Chapter 196 Extra 3 (1)
Extra 3 (1)
It is now half a month away from our seventh wedding anniversary.
Mr. Gu had already prepared six gifts, but he couldn't come up with the seventh one no matter what he did. He was so worried that he was pulling his hair.
"Mr. Gu," Assistant Wu kindly advised, "You must stop damaging your hair. Middle-aged men fear hair loss the most. If you go bald, your appearance will decline rapidly, and you'll lose your wife's favor."
Gu Jiangkuo: “!”
Gu Jiangkuo angrily said, "Who calls me a middle-aged man? I'm only 28! I'm in the prime of my youth. Why wouldn't he love me?"
Despite saying this, Mr. Gu still carefully withdrew his hand, letting go of his still thick hair.
"What are you standing there for? Think about it," Gu Jiangkuo said, his gaze sweeping across the faces of Wu Tong, Jiang Xia, Jiang Xiaomi, Rong Yi, and even the driver, Old Liu. His eyes were serious. "Think about what other gifts you can buy! You're all close to Mr. Jiang, so you must know his preferences!"
Jiang Xia wailed, "You're the one who knows him best, okay? If you can't figure it out, how can we? Please, let me go! I have clients to meet! Projects worth tens of millions."
"Yeah," Wu Tong muttered softly, "They're inseparable every day. Even when President Jiang goes on business trips, President Gu follows him. He definitely knows President Jiang better than we do."
"Why don't you prepare seven?" Jiang Xiaomi said loudly. "For every additional year, you have to prepare an extra anniversary gift. My brother is a fussy person. If it's not expensive enough, he won't like it. If it's not sincere enough, he will say you're perfunctory. Isn't this just asking for trouble?"
Rong Yi sarcastically said, "That won't do. We've been singing high-sounding slogans for the past six years. It's not okay to suddenly lower the standards this year. Besides, this is a big day."
Mr. Gu hates Rong Yi the most. This guy is like a follower, following Jiang Xiaomi wherever she goes, so he had to see this annoying face today.
But what he said still aroused Mr. Gu's interest, "Why is this a big day?"
"The seven-year itch!" Rong Yi said in a shocked tone, "You don't even know that?" "Mr. Gu, in a marriage, the seventh year is the most challenging year for a couple's relationship. If you can get through it safely, everything will be fine. If you can't, well ...
Gu Jiangkuo: “!!!”
Oh, yeah! How could he have forgotten about the seven-year itch? Oh, I was careless! I have to be extra vigilant now!
It wasn't until this small "meeting" was over that Jiang Xiaomi quietly pulled Rong Yi aside and complained, "Why did you scare Brother Gu?"
Rong Yi and Jiang Xiaomi both graduated from university two years ago. Rong Yi had been admitted to University A, and after graduating from undergraduate school, he spent two years studying for a master's degree. He gave up his high-paying job in City A and returned to Yanlin. Without even saying hello to Jiang Nuo, he directly submitted his resume to the Jiang Group.
After Rong Yi successfully joined the company with excellent qualifications, President Jiang learned that the kid had joined his company. At that time, he praised Rong Yi for his promising future and ability in front of Gu Jiangkuo.
Mr. Gu is so jealous.
Under the tutoring strategy that Mr. Jiang continuously spent money on, Jiang Xiaomi performed exceptionally well, with her college entrance examination score 30 points higher than the first-tier line. With the help of Mr. Jiang, this "outstanding alumnus", she was admitted to the finance major of Yanlin University.
After graduating two years ago, Jiang Nuo dragged him back to work at Jiang Group.
President Jiang intended to let his younger brother take over, and the whole company saw it. Not long after Rong Yi joined the company, he became Jiang Xiaomi's assistant. He was reliable, low-key, and smart. President Jiang valued him very much. While training Jiang Xiaomi, he also did not hesitate to teach him.
It was also because of this that Rong Yi was able to stay with Jiang Xiaomi openly all day long.
"How could I scare him?" Rong Yi said stubbornly. "The seven-year itch is an objective reality. Did you know? Human cells complete a complete metabolism every seven years. After seven years, even a person is brand new, let alone marriage? Marriage is inherently inhumane, especially for males. They instinctively seek more partners to spread their genes as much as possible... In short, after a certain period of time, marriage or love will enter a period of boredom and fatigue. This period is usually seven years."
