Wen Ran and Gu Yunchi sat two seats apart on the tour bus. The driver opted for a different route on the way back. They passed by a stable where purebred horses of various colors strolled, their smooth haircoats reflecting a beautiful sheen. Wen Ran turned his head to look as the bus drove past. During Shengdian’s peak, he experienced a wealthy lifestyle to some extent. However, he now understood in comparison that the Gu family was far beyond the reach of an ordinary rich family.
Wen Ran couldn’t imagine what kind of privileged and luxurious life Gu Yunchi had lived since birth. He turned to look at him but didn’t expect to be discovered so quickly. Gu Yunchi glanced over and met his gaze. Only the word “annoyed” appeared in his eyes.
In an attempt to alleviate the awkwardness, Wen Ran blurted out an even more awkward topic, “I thought Baiqing was going to acquire Shengdian.”
Gu Yunchi showed no mercy in business, “Do you think Baiqing is a landfill?”
“Well, right,” Wen Ran wasn’t embarrassed and nodded in agreement.
“You’re really thick-skinned,” Gu Yunchi’s tone was sarcastic as he turned away.
What else could he be? Wen Ran comprehended that the Wen family was so detestable that it was only fair for Gu Yunchi to be harsh in his words. The best option was to endure it, since a little anger here and there wouldn’t hurt when there was nothing left to lose. Besides, ever since that terrifying surgery, he became desensitized, constantly keeping his mental sensitivity to potential injuries at the lowest to prevent despair and breakdowns.
Even Wen Rui had once remarked he had “a face that seemed like he would cry at the slightest scolding, but in reality, he was duller than a knife that hadn’t been sharpened for ten years.”
Wen Ran wasn’t sure how to respond appropriately to Gu Yunchi and took two seconds to ponder before saying, “Seems like it.”
Gu Yunchi was completely uninterested in dealing with him.
Upon returning to the main building with the bus, Wen Ran trailed behind Gu Yunchi into the living room. Gu Peiwen, Chen Shuhui, and Wen Rui were chatting on the balcony at the far end. As they crossed the living room, Wen Ran heard a faint “ding”. He located its source: the elevator. The elevator doors opened and an alpha in a light blue shirt stepped out.
It was Gu Chongze, Gu Peiwen’s eldest son, Gu Yunchi’s uncle, and the current CEO of Baiqing Group.
Once everyone gathered on the balcony, Gu Peiwen gestured toward Gu Chongze, “No introductions necessary.”
Chen Shuhui extended her hand to Gu Chongze with a faint smile, “CEO Gu.”
Her attitude toward Gu Chongze was notably more indifferent compared to Gu Peiwen. Perhaps because she was well aware that Gu Peiwen held the sovereignty as the director while Gu Chongze owned the least shares among the executives in Baiqing Group, therefore winning his favor would yield little benefit.
If one delved deeper into the reasons, it would be because Gu Chongze was an illegitimate child.
Gu Peiwen had refused to acknowledge Gu Chongze’s identity for decades until his legal wife’s son and daughter-in-law, who were Gu Yunchi’s biological parents, perished together in a plane crash. It was only then that Gu Peiwen acknowledged Gu Chongze as his eldest son and allowed him to enter Baiqing Group headquarters.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
There were also rumors that Gu Chongze had orchestrated the plane crash to bid for the family fortune. However, he was merely a manager in a subsidiary company at the time, lacking the resources to carry out such an assassination. With no evidence to support the accusations, the rumors gradually faded.
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Soon, dinner was ready and the group moved to the dining room. The atmosphere at the dinner table remained relatively harmonious and polite, mostly discussing projects and policies. Both Wen Ran and Gu Yunchi sat in silence, without making any comments and simply eating their meals.
Just when Wen Ran thought the dinner would end like this, the topic somehow shifted to tutoring. He heard Chen Shuhui laugh and say, “Yes, Wen Ran said the teacher is excellent and that he gets along well with Yunchi.”
“……” Wen Ran was adept at enduring scolding but found it hard to bear embarrassment. In order to be polite, he needed to give a response. He could only lift his head and pretend to smile with ease. His eyes drifted over to the person across from him, Gu Yunchi, with whom “he got along well with.” Gu Yunchi glanced at him while picking up his glass and lifting his chin to take a sip of juice.
