Chapter 19 – 019

“Are you done yet?” Gu Xian rebelliously attempted to tug his tie askew again, but he couldn’t break through Xie Yunjing’s defense.

“This is just a cocktail party hosted by my family, a place where everyone pretends to be nice and harmonious!” he snapped irritably. “It’s not military training. What’s wrong with dressing comfortably? Is it really necessary for the angle of my tie to be so precise? I almost thought I was here to demonstrate hanging myself!”

Under Xie Yunjing’s adjustments, the tie around his neck was so tight it felt like it was choking him. If there were more time, Xie Yunjing would probably even arrange every strand of his hair perfectly.

“Stand up straight, and it won’t choke you,” Xie Yunjing said, seemingly affectionate as he held onto Gu Xian’s tie, but the force in his grip was shockingly strong. “If you really want to waste time here with me, I don’t particularly mind. After all, you’re right, I’m just as uninterested in this pretentious cocktail party.”

No matter how boring the party was, Gu Xian had no intention of standing at the entrance like an idiot with Xie Yunjing, exposed to the breeze. Moreover, neither the hosts of the party nor the attending guests would allow them to stand idly by.

“Third Young Master Xie, Young Master Gu, you’re finally here. Everyone’s been waiting for you for a long time.”

Well, here they are now.

Gu Rongcai, at least, carried the identity of being Xie Yunjing’s father-in-law. If he, like everyone else, had rushed over at the first chance, it would have been far too unbecoming.

Gu Xian watched Xie Yunjing exchange hypocritical pleasantries with others and unapologetically acted like an accessory, ignoring everyone. After all, his reputation among this crowd was already far from stellar.

Gu Rongcai coughed lightly from the back of the crowd and leisurely stepped forward as the guests made way for him. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy his special status as “Xie Yunjing’s father-in-law.”

“Yunjing, you’re finally here.” There was a hint of sincerity in his words. After all, if Xie Yunjing hadn’t shown up, the Gu family would have lost a significant amount of face tonight.

Xie Yunjing’s smile was perfectly composed. “Good evening, Uncle Gu.”

Gu Xian, however, let out a disdainful snort.

He clearly couldn’t stand his dad, so why put on this big act?

Gu Rongcai immediately shot him a glare, then patted Xie Yunjing’s shoulder and said in a tone of feigned helplessness, “Xiao Xian must have caused you trouble, right? This rascal just loves to mess around. Yunjing, I hope you can be more understanding.”

Xie Yunjing glanced at Gu Xian, playing along with an air of seriousness. “It’s indeed been quite troublesome.”

Gu Xian wasn’t the least bit angry at Xie Yunjing’s remark. After all, if Xie Yunjing was unhappy, that made him happy. Besides, the stiff expression on Gu Rongcai’s face was truly amusing.

Out of the kindness of his heart, Gu Xian decided to rescue his poor father. “Dad, how long do you plan to keep us standing here at the door? If we don’t go in soon, we’ll be full from drinking the northwest wind.”

Gu Rongcai, however, showed no gratitude. Instead, he glared at him again, even more furiously this time.

The area at the entrance was spacious and drew everyone’s attention. Once they entered the main hall, people would scatter and focus on their own matters, and there wouldn’t be such a perfect opportunity to showcase how close he was with Xie Yunjing and the Xie family.

That said, he couldn’t really let Xie Yunjing stand out here drinking the northwest wind.

Gu Rongcai put an arm around Xie Yunjing’s shoulder warmly and said enthusiastically, “Come, come, Yunjing, let’s talk inside.”

Others had to gauge whether Xie Yunjing would even deign to shake their hand, yet Gu Rongcai could assume the airs of an elder with him. Realizing this, Gu Rongcai’s smugness was so overwhelming it was almost nauseating.

Gu Xian noticed Xie Yunjing stiffening slightly when his father put an arm around him. Just as he was reveling in schadenfreude, he felt a hand settle on his waist.

Xie Yunjing subtly freed himself from Gu Rongcai’s grasp, only to turn around and affectionately place an arm around Gu Xian’s waist, smiling as he responded, “Alright.”

Now it was Gu Xian’s turn to freeze.

With the young couple holding each other, if the father-in-law were to join in, what kind of scene would that be?

Although Gu Rongcai was reluctant to lose the chance to showcase his close relationship with Xie Yunjing, the person being embraced by Xie Yunjing was, after all, his son. Rounding things up, it wasn’t too far off.

The main hall grew lively once more.

Gu Rongcai kept chatting away with Xie Yunjing, finally having his fill of showing off before letting him go. After all, the true purpose of this cocktail party was to leverage the Xie family’s influence to win over others.

Throughout the event, Xie Yunjing kept an arm firmly around Gu Xian, as if utterly captivated by his son. This display only bolstered Gu Rongcai’s confidence even further.

“Xiao Jing, I have something to discuss with Xiao Xian. Why don’t you wander around on your own for a bit?”

Xie Yunjing had been holding onto Gu Xian purely to keep Gu Rongcai from grabbing him again. As for Gu Rongcai’s incessant chatter, it was only Xie Yunjing’s impeccable upbringing that kept him from showing any impatience. Now, he didn’t even mind the slightly condescending tone in Gu Rongcai’s voice. Appearing polite but actually eager to leave, he replied, “Take your time, Uncle.”

