7 007
"Is President Xie here?"
Old Master Gu had been in power in the Gu family for many years and had also been influential in Beicheng for many years.
In Gu Yunhao's memory, his grandfather was always serious in front of him, and he was also strict to the point of being harsh on his father.
Gu Yunhao will never forget the scene when he was a child, when he first saw his father kneeling in front of his grandfather to admit his mistakes.
The image of his father, who was so dignified in front of him, being scolded by his grandfather without daring to utter a single word was incredibly impactful.
As Gu Yunhao grew up, he gradually understood that his father had knelt not only before his grandfather, but also before the power that was at stake.
Although the old man no longer holds absolute power in the Gu family as he once did, Gu Yunhao's respect and fear for his grandfather are still ingrained in his bones.
When the housekeeper came downstairs to find Gu Yunhao, Gu Yunhao was comforting the nervous Cen Meng.
“Young Master Yunhao,” Butler He said, “the old master wants you to go upstairs to find him.”
Upon hearing the housekeeper's words, Gu Yunhao froze and subconsciously released Cen Meng.
Cen Meng, who had been leaning most of her weight on Gu Yunhao, suddenly lost her balance and couldn't help but let out a soft gasp.
She stumbled before regaining her balance, and seeing that the person who came was just an elderly man in a butler's uniform, she felt even more dissatisfied.
She had agreed to introduce herself in front of everyone, but now that she's just met a butler, she's already in a hurry to let loose.
Because this was Gu family territory, and she desperately needed Gu Yunhao at the moment, Cen Meng held back from lashing out.
Gu Yunhao's expression betrayed his nervousness: "Butler He, are you sure Grandpa wants to see me now? The birthday banquet is about to begin..."
Butler He replied in a neither humble nor arrogant tone: "Yes, the old master has his reasons for giving such an order. Young master, you should go as soon as possible."
Gu Yunhao: "...Okay."
He glanced at Cen Meng behind him.
Butler He spoke up again: "Young Master Yunhao, please don't bring unrelated people up and upset the old master."
The words "irrelevant" and "annoying" sounded particularly jarring, and Cen Meng's lips twitched, her smile almost faltering.
Gu Yunhao knew it was the old man's idea, and dared not utter a word of objection, so he could only nod in agreement.
After going upstairs, Butler He gestured towards the door and then left the room to the old man and Gu Yunhao.
There were only two people in the huge room, and the air was eerily quiet.
The old man just looked at him quietly without saying a word, but his stern gaze made Gu Yunhao feel guilty.
Unable to withstand such pressure, Gu Yunhao took the initiative to ask, "Grandpa, what do you want to see me about?"
The old man looked him up and down for a few seconds before finally speaking slowly: "Yunhao, did you know that Yuxuan didn't come today?"
Gu Yunhao was startled.
Gu Yunhao didn't dare to tell his grandfather about breaking up with Ning Yuxuan himself; he asked his mother to talk to the old man on his behalf.
Gu Yunhao's mother, Wang Yahui, is a very shrewd and capable person. In terms of social skills alone, she is no less capable than her husband.
After Wang Ya Hui returned from talking with the old man, she instructed Gu Yun Hao: "Don't mention Ning Yu Xuan in front of the old man for a while. Wait until some time has passed before you tell the old man that the two of you really don't get along."
Gu Yunhao agreed at the time, thinking that at worst he and Ning Yuxuan would just put on a show at the birthday banquet to appease his grandfather.
However, he eventually succumbed to Cen Meng's pillow talk and agreed to introduce her to the guests at the birthday banquet.
Gu Yunhao thought that his grandfather was old and in poor health, so he probably wouldn't interfere in the private lives of the younger generation.
He secretly took Cen Meng to meet the guests, which would neither anger his grandfather nor prevent everyone from knowing that he had broken up with Ning Yuxuan and had a new girlfriend.
Unexpectedly, his grandfather called him over at this time and even specifically mentioned Ning Yuxuan.
Gu Yunhao lowered his head, not daring to meet the old man's gaze, and changed the subject: "Grandpa, I... I told Yu Xuan in person the day before yesterday that she must not forget your birthday banquet."
Old Master Gu snorted coldly: "You mean, she forgot to come herself?"
Gu Yunhao forced a smile and said, "Maybe."
The cane struck the ground with a dull thud.
"A string of lies!" Old Master Gu's face was full of anger. "Yu Xuan sent me a birthday greeting and even prepared a thoughtful gift. If it weren't for your reluctance to let her come, why wouldn't she show up?"
"Grandpa!" Gu Yunhao panicked now, his voice trembling as he explained, "No, no, Grandpa! I really don't know why she didn't come! I definitely reminded her that day that she must come to wish you a happy birthday!"
