The Gentle, Sickly Beauty Is Won Over By The Loyal Big Shot - Chapter 26.1

Gu Han consulted Qi Ran: “Wife, it’s very cold in the house, and the food has only been out for an afternoon. It won’t be spoiled. Shall we put it in the freezer and reheat it slowly to eat? I don’t want to waste food.”

“Of course we won’t waste food,” Qi Ran and Gu Han’s values were perfectly aligned. “I was thinking the same thing. We’ll freeze it and eat it later. It’ll take a while to clean up; thank you for your hard work, husband.”

Having aligned values is a very comfortable thing for lovers. Gu Han found another source of joy: letting the person he loved know he was safe. Having someone worry about him felt wonderful.

Gu Han spent an hour tidying the villa. Just as he finished, Yu Shen arrived to pick him up.

“You got ready pretty fast,” Gu Han said, sitting in the passenger seat and buckling his seatbelt. “I just finished putting out fresh food for the dog. Since I can’t come back often while Qi Ran is in the hospital, I had to leave plenty of kibble.”

Yu Shen raised an eyebrow: “I thought you hated pets?”

“I do. I still hate other people’s pets,” Gu Han admitted. “I like my wife’s dog. Because I love him, I love his dog too.”

“It seems Qi Ran is truly capable,” Yu Shen said. “He has you hooked. I really thought a hero like you could resist a beauty.”

“Don’t talk about him like that,” Gu Han said, a bit displeased. “I liked him first. You make it sound like he approached me with an agenda. He’s never been materialistic.”

“My mistake, Chairman. That’s not what I meant,” Yu Shen realized Gu Han’s ‘love brain’ was more severe than expected and quickly placated him. “I just habitually analyze traits. From my perspective, Qi Ran’s personal charm is just very powerful. I wasn’t saying anything bad about him.”

Gu Han stopped arguing but remained unhappy. He didn’t want anyone to say a single bad word about Qi Ran. Even a misunderstanding would make him feel bad for a long time.

“Alright, Chairman, I really wasn’t saying Qi Ran is bad. Don’t be angry.”

Yu Shen got out and opened the car door for Gu Han. “We’re here. My treat, okay? Just don’t be angry. I spoke too fast. I’ll choose my words carefully next time. If I really thought Qi Ran was bad, would I have given you advice for so long to help you pursue him?”

Thinking about it, Gu Han realized Yu Shen was right, and most of his anger dissipated. “This trip was supposed to be my treat to you. You’ve worked so hard at the company lately.”

The two entered the restaurant and booked a small, luxury private room for two or three people. Gu Han ordered several signature dishes. However, restaurant food was always the same, expensive seafood and delicacies that weren’t particularly outstanding. There hadn’t been anything new for years. Gu Han used to host clients with seafood every meal, steamed, boiled, or raw. He didn’t really understand the appeal himself; he just knew these items were good for hosting, as they saved face and showed respect. The taste was just okay.

Being from Hong Kong, Yu Shen loved seafood and ordered a bowl of sweet abalone sauce noodles. Gu Han ordered an extra bowl of chicken soup shrimp noodles, asking the kitchen to overcook the noodles until they were soft and broken, as he intended to take them to Qi Ran.

While waiting for the food, Gu Han messaged Qi Ran: Wife, Yu Shen and I reached the restaurant. Reporting in safely~

Gu Han: [Image]

To keep Qi Ran from worrying, he sent a photo of the private room.

Qi Ran replied instantly: Okay, husband. Eat slowly, no need to rush back. Be safe, you must be safe!

Gu Han replied with a kissing emoji: Okay, I’ll listen to my wife.

“Chairman, Lu Ming did an excellent job. Not only was it embarrassing, but according to reliable sources, some advertisers are looking to terminate contracts over this. The sponsors are very unhappy,” Yu Shen spoke about yesterday’s events. “You should see the news about Ruihao’s scandal today. I really didn’t expect Lu Ming, who prides himself on high morality, to use such underhanded tactics.”

