"You're married? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Yan Heyu grumbled, rubbing his arm. He wanted to lash out but, considering the occasion, he restrained himself and eventually walked away with a shake of his hand.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Gu Junxing took Nian Suian's hand and examined it, noticing her wrist was slightly red.
Nian Suian shook her head, "I'm fine, it doesn't hurt." Gu Junxing's timely arrival had been fortunate.
"Let's go say our goodbyes and head home early."
Although Nian Suian wasn't feeling unwell, the prospect of leaving early appealed to her. After all, staying here was rather boring, so she nodded in agreement with Gu Junxing's suggestion.
Given his advanced age, Yan Zhensheng couldn't entertain guests outside for long, so after a brief appearance, he retreated to the rest room.
Gu Junxing and Nian Suian entered together to bid him farewell, explaining they needed to leave early. As luck would have it, Yan Heyu was also by his father's side. Upon seeing the couple enter, his eyes flickered with recognition.
"Mr. Yan, we have some matters to attend to at home, so we'll be taking our leave now. We wish you longevity and good health."
The main event of the banquet was yet to come, so Gu Junxing's desire to leave now, coupled with the flimsy excuse of "matters at home," left both Yan Zhensheng and Yan Heguang puzzled.
"Mr. Gu, have we been poor hosts? Why the rush to leave?" Yan Heguang inquired.
Instead of answering the question, Gu Junxing turned to Yan Heyu and said, "I presume you're the young Mr. Yan?"
Yan Zhensheng, not detecting any underlying issue in Gu Junxing's question, replied, "Yes, that's my younger son. He's a bit of a disappointment, doesn't take much interest in the company affairs. It's no wonder you don't recognize him." He then introduced Gu Junxing to Yan Heyu, "This is Mr. Gu from Junxing Enterprise. Mr. Gu's business has seen remarkable growth in recent years. Heyu, you should learn from him."
As they shook hands, Gu Junxing applied subtle pressure, saying, "Young Mr. Yan, in the future, please be more careful about mistaking people's identities. My wife is rather timid, and you gave her quite a fright today."
Yan Heyu hadn't expected Gu Junxing to bring this up in front of his father. He offered a forced smile to Nian Suian and apologized, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else earlier."
The talk of mistaken identity wasn't lost on Yan Zhensheng and Yan Heguang. They weren't fools; they could deduce what had transpired – their son/brother had somehow offended Mr. Gu's wife.
"Mr. Gu, we deeply apologize. This boy seems to have fallen back into his old habits," Yan Zhensheng said, then turned to his son, "You rascal, apologize to Mrs. Gu properly."
Left with no choice, Yan Heyu obediently apologized to Nian Suian again, though she merely nodded without saying a word.
"We'll be on our way now. Our child is still young, and we're uneasy leaving them alone at home," Gu Junxing said. With a nod to the two men, he took Nian Suian's hand and left.
As soon as Gu Junxing and Nian Suian exited the rest room, the old Mr. Yan swung his cane, striking Yan Heyu squarely on the shin.
Caught off guard, Yan Heyu took the full brunt of the blow.
"Dad, what are you doing?" he protested.
"You dare ask me? When are you going to curb this nasty habit of yours – losing your head every time you see a pretty face!" Yan Zhensheng recalled the long list of names from previous entertainment news, feeling tempted to strike again with his cane.
"I didn't do anything! I only said a couple of words. If I'd known she was married, I wouldn't have approached her."
"What does her marital status have to do with it?!"
Yan Heguang, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up with feigned concern, "Heyu, look how upset you've made Dad. Besides, it's high time you changed this habit of yours. Several female employees have complained to me about your behavior. I used to think you weren't like that..."
"What?! You're behaving improperly at work too?!" Yan Zhensheng's anger escalated, his cane thumping loudly on the floor. "Get out of my sight!"
Before leaving, Yan Heyu shot his elder brother a furious glare. Yan Heguang paid him no mind; he didn't care if his meddling was obvious, as long as it caused his brother trouble.
"Hasn't Hexu arrived yet?" Yan Zhensheng asked about his daughter after catching his breath.
At the mention of their sister, Yan Heguang's expression softened. "She just messaged me. She said she finished an emergency surgery and is on her way here now. She wouldn't forget your birthday, Dad."
"Insisting on being a doctor, such a demanding job," Yan Zhensheng grumbled. He had never approved of his daughter's choice to become a doctor. Letting her study medicine was already a concession to her wishes, as the family owned a pharmaceutical company. But then she secretly switched to surgery in her sophomore year, determined to become a doctor.
"Hexu enjoys it, so let her be," Yan Heguang said. He was very fond of his only sister. They had lost their mother early on, and their father had remarried, having another son whom he favored. For a long time, the two of them had only each other to rely on. Yan Heguang believed his sister should pursue her passions, and as her brother, he would ensure everything was taken care of. As for Yan Heyu, he would receive his rightful share of stocks, but nothing more.
"Dad, the branch in Haitang City needs a new manager. I think we should send Heyu there. Starting from the bottom will help him familiarize himself with the company's operations. Here at headquarters, we're always covering for him, so he's not getting the necessary experience. After he's gained some experience, he can return and join the management team at headquarters. This way, the other shareholders won't have grounds to object." Of course, whether Yan Heyu could return, and when, were details Yan Heguang could manipulate later. He simply wanted his brother out of his sight.
"You have a point. He's just idling away his time at headquarters. A new environment will be good for him. I'll talk to him about it later."
On the way home, Nian Suian asked Gu Junxing, "Was it okay to confront Yan Heyu like that? I thought Yan Zhensheng doted on his younger son." Nian Suian's mind conjured up scenarios of sabotaging rival companies.
It took Gu Junxing a moment to realize what Nian Suian was worried about. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about it. If Yan Zhensheng couldn't tell right from wrong, the Yan family wouldn't be where they are today. Besides, Yan Heguang isn't a pushover – he's probably delighted to see his brother in trouble. And..."
"And what?"
"And you seem to have little faith in me. While I may not be on par with the Yan family, I wouldn't stand idly by and watch you be wronged. I am more than capable of protecting you."
"I didn't mean it like that! I was just concerned about you (and the company)." Of course, Nian Suian omitted the part in parentheses.
"We got sidetracked last time, but after today's incident, I've been reminded," Gu Junxing suddenly said with a serious tone.
"About what?"
"About hiring one... no, two Muay Thai instructors for you and Zhijing. Next time something like this happens, you can just take action directly. Don't hold back."