The old man looked at Gu Yunhao, who was in a panic.
He knew his grandson's character; he was clever enough, but he shouldn't dare to lie to him like that.
After a moment of silence, the old man's tone softened slightly: "Alright, I'll ask you about it in detail after the ceremony. The banquet is about to begin, so come down with me first."
At noon, the auspicious time was approaching, and the Gu family's birthday banquet was about to begin.
On the other side, Ning Yuxuan was having lunch with Ning Fei.
Ning Shiyue has a very tight work schedule, and he has another event to attend today. It is said that he will not be able to go home until tonight.
Ning Yuxuan was putting a piece of Dongpo pork into her bowl when her phone suddenly rang.
After answering the phone, the voice of the Gu family's old butler came through the speakerphone: "Miss Ning, our master asked me to make this call for you—"
The butler first conveyed the old man's appreciation for the gift, and then said that the old man sincerely hoped that Ning Yuxuan could attend the birthday banquet.
Ning Yuxuan hesitated for a moment after hanging up the phone.
Butler He used very polite and courteous language, and there was no coercion in her words. She simply kept saying that the old man really wanted her to come over.
Ning Yuxuan is the type of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force. If the other party tries to pressure her by using their seniority or the power of the Gu family, she will refuse without hesitation.
Ning Fei noticed her daughter's hesitation and asked, "Was it the Gu family calling?"
Ning Yuxuan nodded.
Ning Fei said gently, "Grandpa Gu has always been good to you, and today is his 80th birthday, so you should go."
The daughter's association with the Gu family is due to her ex-husband.
When Ning Fei first came to Beicheng after her divorce, no matter how tough things got, she never thought of asking her ex-husband for help.
But her daughter was different; Ning Fei didn't want her daughter to suffer like she had.
Therefore, when her ex-husband suggested that he had connections with the Gu family in Beicheng and wanted to introduce their daughter to Old Master Gu for some care, Ning Fei hesitated for a long time before finally agreeing.
Ning Fei had mentioned the birthday banquet to her daughter earlier, and she knew it was today, but she didn't ask about it before because she was afraid that mentioning Gu Yunhao would upset her daughter.
Hearing her mother speak, Ning Yuxuan pondered for two seconds and said, "I'll text you after this is over."
“Okay,” Ning Fei said. “I’ll have Uncle Li take you there.”
The Gu family's old house is not in the city center; it takes about half an hour to get there from the Ning family's house.
Ning Yuxuan got into the car and remembered something.
She and Xie Zhiyan had arranged to meet at 3 PM today to discuss their marriage.
There should be enough time, but there's always a chance of something unexpected happening, plus the time spent on the road will be wasted.
Ning Yuxuan texted Xie Zhiyan: "Mr. Xie, something came up this afternoon and I might be a little late. Could you wait for me for a bit? Half an hour at most. If not, we can reschedule for another day."
Ten minutes later, Xie Zhiyan replied: [Old Master Gu's birthday banquet?]
Ning Yuxuan was only surprised for a second.
The elite social circle in Beicheng is only so big, so it's perfectly normal for Xie Zhiyan to know that the Gu family is holding a birthday banquet.
Ning Yuxuan: [Yes.]
She wondered if she should say a few more words to explain why she suddenly had to go to the birthday banquet.
Xie Zhiyan is a busy man and may not have the patience to listen to her reasons, but it seems impolite not to explain.
Before she could make a decision, two more messages popped up in the chat box.
Xie Zhiyan: [No need to reschedule.]
Xie Zhiyan: [Come back around 3 PM, keep an eye out for my messages.]
Ning Yuxuan: "..."
What does it mean to keep an eye on his news?
Normally, Ning Yuxuan would definitely get to the bottom of things and ask for clarification.
But this time she was in the wrong for saying she would be late, so after thinking about it, Ning Yuxuan replied to Xie Zhiyan with a "okay".
Inside the banquet hall, the birthday banquet had just begun.
Grandpa Gu and Gu Yunhao came downstairs together and appeared in front of everyone.
Seeing this scene, Cen Meng, who was originally uneasy, felt much more at ease.
The fact that Gu Yunhao appeared with the old man suggests that Gu Yunhao being summoned earlier was probably not for anything bad.
As long as Gu Yunhao doesn't get into trouble, she doesn't need to worry.
The old man was in poor health, so the ceremony was not too complicated.
Everything proceeded smoothly. After the formal ceremony, everyone went to the head seat to offer their blessings to the elderly.
The old man was accompanied by several sons. Gu Yunhao was young and inexperienced. After the birthday celebration, he chatted with others not far away.
Cen Meng had never had a chance to talk to Gu Yunhao before, but now she finally seized the opportunity and went up to him.
