Originally, seeing how much Xie Ci cared, Gu Yufeng felt a mischievous urge to tease him, deliberately saying he had been kissed to see the other person’s reaction. He didn’t expect Xie Ci would just lean in and kiss him directly.

This reaction completely caught him off guard, but going along with it to steal a kiss was no big deal.

He didn’t expect that this kid would wake up halfway through.

Isn’t this recovery a bit too fast?

Gu Yufeng retorted confidently, “I only said I was kissed. You came over silently wanting to kiss me, and now you’re questioning me?”

“Who said I wanted to kiss you?” Xie Ci’s expression was cold.

Gu Yufeng paused, “Then why the hell did you come over?”

Xie Ci replied, “To see if your face is rotting and festering.”

Gu Yufeng cursed under his breath, “You better be serious.”

When Fang Sizhe and Wang Wei found them, they happened to see Xie Ci and Gu Yufeng arguing.

Wang Wei listened for a few moments, stroking her chin thoughtfully, “We haven’t fought like this since elementary school, right?”

Fang Sizhe: “…”

The commotion in the garden caused today’s gathering to end early.

To express his apologies, Gu Yongnian gave a small gift to everyone Gu Yufeng had invited.

On the way back, Zhang Ruochuan opened the gift box, feeling a bit complicated.

“Does this count as eating and taking?”

Fang Sizhe replied, “They gave it to you; you can’t just refuse it, right?”

The group chatted all the way, noticing Xie Ci sitting in the back seat, staring out the window in silence. They exchanged glances, wondering if something that happened in the evening had upset him.

Jiang Chenyu squeezed past from the front seat to sit next to Xie Ci and quietly asked, “Old Xie, are you worried about that matter?”

Only the two of them knew about the painting, so Jiang Chenyu couldn’t say it outright.

Xie Ci snapped back from his tangled thoughts, “If nothing unexpected happens, we should know the result in a couple of days. It’s not a big deal.”

“Not worried about that, but worried about Old Gu?”

Jiang Chenyu recalled how Xie Ci had actually hit someone in public for Gu Yufeng that evening and was still quite surprised.

Gu Churan’s group of friends had indeed gone too far, but from what he knew about Xie Ci, he should have just rescued Gu Yufeng from those two scumbags without being so impulsive and hitting them so hard. It felt a bit over the top.

“What a good gathering turned into this mess because of them.”

Zhang Ruochuan felt a bit melancholic, “Old Gu’s dad was so angry, he cut off business ties on the spot. I saw everyone else was dumbfounded.”

“This shows that Uncle Gu really dotes on Old Gu. If it were my dad—”

At this point, Jiang Chenyu scoffed, “He probably wouldn’t even show up, just brush it off as kids fighting.”

Fang Sizhe said, “Cooperation between big companies involves a lot; it’s not something you can just cut off. That really takes guts.”

“Do you really think President Gu is just venting for Old Gu?” Xie Ci spoke lightly.

The other three looked at Xie Ci simultaneously.

“What do you mean?” Jiang Chenyu asked.

Xie Ci gazed out at the rushing scenery, speaking slowly, “Old Gu’s dad and second uncle have never gotten along. The two brothers have pulled in quite a bit of power to fight over the family business. Those two scumbags were clearly in cahoots with Gu Churan, which is obviously a force from Gu Yong’an’s side. Gu Yongnian might just be looking for an excuse to get rid of them. The commotion tonight was like a direct collision; he certainly wouldn’t miss such a good opportunity. He could also take the chance to give Gu Yong’an a warning. Why not? Don’t be surprised if he’s hiding somewhere laughing right now.”

Zhang Ruochuan and the others exchanged glances, shocked.

It’s that complicated?!

Fang Sizhe was confused, “Is it really worth making such a big deal over this little matter? Gu Yong’an should have the guts to confront his brother.”

