Chapter 116: Tipping Off

President Wu was still rambling: "By the way, when is the wedding? You must invite me when the time comes; I have to have a good drink! Mr. Shen is taking a wife, the scene certainly won't be small! Don't worry, I'll prepare a generous gift!"

Seeing that Gu Fanglin didn't speak, he leaned in closer and lowered his voice: "Speaking of which, there have been quite a few movements from the Shen Family side recently. It's said that the old master of the Shen Family has gone south for recuperation, and the business Third Master Shen was handling has also been reined in... Tsk tsk, Mr. Shen's methods are truly..."

As he spoke, his expression was full of respect.

He knew better than anyone what the name Shen Yanhui meant in this Jingcheng.

That was true high position and great power, and also true mastery of strategy.

Gu Fanglin stood where he was, motionless, his complexion sinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.

President Wu finally sensed that something was wrong; looking at his gradually livid complexion, his smile slowly faded away.

"Chairman Gu? Are... are you alright?"

Gu Fanglin didn't speak.

President Wu gave two dry laughs and took a step back: "That... Chairman Gu, did I say something I shouldn't have?"

Gu Fanglin pulled out a cold sneer and patted his shoulder.

"No, it's quite good," he said, "When the wedding comes, I will definitely invite you."

President Wu gave two awkward laughs: "I suddenly remembered I have some urgent business that I need to handle immediately. Chairman Gu, I'll be going first, let's talk later, let's talk later!"

After finishing, he fled in a panic.

His few subordinates also followed him and ran off in a flash.

The corridor quieted down, leaving only Gu Fanglin standing there alone.

Sunlight shone in from the floor-to-ceiling window and fell upon him, but the air pressure around him was low enough to freeze someone to death.

A long time passed.

He let out a cold sneer, took out his phone, and dialed Gu Yan's number.

It rang twice on the other end, and his daughter's soft voice came through, carrying a bit of the laziness of someone who had just woken up: "Hello? Dad?"

Gu Fanglin's heart softened for a moment.

But only for a moment.

"Come home for dinner tonight."

"Huh?" Gu Yan was stunned for a moment, then her voice carried a smile, "Okay, Dad, I want to eat that soup you have the auntie stew."

Gu Fanglin gave an "en": "Six o'clock, don't be late."

"Got it~"

Hang up.

Gu Fanglin calmed down slightly and dialed Gu Lin's number. He had been close to Yanyan since they were small; he must know something.

This time it rang for a long time before it was answered, and the background noise was chaotic, as if he were in some lively place.

"Dad?" Gu Lin's voice was a bit guilty, "That, I'm out..."

Gu Fanglin ignored his nonsense and got straight to the point: "Do you know about your sister's matter?"

Gu Lin fell silent.

The hand holding the phone began to sweat.

His dad didn't explicitly say what matter it was, but he knew immediately what it was.

His brain spun rapidly, thinking about how to muddle through it. His dad's tone wasn't right, it was too wrong; he had never been this calm even when scolding him in the past.

"W-what matter?" His voice drifted significantly, "I don't quite understand what you're saying..."

"Gu Lin."

Gu Fanglin only called his name.

Gu Lin's back instantly went cold.

It's over.

He was too familiar with his dad's tone.

When he and Gu Yan broke the old master's favorite vase when they were little, his dad was just like this: he called his name first, and then...

And then came the storm.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his mind was a blank slate.

Even the background noise seemed to have been pressed on pause. Several friends nearby saw his complexion wasn't right and shut their mouths one after another, not daring to breathe loudly.

Gu Fanglin let out a cold sneer: "Truly my good son."

The laughter wasn't loud, but it was cold enough to make Gu Lin's scalp tingle.

"Dad, let me explain—"

"No need to explain," Gu Fanglin interrupted him, "And you are not allowed to tip off your sister."

The call hung up.

Gu Lin felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy and was so anxious he spun around three times.

His dad said he wasn't allowed to tip off Yanyan, so... if he didn't tip off Yanyan, would it be okay to tip off someone else?

He slapped his head, and his eyes lit up.

That's right! If he didn't tip off Yanyan, tipping off Shen Yanhui should be fine, right? His dad didn't say he wasn't allowed to tip off Shen Yanhui!

Thinking this, he hurriedly flipped through his contacts and dialed out.

"Hello?" A deep, steady voice came through.

Gu Lin's heart settled slightly.

"Brother-in-law, it's bad! My dad probably knows about you and Yanyan getting your marriage certificate; he just called, and his tone was very ominous."

"En."

Shen Yanhui was actually calm.

Gu Lin paused for a moment: "Did you hear what I said? My dad, he..."

"I heard, I know." Shen Yanhui's voice remained nonchalant.

Gu Lin opened his mouth, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Just like that?

He said he knew, and then what?

He waited for two seconds, but there was no follow-up from the other side, so he couldn't help but ask: "Then, what are you planning to do?"

"I have arrangements."

Gu Lin waited another two seconds, feeling increasingly suspicious. So calm?

"Do you need me to do anything?"

"No," Shen Yanhui paused, "just don't make things messy."

"Oh, oh okay..."

"Anything else?"

"No more..."

"Mm."

The call hung up.

Gu Lin stared at his phone, looking bewildered. How did he feel like the tip-off call he just made seemed somewhat redundant?

In the study on Man Island, Shen Yanhui put down his phone.

He leaned back in his chair, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the desktop twice, the corners of his lips curving slightly.

He pressed the intercom.

Two minutes later, the study door was knocked. Chang Su walked in and nodded slightly: "Sir."

