The Gentle, Sickly Beauty Is Won Over By The Loyal Big Shot - Chapter 4

Yu Shen: “What time do you think it is? Chairman, I am talking to you about something very important.”

Gu Han: “Alright, alright, I’ll listen to you. Once Qi Ran is discharged, I’ll return to the company. Sorry for the trouble while I’ve been away these past few days.”

Yu Shen: “It’s no trouble, it’s my duty.”

Gu Han finished paying the bill. Carrying the porridge and the deboned fish, he replied to Yu Shen: “When this is all settled, I’ll give you a bonus. If you help me pursue Qi Ran successfully, I’ll double it.”

Yu Shen replied instantly with an ‘OK’ emoji: “No problem.”

Gu Han headed upstairs with the food. He heard Qi Ran on the phone, on the other end, Zhou Cheng was specifically asking if Gu Han was there. Hearing Gu Han’s footsteps, Qi Ran said, “President Gu is here. Manager Zhou, do you have something you want to discuss with him?”

“No, no,” Zhou Cheng had been acting as if he’d seen a ghost ever since he approved Qi Ran’s leave. Like a startled bird, he had a stress response just hearing Gu Han’s name. “Just rest. I originally wanted to instruct you on a few things, but if you’re unwell, just rest.”

“Manager Zhou, you’ve suddenly become so caring,” Qi Ran’s tone was hard to read, it wasn’t clear if he was being sarcastic or genuinely moved. His voice remained gentle and polite. “But why didn’t you approve my leave before?”

Zhou Cheng stammered, “Before… I felt that young people should endure more trials. A stomach ache isn’t a big deal, just a minor ailment. The more one can endure, the more perseverance they have. It was my oversight. I didn’t realize your stomach condition had become this serious. Just rest. If your leave isn’t enough, I’ll extend it. Don’t resign, be good.”

“Why would I resign?” Qi Ran gave a dry laugh. “Manager Zhou, I’ve taken all the ‘trials’ you gave me to heart. I have to return to Ruihao to slowly… show you my gratitude.”

Zhou Cheng was nearly choked by Qi Ran’s words. He couldn’t find a comeback for a long time. Before he could speak, Qi Ran hung up with a mix of impatience and politeness. He was truly shocked by Qi Ran’s transformation.

Zhou Cheng clenched his fists, feeling lost. He didn’t know if Qi Ran had been acting along with him all along or if this was a sudden change of heart.

Qi Ran’s behavior was like a completely different person compared to before. Every sentence he spoke pierced right to the heart. Zhou Cheng was now completely unable to sleep, sitting and standing in restless anxiety.

Tossing and turning in bed, Zhou Cheng truly couldn’t rest. He always had a strong sense of crisis, but that crisis didn’t stem from the company’s opportunities or challenges, it was his own situation. Zhou Cheng had a wife and children, yet privately he kept many female secretaries, one was even pregnant with his child and was currently on maternity leave. On one hand, he feared his affairs would be exposed and his wife would divorce him. On the other, Qi Ran was his direct subordinate, and Zhou Cheng knew his management methods were heartless. If Qi Ran saw through the essence of those methods as gaslighting and PUA, he would surely hate him. Previously, he felt he could control Qi Ran, and self-delusion was better than facing reality. Now it seemed Qi Ran had seen through him long ago, and even the secretaries weren’t as obedient as they used to be, constantly testing his boundaries. Zhou Cheng was spiraling into a rage.

Everything was ruined now, both his career and his family life were in shambles.

Zhou Cheng had no idea why things had developed this way. His blockhead of a brain wouldn’t turn, he simply sank into a deep pessimism.

Many people have a thick “filter” regarding managers, thinking high-level executives must be smart, brainy, and forward thinking. That is a total stereotype. In reality, it’s often not like that at all, some can’t even get payroll right. Take Zhou Cheng, he looked like a man in power, and the title of General Manager intimidated many, but his brain really wasn’t that sharp. When an enterprise is sailing smoothly and its luck is high, it doesn’t hurt much to temporarily use a malicious fool as a leader. He had no clue how Qi Ran had achieved his “enlightenment,” and to this day, he never suspected Gu Han’s role in the matter.

In contrast, Qi Ran was incredibly clever. Previously, he was just caught in the thick of it, not understanding his own worth. Since Gu Han’s guidance, he had carefully pondered the term “Sales Champion.” He realized he was Zhou Cheng’s Achilles’ heel. Precisely because a sales champion is vital, an elite that cannot be lost and the pillar of the company. Zhou Cheng used those paranoid, low-handed methods to bind him. Qi Ran had reached a great realization. He would seize every opportunity to exert pressure. The suffering Qi Ran endured in the past, from now on, he would make sure Zhou Cheng tasted it too.

Correspondingly, Qi Ran also realized that Ruihao was truly not a good place. If a beast like Zhou Cheng could hold such responsibility as General Manager, it was a bad sign. If it were Gu Han in charge, the first thing he would vet would be character, he would never tolerate someone like Zhou Cheng.

