The Gentle, Sickly Beauty Is Won Over By The Loyal Big Shot - Chapter 39

“Hubby, Zhou Cheng’s mind changes very fast. He’s a truly strange person, he’ll take a simple matter and overthink it in his head, adding all sorts of drama. Even if those things never happened, he acts as if he’s hallucinating, drawing completely unrelated conclusions and then punishing us for no reason. The man is mentally ill,” Qi Ran said, growing anxious. “If I take the day off and don’t go, he’ll start wondering if I know something. He’ll think and think until he convinces himself I’m going to betray him. It’s not just about a day or two, if I wait even half a day or two hours, he might decide not to let me go at all. We can’t delay, Hubby. Believe me, I’ve been at Ruihao for three years. I know what kind of man he is. If I don’t leave today, I’ll never be able to leave.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll listen to my wife. But you have a fever. You look like you have some energy now because the illness just started, but in a little while, you’re going to crash,” Gu Han said, feeling Qi Ran’s forehead. “Tell you what, Ranran. I’ll pack some fever reducers and stomach medicine. We’ll go to the company, and after you resign, we’ll head straight to handle your onboarding paperwork. If it goes smoothly, we can finish everything by noon and go home so you can recover. How does that sound?”

“Okay. As long as I can definitely resign from Ruihao today, I’ll follow the rest of your arrangements,” Qi Ran said weakly. His head throbbed, and his voice was faint. “Hubby, can I take medicine now? My head hurts.”

“You can’t take the fever medicine yet. I just checked, and it’s not quite 38°C (100.4°F). Plus, you haven’t had breakfast. Taking medicine on an empty stomach will make your stomach ache,” Gu Han wrapped Qi Ran in the quilt, coaxing him. “Wife, let me find you some clothes first so you can dress warmly. I just remembered we’re out of fever medicine here, but Yu Shen is at home grabbing some things. I’ll ask if he has any and have him bring it over. Be a good boy, even when I’m busy, I won’t be far from you. Don’t feel anxious.”

Gu Han’s mind was entirely occupied by Qi Ran’s health, his separation anxiety, and his stomach issues. To care for Qi Ran and give him the deepest love possible, Gu Han’s attention to detail had become incomparable.

Standing before the wardrobe, Gu Han called Yu Shen. “Shen, are you home?”

“I’m here, just making something to eat,” Yu Shen replied, slicing tomatoes for a sandwich. He put the phone on speaker on the kitchen island. “What’s up? You sound urgent.”

“Do you have any fever medicine? Qi Ran has a fever,” Gu Han said. “He probably caught a cold, he’s been complaining of a bad headache since early morning. Do you have Acetaminophen? If not, I’ll order delivery.”

“Acetaminophen? Yeah, I have some. Do you need it right now?” Yu Shen put down his knife. “Should I bring it over immediately?”

“No need, he can’t take it yet. The fever just started and hasn’t hit 38°C, but looking at his condition, it’ll likely turn into a high fever. I want to have it ready,” Gu Han said, clutching the clothes he’d picked out. “Just remember to bring it when you come to work. I’ll stop by your office to get it.”

“Got it,” Yu Shen said. “Text me when you arrive. You need to look after Qi Ran, so I’ll just bring it to you.”

Gu Han hung up, placed the phone on the bed, and continued selecting clothes. During the typhoon days, Gu Han had already washed the new clothes, pants, and cute cow-patterned socks he’d bought for Qi Ran, folding them neatly and tucking them into the wardrobe alongside his own suits. As he picked an outfit, he soothed Qi Ran: “Ranran baby, be good. Once I dress you in soft, fragrant clothes, I’ll go make breakfast. We’ll see if your stomach feels better after you eat.”

“Is Hubby still picking clothes for me?” Qi Ran turned on his side, watching Gu Han busy himself at the wardrobe. He squinted his beautiful eyes into a smile. “So Hubby baby has already put my clothes together with your suits?”

“Yes, Wife,” Gu Han replied proudly, his face full of happiness. “My suits next to my wife’s cute, fluffy little clothes… it makes me so happy. I really want to tell everyone at Jianchen that I’m in a relationship and that I have a wife who loves me very much.”

