With the still-elastic contact lens in his mouth after being chewed, Wen Ping suddenly heard the truth, and even the gentle and refined mask that he had worn on his face for years couldn’t help but stiffen.
He had already swallowed one piece, but when he caught a glimpse of Gu Shaocheng walking back after finishing his phone call, he deliberately left one piece, wanting to take the opportunity to tease Yu Yuan and push him a little harder.
He knew his distant cousin too well. His severe mental disorder led to paranoia, extreme depression, and mania, accompanied by serious delusions and hallucinations… In short, he was a mad dog who couldn’t control himself. He didn’t believe in the old man’s feudal superstitions, but even if Gu Shaocheng found emotional support to alleviate his condition, he could still make the other person fall back into the abyss.
Right now, with the remaining fragments of his contact lens in his mouth, he felt like the biggest joke in the entire banquet hall!
Wen Ping closed his eyes to suppress the anger in his heart, and the gentle smile on his lips quickly returned. However, when his eyes, which were shrouded in a dark light, looked at Yu Yuan, the other party was so frightened that he took another half step closer to Gu Shaocheng.
Gu Shaocheng naturally put his arm around him, the gloom in his eyes long gone, and he showed Wen Ping a rare, sincere smile: “Of course I don’t mind, after all, it’s not my water.”
Wen Ping’s thin lips tightened for a moment, then he smiled and shook his head, as if he had just been the subject of a harmless joke. With a fragment of his contact lens in his mouth, he pretended to relax and said, “Excuse me for a moment.”
The lens had been chewed into tiny pieces, and as he swallowed, it was rushing down his throat. He had to find a place to spit it out first.
As soon as the strange stranger left, Yu Yuan immediately straightened up. Watching the man’s hurried departure, he muttered in dissatisfaction, “Who is he? He just swallowed the glasses you gave me without even planning to compensate me?”
Gu Shaocheng always felt that hindsight was meaningless, but considering Yu Yuan’s special situation and that this person had his own unique way of retaliating on the spot, the smile in his eyes deepened upon hearing this.
He used to think Yu Yuan’s thought process was infuriating, but now he thinks he’s a treasure in the wrong place.
Gu Shaocheng glanced down at him: “Didn’t you mistake him for someone else first? You also think I look a lot like him?”
Yu Yuan blinked blankly: “Does it look like you? I can’t see clearly. I just thought it was you when I saw you standing here in black.”
Yu Yuan recalled Wen Ping’s greasy tone as he chewed up his glasses, and felt a natural aversion to it. His words were tinged with subjectivity: “Upon closer inspection, he’s half a head shorter, about the same height as me…”
Although Gu Shaocheng was very satisfied with Yu Yuan’s answer, he still couldn’t help but give Yu Yuan a deep look: “He is at least 1.8 meters tall.”
When Yu Yuan and Gu Shaocheng were compared to monkeys while standing together, he thought the photoshopped images were quite humorous, since Gu Shaocheng really was very tall.
But when Gu Shaocheng so mercilessly poked at his Achilles’ heel, and when the weirdo who drank his glasses was completely outshone, Yu Yuan, even a clay figure, was stirred up to reveal a bit of his earthy spirit: “So what if he is 1.8 meters tall? I’m 1.78 meters tall!”
Gu Shaocheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, his gaze shifting between the two of them. Yu Yuan felt a little embarrassed by his scrutinizing gaze and awkwardly cleared her throat: “I’m 1.75 meters tall now, but I’m only eighteen and I can still grow for two more years.”
Gu Shaocheng’s voice deepened with a hint of mockery: “1.75 meters?”
Yu Yuan’s eyes darted around, then he nodded.
Gu Shaocheng nodded slightly: “Then why did I choose a size 170 for you, which is just right?”
Yu Yuan: ? ? ?
”Impossible! My height is 173.9 cm when dehydrated!”
After saying that, he immediately added, “The actual height of Albert Einstein, the greatest scientist of the 20th century, was 171.5 cm, and John von Neumann, who was 169 cm tall, mastered calculus at the age of eight…”
Gu Shaocheng pursed his lips, neither confirming nor denying: “Oh.”
Yu Yuan felt slighted and was furious.
Gu Shaocheng tilted his head, and the smile in his eyes became even more genuine.
