Chapter 10: What Happened Eight Years Ago

“It has already been half a year since the incident, and I hope we can turn the page.”
Wei Nianxi looked straight into Gu Qingnan’s eyes, his expression calm and earnest.

Wei Nianxi’s eyes were undeniably beautiful; when held by his gaze, it felt as though the entire world lost its color.

Gu Qingnan calmly set the cufflinks back onto the table.
“If you are referring to the kidnapping… there is no need for you to apologize, as I stopped being angry long ago.”

These words were not spoken out of spite, but were the absolute truth.

In the beginning, he had indeed been furious with Wei Nianxi for leaving Wei Yeban home alone, but after calming down, he had quickly thought it through.

Wei Nianxi had left Wei Yeban in their own home, specifically instructing the household staff to watch over him before departing, and the domestic helpers and security guards had all been present.

While Wei Nianxi certainly bore responsibility, it was equally true that the events had unfolded entirely beyond expectation.

Furthermore, he had already lashed out at Wei Nianxi, scathingly berating him right in front of a crowd of people.

“If there is nothing else, I’ll go tend to my matters first.”
Gu Qingnan turned to head upstairs.

Wei Yeban had not eaten yet.

Watching Gu Qingnan walk away, Wei Nianxi wanted to say something more, but swallowed the words back down.

Gu Qingnan claimed he was not angry, yet he clearly was.

Ever since Wei Yeban’s incident, Gu Qingnan no longer set aside meals for him, ceased asking when he would return home whenever he worked late into the night, and had not stepped foot into his office even once…

He was intensely busy, often so occupied that he lost all track of time.

Most of the time, Gu Qingnan’s concern had felt like a disturbance, yet as time passed, he had grown accustomed to it.

Upstairs, Gu Qingnan pushed open the door to Wei Yeban’s room.

“President Wei,” Ji Wen’s voice drifted from the front door of the living room, pointing to his wristwatch.

There was another meeting shortly, and time was running out.

After taking one last glance at the closed bedroom door, Wei Nianxi grabbed his jacket and walked toward the entrance.

Inside the car, Wei Nianxi attempted to concentrate on the upcoming meeting, yet his thoughts persistently drifted back to Gu Qingnan.

Gu Qingnan was undeniably still angry.

“President Wei,” Ji Wen pulled open the car door.

They had already arrived at the company, yet Wei Nianxi had remained motionless.

“Look into what he likes.”
Wei Nianxi stepped out of the car.

***

Back at the Wei Family Mansion.

The moment Gu Qingnan entered the room, he immediately asked Shen Qing about Wei Yeban’s condition.

“As for dinner, Mr. Wei has already fed him,” Shen Qing said.

Since Gu Qingnan had not returned earlier, she had been stressing over it right before Wei Nianxi arrived.

Wei Yeban’s level of acceptance toward her was far lower than toward Gu Qingnan and Wei Nianxi.

Gu Qingnan let his heart settle back into place.

Because he had already visited the company in the morning, Gu Qingnan spent the entire afternoon keeping Wei Yeban company.

***

The following day.

Gu Qingnan went to the company early in the morning to handle pending matters, while Shen Qing watched over Wei Yeban and asked the kitchen to prepare their lunch.

If things went smoothly, they planned to stay out a bit longer.

By the time Gu Qingnan returned, the kitchen had just finished packing the meal.

The three set out.

When carried into the car, Wei Yeban seemed to realize they were leaving home and grew slightly uncomfortable.

The restaurant was only a ten-minute-plus drive from the Wei Family Mansion.

Shen Qing had already given advance notice.

Their car drove straight into the back courtyard, where only the gatekeeper stood by the entrance.

Once the vehicle came to a stop, the gatekeeper left as well.

With a bamboo grove, a fishpond, rockeries, moss, and stone pathways, the small courtyard was indeed quaint, making one feel instantly transported into another world upon entering.

