t his fur very soft?”

“Yes, it is very soft.” Gu Han tried stroking the dog’s back and ears, gradually letting down his guard. “He’s so well-behaved and cute. Ranran, you’ve raised him so well.”

Hamburger seemed to understand Gu Han’s words; he flopped over to show his belly, begging for more affection.

“President Gu, look how fat he is,” Qi Ran said with a smile. “He’s such a big eater. When he was one year old, he ate an entire beef hamburger. Even I couldn’t finish one.”

Gu Han smiled dotingly and turned to kiss Qi Ran’s cheek without saying a word.

Qi Ran was looking at the dog, and Gu Han was looking at Qi Ran.

Gu Han felt so happy right now. This was a feeling he had never experienced before. A warm, cozy home; a happy life, a stable and fulfilled existence, these abstract concepts suddenly became tangible in Gu Han’s heart.

“President Gu, let me wash some fruit for you.”

Qi Ran clutched his stomach and slowly stood up. “President Gu, sit on the sofa for a bit. Do you want anything to drink? I’ll prepare it while I’m at it. We have coffee and tea at home.”

“Your stomach is acting up, yet you’re still thinking of hosting me.”

Gu Han stood up as well. “Go lie down in the bedroom. I’ll massage your stomach. Maybe if I give it a good rub and massage, it won’t be so painful. Once your stomach feels better, you can eat breakfast. Leave the chores and housework to me.”

“The bedroom is on the second floor,” Qi Ran took Gu Han’s hand and led him over. “The ceilings are quite high, so walking up the stairs might be a bit tiring.”

Hearing this, Gu Han leaned down and swept Qi Ran into a horizontal carry. “You point the way, I’ll handle the stairs.”

Gu Han found the master bedroom as Qi Ran directed. He placed Qi Ran steadily on the bed. Just as he was about to stand up, Qi Ran wrapped his arms around his waist. “President Gu, don’t go.”

“I’m not going,” Gu Han followed the motion and lay down, pulling Qi Ran tightly into his arms. “Little Ranran, I’m staying with you.”

“President Gu,” Qi Ran lay in the crook of Gu Han’s arm and whispered spoiledly, “Put your hand inside and help me rub my stomach, okay? Your hands are so warm and soft, I like it so much.”