“I told you, we have to trust him,” Gu Han scooped a bowl of King Crab fried rice. “Can you be at ease with him now?”

“Certainly,” Yu Shen ate his noodles and suddenly sighed. “I’m just worried that with such a big stir, Ruihao might suspect Jianchen. In the past, it wouldn’t have mattered, but Qi Ran hasn’t officially joined yet. I asked Cheng Dan yesterday to divert the blame and find another competitor to take the fall. I don’t know how he handled it or if he can withstand Zhou Cheng’s suspicion.”

Gu Han, who had been chewing, froze for a long moment before recovering and praising Yu Shen: “You’re truly something, coming up with a plan like that.”

Yu Shen smiled: “It’s average. For this kind of risk-hedging, the method with the highest return and lowest risk is to shift the conflict onto someone else. My only regret is that Jianchen wasn’t exactly honorable this time. For Qi Ran to join Jianchen safely, this was our only option.”

At 4:00 AM in Litian, Gu Han could meet Yu Shen for a meal and chat, while Qi Ran could watch with happiness as Gu Han stayed with his dog. Everyone had their own piece of beauty. Meanwhile, Zhou Cheng was like an ant on a hot pan, his marriage was a mess, his private life was appalling, and now even his career was facing ruin. In a fit of rage, he called Cheng Dan, who had already gone to sleep.

Zhou Cheng: “Have you heard about the preview meeting yesterday?”

Cheng Dan knew, of course, but he pretended to be groggy and ignorant: “Boss, what happened? What’s wrong with the preview?”

“Someone crashed it. The venue was trashed, and they used the projector to say I’m immoral and have a messy private life,” Zhou Cheng’s sore spot had been hit because the projection didn’t just have text, it had actual, unsightly photos of his promiscuity. Zhou Cheng was furious. “Do you think Jianchen sent someone? When I went to see Qi Ran, everyone scolded me. Are they targeting me?”

“I think the possibility is low. Although Jianchen is our rival, ever since that case and the falling out, they’ve never bothered us. Since they have no prior record, it means they aren’t interested in such things, boss, don’t you think?”

Cheng Dan continued to mislead him: “I think an overt rival wouldn’t do something so underhanded, they aren’t stupid, and it’s too easy to be suspected. If they wanted to do something bad, they’d just do it openly. Instead, it’s usually long-term partners who can’t stand to see others do well.”

Cheng Dan’s words immediately alerted Zhou Cheng. Zhou Cheng said: “I see. I’ll hang up now. Sorry for disturbing your rest. Remember to come to my office when you start work today.”

Cheng Dan stared at his phone, stunned. What did Zhou Cheng just say?

“Sorry for disturbing your rest.”

Knowing it’s wrong to disturb others, was this still Zhou Cheng?

Although he wasn’t fully awake, Cheng Dan’s mind was clear enough to find it strange. How did a beast learn to be considerate? Could it be a final flash of lucidity before Zhou Cheng’s downfall?

At 5:00 AM, Gu Han finished his meal. After paying the bill, he lay down for a short nap. He was truly exhausted, his heart had been racing and his hands shaking during the meal. He had to rest. Yu Shen, worried about him, stayed by his side.

When Gu Han woke up, Yu Shen drove Gu Han’s car out of the Litian Pearl Villa and took him to Xu Rongxuan’s hospital, so it would be convenient for him to pick up Qi Ran later.

Gu Han pressed his chest, full of apology: “Shen, you have to find your own way back. Sorry for the trouble.”

“What trouble? I’ll have Wu Hong come pick me up. You need more rest, you’re wearing yourself out,” Yu Shen said. “A few palpitations are okay for now, but you need to sleep. You can’t keep pulling all-nighters. If Qi Ran knew you were unwell, he’d be heartbroken.”

Yu Shen drove Gu Han to the hospital and went up with him to see Qi Ran.

