Chapter 59 Liu Duanhe is gentle but undeniably authoritative…
Liu Duanhe said gently but firmly, "I'm sorry, there's someone across the street. He went to the restroom and will be back in a bit. I'll treat you another time, okay?"
He was sitting on the sofa, so he had to tilt his head back slightly to look at Guan Du and speak, but his calm and self-satisfied demeanor showed no sign of the embarrassment of looking up at someone.
Guan Du clenched his fist, smiled, and said, "Okay, I have something to do at noon, so I'll be going now."
He just couldn't bring himself to relentlessly pursue Liu Duanhe or shamelessly beg for his love; that would be too humiliating, and he couldn't bring himself to do it.
That's such a lame excuse. The person who was just about to sit down suddenly has something to do at noon.
However, none of them exposed the lie.
Liu Duanhe smiled, his demeanor as gentle and refined as a noble young man. "See you next time."
Actually, he was already a little nervous. Feng Xingyun had been in the bathroom for a while and would probably be back soon. If Guan Du didn't leave soon, there was a good chance he would run into him.
The waiter brought over the desserts he ordered: two pieces, one was his favorite tiramisu, and the other was a hazelnut dark chocolate mousse cake. After thoughtfully placing them on the table, the waiter adjusted their positions to make them easier for him to eat. Liu Duanhe nodded to the waiter and said, "Thank you."
He took a spoonful, the delicate texture melting on his tongue, his willow-like eyes narrowed slightly, and his pleasure was clearly visible.
Guan Du was unwilling to give up as he took a step forward, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. His mind was in turmoil. Suddenly, he remembered some recent news about the Liu family, and he finally had a chance to say something.
He turned to the side and said, "I recently learned something from my dad about your parents."
He hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Seeing him take two steps and then stop, Liu Duanhe, unusually impatient, glanced in the direction of the bathroom. It was highly likely that Feng Xingyun would emerge from there in the next second, run into Guan Du head-on, and then…
Then what?
Liu Duanhe suddenly realized why he was so nervous. So what if they met? It wasn't like they hadn't met before. Besides, it was in public with so many people. Feng Xingyun shouldn't be as unhappy as he was the last two times.
His tense back relaxed, and he was more inclined to talk to Guan Du. Liu Duanhe, while pondering, didn't miss anything he said. She put down her spoon and tentatively guided him, revealing a hint of curiosity at the right moment, "Oh? What is it?"
Guan Du seemed to be organizing his thoughts, but the sudden sound of footsteps in the quiet coffee shop made him instinctively look over.
He narrowed his eyes as he watched Feng Xingyun walking towards him.
He said cryptically, "It really was him."
From the moment he saw that Liu Duanhe was not alone and that he was not allowed to sit down, he had a vague feeling and guess.
Guan Du smirked; it seemed his intuition was spot on.
Feng Xingyun glanced at him, paused subtly as he walked up to him, and said casually, "Excuse me."
Guan Du was no longer in a hurry. He rolled his eyes and took a step back. The seat that Liu Duanhe had asked him to sit in was on the side of the two sofas, in a chair of the same color as the sofas. He sat down there as well.
Feng Xingyun's expression turned noticeably cold, but he didn't want to upset Liu Duanhe today.
Water droplets still clung to his face, streaming down his cheeks. His cuffs and collar were soaked, giving him a wild and untamed, cool vibe. Liu Duanhe's gaze sharpened. This style surprisingly suited him. Perhaps they could go diving together.
Liu Duanhe's thoughts drifted to his vacation plans six months from now. Considering Dr. Song's advice to him a couple of days ago, he realized he had been too busy lately and it was time to go out and relax.
He took out a tissue from his pocket, tore off a piece, and placed it in Feng Xingyun's hand. "Wipe your face first, it's all wet."
Liu Duanhe didn't ask Feng Xingyun why he washed his face in the bathroom. Asking would only bring him back to the previous topic, but he didn't want to talk about it yet, and he hadn't sorted out or accepted his own thoughts.
Feng Xingyun's expression softened slightly. He picked up the soft paper and covered his face with it. It seemed to still carry the faint fragrance of Liu Duanhe. Feng Xingyun quietly took a breath and almost completely forgot about Guan Du's presence.
Liu Duanhe placed the coffee cup beside him, and the crisp clinking sound made Feng Xingyun wipe his face, carefully removing all the water droplets before looking at Liu Duanhe across from him as if seeking praise.
His temples twitched, but the corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably, and even his large, upturned phoenix eyes curved into a smile, revealing obvious pleasure.
A smile also appeared in Feng Xingyun's eyes, and the two of them completely forgot about the presence of the people next to them.
Guan Du feels a bit itchy in his nose, like a clown.
He leaned back in his chair. Unlike a sofa, the chair wasn't heavy and made a creaking sound as it rubbed against the floor, which was quite jarring and attracted the attention of many people.
He still had a smile on his face and apologized to the tables around him, "Sorry, I wasn't sitting properly just now."
