Chapter 47
◎ At dusk after the rain, the sky is hazy and everything between heaven and earth is covered with a thin layer◎
At dusk after the rain, the sky was hazy and everything between heaven and earth was covered with a veil.
Gu Wangxi took a car to Meilong Town Restaurant and walked into the Shuanglong Hall on the second floor.
Gu Wangxi took a look in the booked room and saw that five or six people were already seated there, including Huo Shixun, Zhao Chenggang, two young ladies, and two Hong Kong and Taiwan businessmen whose ancestral home was Shanghai.
Gu Wangxi passed by Huo Shixun and greeted them one by one.
Gu Wangxi sat down, and Huo Shixun said, "The most important customer hasn't arrived yet."
The lady in the white dress smiled and said, "Shanshan will be here soon. Huo Shixun, why are you in such a hurry?"
Another lady in purple glanced at Huo Shixun and jokingly said, "That's right, it's not your turn to be anxious, Huo Shixun."
Just as he finished speaking, the crisp sound of high heels was heard, and a young lady with half-letted hair, wearing a black and white polka-dot long-sleeved dress, walked out from behind the screen, bringing with her the scent of jasmine.
Jiang Shanshan smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
The lady in the white dress patted the main chair, looked at her and said, "Shanshan, come quickly."
Jiang Shanshan glanced casually and saw Gu Wangxi sitting across from the main seat, one seat away from Huo Shixun. She quickly withdrew her gaze and sat calmly in the main seat.
Jiang Shanshan picked up the warm, wet towel on the table, wiped her hands, looked at everyone, and said, "I'm organizing a party today. Thank you all for coming to the banquet."
A Hong Kong businessman quickly said, "No, no, Miss Jiang, you are so polite. It is my honor to receive your invitation. I would like to wish Miss Jiang a happy birthday first. I brought a birthday gift, please accept it later."
Zhao Chenggang and others also nodded in agreement.
Jiang Shanshan's last glance fell on Gu Wangxi. Gu Wangxi raised his red wine glass, gestured to her from a distance, and said gracefully, "Happy birthday, Miss Jiang."
Jiang Shanshan couldn't help but smile.
The lady in purple asked with a smile, "Mr. Gu, you didn't bring any gifts for us Shanshan? Aren't you being insincere?"
Jiang Shanshan quickly waved her hands and said, "It doesn't matter whether you accept the gifts or not. I'll be very happy if everyone can say happy birthday to me."
The girl in purple and the girl in white looked at each other and smiled knowingly.
In response, Gu Wangxi said calmly, "Shixun and I gave Miss Jiang a birthday present together. Shixun will give it to Miss Jiang later."
Upon hearing this, a hint of disappointment inevitably flashed across Jiang Shanshan's face.
Huo Shixun, who was watching the show quietly, received two strong rolls of eyes, as if to say that he was in the way.
Huo Shixun felt amused. Who had he offended?
Seeing this, the girl in the white dress cleverly said, "Mr. Gu, you're really able to endure such a hot day. You're wearing a dark blue plaid three-piece suit, meticulously dressed, and your tie is tied tightly."
The others couldn't help but look at the wooden coat rack where the suit jackets were hung, and looked down at themselves pulling at their loose ties.
Huo Shixun raised his eyebrows and said, "I can't compare with Wangxi. Believe it or not, in the middle of winter, with temperatures several degrees below zero and heavy snow falling, Wangxi still wears a suit and, at most, an open coat. I can't do that. Hong Kong people are afraid of the cold. Standing next to Wangxi, I feel like a polar bear."
Everyone laughed when they heard it.
Gu Wangxi wanted to defend himself. It wasn't that exaggerated. He really loved wearing sweaters and had worn winter clothes quite a few times. Otherwise, he would have frozen to death in Iceland.
But when he turned around and met Jiang Shanshan's smiling gaze, he silently swallowed his words and looked away.
