Then he immediately forced a smile and said, "I am truly sorry, Miss Gu. It was my own short-sightedness and narrow-mindedness that led me to offend your friend. I really am sorry."
The behavior of Qin Dahai and his son, Qin Zizhuo, provoked suppressed snickers from the crowd of onlookers.
The Qin family's sole purpose in attending tonight's banquet was to curry favor with the Gu family. Offending Gu Chenxi at a time like this was clearly an unwise choice; compared to future business, losing a bit of face was nothing.
Meanwhile, alerted by the servants, Gu Chenxi's parents also arrived at the scene.
Gu Chenxi's father was a middle-aged man of extraordinary presence. He possessed a natural, commanding authority of someone born to rule, striding forward with the vigor of a tiger. His name was Gu Tianhan.
Following closely behind him was Gu Chenxi's mother, Liu Yun, who was holding the hand of their youngest daughter, Gu Chenxuan.
Gu Tianhan's expression was calm, yet his tone carried an unforced authority as he asked his daughter, "Xiaoxi, what's going on?"
Tonight was his eldest daughter's birthday banquet, and everyone present was a prominent figure in Zhonghai City. If anyone dared to cause trouble at such a time, he, Gu Tianhan, would certainly not spare them a pleasant look.
Gu Chenxi said to her father, "Dad, do you remember what I told you earlier about being bullied at school?"
"Yes," Gu Tianhan nodded.
Gu Chenxi pointed at Qin Zizhuo and said, "It was him. He harassed me downstairs at the girls' dormitory this morning. If my friend Kong Liu hadn't stepped in to stop his violent behavior, your daughter would probably look like that right now!"
Hearing this, Gu Tianhan's gaze shifted from Kong Liu to Qin Zizhuo. Although Qin Zizhuo had applied concealer to hide the bruises on his face, the marks were still visible upon closer inspection.
Hearing Gu Chenxi's words, Qin Dahai instantly realized that his foolish son had lied to him from the very beginning. Not only had the plan failed, but he had also nearly beaten the Gu family's precious daughter!
Qin Dahai was so furious inside that he wanted nothing more than to beat this fool right then and there.
Yet this was hardly the time to make a scene. He immediately said to Gu Tianhan, "President Gu, I believe there may have been some misunderstanding between your esteemed daughter and my unworthy son..."
"I believe what my daughter says. As for whether there is any misunderstanding, I have no desire to delve into it tonight."
Having heard his daughter's account, Gu Tianhan's gaze toward the Qin father and son grew noticeably colder. Unbothered to say anything further, he gave a sweeping wave of his hand and commanded domineeringly, "Show them out!"
The security guards had just been lectured and berated by the Qin father and son, and harbored deep resentment. Hearing their employer order them out, they acted with immense eagerness. Without letting the two men utter another word, the guards hoisted them up and threw them out of the villa.
"Kong Liu, you bastard, you just wait!"
Qin Zizhuo clenched his fists so tightly that his fingernails nearly dug into his flesh, swearing to himself that he would settle this score today.
Chapter 11: Engagement
Had Kong Liu known that fellow Qin Zizhuo held an even deeper grudge against him, it was hard to tell how he would have reacted. Clearly, he had done nothing wrong, yet somehow he was the one being resented.
Still, with the Qin family's meager capabilities, the most they would dare do was hold a grudge against Kong Liu; surely they wouldn't dare go head-to-head with the Gu family, would they?
Unfortunately, the Qin father and son had miscalculated. Kong Liu was far from as simple as they imagined.
After this brief interlude, the banquet officially began.
Just as Gu Chenxi herself had stated, she took the stage to deliver a brief opening remark, received birthday greetings from the guests in attendance, and after that, her part was essentially done.
The primary purpose of everyone gathered here today was to discuss business with Gu Tianhan. By the middle of the banquet, Gu Tianhan had already downed several rounds of drinks. Worried that her father wouldn't be able to handle it, Gu Chenxi took the initiative to sit by his side, using cups of tea to help him block the toasts.
Kong Liu found an inconspicuous seat and quietly ate his meal. Had Gu Chenxi not invited him in front of so many people, he never would have wanted to attend a banquet like this in the first place. Right now, he just wanted to fill his stomach and leave the Gu residence as soon as possible.
As the banquet drew to a close, a handsome young man followed a middle-aged man toward Gu Tianhan.
The middle-aged man raised his glass and joked half-heartedly to Gu Tianhan, "Old Gu, you're not drunk yet, are you? If not, bottoms up with me."
"Old Chen, who do you take me for?" Gu Tianhan raised his glass, clinked it with the other man's, and drained it in one go.
After the middle-aged man finished his drink, the young man behind him immediately stepped forward to offer a toast: "Uncle Gu, I'd like to toast you as well."
