Сhарtеr 7: Ruan Ruan’s Stomасh Achеs, Gu Jinzhou’s Eуеs Тurn Rеd
Fеi Rоng cоuld bе соnsidered оne of Gu Jinzhou’s trusted аidеs. Evеrу timе Su Ruаnruаn visited thе соmpanу, Fеi Rong wоuld greet her with еxсeptionаl warmth.
Su Ruаnruan соuld tell the diffеrence bеtwееn fаke warmth аnd gеnuinе wаrmth.
Oncе, when Fеi Rong’s daughtеr held a сoncеrt, she had given Su Ruаnruаn twо tickеts. If it wеre fake wаrmth, Fei Rоng wоuldn’t have invоlved Su Ruanruаn in her реrsоnal lifе.
Yet, aftеr just half a уеаr apart, why did Fei Rong harbor suсh intеnse hostility towаrd hеr?
If Fei Rong werе а young and pretty girl, Su Ruanruan could understand it as Fei Rong liking Gu Jinzhou, which would explain the hostility.
But the key point was that Fei Rong had been married with children for twenty years!
Lost in thought, Su Ruanruan wondered, could it be the novel’s plot at work?
Using public pressure to make her feel unworthy of Gu Jinzhou, forcing her to leave him and return to the Su family?
If that were truly the case, then this novel’s self-correction mechanism was downright disgusting!
Just then, Secretary Yang walked over.
“Miss Ruan Ruan, what are you doing hiding here? Mr. Gu is looking for you.”
“Oh,” Su Ruanruan replied as she walked. “It’s been a while since I last visited the company, so I wanted to order afternoon tea for everyone at headquarters.”
Secretary Yang: “Understood. I’ll arrange for someone to prepare it right away.”
This was a significant expense, and normally, it would require reporting to Mr. Gu and the financial director. However, given how much Mr. Gu doted on Miss Ruan Ruan, he’d likely consider such a report unnecessary, so there was no need to specifically mention it.
Su Ruanruan: “By the way, Sister Rong is allergic to hazelnut cake, so don’t send her any. Her daughter loves mango cake, so order an 8-inch mango cake for her. If she can’t finish it, she can store it in the fridge and take it home for her family in the evening.”
She hoped Fei Rong would understand that there was no conflict of interest between them and that she shouldn’t be manipulated by the novel’s plot!
Secretary Yang: “Miss Ruan Ruan, you’re so thoughtful.”
The young lady’s personality was too gentle—she wouldn’t even fight back when bullied. Fortunately, the decisive and ruthless Mr. Gu was there to support her.
That afternoon, everyone received afternoon tea.
HR walked into Fei Rong’s office.
“Sister Rong, have you finished your cake?”
Fei Rong: “Not yet. The cake is too big. I only had one slice, so I’ll take it home for my daughter after work.”
HR: “Everyone else received a 4-inch hazelnut cake. Miss Ruan Ruan mentioned that Sister Rong is allergic to hazelnuts and that your daughter loves mango cake, so she specifically ordered an 8-inch mango cake for you.”
Fei Rong understood the purpose of HR’s visit and smiled brightly. “I’ll send a WeChat message to thank Miss Ruan Ruan right away.”
HR: “No need. The company will provide you with a 2N+1 compensation package. Sister Rong, please seek opportunities elsewhere.”
Fei Rong trembled with anger. “I’ve served this company for ten years! What did I do wrong? Why is the company firing me?”
HR: “Don’t you know what you said yourself?”
HR couldn’t understand Fei Rong’s actions either. From a junior employee to a company manager, such a shrewd woman had publicly spoken ill of Miss Ruan Ruan.
Some people in the company might gossip about Mr. Gu behind his back, but who would dare speak ill of Miss Ruan Ruan? Fei Rong must have lost her mind!
After HR left, Fei Rong remained in a daze for a long time. She covered her face and cried for a while before calling her husband.
“Honey, what’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”
Fei Rong: “Wah… I’ve been laid off by the company.””What? You’re a senior employee of the company!”
Fei Rong choked back tears, “Don’t rush to conclusions. It’s not the company’s fault—it’s all because of my big mouth. When I woke up this morning, I felt something was off. The moment I saw Miss Ruan Ruan at the office, I suddenly felt intense hatred toward her.”
“Huh? Why would you hate her?”
Fei Rong: “I don’t know either! There was a voice in my head telling me to hate Miss Ruan Ruan. I… I have no idea what’s going on. I deeply regret saying those things. What does it matter to me whether Miss Ruan Ruan is delicate or not, or whether Chairman Gu and Miss Ruan Ruan are a good match? Honey… I feel like I’m being haunted by something unclean. My mind is out of control. What should I do?”
“Don’t panic. I’ll pick you up after work, and we’ll go straight to the temple to consult a master.”
CEO’s Office.
Gu Jinzhou didn’t like eating cake. After her afternoon nap, Su Ruanruan lazily nestled in his arms, feeding him strawberries.
Secretary Yang was truly thoughtful toward the boss—the strawberries he picked were as big as a palm!
