Qiao Ran walked straight to the end of the aisle and gently opened the box door.
With the dim lights and quiet environment, it seemed like she was pushing away a period of time in the past.
Gu Mingchen was already sitting inside waiting.
She subconsciously looked at her watch. It was six-fifty. Fortunately, she was not late. It was Gu Mingchen who arrived early.
The dining table is placed under a set of small chandeliers, and the halo-yellow light shines on the porcelain white tableware, making the atmosphere particularly soft.
Gu Mingchen slowly raised his head, saw Qiao Ran walking over, and took the initiative to say, "You're here."
"Hello, uncle." Qiao Ran bowed politely and sat down opposite Gu Mingchen.
Seeing Gu Mingchen again today was a bit beyond her imagination. Gu Mingchen had obviously aged much, just over two years ago, as if decades had passed away in front of him.
He was once in his prime, fierce and arrogant, with eyes as catchy as an eagle, with contempt and contempt written all over his face. Now all that is left is his wrinkled forehead, slumped and thin cheeks, and a gloomy expression. There is nothing to be found in Gu Mingchen.
There is no trace of the arrogance of the past. What is left is just the endless vicissitudes of life.
Qiao Ran couldn't help but feel shocked. What happened to Gu Mingchen? It made him look so much older.
"Sit down." Gu Mingchen spoke slowly, with a hint of hoarseness in his voice, "I asked to see you. Qingyan always disagreed at first, but later he couldn't get over me and had no choice but to agree."
"I'm sorry, uncle. I never wanted to come and wasted your precious time." Qiao Ran said politely.
"I'm very happy that you are willing to come. I know that I caused harm to you more than two years ago. Here, I solemnly apologize to you." Gu Mingchen waved his hand, and then coughed several times.
"It's okay, I've forgotten about it. Uncle, you seem to be in poor health, is it okay?" Qiao Ran didn't expect that Gu Mingchen would start with such a topic, and she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
Thinking back to more than two years ago, Gu Mingchen got straight to the point and his first sentence was to tell her to stay away from Gu Qingyan.
"As you can see, I'm sick." Gu Mingchen coughed again, took out a napkin and gently wiped the corners of his lips, "I have small cell lung cancer."
"What!" Qiao Ran whispered, "How could this happen?"
Gu Mingchen stretched out his finger and shook it as a sign of prohibition, "Don't say it. Qingyan doesn't know yet. He thought I just had pulmonary fibrosis. It wasn't long after I was diagnosed, so I didn't tell anyone."
Qiao Ran frowned deeply. She had heard of small cell lung cancer. Zhao Jinrong also had lung cancer, so she learned about lung cancer while taking care of Zhao Jinrong. Small cell lung cancer is the king of lung cancers and has the lowest survival rate.
Surgery is also very prone to recurrence and is almost impossible to save. Patients basically live less than two years.
Unexpectedly, Gu Mingchen, the all-powerful and arrogant financial industry tycoon, would suffer from such a tricky and vicious disease. What a twist of fate.
"I don't have much time left." Gu Mingchen said slowly, "I believe you already know that some time ago, a major change occurred in the Gu family. More than two years ago, it was my eldest son Zhongyuan who framed you, which makes you regretful.
Qingyan broke his legs after failing to participate in the finals of the World Shooting Championship. But I was kept in the dark and didn't know anything. I didn't even know that Qingyan was disabled. I just thought he had eloped with you.
There is no news from Yao. Chongyuan deceived me very well."
"Yes, uncle, I already know. The past things are in the past, I hope uncle won't worry about it anymore." Qiao Ran comforted. She has really let go. Gu Mingchen's time is running out, she can't
Compete with him.
"Hey, my son Qingyan is an infatuated person. I gave birth to a child myself, and I know it best. He has been obedient since he was a child and has never done anything that dissatisfied me. Until he said he wanted to marry an orphan,
I was furious and firmly opposed. I once thought that strong coercion would definitely make him surrender and obey, but I didn't expect that it would end like this. He left home for more than two years. I also know a little about your affairs.
Over the past two years, thanks to your careful care, Qingyan has a chance to stand up again." Gu Mingchen sighed and expressed his sincere gratitude.
"Actually, it's nothing. Even if I knew the truth of the matter at that time, I would take care of him without hesitation." Qiao Ran smiled lightly. Indeed, even if it was out of friendship, she would take care of Qing Yan.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush, I'm going to take the liberty to ask, is the relationship between you and Zuo Chenye really just a fake marriage because of Zhao Jinrong?" Gu Mingchen asked straightforwardly.
Qiao Ran's bright eyes flashed slightly, and she thought for a while, "Yes. He and I will officially divorce on the 18th of next month. I believe you should also have received the invitation. He will be engaged to the daughter of the Xia family on the 19th." She felt,
I can't explain the complicated relationship between me and Zuo Chenye. It's better to just say that there is no relationship.
"Yes, I have received the invitation." Gu Mingchen nodded.
"You have no feelings for Zuo Chenye at all?" he asked.
This time Qiao Ran didn't even think about it and replied directly, "No."
Her answer was so quick that it seemed like she was trying to hide something.
"Qingyan won't marry you, so I just want to ask, won't you marry him?" Gu Mingchen suddenly looked deeply into Qiao Ran's bright eyes, as if he wanted to see through her.
Qiao Ran was startled, not expecting that he would ask this.
She hesitated. She had never thought about marrying Gu Qingyan, not before and even more so now.
She hesitated for a moment, and Gu Mingchen, who had been in shopping malls for a long time, naturally noticed it immediately.
"Haha, I knew it was unintentional for the man to be in love with the concubine!" Gu Mingchen sighed. In fact, he had already seen that Qiao Ran must have unusual feelings for Zuo Chenye. That's why he denied the relationship between the two so quickly. Hey,
Qiao Ran and Qing Yan missed it after all. If he hadn't tried his best to stop it in the past, Zuo Chenye wouldn't have intervened later.
"Qiao Ran, I was wrong at first. Although you were not from a high background, you had a good character and outstanding abilities. I had also heard a little bit about your design achievements and contributions in the R&S Group. In the past, you were calm and majestic on the field.
I know better. I regret that I should not have hindered you because of family background and outdated ideas. Now I also know that it is too late."
After Gu Mingchen finished speaking, he sighed heavily, "I'm old, and now I can't control Qing Yan. I just hope you can persuade him to take over Gu's Bank. Don't think about going against me all day long and starting a new business."
Qiao Ran never expected that when he came today, he would get an apology from Gu Mingchen.
She originally thought that another humiliation was inevitable.