When everyone arrived, waiters in black pants and white shirts entered the private room carrying plates of food and cleared away the cut fruits, snacks and nuts on the table.
One dish after another, or two or three dishes at a time, the large round table covered with a bright red velvet cloth was filled with the aroma of food and a dazzling array of dishes, so full that the plates even overlapped at the edges.
Placed in the center of the table are dry-fried prawns, squirrel mandarin fish, crystal shrimps, candied eel, dragon ball tofu, small fried chicken rice, red bean paste pancakes, honey ham, crab meat shark fin, crab legs and edamame, smoked pomfret, steamed lion head, three-strand braised vegetables, and tangerine peel beef.
They are all Shanghainese dishes, which are most suitable for the appetite of Hong Kong and Taiwan businessmen whose ancestral home is Shanghai.
Zhao Chenggang picked up his wine glass, raised it towards Jiang Shanshan, and suggested, "Come, let's toast Miss Jiang first. Today is not only her birthday, but she's also paying for the meal."
Jiang Shanshan stood up by holding the hem of her skirt, clinked glasses with everyone in a graceful manner, and drank most of the red wine in the goblet in one gulp.
After drinking half a glass of wine, Jiang Shanshan's face was already flushed and her eyes were sparkling.
She put down her wine glass and said to Huo Shixun and Gu Wangxi, "Mr. Huo and Mr. Gu, are you used to Shanghai cuisine?"
Huo Shixun pretended to be surprised and said, "Miss Jiang, you don't know that Wangxi's mother's ancestral home is also in Shanghai. He grew up with his aunt, and his daily diet consisted of rice balls, scallion oil noodles, wontons, braised pork, smoked fish, pickled pork with preserved vegetables, and the like. Wangxi and I are not brothers, but we are better than brothers. His aunt's cooking skills are amazing, and I am used to eating Shanghainese cuisine. And..."
Jiang Shanshan listened with great interest.
Gu Wangxi really wanted to pick up a lion's head and stuff it into Huo Shixun's mouth. Gu Wangxi remained calm and gave Huo Shixun a threatening look.
Huo Shixun suddenly changed his tone and said, "Miss Jiang, today is your birthday. Hey, why am I talking about Wang Xi? Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's enjoy the food."
Jiang Shanshan, who was listening intently, suddenly looked regretful.
What kind of Liao Zhai story was this with all the foxes present? How could Jiang Shanshan not know everything Gu Wangxi had put out in the open? It was just that she had a crush on Gu Wangxi and wanted to hear others talk about him.
Huo Shixun secretly lamented that he had a miserable life. When he was with Gu Wangxi, all the beautiful ladies only saw Gu Wangxi and approached him just to find out about him.
Jiang Shanshan smiled and said, "Really? Mr. Gu's mother has been abroad for so many years and still cooks local dishes well? Mr. Gu, I wonder if I have the honor to taste your mother's cooking skills?"
After saying that, she looked at Gu Wangxi with anticipation.
Here it comes again. Gu Wangxi felt a little bitter in his heart, but he refused calmly on the surface: "Sorry, my sister is about to take the college entrance examination."
Jiang Shanshan touched the end of a strand of hair and said sympathetically, "Auntie will be busy for a while, so I won't bother you anymore."
Jiang Shanshan then said seriously, "My uncle just had twin daughters, and he's under a lot of pressure. He's quitting his job next month to start a small business. He has a small amount of steel and building materials. I hope you can take care of my uncle's small business in the future."
Jiang Shanshan was clearly a female college student who had never worked before, but when it came to business, she was quite knowledgeable. Without putting on airs, she simply told them to buy the building materials from her uncle at a high price.
Everyone felt comfortable hearing this. Zhao Chenggang, being the oldest, agreed on behalf of the others.
He said, "Miss Jiang, we're in need of steel and cement right now. You're just the right person to help us out. After dinner, I'll go find your uncle and sign the contract with him."