"Prepare some gifts," he said, "going to the Gu Family tonight."

Chang Su paused, then quickly nodded: "Yes. According to what standard?"

"The standard for a first formal visit to one's father-in-law and mother-in-law."

Chang Su silently calculated in his heart: This standard is likely more impressive than acquiring a listed company.

He acknowledged and turned to leave.

When he reached the door, Shen Yanhui's voice sounded again: "Wait."

Chang Su stopped and turned back.

Shen Yanhui said: "Bring that sandalwood box as well."

Chang Su was stunned for a moment.

The sandalwood box. He knew that box.

Inside was a set of jade jewelry passed down from the ancestors of the Shen Family. It had flowed out of the Qing Dynasty imperial palace; it was full-green glass-species jade, a three-piece set: bracelet, ring, and earrings.

Back then, Old Master Shen had declared that this set would only be passed to the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen Family, but Shen Yanhui's mother had not received it.

After Shen Yanhui's father passed away, this set had been locked in the safe at the old mansion, and no one was allowed to touch it.

Three months ago, Shen Yanhui had someone retrieve it from the old mansion.

"Yes," he nodded, "I will go prepare it now."

After he left, Shen Yanhui also stood up, straightened his cuffs, and walked toward the master bedroom.

In the walk-in closet of the master bedroom, the light was soft.

Gu Yan had her back to the door and was standing in front of the full-length mirror changing clothes. Her nightgown had just slipped off her body and was piled at her feet.

She turned slightly, revealing her bare back, the lines smooth and graceful, her waist tucked in very slim, and further down was a rounded curve.

In the mirror, she was looking down, searching for something, completely unaware that there was one more person behind her.

Shen Yanhui stood at the doorway, his gaze landing on her.

On her back were a few faint red marks. They were what he had left last night, exceptionally conspicuous on her porcelain-white skin, like a few red plum blossoms fallen on snow.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

He did not deliberately soften his footsteps, but the carpeted floor absorbed all sound. He walked behind her, close enough to smell the faint scent of her after bathing.

Gu Yan finally sensed something was wrong.

She looked up, saw the person behind her in the mirror, and let out a soft cry in fright, subconsciously grabbing the clothes at hand to cover her chest.

"Shen Yanhui!" She glared at him, "Why do you walk without making a sound?"

He looked at her, his gaze slowly moving down from her face, landing on those few red marks.

"What are you hiding from?"

She felt her face heat up under his gaze, and she held the clothes tighter: "Who's hiding? I'm changing clothes, why didn't you knock when you came in?"

He didn't answer.

He only raised his hand, his palm pressing against her spine.

As his warm palm covered that smooth skin, she trembled slightly.

His fingertips slid slowly down her spine, tracing those red marks, and finally stopped at the slimmest part of her waist. His fingertips tapped lightly, as if measuring something.

"Neither too plump nor too thin, neither too tall nor too short," he said in a low voice, his tone growing a bit hoarse, "shoulders as if carved, waist like bound silk."

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment, then realized what he was saying.

Those were lines from the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River."

She felt flattered, but still acted coy on purpose, suppressing the upward curve of her lips to retort: "Why are you reciting poetry!"

"Don't like it?"

Gu Yan hummed softly.

"Then shall we change to another?" He lowered his head, his thin lips almost brushing against her ear, his breath sweeping over her sensitive earlobe.

He paused, his voice dropping a few degrees lower, as if ground out from his chest, carrying a clear, suggestive implication:

"Last night, the crabapple blossoms were first touched by rain; several delicate, graceful blooms seemed ready to speak."

Gu Yan's breathing stopped for a split second.

Of course she knew this poem.

It spoke of crabapple flowers, but his tone and inflection clearly referred to something else entirely.

Her face turned completely red, and even her neck was stained a shade of pink. She wanted to dodge his breath, but she was encircled in his arms, unable to move.

"Shen Yanhui!"

He let out a low laugh, the sound vibrating against her ear: "What, you don't like it again?"

She bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She only felt his fingertips still resting on her waist, that point of warmth making her heart tremble.

"I, I need to change my clothes..." She finally squeezed out this sentence, her voice impossibly soft.

"I'll help you." Shen Yanhui chuckled.

He raised his hand, took a shirt from the clothes rack nearby, shook it out, and put it on her.

She stood there blankly, letting him handle her; her arms went through the sleeves, and she was turned around by him, button by button being fastened.

His movements were very slow; when he reached the middle, his fingertips brushed against her collarbone and paused for a moment.

After the shirt was on, he took a pair of trousers, crouched down, gripped her ankles, and helped her put them on.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't continue to say anything that would make Gu Yan blush or her heart race. His gaze simply remained fixed on her, so deep it was as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Once she was dressed, he stood up and looked at her.

"Is this alright?"

She looked down at herself, then looked back up at him, her face still flushed, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve upward: "It's alright."

He also curved the corners of his mouth.

She suddenly remembered something: "By the way, my dad called just now and asked me to go home for dinner tonight."

His expression didn't change: "What time?"

"Six o'clock," she said. "You don't need to take me; I can go back by myself."

He looked at her: "Alright."

She stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips: "I'm off then!"

He nodded.

She turned and walked toward the door, but when she reached the entrance, she suddenly turned back around.

"Shen Yanhui."

"Hmm?"

She looked at him, her eyes bright: "Wait for me to come back tonight."

He rubbed his fingertips together, the delicate sensation seemingly still lingering.

He agreed: "Alright."