The Gentle, Sickly Beauty Is Won Over By The Loyal Big Shot - Chapter 27

“I haven’t,” Yu Shen replied with a smile. “You two have a wonderful relationship. I’m simply envious.”

Qi Ran said, “Then I wish Manager Yu a wonderful love of his own as well.”

Yu Shen nodded. “Thank you.”

Had Gu Han been awake, he wouldn’t have let Qi Ran say that. The person Yu Shen loved most in this world was already gone. Yu Shen had remained unmarried for her his entire life, a fact known only to a few. Aside from the underlings who had followed him in his early years, Gu Han was the only one in all of Litian who knew.

However, Yu Shen wasn’t angry with Qi Ran. He knew the boy was young and unaware of the past. There was no trace of resentment in his heart, instead, he felt Qi Ran was a genuinely good person, gentle, and generous with his praise and blessings. Gu Han would surely be very happy with him.

Twenty minutes later, Wu Hong arrived with the car. Yu Shen and Qi Ran shared a brief farewell before he departed.

As he left, Yu Shen rubbed the gold ring on his hand. The style was very old, and its price was meager compared to the jewelry he usually wore in his current position. Yet, that cheap, aged gold ring had never left his ring finger.

Her promises, her vows, her warmth, and her final kiss were all contained within that ring. It was the sole anchor of Yu Shen’s memories throughout the twenty years from Hong Kong to Litian.

After Yu Shen left, Qi Ran felt a slight shift in the man’s expression when he had wished him love. He wondered if he had said something wrong.

As he was thinking, Gu Han, resting in his arms, grew restless. He seemed to be having a nightmare, his body jerking as he woke up in a fright. Qi Ran pulled him closer, comforting him: “Baby, did you sleep poorly?”

“Mm,” Gu Han whimpered, burrowing into Qi Ran’s embrace and letting himself be held tightly. He said hoarsely, “The dream was terrifying. Luckily, my wife is by my side.”

Qi Ran urged Gu Han to sleep a bit longer, but Gu Han insisted on waiting. The dream had been too frightening, he needed to linger in his wife’s arms to recover. Qi Ran then mentioned his conversation with Yu Shen: “Hubby, did I say something wrong? Manager Yu’s expression looked a bit unnatural for a moment.”

Gu Han didn’t say whether Qi Ran was wrong, but instead spoke of Yu Shen’s past: “Yu Shen is from Hong Kong. Before coming to Litian, he had a girlfriend. They were deeply in love. He was making a name for himself in the underworld back then, while she was a university student with excellent grades. Her parents refused to let her marry him, so she committed suicide. Communication wasn’t as advanced then, by the time Yu Shen got the news and rushed over, she was already gone. She died in his arms. You might have noticed the ring on his finger, but you’ve never heard of him having a wife. That was the token of love she gave him when they were dating. Yu Shen is a devoted man, it’s impossible for him to start a new relationship.”

Hearing this, Qi Ran was stunned for a long time. He tentatively asked, “Should I apologize to him? I really didn’t know. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have said something so hurtful.”

“It’s fine, he doesn’t blame you.”

Gu Han rubbed his eyes. “If you want to apologize, just find an opportunity. Yu Shen will appreciate your thoughtfulness. He’s a good man. When he was in the Hong Kong underworld, he had no choice. If he’d had any other way out, he wouldn’t have chosen that life. If he could have had a stable job in Hong Kong, he might have married that girl long ago. A peaceful, happy life is better than being wealthy and alone.”

“I see. Thank you for explaining it to me, hubby,” Qi Ran said, gently patting Gu Han’s back. “Baby, go back to sleep. You’ve stayed up so long that you’re having nightmares. Aren’t you going to rest?”

At the mention of the nightmare, terror flashed in Gu Han’s eyes again. When Qi Ran asked what he dreamt of, Gu Han refused to say at first, simply hiding in Qi Ran’s arms, unable to sleep.

“What is it, really?” Qi Ran massaged Gu Han’s waist. “Gu Baby, tell me. You have to sleep.”

After repeated questioning, Gu Han finally whispered, “Wife, I dreamed that you were sick. It was so serious… you kept vomiting blood in my arms. I was so scared, so miserable.”

Gu Han began to cry. “Wife, you must take your recovery seriously, okay? In the dream, I was so scared and helpless. Why could no one save you?”

“Don’t cry, Gu Baby, it was just a dream,” Qi Ran held him tightly, stroking his back. “I’ll be fine. Look, I’m right here sleeping with you, aren’t I?”

“You vomited until you had a gastric hemorrhage, I’m so scared,” Gu Han cried harder. “Wife, hold me again. I’m truly terrified of losing you.”

“I’m holding you, hubby. Don’t cry.” Qi Ran pulled the quilt tighter around him, kissing his tear-stained eyelids. “Baby, it’s okay. I’ll give you a kiss. Gu Han baby, be good.”