Gu Xian was dragged by Gu Rongcai to a secluded corner. He raised his hand to sniff his clothes, his face full of disdain.

After being held by Xie Yunjing for so long, his clothes were practically drenched in the scent of Xie Yunjing’s cologne!

Gu Rongcai, thinking he was being disrespectful, angrily slapped his hand away and demanded, “Where’s the old man?”

“How would I know?” Gu Xian replied indifferently.

At events like this, Xie Yunjing could never hope for a moment of peace. As soon as Gu Rongcai walked away, someone else quickly filled the vacancy by his side.

While Xie Yunjing was busy chatting, Gu Xian wasted no time loosening his tie and even unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt.

“What do you mean, ‘How would I know’! Did you even go to invite the old man or not?” Gu Rongcai snapped angrily.

“I did invite him,” Gu Xian said as he casually grabbed a plate of snacks from a nearby table and began eating. The tie had been so tight earlier that even drinking felt like choking.

Gu Rongcai looked as though he wanted to overturn the plate in Gu Xian’s hand. “And after inviting him? Did the old man agree or not? Why is it just you and Xie Yunjing here?”

Gu Xian stepped back a couple of paces to ensure the safety of his food. “Xie Yunjing and I don’t live with Grandpa Xie, so of course, we wouldn’t come together. When I spoke to him, Grandpa Xie said he’d come. How should I know why he’s not here now? I can’t exactly tie him up and drag him here, can I?”

“You’re just—!” Gu Rongcai pointed at him, then slammed his hand heavily on the table beside him, fully proving how wise Gu Xian had been to take those two steps back earlier.

As he aged, Old Master Xie attended such events less and less frequently. If he could have shown up tonight, it would have been a significant boost for the Gu family’s development.

The cocktail party failing to achieve its desired effect clearly left Gu Rongcai irritated, though having Xie Yunjing attend was at least some consolation.

Gu Rongcai left behind a warning: “Don’t cause me any more trouble!”

Then he hurried off to rejoin the social scene.

Gu Xian shrugged indifferently, set down the empty plate in his hand, and headed toward another table, intending to try something else.

Li Yuqiu and a few others who got along well with Gu Xian were also attending the cocktail party, but they were all caught up by their parents, busy mingling with others.

Gu Xian picked up a cocktail just brought over by a waiter, took a sip, and suddenly frowned.

“Wait a moment,” he called out to the waiter, who was about to leave. “Does this drink have mango juice in it?”

“Yes, this is a new creation just developed by the head chef in charge of tonight’s catering,” the waiter replied, somewhat puzzled. “Is there an issue?”

Gu Xian clicked his tongue. “Besides this drink, is there anything else with mango in it?”

“There are also some desserts…”

“Remove them.”

“Huh?”

“I said, remove them,” Gu Xian repeated, glancing in the direction where Xie Yunjing was. At some point, Gu Leyu had gone over there, likely to give face to the host family. The others had temporarily stepped back, giving him and Xie Yunjing a chance to talk.

“Go inform the kitchen and have them send someone to remove everything that contains mango immediately,” Gu Xian ordered.

The waiter looked a bit troubled. “Is there an issue with the taste? More than half of today’s dishes and drinks are new creations by the chef using mango as the main ingredient. If we remove them, most of the tables will be cleared.”

“Then replace them with something else right away!” Gu Xian said impatiently. “I don’t like mango!”

The young waiter naturally didn’t dare to defy the eldest young master of the Gu family, especially since Gu Xian’s gaze had suddenly turned a bit fierce.

Frightened, the waiter hurried off, while Gu Xian, who claimed to dislike mango, still didn’t put down the cocktail in his hand, sipping it absentmindedly.

Irritated, he glanced over at Xie Yunjing again, only to realize that, at some point, Xie Yunjing had walked over and was now standing right in front of him.

Following behind Xie Yunjing was Gu Leyu. Just as Gu Xian was wondering what trouble his younger brother had stirred up this time, Xie Yunjing suddenly pushed him, pressing him against the edge of the table.

With both hands braced on either side of Gu Xian, Xie Yunjing glanced in the direction the waiter had gone, then leaned in close, his voice laced with ambiguity. “What mischief are you secretly up to behind my back this time?”

The faint scent of alcohol on Xie Yunjing’s breath made Gu Xian blink. He lowered his voice and muttered, “What’s wrong with you—”

Xie Yunjing reached out to lift the glass in Gu Xian’s hand for a sip, but Gu Xian reacted instantly, slamming his hand over the rim of the glass. “You can’t drink this!”

“Hm?” Xie Yunjing’s tone sounded confused and even a bit aggrieved, though his gaze remained sharp and clear. “So stingy, won’t even let me have a sip?”

Gu Xian quickly realized what was happening. It was likely that his foolish younger brother had somehow irritated Xie Yunjing, prompting him to come over and put on a show with him.

Gu Xian rolled his eyes, removed his hand from the rim of the glass, and even pushed the glass slightly toward Xie Yunjing. “There’s mango in the drink. Aren’t you allergic? If you want to die, go ahead and drink it.”

Author’s Note:

Xiao Xie: Did you see that? My wife loves me so much!

Xiao Gu: ……