At the office of the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Association.
"Good morning, Chairman Gu..."
"Good morning, Luo Tang, Miao Miao..."
Gu Yuanbai, dressed in casual white attire, entered with Gu Luotang, who wore a professional Hanfu dress, and Qi Miaomiao. They met other members of the association and greeted each other with smiles.
As he went upstairs, Gu Yuanbai said to Gu Luotang beside him, "Remember to check with the education department today. The new batch of textbooks has arrived. Have you gone to see them? If they're fine, have them sent to the schools."
"Okay, Miao Miao and I will take care of it later," Gu Luotang replied with a nod.
Suddenly, Gu Yuanbai remembered something and turned to them, asking, "Is Xiao Wan back?"
Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao exchanged glances and nodded with smiles.
Gu Yuanbai nodded and said no more. He waved his hand, letting them go about their business…
Qi Miaomiao, dressed in a very delicate and beautiful thin gauze Hanfu, held a set of documents and was heading back to their office area with Gu Luotang. She pouted and said, "Yun Ting ge is really something, not coming to see us when he got back."
Gu Luotang glanced at her and said with a smile, "He just got back yesterday afternoon and went straight home to reunite with his family."
Qi Miaomiao went up, placed her hands on the desk, and looked at Gu Luotang, who was sitting down, with wide, round eyes. After glancing around to see that no one else was there, she lowered her voice and said, "But, senior sister, Fang Yanxi is already living at Yun Ting ge's house. Aren't you worried at all?"
Gu Luotang, who was organizing documents and was about to go to the education department, looked up at Qi Miaomiao and couldn't help but laugh, "It's you who's worried, isn't it?"
Qi Miaomiao's pretty face blushed. She stood up, turned her face away, and pouted, humming, "I'm not worried."
Gu Luotang smiled gently and said, "Yan Xi jie is about to give birth, so Yun Ting ge is naturally taking care of her at home. Maybe he'll come to see us in a couple of days."
Qi Miaomiao turned her head, narrowed her almond-shaped eyes, and squinted at Gu Luotang, saying with a smile, "Senior sister, you say you're not worried, but your words sound so sour."
Gu Luotang, looking up, glared at her with her dark eyes and playfully scolded, "Don't say useless things like that. Hurry up and get ready. We need to go to the education department to check the new textbooks, and we have to give a lecture at Jingfu Primary School at noon."
"Yes, yes, I'll get ready now..." Qi Miaomiao shook her head and turned to get busy.
Gu Luotang, who was tidying things up, paused. She thought about how she hadn't seen the man for four months, and yet he had returned to Beijing yesterday and hadn't come to see her and Miao Miao. Although Fang Yanxi was pregnant and about to give birth, she could understand him, but she still felt a little disheartened…
At the parking lot by the main entrance of the building, as a luxurious car slowly pulled in and parked, it immediately attracted the attention of some TCM association members who were going out. They pointed at the Bentley and exclaimed, "Wow, it's a Bentley Mulsanne!"
"Is it very expensive?"
"Nonsense, this car starts at five million!"
"Wow, who is it? I haven't seen anyone in our association openly driving such a luxurious car."
"Could it be Chairman Liu?"
One member turned to look at the others and asked doubtfully.
However, as the car door opened, Wan Yunting, dressed in casual attire, stepped out. He pushed back his slightly long hair and turned around. The people standing at the entrance of the TCM association office building immediately exclaimed, "Wow, it's Wan Yunting!"
"Wasn't he removed from his chairman position? What's he doing here?"
"Who knows? We haven't heard any news about him in the past few months. When did he return to Beijing?"
The members at the door, who were watching and gossiping, were full of doubt and discussed in low voices.
"What are you looking at? Don't you have any work to do?"
Suddenly, a stern voice came from behind them. As they turned to look at the person, they were startled and quickly greeted them before scattering away in a hurry.
"These young people, all so impetuous, how will they ever amount to anything?"
The person who came out was named Liu Yong. He was not tall, and his pair of sinister eyes gave him a very cunning impression. He looked to be in his fifties and was recently promoted to be a managing director of the TCM association.
Following Liu Yong was Li Wenhai, who said with a smile, "Director Liu, people nowadays are not like your generation. In those days, it didn't matter if they amounted to anything, as long as they lived comfortably."
Liu Yong waved his right hand, which had an expensive golden nanmu wood bracelet on it. He said with a condescending attitude, "That's why your generation's achievements are destined to be inferior to that of our generation."
Li Wenhai accompanied him with an obsequious smile and said, "Director Liu, what are you saying? Of course, we can't compare to you."
"No, not absolutely."
Liu Yong nodded and said with an arrogant smile, "My nephew, Liu He, is an exception. Among your generation, he can be considered a dragon among men. In the future, his achievements in our field of traditional Chinese medicine will undoubtedly be unprecedented!"
Li Wenhai nodded with a smile and said, "Of course, as long as Chairman Gu steps down, then our Chairman Liu will be the one to take his place."
A sinister smile appeared on Liu Yong's lips. He nodded and said with a smile, "It will be soon…"
Li Wenhai was about to say something else when he suddenly saw a familiar figure approaching and exclaimed in surprise, "Chairman Wan?"
"Who?"
Liu Yong, who was beside him, immediately turned his head. Li Wenhai pointed at Wan Yunting, who was approaching, and said, "It's Wan Yunting!"
