"It's gone now," Gu Huaizhi said, his ears tinged with a hint of red.
In the restaurant, not far from them, an elderly lady sat at a table.
She was dressed in an elegant traditional Chinese outfit and wore a lustrous string of Australian white pearls around her neck.
Adjusting the reading glasses perched on her nose, she took a closer look.
Isn't that the third son of the Gu family?
Old Madam Gu was always complaining about how her youngest son refused to date or get married, fearing he’d remain a bachelor for life.
But look at him now—doesn’t he have a girlfriend? With such intimate behavior, there’s no way she wouldn’t believe it.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Zhou quietly took out her phone and snapped a few photos in secret, making a deliberate effort to capture Shen Mianyin as clearly as possible.
However, the restaurant’s lighting was dim, designed more for ambiance.
Coupled with Old Madam Zhou’s nervousness about being caught sneaking around, it took her considerable effort to snap a few barely recognizable photos.
She opened WeChat and found Old Madam Gu’s contact: Old Madam Gu.
Every time she saw this name, Old Madam Zhou couldn’t help but feel a pang of exasperation. That old lady was always taking advantage of others!
Madam Zhou: "Madam Gu, did you know your third son has a girlfriend?"
Madam Gu: "What? I had no idea! Who told you that? Quickly, tell me everything!"
Without another word, Madam Zhou sent over the photos she had just taken.
"I was eating crab at the restaurant and happened to see your third son dining with a pretty young woman. He even used a napkin to wipe her mouth! So attentive and considerate—if you tell me they're not dating, I won’t believe it."
Madam Gu: "You know, there were rumors before that he was dating someone. I asked him, but he wouldn’t admit it."
Madam Zhou: "Maybe they just started dating, and it’s not stable yet, so he doesn’t dare tell you."
Madam Gu: "Which restaurant are you at? I’ll head over right now."
Madam Zhou: "By the time you get here, they’ll probably be gone."
The two women had been chatting entirely through voice messages.
Just as Madam Zhou sent her message, Madam Gu initiated a video call. The sudden call caught Madam Zhou off guard, giving her quite a scare.
Feeling guilty for her sneaky behavior, she quickly glanced in Gu Huaizhi’s direction, worried he might notice.
When she answered the call, she immediately complained, "You old lady! Couldn’t you give me a heads-up before calling? What if they noticed?"
Madam Gu asked eagerly, "Did they notice?"
Madam Zhou replied proudly, "Thankfully, I’m quick-witted. They didn’t notice a thing."
Madam Gu urged, "Flip the camera around and let me have a look."
Madam Zhou sighed, "Alright, but the video camera can’t zoom in, so it might not be as clear as the photos."
As she spoke, she tapped to switch the camera, letting Madam Gu take a look.
Madam Gu squinted at the screen and muttered, "It’s really not as clear as the photos."
After hanging up, Madam Gu sat there, intently studying the photos on her phone.
After checking the latest international news, Old Master Gu removed his headphones and noticed Madam Gu staring intently at the photo on her phone, zooming in and scrutinizing it. Curious, he asked, "What are you looking at?"
Madam Gu showed him the photo, "This is our third son's girlfriend. Do you recognize her? I wonder which family she's from. She seems to have a pretty good temperament."
Old Master Gu, who hadn’t kept up with the younger generation for a long time, didn’t know what the children of other families looked like, aside from the few he had close relations with.
"I don’t recognize her, so how would I know?" Old Master Gu said.
Although Shen Mianyin had been previously engaged to Gu Luo'an, the couple had not attended the engagement banquet.
Due to Madam Gu's dissatisfaction with Shen Mianyin, the elderly couple still hadn’t met her in person.
"Alright, don’t worry about it. When the time comes, our third son will naturally bring her home for us to see," Old Master Gu said, though his eyes couldn’t help but linger on the photo, trying to remember Shen Mianyin's face. Who knows, he might be able to find out more.
Madam Gu, well aware of his contradictory nature, clicked her tongue in disdain. "I’ll just ask his friends directly."
Having finished their meal, Madam Zhou and her friends didn’t linger on purpose and left first.
As she was leaving, Madam Zhou nervously covered her face, afraid that Gu Huaizhi might recognize her.
At that moment, Gu Huaizhi’s phone on the table vibrated.
He glanced at the screen—it was a call from He Feichi.
"I’m going to take this call," Gu Huaizhi said, and after seeing Shen Mianyin nod, he got up, grabbed his phone, and stepped out of the restaurant.
He went to a nearby corner near the entrance to answer the call.
Seeing his actions, Shen Mianyin couldn’t help but make a bold guess—if she had refused, would he not have answered the call? Immediately, she shook her head vigorously.
"What am I thinking? I'm really getting carried away!"
It was really Gu Huaizhi’s gentle demeanor that had made her entertain such bold thoughts. That wasn’t good.
"Third Brother, just now your old lady called me," He Feichi said.
Hearing the title, Gu Huaizhi’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Madam Gu had called him "Third Son" since he was little, and his childhood friends had picked up the habit too.
Even now, at their age, they hadn’t been able to break the tradition. Gu Huaizhi had long given up on correcting them.
"What did the old lady call you for?" Gu Huaizhi asked.
Sitting by the window, Shen Mianyin had the perfect angle to see through the glass and spot Gu Huaizhi standing outside, talking on the phone.
The car lights, the lights from the tall buildings, and the moonlight all combined, casting a somewhat chaotic yet harmonious glow on him.
His tall, well-proportioned figure, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, was undeniably attractive.
Outside, He Feichi spoke on the phone, "The old lady said you’re out eating with a pretty girl. Nice, what's going on?"
Gu Huaizhi pinched the bridge of his nose. "How does the old lady know about this?"
"I asked, but the old lady wouldn’t say," He Feichi replied.
"I definitely don’t know anything about your girl. Third Brother, tell me the truth—we’ve been brothers for thirty years now. Don’t hide it from me. I promise, I won’t tell the old lady."
"You’ve found someone, so we should definitely celebrate, right?" He Feichi said eagerly.
"Also, when are you bringing your girl out so we can meet her?"
Each time He Feichi mentioned "your girl," Gu Huaizhi felt his heart skip a beat.
He instinctively turned his head and, through the glass, looked at Shen Mianyin, just in time to meet her gaze.
Shen Mianyin: "!!!"
She hadn’t expected to be caught in the act of sneaking a look.
Her scalp tingled with embarrassment, and she wished she could vanish on the spot.
Before her brain could even stop her, she had already turned her head, avoiding Gu Huaizhi’s gaze.
Shen Mianyin quickly frowned in frustration.
By dodging his gaze like that, didn’t it just make her look even more guilty?
Seeing her reaction, Gu Huaizhi couldn’t help but curve the corners of his lips into a smile before continuing,
"Sure, we’ll find a time later."
He Feichi was taken aback.
He had just been teasing, not expecting to actually get an answer.
Gu Huaizhi, this guy, had really gone and done it!
"Wait, you really found someone?" He Feichi said, suddenly feeling a little uneasy.
"Seeing my brother get into a relationship hurts more than when I get dumped."
Gu Huaizhi: "..."
To escape the awkwardness, Shen Mianyin could only lower her head and focus on her phone.
With Gu Huaizhi not around, she felt too embarrassed to continue eating alone.
"Shen Jiejie."
A voice full of surprise suddenly came from behind Shen Mianyin. It was Su Yiqing.
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