Chapter 08

Is that so? I am not sure where Ling Li has fallen short. If Adeline could offer some suggestions for improvement, it would be most appreciated. His gentle smile had yet to fade, as if the earlier sharp glance was merely Su Wan's illusion.

"Wanwans, open your mouth and swallow the medicine..."

He was reluctant to let her carry anything, wrapping her hands and placing them into the pockets of his coat, using his own warmth to warm her icy hands

He is a deceased friend of mine

Lingering among the flowers... the destined goddess...

"Wanwan, wake up..."

Su Wan, feeling both shy and indignant, released her grip on his suit and said, "Please, President Gu, have some self-respect"

"Hehe, you might consider using your fiery passion to melt his iceberg-like heart, Feifei. I support you mentally!" Su Wan tilted her head and glanced at Beifei, truly rare, that she could now tease her former lover with such a mood alongside the younger sisters in the company.

"Apart from saying sorry, can't you say something fresh to me?" Fang Feijin leaned back in a corner of the desk, maintaining his usual nonchalant posture: "Su Wan, if you really intend to resign, why not consider coming back with me?"

A good candidate for a husband

Fangyuan Tiandi and Lingli Shiye have not yet formally signed the merger and acquisition contract, and you are already eager to resign, hmm?

Fang Feijin finally breathed a sigh of relief: "If you keep this up, I might get scared sick. It has been years since you last did this, have you... recently..." He gestured, "Do you feel unwell anywhere? If there are any issues, I can take you to New York to see Daniel for a check-up."

Where is General Manager Gu?

Even if ... ? ... even if they are not even friends now, he shouldn't hate her to the point of wishing she were dead, right

Just like her now and Gu Fenghan

Su Wan felt a hidden resentment, unconsciously tightening her grip on Fang Feijin's arm. Fang Feijin turned his head to see her slightly furrowed brow, and while leading Gu Fenghan towards his office, he explained: "I truly apologize. It is indeed my incompetence as a boss. Su Wan has worked diligently at Fangyuan Tiandi for the past few years, and her health has significantly declined recently. She is just preparing to take a long vacation to rest and recuperate."

Fang Feijin released her hand and rolled her eyes at the ceiling, saying, "Please, can you not be so dedicated? What does it matter now about the past or the present!"

Su Wan shook her head, carrying a hint of melancholy. That figure in her dreams... has it finally drifted away from her?

In the haze, a figure swayed before her, and she could not discern whether she was in reality or in a dream. All she could see was the head of the swaying person flashing before her eyes, a chill coursing through her body in waves, all her strength focused on her heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump, thump, it seemed as if she could hear her own heartbeat, increasingly violently pounding against her eardrums, faster and louder.

The previous boyfriend? They never even officially broke up, yet they each severed this relationship.

As he spoke, he gently patted Su Wan's hand resting on his arm. Su Wan cast him a grateful glance, but from the corner of her eye, she caught a sharp glance from Gu Fenghan, akin to a blade, directed at her hand resting on Fang Feijin's arm.

He was unwilling to let her off easily and asked Fang Feijin with great interest: "Adeline is the chief planner of the 'City of Love' column? I heard Angela mention it before; the concept of that column is quite good, showcasing the most touching aspects of different cities... I hope... Adeline can showcase her talents under Lingli's banner in the future. What do you think, Adeline?"

You County

He proudly added, "A good person goes all the way, and a kind gesture should be carried to the end; this is my principle"

Resignation, Gu Fenghan chuckled lightly: "And then? The Fang family does not have only one son. Are you prepared to share the same fate with him, allowing Fang Weiming to appreciate your noble integrity in the face of power?"

Su Wan was so angry that her whole body trembled. How could he curse her to death right in front of her?

Cut... people like this, it's fine to gossip a bit and chat casually, do you think I am still sixteen this year!

