After dinner, Gu Ye was called into the study by Gu Qin Yi and Gu Ao Feng for a talk.
When he came out, Gu Han Xiang was sitting on the sofa, happily eating from a fruit platter.
“Why didn’t Dad come out?” Gu Han Xiang asked, seeing only Gu Ye and Gu Qin Yi emerge.
“Your father still has some work to handle, so he stayed in the study,” Gu Qin Yi replied, sitting beside her and tucking a blanket over her.
Gu Han Xiang nodded and looked at Gu Ye. “Little Uncle, are you staying at home tonight?”
Gu Ye leaned lazily against the armrest of the single sofa, one hand resting on his knee, tapping idly.
“Yes, I’ll leave tomorrow.”
Gu Qin Yi glanced up at him. “I’ll go upstairs and have the servants clean your old room.”
Gu Qin Yi had prepared a bedroom for Gu Ye here so he could stay over from time to time.
It had been a while since he last stayed, so she should have asked the servants to clean it earlier.
Staying here was a last-minute decision for Gu Ye—he hadn’t planned on it today.
Just as Gu Qin Yi went upstairs, Gu Yu Tian came in from outside.
“Little Uncle.”
Gu Ye responded with a faint “Hmm.”
Gu Han Xiang, mouth full of strawberries, mumbled, “Brother, why are you back so late?”
Gu Yu Tian looked slightly evasive, rubbing his nose awkwardly. “Had some things to take care of.”
Gu Han Xiang saw through it but didn’t press, smiling faintly as she continued eating.
Gu Ye lifted his phoenix-like eyes just in time to catch her subtle expression.
Gu Yu Tian walked over and sat down not far from Gu Ye, casually crossing his long legs.
“Brother, you have no idea—Mom is pushing Little Uncle to get married again.”
Hearing this, Gu Yu Tian wasn’t surprised. Over the past few years, Gu Qin Yi had periodically urged Gu Ye to find a girlfriend.
“Little Uncle, you still haven’t gotten a girlfriend?”
Gu Ye lowered his gaze, fiddling with the Patek Philippe on his wrist, his voice deep and steady. “Why? Do you have an opinion?”
Gu Yu Tian choked back his words. “…No, I was just asking.”
Gu Han Xiang chimed in, “If Little Uncle had a girlfriend, Mom probably wouldn’t be pushing him to marry.”
Gu Yu Tian thought to himself, What if Little Uncle does have a girlfriend but just hasn’t told us?
“Little Uncle, if you have a girlfriend, just bring her home. That way, Mom won’t keep nagging about your lifelong plans.”
“It seems your own lifelong plans are settled, Xiao Tian,” Gu Ye said, his dark, profound eyes fixed on him, unreadable.
Gu Yu Tian felt a chill down his spine under that gaze and stayed silent for a moment.
“If your own affairs aren’t sorted out, don’t worry about others’.”
With that, Gu Ye rose from the sofa and strode out with long steps.
“Little Uncle, where are you going?” Gu Han Xiang called after him.
“To smoke.”
“I’ll come too,” Gu Yu Tian said, following him out.
Gu Han Xiang frowned at their retreating backs, muttering, “Is it really that good? Smoking every day without getting tired of it?”
The courtyard outside was quiet, with only a few scattered servants tidying up around the garden.
Click.
The sound of a lighter echoed.
Gu Ye exhaled a puff of smoke calmly, the beautiful tips of his fingers glowing faintly with embers.
Gu Yu Tian walked over and stood beside Gu Ye, deftly pulling a cigarette from his suit jacket and lighting it.
Pale smoke drifted from his lips as Gu Yu Tian stole a few glances at Gu Ye’s profile.
Sensing his gaze, Gu Ye asked calmly, “What do you want to say?”
“Ahem.”
Gu Yu Tian hesitated, “Uncle… do you have some hidden illness?”
Hearing this, Gu Ye paused his smoking motion and sneered coldly, “Who told you such nonsense?”
“No one.”
It wasn’t unreasonable for Gu Yu Tian to think this way. After all, Gu Ye hadn’t dated anyone for so many years—anyone would start wondering, right?
“Put your mind at ease, I’m perfectly healthy.”
