Chapter 118: Interrogation

Yang Bing returned with the tea tray and sat down beside Gu Fanglin. She poured a cup of tea, placed it on the coffee table, then poured another and picked it up herself.

"Yanyan."

Gu Yan looked up.

Yang Bing looked at her with a calm gaze, but that calmness held a hint of scrutiny.

"Let's talk."

Gu Yan blinked: "Talk about what?"

Gu Fanglin put down his newspaper, looked at her, and said in a deep voice: "Talk about what? What are you talking about?"

Gu Yan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found her mind was a complete blank.

She subconsciously flashed a smile, soft and slightly ingratiating: "Dad~"

"Don't try that," Gu Fanglin interrupted her, "acting spoiled won't work."

Gu Yan's smile froze on her face.

Yang Bing picked up her teacup, took a sip, and her tone was gentler than Gu Fanglin's, but the usual indulgence was gone.

"Yanyan, Mom is asking you, when did you plan to tell us about you and Shen Yanhui registering your marriage?"

Gu Yan lowered her head, her fingers twisting together.

"I just... I was planning to find a suitable opportunity..."

"A suitable opportunity?" Gu Fanglin's voice sank a few degrees, "Then what is a suitable opportunity? The day of the wedding? Or after the child is born?"

"Dad!" Gu Yan's face turned red instantly, "What child, there is no child!"

"There isn't one now, but what about later?" Gu Fanglin looked at her, "Something this big, you went and did it without a word, and your mother and I had to find out from outsiders. Gu Yan, do you think that's appropriate?"

Gu Yan bit her lip, not daring to speak.

Yang Bing put down her teacup and looked at her.

"Yanyan, Mom isn't against the two of you. As for Shen Yanhui, after getting to know him, I also think he's quite good." She paused, "But you must understand, we are your parents. For something like this, you should have told us first, instead of letting us see it in the news."

Gu Yan's eyes turned a little red.

"Mom, I didn't mean not to tell you, I know I was wrong..."

"You know you were wrong?" Gu Fanglin gave a huff, "Then tell me, where were you wrong?"

Gu Yan opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Gu Fanglin looked at her state and was so angry he didn't know where to begin.

"You've been delicate since you were small, and your mother and I have spoiled you, unable to bear saying a single harsh word to you. And what's the result? We've spoiled you into being so bold that you even dared to hide your marriage registration from the family."

"Dad..." Gu Yan's voice carried a hint of a sob, "I was afraid you'd be angry..."

As she spoke, she scooted toward Gu Fanglin and reached out to pull on his sleeve.

Gu Fanglin pulled his hand back: "Don't try that, I am very angry right now."

Gu Yan's hand hung in mid-air, frozen.

It's over.

This time it's truly over.

She curled up into the corner of the sofa, head bowed, not daring to make another sound.

The living room fell silent, and every second felt as long as a year.

Gu Yan had been organizing her words in her mind for a long time and was just about to say something to break the silence when footsteps came from the entryway.

Zhong Bo walked in from outside: "Sir, Madam, Mr. Shen is here."

Gu Yan lifted her head abruptly.

Shen Yanhui?

How is he here so fast?

It had been less than five minutes since she sent the message.

But at this moment, she couldn't spare the thought; she only felt the string that had been taut all evening finally loosen a little.

Gu Fanglin's brow furrowed, while Yang Bing's expression didn't change.

At the entryway, Shen Yanhui had already walked in.

He was in a crisp suit, as composed as ever.

Gu Yan stood up abruptly, ran over in a few steps, and threw herself into his arms.

Shen Yanhui caught her steadily, one arm wrapping around her waist, the other hand gently patting her back.

"Don't be afraid." His voice was very low, audible only to her.

Gu Yan buried her face in his chest, smelled the familiar, cold scent on him, took a deep breath, and gave a muffled response.

"I was almost lectured to death..."

"My fault."

Gu Fanglin watched this scene and averted his gaze, unable to bear looking.

Yang Bing, however, curled the corners of her mouth; knowing how to protect her daughter, that's not bad.

Gu Fanglin gave a light cough.

Gu Yan immediately sprang out of Shen Yanhui's arms and stood straight, like a schoolchild caught in the act.

Shen Yanhui's expression remained unchanged as he walked past her toward Gu Fanglin and Yang Bing.

He stood still before them, nodded slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Dad, Mom."

Gu Fanglin's brow twitched.

Who is his dad?

Yang Bing, however, smiled: "Mr. Shen, please sit."

Shen Yanhui did not move.

He looked at Gu Fanglin, his gaze calm.

"Coming here uninvited tonight is this junior's fault," he said, "but there are some things I would like to explain clearly to you both in person."