Qi Ran smiled indulgently. “That’s such a ‘Little Dog’ Gu Han trait, that need to share. Like that time I gave Hamburger a big piece of meat, he showed it off to all the other dogs, but in the end, he wouldn’t let them have a taste and ate it all himself. What a greedy little Hamburger.”

“It’s not that he’s greedy, Wife,” Gu Han explained gently. “It’s because he loves you too much. Hamburger obviously wouldn’t want to share your special favor with other dogs.”

“Then, Hubby loves me incredibly much, and the puppy loves me incredibly much,” Qi Ran said. “Does that mean I’m the happiest person in the world?”

“I am,” Gu Han smirked. “Because I have all of Ranran’s love. But Ranran isn’t narcissistic, so you can’t fully ‘get’ your own love. I’m a little bit happier than Ranran~”

Qi Ran couldn’t help but laugh. Being with Gu Han made being sick feel much less miserable.

Gu Han chose a pure white sweater, khaki trousers, and a pair of black Doc Martens. For an outer layer, Qi Ran would wear Gu Han’s suit jacket. With the sweater underneath, Qi Ran looked a bit fuller, so the suit jacket didn’t look as comically oversized as it had when they first met.

Once dressed, Qi Ran still had no strength. He just wanted to lie down and rest, so he lay on his side clutching his stomach, watching Gu Han put on a shirt and trousers in front of the full-length mirror. He asked tentatively, “Hubby, is it really okay if I don’t wear a suit to work at Jianchen?”

“Of course it’s okay, Wife. Shirts are too thin anyway, and you’re not well, your stomach is still hurting,” Gu Han finished adjusting his collar and came over to tend to Qi Ran, leaning down to massage his hardening stomach. “I used to only give the ‘no suit’ privilege to Yu Shen. Now I’m giving it to my wife. Secretary Qi is Secretary Qi regardless of what he wears.”

After finishing his own preparations, Gu Han prepared a hot water bottle for Qi Ran to hold against his belly and then went to the kitchen to cook. Qi Ran’s stomach was still cramping, so he wanted to stay under the covers a bit longer. The hot water bottle was carefully wrapped in a fluffy cloth by Gu Han so it wouldn’t scald his skin, keeping his abdomen nice and warm.

As soon as Gu Han left, Qi Ran’s separation anxiety began to flare. Gu Han had told him before leaving that because he had a fever and was recovering from stomach surgery, his immunity was low and he shouldn’t come downstairs. The kitchen area was cold, and he might catch a chill.

Qi Ran understood Gu Han’s concern and had promised to wait obediently, but he couldn’t fully control his emotions. Whenever he missed Gu Han, it triggered uncontrollable anxiety and gastric spasms. His intestines cramped painfully, forcing him to curl up and hug the hot water bottle tightly, taking slow, deep breaths in hopes the pain would subside.

Just then, his phone on the pillow lit up. Qi Ran was so focused on the resignation that he was alert to any message. He picked it up and saw a notification banner. It was indeed from Zhou Cheng: “Qi Ran, are you feeling better? Can you come to the office today to handle the resignation procedures?”

Qi Ran intentionally waited a moment before replying: “Manager Zhou, today works. However, I have a fever, likely because my immunity is low after the stomach surgery, so I need to take some medicine before coming over. Sorry, I shouldn’t keep you waiting too long.”

Qi Ran sent: [Photo of Thermometer] Qi Ran sent: [Photo of Surgery Records]

Zhou Cheng stared at Qi Ran’s reply that single line of text and two photos for a full thirty seconds.

Suddenly, Zhou Cheng felt that Qi Ran had indeed suffered quite a bit under his management. It wasn’t the first time Qi Ran had told him such things, but whether it was a fever or a stomach ache, Zhou Cheng had always dismissed them as excuses to avoid work. He believed a “Sales Champion” earning the highest salary in the company should give everything unconditionally. He had never believed Qi Ran was actually sick until the hospitalization. Seeing how pale and weak Qi Ran looked when he visited him made Zhou Cheng realize he had truly messed up. Now, seeing the surgery records, he realized this 25-year-old kid from out of town had been driven to a physical breakdown by him. Living in Litian without family, he’d had to undergo surgery alone. To Zhou Cheng, a young man navigating such a major procedure without family support was unimaginable. Consequently, his guilt deepened significantly.

