Chapter 83
After getting to know everyone at the birthday banquet, Lin Langyi had just sat down at the round table with the name tags when she saw Bian Shu sitting quietly at the opposite table, admiring the moon.
She paused for two seconds before realizing that she had rarely visited him after placing him in a sanatorium under the former Chu Yu's control.
Thinking about it... Yuan Chuyu himself was injured and recuperating, so he probably invited Bian Shu along as well, right?
Lin Xiangshuo had already looked through the guest list when he entered, so he naturally knew that Bian Shu was attending. However, he spent the whole night with Yuan Chuyu and didn't bother Bian Shu. It seems that he had no idea who the core technology came from.
"I'll go say hello," Lin Langyi said to Cheng Yanjin, who was always by her side, and pointed to the side.
She actually remembered the sharp conflict between the two of them, and was prepared to stop him as she said this, but Cheng Yanjin just glanced at Bian Shu in the direction she was pointing, nodded, and said in a normal tone: "Go ahead, I'll wait for you here."
Oh, so you actually know to give her some space now?
Lin Langyi was very pleased with his softened personality recently, and on a whim, she patted his head.
His eyelashes fluttered, and he turned to look at me, his pale pupils reflecting the candlelight.
“Only at times like this do you…” He stopped mid-sentence, tugged at her wrist, then released it, and urged softly, “Go and come back quickly, the banquet will start soon.”
Lin Langyi straightened up and said "okay". She turned her head and saw that Bian Shu, who had been looking up at the moon, had fixed his gaze on her.
His expression remained solemn and dignified as always, revealing no emotion, but Lin Langyi knew that he had witnessed her interaction with Cheng Yanjin.
Lin Langyi smiled at him and raised her hand to greet him first.
As I got closer, I noticed a mini portable laptop on his lap, its screen lit up and covered in dense text.
"You even attend banquets?" Lin Langyi would sigh no matter how many times she saw his focused concentration. "Now that I think about it, the guilt I feel every time I waste time is because I have a lazy person like you by my side."
Bian Shu closed his laptop. There weren't many people sitting around the round table; everyone was seizing the opportunity to socialize, making him stand out as he typed on the keyboard all by himself.
"Is it too boring here?" She pulled up a chair and sat down next to him, their knees only a fist's width apart. "It's not very interesting if you don't know anyone."
“I just find myself happier when I’m immersed in numbers.” His gaze fell on the corner of her eye, which had a thin layer of beige, like the morning mist and sunlight shining on the Gobi Desert.
Several seconds passed before he remembered that it was eyeshadow, something she had taught him to do.
Once, while he was writing a report, she suddenly patted his shoulder and said that an eyelash had fallen out of her eye. He put down his stylus, gently lifted her upper eyelid with his thumb and blew on it for her. After he withdrew his hand, there was a faint color on his fingers, like the fine powder on the wings of butterflies he had caught as a child.
Because of his caress, her eyeshadow was rubbed together, and when she turned her face to the side, the light from the window cast a long line on her eyelashes, like the tail of a circling swallow.
When writing a paper, he always had to explain concepts. He turned his attention back to the computer, but his attention lingered and he couldn't type anything for a long time.
He thought, "Eyeshadow, so this is what it's called. This is truly a fascinating concept."
It is the shadow of the eyes, and also a subtle expression of emotion through the use of light and shadow.
He had always loved gazing into her expressive, beautiful eyes, and because of their shimmering color, they resembled a butterfly about to take flight when she blinked, captivating him completely.
Everyone has a butterfly in their heart.
Even if it's sealed in cement, nailed to a log, or pressed into a specimen by a transparent film, it's still a butterfly.
His gaze was so direct that Lin Langyi felt uncomfortable under his stare and reached up to rub her eyelids: "What's wrong with me?"
Bian Shu instinctively raised his hand and pressed it against the back of her hand. The moment their skin touched, his fingers spasmed and curled up. He quickly released his hand and gently tugged at her sleeve instead: "It's nothing, don't rub it, it'll rub off."
Lin Langyi obediently put her hand down. She had come to talk to him about something important: "By the way, Bian Shu, I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, but the Haizhu cultivation project is already on the agenda. The patent technology transfer fee last time is one thing, but when it officially starts to generate output, would you be willing to serve as a technical consultant and continue to make money?"
"Equity incentives, linked to sales volume, can help your research have a long-tail effect, rather than being a one-off transaction."
She blinks occasionally when she talks to him. It's a very ordinary, natural movement that usually goes unnoticed, but once he notices it, he finds it hard to take his mind off her.