Jiang Xiaomi: “…”
Jiang Xiaomi said expressionlessly, "Rong Yi, have you been so absorbed in science books during your six years at University A? I remember you weren't this bored when you were a kid."
"!" Rong Yi showed a sad expression as if his young heart had been severely hurt. He pointed at his nose and asked, "Do you think I'm boring?"
"I'm just kidding. I'm not being boring. I just think you're so old-fashioned at such a young age." Jiang Xiaomi laughed dryly. "Just say there's only half a month left. Can Brother Gu still prepare a suitable gift? Every year at this time, he's always on edge. Ugh, dating is such a hassle."
"...It's actually not a problem." Rong Yi held it in for a long time, pushed his glasses, and suddenly said.
.
Mr. Gu is still doubting his life.
He looked at the empty boss desk, and suddenly felt a little worried: Nuonuo wouldn't... really be tired of himself, right?
Actually, they haven't been 'sticking together all day' lately as Jiang Xia claimed. Nuonuo didn't take him with him on this business trip! He used the excuse of 'negotiating with the government for investment and aid projects, and we can't do it without someone in charge'. Could it be that he was just trying to get rid of him?
The more Mr. Gu thought about it, the more strange things seemed to him!
Previously, the secretary personally presided over the "Poverty Alleviation Day, Promoting the Entrepreneurial Spirit of Yanlin" event, but he only asked Wu Tong, Chu Le and other senior executives to attend on his behalf. Why did he have to show up in person this time to discuss financing?
Could it be that Nuonuo hates me?
"Mr. Gu," Secretary Xiao Wang knocked on the door and reminded him in a practiced manner, "The meeting starts in twenty minutes. Do you want to come over now?"
"Well, let the driver prepare." Gu Jiangkuo said calmly.
"I'm ready, Ms. Gu." Xiao Wang has grown from a new mother to an independent working woman, and she is becoming more and more thorough in her work.
Mr. Gu also looked more mature and steady, with a more mature entrepreneurial temperament than before.
As Xiao Wang was sighing silently, he suddenly heard Mr. Gu, dressed in a suit and with a strong aura, ask: "Xiao Wang, do you think I'm old?"
Xiao Wang: “?”
Xiao Wang was a little confused by the question. After a pause, he smiled and said, "Not old, Mr. Gu, how old are you? Why did you suddenly think of asking this?"
"Nothing," Gu Jiangkuo coughed lightly, "Just asking."
Then he strode away again.
Xiao Wang looked at his tall and impressive back, his mind full of questions, wondering if he had just hallucinated.
.
Gu Jiangkuo still made a video call to General Manager Jiang to check on him during the break after the meeting.
The summer heat in the mountain city was unbearable, and Young Master Jiang stayed in the air-conditioned room almost the entire time without going out. The background was always the same conference room and hotel background wall.
This made Mr. Gu's heart settle down a little, and then he called out "Nuonuo~" to the phone in a roundabout way and asked, "Did you miss me?"
As a result, Jiang Nuo coughed violently, and faint laughter came from the other side.
Gu Jiangkuo: “!”
Gu Jiangkuo became serious for a second, coughed lightly, and said solemnly, "Mr. Jiang, let me report to you the spirit of this meeting on the government's plan to invest in new energy companies."
Jiang Nuo: "Okay, tell me."
I don't know if the subordinates in his room have left. Gu Jiangkuo guessed that it was probably the executives who went on a business trip with him. They were all greasy middle-aged men. It was not enough evidence. However, Nuonuo wanted to save face and could not be affectionate with him in front of his subordinates, otherwise his wife would be angry. Alas, he would not let anyone get close to him when he was angry. It was too cruel.
While reporting, Gu Jiangkuo looked at his wife whom he hadn't seen for a few days. The more he looked at her, the more he found her pleasing to the eye.
Although Nuonuo is 28 years old, she still looks very young. Just looking at her face, she looks like a college student in her twenties.
Her skin was tender and fair, her features delicate, and she looked better than the stars on TV—'Of course,' Gu Jiangkuo thought, 'how ugly are the stars nowadays, one uglier than the other, how can they compare to Nuonuo?'
After hanging up the video, Gu Jiangkuo went to look in the mirror again. Looking at his wheat-colored skin and the stubble he had grown from not grooming for two days, he said self-awarely, "I don't think I'm handsome, but am I old?"