Fang Fei incessantly urged her to take care of her health, but all Su Wan could think about were these two words: what was Gu Fenghan doing in You County

If she could forget Jiang Shangbai from five years ago

Gu Fenghan squinted his eyes, the emotions swirling in his gaze uncertain whether they were anger or something else, and coldly uttered, "Su Wan, do not test my patience"

Fang Feijin sighed and jumped down from the table: "Don't look at me with that kind of gaze—do you know what the subtext of that gaze is? It is: you are a good person; the follow-up to being a good person is: I am not worthy of you; to put it bluntly, it is still—" He sighed in frustration and did not continue.

In front of the large mirror in the bathroom, she practiced her smile over and over again, revealing just the right amount of eight teeth in her smile. One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, she counted repeatedly until she felt her muscles were about to stiffen, yet she could present such a smile flawlessly. On the last count of one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, her smile froze at the corners of her mouth

Not entirely ... ...

It turns out that ... ... is Fang Feijin

Fang Feijin was taken aback: "Weren't you just joking with Gu Fenghan?"

Gu Fenghan abruptly seized her wrist, and she defiantly glared back at him. She knew she could not break free from his grip, so she chose not to struggle, merely continuing to stare at him. Her face remained pale, as white as porcelain, with a hint of redness emerging from her anger. Suddenly, he leaned down to kiss her, and when his lips met hers, Su Wan was jolted awake. She instinctively recoiled, trying to escape him, but he held her wrists tightly with one hand and wrapped his other hand around her waist. Her waist was still so slender that it seemed it could snap with just a squeeze. With no way to escape, he tightened his hold on her waist, and she could not break free at all. All she could do was grit her teeth and resist his sudden advance. He leaned down to kiss her again, and when his lips touched hers, Su Wan was startled awake once more. She tried to pull back forcefully to escape him, but he firmly grasped her wrists with one hand and constricted her waist with the other. Her waist remained as delicate as ever, as if it could break with a mere squeeze. With no escape route left, he tightened his grip around her waist, and she found herself unable to break free, forced to clench her teeth and withstand his unexpected assault.

The white ... ...

Su Wan turned around to face Gu Fenghan's cold mockery: "It seems that General Gu is quite leisurely, even taking an interest in the family matters of his business partners. I wonder what grand plans General Gu has this time? It's a pity—there are only two plots of land belonging to the Fang family in Ningjiang!"

She slightly opened her eyes, and before her swayed a pair of eyes that were almost frantic with concern and anxiety. Those eyes were dark and bright, leaning close to her, radiating an intense and unshakeable worry: "Wanwan, you finally woke up... If you don't open your eyes again, I was about to call the doctor..."

"What a coincidence, I also have a friend who looks very much like President Gu," Fang Fei said, gazing at Su Wan with some suspicion. It was surprising to see Su Wan, who usually had a gentle and calm demeanor, display such a tense attitude. "I was startled when I saw President Gu just now," Su Wan quickly quelled the unnamed anger in her heart with remarkable speed, meeting Gu Fenghan's obviously mocking and provocative gaze. "I thought he was unhappy with the amount of paper money I burned for him and had come back during the day to chase me for debts!"

Gu Fenghan's words were laced with unmistakable mockery; indeed, he now had the capital to ridicule her. He was now the favored one of heaven, the darling of the business world, while she... was merely an abandoned child, one whose parents did not even know who she was.

She wore a smile that was almost stiff, and walked out of the office in a daze, passing through the frosted glass door. Back in the office, Beifi was indecisive about the renewal issues with several partner hotels and asked her to make the final decision. As Su Wan doodled, Beifi curiously asked, "I heard a Lamborghini has arrived?"

In the dream, a shadowy figure keeps swaying before her eyes, that silhouette is thin and stubborn, growing farther and farther away. She wants to reach out her hand, but she cannot move her arms at all, helplessly watching that hazy figure drift further and further away

Su Wan gratefully lifted her head; in this world, there is still one person who cares for her in this way, even... even without asking for anything in return, even... going to great lengths to ensure that she does not feel the pressure of such generosity

It felt as if she were trapped in an endless deep sea, with waves surging one after another, overwhelming and relentless. Each wave was a disaster that threatened to engulf her. She struggled desperately in the depths, yet could not grasp even a piece of driftwood. The more she flailed, the deeper she sank.