She naturally linked her arm with Gu Yunhao's forearm: "Yunhao."
A guest nearby asked, "And who is this?"
Thinking of the scolding he received from the old man upstairs, Gu Yunhao hesitated.
Seeing that the man beside her remained silent, Cen Meng felt dissatisfied, but she still managed a smile on her face: "Hello, I am Yun Hao's girlfriend."
The guest said "Oh," and then said knowingly, "I've heard of her, it's... Miss Ning, right?"
Cen Meng's face stiffened: "I..."
Gu Yunhao suddenly coughed and said, "Alright, my uncle and I are talking about business, which you wouldn't understand anyway. Why don't you go wait for me over there?"
Cen Meng: "..."
The grievances in her heart kept welling up: Gu Yunhao had embarrassed her several times today.
The customer mistook her for someone else, the same woman she looked down upon, and didn't even offer a word of explanation.
However, given the current situation, she had no choice but to express her dissatisfaction.
Cen Meng took a deep breath and said, "Then Yun Hao, I'll wait for you on the other side."
She had only taken two steps after turning around when Cen Meng paused, her eyes widening slightly.
The slender figure not far away, isn't that—
Over the past few days, Cen Meng has watched the live replay of "Dear Mother" many times, especially the scenes featuring Ning Yuxuan, trying to find points that she can use to attack Ning Yuxuan.
Therefore, Cen Meng recognized Ning Yuxuan's figure at a glance.
But wasn't she just gone?
Cen Meng subconsciously looked in Gu Yunhao's direction, wanting to ask him what exactly happened.
Gu Yunhao was also staring blankly in Ning Yuxuan's direction.
Among the crowd, Ning Yuxuan's attire wasn't particularly elaborate; she was only wearing a rather formal light blue dress.
Elegant and intellectual, yet not overpowering.
In the past, when Ning Yuxuan went on dates with him, she always dressed in a bright and glamorous style. Gu Yunhao had never seen her like this before.
Gentle and elegant, somewhat like...
Gu Yunhao knew he shouldn't think this way, but Ning Yuxuan's aura today was surprisingly similar to Cen Meng's.
However, compared to Cen Meng's delicate and refined style, she is more sophisticated and lacks Cen Meng's fragility.
Gu Yunhao couldn't help but compare the two, and after drawing a conclusion, a very strange feeling arose in his heart.
Ning Yuxuan hadn't actually thought that much about it.
Today is the old lady's birthday banquet, and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to dress up in a flashy or glamorous way, so she casually picked out a dress in a plain color from her wardrobe.
If Ning Yuxuan knew that Gu Yunhao had compared her to Cen Meng because of this, she probably wouldn't be able to help but curse: "Life is so boring, why are you commenting on humans?"
While Old Master Gu was surrounded by a group of people, Butler He spotted Ning Yuxuan at a glance.
Remembering the old man's instructions, the butler dared not delay and immediately whispered a few words in the old man's ear.
Soon, Grandpa Gu looked over and beckoned to Ning Yuxuan: "Yuxuan, come here."
Ning Yuxuan walked over, and the old man patted her on the shoulder with a smile.
"This is Ning Yuxuan, whom I just mentioned to you." The old man smiled. "That double-sided screen with the pine and crane motif symbolizing longevity was a gift from this girl."
When everyone was looking at the birthday gifts, the old man was particularly fond of one of the table screens, praising the gift giver for his thoughtfulness.
The guests weren't very familiar with Ning Yuxuan, but they all gave face to Old Master Gu and echoed his sentiments.
"We never expected that Miss Ning, at such a young age, would prepare such a gift that would please the old man so much. We are all ashamed of ourselves."
"Miss Ning is beautiful and has good taste. It's true that the younger generation is constantly surpassing the older generation. Today's young people are really remarkable!"
Praises were sung incessantly, and everyone wore smiles.
Cen Meng, who was not far away, watched this and unconsciously clenched her fists, leaving two deep marks on her palms with her nails.
Gu Yunhao's feelings were even more complicated.
In his eyes, Ning Yuxuan had always been an immature, foolish, and unpresentable woman.
But at this moment, she was at ease among the many big shots, and was far more dazzling than when she was standing next to him.
Could it be... that he's the one who's tarnished Ning Yuxuan's potential?
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Gu Yunhao immediately dismissed it.
No way, he must be overthinking it.
Gu Yunhao clenched his fist and walked forward.
He had offended the old man before, so he might as well take this opportunity to show goodwill to Ning Yuxuan and make the old man stop being angry with him.
Ning Yuxuan was smiling and dealing with everyone when she saw Gu Yunhao walking over. She immediately understood what he was planning.