Xie Ci shook his head, “The overseas industries of the Gu family rely entirely on Old Gu’s maternal family for support. Gu Yong’an has no guts to confront his brother directly; at most, he can only pull some petty tricks.”

One big reason for Gu Yongnian’s actions tonight was also to show it to Gu Yufeng’s mom, Caitlyn.

The couple had been fighting over their son for quite some time. Whenever Gu Yufeng faced any slight discomfort in the country, Caitlyn would immediately come to take her son back.

From any standpoint, those two scumbags tonight would inevitably face consequences to serve as a warning.

After listening to Xie Ci, Fang Sizhe pondered for a moment, “So everyone in the Gu family, including Gu Yongnian, can’t afford to offend Old Gu?”

“Yeah.” Xie Ci’s tone was flat, “Old Gu is a big deal; even Old Man Gu wouldn’t dare to provoke him. If Gu Churan had any sense, he wouldn’t have caused tonight’s mess. If he doesn’t wake up, Gu Yong’an’s days ahead will probably be tough.”

Zhang Ruochuan asked, “Old Xie, you know so much. Did Old Gu tell you?”

Xie Ci replied vaguely, “Big families are all pretty much the same.”

At the Gu family.

Gu Yufeng sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the already framed “to” sign on the bedside table for a long time, chuckling softly, “I can’t believe you thought of this.”

He got up to take a shower, and when he came out, he passed by the mirror and couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Where does he look like a kid? He’s clearly developed quite well.

Thinking about the matter with Jian Yan, Gu Yufeng dried his hair and returned to his room, picking up his phone to dial a number, “Secretary Lin, I need you to help me look into something…”

–

Lei Qiliang didn’t keep Xie Ci waiting too long.

On Wednesday afternoon, Xie Ci received a message from Lei Qiliang, saying he had transferred the final payment to the account he specified.

Xie Ci: [Did you sign the contract?]

Lei Qiliang: [Signed it.]

Just as Xie Ci was about to lock his screen, another message came through.

Lei Qiliang: [Are there any more paintings? A few friends want to buy them too.]

Xie Ci: [You think they’re cabbages? Just because you want to buy doesn’t mean you can?]

In the office, Lei Qiliang read Xie Ci’s reply and recalled the wine party from the night before, still feeling a bit unreal. He never expected to strike up a conversation with Gu Yongnian just because of a painting.

As long as they could sit down and talk, the subsequent discussions about the project would naturally follow.

Secretary: “President Lei, could it be that we encountered a fairy that day?”

Lei Qiliang snapped back to reality, gritting his teeth, “Even if it was a fairy, it was a greedy one!”

Secretary: “…”

After returning that day, he looked up Jian Yan, the painter. The prices of his works ranged from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand, yet they spent a million dollars. He almost called the police at that time.

But now that he had successfully signed a contract with the Gu family, that amount of money didn’t seem like much anymore.

His phone on the desk rang, and Lei Qiliang answered, “Hello, President Wang? … Jian Yan’s painting? … How could you not find it? Try looking at a few more galleries… I bought it at a high price from a private collector, spent quite a bit of money… Want me to ask around? Sure, I’ll ask and get back to you.”

Just as he hung up, another call came in, also asking about the painting.

Lei Qiliang felt overwhelmed and directly tossed the phone to his secretary.

In a classroom.

During the break, Jiang Chenyu excitedly ran to find Xie Ci.

“I heard my dad say yesterday that many people in the business circle are looking for Jian Yan’s paintings these days. He wanted to join in the fun, but he found out he couldn’t buy one!”

Zhang Ruochuan leaned against the windowsill with him, confused, “Seeing how Uncle Gu likes it, everyone is rushing to join in?”

“Not just for fun.”

Jiang Chenyu glanced at Gu Yufeng, who was reading a foreign book, lowering his voice a bit, “I heard the president of Feihong Group also likes Jian Yan’s paintings and gets along well with Uncle Gu. They successfully pushed out the Xie family to secure a big project, so others want to buy Jian Yan’s paintings to try their luck.”

