I was exposed for adding my female boss to my group of female friends.

After all, that's Jiang Xinhai, not some nobody who can be summoned and dismissed at will, especially since he's now semi-retired.

Gu Chengxi asked hopefully, "Sister, have you decided who you want to dance with?"

Gu Yuqing thought for a moment and said, "It's a secret."

Gu Chengxi covered her mouth and asked softly, "Was it someone sitting in the living room...?"

She was referring to Cai Zhenyi, and Gu Yuqing immediately gave her a look as if she'd been swarmed by a bug: "Of course not him."

This was the first time Gu Yuqing had shown such an emotional expression in front of her younger siblings, which surprised Gu Chengxi.

"I think... he's quite handsome, and very polite. Is it because his business isn't big enough?"

Gu Yuqing looked at her and said, "You can't judge a person by their appearance or how much money they have; their character is also very important."

After she finished speaking, she herself was a little flustered. She hadn't expected to say such earnest and serious words.

But judging from Gu Chengxi's expression, she seemed to be absorbing this lesson very seriously.

"Sis, what kind of person do you like?"

Gu Chengxi looked at her innocently, seemingly engrossed in this simple, intimate conversation. Gu Yuqing was racking her brains for a reply when suddenly Cai Zhenyi's voice came from behind her:

"What are you two beautiful ladies talking about?"

Gu Yuqing didn't give him a friendly look, turning around and saying quickly, "What's it to you?"

Cai Zhenyi smiled broadly, his expression unchanged: "You have to give me a chance to speak, right? Otherwise, how can I get close to these two beauties?"

Gu Yuqing rolled her eyes: "Heh, 'Original Demon' just launched yesterday, and you're here today. Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You're up to no good."

Cai Zhenyi was still smiling, but in his heart he was secretly pleased that he had made the right decision today.

“Everyone has a love for beauty, how can you say I have ulterior motives?” Cai Zhenyi stared intently at Gu Yuqing.

Gu Yuqing immediately said, "My dad is very handsome?"

“…Uh.” Cai Zhenyi originally wanted to take the opportunity to flatter her, but he didn’t expect to be shut down by Gu Yuqing’s straightforward and blunt remarks.

Gu Chengxi covered her mouth and laughed.

"Didn't you come to talk to my dad about something?" Gu Yuqing asked.

Cai Zhenyi's eyes darted around, and he said:

"Yes, I asked Uncle Gu for some advice on art collection. I didn't expect Uncle Gu to be so knowledgeable about art."

Gu Chengxi covered her mouth and laughed:

“My dad has indeed collected a lot of artworks, but we don’t understand them. I still prefer the ones that are more aesthetically pleasing.”

Gu Yuqing looked at him with a teasing gaze, as if to say, "I'm afraid we talked about more than just this, didn't we?"

She was very perceptive and knew exactly what Cai Zhenyi was doing, so she didn't need to pretend to be stupid.

Tsai Chen-yi, however, remained completely unfazed, his relaxed demeanor conveying no sign of panic, as if to say, "So what if you know?"

He arrived earlier today to discuss the "Original Demon" project with Gu Zongyan.

He knew Gu Zongyan's character very well. Gu Zongyan was the kind of person who was suspicious and never easily trusted others.

But once he establishes his own logical chain, he finds it difficult to accept other ideas.

Take this incident for example. After Cai Zhenyi brought up the matter of "The Original Demon", Gu Zongyan interrogated him for at least two hours.

Fortunately, Tsai Chen-yi remained very calm. He did not shy away from the excellent performance of "Original Magic", but he focused on the market trend.

After his series of groundwork, Gu Zongyan now believes that open-world games are the next big thing in the market.

If even a fledgling small company can make a fortune, wouldn't Tsai Chen-yi's game be even more secure?

He orchestrated this whole thing because he was worried that Gu Yuqing would whisper rumors about Gu Zongyan behind his back, causing further problems for Gaoshan Capital.

But what Cai Zhenyi didn't know was that Gu Yuqing was now too lazy to pay any attention to him.

Because he was determined to kill Bei Chen, he naturally assumed that Chen Ya also wanted him dead.