Jiang Shanshan knew when to stop and said with a smile, "Then I will thank all the bosses on behalf of my uncle. Let's not talk about business anymore. Let's eat and drink."
Gu Wangxi picked up a piece of candied eel with ebony chopsticks, and tried not to squint his eyes as he ate it slowly.
He thought to himself that before he ate the candied eel, he had eaten a prawn, half a spoonful of lion's head, and a mouthful of shredded pork. I guess you don't realize you like sweet things.
As a friend of Gu Wangxi for nine years, Huo Shixun naturally knew his food preferences.
Huo Shixun picked up a large piece of candied eel with his serving chopsticks, held it in front of his nose, and placed it in Gu Wangxi's bowl. He said naturally, "It smells a bit too sweet."
The girl in the white dress sitting next to him said jokingly, "Shanghai cuisine is always rich in oil and sauce, and candied eel is one of the best. The color is so vibrant with so much candied sugar, how can it not be sweet?"
Huo Shixun smiled and said, "We Hong Kong people like to eat desserts, but the highest praise for a dessert is that it is not sweet."
This made the girl in the white dress cover her mouth and giggle.
Gu Wangxi ignored Huo Shixun and enjoyed the food like honey. He knew that Huo Shixun was deliberately exuding his charm to the girls again.
As the host and organizer of today's dinner, Jiang Shanshan undoubtedly did a great job.
Although she had a romantic feeling for Gu Wangxi, she did not neglect one guest for the other at the dinner table. She took care of every guest and chatted with them in turn.
After the meal, he actually spoke the least to Gu Wangxi.
After having a satisfying meal and a few drinks, the three-layer cream cake ordered from the Western Pastry Room of the Peace Hotel was delivered to the Meilong Town Restaurant by a special car.
The table was cleared and cleaned, and the birthday cake was brought out, candles were placed on it, and it was lit.
Jiang Shanshan closed her eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candles amid cheers.
Cream cake is something that is rarely tasted by everyone here, and no one is greedy for it.
Everyone was given a small piece of cake and ate two or three bites.
Only the smallest layer of the cake was eaten, and the rest was given by Jiang Shanshan to the people who served them.
Then everyone gave her birthday presents. Jiang Shanshan accepted them and said thank you sincerely with a smile.
Each birthday gift was wrapped very grandly, with an exquisite paper bag with a handle and placed in a large solid color box.
Jiang Shanshan couldn't carry it alone, so her two good friends helped her.
After receiving the generous gift, Jiang Shanshan paid the bill and everyone walked out of the restaurant.
At the entrance of the restaurant, Jiang Shanshan winked at her two good friends and handed the gifts in her hand to them.
Touching her hair, Jiang Shanshan walked towards Gu Wangxi.
Seeing Jiang Shanshan coming over, Huo Shixun wanted to leave, but was stopped by Gu Wangxi's eyes.
Huo Shixun could only stay and be the hated bulb.
Jiang Shanshan was not at all timid. She whispered, "Mr. Gu, are you used to it after returning to China?"
Gu Wangxi replied distantly, "Not bad."
Jiang Shanshan continued to ask, "Mr. Gu, do you plan to settle down in Shanghai and not go to the United States?"
Gu Wangxi said ambiguously, "It depends on what my mother thinks."
Jiang Shanshan smiled and asked directly, "What do you think of me, Mr. Gu?"
Gu Wangxi responded quickly, "Miss Jiang is an excellent student and comes from an extraordinary family."
Jiang Shanshan didn't give him a chance to play dumb and asked directly, "Then Mr. Gu, do you think I'm qualified to be your girlfriend?"
Gu Wangxi said calmly, "Ms. Jiang, you should know that I'm busy with my career right now and don't want to talk about love anytime soon."
After being politely rejected, Jiang Shanshan was not disappointed. Instead, she smiled mysteriously and said, "Mr. Gu, do you know that I'm going to study in the United States next year?"