Gu Yufeng flipped to the next page and casually added, “The Xie family losing is their own fault. They could have competed on strength but chose to rely on connections. Although Feihong Group is a new partner, they are very sincere. It’s obvious who to choose.”

Xie Ci, who was originally doing physics problems, looked up at Gu Yufeng, “You know a lot about the Xie family and Feihong Group?”

Gu Yufeng replied, “I’ve heard my dad mention it. He doesn’t like the way the Xie family does things.”

The Xie family being too close to Gu Yong’an would inevitably annoy Gu Yongnian. Xie Ci had also considered this when choosing a scapegoat.

As long as Lei Qiliang performed normally and showcased what he had prepared well, Gu Yongnian would prioritize him.

“I heard Dad say that the painting President Lei has cost a million dollars, bought from a private seller.”

Fang Sizhe pondered, “Spending tens of times the price to buy it seems a bit too simple.”

Jiang Chenyu suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

Old Fang, guessing everything will only get you in trouble.

Before Xie Ci could say anything to cover up, Gu Yufeng, without raising his head, said, “Not expensive. Jian Yan’s paintings are worth that price.”

Xie Ci looked at Gu Yufeng a bit longer.

This nonchalant attitude puzzled him, as if he knew how high the price of his dad’s paintings had once been.

But upon closer thought, it seemed like a simple acknowledgment of oil paintings.

Xie Ci tentatively asked, “Do you like Jian Yan’s paintings?”

“Not really. His paintings feel too heavy to me.”

Gu Yufeng thought of the painting hanging in the living room of the wedding house and added, “But someone really likes them.”

“Who?” Xie Ci pressed.

Gu Yufeng turned to look at him, his expression somewhat nostalgic, but in the blink of an eye, that subtle emotion was perfectly suppressed.

“An old friend.”

Just as Xie Ci was about to ask again, Gu Yufeng had already shifted his gaze away, coldly tossing out, “Do your homework.”

Xie Ci found Gu Yufeng increasingly hard to read; sometimes he gave him a sense of dissonance.

Just like earlier, Gu Yufeng seemed to be looking through him, staring at someone else.

On Saturday, the basketball league kicked off.

Xie Ci got up early to meet with the other team members at school, led by the PE teacher to the group match at the Fourth Middle School.

When Gu Yufeng sent a message, they had already successfully won the match.

Gu Yufeng: [Congratulations, too bad I couldn’t go to watch because of something.]

Xie Ci: [There’s still a chance in the next match.]

Gu Yufeng: [Are you looking forward to me coming to watch?]

Xie Ci: [Come if you want.]

During lunch, Xie Ci received a message from Yang Le, saying that the agent from Mingjian Gallery would come in the afternoon. He declined Jiang Chenyu and the others’ invitation and returned to the studio first.

Pushing open the door to the second-floor reception room, Yang Le and his dad, Xie Qian, were already there.

“Xiao Ci, come in quickly. I just brewed some tea.”

Yang Le was all smiles, “In the past few days, we’ve received quite a few contacts from galleries, all interested in collaborating with us.”

Xie Ci wasn’t surprised.

As long as those people in the business circle were still looking for his dad’s paintings, more agencies would come knocking.

“You didn’t rush to agree to the collaboration, right?” Xie Ci took off his coat, sitting down across from Xie Qian and taking a sip of tea.

“No, we’re afraid of repeating the same situation as before. We’re still in the process of further understanding.”

Xie Qian was calmer than Yang Le, but he wasn’t as gloomy as before.

Yang Le brought over a form for Xie Ci to look at, “Take a look. Are there any reliable ones?”

Xie Qian sighed, “Why show this to Xiao Ci? He doesn’t understand.”

Yang Le chuckled, “Not necessarily! Xiao Ci knows more than we do.”

Xie Ci browsed through the form, placing it on the coffee table, pointing to the only auction house listed, “Yishu Auction House, how’s their attitude?”