Zhou Cheng didn’t know that Gu Han had stayed with Qi Ran for the surgery, nor did he know they were living together at “Litian Fengyue.” Using Litian Fengyue as a center point, the three kilometer radius which included the Jianchen campus, was strictly monitored by Jianchen staff to catch any media or paparazzi looking for a scoop. Occasionally, if a video of Gu Han’s daily life or a private meeting leaked, Jianchen’s legal department would “invite them for tea.” They either deleted it voluntarily or were sued until they “voluntarily” deleted it. Jianchen wouldn’t spend a penny on PR, they preferred to sue bloggers into bankruptcy. Over time, Jianchen actually made “pocket money” from lawsuits, which was turned into bonuses for employees. This strengthened employee loyalty and ensured no one dared to film anything related to Gu Han. Two years of this left some bloggers grumbling about how the “Top 1 Real Estate Company” had “won it all” the only type of comment Jianchen let slide.

It was a boast: We won it all. So what?

By bringing Qi Ran to Litian Fengyue, Gu Han had effectively made him disappear from social media. Before they started dating, some people dared to post about Qi Ran’s beauty, but ever since Gu Han publicly pulled him into his arms, no one dared to even “simp” for his face. Collective silence.

Under these circumstances, Zhou Cheng couldn’t find out anything.

When Zhou Cheng didn’t reply immediately, Qi Ran felt incredibly uneasy, terrified that the man might change his mind. Several times during the silence, Qi Ran almost lost his composure and messaged him first, but he held back. He decided to wait for Zhou Cheng’s attitude, though it seemed passive, it allowed him to maintain the upper hand.

About half a minute later, Zhou Cheng finally replied: “Qi Ran, it’s my fault your health has deteriorated like this. I apologize. You had surgery and didn’t even tell me. I should have reimbursed you for it. After all, you’re on your own in Litian. Since Ruihao doesn’t have dorms, you had to buy a place, and you worked yourself into an illness for the company. As your boss, I’ve been incompetent. I’m sorry. I used to be cold-hearted, thinking that since you had the highest salary, you should work like an ox. When you said you were sick, I never believed you. I thought it was an excuse, and I never gave you time off. I realize now that while I thought your salary was high, it was low compared to competitors. Other companies treat their sales champions well with huge bonuses and better benefits. Qi Ran, you’ve been deeply wronged. Now that I know, you probably hate me. I’m sorry.”

Zhou Cheng sent: [Transfer of 50,000 RMB]

Zhou Cheng: “This is a small token of my sincerity. Buy some supplements and take care of your body. Since you’re still sick, I won’t force you to come to Ruihao. I’ll process your resignation online and stop your social security payments. I’ll have an answer for you within three days. However, once you’re feeling better, I still hope we can meet one more time. There are some things I want to discuss with you in person. Just message me then. I’m always in the office.”

Qi Ran’s body was completely sunk into the soft bedding. He alternated between hugging the hot water bottle and massaging his stomach spasms, barely finding enough focus to read Zhou Cheng’s message. Worried that a delay would look suspicious, Qi Ran’s fingertips trembled as he slowly typed: “Sorry, President Zhou, I might be slow to reply. I’m having a gastric spasm right now, it’s very painful. I’m truly sorry.”

The moment he dropped the phone, the screen lit up with another message, but Qi Ran had no strength left to pick it back up. He could only curl around his stomach, using deep breaths to fight the anxiety.

Gu Han was busy in the kitchen, wanting to boil some porridge to warm Qi Ran’s stomach, but he felt unsettled. Knowing Qi Ran had separation anxiety made him constantly worried. Having just washed the rice, Gu Han rushed back to the bedroom and found Qi Ran curled up in the quilt clutching his belly. He knew the pain had returned.

“Baby, does your stomach hurt that much?”

Gu Han reached into the quilt, moving Qi Ran’s arm from his abdomen to massage the hardened area. Seeing Qi Ran so pale and sweating from the pain broke his heart. He gently wiped the sweat away and asked softly, “Ranran, why the sudden spasm? Did you eat too much yesterday? Do you want to go to the hospital for an antispasmodic shot, or should I keep massaging it out for you?”

Qi Ran didn’t answer any of the questions. He just looked at Gu Han with half-open, beautiful puppy eyes. Suddenly, his eyes rimmed with red. He used all his strength to throw himself into Gu Han’s embrace, wrapping his arms around his waist and sobbing: “Ranran missed you so much.”