Gu Han’s nerves had been strained for a long time. Even though he told Xu Rongxuan he was relieved after Qi Ran’s surgery, he had remained constantly worried about the prognosis and recovery. The nightmare of Qi Ran being gravely ill brought back the shadows of the operating room, and his composure finally shattered.

Gu Han cried in Qi Ran’s arms for a long time. Qi Ran held him and coaxed him until he finally fell back to sleep. Just then, the attending physician knocked and entered. Qi Ran put a finger to his lips: “Doctor, please be quiet. President Gu hasn’t slept all night and is exhausted. Don’t wake him.”

The doctor nodded understandingly and asked Qi Ran some follow-up questions about the surgery. After a detailed discussion, the doctor said, “The bleeding points in your stomach were minor, so the surgery should have fixed it. You can try some soft food today, the first meal can be around 2:00 PM. It might hurt a bit to swallow due to the esophagus, so eat small, frequent meals.”

Qi Ran asked warmly, “Doctor, does that mean I’m okay now?”

The doctor nodded. “Essentially, though we still need to observe for a while.”

Qi Ran said, “I want to go home. When can I be discharged? Tomorrow?”

The doctor: “?”

“Technically, with such a minor hemorrhage, you could be discharged early,” the doctor explained helplessly. “But you did just have surgery…”

“Then I’ll leave tomorrow,” Qi Ran said, looking down at the sleeping Gu Han. “I really want to go home.”

Seeing Qi Ran’s strong desire, the doctor conceded. “Alright, I’ll discuss it with the Dean. We still need to evaluate several indicators.”

Qi Ran nodded. “Okay, thank you.”

Once the doctor left, Qi Ran went to adjust the blanket, but Gu Han suddenly opened his eyes. “Wife, you want to go home tomorrow? Why not stay for a few more days of IV drips and treatment?”

“I don’t like needles. No matter how comfortable this room is, it’s still a hospital. I don’t want to stay,” Qi Ran pouted. “Hubby, let’s go home.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. It’ll be more free at home, and I can learn to take better care of you.”

Gu Han rubbed the side of Qi Ran’s abdomen and asked softly, “Wife, after you’re discharged, move into my place with the puppy, okay?”

“Sure,” Qi Ran said. “I just hope the puppy adjusts. He’s my little baby, I’ve raised him since he was tiny. I worry about him.”

“The puppy will adjust. Wife, wherever the three of us are is a home.” Gu Han kissed Qi Ran’s lips. “Have I been accepted by my wife and the puppy?”

“Of course. You’re Hamburger’s daddy now. Didn’t you say at home that you’d love little Hamburger with me? Hehe, I heard it all on the monitor.”

Qi Ran’s lips were wet from Gu Han’s kisses, and he returned a deep kiss. “But you might need to buy a new food bowl for him. It’s a strange habit of his. I give him a new bowl every year for his birthday to bond with him. Let ‘Daddy Gu Han’ buy the new bowl for Hamburger’s fourth birthday.”

“Alright,” Gu Han said excitedly. “What kind of bowl does Hamburger like?”

“Anything, he’s not picky. Since it gets replaced every year anyway, don’t buy anything too expensive. He just likes it because it’s new.”

Gu Han thought for a moment and nodded. “Okay, wife, I’ll arrange it.”

“Hubby, my stomach is bloated. It’s so tight,” Qi Ran said, touching his belly. “Can you rub it for me?”

“Of course. You just had surgery, so I’ll be very gentle.” Gu Han warmed his hands and slid them under Qi Ran’s shirt, gently massaging the skin. Beneath his palms, he could feel the stomach, hard, bloated, and twitching with spasms. He felt a pang of guilt. “Wife, your stomach is so hard. Have you been uncomfortable for a long time? It’s my fault for leaving tonight. I should have stayed.”

“You need to eat and rest too. I don’t want you giving me every second of your time,” Qi Ran grumbled. “It makes me feel too guilty.”

“Okay, okay, my mistake. Wife, don’t be angry. When you get upset, the stomach spasms get worse.”

Gu Han held Qi Ran close, preventing him from moving restlessly, while he massaged the stomach to soothe the irregular twitching of the gastric walls. “Be good, wife. I’ll listen to everything you say. I’ll definitely change.”

Qi Ran huffed. “Hmph.”

Every time Qi Ran huffed, Gu Han would lean in for a kiss. Qi Ran was held so firmly in his embrace that he couldn’t escape, until finally, he stopped being angry and started laughing. “Old man, you’re quite good at coaxing your wife. Who did you learn this from?”

“I learned it myself. Really, I’ve never been in a relationship before,” Gu Han said earnestly. “Wife, I just want you to be happy. I spend every day and night thinking about how to please you.”

Without waiting for an answer, Gu Han focused on massaging the stomach, planning out the 2:00 PM meal the doctor mentioned. “Wife, since you’re still bloated, I’ll feed you while rubbing your belly. Maybe that way you’ll be able to eat more comfortably, right?”