Chapter 101: Paying a Visit

Gu Yan slept until she woke up naturally.

Sunlight leaked in through the gap in the curtains; she stretched, threw off the quilt, and got out of bed.

Picking up her phone, there were two unread messages on the screen from Gu Lin.

Because this kid had taken advantage of his sister-in-law's pregnancy and no one at home was keeping an eye on him anymore, he simply hadn't returned, following the transport team back to the Maranello factory.

However, he was feeling guilty after all, so here he was, fishing for information early in the morning.

Gu Yan deliberately tried to scare him, replying: 【Danger.】

Then, she ignored him regardless of how frantic he became.

After washing up, she went downstairs, where the living room was filled with the aroma of tea. Yang Bing was sitting in an armchair by the window, holding a booklet in her hands.

The hard cover was embossed with gold patterns; it was a new embroidery sample book from that old Suzhou shop that only accepted regular customers.

Gu Yan sidled over, sat down next to her, and rested her chin on her shoulder: "Mom, what are you looking at?"

Yang Bing tilted the booklet toward her, her fingertip pointing at a page with a begonia and intertwined branch pattern.

"Choosing for your sister-in-law, a soft satin waist protector. Does this embroidery look good?" Her tone was leisurely.

Gu Yan leaned in to look; the pattern was intricate and complex, with four-colored silk threads used for the gradient of the petals.

"It's pretty." She nodded, then looked at the pages nearby, "What about this pouch?"

"That's for the baby." Yang Bing turned a page, revealing a diagram of a small apricot-colored belly band, with the seam allowances already marked on the corners, "Belly band, swaddling blanket, little shoes—making a whole set."

Gu Yan blinked: "You drew the patterns yourself?"

"I don't have that kind of skill." Yang Bing glanced at her, closed the booklet, and picked up her celadon teacup, "The patterns, the fabric selection, and the embroidery work are all handled by the people from the embroidery workshop who come to the house to take measurements. I only handle picking the styles and checking the quality."

She paused, her lips curling up: "Your sister-in-law's pregnancy is the first of the grandchildren for the Gu Family; we can't be careless."

Gu Yan leaned back against her shoulder, feeling soft-hearted.

"Oh, and the wedding? Has the date been set?"

Yang Bing set down her teacup: "Not yet. Your brother and sister-in-law's intention is to have the wedding after the New Year. I don't think that will work; by then, the baby bump will be showing, and it won't look good in a wedding dress."

She paused: "The two families will meet next week to set the date; the sooner, the better."

Gu Yan gave an "mm."

Yang Bing lowered her eyes to look at her and suddenly asked: "What about you? Are you having fun out there?"

"I am." Gu Yan was still lounging on her shoulder.

"Is the weather good over there?"

"It is." She paused, "It's just a bit chilly."

Yang Bing's smile deepened, and she patted her hand: "And what about Shen Yanhui? Is he treating you well?"

Gu Yan's earlobes suddenly grew hot.

"……He's alright, I suppose." Her tone was a bit haughty.

Yang Bing curled her lips and raised a hand to smooth out the ends of her hair, which were sticking up from sleep: "That's good."

Gu Yan lifted her face from her shoulder; her earlobes were still red, but her eyes were curved into crescents.

A low roar of an engine came from outside the window as a car drove into the front courtyard.

Yang Bing turned her head to look: "At this hour, who……"

Zhong Bo hurried over from the entryway, his expression complex.

"Madam, Mr. Shen has arrived."

Gu Yan sat up straight abruptly and glanced at the clock on the wall.

Ten-oh-five.

She blinked, then blinked again: "……Did he have to come so early?"

Yang Bing smoothed her lapels and said with a smile: "Invite him in."

Zhong Bo didn't move.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice sounded somewhat ethereal.

"Madam…… you had better come out and see for yourself."

Gu Yan followed Yang Bing to the doorway.

She froze.

Outside the entryway, six people filed in one after another.

The first person held a red sandalwood brocade box; the lid was slightly ajar, revealing a lustrous jade ruyi inside. It wasn't the usual full green, but an extremely rare glass-type Floating Flower.