Bian Shu didn't answer for a long time, so Lin Langyi leaned forward slightly and continued, "You said before that you were very likely to stay in China. In fact, many university professors also serve as independent directors or consultants for companies. Are you interested?"
He noticed a strand of her carefully styled long hair had drifted to her front, swaying gently in the air.
"Congratulations," he said.
Lin Langyi was stunned for a moment, then straightened up, a dimple appearing on her cheek as she laughed heartily.
Yes, she has already extended her reach to two other companies.
"You're welcome." She stood up, really just to say hello and deliver the good news, "Let's make money together."
...
The banquet officially began, and Lin Langyi's table was in the first row. Apart from the table occupied by the original Chu Yu family, this was the only table there, filled with his close friends.
The list on the table was incomplete, and several seats were empty; it was unclear who they were for.
Lin Lang saw that a small table had been reserved here, so he went to call Bian Shu over and asked him to move to this table, so that he wouldn't be alone with other guests who were drinking and chatting in unfamiliar surroundings.
The most active person at the table was Xiao Pucheng, who kept chatting with Cheng Yanjin about all sorts of things until Yuan Chuyu came over with a glass to offer a toast and express his gratitude, at which point the group stopped talking.
Yuan Chuyu went around to all the other tables, toasting them all before finally arriving at this table. Xiao Pucheng egged him on, and Yuan Chuyu didn't stand on ceremony, saying he wanted to drink to his heart's content, so he drank.
After finishing one cup, Yuan Chuyu didn't stop. Instead, he walked to Bian Shu's side, poured another half cup, and raised his cup to him from afar: "Happy cooperation."
Bian Shu knew he was talking about the patented technology. It was only natural that Yuan Chuyu would come to express his gratitude to Yingyuan Holdings.
He wasn't good at giving nice toasts, so when Yuan Chuyu wanted to drink, he just went along with it with a wooden expression and downed a glass.
The two had just put down their glasses when Yuan Chuyu leaned down slightly to grab a tissue. His left hand was still holding the wine glass, and he politely held the inside of his wrist against his tie to prevent it from drooping. His right hand reached forward.
He stood between Bian Shu and Lin Langyi, and as he bent down, the faint scent of ylang-ylang emanating from him fell like a soft yet resilient woven net, enveloping them.
Lin Langyi didn't turn her face away to look at him, but instead held her chopsticks and moved slightly to the other side to give him space.
She had only moved a short distance to the side when a cold, greasy piece of silk suddenly brushed against her arm, as if it had been briefly touched by a snake's forked tongue.
She subconsciously pulled her arm back and turned her head to the side to check the situation, but Yuan Chuyu's hand, which he had just withdrawn, suddenly tilted towards her.
She was still on her way back with her chopsticks when, in a moment of distraction, she knocked over the cup.
"careful!"
Two hands rushed in from both sides at the same time in an attempt to save him, but Cheng Yanjin reacted quickly and caught him.
He looked up and glanced at Yuan Chuyu, whose hand was still hanging in the air. His eyes flashed with a strong warning. Their eyes met, and Cheng Yanjin put down his expression and defiantly placed her cup neatly in front of him.
Although it was salvaged, most of the wine in the cup was still spilled, soaking a small section of the tablecloth in front of Bian Shu.
Before Yuan Chuyu could steady the cup, he pressed the paper he had taken out directly onto the spilled wine to absorb it.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." Lin Langyi quickly put down her chopsticks, half-stood up, grabbed several tissues and shoved them on the table, tilting her head to the side. "Did it spill on you?"
"No," Bian Shu shook his head. "There was only half a glass of wine in your glass anyway, it's fine."
Yuan Chuyu called someone to change the napkins, and in order not to disturb Bian Shu's meal, he asked him to sit down on the side so that the waiter could clean up.
The people at this table were already dissatisfied, so Bian Shu temporarily moved to the side, and the waiter quickly came over with a food cart to tidy up.
Because the tablecloth under the round table couldn't be changed during the meal, only individual napkins could be replaced, inevitably leaving a small, light yellow wine stain in that spot, making it look a bit messy.
Bian Shu lightly pressed three fingers on the rim of the bowl, turned his head, and was about to say that he was done tidying up when he sat back down—
But who would have thought that Yuan Chuyu, who had only lent a hand to the waiter, would pull his chair back and sit down calmly after a whole new set of tableware was replaced?
Lin Langyi: ?
Bian Shu paused, her expression shifting as if she were about to speak. She stared calmly at Yuan Chuyu for over ten seconds without uttering a single word.
