The Gentle, Sickly Beauty Is Won Over By The Loyal Big Shot - Chapter 40

“I should have considered that your emotions were still unstable,” Gu Han said, holding Qi Ran in his arms and apologizing softly. “I was away for too long. I’m sorry, Ranran.”

Qi Ran didn’t blame Gu Han, nor was he unhappy. Being held by Gu Han gave him a sense of security; with him by his side, the pain of the gastric spasms didn’t seem so unbearable.

“Is it too painful, Ranran? Do you not have the strength to speak?”

Gu Han felt Qi Ran’s stomach, looking worried. “Did the hot water bottle help at all?”

Qi Ran shook his head. “No, Hubby.”

Gu Han frowned. “Is it no better even if I massage it for you?”

Qi Ran shook his head again. “No, it’s not getting any better.”

“Then I’ll have the hospital staff come over and give you an antispasmodic injection. You can’t just keep hurting like this,” Gu Han said. “They offer home doctor services. Don’t be afraid, Ranran, Rong Xuan’s hospital is the only one in Litian with the qualifications for home medical care.”

“As long as you’re here, I’m not afraid,” Qi Ran said, wrapping his arms around Gu Han’s waist and burying himself completely in his embrace. “Hubby is finally back. I missed you so much.”

“How about I never leave your side from now on?”

Gu Han picked up his phone to call Xu Rongxuan’s hospital. While waiting for the call to connect, he took a moment to coax Qi Ran: “I’ll be your little shadow. Wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

Qi Ran was truly happy about Gu Han’s decision, but he also worried that Gu Han might be too busy, juggling work while focusing entirely on him. He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty, lowering his head and pressing closer into Gu Han’s chest without saying a word.

“Is my little kitten wife overthinking again?” Gu Han smiled, pulling Qi Ran closer and holding him tighter. “I like being your shadow.”

Qi Ran kissed Gu Han’s lips and said softly, “Thank you.”

“No need to thank me, my cute Ranran baby.” Gu Han tucked the blanket around Qi Ran. “The hospital answered. They’ll be here soon. Once you get the shot, the pain will stop.”

Qi Ran nodded and curled up obediently in Gu Han’s arms.

The stomach pain was severe. Qi Ran lay curled in the crook of Gu Han’s arm, eyes closed as he endured the pain in silence. Distressed, Gu Han used his knuckles to gently massage Qi Ran’s stomach. Although Qi Ran had said this spasm was particularly bad and wouldn’t ease, Gu Han still hoped to comfort him. Having someone stay by his side and love him was entirely different from enduring the pain alone.

“Hubby, my stomach hurts so much,” Qi Ran whispered, tugging at Gu Han’s collar. “Can you hold me for a bit?”

Gu Han sat up. “Do you want me to pick you up?”

Qi Ran nodded. “Mhm. Sitting up hunched over makes the stomach feel a little better.”

Gu Han wrapped the blanket around Qi Ran, leaned down, and picked him up horizontally, letting him sit steadily in his lap. He took the hot water bottle and gently tucked it against Qi Ran’s abdomen. Looking down at Qi Ran’s pale face, Gu Han felt a pang of heartache. He stroked Qi Ran’s hair and whispered, “My little Ranran, you’ve suffered so much. It’s my fault for not taking better care of you.”

“It’s not Hubby’s fault.” Despite the pain, Qi Ran leaned in and rubbed his cheek against the corner of Gu Han’s mouth, acting spoiled with some effort. “It’s just that I missed you too much. In my heart, you’re the best husband in the whole world.”

Gu Han’s eyes were full of indulgence. “Really?”

Qi Ran nodded. “Mhm!”

Gu Han’s lips curled into a smile. “Thank you, Ranran. That makes me really happy.”

Fifteen minutes later, the hospital staff arrived. Since Qi Ran was afraid of needles and couldn’t lie down for the injection, Gu Han kept him in his arms. He covered Qi Ran’s eyes with his warm palm and coaxed him softly, “Don’t be afraid, Ranran. It might hurt a little, but it’s okay. We’ll be done with the shot in no time.”

Qi Ran was clearly terrified, but to keep Gu Han from worrying, he promised, “I… I’m very brave. With Hubby here, I’m not afraid.”

