After coming out of the bathroom, Jiang Wan didn’t see Gu Shilan.
She thought he had gone downstairs for breakfast.
But just like last night, he had mysteriously disappeared again.
Jiang Wan sat down next to Old Mrs. Gu and said, “Grandma, Shi Lan was still sleeping when I went to freshen up, but when I came out, he wasn’t in the room anymore. I thought he had come down for breakfast.”
Old Mrs. Gu thought to herself that the house wasn’t that big—he couldn’t have gotten lost. He was probably hiding in one of the rooms.
“Never mind him. Let him do whatever he wants. Xiao Wan, you should eat quickly. Don’t let yourself or the child go hungry.”
Gu Yuchen sat quietly to the side. He had just finished peeling a boiled egg and, upon hearing his grandmother’s words, immediately placed it in Jiang Wan’s bowl. “Little sister-in-law, you eat it.”
Yesterday, Jiang Wan had patiently taught him how to draw and even drew a picture of him, so he had grown very fond of this little sister-in-law.
Jiang Wan patted Gu Yuchen’s head to express her gratitude. “Thank you, Yuchen.”
Gu Yuchen shook his head expressionlessly. Even when he was happy, he lacked the corresponding facial expressions.
Halfway through breakfast, Gu Shilan finally made his way downstairs, dressed in a suit.
Even though his hair was neatly styled, it was still clear that he had just taken a shower.
As soon as he sat down in his chair, Old Mrs. Gu said, “Xiao Wan said you woke up early. What were you dawdling up there for? What kept you from coming down for so long? You’re about to become a dad—can’t you be a little more reliable?”
Gu Shilan paused, his chopsticks in hand, and replied calmly, “I was reading the financial morning paper in the study.”
Old Mrs. Gu took a sip of soy milk and, thinking of her granddaughter-in-law’s feelings, said, “You can read the paper anytime. Next time something like this happens, let Xiao Wan know so she doesn’t worry when she can’t find you.”
Gu Shilan replied, “Understood.”
It was just that he was afraid of scaring her.
After breakfast, Gu Shilan left for work.
Jiang Wan returned to Silver Bay Villa with the driver.
Gu Corporation
As soon as Gu Shilan arrived at the company, he headed straight to the conference room, where the shareholders and department heads were already in place.
Today, there was an important high-level meeting to discuss the acquisition of a foreign biopharmaceutical company. The Gu Corporation had considered the acquisition earlier, but the other party had suddenly raised their demands, causing the project to be temporarily shelved.
Recently, with the downturn in international financial trends, Meijia Pharmaceuticals could no longer sustain itself and suddenly softened its stance, bringing the matter back onto the agenda.
Gu Shilan took his seat and, without any formalities, nodded to the finance manager to begin his report.
Halfway through the presentation, Gu Shilan lightly tapped the table with his fingertips and looked up at Manager Li. “Did you carefully review the financial statements after completing them?”
Manager Li glanced at the report and realized that a data error had occurred due to negligence, causing cold sweat to break out on his forehead.
Gu Shilan was always strict and fair in business matters, rewarding and punishing accordingly. Manager Li was no newcomer, yet he had made such a basic mistake. Everyone in the room held their breath for him.
To everyone’s surprise, however, Gu Shilan didn’t say much. He simply remarked calmly, “Be more careful next time. Continue.”
While relieved, Manager Li couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with the CEO today—he was being unusually lenient.
Moreover, since entering the room, the intimidating aura around him had noticeably diminished.
After the meeting, Gu Shilan’s cousin Gu Jun followed him back to his office, where the two continued discussing the acquisition for a while.
Then, just before leaving, Gu Jun said, “I’ve just acquired a new English thoroughbred. Want to come try it out on Sunday?”
Gu Shilan flipped open a document and signed it without looking up. “Not interested.”
Gu Jun looked surprised at his response. His cousin had always been passionate about competitive sports like horseback riding and skiing. Whenever he invited him, Gu Shilan would gladly agree. He didn’t know why his cousin had suddenly changed.
Moreover, today, even when Manager Li got the specific numbers wrong, Gu Shilan hadn’t lost his temper—almost as if he’d taken the wrong medicine.
He leaned closer to Gu Shilan and asked mysteriously, “Did something good happen to you today?”
Gu Shilan glanced at him. “No.”
Gu Jun pressed further, “Do you have something going on Sunday? You’re even skipping horseback riding.”
Gu Shilan replied, “Spending time with my wife.”
Gu Jun was taken aback for a moment before remembering that Gu Shilan had gotten married not long ago and was now a married man.
“Right, when are you planning to hold the wedding?”
Gu Shilan said, “We plan to hold the wedding after Wanwan gives birth. After all, the entire wedding process can be exhausting, and I’m worried her body won’t be able to handle it.”
Hearing the word “body,” Gu Jun glanced at the well-defined muscle lines beneath Gu Shilan’s shirt—powerful, healthy, and youthful. Yet, he frowned and asked, “How’s your health?”
Gu Shilan’s expression remained unchanged. “After completing the final round of inhibitors, the doctor said the toxins in my blood can be completely cleared.”
Gu Jun fell silent for a moment before saying, “Still, you should be careful. You’re still young. Last year, when you suddenly fell ill in your apartment, your condition really scared me when I arrived.”
Gu Shilan nodded. “Alright.”
If for no other reason, he had to live long enough—for Jiang Wan.
Silver Bay Villa.
After returning from the old mansion, Jiang Wan went to the study.
Sitting at the desk, she sent the completed illustrations to her client, who was very satisfied with her work and expressed interest in collaborating with Jiang Wan again in the future.
After finishing her work, Jiang Wan suddenly thought of her best friend, Lin Miaomiao. She must have been upset that Jiang Wan hadn’t contacted her lately—she’d even appeared in her dreams yesterday to urge her.
Jiang Wan dialed the number, and the call was answered almost immediately.
“Ruanruan, what have you been up to these days? I haven’t seen you in so long—I miss you so much,” Lin Miaomiao said, her voice tinged with grievance.
Because Jiang Wan had fair skin, a beautiful appearance, and was soft to hold, Lin Miaomiao had given her the nickname “Ruanruan.”
Jiang Wan pursed her lips. “Miaomiao, I got married…”
After a moment of stunned silence, Lin Miaomiao exclaimed, “Ruanruan, which man did you give yourself to so easily?”
Jiang Wan was used to her friend’s dramatic reactions. “Gu Shilan.”
“Gu Shilan? What kind of name is that?” Lin Miaomiao said dismissively before suddenly reacting as if struck by lightning. “Wait, it’s not that Gu Shilan—the head of Huacheng’s top wealthy family, is it?”
Jiang Wan replied, “Yes.”
Lin Miaomiao: “…”
How can you say something so shocking with such calm composure?
After hearing the whole story of how Jiang Wan and Gu Shilan got married, Lin Miaomiao said with genuine admiration, “President Gu has always presented himself as cold and restrained. Who knew he’d be so impressive in private? He’s like a one-shot wonder—getting you pregnant with twins right away.”
Hearing her friend’s shameless words, Jiang Wan’s face flushed as red as a cooked shrimp, her eyes misting over—not from anger, but from sheer embarrassment.
Lin Miaomiao gripped the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the concrete road ahead in the alley.
Even without looking, she knew Jiang Wan was currently flustered and nervous—what man could possibly resist such a sight?
Just as she was about to tease Jiang Wan a little more, a black Bentley approached from the opposite direction. Like someone with a screw loose, it drove straight toward the front of her car.