Chapter 41 Urging Marriage

The atmosphere at the dinner table was just right.

Chu Sheng and Gu Chaoyang hadn't seen each other for a long time, but they chatted without any awkwardness.

It could be said that Gu Chaoyang and Chu Sheng were like two completely opposite people. Gu Chaoyang lived a life without desires or wants. He would spend all day just spinning a string of Buddhist prayer beads in his hand. Even when he spent a long time wandering around outside, there was never any gossip about him.

Of course, he had also become so detached from worldly desires that he seemed to be unable to even see his beautiful wife, Chen Wanrou.

Chu Sheng, however, is constantly embroiled in scandals. In the many years since his divorce, he seems to have never lacked women. It is said that he changes female partners very frequently, and many women think that they can become Chu's wife, but so far no woman has been able to step into Chu's family.

Chu Sheng asked Gu Chaoyang, "How many days are you staying this time before leaving again?"

Gu Chaoyang replied, "I'll stay for about three days. After that, I'll go see the old man again, and then I'll go to the next place with my Buddhist friend."

Chen Wanrou seemed dissatisfied, or perhaps resentful, as she said reproachfully, "Couldn't you stay a little longer?"

Gu Chaoyang would only stay for a few days each time he came back, and Chen Wanrou could only see him a few times a year. It was like she was living a life of widowhood. If Gu Chaoyang wasn't someone who would never mess around outside, Chen Wanrou would have suspected that he was keeping a woman outside.

Wearing a light-colored, loose-fitting dress, Gu Chaoyang didn't even blink when his wife asked him a question. "I made an appointment with someone, and the schedule can't be changed."

Gu Chaoyang looks like his grandfather. He was handsome when he was young, but now that he's older, perhaps because of his Buddhist practice, his features are not as cold and serious as his grandfather's. Instead, he has a more casual and indifferent look, and he seems to have no desire for worldly things anymore.

Chen Wanrou had made a fuss before, but she had never been able to change Gu Chaoyang's mind. If she continued to argue, it would only make the atmosphere at the dinner table more awkward. She kept quiet and thought about whether she could try to change Gu Chaoyang's mind in private.

Chu Sheng laughed and said, "I still envy you. You have such a good son as Gu Heng. You can leave everything to him to handle, and you can live a carefree life like a hermit."

Mentioning Gu Heng, Gu Chaoyang's face lit up with a smile. This child was indeed his pride. "Chu Huai is almost an adult now, isn't he? I think he's very smart, and his future achievements will definitely not be lower than others. What's more, you have such an obedient and sensible daughter as Xiangxiang. This is something that others can only envy."

Chen Wanrou chimed in, "Gu Jue has been starting a business with friends lately. That kid is really stubborn. He insisted on refusing his family's support and chose to start from scratch. Luckily, he's been fortunate, and I heard things are starting to look up now."

Chen Wanrou's words sounded like a complaint, but if you listened carefully, you could tell she was clearly proud of Gu Jue.

Gu Jue sat up straight. Despite his usual carefree and spoiled nature, he actually harbored a deep-seated affection for his father and longed for his father's approval.

Gu Chaoyang looked at Gu Jue and said, "That's right, it's time for you to get down to business. If there's anything you don't understand, ask your older brother. Starting a business is never a smooth ride. Asking your older brother for advice will help you avoid a lot of risks."

Gu Jue pursed his lips and said in a low voice, "Okay, I understand."

He thought his father would praise him for doing well and say that he was no worse than his older brother, but in the end, he still told him to learn from his older brother, as if no matter what he did or how much effort he put in, he could not compare to his older brother's glory.

At these dinner parties, Chu Xiang only needed to look up and smile when others mentioned her, and eat in peace when no one mentioned her. Chen Wanrou was a woman who was particular about perfection in everything, and the housekeeper who cooked for the family was naturally very skilled.

Chu Xiang loves eating clam and vermicelli soup. Her table is already piled high with clam shells. Looking at the clean tables of everyone else, she feels a little embarrassed to reach for the clams with her chopsticks.

At that moment, a hand quietly moved the bone plate piled with clam shells in front of her away, and then replaced it with a clean bone plate.

It was a small action, and no one noticed.

Chu Xiang raised her eyes to look at the man sitting next to her, her dark eyes sparkling like fallen stars.

Gu Heng remained calm and poured the girl a glass of orange juice. His actions were so natural that it seemed as if he had simply noticed that the guest's drink was empty and was just being polite by pouring her a glass of orange juice.

When they sat down to eat, Chen Wanrou intentionally asked Gu Jue and Chu Xiang to sit together, but Gu Jue sat down next to Chen Wanrou before she could speak, showing no desire to be near Chu Xiang.

Chu Sheng's smile at that moment had a hidden meaning.

Gu Chaoyang's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.

Just as Chen Wanrou was thinking of something to smooth things over, Gu Heng came to the rescue. He sat down next to Chu Xiang under the pretext of talking about studying.

At least this way, Chu Xiang won't feel awkward about not being welcomed by the Gu family.

Gu Heng is indeed the most reliable person in the Gu family.

Chu Xiang picked up her glass and drank her orange juice. As she looked down, you could see her eyelashes fluttering gently, casting a small shadow under her eyes that was quite adorable.

Gu Heng looked down at her, his eyes curving slightly. If there weren't so many people around, he would have really wanted to pinch her cheek.

Chen Wanrou suddenly said, "Chaoyang, you're back now. Why don't you try to persuade Aheng? He's been focused on work all these years and hasn't even found a girlfriend. He's not getting any younger, what's he going to do if he doesn't find one?"

Chu Xiang suddenly felt that the orange juice wasn't so sweet anymore. She immediately looked up at Gu Heng and decided that if she saw him hesitate even slightly, she would settle the score with him later.

Gu Heng said to Chen Wanrou, "You don't need to worry about this matter."

"What am I supposed to do if I don't worry about it?" Chen Wanrou said with deep resentment. "You don't usually interact with any girls much, how could you possibly find a girlfriend? A while ago I was thinking of introducing your Aunt Sun's daughter to you, but when I asked you to come back and meet her, you told me you were busy with work and didn't even show up."

Occasionally, some people say that Chen Wanrou favors her younger son. Is that favoritism? It's just that Gu Jue is young and doesn't understand things, so she worries about him more. But that doesn't mean she doesn't care about her older son.

If she didn't care, she wouldn't have to worry about her eldest son finding a partner and getting married.