When the brothers arrived at the Gu family’s old residence, the cars outside were already parked full.
A valet trotted over amidst the fine drizzle, respectfully taking the keys from Xiao Zhang’s hands, while a waiter stepped forward behind them to hold umbrellas for the group.
Just as they stepped into the main hall, Fang Fengqin spotted Gu Song standing by the entrance with his hands on his hips, smoking a cigarette. As their eyes met, Gu Song raised an eyebrow, stubbed out the cigarette, and walked over in a few strides.
“You guys finally made it. The traffic must be terrible in this rain, right?” He smoothly took the coat Fang Fengqin had removed and nodded toward Fang Rongxi. “Big Brother Fang, it’s been a while. You’re looking even more handsome.”
Fang Rongxi smiled lightly as he handed over the gift box. After a few polite pleasantries between the two, Fang Fengqin took the lead and walked inside.
Song Jiangyan was standing beside his father, smiling along with business partners until his face felt stiff. Catching sight of Fang Fengqin entering out of the corner of his eye, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Father, I’m going to go talk to Fengqin for a bit,” he chimed in at the appropriate moment.
Song Father glanced over in that direction and nodded. “Take your younger brother with you, too. Introduce him around.”
Song Zhang stood silently behind them. Song Jiangyan nodded, reached out to wrap an arm around his shoulder, and gave him a reassuring pat when he felt the boy’s body stiffen slightly.
“Fengqin, what took you so long?” Song Jiangyan called out to Fang Fengqin, letting go of Song Zhang as he did so, though he didn’t let him leave.
Fang Fengqin glanced at Song Zhang, then back at Song Jiangyan. “Traffic was heavy. Hasn’t Grandpa Gu come out yet?”
While they were talking, Gu Song walked over. He tugged at his collar and complained, “This outfit is so suffocatingly tight.”
He was used to wearing casual clothes year-round, and rarely wore formal attire. His muscles strained against the shirt and vest, making him look rather like a debt collector.
Gu Song looked at Fang Fengqin with a hint of dissatisfaction.
They were both wearing formal wear, so why did Fang Fengqin look like a little prince?
Fang Fengqin didn’t notice, but ever since he stepped inside, lingering gazes had been drifting toward him from all directions.
He was blessed with a fine face, red lips, white teeth, and delicate, pretty features. Even though he always wore a hint of disdain when looking at people, those upturned, cat-like inner corners didn’t carry much intimidation. Instead, they tended to make a person’s heart itch.
Even when he lost his temper, it looked like he was acting spoiled.
“Where’s my brother?” Fang Fengqin looked left and right, failing to spot Fang Rongxi.
“He went to find my brother,” Gu Song replied.
Fang Rongxi had always had a pretty good relationship with his older brother, Gu Peiwei. However, Gu’s father and Grandpa Gu had never looked favorably upon Fang Long, which unfortunately meant they hadn’t sent Fang Rongxi an invitation this time either.
As the few of them were talking, Gu Song’s gaze landed on Song Zhang, who was standing behind Song Jiangyan.
Sensing it, Song Zhang raised his eyes and offered him a gentle smile.
A blade-like look abruptly stabbed into him. Song Zhang’s eyes shifted, and seeing Song Jiangyan’s increasingly cold expression, a trace of internal panic stirred.
“Brother,” he bit his lower lip and took a step forward, wanting to take Song Jiangyan’s hand, only to have the other lightly dodge away.
“Let me introduce him. This is Song Zhang,” Song Jiangyan introduced him to Gu Song and Fang Fengqin, omitting his specific background.
Gu Song’s expression shifted instantly. He gave Song Jiangyan’s arm a light nudge. “Your brother?”
Song Jiangyan only smiled without speaking, his expression remaining unchanged.
Thinking that Song Jiangyan was intentionally making him lose face, Song Zhang bit his lip and lowered his eyes, missing the meaningful look exchanged between the others.
Seeing Song Jiangyan and Gu Song trading glances and secret signals, Fang Fengqin let out an irritated click of his tongue.
“What’s your problem?”
“Run along, kid,” Gu Song pushed him slightly. “There’s cake over there, go eat.”
“Go with your Brother Fengqin,” Song Jiangyan tilted his chin toward Song Zhang.
Catching something in his tone, Fang Fengqin gave him a slightly surprised look.
He didn’t actually have any particular opinion about Song Zhang. Being an illegitimate child sounded unpleasant, but it really just boiled down to being born into the wrong place.
