Gu Huai gave a bitter smile. “I am here to disturb you again this month. Please do not find your son too noisy.”
His tone was very flat, as if he were merely reporting everyday matters to an elder. “I know everything now, Mom. I miss you so much.”
“Also, I am married. The other person is an excellent man, but whenever I think about how I am using someone else’s feelings, I cannot forgive myself.”
“But if I do not use him, how am I supposed to deal with Gu Chong?”
After saying these words, it seemed Gu Huai had found some resolve. He did not linger any longer and took a taxi back. Once home, he took a hot shower and sent a message to Bo Jianyan: “Brother Bo, thank you.”
Bo Jianyan looked at the message. Although he did not know what Gu Huai was thanking him for, he accepted it. “Thanking me? Baby, why not use some practical action to thank me instead?”
Gu Huai smiled. “As long as it is within my power, Brother Bo can have whatever he wants.”
Bo Jianyan stared at the message blankly. He felt something was strange, but he could not quite put his finger on it. Today, Gu Huai seemed to have something on his mind that he could not fully understand.
Since they had received their marriage certificates, both had been busy with their own affairs, aside from Bo Jianyan sending messages on WeChat. Counting the days, it had been nearly a week since they last met.
Bo Jianyan looked at the mountain of documents in front of him, rubbed his temples, and spoke to Song Chengchi. “Why is there another problem with the site selection for the branch office?”
Song Chengchi could sense his irritability and did not dare to cross him. “Hongchong Group is also competing for that piece of land.”
Bo Jianyan did not even look up. He curled his lips into a smile. “Is that so? Keep bidding. Find a way to take it at all costs.”
“By the way, Bo the Dog, what do you think about that banquet I mentioned last time?”
Bo Jianyan did not particularly like these social occasions for networking. But thinking of a certain someone, he smiled. “I will go.”
He then sent a message to Gu Huai: “Baby, are you free tonight? I miss you so much. I have not seen you in a long time.”
Gu Huai had just agreed to another arrangement and was a bit dazed when he saw Bo Jianyan’s message. They indeed had not seen each other for a while. However, since he had already promised someone else, he could not change it.
Recalling the mention of a banquet—and how his last two encounters with Bo Jianyan had involved alcohol—Gu Huai decided not to mention his plans to avoid any potential trouble. He replied with a different excuse.
Being rejected by Gu Huai, Bo Jianyan’s disappointment was visibly apparent. Nevertheless, he still had to attend the banquet.
Gu Huai took his meeting with the other person very seriously. Even Xie Wenye could not help but glance at him a few more times. “Dressing up so flamboyantly?”
Gu Huai adjusted his hairstyle in the mirror. “Modesty, please. I just cannot help being this handsome.”
“Speaking of which, are you really not coming with me?”
Xie Wenye was bored out of his mind. He lay on the sofa and covered his face with a pillow, his voice muffled. “What would I go for? My old man would definitely scold me if he saw me.”
Seeing his lazy state, Gu Huai said no more. He hailed a taxi to his destination. Just as he arrived, he received a flood of messages from Xie Wenye.
“Are you done with living?? Spending over fifty dollars on a taxi??” “Gu Huai, good job.” “Gu Huai, screw you.”
Gu Huai looked at the messages and realized that in his haste, he had forgotten to mention the contract. He transferred fifty thousand to Xie Wenye with the note: “Whose uncle are you talking about?”
Xie Wenye accepted it instantly. “Young Master Gu, you are my lord. This old servant shall retreat now.”
After replying, Gu Huai handed his invitation to the security guard at the door and walked straight in. He sent a message to the person who had invited him: “I have arrived.”
Gu Huai did not particularly like crowded scenes, so he found a relatively quiet spot. Seeing others chatting happily, he felt a bit bored and picked up a drink a waiter had just brought over. Most of the topics he overheard were about business or which family had an outstanding younger generation.
As Gu Huai scanned the room, a figure entered his line of sight. His hand shook, and for a moment, he forgot he was holding a glass. He nearly spilled the wine on himself. He took a quick glance and felt relieved when he saw the person was not looking his way.
Damn it. Someone please teach him how to handle this: he rejected his marriage partner’s invitation to a banquet, only to end up at the same banquet seeing the partner he had just registered with. He thought it over and decided it was better to hide.
Just as he was about to move to a different spot, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Gu Huai stiffened instantly, his movements becoming clumsy. Could someone really be this unlucky? Was it a case of “speak of the devil”?
Before he could turn around, he heard a light laugh. “Xiao Huai, long time no see.”
Gu Huai’s heart finally settled back into his chest. He turned around to see the person clearly. His voice carried a hint of relief as if he had just survived a disaster. “It is you, Brother Yun Sui.”
Ye Yun Sui had a playful glint in his eyes. “What is it? Who is Xiao Huai hiding from?”
Seeing his teasing look, Gu Huai blinked and acted as if nothing were wrong. “Brother Yun Sui is joking. I was just startled by you.”
Noticing that he was hiding something, Ye Yun Sui did not pry further. He and Gu Huai found a quiet place to discuss business.
Song Chengchi was busy introducing the organizers of the banquet to Bo Jianyan. Realizing that Bo’s mind was not on the conversation at all, Song began to look around at the younger guests.
Bo Jianyan had little interest in the banquet. To him, the people here were divided into two types: those who were unpleasant and those who were annoying. When someone came over to offer a toast, he narrowed his eyes slightly, raised his glass, and touched it casually against theirs.
“President Bo is truly young and promising.”
Bo Jianyan smiled. “You flatter me.”
“Would President Bo like to go over there? There are many business partners who used to work with your father.”
Bo Jianyan did not mind much. He was here mainly to show his face and maintain a presence. Even if the people were unpleasant, he still had to give some face.
After finishing the toasts, his eyes caught a familiar figure less than five steps away. His heart felt a small spark of anticipation. He took a sip of his wine. “I have something to attend to. Please continue your conversation, uncles. Excuse me.”
Walking forward with uncertainty, he heard an incredibly familiar voice. “Brother Yun Sui, look here.”
Bo Jianyan’s gaze turned cold instantly. Hah. Brother Yun Sui. So intimate. Gu Huai called him Brother Bo, but he had never heard Gu Huai call him Brother Jianyan.
“Xiao Huai.”
Bo Jianyan gripped his glass tightly, though his expression remained unchanged. Good job, Gu Huai. So, he rejected him because he had an appointment with Ye Yun Sui? He continued to watch as Gu Huai and Ye Yun Sui talked and laughed, looking very familiar with each other.
Bo Jianyan thought about this expressionlessly. Song Chengchi, lacking any sense of timing, came over and patted him, nearly getting wounded by Bo Jianyan’s sharp glare.
“Hey, hey, why is Gu Huai here? Did he not reject your invitation?”
Tossing salt on the wound, Bo Jianyan started to laugh. Seeing this, Song Chengchi knew things were bad Bo the Dog was angry. The angrier Bo Jianyan got, the more he tended to act relaxed. It looked like the wine glass was about to be crushed in his hand.
Song Chengchi spoke up at an inappropriate time. “Hey, Bo the Dog, do you smell something sour around here?”