After discussing the matter, Lawyer Lei left first, and Mrs. Chu insisted on keeping Xiang Mingzhang for lunch.
The soup needed to be simmered for a while longer, so Chu Shichen took Xiang Mingzhang upstairs.
Along the way, the two people repeatedly went astray before confirming their relationship. They acted foolishly after drinking in the office, slept in the same bed in Harbin, and did plenty of intimate things based on their ambiguity.
After they were together, Chu Shichen stayed at Manzhuang for many days, spent the night at Bomanjia Apartment several times, and stayed at Nanshan Villa during his trip to Shenzhen. He has been to all of Xiang Mingzhang's territories.
But he abided by his duties in the Chu family. Xiang Mingzhang had come so many times, but it was only today when their relationship was made public that he went upstairs and stepped into Chu Shichen's bedroom for the first time.
The room is clean and elegant. Since it is a guest room, the lighting is a little poor, and the black Steinway by the wall is hidden in the shadow.
Xiang Mingzhang opened the piano cover, pressed a few notes on the keys, and asked, "Where is the pipa I gave you?"
Chu Shichen said, "Keep it in the cupboard and wipe it regularly. Do you want to check it?"
"What's there to check about Pipa?" Xiang Mingzhang looked around, sat down at the head of the bed without any hesitation, reached his hand under the pillow, and took out a collection of essays that he read before going to bed.
Chu Shichen asked: "What are you looking for?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "See if you have any little secrets."
Chu Shichen stood beside the cabinet. The largest drawer was locked. He inserted the key and opened it. There were seven or eight boxes of cigars inside. He never smoked in front of his family. He always closed the door and puffed out smoke in the air facing the terrace.
Xiang Mingzhang walked closer. He could never forget the way Chu Shichen smoked a cigar. That hand, those lips, and that face covered with pale smoke, every part of them was eye-catching.
Chu Shichen also remembered that Xiang Mingzhang kissed him under the pretext of tasting a cigar, which made him choke badly. He was willing to hurt his liver and lungs for a moment of pleasure. He asked, "Do you think it tastes good?"
Xiang Mingzhang said, "I forgot."
The cigars in the drawer were arranged from light to strong. Chu Shichen said, "Pick a box and give it to you."
Xiang Mingzhang didn't know much about it, so he said, "One is enough. Help me choose."
Chu Shichen thought about confessing his feelings to his family, and it turned out not to be difficult. When he said it out loud, it was like being burned by a burning cigarette, not painful, but making him want to curl up.
He picked out a medium-flavored cigar called "Romeo and Juliet," put it in a portable cowhide cigarette case, and added a lighter.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "You said that you would smoke a cigarette when you feel unhappy. Does it help you relieve your mood?"
Chu Shichen said: "You can try it when you are unhappy."
Xiang Mingzhang put away the cigarette packet: "A bachelor can only rely on cigarettes and alcohol. I want you to comfort me."
Chu Shichen thought of Xiang Xingzhao for no reason, probably because Xiang Mingzhang was powerful and domineering. The only two times he was depressed happened in front of the Xiang family, and Xiang Xingzhao would then become ill and out of control.
He promised: "Of course I will accompany you."
Lunch was ready, Chu Shichen and Xiang Mingzhang went downstairs and had a nice meal. Mrs. Chu said a lot to Xiang Mingzhang, asking him to be more tolerant and patient, as if she was entrusting Chu Shichen to her.
After dinner, Chu Shichen saw Xiang Mingzhang off and returned to the villa. Mrs. Chu and Chu Shihui snuggled on the sofa. They had learned a lot of information today, and they felt mixed emotions of worry and joy. Now that they had calmed down, they were left with only fatigue.
Chu Shichen stayed with them, and the mother and daughter said they were lucky to have him there.
He suddenly thought that if he tried his best to be a good fake son and fake elder brother, and his true identity would be exposed one day in the future, he hoped that their resentment would be less.
On Monday, Chu Shichen brought the pre-sales consulting manager and Zhou Kesen to Ningli Pharmaceutical Company to formally discuss the needs and learn about the functional problems of Ningli's old system.
After returning to the park at noon, Chu Shichen did not go to the restaurant, but went directly back to his office on the twelfth floor. He missed the morning meeting and had a few documents to read, as well as two pre-sales interface forms to be signed.
