A few days later, the project jointly developed by the Shen family, the Lei family, and the Fan family officially began construction. The following day, it was reported in the newspapers.
Setting aside whether the villa district would be profitable after completion, the cooperation between these families alone was enough to become a media focus.
Even without the Shen and Fan families, the Lei family’s strength was not something to underestimate. Although it was no longer as powerful as before, it was still one of the iconic family enterprises in N City.
After that, Shen Yicheng became even busier.
Previously, he at least had classes, and they could still run into each other at school. Now, he had practically disappeared like a mysterious dragon, appearing only occasionally. No one knew what exactly he was busy with.
After all, speaking frankly, he was just a young master who had not even graduated from university.
Entering November, after a cold wave arrived, the temperature suddenly dropped.
The thicker windbreakers people had been wearing before were no longer enough. Everyone began putting on padded coats, and some people who were especially afraid of the cold had already started wearing down jackets.
The day before the cold wave arrived, Gu Xu had already bought Xia Zichen a white down jacket.
The jacket was lightweight and thin, completely lacking the bulky feeling of ordinary winter clothing. Yet once worn, it was extremely warm, and Xia Zichen liked it very much.
On Thursday after class, Xia Zichen ate lunch with An Jing and Tang Hui. Afterwards, he prepared to take the subway to work at the company.
Just after walking out of the school gate, Gu Xu’s call came in.
“Have you eaten lunch yet?” Xia Zichen answered the phone and asked with a smile.
“Mm, I have. Where are you now?”
“I’m about to go to the company.” Xia Zichen walked slowly along the pedestrian path. “Do you want me to bring you anything?”
Occasionally, Gu Xu would ask Xia Zichen to buy some pastries and bring them over. If there was nothing much to do in the afternoon, Gu Xu would find an excuse to call Xia Zichen upstairs, and the two of them would have afternoon tea together.
“No need. I called because I wanted to tell you something.”
Gu Xu smiled slightly before continuing.
“My parents’ flight will arrive in N City tomorrow night. Please come to my house for dinner on Saturday evening.”
“Ah?”
Gu Xu suddenly saying that his parents were returning caught Xia Zichen completely unprepared.
Originally, he thought that since Gu Xu’s parents were coming back, they would surely notify him at least a week in advance. He had not expected to only receive two days’ notice.
“Did that scare you?”
Although they were talking over the phone, Gu Xu seemed able to imagine Xia Zichen’s surprised expression.
Actually, he himself had been somewhat surprised when he received his mother’s call. He also felt that the timing was quite rushed.
But his mother said that they had delayed things for too long. If they still did not come back, the Xia family might think they did not value them.
So after handling everything there, they immediately caught the earliest flight back home.
“A little.”
After taking a deep breath, Xia Zichen tried to suppress the sudden nervousness and asked:
“What do Uncle and Auntie like?”
Since this was their first meeting, he could not possibly arrive empty-handed. That would feel too impolite.
“They don’t lack anything. Don’t worry about it.”
When his mother called, she had also said that she only wanted to meet Xia Zichen and that Xia Zichen should not buy anything.
“You bought gifts when you first met my father too.”
Although Gu Xu later brought many things to his home, that coffee pot was something Xia Yuze used every day.
“It’s my turn to go to your house. I have the final say.”
Gu Xu laughed helplessly and stopped trying to persuade him.
“Alright, do whatever you think is appropriate.”
“I’m taking the afternoon off.”
Tomorrow, Xia Zichen had many classes and would not have time to shop. So he could only use the free time he had today to skip half a day of work.
“Going shopping?”
Gu Xu could easily guess Xia Zichen’s plan.
“Mm.”
Xia Zichen did not deny it and began considering which shopping mall would be better.
“I’ll go with you.”
Gu Xu also happened to have nothing important to do that afternoon.
Originally, he had planned to wait until Xia Zichen arrived at the company before calling him upstairs, but since Xia Zichen was taking leave, he could only skip work for half a day and accompany him.
Although Gu Xu was not someone who was good at expressing himself, he did not mind putting work aside for his lover.
“Are you sure Mo Xiang senior won’t call you back halfway?”
Xia Zichen still remembered what had happened before.
Once on a Friday afternoon, he had no class and did not need to go to the company. Gu Xu had been bored at the office, so he went to school to accompany Xia Zichen to class.
Although Gu Xu had already graduated, there were still many people who knew him. Naturally, his appearance accompanying Xia Zichen attracted many glances.
Gu Xu acted completely as usual, with his eyes only on Xia Zichen.