The second person carried a scroll with brocade silk ends and an agarwood roller; one could smell that tranquil woody fragrance from several steps away. The roller knobs were made of old beeswax, already polished to a warm patina.

The third person carried a pair of celadon plum vases; the glaze was like the blue of the sky after rain, the vessel shape simple and serene—it was the peak quality of the Longquan Kiln. Such quality was usually only found in the temperature-controlled display cases of museums.

The fourth person, the fifth person, the sixth person……

Gu Yan didn't have time to see clearly before the long table in the living room was already filled.

The last person to enter held a purple sandalwood box. The wood was old, the corners worn smooth and warm, with copper fittings engraved with intertwined lotus patterns.

He stopped in front of Yang Bing and gently opened the wooden box.

Inside was a twelve-page album.

The paper was yellowed; it was an old object from over a hundred years ago.

The ink on the title page was elegant and upright: Gu Family Precepts: Pure Virtue Chapter.

Yang Bing's gaze froze.

She recognized the signature—the name of Gu Fanglin's grandfather.

This set of pages had been lost during the chaos of war. The Gu Family had searched for three generations, exhausting all their connections, from old bookstores in Shanghai to auctions in Japan; for over seventy years, there had been no news.

Gu Yan was so shocked by this display that she was left speechless.

Steady footsteps came from the staircase.

Gu Fanglin stood at the turn of the stairs, his gaze falling upon those yellowed paper pages.

He did not speak.

At the entryway, Shen Yanhui stepped into the living room.

He wore a dark gray peaked-lapel suit and a moon-white shirt, with no tie. His hands were empty; his gifts were already all here.

He gave a slight nod to Yang Bing, then looked calmly toward Gu Fanglin.

"Uncle Gu."

He paused.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Gu Yan: "..." Is this really not a provocation toward her father?

However, Gu Fanglin did not seem to mind; he only looked at that sandalwood box, remaining silent for a long time.

After a while, he finally raised his eyes: "Where did you find it?"

Shen Yanhui replied: "Tokyo, from a private collector. His grandfather was once a student of the Gu Family and moved across the sea in the 37th year of the Republic; he took this set of album leaves with him before his departure."

He paused.

"The collector is advanced in years, and his descendants have no interest in preserving it, so they were preparing to send it to auction recently. I had someone take a look at it first."

Gu Fanglin did not ask about the price.

He only lowered his head again, looking at the yellowed title page, at the regular script written by his own grandfather at the age of twenty.

The two characters "Qing De" remained clear in ink.

"Come in." Gu Fanglin raised his eyes.

Zhong Bo immediately stepped forward to lead the way. Shen Yanhui nodded and followed him toward the main seat of the living room.

As he passed by Gu Yan, his footsteps faltered for a moment.

He did not look at her, but his hand, hanging at his side, brushed extremely lightly against her fingertips.

A touch, then away.

Gu Yan lowered her head, the tips of her ears quietly turning red.

They took their seats.

The tea had been whisked by Yang Bing herself.

In a white porcelain lidded bowl, the pre-Qingming Longjing leaves unfurled in the boiling water, rose and fell three times, and settled steadily at the bottom of the cup.

Shen Yanhui received the tea with both hands.

"Mr. Shen," Yang Bing said in a gentle tone, her gaze falling upon the gift boxes that had not yet been put away, carrying a faint smile, "coming to visit for the first time and preparing such heavy gifts is too extravagant."

"It is only right." Shen Yanhui lowered his eyes. "These were originally old items of the Gu Family; it is merely returning them to their rightful owner."

Yang Bing smiled and did not stand on ceremony further.

Gu Fanglin set down his teacup and asked, appearing casual: "Mr. Shen is twenty-nine this year, right?"

"Yes." Shen Yanhui replied steadily.

But Gu Yan had already anticipated that her father's next sentence would certainly not be anything pleasant.

Sure enough, Gu Fanglin said with calm composure: "Six years older than Yanyan; when she was born, I specifically invited a master to cast her horoscope."

He paused, his tone unhurried: "The master said that this child, in the future, cannot find someone six years older."

"It clashes."

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough—"

Yang Bing spat out a mouthful of tea.