For Gu Yuqing, whether he lived or died was unimportant. He himself wasn't important at all.

At this moment, Gu Yuqing's stepmother, Wen Shujing, came over, and Gu Yuqing took the opportunity to leave.

The hostess warmly invited Cai Zhenyi to have dinner. Cai Zhenyi pretended he couldn't refuse, but gladly accepted.

Gu Zongyan, beaming with joy, pulled Cai Zhenyi to his seat and had the family's maid open a bottle of red wine, saying he wanted to have a drinking contest with Cai Zhenyi. The two sat at the head of the table, much to Cai Zhenyi's delight.

Although reluctant, Gu Yuqing still sat down at the table and deliberately found a seat furthest away from Cai Zhenyi.

Although Cai Zhenyi lacks professional skills, his social skills are something he has cultivated since childhood, and he can chat with Gu Zongyan about anything and everything.

The two discussed everything from international disputes to the financial situation and market trends, then to Tsai Chen-yi's business empire, covering specific and detailed topics, and finally to Tsai Chen-yi's personal life plans.

After drinking and getting warmer, Gu Zongyan said, "Xiao Cai, you have a strong will. Your father doesn't care about you, so as a close friend, I'll be so bold as to ask, aren't you planning to get married?"

Cai Zhenyi quickly waved his hand and said, "Uncle Gu, you are too modest. As a junior, I am happy that you care about me. I will definitely get married."

Gu Zongyan asked with a smile, "Then why aren't you married yet? Do you want to play around for a few more years?"

Cai Zhenyi said, "I'm not playing around. These past few years have been the time to focus on my career, so I haven't dared to spend time on dating."

Gu Zongyan asked, "Do you have someone you love?"

“I have someone I like, but that person doesn’t like me back.” Cai Zhenyi glanced sideways at Gu Yuqing.

Gu Zongyan laughed and said, "My daughter is too career-oriented. I wish she were a little less smart and less successful in her career. If she lived a normal life, she might be happier than she is now."

Gu Yuqing, who was listening from the side, turned pale and said softly, "I can't live a normal life, isn't that all thanks to you?"

"What did you say?"

"If you can't hear me, then forget it."

Gu Zongyan added, "Anyway, I'm leaving Gaoshan Capital to her to manage. If she doesn't manage it well, I'll replace her."

Gu Yuqing said coldly, "But you, who directly handled the investment, should be careful not to lose everything."

Gu Zongyan put down his wine glass: "Which one are you talking about?"

Cai Zhenyi was preparing to fight when Gu Yuqing turned her head away, saying, "Anyway, I'm just giving you a heads-up."

She wouldn't bother with investments that weren't managed by her. She doesn't want to take the blame anyway.

Gu Zongyan, a little tipsy, asked, "Does Yuqing have someone she likes?"

"No," Gu Yuqing replied simply.

Gu Zongyan smiled and rested his chin on his hand, sighing, "You two have known each other since childhood, and you're so close, how come you haven't sparked any romance?"

Gu Yuqing smiled and said, "What's the use of being familiar? Some people only become more repulsive the more familiar you are with them."

Seeing that his daughter wasn't giving him face, Gu Zongyan quickly changed the subject and clinked glasses with Cai Zhenyi:

"Come on, let's have a drink. Hopefully, you can win her back."

Cai Zhenyi clinked glasses with Gu Yuqing and sighed inwardly.

He felt that Gu Yuqing was becoming more and more distant.

This woman will always be so unattainable, like a wild horse that can never be tamed.

Then, his gaze shifted to Gu Chengxi.

The girl had been staring at him curiously ever since he started.

If you can't win over Gu Yuqing, starting with something simple isn't a bad idea. Your looks certainly aren't as good as Gu Yuqing's, but they're not far off either; at least you're both from the Gu family…

Cai Zhenyi thought.

However, pursuing Gu Yuqing was the boy's original aspiration. Should he betray his youthful dreams...?

Gu Chengxi noticed Cai Zhenyi looking at her and asked innocently:

"Uncle Cai, my coming-of-age ceremony is coming up soon. Can you come and attend it?"