Xia Zichen could only pretend nothing was happening and finish class under his classmates’ curious gazes.
The professor teaching them had taught Gu Xu before, so he did not chase him away. During the break, he even came over to chat for a while.
However, after the first class ended, when Xia Zichen was preparing to change classrooms for the next lesson, Gu Xu’s phone rang.
Mo Xiang urgently called him back to the company for a meeting.
Because of that, Gu Xu had no choice but to work an extra hour that day to make up for the few hours he had skipped. Xia Zichen even went to the company to have dinner with him.
“This time it won’t happen. At worst, I’ll turn off my phone.”
Gu Xu said it very casually, clearly not taking the incident where everyone had waited for him alone to drive back from school for a meeting seriously.
“Fine. If you get called back again today, your credibility with me is bankrupt.”
Last time, Gu Xu had also said he was free and had nothing to do, but in the end, someone still urgently needed him.
“It’s okay. I can apply for an overdraft. I’ll always find a way to get your approval.”
Gu Xu gave an ambiguous laugh before continuing:
“I’ll drive to the school to pick you up.”
“No need. I’m almost at the subway station. I’ll take the subway to the city center. You can drive directly there. We’ll meet at the mall entrance.”
Xia Zichen did not want Gu Xu to make an extra trip.
Taking the subway would not make him cold, so there was no need for Gu Xu to come pick him up.
Gu Xu thought for a moment and nodded.
Afterward, the two decided which shopping mall they would visit and ended the call.
When Xia Zichen arrived at the agreed shopping mall entrance, Gu Xu was already waiting there.
“Are you cold?”
Seeing Xia Zichen’s ears slightly red from the cold, Gu Xu handed him the hot mocha in his hand and gently touched his ear.
“I’m fine.”
Xia Zichen smiled and accepted the hot coffee.
After being together for so long, Gu Xu already knew his habits. When it was cold, drinking hot coffee or hot cocoa was a kind of enjoyment for Xia Zichen.
“Rest for a while or start shopping directly?”
Gu Xu pulled down Xia Zichen’s coat zipper slightly and loosened his scarf a little, afraid that he would get too warm inside the mall and catch a cold when they went outside later.
“Let’s shop. I’m not tired.”
Actually, neither Xia Zichen nor Gu Xu were people who enjoyed shopping.
Unless necessary, they would rather stay home playing games than wander around a mall.
“Okay.”
Gu Xu naturally held Xia Zichen’s hand.
He did not care at all about other people’s gazes.
The two of them each held a cup of coffee and casually began walking around.
The shopping mall they chose was considered high-end in N City. Famous luxury brands from around the world were all available.
Gu Xu agreed to come here not because he wanted Xia Zichen to buy expensive things.
It was simply because the brands here were more complete, and some of the prices were within the range Xia Zichen could afford with his internship salary.
Speaking of his internship salary, because Xia Zichen was the only intern in the company, there was no reference point.
Gu Xu simply decided on what he considered a reasonable salary.
It was definitely higher than the salary of ordinary company interns, but it was not higher than the company’s other technical employees.
Originally, Xia Zichen did not want to accept it.
After all, he had truly learned many useful things during his internship.
But in the end, after being coaxed and persuaded by Gu Xu, he accepted.
This also made Xia Zichen’s finances much more convenient, and he no longer needed Xia Yuze to give him spending money.
After walking around for more than half an hour, Xia Zichen chose two cashmere scarves.
The styles were moderate, and they were very warm. They were indeed good choices for gifts.
“How about this?” Xia Zichen asked.
Gu Xu nodded.
“Not bad. My parents should like this kind of thing. It’s practical.”
Although his family’s financial situation was good, his parents were not people who pursued luxury.
Compared with things meant only to show off in front of others, they valued practicality more.
“Mm.”
Xia Zichen checked the price. It was within an acceptable range.
“Then let’s buy this.”
After discussing it, the two finally chose a black-and-gray scarf for Gu Xu’s father and a white scarf with light orange hidden patterns for Gu Xu’s mother.
Both colors were versatile and would not easily go wrong.
The shop assistant wrapped the scarves up. Xia Zichen took out his card and paid.
Gu Xu did not argue with him. After all, this was Xia Zichen’s sincerity. Besides, the end of the year was coming next month. At that time, he could use the year-end bonus as an excuse to make it up to Xia Zichen.
Of course, this thought was something only he knew. He would not tell anyone else.
Just before leaving, Gu Xu suddenly stopped.
He took another cashmere scarf woven in a black, white, and gray checkered pattern and handed it to the shop assistant.