He easily stirred her thoughts, disturbing her mind; she... was completely unaware of his reappearance.

It turns out, it is not him

The white ... ...

Fang Feijin looked at the clock: "It's fine, it won't take more than ten minutes. The handover can be done slowly. Don't push yourself so hard. If there are any issues, just let me know right away, okay?"

He is ... ... , Su Wan thought, how should I introduce this person

His triumphant smile appeared particularly glaring in front of her, and she feared that if she stayed any longer, she might just die of anger here—after all, it was true that one could die from anger. She glared at him with resentment, sidestepped and squeezed through the gap in the door. After walking a few steps, her legs felt weak; she touched the wall, unable to see the path ahead, yet she desperately moved forward, wanting to distance herself from him as much as possible, even if it meant walking to the ends of the earth... as long as she could not see him, as long as she could not hear his cold mockery... sidestepping through the gap in the door, after walking a few steps, her legs felt weak; she touched the wall, unable to see the path ahead, yet she desperately moved forward, wanting to distance herself from him as much as possible, even if it meant walking to the ends of the earth... as long as she could not see him, as long as she could not hear his cold mockery...

Su Wan nodded slightly and made a sound of acknowledgment, staring blankly at the frosted glass door of Fang Feijin's office. Everything outside could be seen from within, yet the inside remained obscured from the outside, just like ... ...

"Who is Shang Bai?" Fang Feijin suddenly asked, "Is this the reason you have been rejecting me all along?"

If it were not for Fang Weiming's heartfelt reminder as a loving father

Fang Feijin nodded slightly but remained uneasy: "I think I should take you to the hospital for a check-up; you can't just collapse like this today..." Su Wan shook her head, and Fang Feijin was very insistent. Su Wan had no choice but to suggest calling Beifei to accompany her to the hospital. Just as Fang Feijin was about to dial Beifei's number, his phone rang again. After responding with a couple of sounds, he turned back to Su Wan and smiled: "It seems even the heavens are worried about you; Angela Meng just called to say that Gu Fenghan has a flight tonight and has to go to You County for an urgent matter. He'll treat us to dinner another day!"

Su Wan did not respond, instead she smiled self-deprecatingly: "It seems I should go home and rest well today. You can treat General Manager Gu tonight; I won't be going."

Su Wan smiled apologetically: "I have troubled you again, I... how long was I unconscious just now?"

The white ... ...

In earlier years, there were rumors that the heir of the Gu family was indulging in the pleasures of the flower gardens, yet recently, his destined partner has gradually come to light

The flowing cold air instantly dissipated into nothingness, Su Wan bit her lower lip, unable to continue her verbal sparring with Gu Fenghan. Clearly, half an hour ago he was mocking her with past events, yet now he appeared as if he did not recognize her at all. Was this yet another of his jokes?

The warmth of those hands, so reminiscent of... many years ago on the river, in this winter, wrapping her frozen, reddened hands with his broad palms, wandering along the streets of Philadelphia named after trees, searching for various discounted items to adorn their little nest

A pair of warm hands held her, and the warm breath seeped in along her fingertips, gradually penetrating her heart, like a trickling stream flowing by, melting the icy remnants of her frozen body, pulsing, as if it were a heartbeat, as if the ice was melting and the snow was thawing, "Wanwan, Wanwan..."

Gu Fenghan adjusted his suit, the corners of his lips curling up in a smile that was both mocking and ambiguous: "Since we are at the casino, why not take a big gamble? You can't step into the Fang family threshold, so why not consider the Gu family?" Su Wan shot him a glare and squeezed out a retort, "Unreasonable!"

Since you have entered the casino, why not take a big gamble? If you cannot step into the Fang family threshold, you might as well consider the Gu family

Su Wan thought, this is probably the most accurate answer, seven years, that was not a fleeting dream, it was originally a tangible part of her life that she could not let go of, yet it has ultimately passed... Her Jiang Shangbai is no longer here, the person who now appears is a shark galloping through the galaxy, the future head of the Gu family, is... Meng Han's boyfriend. Her Jiang Shangbai is no longer here, the person who now appears is a shark galloping through the galaxy, the future head of the Gu family, is... Meng Han's boyfriend.

