CHAPTER 415: CHAPTER 256 YOU’RE BACK

Bei Ran looked towards the man at the doorway, her eyes suddenly widened: "You’re back..."

She... actually had no idea!

Gu Qingchen walked over.

Bei Ran tucked her head into the blanket, her little face blooming a blush as vibrant as a rose. She smelled the red wine on him, she sniffed, "Out for a social gathering tonight?"

"A charity event." Gu Qingchen sat down beside her.

"Did you make a donation?" Bei Ran immediately asked him.

Gu Qingchen looked at her: "My personal assets are all managed by you, I have to ask you for money when I spend it! So, do you think I made a donation?"

Ever since the last incident with Ji Su borrowing money, all of Gu Qingchen’s personal assets were managed by Bei Ran after she got upset.

"Rest assured! I’m definitely generous about this!" Bei Ran said with a smile, "But I know when you go, it’s not in a personal capacity, you go on behalf of the company. My question is whether the company made a donation?"

"One billion." Gu Qingchen held up a forefinger.

"Oh yeah!" Bei Ran was delighted, she hugged him and pecked his cheek, "President Gu takes action, it’s a sight to see!"

She happily jumped up from the sofa, "I’ll go prepare a bath for you!"

Gu Qingchen watched her cheerful demeanor and smiled as well.

Bei Ran prepared the bathwater for him and then saw him smoking on the balcony. She hurried over: "It’s so cold..."

The winter breeze, having swept over the lake, then hit her face and felt like it was cutting like a knife.

Gu Qingchen saw her running over in a thin nightgown and pinched off the cigarette in his hand: "Hurry back to bed!"

"Go take a bath!" Bei Ran shivered from the cold, muttering, "Why does it feel especially cold this year!"

"Definitely because you’ve done less exercise." Gu Qingchen said something very suggestive with a deadpan expression.

That exercise is not this exercise!

Bei Ran understood very well.

Her face turned red and she quickly ran back to the warmth of her bed, deciding to create some friction with the cozy down comforter first!

Perhaps it was too warm, she actually fell asleep before he finished taking the bath.

After Gu Qingchen finished his bath, he saw her sleeping as sweetly as a child!

He walked out onto the balcony, the bone-chilling breeze hitting his face with a raw pain.

In the cold winter night, under the star-filled sky, he lit a cigarette, letting the nicotine numb his tastebuds.

After finishing the cigarette and standing in the cold wind for a while, he returned to Bei Ran’s side, lying down beside her.

As soon as she felt him arrive, she burrowed energetically into his embrace like a nimble little bunny!

In the darkness, Gu Qingchen silently laughed!

...

Gu Family Villa.

Song Yunyin brought some pastries and knocked on Gu Bohan’s study door.

"Come in!" said Gu Bohan.

Song Yunyin placed the pastries on his desk, "I made these myself, with very low sugar content, and they’re made from whole grains, very healthy."

Gu Bohan was completely unappreciative, simply saying: "Shen Qingya and Qingchen have already met. Have you told Bei Ran this news?"

Song Yunyin stood in front of his desk, "Bei Ran is a bit strange, she doesn’t seem to care about Qingchen’s exes!"

"Would you care about Xiyin?" Gu Bohan countered with a live example to analyze.

Song Yunyin’s face turned pale, of course she cared, and cared a lot!

Moreover, what she cared about the most was Gu Bohan’s attitude towards Song Xiaoyin!

"I will make sure Bei Ran knows about Shen Qingya." Song Yunyin immediately said, "But what about Qingchen’s attitude?"

"He was expressionless today." Gu Bohan had been paying close attention to Gu Qingchen, but this son had indeed inherited his knack for keeping a poker face, never showing his emotions.

After Song Yunyin left the study, she returned to stay in another guest room in the villa. On the way, she ran into Aunt Zhang.

"Oh, Aunt Zhang, I’ve made some pastries for the master in his study, please remember to collect them. The master doesn’t like things left in his room overnight," Song Yunyin said.

"Yes, Miss Song the Second..." Auntie Zhang echoed her, turning to leave.

Song Yunyin raised a calculating smile; she deliberately told Auntie Zhang, merely to make Song Xiaoyin aware of how close she was to Gu Bohan.

Because she knew that Auntie Zhang had always been Song Xiaoyin’s devoted maid.

Sure enough, Auntie Zhang told Song Xiaoyin: "Miss Song, I..."

Song Xiaoyin, on the contrary, calmly looked at her: "What’s happened?"

"Do you know that since her return, she has always been close to the old master?" Auntie Zhang immediately expressed her concern.