He smugly called over the waiter, "Hello, I've paid for everyone's bills today. I apologize to everyone."
Feng Xingyun scoffed coldly, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Guan Du to hear.
The waiter also sensed the strange atmosphere at the table, suppressed his gossipy curiosity, swiped his card, and hurriedly left.
Liu Duanhe realized that he was right not to want the two to meet before; now they were starting to embarrass him.
Gu Nianguan was about to say something to him, but Liu Duanhe didn't treat him coldly. After calming Feng Xingyun down, he patiently asked, "You haven't finished speaking yet."
A hint of curiosity shone through her phoenix eyes, bright and sparkling, and when she stared intently at someone, it was as if she were in a dream.
Guan Du avoided his gaze and lowered his voice, "It's your mother."
His eyes held a complex mix of emotions, including pity and disbelief. He paused for a moment before reluctantly telling him, "Her secretary recently met with a minor leader from one of my father's former gangs."
Liu Duanhe's heart sank. Although he felt a bit annoyed, he wasn't as surprised as he had imagined. Instead, he felt a sense of relief, as if it were expected. He had known all along that his parents didn't love him.
Given the conflict of interest, it's probably not too surprising what he might do. It's nothing more than the same tactics he would use against an enemy: poisoning, car accidents—such outlaw acts are not unexpected given his maternal grandparents' family traditions and ingrained mindset.
Liu Duanhe's composure clearly exceeded Guan Du's expectations. Before coming, he thought that no matter how mature and indifferent Liu Duanhe was, he would find it difficult to accept that his relatives would turn against him or even have malicious intentions. Even if he had not yet taken any concrete action, he must have had such thoughts.
This is undoubtedly an opportunity for him to showcase his abilities and provide companionship.
Liu Duanhe seemed almost completely unsurprised, his expression remaining unchanged, his composure impeccable, even the smile on his lips remained the same.
Guan Du's family originally came from Hong Kong. They wandered to Hong Kong during the war years and later returned to Beijing. Although they cleaned up their ways and settled down, they still had connections and maintained ties with many of today's shady characters.
Feng Xingyun was not deaf, and his hearing was quite sharp, but his reaction was not as calm as Liu Duanhe's.
His thin lips pursed, and after the initial surprise, his eyes burned with intense anger and worry.
Just as Liu Duanhe was about to question Guan Du in detail, he saw Feng Xingyun get up and sit down next to him from inside. Feng Xingyun pulled his hand, which was on the table, into his palm and gently patted it with his hot, dry hand. He also stopped being sarcastic towards Guan Du.
Guan Du's face contorted with anger for a moment. He wanted to turn around and leave, but he couldn't bear to part with Liu Duanhe, so he just sat there stiffly.
Liu Duanhe remained silent for a moment, then patted his arm. "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."
His voice became even softer, like pearls rolling on a jade plate, gentle and melodious like clear spring water. One can imagine that his natural timbre alone would be enough to attract people when he sings.
Fate is often unfair; a person may have family background, ability, beauty, and talent, but they will also have many more.
Liu Duanhe turned his gaze back to Guan Du, his eyes serious as he looked at him earnestly. "Thank you for telling me this today. Uncle, did you say anything else more specific about this?"
Under Liu Duanhe's gaze, few could withstand it. Even though he was still bothered by Liu Duanhe's previous estrangement, Guan Du still told him everything he knew.
Just as Liu Duanhe had guessed, this matter was indeed not told to him by Guan Du's father, but rather he overheard it by chance.
Guan Du's father, Liu Duan, and his mother all lived in Hong Kong back then, and they were a wealthy and influential family. Their social circle was not very large, but it was actually quite small. It was very likely that they knew each other and had connections that Guan Du was unaware of.
He had no business dealings with Liu Duanhe, nor did he intend to bet on him in advance. Knowing Liu Duanhe's understanding of his father's self-serving nature, he would never take the initiative to show him goodwill.
According to others' assessments of him, if he is a smiling tiger, then Guan Du's father is undoubtedly a greedy and insatiable wolf, a purely unscrupulous and profit-driven businessman.
Liu Duanhe didn't get much information from the conversation he overheard, such as what they planned to do to him or how they would do it. However, he still accepted the favor.
He said sincerely to Guan Du, "You've helped me a lot. If there's anything I can do to help in the future, please let me know."
Guan Du looked up when he heard this. His handsome face showed neither joy nor frustration. He wanted to impulsively ask him, "Would you even be willing to be with me?"
But he couldn't bring himself to say something so persistent and clingy; it would be too undignified.
"Okay, then you'll be the one to save my life." His tone was as light as a joke, but his expression was extremely serious.
The Guan family is different from the Liu family. The Liu family has Old Master Liu to keep them in check, but the Guan family is corrupt from top to bottom. Guan Du felt extremely disgusted and loathed when he thought of those people in the Guan family.
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Author's Note: I'm here! Three chapters tomorrow! I'm doing my best to catch up on the rankings! [cheering emoji]
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