“That’s right,” Gu Han kissed Qi Ran’s soft cheek. “My Ranran is the bravest. Truly my baby.”

The antispasmodic injection was indeed painful. Perhaps because his stomach was so uncomfortable, the spasms were accompanied by acid reflux, and his throat was raspy from the rising gastric acid. On top of that, he had a fever and his breathing was shallow, his body was too tense to relax, and getting a shot with clenched muscles is never pleasant.

Even so, Qi Ran didn’t make a sound. It wasn’t until the syringe was empty and the doctor began disposing of the medical waste that Qi Ran finally huddled into Gu Han’s arms with a look of grievance.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here,” Gu Han cooed, kissing and comforting him. “Rest for a little longer, and your tummy won’t hurt anymore.”

Qi Ran’s soft lips brushed against the corner of Gu Han’s mouth. “Mhm, I’ll be good.”

Qi Ran loved nuzzling his cheek against Gu Han’s face, arms, and hands. Back when he was hospitalized, he had charmed Gu Han so much that his heart nearly skipped a beat. Even now, Gu Han was still defenseless against this. Qi Ran loved expressing intimacy this way, and Gu Han loved being on the receiving end of it. Being nuzzled by Qi Ran made Gu Han so happy he hardly knew what to say.

“Gu Han, I didn’t realize you were so good at coaxing your wife,” Xu Rongxuan said. He wasn’t particularly busy today, so he had come along with the ambulance to check on Gu Han. He had been focused on watching the doctor give the injection, but now that the waste was packed up, he smiled as he watched Gu Han dote on Qi Ran. “I really didn’t see it coming.”

“Qi Ran is my first love. If I’m not dating, where would you see me perform?”

Gu Han laughed as well. “Besides, this is how you have to treat a little kid. He’s only twenty-five, ten years younger than me, he is a kid. My baby is afraid of the dark, fears bitter medicine, and is scared of pain. Of course, he needs me to love him earnestly.”

“True. Where else can someone find a wife ten years younger these days?” Xu Rongxuan crossed his arms. “Gu Han, you’ve really got skills. Qi Ran is quite famous online, I think. All the young girls like his face, there are so many candid videos of him on TikTok. Plenty of people pursued him and were rejected, yet you’re the lucky one.”

“Tell me about it.” Whenever someone mentioned how good Qi Ran was, even if it was just about his looks. Gu Han felt immensely proud. “I’m the lucky one.”

“Plenty of people pursued you too,” Xu Rongxuan said, though his words were actually a jab at Zhou Cheng. “But you really can control yourself. Otherwise, if an employee backstabbed you one day and posted a few spicy photos, your reputation would be ruined.”

“My attitude toward relationships since I was young has been to find a good wife and spend a lifetime together. I want to love my wife for my whole life, that view has never changed. Zhou Cheng is Zhou Cheng, and I am me. People are different.” Recalling the incident with Zhou Cheng, Gu Han let out a cold laugh. “Rong Xuan, you might not know, but that thing at Zhou Cheng’s preview meeting? That wasn’t an employee backstabbing him. Yu Shen and I planned that and found someone to do it. My Jianchen has been bullied for years. I’ve realized that in the business world, morality is just a hobby. As a real estate developer, I only need to be responsible for my residents and my employees. Whatever Ruihao thinks or whatever disaster they face, that’s not my concern.”

Xu Rongxuan’s eyes widened. “Man, you’ve finally wised up! I thought I’d never see Jianchen fight back before I died. Owning such a huge share of the real estate market, yet the boss was acting like a pushover.”

“I was trying to be moral at first,” Gu Han pouted. “If they are rotten and I go to fight them, won’t I become just as corrupt as them?”

Xu Rongxuan countered, “So now you’re comfortably corrupt?”

“Exactly,” Gu Han admitted candidly. “Mainly because they bullied my wife. Look at this stomach condition, if Zhou Cheng hadn’t constantly oppressed him and refused to even give him sick leave, would he be in this much pain every day that he can’t even eat?”

Gu Han held Qi Ran and showed Xu Rongxuan Qi Ran’s pale face. Whenever he thought about these things, Gu Han couldn’t suppress his anger, finally venting his grievances: “You’re a hospital director; how many patients have you seen this young who have stomach pain so bad their faces go white every day? Qi Ran has been hurting like this for years. I definitely won’t let Zhou Cheng off. Even if Zhou Cheng ends up in jail for losing the business war or to put it bluntly, even if he dies, he can’t compensate for the damage to Qi Ran’s health. I will never let him have a peaceful end. For my wife, and for that accident that Jianchen wasn’t even responsible for.”

