Chapter 30: Don't Create a

Gu Yan was afraid of being nagged by her eldest brother, so she didn't go straight home; she took a detour to ask for outside help.

She parked the car downstairs at the newspaper office and leaned against the vehicle body, watching the glass doors slide open again and again as the crowd of people getting off work poured out.

Five minutes later, she saw Su Jin.

A beige trench coat, shoulder-length short hair, and a commuter bag in her hand—clean and sharp.

"Sister-in-law!" Gu Yan trotted over.

Su Jin stopped in her tracks, a smile appearing in her eyes: "Yanyan? Why are you here?"

Gu Yan took her arm, her tone natural, "Mom and Dad asked me to come pick you up so we can go home for dinner."

Su Jin raised an eyebrow, "Gu Chen didn't tell me."

"He told me to come pick you up directly," Gu Yan blinked, "Isn't a surprise good?"

Su Jin stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Gu Yan, if you don't get your story straight with me, how am I supposed to cover for you?"

Gu Yan choked.

Was her acting really that bad?

"My brother was checking up on me... and found out I hadn't been home for several days. He's definitely going to nag me in a moment, so you have to speak up for me, Sister-in-law."

The young girl was naturally bright and beautiful; when she looked at you with such a pitiful expression, it was likely that no one could say no to her.

Su Jin was no exception.

However, she had to clarify the specific situation, "Are you dating someone?"

Gu Yan's earlobes turned slightly warm, but she nodded generously: "Mm."

"You don't want the family to know?"

Gu Yan thought for a moment, "It's not that, I just don't want to be asked this and that, especially by my brother."

The corners of Su Jin's mouth curled, "I understand. When I first got together with your brother, my dad invited him for tea three times, asking everything from astronomy and geography to international relations."

That was exactly what Gu Yan was afraid of.

She couldn't imagine the scene of Shen Yanhui being interrogated by her eldest brother and the old man.

If the tyrant got unhappy for a moment...

She was just too worried about her family, that was all.

Besides, as for her and Shen Yanhui, the future was still uncertain.

The car drove into the twilight. While waiting for a red light, Su Jin suddenly turned her face and exhorted, "It's fine to date, but you must protect yourself."

Gu Yan only thought it was a normal piece of advice, suspected nothing, and nodded.

Who knew that the next second, Su Jin would add: "Don't accidentally end up with a 'human life' on your hands."

Gu Yan's face turned red in a "whoosh."

It was too early to talk about that; she hadn't even "eaten" Shen Yanhui yet...

No, that's not right.

Of course she knew she couldn't end up with a "human life"!

The Gu Family Villa was lit up. Gu Yan walked in with Su Jin, and the motion-sensor light in the foyer turned on.

Gu Chen was sitting on the sofa with documents spread across his knees and his glasses set aside.

Hearing the sound, he looked up.

His gaze landed on Su Jin first, softening for a moment, before turning to Gu Yan.

"Look at the time. I said before six o'clock; what time is it now?" His voice was calm, but one could detect a hint of displeasure.

Gu Yan paused in the middle of changing her shoes.

Su Jin naturally took the bag from her hand, hung it up, and then walked over to sit beside Gu Chen.

"I asked Yanyan to pick me up first," Su Jin said in a soft, gentle voice.

Gu Chen held her hand, his gaze still on Gu Yan: "The housekeeper at Yunqi Jian said you haven't been back for four days."

Su Jin patted his hand, "What are you doing? Scolding your sister the moment you get back."

Gu Yan immediately seized the opportunity to climb up, nodding repeatedly, "Exactly, exactly."

Gu Chen was helpless, pulling his girlfriend closer, "I was just asking."

"Your sister is grown up and has her own circle; why do you have to manage so much?" Su Jin said with composure, "Do you want to be such an annoying brother?"

Gu Yan: "Exactly, exactly."

Gu Chen: "..."

He rubbed his brow; this gesture meant he had a headache and was also quite helpless.

"Fine, I can't win against you two. I won't ask, alright?"

Gu Yan immediately beamed with joy, "I knew it, Big Brother is the most reasonable brother in the world!"

Gu Chen glanced at her, "You only know how to say sweet things to coax people."

