Have You Seen Enough?

The lighting in the private room was somewhat dim, casting the entire space in shadow.

Gao Yan expressionlessly took a sip of wine, then lifted his foot and kicked the man kneeling by his feet aside. "Get lost."

The man trembled all over, pursing his bright red lips, not even daring to wipe himself. "S-sorry, Young Master Gao."

Sheng Chengguang, never one to fear stirring up trouble, grinned and said, "Why are you getting angry? Didn't you used to hate seeing Bai Yunsheng hanging around in front of you?"

"I thought telling you about this would make you happy." With that, he lazily leaned back against the sofa and cast a pitying glance at the man still kneeling there. "Such a pretty little beauty, and you could actually bring yourself to hit him. Young Master Gao isn't in a good mood today, so leave first. The drinks here will all be charged to your tab."

The man had been so frightened by that kick that he had lost all sense of direction, terrified of angering the people before him and suffering the consequences. Now that he heard the drinks would all be charged to him, the pain in his body seemed to vanish at once. He immediately thanked them repeatedly. "Thank you, Young Master Sheng. Thank you, Young Master Gao." Then he quickly retreated from the room.

Gao Yan glanced at Sheng Chengguang. "If you like playing the good guy so much, why don't you take him?"

Sheng Chengguang crossed one leg over the other. "You know I like them clean."

Gao Yan said, "Pretentious bastard."

Sheng Chengguang carelessly swung his foot. "I think Bai Yunsheng really isn't interested in you."

Gao Yan said nothing. His face was hidden beneath the dim light, his expression indistinct.

Sheng Chengguang continued teasing him. "Did he reply to the message you sent him?"

Gao Yan's grip around his wineglass tightened.

"It's been this long. He obviously doesn't want to deal with you."

Gao Yan narrowed his eyes and sat upright. "What do you know? I've seen plenty of people who play hard to get. I'll make him come, and he'll have to come."

Sheng Chengguang said, "Come? Do you know who's behind him?"

Gao Yan had already heard rumors.

"A few days ago, the person Bai Yunsheng beat badly enough to send to the hospital was expelled outright. His father couldn't keep his general manager position either. The place where Bai Yunsheng used to take piano lessons—the principal crossed the line. Replacing the principal should have been enough, but the place shut down completely. Of all the teachers, only Bai Yunsheng's former piano teacher found a new job. Everyone else was left unemployed."

"Swift and ruthless." Sheng Chengguang's eyes gleamed with mockery. "Do you still dare?"

Gao Yan shot Sheng Chengguang a glance. "How could someone like Meng Shangzhi care so much about one person? He's just treating Bai Yunsheng like a toy and amusing himself with him. Something interesting has to happen in an otherwise boring world. Our Gao Household may not compare to the Meng Household, but we still have a foothold. He won't go too far over a plaything."

"When it really comes down to interests, Meng Shangzhi will only cast Bai Yunsheng aside. Isn't that how people like us have always been?"

Sheng Chengguang raised an eyebrow. "Then I'll wait to see Bai Yunsheng at your birthday party."

What Gao Yan said did make some sense.

People with money and power always liked new things.

Once the novelty wore off, they were no different from weeds by the roadside.

When he returned home for the weekend, Feng Yanshan suddenly brought up Gao Yan at the dinner table without any warning.

"Bai Yunsheng, when did you get to know Gao Yan?"

Bai Yunsheng, who had been eating rice with his head lowered, looked up at that. "We've met a few times. We aren't close."

Feng Yanshan clearly did not believe him. "Not close? Then why would he personally call me to invite us to his birthday party and specifically name you?"

Bai Yunsheng frowned at those words, unable for the moment to understand what Gao Yan meant.

Feng Yanshan continued, "The Gao Household is on equal footing with us. Since it's a birthday party for your generation, we won't be going. You and Tingfan can go." Without asking Bai Yunsheng what he thought, Feng Yanshan made the decision on his own.

"I've already prepared gifts for both of you." Then he said to Feng Tingfan, "Your younger brother rarely attends events like this. Take better care of him."

He called it taking care of him, but everyone at the table understood the implication.

Feng Tingfan nodded, a trace of smugness on his face. "Don't worry. We won't embarrass ourselves."

Feng Yanshan gave a hum of acknowledgment.

Bai Yunsheng offered no opinion. After that, he simply lowered his head and continued eating. He knew perfectly well that he had no right to refuse—at least, he had no way of refusing Feng Yanshan for now.

The following evening, Bai Yunsheng changed into a very ordinary outfit and went downstairs. Feng Tingfan, on the other hand, was dressed rather formally. Seeing Bai Yunsheng's clothes, he said nothing, merely turned his head, gave a cold snort, and walked out the front door. Bai Yunsheng followed unhurriedly behind him. As soon as he got into the car, he heard Feng Tingfan say impatiently, "Why are you so slow? Don't you know we're going to be late?"

After fastening his seatbelt, Bai Yunsheng said coldly, "Is this some important banquet? Isn't it just a birthday?"

Feng Yanshan said, "Whether it's a birthday or something else, if someone invites us, we shouldn't be late."

Bai Yunsheng glanced at the time. "It only takes twenty minutes to get to the hotel from here. Even after we arrive, we'll still have ten minutes to spare. How exactly do you see us being late?"

Hearing Bai Yunsheng talk back, Feng Tingfan stubbornly argued, "What if there's traffic?"

Bai Yunsheng leaned back. "It isn't rush hour."

Feng Tingfan was left speechless and could only vent his anger on the driver. "Why are you driving so slowly? Hurry up."

The driver said, "Yes, Young Master."

Bai Yunsheng turned a blind eye to Feng Tingfan's young-master temper.

A twenty-minute drive was shortened to fifteen minutes by Feng Tingfan's single remark. When Bai Yunsheng and the others arrived, there were only a few scattered guests.

Gao Yan was nowhere to be seen. He was probably receiving other guests.

Bai Yunsheng had not wanted to come in the first place. After arriving, he casually found a corner and sat down.

Feng Tingfan ignored him as well. He would be more than happy to see Bai Yunsheng make a fool of himself.

There was not much to eat at a banquet like this anyway. Bai Yunsheng casually took a few things from the spread and returned to his seat.

"Yunsheng, I thought you wouldn't come." Gao Yan suddenly appeared in front of Bai Yunsheng, still wearing that gentle expression. To be honest, Gao Yan's looks were average; he could only be called refined. Wearing glasses did improve his appearance somewhat.

Bai Yunsheng said, "You personally called my father. How could I not come?" The words were far from pleasant, and Gao Yan's expression shifted slightly. "Yunsheng, do you have some misunderstanding about me?"

Bai Yunsheng turned his face to look at him.

They were standing rather close, though still at a polite distance. Gao Yan had never examined Bai Yunsheng so carefully from this close before. The longer he looked, the more he liked him. Bai Yunsheng was more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen, especially his eyes—standard willow-leaf eyes, cool and distant, as if separated by morning mist.

How had he never noticed before that Bai Yunsheng was so captivating?

Bai Yunsheng coldly lifted his eyelids. "Have you seen enough?"

Gao Yan snapped awake at once, realizing that he had lost his composure. His expression turned awkward. He lightly coughed and continued, "Did someone say something to you?"

"I've always considered you a very good friend."

"I hope there isn't any estrangement between us."

Gao Yan spoke with sincerity and seriousness, even carrying a trace of sadness.

If not for that birthday.

If Bai Yunsheng had not heard those words.

He would definitely have believed Gao Yan's hypocritical act.