“That’s the spirit,” Xu Rongxuan said. “Otherwise, I really would have thought you were a coward.”

“No way.” Gu Han rubbed Qi Ran’s back, patting him gently like he was soothing a child while talking to Xu Rongxuan. “Ruihao is low-class. If I go and try to talk reason to them like a saint, they won’t understand, and I’ll just get tired. It’s better to drop the act so things can be simpler for everyone.”

Once they finished chatting, Xu Rongxuan said he had to leave. “A few patients just arrived at the hospital, the kind of VIPs who have the same room cards as you. I have to go serve them.”

“It’s early morning. Eat before you go,” Gu Han pointed to the kitchen. “I’ll make noodles.”

“Forget it. I wouldn’t dare eat your cooking.”

Xu Rongxuan remembered a breakfast he had scavenged at Gu Han’s place two years ago, pan-seared cod, an avocado smoked chicken breast sandwich, and a bowl of salad with no dressing. There wasn’t even any soup. That meal had been so dry and bland. Xu Rongxuan shook his head repeatedly. “I’ll eat at the hospital cafeteria later. All you know how to make is dry bread stuffed with oil free processed meat. I’m not eating that.”

“Xu Rongxuan, let me tell you, I have a wife now. Do you think I’d feed my wife that dry bread?” Gu Han retorted. “I’ve learned how to cook. Suit yourself.”

“Oh, a ‘loving wife meal’ by Gu Han? Well, then I’ll have to be thick-skinned and come try it sometime. It’s a deal. I’ll come by another day.” Xu Rongxuan put on his coat. “When you go out, make sure to dress warmly. It’s been exceptionally cold after the typhoon, colder than New Year’s. It’s weird. Especially your partner, he needs to bundle up. His stomach can’t get cold. He just had surgery and can’t touch anything cold, if he does, his stomach will hurt and he’ll need another shot. Don’t let him suffer. You need to take meticulous care of him.”

Gu Han nodded and asked, “Can I massage my wife’s stomach?”

“You can do it often,” Xu Rongxuan said. “Just be gentle. Don’t believe him if he says a hard massage feels better, that’s only temporary relief and it’s bad for the internal organs.”

After Xu Rongxuan left, Gu Han’s slender, fair hand gently stroked Qi Ran’s back. He asked, “Ranran, does your stomach feel any better?”

“Mhm,” Qi Ran nodded. “It doesn’t hurt as much.”

“Baby, do you have an appetite now?” Gu Han said. “I can make some tomato and egg noodles for you. Since you still have a fever, you should eat your fill so you can rest and take a nap.”

As Gu Han spoke, he leaned in and pressed his forehead against Qi Ran’s to check his temperature. It was still very hot. Qi Ran’s constitution was weak, making it hard for a fever to break easily. Fortunately, his stomach was finally feeling better, which allowed Gu Han to breathe a sigh of relief.

Taking advantage of Gu Han leaning in, Qi Ran kissed his lips and whispered, “Actually, I want to eat a little bit. Hubby, I want to drink some hot soup.”

“Okay. If Ranran has an appetite, I’m happy.” Gu Han picked up Qi Ran, who was still wrapped in the blanket. “How about I carry you to the living room this time? That way, you can see me while sitting on the sofa.”

Hearing this, Qi Ran was genuinely delighted. “Okay! I want to be with Hubby forever.”

Gu Han understood every bit of Qi Ran’s small thoughts and all of his vulnerabilities. Being understood by a loved one is one of the hardest things in the world, long live understanding.

Gu Han carried Qi Ran downstairs. They chatted about everything, eventually leading to the topic of his new job. Qi Ran wanted to join Jianchen immediately after receiving his resignation notice, but he had some concerns: “Hubby, does Jianchen have those little cliques? Will those people reject me? When I first started at Ruihao, people in my department didn’t think highly of me and bullied me. I found it so hard back then. I used to cry every day after work. It only got better after three months. I’m a little worried… Hubby, am I going to have to go through all that again?”