Tycoon: From Rags to Riches

Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Even a Clever Housewife Cannot Cook Without Rice

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gu Heng briefed He Jingyi and her team on their task for the trip. Then he turned to Jiang Man. "Dean Jiang, Lawyer He and her team may require your cooperation shortly."

"Of course."

Jiang Man nodded. She had a clear conscience, so she wasn’t afraid of an investigation.

She could also understand Gu Heng’s caution.

After all, they had only just met. When a real estate transaction of over twenty million was involved, it was impossible for the other party to be too cautious.

"Dean Jiang, I’m He Jingyi. We appreciate your cooperation."

Seeing that Gu Heng had finished coordinating with Jiang Man, He Jingyi immediately stepped forward and took over the conversation.

Now that he was free, Gu Heng glanced at Huang Yufan on the periphery of the crowd. He then slowly walked over to Wang Baoshan and said in a low voice, "President Wang, I have something I’d like to discuss privately with Huang Yufan from your company. Would that be convenient?"

"Yu Fan?"

Wang Baoshan was taken aback for a moment, but then replied without the slightest hesitation, "No problem. If President Gu needs something, we will of course cooperate fully."

As he spoke, he immediately called Huang Yufan over.

"Yu Fan, President Gu has something to discuss with you."

"You need to cooperate well—cooperate fully. Do you understand?"

Wang Baoshan deliberately stressed the words "cooperate well" and "cooperate fully," his gaze taking on a suggestive quality.

Although Wang Baoshan felt it was unlikely that Gu Heng would take a fancy to Huang Yufan—after all, both Luo Xiwen beside him and Xia Siyao, who had just arrived with the legal team, would completely outshine her.

But Wang Baoshan couldn’t guarantee that Gu Heng hadn’t grown tired of exotic delicacies and suddenly developed a craving for some home-style cooking.

Huang Yufan, suddenly called over by Wang Baoshan, heard his suggestive words and instinctively glanced up at Gu Heng. As she took in his young, handsome face, a blush crept onto her cheeks, and a sense of excitement began to build within her.

"Understood," Huang Yufan replied in a low voice.

"Thank you, President Wang."

Gu Heng thanked Wang Baoshan, then said to Huang Yufan, "Let’s go. We’ll talk upstairs."

"Okay, Chairman Gu."

The moment Huang Yufan heard the word "upstairs," the blush on her cheeks deepened. She lowered her head and followed Gu Heng toward the elevator.

In the midst of the crowd, Luo Xiwen, who was helping out, caught sight of Gu Heng and Huang Yufan by the elevator. Her expression froze for a second. Then, as if a sudden thought struck her, she instinctively bit her lip.

...

Taking the elevator, Gu Heng led Huang Yufan to a small sitting area in the center of the second floor.

"Have a seat."

Gu Heng sat down on the sofa and motioned for Huang Yufan to do the same.

"Huh?"

"H... here?"

Huang Yufan looked around the rather open sitting area and stammered.

"Where else?"

Gu Heng gave her a strange look.

"O-Okay."

Huang Yufan glanced at the nearby staircase. It led right down to the first-floor living room, which was currently full of people—including her own boss.

’Could it be that Gu Heng gets off on this kind of thrill?’

The thought surfaced in Huang Yufan’s mind, and she felt a faint sense of shame along with it.

But then she thought of Gu Heng’s status, of how he had just casually dropped 23 million on a house, and then she looked at his young, handsome face, and her heart began to race. ’Putting aside whether or not I’d get anything out of giving myself to him,’ she thought, ’just based on his age and looks, it wouldn’t be a loss even if I walk away with nothing.’

At this thought, Huang Yufan, blushing shyly, walked over to Gu Heng. Then, under his somewhat astonished gaze, she slowly knelt down in front of him.

"Huh?"

"Wait a second!"

"What are you doing?"

Gu Heng’s expression shifted from surprise to shock, and he quickly grabbed her hands to stop her.

"To help..."

Huang Yufan looked up and answered, a bit bewildered.

Hearing this, Gu Heng finally realized she had completely misunderstood his intentions.

"I asked you up here alone because I genuinely have something to talk to you about."

Gu Heng said with some exasperation, "Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t mean it like that."

Huang Yufan looked up into Gu Heng’s clear eyes. Once she was certain he wasn’t just playing hard to get, her face instantly turned beet red.

’So...’

’...he really did just want to talk to me.’

Huang Yufan was so embarrassed she wished the ground would swallow her whole. Face burning and head bowed, she quickly scrambled to her feet and sat on the sofa diagonally across from Gu Heng.

Watching Huang Yufan’s flustered state, Gu Heng felt an odd sense of lament. ’Even the most resourceful woman can’t cook a meal without rice,’ he mused. ’It’s true... the ancients were not wrong!’

Gu Heng gave Huang Yufan a moment to compose herself. Once he saw the deep red of her face begin to fade, he spoke slowly, "Yu Fan, the reason I asked you here was to ask you about Jiang Ruan. As her roommate, you must know a lot about her, right?"

Jiang Ruan was the designated target for his [Conquer] mission. Completing it was key to unlocking the Male God series rewards and the new [Beloved] function.

When it came to Jiang Ruan, Gu Heng was determined to succeed.

As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.

His knowledge of Jiang Ruan was still too superficial. Now that he had a chance to gather some intel from the sidelines, he certainly wasn’t going to pass it up.

"This..."

Huang Yufan hesitated. "President Gu, if I just tell you everything about Ruan Ruan without her permission, she’ll definitely be mad at me when she finds out."

"One of the newest Louis Vuitton messenger bags."

"Deal?"

Gu Heng didn’t bother wasting words and went straight to naming his price.

’They’re all just fair-weather friends. Who is she trying to fool, pretending they’re ride-or-die besties?’

At his words, Huang Yufan’s eyes instantly lit up.

The latest LV messenger bag retailed for nearly 25,000 on the official website. She’d been eyeing it for a long time. Now Gu Heng was just casually offering it, and the temptation was immense.

"Alright."

Huang Yufan said in a low voice, "But President Gu, you can’t tell Ruan Ruan."

Gu Heng just smiled without saying a word.

"President Gu, what is it you want to know?"

Huang Yufan asked, "If you’re asking about her love life, as far as I know, Ruan Ruan has never been in a relationship. She’s always had a clear head and knows what her most precious asset is."

A flicker of sadness crossed Huang Yufan’s eyes as she spoke.

’When she was young and foolish, she had been swayed by sweet nothings and loving gazes, losing herself in a moment of passion. If she were still pure like Jiang Ruan, then with her looks and skills, marrying a wealthy and influential man her age would have been a piece of cake.’

Gu Heng asked, "I’d like to know why Jiang Ruan, who graduated from the Civil Aviation University of China with top-notch qualifications, didn’t go into the aviation industry and instead ended up as a salesperson at a Mercedes-Benz dealership."

"Because..."

"She was deceived around graduation," Huang Yufan replied in a low voice.

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Gu Heng’s eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly. "Elaborate."

Huang Yufan nodded and began to tell Gu Heng the whole story.

"Here’s what happened..."

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