*
The media outlets that didn’t receive invitations could only continue to wait outside the hotel for the guests to leave. However, this time they didn’t have to wait anxiously outside the hotel. They could take advantage of this time to import the photos into their phones and grab the first wave of buzz.
Soon, numerous articles related to the charity gala flooded major news platforms, with Gu Shaocheng naturally being the most talked-about.
#Gu Shaocheng and his new love interest appear at a charity gala#
#Shocking! Monkey Transforms into Celestial Beauty, Prince Gu Replaced by Another#
#Millions of glasses suspected to be breakup fee#
…
In the videos and photos released, Yu Yuan was either squinting or shielding his eyes from the bright light most of the time, but two lucky media outlets still managed to capture clear images of his face.
Before long, the hashtag #GuShaocheng’sNewBoyfriendFace# quickly rose to the top of all the banquet-related hashtags.
[Good heavens, this is a masterpiece by the goddess Nuwa! This little mud dot is covering its mouth and crying! /crying cat head.jpg]
[To be honest, Gu Shaocheng’s face and physique are truly stunning; the two of them standing together are simply breathtaking… the height difference is irresistible!!]
[Wait, wasn’t Gu Shaocheng supposed to marry the one Wang Jiaxin recognized as his wife? Hey, am I the only one focused on the cheating/cheating?!]
…
Meanwhile, the reporters who entered the venue took their seats in an orderly fashion in the seats reserved for the media, while the popular group bit was performing a high-energy song and dance on stage.
Originally, Bit’s lead singer, Wang Jingxiao, was also a major highlight of the evening. After all, the impact of the dramatic change in the identity of a well-known rich second-generation in the entertainment industry would be fully displayed on such an occasion.
However, no one expected that Gu Shaocheng, the trump card, would actually show up in person, bringing a handsome new boyfriend to make a grand entrance that completely shattered the public’s perception of him.
Even though the reporters were seated in the media section, they still zoomed in with their cameras as far as possible, all pointing at the VIP seats at the very front.
Gu Shaocheng and Yu Yuan sat together on a long sofa that could seat about five people. However, just as Yu Yuan had expected, although Gu Shaocheng’s bad reputation had been largely cleared, his reputation for being crazy was still widespread. Coupled with the ingrained impressions left over from many years, many people still remained skeptical of the clarifications on the internet.
During the time they entered the venue, apart from the strange man who drank his glasses, most of the other people nodded politely to them, and no one dared to cause trouble. Even the long sofa, which had many seats, was eventually reserved for the two of them.
Gu Shaocheng’s side was Yu Yuan’s paradise.
Gu Shaocheng was not interested in the star performance on stage, even though he knew that the person standing in the center of the stage was his father’s illegitimate son.
After taking his seat, he picked up a tablet and started looking at the list of items for the charity auction that would be held later.
Yu Yuan felt no pain in his hip while standing, but it started to ache again as soon as he sat down. Perhaps because he had been a clingy and affectionate companion all night, Yu Yuan’s familiarity with Gu Shaocheng’s body had increased significantly. After settling down, he took two deep breaths and leaned against Gu Shaocheng without hesitation, avoiding the injured area like he would lean against the armrest in a car.
Gu Shaocheng glanced to the side and noticed that Yu Yuan was staring longingly at the fruit platter to his left.
On the small curved glass table in front of the two, there were various exquisite desserts and drinks. Yu Yuan had finally managed to adjust to the most comfortable position and really didn’t want to do it himself, so he relied on Gu Shaocheng to frantically suck on his saliva to get his attention.
As soon as Gu Shaocheng looked at him, Yu Yuan immediately flashed a sweet smile, revealing his white teeth, and gestured with his chin towards the strawberries: “Shaocheng, could you help me get these strawberries?”
When he mistook someone for someone else, the strained sound he tried to make made him feel like he was shortening his lifespan. He couldn’t bring himself to say it in front of Gu Shaocheng, so he just tried to soften his voice, slightly curved his eyes, and tried to squeeze out a coquettish tone.
Gu Shaocheng knew that countless eyes and cameras were watching them. Hearing this, he smiled and leaned down slightly to place the tray, about the size of a small table, next to Yu Yuan so that he could take it.
Upon closer inspection and opening the glass cover, Yu Yuan discovered that the fruit platter did not contain fresh fruit, but rather specially processed fruit pulp, which retained the unique flavors of various fruits while adding a milky, sweet aroma of wine.