Qi Ran’s mind was made up. Since there was a better choice, it was time to make a clean break with Ruihao.

By this time, Gu Han had returned. Seeing Qi Ran hang up, he set down the porridge and handed over the warm water he had prepared earlier to soothe Qi Ran’s stomach. He struck up a conversation: “So, you’re not afraid of Zhou Cheng?”

“I’m not. Back then, I just hadn’t found a way to counter him. I thought I’d pretend to be a lamb for him to slaughter, acting that way for a long time without finding a weakness. It wasn’t until I saw Zhou Cheng’s reaction to the leave request you sent for me that I understood,” Qi Ran gave a soft, warm smile. “President Gu, I am a sales champion. I believe that in Jianchen, where real estate has a reputation, sales follow naturally. Anyone could be a champion there. But in a ‘barren wasteland’ like Ruihao, the champion title is earned with real skill. I am their only hope.”

“Barren wasteland?”

Gu Han placed the porridge and fish on the small bedside table and helped Qi Ran sit up. “Kid, are you implying something? Ruihao is a constant in the top ten, after all. It’s not quite…”

“Alright, President Gu,” Qi Ran curled his lips and interrupted Gu Han gently. “Don’t use such basic tactics to bait me. If you want to know something important, you can just be sincere with me.”

Gu Han raised an eyebrow. “?”

No wonder Yu Shen said Qi Ran was an extraordinary person.

“Fine, I’ll listen to you. I sincerely ask for your guidance,” Gu Han pulled up a chair to sit by Qi Ran, leaning in close. “Tell me about it.”

“Is this place safe?”

Qi Ran was candid: “The documents I possess would put my life in great danger.”

“Rest assured, it is absolutely safe,” Gu Han promised. “The director here is a good friend of mine. The hospital was built by my company, and the property management was spearheaded by Jianchen. In my territory, nothing will happen to you.”

Qi Ran looked at Gu Han and asked softly, “Then, can I trust President Gu?”

“Of course,” Gu Han promised again. “If our current friendship isn’t enough for you to trust me, then you must have heard the saying: ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ Jianchen and Ruihao have been in an adversarial position for many years. Is that enough?”

“Very well,” Qi Ran also leaned closer to Gu Han. He caught a scent much like a light ‘Bleu’ cologne. Qi Ran liked the smell and took a soft sniff before whispering in his ear, “I know the inside story of that accident three years ago. Jianchen and Ruihao collaborated on the Garden Villa project with bundled marketing. Both companies provided blueprints and steel. That was when I joined the company. I was recruited through campus hiring. I first sent my resume to Jianchen, but after being rejected, I went to Ruihao and successfully joined. On my first day, I received a stack of documents, client information that needed to be archived. It was a busy day with lots of procedures, so I didn’t look at them. After taking them home, I found two pages of a report sandwiched between the papers. One was the specifications and batch numbers of the steel Jianchen provided, the other was the steel they actually used in the villa clusters. It was all cheap, unnumbered stock, even recycled and remelted scrap with many impurities. Building with that kind of steel is extremely dangerous. Jianchen’s compliant steel was swapped out. Someone in Ruihao was embezzling, and the amount was massive.”

Gu Han frowned. Three years ago, that period was a shadow in his heart he could never let go of.

It was exactly three years ago that the collapse of the Garden Villas, co-constructed by Jianchen and Ruihao, occurred, resulting in over twenty casualties. The judiciary gave a fair ruling: the Chairman of Ruihao went to prison, and Jianchen paid 30 million in compensation to the families of the victims. The verdict clearly stated that Ruihao had swapped the materials. However, Ruihao’s marketing department later bit back, framing Jianchen’s materials as non-compliant. They have been creating hype around this ever since. Jianchen suffered great infamy, their stock value once evaporated by 40 million in a single night. Even showing the court verdict failed to convince the public. Their lawsuits demanding a public apology from Ruihao were never successful, they only paid money. Real estate companies never lack money. They continued to manipulate public opinion online. Gu Han had always suffered because he lacked Ruihao’s original documents to compare and prove their innocence.

The massive loss to the company, combined with Gu Han’s guilt toward the victims, made him loathe Ruihao. Former partners had become sworn enemies.

Qi Ran’s words were like a life-saving straw to Gu Han. He asked urgently, “You mean… you still have those two pages of the report?”

“Yes,” Qi Ran nodded slightly. “I can give the report to you, but I think you should endure a little longer.”

Gu Han was puzzled: “Why?”

“Because I think your plan shouldn’t just be about proving your innocence,” Qi Ran now fully trusted Gu Han and spoke his heart. “I believe you should use these two reports at the right time to force Ruihao out of the real estate competition. Crushing Ruihao and removing a powerful competitor is more important than just clearing your name, and the return for Jianchen would be far greater.”

“Qi Ran, I think,” Gu Han gripped Qi Ran’s hand, “we should cooperate deeply.”