On the other side, Cheng Yanjin glanced at Yuan Chuyu coolly as he sat down. He was still holding a wad of tissues in his hand, meticulously absorbing the excess moisture from the damp tablecloth in front of Lin Langyi.
After wiping, he placed the tissue on the bone plate and asked her, "This place is dirty. Would you like to switch places with me?"
Lin Langyi was about to say "anything is fine" when she looked up and saw Xiao Pucheng's unfathomable expression. His eyes were so resolute that they seemed to be able to swear an oath on the spot, and he seemed to need his brothers by his side to chat and joke around.
She hesitated for a moment, then refused: "It's fine to switch sides when playing chess."
Cheng Yanjin didn't insist. He nodded, saying that the opening drink was enough, and then he changed her glass and poured her a new drink.
Everyone was eating quite casually. Suddenly, Chu Guanqian walked over with a jeweled lady, and you could hear his hearty laughter from afar.
“This is my son, Yuan Chuyu.” Walking behind Yuan Chuyu, Chu Guanqian draped his arms wide over the back of the chair, not minding introducing him again, “Xiaoyu, Aunt Xi Ying.”
Yuan Chuyu turned halfway around, first nodding politely, then standing up to greet the well-maintained lady.
Xi Ying's face was round and full, but not bloated, and she looked like she would enjoy a life of leisure.
She smiled and looked Yuan Chuyu up and down a few times, then turned to Chu Guanqian and said, "Pingran always humbly says she's useless. I've heard that for twenty years. If I hadn't come back from abroad this time and seen it for myself, I would have really been fooled by you."
As she spoke, she glanced around the table, finally fixing her gaze on Cheng Yanjin's face. She then raised her hand, and Cheng Yanjin immediately stood up, calling out in a casual manner, "Aunt Ying."
Xi Ying smiled and turned to Chu Guanqian to explain, "This time, Yan Jin called me again, and he also picked me up from the airport. City A, after twenty years, I am completely unfamiliar with it."
She said half a sentence, glancing at Yuan Chuyu in the gap, and then added the second half with a smile: "After getting off the plane, Yan Jin asked me why Jiajia didn't come, saying that it would be more fun to celebrate a birthday with people of the same age."
Cheng Yanjin shrugged: "It must be because you didn't bring her. She asks me every day if Brother Yu is as handsome as in the photos. She really wants to see him."
It was a compliment to Gao Chuyu, but he showed no change in expression, holding the wine glass loosely with his fingers, standing silently to the side.
Xi Ying revealed her absolute familiarity with Cheng Yanjin, jokingly asking, "Then why don't you come to my house anymore? Didn't you like that island when you were little? It was said to be a great place for surfing, but you don't surf anymore?"
Cheng Yanjin gently placed his hands on Lin Langyi's shoulders and said mischievously, "Come on, let her come along next time."
Xi Ying then lowered her chin and looked down at Lin Langyi: "Oh, so you actually have a girlfriend now? How did you manage to win over such a beautiful girl?"
"Yes." Cheng Yanjin's hands, which were on her shoulders, twisted together because of this compliment to Lin Langyi. He was even more embarrassed than when he was praising himself. His words were full of pride. "My fiancée, Lin Langyi, is in the pearl business. The second phase of the Yingshan Lake characteristic town belongs to her."
Lin Langyi also stood up and greeted the elders.
Just now, Cheng Yanjin gave a brief introduction that Xi Ying and Yuan Pingran were childhood friends. Just like the Yuan family was a prestigious family, the Xi family was also like that, and they had immigrated and moved abroad to develop their careers a long time ago.
"They're all getting married soon." Xi Ying nodded, sighing. "It feels like just yesterday Pingran and I were seventeen or eighteen-year-old girls, and in the blink of an eye, we already have children..."
Chu Guanqian shook his head, unable to hide his smile: "Yes, I don't have anything else to worry about, except that my son is too dedicated to the company, and so far he hasn't... tsk."
He spoke halfway through, and with that intriguing expression, Xi Ying immediately understood, and her smile widened.
When adults talk, it's a two-way street. If you make a move that happens to be in my hands, I'll return the favor and feed you back.
She twirled the bracelet on her smooth, white wrist and declined, "What's the rush? Boys can still be popular, no matter how late it is."
Chu Guanqian sighed on purpose: "Parents don't think that way."
"It also depends on fate." Xi Ying turned her gaze back to Yuan Chuyu, this time with sharper eyes, as if she were a price-checking machine, estimating a price as she looked at him. "Jiajia is about the same age as Xiaoyu."