When they reached the ward, Qi Ran was still sleeping. Gu Han stepped lightly to the bedside and sat on the chair. Qi Ran woke up and naturally hugged Gu Han’s arm: “Husband, you’re back. I missed you so much.”

After hugging Gu Han, Qi Ran noticed someone else was there. He looked up and saw Yu Shen. He slowly let go of Gu Han’s arm: “Manager Yu?”

With an acquaintance present, Qi Ran’s social anxiety kicked in.

“Hello, Qi Ran,” Yu Shen looked down instinctively. “Don’t mind me. Just act as you normally do with President Gu. I just came with him to see you. I hope you recover soon.”

“Manager Yu,” Qi Ran’s voice was gentle. “Thank you.”

This wasn’t a formal visit, just a quick look-in as Yu Shen hadn’t brought a gift. He planned to bring a proper gift box tomorrow or the day after. So, Yu Shen prepared to leave, having messaged Wu Hong to pick him up. He sat in the ward to rest for a bit while waiting.

“Ranran, are you hungry? I brought you chicken soup noodles,” Gu Han prepared to open the container. “I specifically asked them to cook them soft for easy digestion.”

Qi Ran noticed Gu Han’s hand was shaking as he held the container. He said he wasn’t hungry yet and told Gu Han to put it on the table. He pulled Gu Han’s hand: “Why are your hands shaking? Are you unwell?”

Gu Han was a bit embarrassed and stammered: “Probably from staying up. I just napped for a bit. I… I’ll feed you some noodles first. You were so uncomfortable from hunger yesterday.”

“We have to listen to the doctor to know if I can eat,” Qi Ran pulled Gu Han’s hand, making him lie down beside him. Qi Ran slowly turned on his side and took Gu Han into his arms. “Is your heart racing? Come here, let me feel.”

Gu Han felt like he was being a burden and felt guilty: “A little. Sorry, wife, you’re sick and still have to take care of me.”

“What nonsense. You stayed up this long for me. Why feel sorry?” Qi Ran massaged Gu Han’s chest and told him, “Husband, go to sleep. Get plenty of rest. You must not get sick, being sick is miserable. I want my Baby Gu to be well.”

Lying in Qi Ran’s arms, Gu Han kissed Qi Ran’s hand repeatedly: “Thank you for loving me so much, wife.”

Qi Ran shared half the blanket with Gu Han, carefully tucking him in, then lightly patted Gu Han’s back to coax him to sleep.

Just as Gu Han usually did for him.

“Wife,” Gu Han was very sleepy and whispered, “Can my wife give me a kiss?”

Qi Ran smiled sweetly and lightly kissed Gu Han’s lips: “Of course. Now can my baby husband sleep properly?”

Gu Han acted spoiled: “Will I get a kiss when I wake up too?”

“Yes,” Qi Ran pinched Gu Han’s cheek. “You can kiss me as long as you want, but you must get enough sleep first.”

“Touch my stomach, wife,” Gu Han rubbed his hands to warm them and placed them on Qi Ran’s slightly bloated lower abdomen. “Is it still bloated, baby? Does it hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt, and it’s much less bloated. I’m a lot better, didn’t you notice? I can even turn over.”

Qi Ran kissed the corner of Gu Han’s eye: “I think I’ll be much better by the time the doctor starts work, so you can rest easy.”

Gu Han, of course, wasn’t entirely at ease. Even as he drifted off, he kept rubbing Qi Ran’s stomach until he fell into a deep sleep, his palm resting gently against Qi Ran’s side.

Sitting on the sofa, Yu Shen watched the interaction between Gu Han and Qi Ran. Hearing their conversation, he finally understood why Gu Han had suddenly dropped his germaphobia for Qi Ran. Qi Ran indeed had personality, but more importantly, he had given Gu Han his true heart. A mutual, biological attraction and love were worth defying instincts and habits etched into one’s DNA.

Having coaxed Gu Han to sleep, Qi Ran looked up and saw Yu Shen watching. He gave him a generous smile and said softly, “Sorry, Manager Yu, for letting you see us being so childish.”