Chapter 31: Brother Loves Me the Most

Gu Yan walked quickly toward the terrace, the glass door sliding open and closing without a sound.

She answered the phone, her voice kept very low: "Shen Yanhui, are you trying to scare me to death! I was almost discovered by my mother just now..."

Her tone unconsciously carried a hint of coquettishness, and one could even imagine the look of her lightly furrowed brows.

Shen Yanhui was silent for a moment, then asked: "Am I that embarrassing to be seen?"

Uh, how to answer this?

It felt like a death trap.

Gu Yan thought quickly, "Of course not, it's... it's just that I'm not ready yet."

The other end of the line was very quiet, so quiet it made her heart panic.

She continued to coax him, her voice as soft as melted cotton candy: "If they found out, they would definitely get to the bottom of it, and it would be annoying as hell."

Still silence.

Gu Yan bit her lower lip and decided to play her trump card.

"Brother..." she called out softly, the tail of the word drawn out long and sweet, like a feather brushing against the tip of his heart, "You love me the most, don't you?"

A very faint sound of breathing came from the phone.

Gu Yan's eyes lit up; it seemed to be working.

She struck while the iron was hot, her voice becoming a few degrees sweeter: "Once Grandpa's birthday banquet is over, I promise to come find you the very first chance I get."

Finally, Shen Yanhui spoke, his voice lower and hoarser than before: "That sounded quite nice."

The corners of Gu Yan's mouth curled up: "It was just average."

"Say it again."

She was, of course, very happy to satisfy such a small request.

"Brother, brother, brother!"

Buy one get two free, three times in a row; Gu Yan felt she was truly generous.

The other end of the line was quiet for a moment, then a soft chuckle came through: "Mm, good girl."

"So, Brother, does that mean you've agreed?"

"You just said I love you the most."

He deliberately said "love" extremely slowly, his tone lingering and affectionate.

One really couldn't blame Gu Yan for overthinking.

"I can't talk to you anymore, my mom is still waiting for me." She hung up the phone in a rush.

This man was just too clingy.

Gu Yan sighed.

——

The top-floor private room at Danyuetai.

Sheng Ze pushed open the door and froze for a second.

He had just flown back from Europe and hadn't adjusted to the jet lag yet.

He had only sent a message in the group chat as a matter of routine and hadn't expected Shen Yanhui to come at all.

After all, ever since he got together with that little princess of the Gu Family, this master had disappeared from almost all non-essential social occasions.

But at this moment, Shen Yanhui was sitting in the sofa by the window.

His fingertips held a half-burned cigarette, white mist rising in swirls under the dim light.

Sheng Ze took off his suit jacket, tossed it aside, and walked over with a smile: "Did the sun rise in the west? Our Boss Shen is actually willing to come out."

Zhou Wei sat opposite, swirling his wine glass and laughing: "I can testify, he was just staring blankly at his phone a moment ago; it was obvious he was waiting for someone's message."

Shen Yanhui ignored their teasing and only pressed the cigarette out in the crystal ashtray: "How did the talks in Europe go?"

"How else could they go," Sheng Ze poured a glass of wine, downed half of it in one gulp, and then loosened his tie, "The Germans are incredibly difficult; the approval for the new route is stuck on the environmental assessment, and we've been bickering for half a month."

Shen Yanhui: "Find Hans Muller. His daughter is holding her wedding in Zurich next week; send an invitation and prepare a generous gift."

Sheng Ze raised an eyebrow: "You know him?"

"Met him twice."

Shen Yanhui said lazily, "He likes collecting ancient Chinese inkstones. I have a Pine Flower stone inkstone from the early Qing Dynasty; I'll have Chang Su send it to your place tomorrow."

"Thanks, brother."

Sheng Ze didn't stand on ceremony and poured a glass of wine, placing it in front of Shen Yanhui.

He poured one for himself as well, drinking it more slowly this time.

"It's really exhausting; I have to go into the mountains to escape the heat early this year and get some proper rest."

Zhou Wei laughed: "You're tired already? Look at old Shen."

Sheng Ze: "I wouldn't dare compare myself to him; he's a workaholic."

"Workaholic" Shen Yanhui raised his eyes and glanced at him.

Sheng Ze was completely unaffected and asked with a chuckle: "What about you guys? And old Shen, are you bringing your Miss Gu along this year?"

Zhou Wei: "I'm ready whenever."

Both of them looked at Shen Yanhui.

Yet that man remained as steady as a mountain, turning his wine glass, his expression indifferent.

"After the Gu Family's birthday banquet," he said after a long while.

The private room was silent for a moment.

Zhou Wei raised an eyebrow: "You're going to the Gu Family's birthday banquet? I thought you'd at most send a gift."

Sheng Ze was amused: "What are you saying? That's the dear grandfather of his heart's treasure. Rounding it up, that's our Boss Shen's own grandfather."

Zhou Wei laughed out loud and patted Sheng Ze on the shoulder.

Shen Yanhui did not respond, merely lowering his eyes to watch the amber liquid swirling in his glass.

Sheng Ze took another sip of wine, suddenly remembered something, and clicked his tongue: "Wait a minute, isn't your old man having a birthday celebration next month too? You didn't show your face last year, yet this year you're eager to attend someone else's birthday banquet..."

He paused, leaving his words unfinished, but the meaning was clear.

It was no secret that Shen Yanhui and the old man of the Shen Family had a cold relationship; all of their close brothers knew it.

Back then, after his father died in an accidental car crash, the old man used thunderous methods to push Shen Yanhui, who was not yet twenty at the time, to the forefront.

It was euphemistically called "gaining experience," but in reality, it was a cruel trial of survival.

During those years, there were undercurrents surging within the Shen Family, and Shen Yanhui suppressed all opposing voices almost single-handedly; the process was not without bloodshed.

The old man watched coldly from the sidelines, never offering a helping hand, and even added fuel to the fire at critical moments.

Sheng Ze knew that he had nearly lost his life back then.

Shen Yanhui raised his eyes, with no emotion in their depths, "Occasions that must be attended, naturally must be attended."

Zhou Wei stepped in to smooth things over at the right moment, raising his glass to change the subject: "Alright, alright, let's drink, let's drink. Regardless of whose birthday banquet it is, if our Boss Shen is happy to go, then he goes."

The topic was thus set aside.

Around ten o'clock, Shen Yanhui stood up to leave.

This was his rule, with no exceptions.

By the time he walked to the door, Sheng Ze suddenly remembered that there was a question this man had yet to answer.

"Wait a second, you still haven't said whether you're bringing your little rose or not?" he called out.

Shen Yanhui left him with nothing but a cold back.

"This guy?" Sheng Ze clicked his tongue.

Zhou Wei also stood up and picked up the coat to the side, "You can think about it slowly, I have to head back too."

Sheng Ze: "What's wrong with you now? Leaving so early too?"

Zhou Wei buttoned his coat and chuckled, "Young Master Sheng, I'm different from you now; I'm a man with a wife."

Sheng Ze was puzzled, "Isn't it a marriage of convenience? Didn't you say there were no feelings?"

Zhou Wei ignored his question, waved his hand, and turned to leave.

The door closed again, and the private room suddenly became quiet.

Sheng Ze tilted his head back and took a drink.

He pulled his mouth into a smile, expressionless.

Interesting, so it's just him left as the only single dog, is that it?