“Wrap this one up too.”
As he spoke, he took out his card and paid.
“You like it?”
Xia Zichen looked at Gu Xu in confusion.
“No, it’s for your father.”
Gu Xu smiled, signed the bill, and said:
“We’re both talking about our elders, so we should take good care of both sides. Besides, your father lives alone now, so he needs more attention.”
“Thank you.”
Xia Zichen curled his lips into a smile and sincerely thanked Gu Xu.
There were always some things he overlooked, but Gu Xu would think of them for him and handle them properly.
“You’re welcome.”
Carrying the scarves, Gu Xu held Xia Zichen’s hand, and the two walked out of the shop together.
Holding hands had unknowingly become a habit between them.
Other than inside the company, they did not avoid holding hands in other public places.
They were lovers. Same-sex relationships were not illegal. As long as the two of them were happy, that was enough.
As for other people’s gazes, after being with Gu Xu for so long, Xia Zichen had also learned to ignore them.
After walking only a few steps out of the shop, Xia Zichen was casually looking around when the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of two people, causing him to freeze.
Not far away, Fan Jiayue was holding onto a man’s arm as they walked out of a luxury brand store.
The man looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He was good-looking and dressed decently, but he did not have much presence.
He held his chin high, looking arrogant and conceited, as if nothing in the world was worthy of his attention.
Pride was actually something that depended on the person.
For some people, their pride gave others the feeling that they truly had the qualifications to be proud. Their arrogance existed alongside their upbringing, becoming a kind of attractive charm.
But for others, their pride was simply arrogant and ignorant, even looking ridiculous and out of place, like someone who tried to imitate a tiger but only ended up resembling a dog.
The man beside Fan Jiayue clearly belonged to the latter category.
Xia Zichen felt that there was an aura of a nouveau riche tyrant surrounding him.
Fan Jiayue seemed to really like that man.
She kept holding onto his arm and leaning toward him, as if she wished she could stick herself onto him. A smile remained on her lips as she continuously said something.
However, the man’s reaction was extremely indifferent. He did not even open his mouth to respond.
Seeing this scene, Xia Zichen suddenly remembered what An Jing had told him before — that Shen Yicheng and Fan Jiayue seemed to have had some unpleasantness between them.
Now, it seemed that there was an eighty to ninety percent chance Fan Jiayue had cheated on Shen Yicheng and put a green hat on him.
Xia Zichen’s momentary pause was naturally noticed by Gu Xu.
Following his gaze, Gu Xu also saw the two people in the distance.
“What’s wrong?”
Gu Xu tightened his grip on Xia Zichen’s hand slightly.
He had noticed that after being with Xia Zichen for a long time, whenever Xia Zichen looked at someone else for even a little longer, he could not help but feel sour inside.
His jealousy was surprisingly strong.
But afterward, he would think about it and find himself a little funny.
“Nothing. I was just a little surprised.”
Xia Zichen shook his head.
Previously, he had only heard An Jing’s suspicions. Seeing it with his own eyes today was still surprising.
“When it comes to playing mind games, women are not necessarily inferior to men. They naturally have conditions that allow them to disguise themselves as gentle and soft. Men are visual creatures, so it is easy for them to fall for it.”
While speaking, Gu Xu held Xia Zichen’s hand and continued walking forward.
“The Fan family and the Lei family have always cooperated, but for the past year or so, they have been earning less and losing more. The Shen family was dragged into this cooperation by the Fan family.”
“Now that the Fan family’s goal has been achieved, Fan Jiayue probably no longer needs to stay tied to Shen Yicheng.”
“What do you mean?”
Xia Zichen frowned slightly.
“You mean Fan Jiayue was with Shen Yicheng in order to get the Shen family involved in this cooperation?”
“Most likely.”
Gu Xu spoke calmly.
“Even if meeting each other in the game was a coincidence, the fact that they were able to reach an agreement so quickly after meeting and even got engaged clearly suggests there was a plan behind it.”
“Besides, think about it. How could it be such a coincidence that Lian Fei’er happened to meet Wuqing Xue in the game?”
“We also met in the game.”
Xia Zichen smiled and glanced sideways at him.
“We were fate.”
Gu Xu said it without the slightest embarrassment.
“When we met, we didn’t know each other’s real identities. But Lian Fei’er started playing the game much later than you. Whether she investigated first before joining, no one knows.”
Xia Zichen gave a “tsk.”
Actually, regardless of how Fan Jiayue and Shen Yicheng met, it was not important to Xia Zichen.