Cai Zhenyi was drinking, still struggling with his own thoughts, when Gu Chengxi kept calling him "Uncle Cai," almost making him spit out his drink onto the table.

After a long pause, he turned to his head and said in a gentle tone:

"I'm not much older than you, so it's not appropriate to call me uncle, is it? It's better to call me brother."

"Oh." Gu Chengxi blinked, not taking it to heart. "Then can I come to my coming-of-age ceremony?"

"Yes, definitely. I'll definitely go if Miss Gu invites me."

Gu Zongyan said with a look of affection, "They're setting up a stage over at Biyue Bay. If you're curious, you can go take a look."

Gu Chengxi asked excitedly, "Can I come with you, sister?"

"I won't go." Gu Yuqing pushed away her plate.

full.

……

That day, when Chen Ya got off work, he boarded a bus going in the opposite direction.

Having been in the capital for so long, I had never actually walked along Xianyang Street. This time, I took a nighttime train ride and saw the whole way, finally realizing how prosperous the capital was.

It's nothing special. The main problem is traffic congestion.

He took the bus in the opposite direction this time because he suddenly remembered there was something else he needed to do after he had temporarily finished his current tasks.

As the neon lights flashed across the window, Chen Ya seemed to see many memories flickering. When he arrived at Biyue Bay, he was the only one left in the car.

Alone, he stepped out of the car and onto the most famous villa district in Beijing. Returning to this familiar place, he felt no sense of familiarity.

Instead, it felt very unfamiliar.

He didn't come here often; he bought it as a love nest with Jiang Xinhai.

Later, he went abroad, and Jiang Xinhai, out of spite, never came back here, leaving the place in a semi-abandoned state.

At that time, only the first phase of this place had been built. Later, the second, third, and fourth phases were built. The sales staff who had been trained all spoke with a thick Beijing accent and kept telling you that coming here meant becoming a neighbor of Jiangxinhai. This made the place a well-known real estate name in Jiangxinhai.

Chen Ya always felt that they should collect advertising fees from the local developers.

Following his memory, he walked past several osmanthus trees, through two clumps of mistletoe, across the winding lawn and pebble path, and stood outside the low fence gate, but he couldn't recognize it.

Is this really my home?

Why is it so lively?

He stood outside the gate, staring blankly into the manor, where several workers were erecting flagpoles, hanging chandeliers, and setting up long tables and other structures—the manor was just beginning to take shape.

This setup makes it feel like Jiang Xinhai is about to hold a private concert here.

Chen Ya was standing at the door in a daze when a middle-aged man walked slowly by the roadside, his hands behind his back, constantly turning back to look at him. His face seemed familiar yet strange.

The man walked from Chen Ya's left rear to his right rear, until he reached the side of the streetlight facing the light, before stopping and asking uncertainly:

"Is this Mr. Chen?"

Chen Ya turned to look at the person: "Who are you?"

The middle-aged man immediately stepped forward and extended both hands to shake his:

"Mr. Chen, it's me, Xiao Jia, your neighbor. Have you forgotten me?"

Chen Ya quickly said, "Oh, it's Mr. Jia. Hello, hello."

Actually, he still couldn't quite remember. But looking at the middle-aged man's age, calling him "uncle" wouldn't be considered too high a rank, and he didn't dare to be disrespectful.

Mr. Jia patted his chest, handed over his business card, and said:

“Jia Shifei, who runs a small business, lives next door to you. When the house was handed over, we met once from a distance across the driveway. It’s funny, I bought this house because of you and Jiang Xinhai, but we missed each other. I’m only seeing you for the second time now.”

Hearing this, Chen Ya vaguely remembered it, nodded, and said:

"Hello, hello. I've been abroad for so long, and this is my first time back. Mr. Jia, do you know who all these people are in this manor?"

Jia Shifei was taken aback and said, "So you didn't know?"

"do not know."

“Hey,” Jia Shifei waved his hand, “then it seems that Ms. Jiang will definitely be in charge.”

"What decision did she make?" Chen Ya asked nervously. "She wouldn't sell the house, would she?"

"No, no," Jia Shifei quickly replied. "It must have been her decision to lend this place to someone else for a party."