On streets lined with towering buildings, traffic streamed past and people came and went. The bustling crowds jostled shoulder to shoulder like a tide, neon lights dazzling and other lights hazy. It was both illusory and real.
Inside a famous bar in City H, under dim lighting, people's faces flickered between light and shadow, some lonely, some lost in indulgence, some boisterous, and some unconscious.
Ruan Kaijun said, "What's going on with you? I'd barely gotten back to the country when you called me out, and now you're just drinking away your troubles alone."
Gu Weichen said, "What could be going on? We haven't seen each other in ages. Can't we have a drink?"
Ruan Kaijun said, "Keep being stubborn, then. Today is Old Master Shen's seventieth birthday-he's my eldest aunt's father-in-law. I came out drinking with you anyway, and you still won't tell me the truth."
Gu Weichen didn't answer him directly, instead asking Ruan Kaijun a question.
"Now that you're back in the country, what are your plans? About him."
Ruan Kaijun said, "What plans could I have? If he really gets married, I'll wish him well. If he doesn't get married..."
Gu Weichen raised an eyebrow. "If he doesn't get married, what are you going to do? You've already wasted six whole years."
Ruan Kaijun said, "I know, but I don't know whether he still..."
Gu Weichen said, "If you like him, have the courage to go after him. Look at your pathetic self. You still have a chance, don't you?"
Ruan Kaijun said, "Hey, you're one to talk. What about you? Which young man broke your heart?"
As Gu Weichen's good friend, Ruan Kaijun naturally knew his sexual orientation.
Gu Weichen remained silent and lowered his head to drink again.
"No way, I actually hit the nail on the head? So even our icy president can fall for someone!"
Ruan Kaijun was very excited and hurriedly asked another question.
"Which family's young master is it? He actually isn't interested in you? Now that's rare. Come on, tell me about it! He's actually got you drinking away your troubles here."
"Stop asking. There's no chance for us."
"What happened? Is there some deep hatred between you? Or are your families hereditary enemies? Come on, give me something to laugh about."
Ruan Kaijun asked very cheerfully.
"Shut up and drink." Gu Weichen poured another glass and went on drinking by himself.
Seeing what Gu Weichen was doing, Ruan Kaijun stopped talking and drank with him, slowly sinking into intoxication in this clamorous world.
A man who was also drinking himself into a stupor in a private room upstairs happened to spot the two of them drinking through a gap by the window.
The man stared blankly at one of them.
He's back. It's been six years. Is he finally willing to come back?
Excitedly, he took out his phone and sent a message to someone else. Someone wandering through nightmares was destined never to return, with no one showing any interest.
Inside the Shen Family Ancestral Residence.
Shen Xuanrun left Mom Shen's side looking dazed. Hearing too much gossip had shattered his worldview.
As he passed a group of people trading business compliments, he suddenly heard one of them flattering another.
"President Yan, you're truly impressive. You've built such a huge business empire at just thirty-five."
President Yan!? Yan!?
The little male lead!
Shen Xuanrun discreetly looked toward that "President Yan." He looked very young, too.
The original book mentioned that Gu Maojie's father, Yan Lang, had fallen in love with Gu Maojie's mother, Gu Yana, who had pretended to be poor in pursuit of excitement. He hadn't known Mom Gu's true identity, either, and Mom Gu had died from complications during childbirth.
But Mom Gu had been deceived by one of Yan Lang's admirers into believing that Yan Lang had a fiancée, and she had resolutely left. Only when she left did she discover she was pregnant, so she secretly gave birth to Gu Maojie.
Yan Lang had also remained unmarried and was finally murdered in secret by his older brother, Yan Ming, at around thirty-six.
Old Master Yan also knew what his eldest son, Yan Ming, had done and didn't hand the company over to him. He chose to keep it going himself, planning to groom a new heir, but he never found a suitable one.
Until he met Gu Maojie, the child who looked so much like his younger son.
After the DNA test that every melodramatic domineering-CEO novel had to include, Gu Maojie turned out to truly be his grandson. Then, after another melodramatic struggle with Yan Ming for control of the company, he established the largest business empire in City H.
Shen Xuanrun... This really is so melodramatic.
Just taking Mom Gu, Gu Yana, as an example, pretending to be an ordinary girl was not something many girls from wealthy families could pull off.
This book had gathered every bit of melodrama together.
The book also mentioned that Yan Ming's daughter, Yan Li, was the most powerful villainess. She kept fighting the female lead over the male lead and put the female lead through kidnapping, slander, and a whole series of other incidents...
Thank goodness the male lead likes the female lead. If he really got together with Yan Li, my CPU would burn out.
Then this wouldn't be a melodramatic domineering-CEO drama, but a family ethics drama...
Shen Xuanrun shuddered. What am I thinking? ⊙_⊙
Shen Xuanrun glanced at that man again. Someone who could be called impressive couldn't be Yan Ming. It could only be the male lead's father, Yan Lang.
He was already thirty-five, in his prime, with a steady look in his eyes. One glance showed that he had weathered great storms, but he would soon turn thirty-six and be assassinated by Yan Ming. He only had a year left to live.
Shen Xuanrun thought again of the quiet little male lead, Gu Maojie. Although he had his uncle's care, he had lacked both a mother's and a father's love from childhood, and nothing could make up for that.
He's quite pitiful.
He had lived in his own world since childhood and didn't like playing with other children. He was so little, yet so mature.
Although he'll steal away our lovely Little Xinxin in the future, apart from him, no one is worthy of our Little Xinxin anyway.
Besides, even Little Xinxin's father, Uncle Shen, has no objections. What am I fussing over? The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is.
Uncle Shen: I don't know anything about this in the first place! If I knew, wouldn't I break that brat's legs right now? Why would I wait for him to grow up and come ruin my Xinxin's life?
For the sake of his future brother-in-law having a better childhood, Shen Xuanrun figured he should lend a hand if he could!
Uncle Shen: How did you switch sides so quickly?!
Shen Xuanrun walked up to Yan Lang and said gently,
"Hello, Mr. Yan. I'm Shen Xuanrun."
"Hello. You're Old Master Shen's grandson, aren't you? Then I'll call you Little Brother Shen."
As Yan Lang watched the gentle young man approach him to strike up a conversation, he couldn't dislike him and replied politely.
Shen Xuanrun: There's really no need. You've got the generation wrong.
If Gu Maojie and Little Xinxin get together, I should actually call you Uncle.
Gu Weichen: So calling me Uncle before wasn't enough-you're planning to call me your uncle-in-law, too!
"I've heard about Big Brother Yan's accomplishments in business before. Since I'm fortunate enough to meet you today, I thought I'd introduce myself." But Shen Xuanrun said none of those thoughts aloud.
Yan Lang said, "You flatter me, Little Brother Shen. You're an impressive-looking young man yourself..."
After a round of business compliments, the two successfully exchanged contact information.
After successfully getting Yan Lang's contact information, Shen Xuanrun retreated to his room.
Boohoo, I really don't want to follow Mom Shen around meeting relatives again, or hang around with Dad Shen among a bunch of drinking middle-aged men. There are too many relatives. It's giving me a headache.