Chapter 119: Shen Yanhui

Only Gu Yan's eyes lit up; she tugged at the finger of the man beside her and asked in a low voice, "Really?"

"Really."

She continued to ask, "Then... will we spend every New Year and holiday at my house from now on?"

"We will spend them at your house."

"What about the Shen Family?"

"We won't go."

Gu Yan's eyes curved into two crescent moons: "Dad, he agreed."

Gu Fanglin's face turned completely dark.

He had originally intended to make things difficult for Shen Yanhui, to let him know that a daughter of the Gu Family was not so easy to marry.

As it turned out, this man... was eager to marry into the family?

And he was practically wishing for the whole world to know?

He took a deep breath, then took another deep breath: "You... you certainly are open-minded."

"To marry her, anything is fine."

Shen Yanhui looked toward Chang Su, who understood and placed the sandalwood box in front of the two elders and opened it.

Yang Bing's gaze froze instantly.

She was someone who knew her goods; this set of jade jewelry was not something one could buy just with money, and at a glance, it was an heirloom from generations past.

"This was passed down from the Shen Family ancestors," Shen Yanhui said, "The old master said back then that it was only to be passed to the eldest daughter-in-law."

He paused.

"My mother didn't receive it. Now I have brought it to give to Yanyan."

Yang Bing looked at the jewelry set, then looked at Shen Yanhui, her gaze filled with a bit more satisfaction.

Gu Fanglin remained silent, saying nothing.

Gu Yan leaned over to take a look, picked up the bracelet, and held it against her wrist to compare.

"Does it look good?" she asked Shen Yanhui.

Shen Yanhui looked at her.

"It looks good."

She nodded with satisfaction and put the bracelet back.

"Alright, we'll take it."

Gu Fanglin: "..."

Yang Bing finally couldn't help it and laughed out loud.

Shen Yanhui continued: "You know about the shares. I have agreed to the matter of marrying into the family. As for the wedding, I will handle it. The Three Letters and Six Etiquettes, not a single one will be missing."

He paused, his tone solemn: "I hope the two of you can feel at ease handing Yanyan over to me."

——

An hour later, Shen Yanhui took Gu Yan away from Gu Zhai on the grounds that she still had documents to sign.

The living room suddenly became quiet.

Gu Fanglin sat down and flipped through the wedding proposal on the coffee table, finding it more and more suspicious the more he looked.

This proposal was too comprehensive; it definitely could not have been put together in a short time.

"Do you think... he had this prepared long ago?"

Yang Bing was looking at the jade jewelry set and didn't lift her head: "What?"

"The wedding," Gu Fanglin said, "He didn't come here today to apologize at all. He came to notify us."

Yang Bing finally lifted her head and looked at him.

Gu Fanglin continued: "Look at these plans, the dates are all for next month. He said he came to discuss it, but the dates are already set; is this what you call a discussion?"

Yang Bing was silent for two seconds: "Then why didn't you say so just now?"

Gu Fanglin choked.

What could he have said just now?

He had been so stunned by Shen Yanhui's remark about "writing it directly on the wedding invitations" that his mind had gone blank; how could he have thought of anything else?

He continued to flip through the proposal, his face growing darker with every page.

"And this, the venue is booked at the club near the Summer Palace; I just heard yesterday that it had been booked out by someone—it turns out it was him!"

Yang Bing looked at him.

"And this, on the guest list, half the prominent figures in Jingcheng are listed. He said he wanted me to vet it, but I don't have the nerve to delete a single one of these people!"

Yang Bing couldn't help but let out a laugh.

Gu Fanglin glared at her.

Yang Bing picked up her teacup and lowered her head to drink tea.

Gu Fanglin continued flipping, then suddenly stopped.

"This..." he pointed to one of the pages, "In the wedding speech segment, he proposed that I give a speech."

Yang Bing nodded: "That's quite good, it's only right."

Gu Fanglin's expression became even uglier.