Gu Wangxi said in a smooth manner: "Congratulations, Miss Jiang. I wish Miss Jiang good luck in her studies abroad."
Jiang Shanshan raised her chin, revealing a bit of pride. She said, "Since Mr. Gu said he doesn't want a girlfriend in the short term, you must remember this. I plan to study in the United States until I graduate from college, which will take about three years. It just so happens that after three years, when I return to China, Mr. Gu should be looking for a girlfriend."
Gu Wangxi opened his mouth to make it clearer that he had no such feelings for Jiang Shanshan. Even after three years, he wouldn't have any romantic feelings for her.
Jiang Shanshan was only a year younger than him, and her personality was already formed. With her family background protecting her, she wouldn't have changed much in three years. So, how could he feel about her after three years?
Jiang Shanshan stretched out her hand, half-raised it, and opened her palm, standing between her and Gu Wangxi.
She raised her head and said, "Mr. Gu, there is no need to speak. My heart is as solid as a rock and cannot be changed."
After saying that, without waiting for Gu Wangxi's reaction, Jiang Shanshan turned and walked towards her good friend.
Huo Shixun, who had been keeping his head down and pretending to look at the non-existent ants on the ground, raised his head and patted Gu Wangxi's shoulder to comfort him.
It seems that having too many peach blossoms is not a good thing.
Huo Shixun persuaded again: "I'm serious, Wangxi, you should find a girlfriend. Then everyone will be quiet."
Gu Wangxi still said firmly: "I don't want to."
Huo Shixun watched Jiang Shanshan get into the black car and said, "One must bow their heads under the eaves. Miss Jiang, you can't offend her. Humph, in three years, just wait for her to return to China and pester you. Who knows, before she even leaves, another one with a more powerful background will come. What will you do then? You'll be taken back to the village and become the chief husband."
Gu Wangxi frowned and said softly, "Nonsense."
Huo Shixun snorted coldly and said angrily, "If you're not in a hurry, why should I worry about you?! If it weren't for Shixin, I wouldn't care whether you're dating or not!"
Gu Wangxi said calmly, "You prioritize your sister over your friends."
Huo Shixun laughed in anger. He just looked into Gu Wangxi's eyes and said bluntly, "Gu Wangxi, let me ask you, who is more important, me or your sister?"
Gu Wangxi was rarely choked by what others said. He answered truthfully: "My sister is more important."
Huo Shixun showed an expression that said, "See, it's just as I expected."
He said, "Your sister is more important to you than me, so my sister is more important to me than you, isn't it natural?"
After saying that, Huo Shixun turned and walked away. He stopped halfway, turned back to Gu Wangxi, and said in a cold voice: "Gu Wangxi, you'd better find someone as soon as possible. Stop thinking about other ladies, this way it will be good for you, me, and everyone else. If my sister does anything ridiculous for you, I only have one sister like her, and I will break off all ties with you!"
Looking at Huo Shixun's angry back as he left, Gu Wangxi looked at the stars in the sky and couldn't help but sigh.
This was the first time that Huo Shixun showed his dissatisfaction with himself, and also the first time he spoke harshly to himself.
Thinking of Shixin, Gu Wangxi felt a headache. Maybe he really should consider his personal problems. Even if he had a short-term girlfriend, it would solve a lot of problems.
Although Gu Wangxi looked cold and indifferent, he was actually a sentimental person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given up his long-held belief and started thinking about dating just because of Huo Shixun's words.
At this time, the whistle sounded, Gu Wangxi came back to his senses, shook his head, and became firm again.
He shouldn't have started a relationship with a girl he didn't even know without any preparation or consideration just because of a few words from Huo Shixun.
He had no intention of marrying her and was just using her as a shield. This was too unfair to her and insulted her feelings. How was he any different from her biological father? He could even compromise on his feelings and hurt two women.
Gu Wangxi walked down the stairs with clear eyes and headed towards his car.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