Gu Chenxi promptly picked up her teacup and stepped forward, saying, "My dad has had a bit too much to drink. I'll substitute tea for wine and drink this on his behalf. Please forgive us."
"This girl..." Gu Tianhan smiled wryly, looking somewhat helpless, though inwardly he felt deeply gratified. Had his daughter not helped him block the drinks tonight, he probably wouldn't have been able to recover.
When the young man clinked glasses with Gu Chenxi, his eyes remained fixed on her face, the adoration in his gaze completely unmasked. Gu Chenxi, however, refused to spare him a second glance, stubbornly sipping the water in her cup.
The middle-aged man was named Chen Guoliang, the helm of the Chen Group. The handsome young man behind him was Chen Guoliang's son, Chen Junjie. The Gu and Chen families had always been business partners with an excellent relationship. Chen Guoliang's purpose in coming today was precisely to elevate the ties between the two families to the next level.
Sure enough, with a glass of wine down his hatch, Chen Guoliang cut straight to the point. "I truly envy you for having such a well-behaved and sensible daughter. Unlike this son of mine, who is nearly twenty and has yet to bring back a daughter-in-law, leaving me to worry about him day in and day out."
"Uh... haha."
With Chen Guoliang speaking so bluntly, how could Gu Tianhan fail to understand? He smiled and said, "Xiaochen isn't even twenty yet; he's right at the age to enjoy his youth. Why rush him into marriage so early?"
"Old Gu, that's where you don't understand!" Chen Guoliang sighed. "Once this brat settles down and starts a family, won't I be able to hand the company over to him sooner and go enjoy my own wonderful life?"
Chen Guoliang's underlying meaning was that if his son married Gu Chenxi, he would immediately step into the background and hand power over to the younger generation.
Gu Tianhan understood, but replied, "Young people still need more seasoning and cultivation of their character first."
Chen Guoliang turned and patted his son's shoulder, saying, "Did you hear what your Uncle Gu said? Remember it!"
Chen Junjie immediately replied respectfully, "Junjie will firmly keep Uncle Gu's teachings in my heart!"
Chen Guoliang nodded in satisfaction and asked his son, "Among all the daughters of my friends and colleagues present, isn't there a single one who catches your eye?"
"Uh..."
Chen Junjie immediately wore a shy smile, his gaze falling once more upon Gu Chenxi.
He hesitated for a few seconds before speaking, "Actually, I have long admired Chenxi..."
"Hiss..."
Gu Tianhan suddenly drew a sharp breath—not because he was frightened by Chen Junjie's words, but because his daughter had pinched him from behind, causing him to gasp in pain.
"You brat, why didn't you tell me earlier that you fancied Uncle Gu's daughter?" Chen Guoliang seized on his son's words and said, "Old Gu, look at the relationship between our two families... Why don't we let these two youngsters take the opportunity today to formalize an engagement?"
"Old Chen, these two kids are still young, and as for the matter of an engagement..." Gu Tianhan paused for a few seconds before continuing, "It's better to discuss it thoroughly over time."
Seeing that Gu Tianhan was unwilling to pursue the topic today, Chen Guoliang tactfully laughed it off and changed the subject.
The banquet hall remained as lively as ever, yet Kong Liu witnessed none of it, for he had long since been dragged into a bedroom by Gu Chenxuan.
The little girl pulled him along to play video games with her. Finding the outside too noisy anyway, Kong Liu simply stayed in the room to play games with her.
When he was by himself, Kong Liu didn't play games much—aside from grinding his rank at the start of a season, most of his remaining time was basically spent accompanying his online girlfriend, [Xixi].
Gu Chenxuan's rank was far too different from Kong Liu's, so the two of them could only play casual modes together. She played support while Kong Liu played the marksman. Kong Liu's wildly flashy and overpowered plays completely infatuated Chenxuan, who on the spot demanded to take Kong Liu as her master—an offer Kong Liu naturally refused.
After all, he was here to be this little girl's tutor, yet here he was teaching her how to play video games. If Gu Chenxi and her family found out, he would be scolded to death.
Just as the two of them were deep in a match, the sound of arguing suddenly drifted in from the doorway.
"Xiaoxi, this is the Ocean's Tear necklace I bought you from Europa! Happy birthday!"
"I don't want it, take it back!"
"Why? This is a token of my sincere feelings."
"Chen Junjie, listen to me clearly: I could never possibly grow to like you. Stay away from me."
Chapter 12: Boyfriend
Listening to the argument outside, their inherent appetite for gossip could simply no longer be contained. Abandoning their game entirely, they muted the audio and crouched by the door to eavesdrop—adding two more AFK slackers to the world.
"Xiaoxi, my feelings for you are so sincere. Can't you see that at all? Why must you reject me?"