Yu Yuan took a small golden fork and ate a whole pitted mangosteen. A shallow dimple immediately appeared on the side of his lips, and his eyes shone brightly, like a child who had received candy, sparkling under the bright light.
After swallowing the fruit, he immediately recommended it to Gu Shaocheng: “This is delicious! You should try some!”
This was the first time Gu Shaocheng had seen him with such an expression; the joy on his face almost filled the air, making everyone who saw him feel inexplicably happy as well…
The next moment, the images of the auction items that were automatically playing on the tablet froze on a familiar scene. Gu Shaocheng looked away and said, “Eat it yourself.”
Seeing that he continued to look at the tablet in his hand, Yu Yuan obediently responded and then popped one snack into his mouth after another.
He was so thirsty that at first he ate slowly, taking small sips, but when he realized that everyone around him was socializing, Yu Yuan immediately switched to gulping down his food.
Such delicious and precious food, he probably only got to enjoy a few bites while Gu Shaocheng was alive…
*
The reputation of charity is something everyone in high society wants a piece of, and the Gu family is no exception.
Every year at the charity gala, the Gu family presents a collection of their most valuable items for auction, and all proceeds go into the foundation’s accounts.
This year’s auction item is an oil painting titled “Angel,” created by Gu Shaocheng’s mother, Gu Lanzhi.
Gu Lanzhi has a high talent for painting, and with the Gu family’s connections, her paintings were already incredibly expensive twenty years ago. As an auction item donated by the Gu family, her value was only higher, not lower, which should be a deliberate arrangement by Wen Ping.
The canvas depicts a baby with a distinctly mixed-race appearance, sitting sideways in an exquisitely designed metal chair. Under the skillful use of light and shadow, it appears as if a pair of rainbow-colored wings have sprouted from its back.
Many people probably think that the mother and son hated each other, which is why he would lose control and go crazy whenever the other was mentioned, and thus never gain the power of the Gu family. However, they don’t know that the baby in this painting looks almost exactly like him when he was a child.
Gu Shaocheng’s slender fingers traced the details of the oil painting. His mother had given him a lot of love, but she had also hurt him terribly when she was acting crazy. But what he feared even more was that one day he would follow in his mother’s footsteps and completely become a beast without reason.
Even if he succeeds in his revenge, he cannot escape his ultimate fate. Gu Shaocheng was suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow. His heart was so heavy that even breathing was painful. One crazy thought after another surfaced: Why should he be the only one to suffer this torment?
Suddenly, a crisp “splat” sound rang in my ears.
Immediately afterwards, a stream of cold liquid struck Gu Shaocheng’s temple precisely, then slid down his skin to his chin, finally dripping onto his shirt collar.
Gu Shaocheng paused for a moment, then slowly turned his head.
Yu Yuan was dumbfounded. Why were all the other fruits dry and crisp, but the strawberries were filled with sweet, wine-like liquid?!
Due to the impact of his large hips, Yu Yuan’s movements were inconvenient. By the time he pulled the tissue to Gu Shaocheng’s face, the strawberry juice he had spurted out had already been completely absorbed by Gu Shaocheng’s shirt.
Yu Yuan hadn’t swallowed the three wine-stained strawberries he had stuffed in his mouth yet. He was in a hurry to explain, so he tried to chew them. But it would have been better if he hadn’t chewed them. As soon as he moved his mouth, another stream of red liquid shot straight at Gu Shaocheng’s face. The man subconsciously closed his eyes.
The next instant, a bloody tear streak appeared below his narrow, cold eyes, quickly spreading to his pale, thin lips.
Yu Yuan: “…”
Gu Shaocheng: “…”
Yu Yuan tried to ease the tension, speaking vaguely, “Um… is it… very sweet?” If he said he wanted to give him a little treat, would Gu Shaocheng forgive him?
Gu Shaocheng took a deep breath.
Seeing Gu Shaocheng’s truly unpleasant expression, Yu Yuan quickly swallowed the remaining strawberries while covering his mouth. Then, he carefully picked up a tissue and began wiping away Gu Shaocheng’s “blood and tears,” saying, “We…we agreed to show affection, so you can’t be angry…”
Gu Shaocheng slowly opened his dark eyes, his gaze sinister: “Heh, how could that be?”