Su Ruanruan held a strawberry up to Gu Jinzhou’s mouth, comparing its size. She could only split the plump, milky-sweet strawberry in half. With slender fingers glistening with moisture, she fed one half to Gu Jinzhou.
“This strawberry is very sweet. Try it.”
“Hmm.” Gu Jinzhou’s thin lips parted slightly, his voice hoarse and strained. “You haven’t even tasted it. How do you know it’s sweet?”
Su Ruanruan: “It just looks sweet!”
Gu Jinzhou chewed the strawberry a few times, his scorching tongue savoring it repeatedly. His gaze grew dark and profound. “It is indeed sweet. It’s been a long time since I’ve had such sweet strawberries.”
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
He, the esteemed chairman of the Gu Group, made himself sound so pitiful!
Su Ruanruan: “Eat without worry! Eat boldly! I still have plenty here!”
She picked up another palm-sized strawberry and was about to take a bite when Gu Jinzhou stopped her.
“I’ll eat this box of strawberries. You can have something else, darling.”
“Oh.”
Su Ruanruan had no choice but to suck the strawberry juice from her fingertips. It was sweet and fragrant—no wonder Gu Jinzhou was so possessive.
She wasn’t hungry at all. Full of energy, she changed into her dance attire and stood in front of the ballet barre, practicing with rhythmic “tap-tap-tap” sounds.
The young girl’s figure was graceful, her fair skin almost translucent under the sunlight. Her cheeks flushed with a rosy hue from her diligent practice, like a plump, juicy peach.
The elegant and refined man glanced at her a few times before calmly returning to his busy work. His long, pale fingers, holding a signing pen, resembled precision instruments with a metallic sheen.
Su Ruanruan glanced at the restrained and aloof Gu Jinzhou, feeling a sense of security wash over her. She knew Gu Jinzhou would never act recklessly while working!
The moment she looked away, the man’s crimson tongue licked his dry, feverish lips.
At 5:30 p.m., Gu Jinzhou finished work for the day.
He said, “I’ll take you to the night market tonight.”
Happiness came so suddenly that Su Ruanruan’s eyes welled up with tears. Don’t ask—they were tears of joy!
…
Over the years, Ruan Ruan had only been to the night market once.
She had heard her friends talk about how lively and bustling Hong Kong’s night markets were and had longed to visit one. However, night markets were crowded and chaotic, and no one dared to take Little Ruan Ruan there. What if they lost Chairman Gu’s precious treasure?Gu Jinzhou had already self-studied the entire business administration curriculum in high school, and he was extremely busy even while studying domestically. Not only did he have to focus on his studies, but he also had to manage the family business entrusted to him. His leisure activities were all dedicated to practicing equestrian skills and obtaining a pilot’s license…
This wasn’t because the Gu family was strict with him, but because Gu Jinzhou was strict with himself. He wanted to give Ruan Ruan the best, which inevitably meant standing at the pinnacle.
Ruan Ruan once thought Brother Jinzhou didn’t need sleep. Later, as she gradually understood his efforts and ambitions, she rarely troubled him with matters. But even if she didn’t say anything, Gu Jinzhou knew what she wanted, so he set aside an entire evening to take Ruan Ruan to the night market.
Neither of them had experience visiting night markets, but fortunately, Gu Jinzhou had prepared a guide in advance. Ruan Ruan had a great time playing and eating to her heart’s content.
When it was time to sleep at night, she faced misfortune. The little girl, who had been assigned a nutritionist since childhood, had never eaten street food before, and her delicate stomach began to act up, causing severe cramps.
What was truly remarkable was that the pampered little Ruan Ruan didn’t cry during her hospital stay, but instead, Gu Jinzhou’s eyes turned red. The usually calm and composed young man had tears in his eyes, a sight that terrified the Gu family.
Everyone quickly comforted him, saying Ruan Ruan just had an upset stomach, not a terminal illness, and that he shouldn’t worry so much.
Gu Jinzhou cared about Su Ruanruan’s health more than she did herself.
If she fell ill, felt uncomfortable, or cried, he would believe it was entirely his fault for not taking good enough care of her.
Ruan Ruan said, “It’s not Brother Jinzhou’s fault. It’s Ruan Ruan’s greediness. Brother Jinzhou, don’t cry.”
Gu Jinzhou replied, “From now on, you’re not allowed to go to the night market, and no one is allowed to take you there.”
Even though her stomach hurt terribly, the little Ruan Ruan, who hadn’t cried before, couldn’t hold back her tears.
She still wanted to visit the night market.
…
The Maybach parked by the roadside as Gu Jinzhou held Su Ruanruan’s hand and walked into the bustling, lively night market.
The vibrant, lively atmosphere stirred many memories in Su Ruanruan, and tears couldn’t help but glisten in her eyes.
When her first kidney was removed, she was too weak to get out of bed and was confined to a small room. Because she missed Gu Jinzhou so much, she wrote in her diary every day.
In her diary, she told Gu Jinzhou that if she could visit the night market again, she couldn’t imagine how sunny and cheerful a little girl she would be.