Liu Yong also saw Wan Yunting. His sinister eyes narrowed, and a disdainful smile touched his lips. "What Chairman Wan? He's no longer the chairman of our TCM association."
At this moment, Wan Yunting had already walked over. He smiled and greeted Li Wenhai, "Wenhai, long time no see."
"Wan… Brother Yunting, long time no see…"
Li Wenhai almost called him Wan Yunting, but after reacting, he quickly changed his address.
Wan Yunting also smiled politely at Liu Yong and said to Li Wenhai, "I'm going in to see Chairman Gu."
"Okay…" Li Wenhai nodded with an awkward smile, and Wan Yunting headed straight inside…
"Hold on!"
However, Liu Yong raised his hand and stopped Wan Yunting, who was about to enter the association's office building. This made Wan Yunting turn his head and look at Liu Yong with confusion. He asked Li Wenhai, "Wenhai, who is this?"
Li Wenhai also didn't expect Liu Yong to stop Wan Yunting from entering. He quickly said, "Brother Wan, this is Liu Yong, the managing director of our TCM association!"
Liu Yong raised his head, his expression arrogant. His sinister eyes slanted towards Wan Yunting, and a cold smile touched his lips. "Chairman Wan, oh no, you are no longer the chairman of our TCM association, so you cannot enter!"
Wan Yunting did not recognize this Liu Yong. He asked with a smile, "May I ask why I cannot enter?"
Liu Yong turned his head, his eyes glaring arrogantly at Wan Yunting, and said, "Haven't I made myself clear enough? You are no longer a member of our TCM association. Don't you know that unauthorized personnel are prohibited from entering?"
This statement made Wan Yunting raise his eyebrows, but he still maintained a smile on his face. His gaze was calm as he looked at Liu Yong and said, "When did the TCM association stipulate that people who are not members are prohibited from entering?"
Liu Yong stood with his hands behind his back, his posture arrogant and overbearing. He sneered and said, "From the moment you ceased to be the chairman of the association, all the rules have changed."
Li Wenhai, standing aside, looked extremely awkward. He didn't know why Liu Yong was making things difficult for Wan Yunting, but judging by his smug expression, it was clearly intentional.
"What? Do you have any other questions?"
Liu Yong turned his head, his eyes slanting at Wan Yunting, and said unceremoniously, "Wan Yunting, don't think you're great just because you're a descendant of the Ouyang family. But this is the TCM association, and your Ouyang family's influence can't reach here. Therefore, I advise you to scram quickly and stop embarrassing yourself at the entrance of our TCM association."
Wan Yunting's face was still smiling. He narrowed his eyes and looked at this Liu Yong, whose face was full of a small man's smugness. He really wondered how the association chose such a person as a managing director.
"Heh heh…"
Wan Yunting chuckled and said, "Director Liu, is it? What if Chairman Gu invited me here?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Yong turned his head, and his sinister eyes coldly slanted at Wan Yunting. "Wan Yunting, don't try to pressure me with Chairman Gu. In the entire TCM association, I, Chairman Liu, call the shots!"
As soon as he said this, Wan Yunting's expression changed, and his eyes became even more sharp. He couldn't believe that Liu Yong could say such a thing!
Could it be that Gu Yuanbai no longer had any authority in the TCM association?
"Yun Ting ge?"
Just as the atmosphere was becoming tense, Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao came out, breaking the silence. Seeing Wan Yunting, they ran over happily. Qi Miaomiao even rushed into his arms and said joyfully, "Yun Ting ge, why are you here? You didn't even send us a message…"
Wan Yunting withdrew his gaze from Liu Yong, and his expression softened a little. He pulled Qi Miaomiao, who was in his arms, away. He smiled at Gu Luotang, who had come over, and said, "I came to see you all."
Gu Luotang smiled and said, "Then let's go inside."
Wan Yunting nodded, then looked at Liu Yong and said with a smile, "Director Liu, can I go in now?"
As soon as Liu Yong saw Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao, he let out a cold哼 and left with Li Wenhai.
"Yun Ting ge, is this Liu Yong not letting you in?" Qi Miaomiao pointed at Liu Yong's retreating back and asked.
Wan Yunting nodded and couldn't help but ask, "When did this person become a managing director of the association?"
Gu Luotang, who knew what was going on, also looked unhappy. She said, "He is the uncle of Vice Chairman Liu. He joined the association a few months ago and became a managing director."
Wan Yunting raised his eyebrows, his heart chilling. A smile touched his lips as he said, "No wonder he has that smug expression."
Gu Luotang said, "Yun Ting ge, let's go inside first."
Wan Yunting nodded. Qi Miaomiao excitedly linked her arm through his and couldn't help but pinch the girl's cute pink cheek. She followed Gu Luotang towards the association's office building, asking them how they had been over the past few months…
"Chairman Wan, you're back…"
As they went upstairs, they happened to encounter Shangguan Wan'er, who was coming out of Gu Yuanbai's office. She greeted him with surprise.
Wan Yunting chatted with her for a couple of sentences before following Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao into Gu Yuanbai's office. They saw Gu Lao, who was sitting at his desk, engrossed in writing something. Wan Yunting called out, "Gu Lao, I've come to see you."
Hearing the voice, Gu Yuanbai looked up. As soon as he saw Wan Yunting, his old face broke into a smile. He walked out to greet him, "Xiao Wan, you're finally back. Come in, come in…"