Today is the old man's 80th birthday. She doesn't want to say anything bad in front of everyone, but it's also impossible for her and Gu Yunhao to pretend to be in love.
Ning Yuxuan turned to look at the old man.
Looking at Ning Yuxuan and then at his grandson walking over from a distance, Grandpa Gu understood what Ning Yuxuan meant.
The old man patted Ning Yuxuan on the back: "Go ahead, there are quite a few young people here today, you'll get along better with them."
Ning Yuxuan nodded, said a few polite words, and then left the main guest seat.
Butler He followed over: "Miss Ning, shall I take you upstairs to rest? What exactly happened between you and Young Master Yun Hao? Whether there was a misunderstanding or not, you can talk to the old master about it privately later."
Based on the housekeeper's understanding of Ning Yuxuan, she should not be interested in such social occasions.
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "It's alright, I'll just wander around by myself. You go ahead and do your work."
Since we've come all this way, we can't leave empty-handed.
She will be helping her mother run the hotel in the future, and this banquet, attended by many bigwigs, presents a good opportunity.
...
Only after Ning Yuxuan's figure disappeared into the crowd did Cen Meng realize that she had been staring at Ning Yuxuan in a daze without realizing it.
When she turned around, Gu Yunhao was no longer in the same place.
The banquet hall was filled with guests clinking glasses, but there was no one else she knew or could rely on.
Cen Meng was a little flustered. She looked around and suddenly met the gaze of the guest who had mistaken her for Ning Yuxuan.
The other person glanced at her, then quickly looked away.
Cen Meng felt as if her cheeks were suddenly on fire, burning intensely.
The person only looked at her for a second before looking away, but Cen Meng saw contempt, disdain, disgust, and many other things in that brief glance.
It was as if they were mocking her: she actually pretended to be Ning Yuxuan, and then she was exposed in public.
Of all the times she had been wronged today, none had been as unbearable as this one.
Tears welled up instantly. Cen Meng forced back the tears and hurried toward the restroom.
After what seemed like an eternity, Cen Meng finally stopped crying.
While fixing her makeup in front of the mirror, her phone vibrated several times in a row; it was a message from Gu Yunhao.
[Mengmeng, where are you? I'm coming to find you.]
I know you feel wronged, but there were really reasons for what happened today. I didn't expect Grandpa to step in and protect her.
[Mengmeng, you know, you're the only one I truly love.]
Gu Yunhao's messages finally gave Cen Meng, who was on the verge of collapse, a lifeline.
So much so that she didn't think deeply about why it had taken so long for Gu Yunhao to finally remember to contact her.
Cen Meng smiled at herself in the mirror. The woman's makeup in the mirror was now exquisite, and her smile was both beautiful and harmless.
It's alright, Ning Yuxuan's smugness is only temporary, Cen Mengxiang.
What she possessed was something Ning Yuxuan longed for but could never obtain—Gu Yunhao's true heart.
Old Master Gu is already in his twilight years, how much longer can he hold on?
As long as she firmly holds onto Gu Yunhao's heart, the higher Ning Yuxuan stands now, the harder she will fall later.
Cen Meng regained her confidence, walked out of the restroom, and headed towards a corner of the banquet hall.
She arranged to meet Gu Yunhao there.
Upon seeing Cen Meng appear, Gu Yunhao led her through the corridor and into a secluded little balcony.
"Mengmeng, listen to me..."
...
A few minutes later, Cen Meng returned to the banquet hall alone and heard a commotion at the entrance.
The people around looked over, and someone exclaimed in a low voice, "That's... Xie Zhiyan, President Xie is here?"
Another person exclaimed in shock, "It seems that it really is... Wasn't it said that the Xie family member was too busy to come today, and someone else would be sending birthday wishes on their behalf?"
"I don't know. Come on, let's go and say hello to President Xie. We're really lucky to see President Xie today."
Xie Zhiyan's name was well-known, and Cen Meng had naturally heard of him.
While the older generation of leaders stepped down, the sons of the Gu family fought endlessly, leaving Gu Yunhao, the grandson, with virtually no power.
Although Xie Zhiyan is nominally of the same generation as Gu Yunhao, he is already the true head of the Xie family.
Among her peers, Cen Meng had never heard of anyone else who had already taken the top position in the group like Xie Zhiyan.
Xie Zhiyan actually showed up at this birthday banquet?
Cen Meng's heart suddenly started pounding. Following behind the two people who had just spoken, she almost forgot what Gu Yunhao had told her.
The distinguished man was surrounded by the crowd as he entered the banquet hall.
Old Master Gu went upstairs and couldn't come to greet us immediately.
Someone asked, "Mr. Xie, what brings you here?"
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