Stepping out of the car, Gu Qingnan observed Wei Yeban immediately.

Wei Yeban showed zero interest in his surroundings.

After glancing around, Shen Qing set their belongings down in a nearby pavilion.

Gu Qingnan carried Wei Yeban around to explore.
“Look, little fishes…”

In the crystal-clear shallow pond, several golden fishes swam briskly, adding vibrant splashes of color to the entire courtyard.

A breeze swept past, rustling the neighboring bamboo grove.

After watching the fishes, Gu Qingnan took Wei Yeban into the bamboo grove, searching for bamboo shoots one moment and pandas the next…

Only when he talked until his mouth was completely parched did Gu Qingnan bring Wei Yeban back to the pavilion.

After taking a brief rest and drinking some water, Gu Qingnan continued.

Wei Yeban did not throw a single tantrum, so they ate lunch right inside the pavilion.

After lunch, Gu Qingnan had planned to let Wei Yeban nap in the car before heading back in the evening, but the boy was too tense to fall asleep.

Seeing him struggle to keep his heavy eyelids open despite intense sleepiness, Gu Qingnan had no choice but to take him home.

Upon arriving home, the sight of the familiar living room caused Wei Yeban to give in completely, dozing off against his shoulder.

Gu Qingnan did not know whether to laugh or cry, slowing his pace slightly.

This round of rehabilitation exercises was undeniably a success.

Likely worn out, Wei Yeban slept until past four in the afternoon before waking.

In the evening, taking advantage of the cooler temperature, Gu Qingnan took him for another stroll around the garden.

After being shuttled about repeatedly, Wei Yeban said nothing, merely sulking with puffed-up cheeks the entire time.

Having woken late in the afternoon, Wei Yeban fell asleep late into the night, which kept Gu Qingnan awake until midnight as well.

Past one in the morning, Gu Qingnan heard the sound of a car entering the garage, which was presumably Wei Nianxi returning.

***

When Gu Qingnan got out of bed the next day, there was no one left at the dining table.

Gu Qingnan was accustomed to it.

Having gone out yesterday, there were no plans scheduled for today; Gu Qingnan had originally intended to spend the day telling stories to Wei Yeban, but the child ignored him all day long.

Wei Yeban was holding a grudge against him.

Despite being given the cold shoulder, the smile on Gu Qingnan’s face never faded.

As long as Wei Yeban reacted, it was a good sign.

Even if that reaction was faint to the point of being nearly imperceptible.

That night, after Wei Yeban fell asleep, Gu Qingnan gathered his clothes and was just about to take a shower when his phone suddenly rang.

Gu Qingnan quickly answered.
– “Hello.”

Wei Yeban rolled over, fortunately without being startled awake.

– “Manager Gu?”
The person on the other end spoke in an exceedingly stiff tone.

Gu Qingnan glanced at the phone; the caller was the head of the production department.

– “It’s me,” Gu Qingnan answered, walking toward the balcony.

– “When do you plan on handing over the report to us?”

The hand sliding the glass door paused.
– “What report?”

– “The one for the new product, the one my staff urged you about two days ago.”
– “Without that report, we cannot formally commence production, and the distributors are already pressing for shipments.”

– “Didn’t I hand it over to you already?” Gu Qingnan frowned.

– “Handed it to us?” The other side sounded somewhat surprised.

– “Have you asked the person who handled the handover with me?”

After exchanging a few words with someone beside him, the caller hung up.

Gu Qingnan stood on the balcony holding his phone for a moment.

After stepping back inside, he sought out Shen Qing.

Entrusting Wei Yeban to Shen Qing’s care, he headed straight for the company.

When he arrived, the company office was buzzing with activity despite being well past working hours.

The production department had clearly searched already without finding it, so they had summoned everyone involved to investigate what had gone wrong.

The moment Gu Qingnan stepped inside, he drew everyone’s attention instantly.