After finishing it in one go, Chu Shichen pressed his brow with his fingers, then stood up and went to Li Zangqiu's office.
During the lunch break, Li Zangqiu sat on the sofa and dozed for a quarter of an hour. He kept a relaxed posture, raised his hand to tighten his tie, and said, "Sit down."
Chu Shichen sat on the single sofa beside him. There were complete utensils on the tea table and water was boiling. Li Zangqiu was used to drinking a cup of strong tea to refresh himself after waking up.
Chu Shichen was also thirsty, so he took a handful of Junshan silver needles from the tea can and put them into the teapot, saying, "I met the Ningli Pharmaceutical team this morning."
Li Zangqiu asked, "How did the talk go?"
Chu Shichen washed the tea while reporting, his tone was gentle, and he weighed the tea set in his hands with quick and steady movements.
Li Zangqiu occasionally said "hmm" and didn't offer any other opinions. He looked at Chu Shichen, who was gentle and mature from the inside out. When he thought about the past, it always seemed a little unreal.
After talking about business, Chu Shichen poured a cup of strong tea and said naturally, "Is Li Heng not busy recently?"
Li Zangqiu sipped the wine carefully, his eyelids drooping. "He lives outside by himself, I don't take care of him much. Is there something wrong?"
Many people praised Li Cangqiu for taking good care of himself, but he looked older in the past year. Chu Shichen noticed the deep wrinkles around Li Cangqiu's eyes and said, "He is busy with Xiao Hui's design exhibition. Don't let him delay Du Heng's work."
Chu Shichen rarely talked about personal matters in the company. Li Zangqiu sipped his tea and said, "It's not easy for Xiaohui to organize a design exhibition. It's my duty to help her."
"The main issue is the venue." Chu Shichen said, "Mr. Xiang has heard about it, and he will help find a place."
Li Zangqiu smiled slowly: "Mr. Xiang has a good relationship with you, but there is a layer between you and Xiao Hui. As a boyfriend, Li Heng is closer to Xiao Hui."
Chu Shichen twisted the teacup and said, "Uncle, you don't understand. School is a miniature society. Even if Li Heng helps, there is no guarantee that someone won't say that Xiao Hui relies on her boyfriend."
Li Zangqiu said indifferently: "What's the big deal?"
Chu Shichen asked back: "If Li Heng was accused of relying on his girlfriend to start a company, would he be happy?"
Li Zangqiu's face darkened a little: "Then it's okay to let Mr. Xiang, an outsider, help?"
"I told Xiao Hui that I'm a connection." Chu Shichen smiled faintly, "After all, Mr. Xiang proposed it, and I can't refuse. Uncle, please tell Li Heng for me, don't let him blame Xiao Hui for not appreciating it."
Li Zangqiu couldn't say anything else: "No, they have a good relationship."
The lunch break was almost over, and Chu Shichen poured another cup of tea for Li Zangqiu. He only mentioned the design exhibition as it was still early, so he did not reveal anything about the signing party.
In front of others in the company, Chu Shichen behaved as usual. In his free time, he would send messages to Mrs. Chu and Chu Shihui, chat about small things, and make sure that they were all right.
At dusk, the intercom phone rang.
Chu Shichen didn't look up, picked up the phone and answered: "Hello, where are you?"
A familiar male voice: "CEO's Office."
Chu Shichen finished reading the last line of the document, and the corners of his mouth moved slightly: "Any instructions, Mr. Xiang?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Don't keep the driver waiting, come with me after get off work."
Chu Shichen asked: "What's the matter?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It can be considered as a social event."
Since they hadn't informed him in advance, it wasn't a big occasion, so Chu Shichen didn't ask any more questions. After work, he washed his face and took the elevator down to the underground garage.
Chu Shichen walked up to the car, his face was delicate and white after being washed with cold water, and the ups and downs of his eyebrows and nose bridge were painted with a pearly light in the dim car. He half-turned his body to fasten his seat belt, and his eyes could not wait to slant towards the driver's seat, with a gentle and somewhat suave look.
Xiang Mingzhang reached out his hand, whether it was the cheek or the earlobe, he couldn't help but want to pinch it, but Chu Shichen waved his hand away, coughed lightly and sat up straight: "There are colleagues."
