Coffee Shop
Gu Shilan sat in a chair by the window, looking down at the financial newspaper his assistant had given him.
The wind chime at the door gave a light jingle, and the few customers in the shop glanced up briefly.
Only Gu Shilan remained as still as a statue.
“Shi Lan.” Jiang Yi walked to the table, sat down, and said, “You finally agreed to see me.”
Only then did Gu Shilan put away the newspaper, glancing briefly at Jiang Yi before raising his hand to signal the waiter.
He politely said to the waiter, “A black coffee for this gentleman.”
Jiang Yi watched as the waiter took the menu away and sighed, “Shi Lan, you know I don’t drink black coffee.”
Gu Shilan acted as though he had only just remembered upon being reminded, his tone slightly apologetic: “My apologies, President Jiang. I’ve been keeping an eye on quite a few people lately, so I’ve been a bit careless with the finer details.”
Jiang Yi could easily detect the veiled criticism in his words, but the Jiang family was no match for the Gu family. Besides, his lifeline was in the other’s hands, so he could only swallow his anger in silence.
Gu Shilan had kept him waiting for a week. Just as Jiang Yi was at his wit’s end, Gu Shilan’s special assistant finally called him, saying Gu Shilan wanted to meet.
“Shi Lan.” Jiang Yi knew it was this matter that had angered Gu Shilan, so he could only lower his stance and say, “What happened last time was our fault, but Jiang Corporation was built by my great-grandfather’s own hands. It can’t be destroyed by my mistakes. Considering the friendship between our two families, please let Jiang Corporation off the hook this time.”
He deeply regretted listening to Meng Fenyu’s advice. Looking back now, finding Jiang Wan a partner who was divorced with children was indeed inappropriate.
Gu Shilan glanced at him sideways and said indifferently, “What does that have to do with me?”
Jiang Yi: “…”
The waiter, sensing the tense atmosphere at the table, silently placed the coffee in front of Jiang Yi and left.
Gu Shilan slightly lifted his chin, gesturing for Jiang Yi not to stand on ceremony.
Jiang Yi stared at the coffee for a long time before reluctantly picking up the cup and taking a large gulp.
The intense bitterness instantly spread through his mouth. Jiang Yi held back his disgust and took another sip.
Gu Shilan leaned back in his chair the entire time, his slender fingers resting on his crossed legs, his eyes showing no trace of pity.
Only after Jiang Yi finished the coffee did Gu Shilan lean forward, pushing a document on the table toward Jiang Yi, his voice low and firm: “This is the contract for Lehua Raw Materials Company. Sign it, and not only will Jiang Corporation regain its previous supplier, but you’ll also gain another high-quality, low-cost supplier. But you must agree to one condition.”
Jiang Yi frowned and asked, “What condition?”
Gu Shilan’s tone was calm, his face showing no anger: “Leave Wanwan alone. From now on, no one from the Jiang family is to have any contact with Wanwan.”
Jiang Yi truly hadn’t expected Gu Shilan to be so ruthless. His voice rose slightly: “You’re asking me to cut ties with Xiao Wan.”
Gu Shilan glanced at him sideways, neither confirming nor denying it.
Jiang Yi slumped in his chair, defeated, looking down at the contract on the table. If the raw materials issue dragged on any longer, it would only plunge the Jiang family into deeper trouble.
But no matter what, Jiang Wan was still his daughter. What Gu Shilan was doing was no different from slapping him in the face.
Jiang Yi felt both furious and humiliated, but faced with the choice between gain and loss, he could only bow his head and compromise. He forced out the words with difficulty: “Fine. When can we resume?”
Gu Shilan: “I already made the call before you arrived.”
As expected, he hadn’t guessed wrong. In the business world, he was most adept at reading people’s minds.
Jiang Yi’s decision also clearly confirmed his judgment.
Before Gu Shilan left, his voice carried a tone of indifference: “Wanwan is doing very well now, so please don’t disturb her in the future.”
Jiang Yi couldn’t help but say, “Last year, you gave me a piece of land in the east of the city and casually reminded me to pay more attention to Xiao Wan, saying that everyone was watching and I shouldn’t treat my two daughters differently. Was that because you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the wind chime at the door rang, and the glass door gently closed as Gu Shilan left.
After leaving the café, Gu Shilan returned to the company and called Jiang Wan.
He had agreed to accompany Jiang Wan for dinner at the old house with Grandma that evening, but he had an unexpected video conference with an overseas client, which might delay his departure from work.
So, Gu Shilan instructed the driver to take Jiang Wan to the old house first.
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Wan went to the walk-in closet to prepare her outfit.
She chose a warm yellow tweed dress that looked sweet and elegant.
However, the zipper of the dress was at the back, and Jiang Wan struggled to reach it. Just as she was stretching her arm and wrestling with the zipper, there was a knock on the door.
Aunt Zhang stood outside and said, “Young Madam, the driver is ready. You can come down once you’re done.”
Jiang Wan walked to the door, opened it a crack, and poked her head out to say to Aunt Zhang, “Aunt Zhang, could you come in and help me with the zipper?”
Seeing Jiang Wan’s childlike demeanor, Aunt Zhang was reminded of her own daughter who had married far away. She said affectionately, “Of course.”
With Aunt Zhang’s help, the zipper was easily fastened.
While helping Jiang Wan with the zipper, Aunt Zhang inadvertently noticed a scar about the length of a fingernail on Jiang Wan’s neck, right behind her left ear. It stood out starkly against her fair skin.
It looked as if it had been caused by something sharp, leaving such a noticeable mark.
But she found it hard to imagine that someone as gentle as Jiang Wan would come into contact with anything dangerous.
Noticing Aunt Zhang staring at her neck, Jiang Wan explained, “This was from accidentally being scratched by a broken tree branch on the roadside last year. I might have a tendency to scar easily, so it’s still quite visible even after a year.”
Aunt Zhang sighed with concern, “Young Madam, how did you get scratched by a tree branch? The ear is so close to the eye—it’s too dangerous. If it had hit your eye, it would have been a real problem. Thankfully, you were blessed by heaven.”
Jiang Wan pursed her lips, as if recalling the past: “It was a snowy day last year. I fainted in the snow and was scratched during the fall.”
She paused before continuing, “Fortunately, I was rescued by a kind passerby who took me back to his apartment. When I woke up the next day, the owner of the house was already gone. He had only left a hastily scribbled note on the table, telling me I could rest before leaving.”
Aunt Zhang sighed again, “Young Madam, you truly encountered a good person. There aren’t many people nowadays who are so willing to help others. The person who saved you will surely be rewarded.”
Jiang Wan nodded. She had always wanted to thank the person in person but had never met the kind stranger again. She didn’t even know whether they were male or female, leaving her with a lingering sense of regret.
“Aunt Zhang, you’re right.”
Lanyuan
The residence of Old Mrs. Gu and Old Mr. Gu. Since Gu Shilan’s grandfather passed away a few years ago, only Old Madam lives there now.
Both husband and wife preferred tranquility, so they chose an old residence in the distant suburbs, far from the city center, creating a peaceful haven amidst the bustle.
Jiang Wan arrived at the old residence before dusk and was greeted by the servants as soon as she stepped out of the car.
In the living room, Old Madam was sitting upright on the sofa, conversing with a middle-aged woman dressed in a red cheongsam.