Gu Fanglin's tone was indifferent: "Explain, then."

Shen Yanhui continued: "The matter of registering our marriage was my suggestion, and it was my arrangement. Gu Yan was led by me from beginning to end; she had no intention of keeping it from you, it was I who wanted to secure her first."

Gu Yan was stunned for a moment beside him.

He had taken all the responsibility upon himself.

But clearly, she had also...

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but upon meeting Shen Yanhui's gaze, she closed it again.

Fine, since he was willing, then let him take it.

In any case, she really didn't want to be scolded anymore.

Gu Fanglin's expression softened just a little, but only a little.

"Mr. Shen," he leaned back into the sofa, looking at the young man before him with a heavy gaze, "you just said that you arranged all this. Then let me ask you, when you arranged these things, did you think about the face of the Gu Family?"

Shen Yanhui's expression did not change: "I did."

"You did?" Gu Fanglin's voice sank, "You did and still did it? You married my daughter without a word, making me, her father, hear this news from someone else's mouth. Shen Yanhui, you are slapping my face."

Shen Yanhui looked at him without defending himself.

He simply nodded slightly: "Dad is right."

Gu Fanglin no longer wanted to dwell on this "Dad," waiting for him to continue.

But Shen Yanhui did not speak of this matter again.

He changed the subject: "Dad, I came here today mainly to discuss the wedding with you."

Gu Fanglin was stunned for a moment.

The wedding?

Yang Bing's hand holding the teacup paused, and even Gu Yan was stunned.

How did this person jump to the wedding?

"I have drafted several plans for the wedding," Shen Yanhui said, signaling Chang Su to place a folder on the coffee table, "The venue, date, and scale are all inside. Dad and Mom, please take a look; if there is anything you are not satisfied with, I will change it."

Gu Fanglin lowered his head and glanced at the folder.

His brow furrowed into a deep frown, and his look toward Shen Yanhui was indescribable.

"Keeping the marriage registration from you both was my lack of consideration, but since things have reached this point, the proper thing to do is to make up for the wedding as soon as possible."

Gu Fanglin: "?"

Gu Yan leaned over from the side, picked up the plan, and flipped through it.

"This venue is nice," she pointed to one of the pages, "I like this one."

Shen Yanhui looked at her, a smile appearing in his eyes.

"Then we will settle on this one."

Gu Fanglin's face turned black.

"Wait," he interrupted them, "I haven't agreed yet."

Gu Yan raised her head and began to act spoiled again: "Dad, didn't you say to let us explain? He is explaining."

Gu Fanglin was choked for words.

He took a deep breath and changed his angle: "Setting aside the wedding for a moment, has your side of the Shen Family been cleaned up? Will those messy relatives cause trouble for Gu Yan in the future?"

Shen Yanhui said in a deep voice: "Naturally not. The old man is recuperating in the south, and the matter of the third uncle has been settled. I am the one in charge of the Shen Family now; no one dares to cause her trouble."

Gu Fanglin nodded.

"Then what about the shares under your name? I heard you transferred them to her?"

"Yes."

"How much did you transfer?"

"24.7%."

Gu Fanglin was stunned for a moment; he naturally knew what this meant. It meant that his daughter now held the lifeblood of the Shen Family in her hands.

He looked at Gu Yan.

She was still flipping through the wedding plan, adhering to the principle of speaking less and getting scolded less, acting like a quail.

"Did you really accept it?" Gu Fanglin asked her.

Gu Yan blinked innocently: "He said what is his is mine, so I accepted it."

Gu Fanglin: "..."

Yang Bing's tea almost didn't stay steady.

The corners of Shen Yanhui's mouth curled up: "Right, what is hers is hers, and what is mine is also hers."

Gu Fanglin looked at these two, not knowing what to say for a moment.

One was righteous and confident, the other was happy to accept it.

What else could he say?

After a few seconds of silence, Gu Fanglin spoke again: "Very well, I have one more condition."

"Please speak."

"I remember you said when you first came to our door that you could marry into our family; I now want you to fulfill your promise."

Gu Yan and Yang Bing both looked toward Shen Yanhui.

Saying it is one thing, but whether he can actually do it is another. As the head of the Shen Family, a prominent figure in the circle, could he really put down his pride to become a son-in-law who marries into the Gu Family?

Gu Fanglin wanted exactly his attitude.

Shen Yanhui's expression did not change, and he agreed very readily: "Fine."

He continued, his tone carrying a smile: "I have already thought about this matter, there is no need to hide it. It is fine to write 'Shen Yanhui marries into the Gu Family' directly on the wedding invitations; by then, everyone in Jingcheng will know that I am Gu Yan's person."

Gu Fanglin & Yang Bing: "……?"