.
That night, Mr. Gu called Jiang Nuo again and asked for a video call, but the other party hung up ruthlessly, saying that he had official business to attend to.
Hiss, so cold!
Some things are like this. It's okay if you don't pay attention to them, but once they start, you will unconsciously care about them: Nuonuo treats him so coldly, could it be the legendary "seven-year itch"?
The more Mr. Gu Dajiang thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He felt depressed and dragged Wu Tong out in the middle of the night to complain.
Inside the bar, Assistant Wu felt uncomfortable. "Boss Gu, why did you ask me to come here? Isn't this a gay bar? I'm a straight guy, so I'm a little uncomfortable."
This is a very stylish bar. There is no dance floor and no muscular men with bare upper bodies banging DJs. There is a resident singer on the stage who plays guitar and sings folk songs. The atmosphere is pretty good, but there are pairs of same-sex couples at each table, which makes Wu Tong, a straight man who has never been to a bar, feel very uncomfortable.
"It's precisely because you're straight that I called you!" Gu Jiangkuo clapped his large hand on Assistant Wu's frail shoulder. "I have to ask you to come and testify for me. After all, you have good character, and Nuonuo trusts you the most!"
'The boss's most trusted' was undoubtedly the highest praise for a professional. Assistant Wu accepted the recognition with great joy, then realized, "Boss Gu, what do you want me to testify for?"
Gu Jiangkuo sighed deeply, took a long sip of Scotch, and said sadly, "Wu Tong, tell me the truth, am I getting old and losing my looks?"
"puff!!"
Wu Tong directly sprayed out the wine.
Gu Jiangkuo held the wine glass and dodged it swiftly, with a look of disgust on his face: "If you can't drink it, I'll give you some iced black tea!"
"Ahem, no," Wu Tong wiped his mouth awkwardly with a tissue, "Ahem, Mr. Gu, why do you think of asking such a question?"
"Hey," the tall and strong Mr. Gu frowned melancholy, as if possessed by Lin Daiyu at this moment. "Your Mr. Jiang... has been so cold to me lately. Could it be because I'm old and losing my looks? Do you think I'm old? Tell me the truth."
Wu Tong: “…”
Assistant Wu said politely, "Boss Gu, you look more European and American."
Gu Jiangkuo: "What do you mean?"
Wu Tong: "When you were young, you looked more mature. As you get older, you haven't changed much. You look exactly the same as you did seven years ago when you first married Mr. Jiang!"
Tsk, Gu Jiangkuo understood.
Low emotional intelligence: Looks old when young, but doesn’t look old when old.
High emotional intelligence: looks more European and American.
Mr. Gu became even more depressed. He drank the rest of the whiskey in one gulp and asked the waiter to bring another glass.
Gu Jiangkuo touched his face. For the first time, he felt depressed because he was not handsome enough. He took a sip of foreign wine and asked, "Do you think Nuonuo has been avoiding me recently?"
"Ah?" Wu Tong, "Really? I didn't feel that way."
.
Mr. Gu’s feeling was correct. Jiang Nuo was indeed deliberately avoiding him.
But it wasn't for anything else. Jiang Nuo went on a business trip to the mountain city. In addition to official business, he also wanted to give Gu Jiangkuo a surprise. Mr. Gu Dajiang carefully prepared various gifts for him every year. Birthdays, traditional Chinese Valentine's Day, 214 Western Festival, Christmas, and even 520, every day, there are gifts, full of ritual sense.
——Of course, Mr. Gu Dajiang will also receive corresponding rewards.
What cute girl with bunny ears, what Snow White, what little devil in black, what school uniforms... Mr. Jiang blushed whenever he thought about them.
Over the years, he has become accustomed to it. Every time such a festival comes, he will quietly do his work in advance and prepare to stay in bed for several days after the festival.
Because Mr. Gu Dajiang lacked self-control, Mr. Jiang gently advised him several times that there was no need to prepare gifts for every holiday, but Gu Jiangkuo refused to listen.
Jiang Nuo didn't insist any more. He knew in his heart that this little romance between husband and wife should not be broken. Even if he was not satisfied with the gift or disliked the bed and it delayed his work too much, he couldn't really say it out loud - after all, it was the other party's sincere love, how could he bear to let it down?