It was also not something he should concern himself with.
“The man beside her is surnamed Chang. He is the illegitimate son of the Chang family.”
Gu Xu continued.
“He had always been raised outside and was only brought back last year. The head of the Chang family had always been unable to have a son. One of his daughters even eloped with someone else, so they brought this illegitimate son back to raise him.”
“Most likely, they want to train him to inherit the family business.”
“As for this Chang guy, although he behaves very obediently at home, he is extremely wild outside, and his private life is very chaotic.”
Xia Zichen frowned slightly.
No wonder he looked like someone who had exhausted himself.
“Fan Jiayue finding him means Shen Yicheng isn’t entirely wronged either. The Chang family is stronger than the Shen family. Bringing the Chang family in as an investor would be beneficial to the Fan family in every way.”
“Besides, the Shen family has already entered the project. It is impossible for them to withdraw their investment now. So Fan Jiayue has nothing left to worry about.”
Xia Zichen sighed softly.
“The business world really is complicated.”
“I’m only telling you this as a joke. Don’t take it seriously.”
Although Gu Xu was no longer involved in the Gu family’s affairs, he still knew about some business dealings and matters within the circle. Most of the time, he only listened and forgot about them.
“Mm.”
Xia Zichen did not intend to continue the topic.
“Let’s go. Look around a little more.”
After the two had almost finished shopping, Gu Xu checked the time.
It was still early, and he did not plan to return to the company. He intended to wait until Xia Zichen became hungry, then they would simply have dinner outside before going home.
When they passed a famous watch store, Gu Xu took the empty coffee cup from Xia Zichen’s hand and smiled.
“You go inside and look around first. I’ll throw this away.”
He pointed toward the trash bin not far away.
“Mm.”
Xia Zichen took the shopping bags from Gu Xu and entered the store first.
Xia Zichen rarely wore watches, but that did not affect his appreciation for uniquely designed wristwatches.
So whenever he went shopping, he would usually take a look.
However, when facing the price tags, Xia Zichen still could only admire them from a distance.
“Welcome.”
As soon as Xia Zichen entered, the shop assistant warmly greeted him.
Xia Zichen nodded slightly.
Turning his eyes, he immediately saw Fan Jiayue and the man surnamed Chang inside the store, looking at watches.
At that moment, the man was trying on a watch.
Fan Jiayue stood beside him, seemingly giving her opinion.
Hearing the shop assistant’s greeting, Fan Jiayue slightly turned her face. When the corner of her eye caught sight of Xia Zichen entering, her expression froze for two seconds.
Then she quickly returned to normal, revealing a cold and disdainful smile.
It seemed she was not worried at all that Xia Zichen would tell Shen Yicheng about her shopping with another man.
From this, either Shen Yicheng no longer had any value in Fan Jiayue’s eyes, or Shen Yicheng already knew about this and she had nothing to fear.
Thinking this, Xia Zichen ignored Fan Jiayue.
After all, he knew Fan Jiayue only because she was Shen Yicheng’s girlfriend.
Now that they were no longer related, she was nothing more than a stranger.
Under the shop assistant’s guidance, Xia Zichen slowly looked through the newly released watches.
Each one was unique and beautiful.
But after only looking at a few pieces, Fan Jiayue’s cold voice suddenly sounded from the side.
“Nowadays, anyone really dares to enter this kind of store.”
“Poor people are still poor people. Don’t think that entering a wealthy family means your status becomes noble.”
“You should know your own identity. Not every place is somewhere you have the qualifications to enter.”
“Do you really think a sparrow has become a phoenix?”
There were several other customers in the store.
After hearing Fan Jiayue’s words, they all turned their heads toward her, frowning.
People who could spend money in this store usually had some status.
To such people, hearing these words only made Fan Jiayue appear rude and ill-mannered, ruining their shopping mood.
Xia Zichen raised his head and saw Fan Jiayue’s mocking gaze through the mirror opposite him.
He did not really care about her words.
Although he was now with Gu Xu, he had never thought that made him superior to anyone else.
But the expression of the man beside Fan Jiayue had turned extremely dark.
His eyes clearly showed anger and resentment from being humiliated.
Compared with Xia Zichen, he was actually the one who fit the kind of person Fan Jiayue had just described.
Yet Fan Jiayue was only focused on staring at Xia Zichen and did not notice.
Xia Zichen slightly curled his lips.
He ignored Fan Jiayue and continued looking at watches.
At that moment, Gu Xu returned after throwing away the cup and walked into the store.