Gu Zhijing sent the photo to Gu Junxing, watching as he set it as his phone's wallpaper.
"Dad, I'm really touched that you didn't crop me out."
"Once you're done eating, go pack your things. We're leaving soon."
The family arrived quite late, ultimately missing the opening ceremony.
"Old Gu, Suian, Zhijing. Your family's timing couldn't be better - we're about to start the banquet. Wei has been here for a while, just waiting for you!" Chen Shu was still in Switzerland and naturally couldn't attend this opening.
Liu Jian personally came to the entrance to greet them. As soon as he saw them, he put his arm around Zhijing's shoulders and walked inside, leaving Gu Junxing and Nian Suian behind.
"Zhijing, I heard you acted heroically and ended up at the police station?"
Gu Zhijing smiled awkwardly. In reality, he had just taken advantage of the chaos to kick the guy in the butt twice, which could hardly be called heroic. There were experts in his class, so there was no need for everyone to get involved.
"Well done! How about Uncle Liu rewards you with a big red envelope later?"
Gu Zhijing wasn't sure if he could accept the red envelope, so he looked towards Gu Junxing for guidance.
"What, are you afraid of your dad? It's just one red envelope, your dad won't object."
Gu Junxing spoke to Liu Jian: "Do you have too much money to spend? It's not New Year's, why are you giving out red envelopes?"
"Who says red envelopes are only for New Year's? New Year's has its own red envelopes, and now is now."
The family arrived at the top floor of the hotel. The original restaurant had been redecorated - outside were rolling green hills, inside was a lively gathering, making one feel as if they were in another world.
The hotel itself catered to a high-income clientele, so Liu Jian had put a lot of effort into this opening. He had used almost all of his connections and invited quite a few people to attend.
Qin Wei had arrived a bit earlier than the family. Seeing them approach, he immediately came over with a glass of wine in hand.
Upon seeing Qin Wei, Nian Suian asked about Xu Jiasong's condition:
"Didn't Sister Jiasong come? How is she feeling now?"
At the mention of his wife, Qin Wei's eyes immediately filled with tenderness.
"Jiasong's at home. Mom wasn't comfortable with her coming to such a crowded place, so I came alone. She's doing well, and the baby is behaving - she hasn't had any symptoms."
"That's good to hear."
Liu Jian, who was standing nearby and overheard, said: "Jiasong's health is the most important thing right now. This isn't a place for strangers anyway. In a few months, you'll be coming as a family of three - how wonderful! Look at Old Gu's family, how happy they are." A family of three, how nice - even he, a single man, felt envious.
After chatting for a while, Zhao Yue came to find Liu Jian. As today's host, he couldn't spend all his time talking with friends. There were many things to do and many guests to entertain, so he excused himself and left.
Gu Zhijing felt that this kind of social occasion, with everyone holding wine glasses, had nothing to do with him. He said a quick goodbye, grabbed some food, and found a corner to play games.
Nian Suian also wanted to leave, but she was still arm-in-arm with Gu Junxing. While Gu Junxing was socializing with the other guests, she, as "Mrs. Gu," had to put on a show and exchange pleasantries with the other "wives."
"Mr. Gu, Mrs. Gu, what a pleasure to see you again."
"Mr. Yan, it's you! I didn't expect to run into you here."
Nian Suian recognized him when she saw him - this was the eldest son of the "richest family in Jinjiang City," Yan Heguang.
"This is my sister, Hexu. Hexu, this is the CEO of Junxing Enterprise, Mr. Gu Junxing, and his wife. Mr. Gu is a well-known young talent in Jinjiang City."
Gu Junxing smiled and responded with a few modest words.
Nian Suian had initially thought the woman next to Yan Heguang was his wife, but it turned out to be his sister.
The siblings didn't look alike. To be honest, Yan Hexu was much more attractive. Thinking back to Yan Heyu's appearance, she guessed that Yan Hexu probably took after their mother, while Yan Heguang and Yan Heyu looked more like old Mr. Yan.
Moreover, compared to her brother, Yan Hexu lacked a certain sharpness and shrewdness, instead possessing more of a scholarly air. Her temperament was also gentler, truly living up to her name.
"Is old Mr. Yan still in good health?"
Since they had run into each other, Gu Junxing politely inquired about old Mr. Yan Zhensheng.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Yan Heguang sighed, while Yan Hexu didn't show any particular reaction.
"Ah, my father is in the hospital now. Although there's no immediate danger to his life, he's had a major illness and his health is not what it used to be."
"What happened? The last time I saw the old gentleman, he seemed to be in excellent health."
Nian Suian also remembered seeing him at Yan Zhensheng's birthday banquet, with a ruddy complexion and a booming voice, looking very healthy indeed.
Hearing this, Yan Heguang sighed again, but to Nian Suian's ears, this sigh sounded much more fake than when he had mentioned his father's illness earlier.
"Ordinarily, one shouldn't air family troubles, but I trust your character, Mr. Gu. Moreover, this matter is somewhat related to you."
"Brother, your back isn't good. Standing for so long must be tiring. Why don't we find a place to sit down and talk?" Yan Hexu interrupted her brother. In her view, their father's illness and family troubles were less important than her elder brother's comfort.
So the four of them found a place to sit down. When Yan Heguang had said earlier that this matter was somewhat related to Gu Junxing, he immediately thought of Yan Heyu's situation.
If Yan Zhensheng's illness was because of Yan Heyu, then Yan Heguang's behavior made sense.
Yan Heguang said he shouldn't air family troubles, but in reality, he was preparing to do just that.
Yan Heguang paused for a moment before speaking.
"About my brother Heyu, I had previously suggested to my father that we send him to our branch company in Haitang City for some training, starting from the bottom. I thought after a year or two, he could return to headquarters directly, which would also help him gain respect. Mr. Gu, you're aware of this matter."
Gu Junxing nodded. At the time, Yan Heguang had specifically mentioned this to him.
"I know about this. Is your brother not performing well at the branch company? Young people need opportunities to grow. Even if he's not doing well at the moment, it's not a big deal."
Of course, Gu Junxing knew that Yan Zhensheng's illness couldn't be solely due to Yan Heyu's poor performance, but in social situations like this, even if you know the truth, you sometimes have to say a few white lies.
Yan Heguang shook his head, looking as if he could barely bring himself to speak. "Poor performance at work is the least of our concerns. To be frank, for a family like ours, even if he never worked a day in his life, it wouldn't matter much. But... ah! How can I even say this out loud!"
Sitting nearby, Yan Hexu couldn't hold back any longer. As a doctor for many years, she prided herself on having "seen it all," and didn't think there was anything unspeakable about it, nor did she consider it a family disgrace.
"What's so hard to say? If he dared to do it, he should be prepared for others to talk about it. He was caught on video having sex with two men at the same time, and Dad saw it. That's all."
In an instant, under the table, Nian Suian and Gu Junxing's hands gripped each other's...
They maintained composure on the surface, only able to express their shock through their hands.