Wen Ran sighed internally and awkwardly mouthed a “Sorry” to Gu Yunchi. Unexpectedly, Wen Rui noticed and asked in a seemingly caring tone that concealed his true ill intentions, “What are you two whispering about?”
All eyes turned to them. Wen Ran was unable to react in time, but Gu Yunchi nonchalantly retorted, “Do we need to report to you?”
Wen Ran thought Wen Rui was outright making a fool of himself. Gu Yunchi already disliked the Wen family, and now Wen Rui was deliberately provoking him, resulting in Gu Yunchi publicly exposing him.
“Of course not,” Wen Rui smiled, “But it seems you two really get along.”
The painfully awkward dinner that Wen Ran couldn’t endure for another second finally came to an end. Wen Ran stood by the doorway, gawking at the fountain to ease his mind. Not long after, he heard Chen Shuhui calling him. Wen Ran turned around and rushed back.
“We still have matters to discuss with CEO Gu. You and Yunchi can go back first,” Chen Shuhui nudged Wen Ran’s back, “Go say goodbye to Director Gu.”
Wen Ran walked over and flashed a smile to Gu Peiwen, “I had a great time here today. Sorry for bothering you, Grandpa Gu. I’ll head back now.”
“No bother at all. I heard that the little lion has taken a liking to you. Come play with it whenever you’re free,” Gu Peiwen patted Wen Ran’s head.
“Okay, thank you, Grandpa Gu. Rest well.”
Once the elders went inside, Wen Ran turned around. The car was already parked under the steps. The black window reflected his forced smile, appearing disgustingly flattering. Wen Ran was repulsed by himself, his lips relaxed in a split second and reverted to a neutral expression. The driver opened the door on the other side and signaled him to enter from the opposite side.
Wen Ran walked around puzzled and only grasped the reason for the driver’s action when he got into the car—Gu Yunchi was sitting on the other side of the backseat.
In other words, Gu Yunchi, who was sitting in the car, had a panoramic view of him putting away his professional fake smile in front of the car window just now.
As the car started, there was no sound inside the vehicle. Wen Ran leaned close to the door, turning his head 90 degrees to stare at the night that had descended. The darkness veiled everything except for the swiftly passing streetlights and the indistinct shadows of trees.
“You’re good at pretending,” Gu Yunchi’s cold and merciless ridicule broke the silence.
Another bad review following the “thick-skinned”. Wen Ran turned his head abruptly in a panic, forgetting he had been turning his head for too long, and nearly ended up twisting his neck. The sharp crack of joints rubbing together instantly made his ears ring.
Almost immobilized by the pain, Wen Ran took a labored breath, opening his mouth slightly but not daring to cry out. He had to hold his head at a 45-degree angle. He swallowed arduously and said, “The smile was a bit forced… but I wasn’t lying.”
“Except for some awkwardness during dinner, I enjoyed everything else. Dolu is cute… and thanking Grandpa Gu was also sincere.”
Being thick-skinned was one thing, but being accused of “pretending” was a direct blow to his integrity. Even though he had acted on some artificial concerns a few times before, Wen Ran honestly believed most of what he said so far was true.
As Gu Yunchi still didn’t say anything, Wen Ran pursed his lips and continued wording, “I barely said a few sentences, and everything I said was from the bottom of my heart. Besides a few fake smiles, there was no pretense.”
Gu Yunchi’s patience wore thin, “Shut it.”
“…..Oh,” Wen Ran shut his mouth. This alpha was truly impossible to please.
The journey passed in silence. The car arrived at the Wen residence first. The headlights illuminated the rusty patches on the black iron gates and the weak glow of the lamp above it. It was a standard scene that spoke of a family business on the brink of bankruptcy. Wen Ran opened the door to exit before the driver had a chance to unbuckle his seatbelt. He held onto the car door and thanked the driver. His neck was twisted and he could only keep his head tilted, resembling a misshapen plant. Wen Ran waved at Gu Yunchi, intending to say goodbye. However, Gu Yunchi was already instructing the driver to start the car, so Wen Ran closed the door hastily.