"Do you know what he wrote underneath? 'After the father-in-law's speech, the groom will deliver his remarks on marrying into the family'... remarks on marrying into the family!"

Yang Bing finally couldn't hold it back and laughed out loud.

Gu Fanglin slapped the proposal onto the coffee table.

"I've been played by him!"

Yang Bing was laughing so hard her shoulders were shaking.

Gu Fanglin glared at her: "You're still laughing?"

Yang Bing waved her hand, struggling to hold back her laughter: "Alright, alright, what's wrong with the son-in-law's acceptance speech? Wasn't it you who asked him to marry into the family?"

Gu Fanglin choked.

Yes.

It was he who asked him to marry into the family.

But he had been doing that to make things difficult for him!

Who knew this man would not only agree, but also make it so... so open and aboveboard!

The more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

From the moment Shen Yanhui stepped through the door, every word and every action seemed to have been designed in advance.

He said the marriage registration was his arrangement, taking all the responsibility upon himself.

—Gu Fanglin had listened at the time and thought this man was quite responsible.

He spoke of wedding matters and brought out those proposals.

—Gu Fanglin hadn't thought much of it at the time, assuming he had really come to discuss them.

He spoke of marrying into the family and agreed readily.

—Gu Fanglin had been quite smug at the time, feeling he had finally stumped him.

Now that he thought about it...

The man had simply been waiting for him to say those words!

He stood up and paced the living room twice.

"Yang Bing, tell me, was he doing this on purpose?"

Yang Bing held her teacup, watching him pace.

"What was on purpose?"

Gu Fanglin stopped in his tracks: "He was deliberately letting me suggest he marry into the family, then he agreed immediately and made sure the whole world knew about it. That way, everyone thinks he is deeply affectionate and willing to do anything for my daughter! And me? What have I become? I've become the wicked father-in-law who makes things difficult for his son-in-law!"

Yang Bing thought for a moment and nodded: "That seems to be the case."

Gu Fanglin's face turned even darker.

"And that share transfer," he continued, "he transferred all the shares under his name to Yan Yan, and now Yan Yan is the largest shareholder of Shen Corporation. Do you know what this means?"

Yang Bing looked at him.

"It means that from now on, things at Shen Corporation are decided by Yan Yan. Whatever Shen Yanhui wants to do, he has to listen to her." Gu Fanglin's voice was heavy, "But that girl Yan Yan, what does she know? Doesn't she just listen to Shen Yanhui for everything?"

Yang Bing blinked: "So..."

"So!" Gu Fanglin slapped his thigh, "Shen Corporation is still run by Shen Yanhui, but nominally, he listens to Yan Yan. He didn't lose any substance, and he gained all the face!"

Yang Bing was silent for a few seconds.

Then she laughed.

"Gu Fanglin, are you saying you were played by him?"

Gu Fanglin didn't want to admit it.

But he had to admit it.

From beginning to end, he had been led by the nose by Shen Yanhui.

He wanted to make things difficult for him, but the man had already dug the pit and was just waiting for him to jump in.

He asked him to marry into the family, and the man agreed immediately, making a grand spectacle of it. By then, everyone in Jingzhou would know that Shen Yanhui was willing to marry into the family for his daughter.

What else could he say?

He couldn't say anything.

He could only accept it.

Yang Bing looked at his frustrated expression, finally finished laughing, stood up, and patted his shoulder.

"Alright, alright, stop thinking about it. Since our daughter is married well, what else are you dissatisfied with?"

Gu Fanglin glared at her.

Yang Bing ignored him and walked upstairs with the jade jewelry set.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she looked back.

"By the way, when you give the wedding speech, remember to praise your son-in-law more. Since he's marrying into the family, you have to leave him some face."

Gu Fanglin's face turned even darker.

"Anyway, I don't agree to holding the wedding next month. Her older brother hasn't even held his yet; how can she, a younger sister, get ahead of him?"

Yang Bing gave a perfunctory "mm-hmm-hmm."

She had already gracefully ascended the stairs.