After talking for a while, she rubbed her lower back slightly and leaned back in the chair next to Lin Langyi.
Upon seeing this, Cheng Yanjin immediately moved his seat to the side, snapped his fingers, and signaled a waiter to make room for him.
"Just move one to the side." Lin Langyi moved her bowl and plate to the side, making room for Xi Ying, and smiled sweetly. "Please sit down."
Xi Ying smiled and agreed, then sat down in Lin Langyi's seat and turned to look at Yuan Chuyu.
Yuan Chuyu lowered his eyes, as if he hadn't seen anything. He just stood there coldly and distantly, his face expressionless, devoid of any human warmth.
“There’s a magnetic field between people. I don’t have any other wishes. I just hope my children can find someone who is… a good match, right?” Chu Guanqian patted Cheng Yanjin’s arm, but then spoke to Xi Ying, “I see that Yanjin and Xiaoyi have a good relationship. I’m happy for them and worried about my own family. The Lin family is thriving now. Ah, it’s all fate! Choosing the right person brings mutual prosperity. Xiaoyi is really good. Look, Yanjin’s temperament has been smoothed out.”
“Lin Langyi is indeed very good.” Yuan Chuyu, who had been silent all along, suddenly interjected. He placed the cup in his hand elegantly on the table, turned around, and the aloof and indifferent aura he had just exuded finally dissipated. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he added softly, “She is good in every way.”
Everyone looked at him.
Chu Guanqian stared wide-eyed, utterly terrified.
He knew his own son well. Yuan Chuyu seemed to be clueless about such things since he was a child, but it was also as if he was too clever for his own good and knew how to behave properly. Despite his personality, appearance and family background, he had never been involved in any scandals. This was all because he was well-mannered and kept his distance from women.
In the past, when such things came up, he would either never comment and treat it as a pointless remark, or he would evade the topic like a tai chi master. He would never praise a member of the opposite sex with such genuine feelings in person, and he would use such an ambiguous tone that might become gossip among others.
Chu Guanqian glanced at Lin Langyi without making a sound.
Lin Langyi stirred her drink, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. She lowered her head, took a sip, then moved closer to Cheng Yanjin, muttering softly, "It's a bit cold."
Cheng Yanjin's expression was originally very hard, but upon hearing this, he lowered his head and moved the cup away from her. Although his tone was reprimanding, it was soft: "I told you not to add so much ice, or your stomach will hurt again."
Seeing the deep affection between the two, Chu Guanqian recalled the childhood friendship between Yuan Chuyu and Cheng Yanjin. He realized that his momentary guess was too ridiculous, so he turned his face and started talking again, saying in the tone of a father instructing his son: "Yes, you should find a suitable one as soon as possible, just like Yanjin."
“We had a fight recently. I’ll bring her back to you to see after I’ve made up with her.” Yuan Chuyu suddenly dropped a bombshell, but he still smiled and spoke gently. “I’m sorry to have worried my parents. Actually, I wanted to wait until things were more stable before telling them. I didn’t expect everyone to misunderstand.”
The smile on Xi Ying's face completely vanished, and Chu Guanqian was also greatly shocked, repeatedly asking, "When did you...?! Whose daughter are you?"
Yuan Chuyu lowered his eyelashes, his face overflowing with the look of being deeply in love, as if he had fallen so deeply in love that he could not control himself.
He placed his right hand on his left wrist, slowly turning the peach blossom clasp. He didn't intend to answer, but said, "The circle is small, and news always flies like it has legs. I didn't explain the situation clearly before. Please don't try to matchmake people anymore. If my girlfriend hears about it, she'll be unhappy again."
Chu Guanqian was completely speechless. He looked left and right, and all he saw was Xiao Pucheng, who also had a stiff expression, and Cheng Yanjin, who seemed to have known about the news for a long time and was peeling shrimp for Lin Langyi.
Lin Langyi, on the other hand, never stopped eating, completely acting like an outsider.
“Look, excellent children don’t need their parents to worry about them.” Xi Ying had regained her composure. She stood up from her seat, no longer intending to waste time chatting aimlessly. “He has a girlfriend, and he’s protecting her. You shouldn’t be so busy with your own affairs.”
Chu Guanqian himself only just learned of this shocking news, and he didn't even know if what Yuan Chuyu said was true or false. However, it was not appropriate to continue the conversation under these circumstances, since Xi Ying was not one to tolerate such things and was not the type to suffer losses.
“You don’t need to worry about it.” Yuan Chuyu nodded to Xi Ying and smiled politely. “It’s okay for boys to be a little later, and it’s the same for girls. It’s all the same.”
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