Gu Yu Tian said seriously, “Since you’re not sick, Uncle, why don’t you get a girlfriend?”
He was genuinely curious.
“Adult matters are none of a child’s business,” Gu Ye evaded.
He hadn’t realized Gu Yu Tian was so nosy.
Gu Yu Tian, “…”
Gu Ye glanced at Gu Yu Tian’s deflated expression and curled his lips, “Got a girlfriend?”
“Ahem, yes,” Gu Yu Tian cleared his throat.
“Hah, no wonder you’ve become so naggy.”
The mocked Gu Yu Tian retorted, “I’m just worried about you, old man. What if you end up alone for the rest of your life?”
“Worrying over nothing.”
Gu Ye raised his hand and took a drag from his cigarette, his voice hoarse, “Why haven’t you brought your girlfriend home to meet everyone?”
This hit Gu Yu Tian’s sore spot. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but his girlfriend Su Su wasn’t willing. Otherwise, he would have brought her home long ago.
“My sister is waiting to hold her grandchild.”
Gu Yu Tian, “That’s still a long way off.”
As they chatted idly, Gu Yu Tian’s phone rang. It was a call from the company—an urgent contract needed his signature, so he headed back to the office.
As soon as Gu Yu Tian left, Gu Ye’s phone vibrated in his pocket.
He shook the cigarette butt in his hand and stubbed it out in the nearby ashtray.
Walking over to the faucet not far away, he washed his hands, dried the water droplets, and only then took out his phone from his pocket.
It turned out to be a friend request from his contacts.
His thin lips curved slightly—he had almost forgotten about her.
With a light tap of his finger, he approved the request.
Xifu Begonia—
Rong Yi returned to her little nest, first taking a rose-scented bath and ordering a salad, which she only ate a few bites of.
For the rest of the time, she held her phone, checking whether Gu Ye had approved her WeChat request.
After waiting for a long time with no response, Rong Yi couldn’t help but suspect he was doing it on purpose.
Maybe he had only pretended to let her add him on WeChat just to reassure her enough to get out of the car.
Rong Yi sat on the large bed wearing a champagne-colored spaghetti-strap nightgown, revealing an impressive amount of fullness and two fair, smooth long legs. Her slender fingers tapped her delicate chin, her mind filled with confusion.
It shouldn’t be like this. Logically speaking, he should have approved by now.
A beauty like her adding him—if nothing else, just for the sake of her face, he should at least have the decency to approve.
Refusing to believe it, Rong Yi clicked to add him again.
Then, she immediately flipped her phone face-down on the bed, revealing its exquisite case.
A silver and purple base, with a black bow adorned with diamonds in the middle and a beautiful purple hair tie pendant hanging below.
Rong Yi gently bit the soft flesh inside her lower lip, thinking about what to do if he still didn’t approve this time.
Before she could come up with a plan, her phone vibrated.
Rong Yi quickly picked up her phone and opened it, her face lighting up with joy—he approved!
Her soft fingertips flew across the screen, and soon a line of text appeared in the typing box.
Rose: [President Gu, this is Rong Yi.]
GY: [Mm, something the matter?]
Rong Yi pouted her red lips and murmured, “Of course there’s something the matter. It’s a big deal—creating humanity.”
That’s what she thought, but Rong Yi didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.
Rose: [Didn’t I say I’d treat you to a meal? Is Mr. Gu available tomorrow?]
[Obedient.jpg]
Gu Ye curled his lips into a smile, his voice low and husky, “Being so straightforward… how am I supposed to handle this…”
GY: [I have some business to attend to on Xifu Road tomorrow, so I won’t be able to make it to Miss Rong’s invitation.]
Rong Yi stared at the message Gu Ye had sent, falling into deep thought.
Xifu Road?
Why does that sound so familiar…
Wait!
Isn’t Xifu Road right below Xifu Haitang?
Rose: [That’s perfect, Mr. Gu! Did you forget my home is at Xifu Haitang, right next to Xifu Road? Tomorrow I can wait for you at the café on Xifu Road. How does that sound?]
A deep, amused smile welled up in Gu Ye’s dark eyes. How adorable…
GY: [Then I’ll gladly accept your kind offer.]