The car turned around and drove off, followed closely by several bodyguard’s cars. The gates returned to darkness and silence. Wen Ran stood in place for a few seconds before straightening his neck and walking toward his home at a slow pace.
After a shower with limited mobility, Wen Ran asked Auntie Fang for a box of medicated plasters and applied one to his neck. With his neck in this condition, he was unable to read or draw. Hence, he decided to go to bed early.
His phone rang as 339 called. Wen Ran sat down on the edge of his bed and answered.
“Good evening!” 339 asked, “How was the dinner at Luanshan tonight?”
“It was fun.” Wen Ran added, “He’s not next to you, right?”
There was a second of silence before 339 responded, “Um, no, not here.”
Wen Ran continued, “I got to pet the lion and it even pounced on me, but it was cute.”
“You mean Dolu? It was even cuter younger. I’ll show you pictures next time.”
“Okay, I also saw some horses. Are they racehorses?”
“Uh-huh, the young master occasionally rides them,” 339 rambled on, “The young master fell off a horse when he was a kid. I’ll show you the pictures next time. Bahaha—”
It abruptly went silent halfway through its laughter for no apparent reason. Wen Ran continued, “Dinner was also delicious. The view in Luanshan is beautiful.”
“Yep! Didn’t the young master take you to see the big shark? There’s a shark tank behind the building where he lives. It’s like an aquarium if you go to the underground level. Make sure he takes you on a tour next time. It’ll save you a ticket to the aquarium.”
“…..” Sometimes Wen Ran would also laugh at his poverty. Wen Ran said, “Forget it. I have a fear of the deep sea.” He lifted the covers to lie down but forgot about his neck. He immediately cried out in pain and took a few deep breaths.
“…..What are you doing! My face is turning red!” 339 exclaimed on the other end, “What are you up to!”
“I sprained my neck on the way back,” Wen Ran drew in a long breath as he slowly lay down stiffly in pain.
339 immediately lowered its voice, “Did he hit you?”
“Huh? No, it was my own fault.” Wen Ran adjusted his sleeping position with difficulty, “I’m going to sleep now. See you next Monday.”
“Okay, take care of your neck. Can’t wait to see you!” 339 sent a few virtual kisses and hung up the phone.
Author’s note:
Ran: Who told you to act like this…
So, it’s like this: it’s relatively relaxed in the initial stages of falling in love. In the middle and later stages, which involve separation and reunion, it’ll get rather dogbloody. When I mentioned it being light and cheerful earlier, I was referring to the writing style, not the plot. After all, this isn’t a fluffy novel.
Nuuuu author pls have mercy on me TvT make sure the dogblood isn’t too bloody or else my heart won’t be able to take it-
And I have a feeling someone is eavesdropping between ranran’s and 339 convos
😌
I think this one have more angst than eternities even though the plot a bit lighter with comedy 🤔
I agree.. somehow, Yunchi’s situation is a bit difficult to decipher even in ETERNITIES STILL UNSAID. But we all know he’s way more filthy rich than Heyang and He Wei.
I also feel that 339 is doing someone’s bidding. 😂
I love this already and I absolutely love the author’s notes and warnings of upcoming dogblood. Of course, after reading Eternities Unsaid, it’s obvious it’s going to be that way what with
spoiler below if you haven’t read it first
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Wen Ran faking his death and escaping and then Gu Yunchi hunting him down. 😂 I’m definitely on board this heartbreak roller coaster, especially because the author gave us such a satisfying and happy ending to Eternities. Thanks for the chapter!!
Don’t forget the way Yunchi said “if i find him, im gonna kill him”. Says the guy who needs to write 5000 words of self criticism for not attending post-war merting 😏 when the plane landed he gone fast searching for his beloved 😌
Totally. He says he’s going to kill him, but I think he really wants to do something else to him. 😏
😏😏🤡
Thank you for the ch translator ❤️❤️
I’m sure Gu Y is next to 339 when he speaks with Wi R ! ^^
suspect 399 was not alone in this call ⊙﹏⊙