It was rush hour after work, and people were coming and going. Xiang Mingzhang didn't have time to get gas. He started the engine, honked the horn several times, and rushed out of the garage arrogantly amid everyone's retreat.
Chu Shichen asked: "What kind of social event?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I have found a place for Miss Chu's design exhibition, Xugu Garden."
Chu Shichen had heard that there were many art parks in the city, and Xuguyuan was a relatively high-end one, which only hosted luxury brand fashion shows, exhibitions of works by famous domestic and foreign artists, and product launches of some large groups.
The investors of Xuguyuan should have quite a lot of connections. Chu Shichen said, "I heard that the threshold is quite high. Can you accept a design exhibition organized by college students like this?"
Xiang Mingzhang chose Xuguyuan because the venue was suitable and there was a ready-made exhibition team. Second, it was his own site, so it was easy to arrange. He said, "It's easy to negotiate. The investor is my uncle."
Chu Shichen had an impression of Xiang Mingzhang's uncle, who was always by Xiang Huan's side, not very noticeable. He asked, "Would you like to meet your uncle tonight to discuss this matter?"
Xiang Mingzhang said bluntly: "He is so long-winded, I am too lazy to ask, just tell my aunt."
The aunt and nephew met at a Chinese restaurant, which only accommodated two tables every night and was very private. After entering the restaurant, there were pavilions, terraces, flowing wine glasses and winding water all along the way, but not a single person was in sight.
There was a screen separating the inner room in the box, and someone was sitting inside playing the guzheng. While Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen were washing their hands and making tea, Xiang Huan arrived.
But Xiang Huan was not the only one there. Uncle Qi also pushed Xiang Xingzhao and followed behind.
Xiang Mingzhang stood up calmly and called out, "Grandpa, Aunt."
Xiang Huan was taking a day off today and went to visit Xiang Xingzhao at the Jingpu mansion. He said, "When I answered the phone, your grandfather heard me calling your name and kept talking about you, and insisted on coming with me."
Xiang Xingzhao has been recuperating at home, and his condition is relatively stable. Xiang Mingzhang said, "It would be good to go out and get some fresh air."
"It has to be you. You can make your grandfather miss you without showing up." Xiang Huan said harshly with a smile on his face, "Unlike Ru Gang, who walks around in front of him every now and then with the child in his arms, and the old man doesn't react."
Xiang Mingzhang smiled. The farce during the Spring Festival was still lingering. Everyone was running to the mansion more frequently. Was it because they were afraid that Xiang Long would really come back, or were they worried that Xiang Xingzhao's condition would worsen and they wanted to earn more performance
Xiang Mingzhang helped Xiang Xingzhao sit beside him and said, "Uncle Qi, let's eat together."
Uncle Qi consciously chose a seat at a corner of the long table. When all the dishes were served, Xiang Huan said amiably, "Xiao Chu, I heard that you were promoted to director. Congratulations."
Chu Shichen said: "Thank you, Mr. Xiang."
"You don't have to be so particular. Just follow Mingzhang and call me aunt." Xiang Huan can be strict or gentle. "You are becoming more and more capable. Your mother must be very happy."
After chatting about family matters for a while, Xiang Mingzhang served a bowl of porridge to Xiang Xingzhao and got to the point: "Aunt, I want to use Xugu Garden to hold an event."
Xiang Huan asked: "Your company's activities? Xuguyuan has four or five districts. How much space do you want to borrow?"
"Mr. Xiang is helping me." Chu Shichen said, "My sister is going to hold a design exhibition. It's an extracurricular project of the school. In addition to some teachers and students, some professionals from technology companies will be invited to visit the exhibition and exchange ideas."
Xiang Huan pondered and said, "The little girl is so talented, so I have to support her. But there is an art exhibition this month, so don't let it conflict with the others. How many days do you plan to borrow it for?"
Xiang Mingzhang thought for a moment and said, "Three days, I need to make arrangements."
"What time does it end that day?" Xiang Huan said, "The cleaning is outsourced. Generally, the cleaning needs to be done within an hour after the event ends. After the cleaning, a routine inspection of the venue and equipment is carried out."
Chu Shichen said: "There is a design exhibition during the day and a party at night."
Xuguyuan has held large-scale literary salons and open art parties, but Xiang Huan has never participated in one. He asked, "How big is it? Does it need to be decorated separately?"