Song Xiaoyin didn’t say much; staring at the room where her sleeping child lay, she finally said, "Auntie Zhang, I know what’s on your mind, but I want to tell you that the affection I had with Gu Bohan was shattered more than thirty years ago! Whom he chooses to be with is his business! And the reason for my return is solely for my two precious grandchildren. I am not upset. As Bei Ran said, why should I punish myself over someone else’s faults? Let the past be the past! The scandals of the Song Family have been suffocating me, and it’s only after this illness and my return that I’ve realized I don’t need sorrow or distress. Others freely displaying their shameless actions, why should I be embarrassed for them?"

"That’s right, Miss Song, there’s no need to be angry over these people!" Auntie Zhang nodded, "You should rest early!"

...

The next morning.

Lakeside villa.

After Bei Ran got up, Gu Qingchen had already left for work.

She was actually used to him leaving early in the morning. Before, when he was a doctor, he would already be at the hospital while she was still asleep.

She stretched lazily, recalling that she had yet to tell him about the mysterious email.

Bei Ran walked onto the balcony to do some stretching exercises, when she inadvertently noticed that several more cigarette butts had been added to the ashtray...

The ashtray, which she cleaned out every day, and in this bedroom, apart from him, a smoker, there would be no one else.

Was he... troubled by something?

Otherwise, why would he be smoking quietly on this balcony at night, in the biting cold wind?

Thinking these thoughts, Bei Ran then went to work.

Earth Wedding Company.

As Bei Ran walked into the company with her handbag, Lu Yaxin was sipping coffee and reading a newspaper featuring last night’s charity event.

As soon as Lu Yaxin saw her, she immediately said, "Quick, look at the exciting news from last night..."

Bei Ran glanced briefly at the newspaper, which had a large report about the grandeur of last night’s charity event. Gu Group had donated the most, and Miss Shen Qingya, the deputy mayor’s daughter, had written a calligraphy piece on-site, which sold for tens of millions. She became the most prominent figure among all the socialites and her photo was also featured.

"A perfect match of talent and beauty," Lu Yaxin jabbed at Bei Ran’s heart, smugly saying, "Look, whether in terms of family background pairing high officials with wealthy households, or in terms of talent, together they are the most matched..."

Bei Ran had heard from Gu Bohan that Shen Qingya was his approved daughter-in-law. What Bei Ran did not expect was that Shen Qingya was also a true talent!

Bei Ran was also aware that Lu Yaxin had been holding a torch for Gu Qingchen and that her current praise and commentary were nothing more than an attempt to hit her where it hurt.

However, as Lu Yaxin watched for a reaction, Bei Ran only gave a light and indifferent smile, paying no heed.

Bei Ran calmly walked into her office.

Wu Kang followed her in: "Ran Sister, she’s doing this on purpose!"

"Since it’s on purpose, why bother about it?" Bei Ran sat down, setting her handbag aside, "Don’t pay her any attention. By the way, make sure to work well on the wedding plan for Zhuang Shengxian and Ning Shuhui, this old-and-young love affair. Bring me the materials!"

Wu Kang was still indignant on her behalf, but Bei Ran tapped his shoulder with a folder, "Let’s make a bet, shall we? I wager that Lu Yaxin is Song Yunyin’s mouthpiece, that she has received money from Song Yunyin to target me deliberately. You investigate, and our bet is... well, let’s say a hundred bucks!"

"I’ll go check it out right now!" Wu Kang said angrily, "Old Master Gu is just trying to ruin your relationship with President Gu."

If others are doing it on purpose, then Bei Ran would just treat it as watching a drama, observing as they awkwardly take the stage!

Bei Ran reviewed the wedding materials for Zhuang Shengxian and Ning Shuhui, deciding to meet with them in person for a discussion.

Shengxian Hospital.

Ning Shuhui, working as a nurse at the hospital, received Bei Ran.

"Mrs. Zhuang, regarding the wedding, I’d like to ask if there’s anything special that you and Director Zhuang would like?" Bei Ran asked her.

Ning Shuhui smiled somewhat shyly, "We’ve just registered. We were planning to marry while traveling, but Shengxian is too busy, so we decided to invite friends and family for a meal at the hotel. Ms. Bei, do you have any good suggestions?"

At that moment, Zhuang Shengxian entered the room, and upon seeing Bei Ran, he was momentarily taken aback. The same youth and radiance, the same breathtaking beauty, and the same pair of beautiful, expressive eyes...

If not for the relentless passage of time, he might really think an old acquaintance had come!

"Shengxian, this is Ms. Bei, our wedding planner..." Ning Shuhui introduced, holding his hand.