Mr. Gu is a person who undertakes significant matters, and his patience is naturally better than that of us ordinary individuals

If possible, Fang Fei is truly a good candidate

The hands in the dream still held her tightly: "I just discussed some details with Angela Meng... Are you sure you don't need to check on it?"

Su Wan handed the signed documents to Bei Fei, looking at her with a hint of amusement. At sixteen, in Bei Fei's view, sixteen was an age where one could still dream.

What?

General Gu is too polite. In fact, I had already taken a leave of absence for a while due to health reasons. I originally thought I could recover, but who would have known..." She smiled helplessly and said, "I'm getting older, time does not spare anyone!"

This does not seem to fall within General Manager Gu's authority. Since Ling Li has not signed a contract with Fangyuan Tiandi for a day, my resignation does not require General Manager Gu's review

He looked at her with her eyes tightly closed, yet her face was filled with painful struggle. Finally, in a fit of anger and embarrassment, he released his hands. She nearly slipped down but managed to grab the lapel of his suit. When she opened her eyes, she saw his face, which bore a semblance of a smile: "So it turns out... interacting with me causes you such pain."

She ran forward in a daze, unaware of where she was heading, until she heard Fang Feijin's voice: "Wanwan, Wanwan, what is wrong with you?"

Gu Fenghan stood behind her, coldly watching her count her teeth

From the moment he entered, the carefully constructed demeanor was on the verge of collapse. His arm, linked with Fang Fei, began to tremble. Meng Han's slightly surprised gaze shifted between her and Gu Fenghan. She intended to ease the atmosphere, but was hindered by Gu Fenghan's provocative gaze, making it inconvenient to interject. Su Wan focused on her hesitating expression—she was surprisingly in sync with him.

Evening evening ... ...

Sixteen years old, it was also the age when she met Jiang Shangbai

Indeed, we have gathered information on the two main heirs of the Galaxy Group and Lingli Industries. The one with a face full of youthful charm, we refer to him as Ferrari; and the cool, aloof gentleman, his codename is Lamborghini

A breath colder than ice and snow flowed through the air, and everyone had to bow in admiration of Fang Feijin's ability to turn it into a joke about fate. It was uncertain whether the heir of the Gu family would give him this face. After taking a breath of cold air, they all turned to look at Gu Fenghan's expression, only to unexpectedly see him smiling. Unlike his previous indifference and elusiveness, it was a clear and distinct smile: "Thank you, General Fang, for your hospitality," he turned his head, looking at Su Wan with a half-smile, "Adeline will surely grace us with her presence tonight, right?"

"I am sorry, it is not my intention." she murmured

The crowd around, a diverse assembly of people, nearly burst into laughter upon hearing these words. Fortunately, they were all worldly individuals; some maintained a poker face as if they had heard nothing, while others stared at the ceiling in search of insects. Fang Fei, having pulled Su Wan to the side, prepared to shield her with his own body against the icy blade projected by Gu Fenghan: "It seems everyone here is quite fated to be together, very fated indeed, haha. If you don't mind, I will host tonight, and please don't stand on ceremony with me"

Childhood sweethearts? After seven years, she still does not know his real name

No, perhaps I have been preparing the materials for the handover these past couple of days and have been going to bed a bit late. Once I have rested well, everything will be fine

Fang Feijin has finally arrived... Su Wan has completely given up all support, allowing Fang Feijin to carry her. With the last bit of strength, she dragged her legs and followed him into the office. Fang Feijin's anxious voice echoed in her ears: "Wanwan, Wanwan, please don't scare me!"

Su Wan slightly released Fang Feijin's arm and nodded to a few people: "I apologize, I have a meeting this afternoon, General Gu, General Fang, please take your time with your work"

He picked up the car keys from the table and pulled Su Wan into the elevator: "First, let's go to the hospital for a check-up. If everything is fine, we can find a soup restaurant to properly nourish you!"