novelraw Chapter 223 You Are My Long-Planned Plan
Chapter 223 You Are My Long-Planned Plan
When did you take this photo?
"The day I first met you."
Lu Xiran stared at the computer screen, practically glued to the laptop. Her fingertips trembled slightly, as if that small photograph held some burning secret she had never touched before—that even before she knew the name Gu Yanshen, while she was still living her life in a daze, his lens had already been pointed at her, and his heart had already stirred for her.
Gu Yanshen handed over his phone. "The original image is here."
Lu Xiran practically snatched it away. She saw that Gu Yanshen had placed the photo in an encrypted album, and the words "My love" were like a key, instantly unlocking all the tear ducts in her heart. She bit her lip, clicked on the photo information, and saw the date.
In that instant, it felt as if her heart was being gently gripped by a hand.
He truly had been silently loving her for a time she was completely unaware of. Those unknown moments, those unnoticed glances, were all part of someone cautiously approaching her.
"Uncle." Lu Xiran's eyes were a little moist, her voice hoarse, carrying a sense of grievance and heartache that she herself was unaware of, "How can you be so calm?"
She thought to herself, if it were her, how could she possibly hold back? If she fell in love with someone first, she would do everything in her power to get close to them, wanting the whole world to know. But he locked his love in an encrypted photo album, guarding it alone, enduring it all alone.
"Ranran." Gu Yanshen looked at her. "I really don't want to use Song Zhihe's shameful past to deal with her. But I also can't tolerate others belittling our feelings."
Gu Yanshen kissed Lu Xiran's forehead. "I was the one who had a crush on you first. You've been my long-planned love."
Lu Xiran finally couldn't hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his lips on her forehead, a bittersweet happiness welling up inside her. The words "long-planned" made her feel like she was being cherished as a priceless treasure.
"So what are you going to do next?" she sniffed and asked, leaning against him. She wanted to know how he had hidden this love so deeply, and how he had kept all the open and hidden attacks at bay.
Do you know what business warfare is?
"I'm all ears."
"Over the past three years, almost everyone in the Gu Group, except for my father and his two brothers, has switched sides. This is because I can help them make money. For shareholders, who is the chairman is not important; what matters most is who can generate profits for them."
"They're trying to use you to manipulate me in this public opinion campaign, but isn't this also an opportunity for an official announcement?"
"Use the momentum they've created to increase the event's exposure. Only by using the hottest topics that the public cares about most can we suppress their gossipy nature."
Lu Xiran listened, her eyes fixed on him. She suddenly felt this man was incredibly capable, so capable that it pained her—because all his strategic brilliance was born out of necessity. If given a choice, who would choose to live such a tiring life?
"bonus?"
Gu Yanshen smiled. "Do you know how much revenue this event brought in?"
"We've already made back the GG fee." Gu Yanshen looked at Lu Xiran. "These past few days, the shareholders have been grinning from ear to ear while looking at the financial report."
"Shrewd and calculating," she said, but her eyes were full of admiration and heartache.
"Silly girl." Gu Yanshen hugged her. "Growing up in the Gu family, I have to be a little more shrewd than others."
Lu Xiran's heart clenched. Gu Yanshen's tone was low, carrying an almost stubborn tenderness: "Wouldn't you like me like this?"
"How could that be?" Lu Xiran pressed her face against his chest, her voice muffled but full of determination. "I admire you to the core. After I give birth, I want to learn from you properly and promote Yunyuji as well."
When she said this, she was thinking: I don't want to be just someone you protect. I want to stand with you and let you know that all your calculations and strategies are not indifference in my eyes, but your way of protecting yourself and your loved ones.
"Okay." Gu Yanshen smiled. "I'll teach you."
"And Grandpa's land is next to the villa. I want to build a swimming pool, a garden, and a tennis court!" Lu Xiran wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes lighting up. Suddenly, she narrowed her eyes, a hint of mischief and coquettishness in them. "Did you deliberately choose a villa next to my land?"
"Of course." Gu Yanshen smiled slyly. "Back then, I thought that since you liked that land so much, you would definitely live there when you came back. That way, I could see you every day."
Lu Xiran's heart skipped a beat. Behind those four words, "Looking at you every day," lay countless days and nights of him standing alone by the window, gazing in the direction she might appear. She suddenly felt a lump in her throat, yet her lips couldn't help but curve into a smile.
"Uncle, why do you always try to watch me secretly without letting me know?"
"Because... I'm afraid I'll put you in danger."
Lu Xiran's fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of his shirt. She understood what he meant—it was precisely because he cared so much that he had to weigh his approach carefully, afraid that the storm emanating from him would affect her.
"What if I really fall for someone else? Wouldn't you just be watching me flaunt my relationship every day?"
She asked the question deliberately, but her eyes were fixed on his expression. She wanted to know just how much he loved her.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Gu Yanshen's eyes. He had considered this possibility countless times, and the moment he decided to push her away, he had already thought of it.
Even the slightest possibility was enough to break his heart.
"I won't bother you."
Those four words pierced Lu Xiran's heart like a needle. She turned around abruptly, her eyes instantly reddening, her voice filled with suppressed grievance and anger: "You just don't like me that much. Liking someone is possessiveness, absolute possessiveness. And you're thinking of pushing me to someone else!"
Tears streamed down her face. She wasn't angry that he didn't love her enough, but rather that he loved her too restrainedly, too patiently, and too considerate of others—even his love for her was so cautious, as if he feared that his possession would become a burden to her.
"Ranran, if it's about possessing you and your safety and happiness, I will choose your happiness without hesitation, even if it's not me."
Lu Xiran frowned deeply, tears blurring her vision, but her voice was clear and distinct, each word like it was carved in stone: "Gu Yanshen, don't you know yet? I can't be happy without you?"
She loved him to the core—not because of what he gave her, but because he was the reason she breathed. She couldn't imagine life without him; just thinking about that possibility made her heart ache so much she could hardly breathe.
"slowly."
"I won't listen." Lu Xiran pushed him away, tears streaming down her face, her voice stubborn and broken. "If you're still thinking about leaving me, then I don't want to talk to you anymore."