Therefore, this year, Mr. Jiang still had the mentality of finishing important work ahead of time, and rushed to go on a business trip, and by the way, he also looked for a gift for Mr. Gu Dajiang. When preparing the gift, of course, he couldn't be discovered by the other party, otherwise what surprise would there be?
"Mr. Jiang, this is the list of items for tomorrow's auction." The new assistant Zhang Junnan respectfully handed over the beautifully bound sample album.
Jiang Nuo took it, turned it over, and rubbed his nose again.
It was really tiring to rush the work. Not only did I have to attend meetings all day, but I also had to race against time to communicate and greet other entrepreneurs at the summit, to build as many relationships as possible that might be useful, and to exchange useful information with these bigwigs.
Only now did Mr. Jiang have time to rest and take a look at tomorrow's auction items. He scanned them from beginning to end, and finally his eyes fell on a page of jade Guanyin pendants.
It is said that "men wear Guanyin and women wear Buddha", which is a good omen. Moreover, it has sufficient water content and rich emerald color. The starting price is 1.2 million, which is probably worthy of being an anniversary gift.
"Boss Jiang, you and Boss Gu are truly in love," Zhang Junnan said with a smile. "I'm really envious of you for putting so much thought into buying such an expensive gift."
"It's all mutual," Jiang Nuo smiled when thinking of Gu Jiangkuo, "He treats me better." Whenever Jiang Nuo thought of how Gu Jiangkuo was willing to give up the hundreds of billions of assets of the Gu Group for him, he was still moved.
.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gu, who suspected he was losing his wife's favor due to his aging appearance, was drinking to drown his sorrows, but he had probably overdosed. His tongue was now slightly enlarged, and he complained plaintively to Wu Tong, "He's just cold! I video-called him today, and he ignored me!"
Facing the drunk, Wu Tong grew bolder and said expressionlessly, "Mr. Gu, please stop showing off your affection! What couple would stick together every day after seven years of marriage? Have you ever heard of the saying, 'A kiss between middle-aged couples can cause nightmares for several nights'? Although you are not yet middle-aged, you got married early!"
"Now, President Jiang is on a business trip for a few days, and you still want to video chat with him several times a day. This is not just complaining about indifference, it's clearly Versailles!" Wu Tong protested loudly.
"Really? Hehe." Mr. Gu was miraculously comforted.
Wu Tong: “…………”
Assistant General Manager Wu stared at Gu Jiangkuo speechlessly. It was obvious that during the day, their General Manager Gu was still in high spirits and debated with a group of scholars. He did not lose to the senior officials of the relevant departments and managed to increase the other party's investment in Shengchen by a large margin. He was so calm and composed, neither humble nor arrogant, and had a strong aura.
This caused his colleagues and leaders of relevant departments to admire him very much.
Who could have imagined that Mr. Gu, so cool and sophisticated during the day, could be so...love-headed at night?! A prominent social elite, a muscular man nearly 5 feet 4 inches tall, could actually be love-headed. What a contradiction!
Then Gu Lianai suddenly slapped her thigh and said, "Oh, how could I have forgotten about this? Who are the people accompanying Mr. Jiang on this business trip?"
"It's Mr. Wang, Mr. Liu and Mr. Long." Wu Tong said.
"No, I mean, who is the assistant leading?" Gu Jiangkuo's eyes were sharp.
"..." Wu Tong, "It should be Zhang Junnan."
Gu Jiangkuo: “…”
Mr. Gu's face darkened visibly, and he rolled up his sleeves and was about to leave: "Fuck! It's that vixen! No wonder Nuonuo ignored me!"
He knew it! That Assistant Zhang, who was fair-skinned, 5'80" tall, with abs, and fresh out of college, and who didn't know how HR worked, was actually assigned to the office, where he could see Nuonuo all the time!
No matter how much defense you take, you can't prevent a thief from within! That young assistant is so handsome, how can he be an assistant? He always felt that there was something wrong with the way Xiao Zhang looked at Nuonuo! Male vixen, bah! How dare you go on a business trip with Nuonuo? I'll tear off your arms and legs before you can even go on a business trip!
"Hey, hey, hey!" Assistant Wu had a headache and hurriedly dragged and pulled with all his might.
