Gu Kai was a quiet person. He had not spoken to Shen Qinglan ever since the initial greeting. Everyone present was accustomed to his behavior. It seemed he had always been like that.
Jiang Chenxi gave the impression of being gentle and elegant. In the beginning, he seemed quite similar to Shen Qinglan’s brother, but a closer look could confirm that their personalities differed. One was courteous from the get-go, while the other was merely pretending for underneath their exterior was a sly fox.
The former was Jiang Chenxi, so naturally the latter had to be her brother, Shen Junyu.
“Missus, you’re really pretty. Brother Shen is so slick. He has such a beautiful sister and yet he never takes her out. If I’ve gotten to know the missus earlier, Fu Hengyi wouldn’t stand a chance,” Gu Yang boldly spoke out, ignoring Fu Hengyi’s long face.
Han Yi had nothing but admiration for the fellow. Gu Yang was still as bold as always, to say such a thing in front of Fu Hengyi. He wondered what sort of consequences await the young man.
Han Yi thought about it in gleeful delight.
“My aunt told our grandfather on the phone that you’re physically weak, and quite lacking in masculinity. She hopes Grandpa could enrol you in the army and get you in shape. You’ve graduated from military school now, haven’t you?” Fu Hengyi made casual conversation, not angry in the slightest.
Gu Yang’s face fell. He had graduated for over a year and should have joined the army long ago, but he disliked military life, so he had been unwilling to go. Grandpa Fu was not pleased with that, but he would not force the young man.
Fu Hengyi was satisfied to see Gu Yang clam up.
How could anyone make a joke out of his wife?
Now that even the most misbehaving Gu Yang had gone quiet, naturally no one else had the audacity to provoke Fu Hengyi.
“Missus, if there’s anything you need, you can always give me a call. I teach at University A. Where are you studying, may I ask?” Jiang Chenxi’s manner of speech was as gentle and steady as the impression he made on others.
He turned out to be a university lecturer. That explained the bookish appeal. Even at the card table, he did not give off the impression that he dabbled in dishonest work.
“That’s right, missus. Which school do you go to? I can look for you sometime,” Gu Yang boldly crossed the line again.
Under the table, Gu Kai stamped on his foot. Gosh, has he gone blind? Did he not see Brother Fu’s long face?
“I’m from University B, major in Chinese Literature.”
“Ah, you’re…” Gu Yang suddenly pointed to Shen Qinglan and shouted with excitement. Everyone at the table turned towards him. “You’re the campus belle from University B. No wonder your name sounds so familiar. You’re the aloof campus belle there.”
As he said that, he observed Shen Qinglan’s face curiously, “Missus, rumor has it that the amount of love letters you receive can fill an entire truck. Is that true?”
Han Yi, Gu Kai, and Jiang Chenxi silently looked away. They could already foresee Gu Yang’s tragic future.
Shen Qinglan smirked, “What do you think?”
“Of course.…..” It is. He quietly swallowed the last two words when his eyes met Shen Qinglan’s half-smiling ones. “Of course it’s just a rumor. A person of your tastes and temperament can’t possibly approve of those lowlifes.”
Sparks flashed in Shen Qinglan’s beautiful eyes as she watched Gu Yang with a trace of interest. This kid was aware of his actions and timing.
“Missus, do you like racing in your free time? There’s an underground racing competition going on in the capital lately. It’s exciting. Do you want to attend the event together?” Gu Yang could not stop even for a moment.
Right after he said that, Fu Hengyi’s chilly voice called out to him abruptly, “Does your mother know you’re racing?”
Trembling, Gu Yang mechanically turned to face Fu Hengyi. He had crossed the line, completely forgetting about Fu Hengyi’s presence.
“Hey, bro, I was only joking with the missus just now. I’ve never raced a car. Never even watched it. Really, I swear.” With that, he raised three fingers and swore at the sky.
Fu Hengyi stared at him deeply, withdrew his gaze, turned to Shen Qinglan and said, “You’re not allowed to go racing with him.”
Shen Qinglan found the situation hilarious. “Fine.”
There was a faint smell of smoke in the room. Shen Qinglan did not like it very much, but she did not show it on her face at all. She stayed for a while and finding an excuse to use the washroom.
On her way back from the washroom, she incidentally glanced downstairs and caught sight of something.
She took a step forward, approached the railing, and observed the scene below. Sure enough, she saw a familiar figure in the crowd. She spotted a figure in the arms of a strange man, breaking out seductive dance moves on the dance floor. Shen Qinglan stroked her chin with one hand, her eyes were sparkling with interest.
She wondered what would happen if the seductive Shen Xitong were to be caught by the paparazzi.
Shen Xitong was in a bad mood that day. After bumping into Fu Hengyi and had her feelings crushed just like that, her date turned out to be delinquent too. Not only did he resemble a lowlife, but he even had the gall to put forward lots of demands.
She did not want to go home, and there was nowhere else she could go. She had friends in the capital but, after spending so many years studying abroad, rarely returning, the connections with those friends had gotten soggy. Even those she frequently connected with only did so because she was the daughter of the Shen family. How many of those were true friends?
She did not want to make a fool of herself.
Shen Xitong drank a lot that night. This was the first time she had ever given in to sensual pleasures. There was a fire hidden deep within her heart, and that fire completely broke out after Fu Hengyi rejected her that day.