"The exact number of people has not been determined yet, but a conservative estimate is 30 to 40 people," Xiang Mingzhang said. "Don't worry about anything else, just strengthen the security."
Xiang Huan suddenly fell silent, took a piece of beef and put it in his mouth, chewing it slowly and said: "What kind of security do you want, protection or confidentiality? The nature of the party must be controlled carefully, don't go too far."
In the past, "Chu Shichen" had a bad reputation, so it was no wonder Xiang Huan misunderstood. Xiang Mingzhang said, "Aunt, what are you thinking? It's a celebration party."
Chu Shichen and Xiang Huan had no vested interests in this matter, so he explained, "My family is going to transfer equity, and we're planning to hold a party for the signing ceremony."
Xiang Huan felt relieved. As far as she knew, Chu Shihui was the only one in the Chu family who had shares in Yisi. Now Chu Shichen had a bright future in the company, so he probably wanted the shares. She said, "You two have a good relationship as siblings."
The venue was confirmed, and the porridge was no longer hot. Uncle Qi said, "Mr. Xiang, you eat. I'll feed Mr. Xiang."
Xiang Xingzhao looked dazed, but he was actually listening to everyone talking. He hummed, "Ming, Mingzhang, hello."
"Let me do it." Xiang Mingzhang picked up the bowl and turned sideways, stirring the thick sea cucumber porridge with a porcelain spoon.
He fed Xiang Xingzhao one spoonful at a time. The porridge flowed from the corners of his mouth, and he wiped it off. If it didn't taste good enough, he would pick up some vegetables. If he didn't like the food, he would spit it out and he would reach out to catch it.
Xiang Huan sighed, "Dad, Mingzhang is so patient with you."
Xiang Xingzhao was very well behaved today, but he ate slower than usual. He stared at Xiang Mingzhang without blinking, as if he wanted to prolong the moment of time that the grandparents and grandchildren spent together.
After dinner, Uncle Qi pushed Xiang Xingzhao to walk in front, and Xiang Huan whispered to Xiang Mingzhang from behind: "Your grandfather has become more confused due to the New Year's shock. He often stays in a daze for a long time without moving, and his blood pressure fluctuates."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Just take care of yourself for a while, if it doesn't work, go to the hospital."
Xiang Huan said: "It's because of Xiang Long's mention."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It was my grandfather who brought it up last time."
"I don't care who brought it up." Xiang Huan took advantage of Xiang Mingzhang's request to ask her and said, "You know where Xiang Long is, but it's best if he doesn't come back for the time being. Your grandfather can't stand the stimulation."
Xiang Xingzhao wanted Xiang Long to return home the most. Everyone outside could see it. Xiang Mingzhang didn't say it, nor did he guarantee it. "Well, I know it."
Waiting outside the restaurant was an executive stretched Panamera, which used to be Xiang Xingzhao's daily car. It was used less frequently after he fell ill and had been parked in the garage of the Jingpu mansion.
Uncle Qi helped Xiang Xingzhao out of the wheelchair, but Xiang Xingzhao resisted getting in the car and raised his hand tremblingly towards Xiang Mingzhang.
On that wrist was a Seiko watch with the inscription "Zhuang Zhou's Dream of the Butterfly". Xiang Xingzhao struggled again, shook and pushed Uncle Qi away, and shouted, "Ming Zhang!"
Xiang Mingzhang was stunned for a moment, then walked forward. Xiang Xingzhao's old and heavy body rushed towards him, wanting to hug him.
Xiang Huan smiled and said, "You're so reluctant to let him go to Jingpu to accompany you this weekend."
Chu Shichen stood by and watched, and found that Xiang Xingzhao was about the same height as Xiang Mingzhang, but he looked shorter because of his sick and hunched body.
The cold wind blew and Xiang Xingzhao was blinded. His dark grey eyeballs were wet with hot tears. He seemed to be conscious and lowered his head, wiping the tears on Xiang Mingzhang's shoulder.
"Grandpa." Xiang Mingzhang asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Xiang Xingzhao spoke incoherently, let go of him, and fell backwards, then was supported by Uncle Qi and helped into the carriage.
Chu Shichen didn't want to be superstitious, but he inexplicably thought of a word... last flicker of life.
(End of this chapter)