He had been eager to leave the gay bar, but now he didn't dare let Gu Jiangkuo leave. Mr. Gu was drunk, and if he got into trouble, like getting into a fight or smashing up someone's shop, he wouldn't be able to take the consequences! Thinking about the potential mess, Assistant Wu felt a headache and secretly swore that this was the last time he would go to a bar with Mr. Gu. If he ever went out drinking with him alone again, he would write the word "Wu" backwards!
However, how could Wu Tong attract the tall and strong Gu Jiangkuo?
Only by coaxing him in some way could he change the subject and temporarily appease Mr. Gu.
"I came here just to test whether I am still attractive and whether anyone can still talk to me." Mr. Gu finally calmed down and said loudly.
Wu Tong: “?”
Wu Tong suddenly realized: Could it be that they dragged me here to prove this? Mr. Gu wanted to test whether he had "aged and lost his looks" and see if his charm was still there, but he was afraid of being caught in a compromising situation. If Mr. Jiang found out, he wouldn't be able to explain himself clearly, so he asked me to be a witness!
Assistant General Manager Wu didn't know whether to thank the two bosses for their trust in him, or to complain about the misfortune he had suffered that night.
"But no one is here." Mr. Gu said sadly, "I've been drinking for so long and no one has come to see me. I'm really old and have no capital left. Alas! Using your beauty to please others won't last forever!"
Wu Tong: “…………”
At this time, there were already vague glances from all around. Assistant Wu didn't care about the embarrassment of sitting with a drunkard, and hurriedly continued to smooth things over: "How could it be, maybe, maybe..."
He gritted his teeth and risked his words to comfort her: "Maybe others think we are a couple, that's why no one is talking to us."
In the end, Mr. Gu didn't appreciate his kindness and even exaggeratedly moved his chair back a long way, expressing his disdain: "Who wants to be a couple with you? You wish!"
Wu Tong: “…” Damn it, he shouldn’t have comforted him.
“Puff.”
"Hahaha."
Following a burst of laughter, several young men dressed in tight pants, looking very gay, came over. "Handsome guy, so you weren't drinking with your date? We've been secretly watching you for a long time."
Gu Jiangkuo, who had claimed to be trying to see if his charm was still there, was actually stuck when someone approached him. He stared at them in silence, bewildered, as if he had drunk too much and was a little overwhelmed.
Several boys laughed and said, "Handsome guy, buy us a drink."
"Don't be so stingy! You're crazy to meet such a hottie like this and let him buy you a drink?"
"Are you 1? You must be 1, right?"
"Handsome guy, your legs are so long, are you 1.9 meters tall?"
Gu Jiangkuo: “…………”
Wu Tong: “………………”
These flamboyant young men surrounded Gu Jiangkuo like a spider spirit lurking in the flesh of Tang Monk. Wu Tong was terribly nervous. Damn it! He had come to prove Mr. Gu's innocence, but he had encountered so many attractive women throwing themselves at him, and Mr. Gu was drunk. What if he lost control and did something to offend Mr. Jiangkuo? Wouldn't he, the subordinate caught in the middle, be in a state of utter despair?
This isn't a test for Mr. Gu, it's clearly a test for him!!!
"Can you show us your abdominal muscles?" A brave boy actually reached out to touch Gu Jiangkuo's lower abdomen.
Wu Tong: “!!!”
It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!
Just as Assistant Wu was reviewing his career and mentally preparing how to write his resignation letter, Gu Zuigui finally reacted and suddenly pushed the boy away.
How could an average person withstand Gu Jiangkuo's strength? The boy was pushed a long way, and several people fell down with him.
"Hey, there's something wrong! Why did you do that?"
Before they could start a fight, Assistant Wu quickly shouted, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! He got drunk and acted crazy. I'll pay for his medical expenses!"
Gu Jiangkuo still looked at everyone with vigilance: "Stay away from me!"
Needless to say, Mr. Gu was tall and strong, with a powerful aura and a strong deterrent effect. It was even more effective than Assistant Wu's apology. When the scene quieted down, Drunk Gu was still sternly warning: "Don't touch me! I have a wife!"
Wu Tong covered his face, unable to bear the sight: This is damn male morality engraved in his bones.
But he also breathed a sigh of relief: I shouldn't have worried just now. How could anything happen to a good man like Mr. Gu who loves his wife? How could a mere alcohol shake the loyalty of such a model of male virtue?
"Sorry, sorry!" Wu Tong apologized and coaxed Gu Jiangkuo, "Let's go home. President Jiang is waiting for you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com