“Are you a beta?” Fang Fengqin handed Song Zhang a piece of strawberry cake.
Song Zhang nodded, obediently sitting next to him and digging into the cake with his cheeks puffed out. He didn’t look like someone with massive ambitions.
Fang Fengqin had no appetite. He stared at him for a moment, letting his thoughts drift.
The letter Qin Tingfeng had given him was pressed underneath his pillow, and he still hadn’t made up his mind yet.
Before he could pull his thoughts back, a sweet, cloying peach scent suddenly invaded the tip of his nose.
A warm body rushed up and wrapped around his arm. Fang Fengqin gave a start and instinctively reached out to push.
“Fengqin, I’ve been looking for you forever. So, you were hiding here.” Wei Jinlin’s voice, carrying a shallow smile, sounded right beside his ear.
Hearing that soft tone, Fang Fengqin’s mouth twitched sharply.
He turned his head to look. Wei Jinlin looked like an absolute goody-two-shoes, leaning dependently against his arm with a curious look on his face as he gazed at Song Zhang. “Big brother, who is he?”
Hearing his sugary, babyish tone, Song Zhang got a mouthful of cream stuck halfway down his throat and nearly choked.
Fang Fengqin felt his teeth ache from the cloying sweetness. He tried to pull his arm back, but Wei Jinlin hugged it tightly and refused to let go.
“Big brother, speak to me!”
“The young master of the Song family,” Fang Fengqin answered his previous question, immediately adding, “Let go. You’re wrinkling my suit.”
“I won’t, I’m very light,” Wei Jinlin pouted and acted spoiled.
Suddenly, that malicious Wei Jinlin who had threatened him earlier seemed much more agreeable.
Fang Fengqin had never realized this person was such a good actor. It was practically second nature to him.
He curled his lips, reached out to gently pat the top of Wei Jinlin’s head, and murmured something under his breath.
To outsiders, the two people who had just announced their engagement were currently snuggled together. Their appearances were evenly matched, and the moment they smiled at each other was unexpectedly pleasing to the eye.
Only Wei Jinlin heard what Fang Fengqin whispered.
He said, “It’s disgusting. Stop putting on that fake baby voice, you sound like a crowing rooster.”
Wei Jinlin’s mouth twitched.
“My uncle is here, too,” he smiled and said to Fang Fengqin. “Since you want to use me, what kind of benefits are you planning to give me?”
Fang Fengqin was startled inwardly. He hadn’t even shown any signs of that intention yet, but Wei Jinlin had already seen right through the scheme, proving that the other wasn’t as useless as outsiders claimed.
Pondering for a moment, he took the initiative to wrap an arm around Wei Jinlin’s waist, pulling him a bit closer into his embrace. “I’ll get your dad a business license.”
Wei Jinlin fell into an eerie silence for a moment.
His gaze turned somewhat complex, mixed with a hint of sudden realization.
“Deal.”
An illegal clinic was still an illegal clinic. If Qin Tingfeng ever stirred up trouble one day, he’d undoubtedly be in deep water.
It really was about time to get a business license.
Wei Jinlin looked thoughtful.
He led Fang Fengqin toward the corner of the banquet hall, and before leaving, Fang Fengqin turned back to instruct Song Zhang, “Wait right here for your brother.”
Song Zhang nodded obediently.
Ji Binglu and a few friends he got along with were sitting in the corner drinking tea.
Finding the banquet too noisy, he planned to pay his respects to Elder Gu and leave early. Just as he was mulling this over, a friend nudged him with his elbow.
“Hey, Binglu, look who that is.”
Ji Binglu raised his eyes, and Fang Rongxi’s smiling profile came into view.
He stared fixedly for a moment, his gaze tracing the other’s refined and elegant face, sliding smoothly down to his clean, slender neck, and finally landing on his narrow, slender waist.
A single hand could probably span most of it.
“Your ex-boyfriend came back to the country, and he didn’t even ask to see you?” His friend loved watching the drama and eagerly stoked the fire.
Ji Binglu expressionlessly gave him a hard stomp on the foot.
Very few people knew he had once been with Fang Rongxi, and this guy was one of them, never missing a chance to tease him about it.
“Hiss.” The friend shifted to the side, his gaze wandering as he saw Wei Jinlin pulling Fang Fengqin toward them.
“Your nephew brought your ex-boyfriend’s younger brother over,” he grinned widely. “This is getting lively.”