“What is going on?” Gu Qingnan inquired.

The staff member from the production department responsible for the handover looked at Gu Qingnan with a hint of trepidation.
“…I never received it, and I’ve checked emails and group chats.”

The person who drafted the report spoke up immediately, looking thoroughly aggrieved.
“But I handed the report to Manager Gu a long time ago…”
“I deleted the raw data after submitting the report, so even if I redo it now, it will probably be too late.”

The head of the production department shot Gu Qingnan a glance and said with a sullen face, “Regardless, I must have that report today no matter what.”

Everyone turned their eyes toward Gu Qingnan, their gazes filled with blame and eagerness to enjoy a good show.

Gu Qingnan grasped what was happening in an instant, sweeping his gaze across the faces of the three people.
“Search again.”

“But we already looked earlier…”
The person who compiled the report hesitated.

Clearly, it was Gu Qingnan who had lost the report.

Or perhaps the report was not lost at all, but Gu Qingnan had simply forgotten about it and refused to admit it, choosing to pin the blame on them instead.

Gu Qingnan’s tone was calm.
“All of my work calls are recorded.”

Knowing full well what position he was in, how could he possibly lower his guard?

The expressions of the few people who had been putting on an animated performance froze instantly.

Including Fu Lichun, who had no business being here outside the crowd.

Gu Qingnan took it all in.

“Search again,” Gu Qingnan stated.

This time, nobody dared utter another word, quickly scattering to look.

In less than five minutes, the report was found, having been accidentally dropped into a gap between desks by someone from the production department.

“We’re sorry, Manager Gu…”

Gu Qingnan merely gave the group one last glance before gathering his things and departing.

***

The night was deep, with few cars on the road.

Driving near the gates of the Wei Family Mansion, Gu Qingnan spotted Wei Nianxi’s car from a distance.

Gu Qingnan was not in the mood right now.

He pulled the car over to the curb and waited until Wei Nianxi had entered for a good while before heading inside himself.

As expected, the living room was empty, Wei Nianxi having already retreated to his own room.

Gu Qingnan strode briskly upstairs toward his room.

At the far left end of the corridor, the door to Wei Nianxi’s room suddenly swung open, and Ji Wen stepped out while straightening his slightly disheveled necktie.

When their eyes met, Ji Wen was momentarily startled.

In the next instant, he closed Wei Nianxi’s bedroom door behind him as if nothing had happened and walked toward the hallway.

Gu Qingnan took another look at Wei Nianxi’s tightly closed door before continuing toward his own room.

Ji Wen was Wei Nianxi’s secretary, so occasionally entering Wei Nianxi’s room to retrieve something was completely normal…

Inside the room, Wei Yeban was still sound asleep.

Seeing him return, Shen Qing stood up.
“Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Then I’ll turn in for the night.”
Shen Qing smiled and walked toward the door.

“Do you know much about Ji Wen?”

Shen Qing looked back, puzzled.
“Secretary Ji?”

“Yes… I just happened to think of it when I saw him earlier.”
“It seems he has been by Wei Nianxi’s side for eight years now… His temperament seems quite good.”

With Wei Nianxi’s work intensity and stern disposition, ordinary people could never endure it.

“It is pretty good, though it probably also has to do with Mr. Wei placing high value on him.”
“I heard there was a period when things were rather unpleasant between them, yet Mr. Wei didn’t dismiss him.”

Wei Nianxi could never tolerate flaws, and among those working around him, aside from Ji Wen, none had ever lasted past three years.

“When was that?”
Gu Qingnan genuinely had no idea about this.

“It seems to have been around the time you and Mr. Wei married.”
Pausing, Shen Qing added, “Though saying things were unpleasant was just everyone else’s speculation; nobody actually saw them argue.”
“It was just that Secretary Ji was noticeably in low spirits back then, and apparently drank quite heavily…”

As for what Shen Qing said afterward, Gu Qingnan was no longer listening.

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