"Didn't I tell you last time? I've always only regarded you as an older brother; I've never held any romantic feelings for you whatsoever!"
"Feelings—feelings can be cultivated!"
"Give up. I already have someone I like. That stuffed doll and the flowers were gifts from the person I love."
"You're lying to me, aren't you? Those two things combined aren't even half as expensive as the gift box for this necklace I bought you! How could you possibly fall for such an ordinary man?"
Hearing the gift he had given dismissed as utterly worthless by this fellow named Chen Junjie, Kong Liu suddenly felt rather displeased. He whispered to Gu Chenxuan, "Does this guy named Chen Junjie come from a very wealthy family?"
"Mhm." Gu Chenxuan nodded, leaning close to Kong Liu's ear to whisper, "Junjie big brother's family background is on par with ours. My dad and his dad have been exceptionally close friends since they were young, and he's known my sister since childhood. You could say they're... childhood sweethearts."
"Childhood sweethearts?" Having heard Gu Chenxuan's explanation, Kong Liu found it rather interesting.
"Yeah," Gu Chenxuan continued, "It's a pity: the man is willing, but the maiden is not. Even though he likes my sister, she only looks at him like an older brother."
Kong Liu probed tentatively, "Is he not handsome, or rather, quite handsome? And the two of them are a match in social standing... why wouldn't your sister look down on him?"
Gu Chenxuan shrugged and said, "How would I know? Go ask my sister yourself."
Kong Liu immediately waved his hands and said, "Your sister is as cold as an ice sculpture. I wouldn't dare provoke her."
"Maybe my sister has someone she likes..."
Seemingly struck by a thought, Gu Chenxuan leaned her face close to Kong Liu's ear once again and whispered, "Brother Kong, I'll tell you a secret, but you have to promise me not to tell anyone else—especially my sister!"
"Alright, go ahead."
Kong Liu nodded and leaned his head closer to hers.
"I accidentally saw my sister's chat interface on her phone before. She seems to be... in an online relationship, hahaha..."
At this point, Gu Chenxuan couldn't hold back and actually giggled aloud.
Yet Kong Liu, who happened to be her sister's online boyfriend in the flesh, felt rather awkward. To keep Gu Chenxuan from noticing any flaws, he could only cover his mouth and force a fake laugh.
"Once, I even sneaked a peek at the chat logs between her and her online boyfriend. They were so cheesy, the whole screen was full of cute emoji stickers and 'baby' as a pet name. Tsk tsk tsk, utterly unwatchable, hahaha..."
"Uh... ha... haha..."
Listening to Gu Chenxuan's words, Kong Liu felt nothing short of sweaty all over, feeling so awkward he could practically claw out a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.
The level of embarrassment was no less than someone suddenly shouting out your edgy, non-mainstream QQ nickname from years ago in the middle of the street—the kind where they read out all the special symbols and circles right along with it.
"And another thing, let me tell you..."
Gu Chenxuan still wanted to say more, but the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside by Gu Chenxi. The sight of the two of them squatting by the doorway whispering secrets was laid bare before the two people standing outside.
Frowning, Gu Chenxi first glanced at her younger sister, then looked at Kong Liu's somewhat unsightly expression, and couldn't help asking, "What are you two doing squatting by the door?"
"Uh..."
Gu Chenxuan's quick little brain spun, and she immediately came up with an excuse. Holding up her phone, she said, "We suddenly realized the Wi-Fi signal is really good right by the door."
"Ah... right..." Kong Liu also smiled wryly and nodded.
With a dark face, Gu Chenxi said, "Both of you, stand up!"
"Swish!"
The two of them shot to their feet instantly, standing so straight they looked stiffer than during military training at school.
"Let me introduce you..."
Gu Chenxi took a step forward, coming to stand beside Kong Liu. In the next second, amidst the shocked gazes of all three people, she grabbed Kong Liu's wrist and announced, "This is the man I love. His name is Kong Liu, and the doll and flowers were gifts from him!"
"!?!"
Kong Liu's eyes widened in horror as he stared at Gu Chenxi. At that moment, his feelings were somewhat complicated: "Wait, Gu Chenxi knew I was her online boyfriend all along?! When did she figure it out? Could it be this afternoon's delivery order... No, that doesn't make sense either; I clearly used Chen Zhirui's account to place it!"
Just as Kong Liu was utterly baffled, Gu Chenxi covered her mouth with her hand, leaned close to Kong Liu's ear, and whispered a quick message: "Play along and help me get rid of him. Do it well, and I'll give you a thousand."
Hearing this, Kong Liu finally understood—it turned out Gu Chenxi had simply stumbled upon a blind cat running into a dead mouse, actually getting her real boyfriend to disguise himself as her fake boyfriend to chase away a suitor.