He paused and continued: "I can ignore where you were the past few days, but stay home properly for the next few days; Grandfather's birthday banquet is coming up soon."

Gu Yan wanted to say something to fight for herself, but received a cold look.

Forget it, she would just stay home for now.

It was just a pity for Shen Yanhui.

Actually, she felt quite aggrieved too.

She wouldn't have any abs to touch when she slept at night.

After dinner, Gu Yan and Su Jin accompanied Gu's father and mother to watch TV in the living room, while Gu Chen handled work in the study.

As for Gu Lin, it was said he went to chase after his idol and didn't even come back for dinner.

Gu Yan breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that her eldest brother hadn't told them about her not coming home. In truth, dealing with Gu Chen was a small matter; dealing with her parents was the real issue.

"Has Xiao Jin been staying up late again recently?" Yang Bing tapped her own under-eye area to gesture, her voice gentle, "Your complexion looks a bit tired."

Su Jin smiled: "I'm rushing to finish a special report on wetland protection, the deadline is next week."

"Let Gu Chen help you more. He knows people at the Environmental Protection Agency, so it's easier for him to pull data."

Gu Fanglin looked up from behind his magazine: "Where is Gu Chen?"

"Taking a call in the study," Su Jin replied.

Yang Bing: "Work is work, but he should spend more time with his wife too. I'll talk to him next time."

Su Jin smiled.

Gu Yan curled up on the other end of the sofa with a cashmere blanket draped over her knees. Her fingers tapped rapidly on her phone screen, sending a message to Shen Yanhui.

Gu Yan: 【I've been grounded at home... they won't let me leave until after Grandfather's birthday banquet.】

At the end, she even added a pitiful-looking emoji.

It really wasn't that she didn't want to go back.

After all, who wouldn't want to sleep while resting their head on pectoral muscles?

The reply from the other side came very quickly.

Shen Yanhui: 【Send me the address.】

Gu Yan: 【What are you going to do?】

Shen Yanhui: 【Pick you up.】

Gu Yan: 【My brother will find out!】

Shen Yanhui: 【Then let him find out.】

Gu Yan bit her lip and was just about to reply when she heard her mother call her: "Yan Yan?"

Her fingers tightened, the phone slid into the folds of the blanket, and she looked up: "Hm?"

Yang Bing looked at her and asked: "Who are you chatting with? The corners of your mouth are curled up."

"Nothing..." Gu Yan sat up straight, "Lin Wei said there's a new exhibition in Paris and asked if I wanted to go."

Su Jin picked up her bone china teacup and smiled with pursed lips.

Gu Fanglin put down his magazine: "I had my secretary send you the gift list for your grandfather's birthday banquet. See if there's anything else that needs to be added; the old man likes coral, remember to prepare a piece."

Gu Yan nodded: "Okay."

"Wear that cloud-water blue gown to the banquet; your aunt brought it back from Milan, it suits you," Yang Bing also said.

This was a reminder that her attire had to follow the rules. Gu Yan understood: "I know, Mom."

The phone vibrated under the blanket; it was very light, but Gu Yan felt it.

She pretended to adjust the blanket and her fingers touched the phone. The screen was lit up with a new message from Shen Yanhui:

【Tomorrow night, I'm coming to pick you up.】

Gu Yan's breath hitched.

Her fingertips hovered over the screen, motionless.

"Yan Yan?" Yang Bing called again, "What are you thinking about?"

Gu Yan snapped back to reality and shoved the phone behind a cushion: "Thinking about what jewelry to pair with it."

Su Jin glanced at her, a faint, knowing smile in her eyes.

Yang Bing put the catalog back on the coffee table and said to Su Jin: "There's a set of jade jewelry at Sotheby's next month with excellent clarity. Will you accompany me to take a look? It would be perfect to wear at the engagement banquet."

Su Jin's earlobes turned slightly red: "Thank you for the trouble, Auntie."

"It's only right," Yang Bing patted her hand, "That child Gu Chen wouldn't know how to pick these things, so we have to do it."

The phone vibrated behind the cushion again; this time it was a call.

Gu Yan hurriedly stood up: "I'm going to take a call."