Yang Le quickly detailed the situation, “They’ve contacted us three times already, and their willingness to collaborate is quite strong.”

Xie Ci said, “Then let’s go with them. If they contact us again, choose a painting slightly better than the two I took and have them auction it.”

Yang Le replied, “Okay! What about the others?”

Xie Ci said, “Not considering the others.”

Xie Qian looked at him, vaguely guessing something, but ultimately didn’t ask.

Around two in the afternoon, the previous blonde agent came back, this time with a better attitude and a more sincere smile.

“After returning last time, I fought for a long time, and finally, the higher-ups agreed to sign another two years with the teacher.”

The agent said, placing the contract on the table, “Take a look. It’s the same as before, with no changes in content.”

Xie Ci made himself a cup of coffee, walked behind Xie Qian, leaning on the back of the sofa, glancing at the opened contract, “Didn’t we agree to wait until my dad’s paintings appreciated a hundredfold before signing?”

“How could we really do that?”

The agent smiled broadly, “We’ve worked with the teacher for many years, and we have a deep relationship.”

“Recently, many agencies have contacted us.”

Xie Ci brought this up, noticing the agent’s expression tense slightly, and continued, “My dad is a sentimental person and doesn’t like dealing with strangers. If you’re willing to renew the contract, that’s the best.”

The agent secretly breathed a sigh of relief, smiling even wider, “If you don’t have any issues—”

“But what you said before was really hurtful.”

Xie Ci interrupted him, “If you want to renew the contract, please show some sincerity.”

The agent’s smile stiffened, “Sincerity?”

Xie Ci spoke calmly, “At the very least, let me see if you have the ability to promote and recommend my dad’s works to the right clientele.”

The agent’s gaze swept over Xie Qian and Yang Le, seeing both of them silent and seemingly in agreement. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Okay! We can start online and offline promotional activities for the teacher’s works in the next few days.”

Seeing Xie Ci nod, the agent urged, “If there are no problems, the contract—”

Xie Ci replied, “Let us see the results first. If we’re satisfied, we can sign later.”

The agent forced a smile, “That might be—You see, our previous contract has already expired, and we’re not in a cooperative relationship now—”

“So it can’t be done?”

Xie Ci straightened up, his attitude turning cold, “If it can’t be done, why didn’t you say so earlier? Wasting everyone’s time. Yang Ge, show him out.”

Yang Le was about to get up when the agent hurriedly spoke, “No, it can be done, it can be done!”

–

At the same time, at the Gu family.

Gu Yufeng received the information Lin Ying had investigated.

Seeing the photos in the materials, he was stunned for a minute.

That million-level painter Jian Yan was actually Xie Ci’s dad, Xie Qian!

“Jian Yan… Xie Qian… Qian?”

Gu Yufeng muttered to himself, quickly extracting various related information from his past life and this life.

No wonder Xie Ci hung Jian Yan’s oil painting in the wedding house; it wasn’t just because he liked it.

No wonder he could give Jian Yan’s painting as a gift, just like that.

But with such a talented dad, how could he end up in such a miserable state, being fostered by relatives and abused, with no one caring?

Seeing Gu Yufeng lost in thought, Lin Ying handed him another document, “I also looked into Mingjian Gallery. They don’t have a good reputation in the industry, often using underhanded tactics to exploit small painters. I wonder if Jian Yan’s lack of output in the past two years is directly related to this gallery.”

Gu Yufeng recalled that day when Xie Ci ran out of school to find his missing dad, and how he said he went to the temple to pray for his dad during the gathering. So Jian Yan being sick was indeed true.

Putting aside the issue of output, he must have been maliciously underpriced. With the quality of Jian Yan’s works, how could they possibly only sell for a hundred thousand? If it were really worth that much, why did those seasoned collectors in his past life rush to spend millions to collect his works? Were they all crazy?

The son is miserable, and the father is too; how could this father-son duo be so pitiful?