With that thought, the heart that had been hanging in Kong Liu's chest finally settled back down.
Naturally, Chen Junjie refused to believe that the fellow standing before him in cheap street-market clothes exuding an utter loser vibe could possibly be Gu Chenxi's boyfriend. Yet seeing the intimate picture of Gu Chenxi whispering into Kong Liu's ear made Chen Junjie's chest tighten uncomfortably.
"Chenxi, are you out of your mind?! Just to reject me, you're resorting to such childish tricks? Even if you wanted to find a fake boyfriend to fob me off with, at least find someone presentable!"
"What's wrong with him?" Gu Chenxi clung to Kong Liu's arm and proclaimed loftily, "He may just be dressed a bit plainly, but I love him for who he is—his inner character, which has nothing to do with outward appearances!"
He could accept Gu Chenxi liking a man wealthier or more handsome than himself, but he could not accept Gu Chenxi being willing to lock arms with such a stinky loser rather than agree to be his girlfriend.
More importantly, she was actually willing to argue with him over a guy like this?
He simply couldn't accept it, and anger instantly seized control of his mind.
With a disgruntled expression, he said, "He's nothing more than a stinky loser! Show some respect to my boyfriend, Uncle Gu won't ever agree to you dating someone like this!"
"What loser? Show some respect to my boyfriend!"
Gu Chenxi said coldly, "Don't judge a book by its cover. My family background is no less than yours!"
"Heh..."
Chen Junjie let out a cold laugh. "Giving you a cheap stuffed doll worth a few hundred bucks as a birthday gift—does a guy like that even deserve to be compared to me?"
As he spoke, Chen Junjie raised the necklace in his hand and declared, "The necklace I got you is worth a full eight hundred thousand!"
"He..."
Gu Chenxi was momentarily left speechless.
At that moment, her younger sister Gu Chenxuan suddenly piped up, "Who says Brother Kong only gave my sister a doll? He even secretly prepared a surprise for my sister!"
With that, she blinked at the still-dazed Kong Liu and said, "It's right in my room, isn't it, Brother Kong?"
"Uh... right!"
Although Kong Liu hadn't prepared a thing, seeing Gu Chenxuan's wink, he guessed she must have a way out, so he could only bite the bullet and agree first.
Chen Junjie sneered, his gaze turning dark as he stared at Kong Liu. "I wonder what kind of treasure it is? Let me have a look."
Chapter 13: The Fake Watch
"W—Wait a minute!" Chen Junjie started to walk toward the room, but Gu Chenxi stopped him in his tracks. "Brother Junjie, it's not convenient for you to enter my room right now... Just wait out here."
Chen Junjie paused for a moment, then said to Gu Chenxuan, "Xiaoxuan, you never used to restrict big brother from entering your room."
"Uh..."
Gu Chenxuan offered a strained explanation, "A child is growing up, they always need a bit of private space."
With that, Gu Chenxuan pulled Kong Liu and her older sister into the room, then turned and shut the door behind them, leaving Chen Junjie standing alone in the hallway to brave the draft.
"???"
Staring at the closed door, Chen Junjie felt an incomparable sense of gloom—it turned out he was the only outsider here.
Once inside, Kong Liu spoke up first. "Let's get this straight: I don't have any gift on me more expensive than his eight-hundred-thousand-dollar necklace."
Although any random chandelier in Kong Liu's family home was worth more than eight hundred thousand, at this moment, he genuinely couldn't produce a decent gift—he couldn't very well pull a few workbooks out of his somewhat worn backpack, hand them to Gu Chenxi, and tell her that "knowledge is an invaluable treasure," could he?
"Of course I know you don't!"
With that, Gu Chenxuan walked over to her desk and took out a gift box. "Good thing I prepared a gift for my sister. I originally wanted to give her a surprise, but it looks like there's no chance now."
" Wow, Xiaoxuan, thank you!" Gu Chenxi paused slightly, looking at the box her sister handed over in surprise as she asked, "What gift did you prepare for me... Strange, why is it so light?"
Gu Chenxuan put her hands on her hips and said proudly, "Just open it and see."
Gu Chenxi immediately unwrapped the gift box, only to find it... completely empty.
Gu Chenxi raised her head, looking at her younger sister in bafflement as she asked, "Did you just give me a box?"
"Ah!"
Seeing the empty box, Gu Chenxuan immediately clutched her head and said in distress, "I was wondering why it felt so empty when I brought it over! I only remembered to bring the gift box, but the handbag I preordered is still sitting at the store and hasn't been picked up yet!"
Gu Chenxi pressed her lips together, somewhat speechless. "Alright, I know the surprise you prepared for me was a bag, except the bag is still at the shop and hasn't been brought back."
"Stop scolding me!"