“I know, I will,” Qi Ran also held Gu Han’s hand. “Once I finish what I’m doing, I will submit my resume to Jianchen. Ruihao is a place that can’t stand scrutiny. I have a new plan, when the time comes, I’ll bring President Gu an even bigger ‘gift’ for our first meeting.”

Gu Han was overjoyed, but something felt slightly off. There was a piece of good news and a piece of bad news. The good news was that their relationship had truly moved a step forward, the bad news was that Qi Ran seemed to only view him as a like-minded superior.

Gu Han didn’t want to be Qi Ran’s boss, he wanted to be his husband. Faced with this situation, Gu Han felt quite depressed.

“Is the porridge still hot?”

Depressed or not, Gu Han had to perform well while alone with Qi Ran. He touched the bowl and found it was much warmer. He said softly, “Eat a little.”

Qi Ran was very obedient. Following Gu Han’s words, he took a few spoonfuls of the millet porridge and some fish. Both were delicious, but it was painful for Qi Ran to swallow. His stomach hurt, and his esophagus was sore. He had vomited violently a few days ago and still hadn’t recovered. Consequently, he couldn’t eat much. After a bit, he put down the spoon and quietly observed Gu Han’s expression.

Gu Han had bought the food, after all. Since he couldn’t finish it, Qi Ran felt apologetic, wondering if Gu Han was angry.

“Why stopped eating?”

Gu Han pointed at the porridge and asked, “Is it not good?”

If it wasn’t good, Gu Han would have to talk to his friend, the director, it would be time to change the chef.

“No, no,” Qi Ran said quickly. “It hurts too much, I can’t eat. It’s actually very tasty, and I don’t want to waste it.”

“Then I was being inconsiderate. I only thought that eating something warm would make your stomach feel better, but it’s true that you can’t eat when the pain is bad. Don’t worry about wasting it. I’ll eat it in a while. It works out since I need to fast after 10 PM for the CT scan tomorrow,” Gu Han stood up to clear the bowl. Once everything was settled, he helped Qi Ran lie down. “It’s late. The formal check-up is tomorrow, so go to sleep early.”

After lying down, Qi Ran saw that Gu Han had no intention of leaving and asked curiously, “President Gu, aren’t you going home?”

“I’m not,” Gu Han brushed Qi Ran’s hair. “I’m staying here to look after you these few days.”

Qi Ran asked softly, “Won’t your family worry?”

“When I first started my business, I had a falling out with my family. They insisted I work for someone else and thought I lacked the ability to succeed on my own. Because of those differences, we stopped seeing each other. Later, when I became successful, they felt embarrassed about what they’d said and weren’t willing to reach out first,” Gu Han said. “I don’t have family in the Litian Special Zone. Going home would just mean living alone. It’s better here at the hospital where I can take care of you and we can talk. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a like-minded friend, it’s rare to find someone so easy to talk to.”

“Me too,” Qi Ran loved to smile. “I only did the campus recruitment because I refused to follow my family’s arrangements. I don’t like others manipulating my future.”

“Then we are the same kind of people,” Gu Han said bluntly. “Qi Ran, I truly admire you.”

Qi Ran turned onto his side to make it easier to talk to Gu Han. Half of his pale face was buried in the pillow, his eyes bright and full of gentleness. Under the soft light of the ward, Qi Ran looked even more beautiful and tender than when they first met. He always spoke softly, his voice gentle: “Why is President Gu so good to me?”

Gu Han looked at Qi Ran’s face, completely enchanted. His heart skipped a beat, and his cheeks flushed. Gu Han didn’t know how to answer the question. He was born straightforward, how could he cover his sincere heart with casual lies?

But it was too early to confess. Gu Han feared scaring him. He only said, “I just… want to be this way to you.”

“Alright,” Qi Ran squinted his eyes with a smile. “Thank you, President Gu.”

“Can you stop calling me ‘You’ [honorific] from now on?” Gu Han said with a hint of acting spoiled. “Am I really that old?”

“No, it’s not that you’re old,” Qi Ran answered honestly. “It’s just a polite form. I’ve been in sales for many years. I’m used to it.”

Gu Han was eager to get closer: “Then don’t do that anymore. Just treat me as a friend.”

Qi Ran nodded: “Okay.”

“Do you want to rest?”

Gu Han propped his chin on his palm, tilting his head to look at Qi Ran. “Should I go turn off the light?”

“President Gu, I can’t sleep,” Qi Ran shook his head. “My cervical spine isn’t good, and lying on this pillow is very uncomfortable. My stomach hurts too. Usually, I have to take painkillers to sleep.”

“You’re so young, how did your health get this bad? I truly feel for you,” Gu Han reached out, spreading his palm so Qi Ran’s temple could rest in it. His long fingers pressed gently against the back of Qi Ran’s neck, while his other hand hovered over Qi Ran’s abdomen. He asked softly, “Shall I rub your stomach for you? Maybe a massage will make you feel a bit better.”