Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Because the children were still too small at the time of their one-month milestone, no one in the family planned to hold a one-month celebration for them. Back then, everyone felt that their healthy growth was the most important thing.

But by the hundred-day mark, after their household registrations were done and the children had grown much bigger, the grandparents couldn't help but think that the great-grandsons should make a public appearance, lest outsiders think the family didn't value them.

So Rong Yuan and Gu Shenhan brought the children to the old mansion for a family dinner for the first time, where this topic came up.

With nearly the whole family assembled and the season pleasant, the grandfather proposed, "On the day of Xuan Jin and Little Yu'er's hundred-day celebration, let's hold a multi-day banquet with continuous seating at Yulong Terrace. We'll invite everyone we can and throw a big, happy event. What do you all think?"

The aunt said, "I think that's great. These two little ones are so adorable, we should definitely do it up right."

Gu Mingchuan and Wang Shuyi held their tongues.

They had heard from their younger son that Gu Shenhan planned to give their boy a piece of land for building a villa or a hotel. Since the land wasn't secured yet, anyone who spoke up now would have a screw loose.

Someone, however, wasn't happy with the grandfather's arrangement.

The third aunt rarely spoke during family dinners, but this time she spoke up unexpectedly, saying, "Hosting it is fine, but Dad, soon after that, Cheng Feng and Tao Ling will have their formal engagement ceremony, and then there's the engagement banquet. Not long after that comes Shenhan and Xiao An's wedding—three major happy events in a row. Isn't that a bit too showy?"

Gu Chengfeng replied, "What's so showy about it? Those who can come, come; those who can't, don't. I think times like these are the best for seeing who's genuine and who's fake."

The grandmother asked, "Shenhan, Xiao An, what do you two think?"

Each had a child in their arms. Rong Yuan said, "I'm fine either way. I'll go along with Han Ge."

Gu Shenhan said, "Of course we should do it. Not only will I do it, I'll do it big. But having three ceremonies in a row might put some people under pressure, so I've decided to make it clear on the invitations that no gifts are expected—everyone is welcome just to come and enjoy the celebration. Or, if we accept gifts this time, then we won't accept any at the wedding."

The third uncle seemed about to speak but was glared at by his wife and shrank back.

The second and third branches were seated diagonally across from each other. Rong Yuan noticed this and couldn't help but frown.

Because of Gu Shenhan, he now really couldn't stand the third uncle. Or rather, his actual father-in-law. He might even hate this man more than Gu Chengzhi.

He couldn't understand how the man had the nerve to stay in the Gu family. It should be this person who leaves, not his nominal father-in-law.

He couldn't even imagine how miserable Gu Shenhan must have felt facing this man as a child. Being unable to acknowledge his own biological father and often being humiliated because of that.

What disgusted him even more was that this man, knowing that Gu Shenhan was his child, had apparently never fought for custody and had quickly remarried without letting the family know—to the current third aunt!

Rong Yuan's expression turned sour.

Gu Shenhan seemed to sense the reason and gently patted Rong Yuan's leg under the table. "An An?"

Rong Yuan turned his head. "Mm?"

Gu Shenhan said, "Let Aunt Lu and the others hold the kids for a bit. Just eat your meal."

Rong Yuan nodded and handed the child over to Aunt Lu and another accompanying nanny.

Then the grandfather said, "Then the hundred-day banquet will be arranged as Shenhan wants. I'll cover the cost. Also, Xiao An has done a great job raising the two children. Your grandmother and I will transfer seven percent of the shares in Green Energy to Xiao An."

The eldest uncle and the third aunt had sour expressions.

The third uncle kept his head down and ate without a word.

Rong Yuan had initially intended to decline the grandfather's kindness, but seeing their reactions, he accepted graciously, "Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma."

The grandmother said, "Grandma should be the one thanking you. Look how adorable my two little great-grandsons are."

Not long after the nanny took the baby, the grandmother picked up Xuan Yu.

The little one wasn't shy at all. He sucked on his little fist in her arms, staring at her with big, innocent eyes.

The grandmother's heart melted. The little fellow had filled out nicely now, like a soft white dough ball, and smelled faintly of milk.

Xuan Yu looked at her and made a gentle sound, "Ugh-ah?" The grandmother played with him, and he would lift the corners of his little mouth.

He couldn't laugh out loud yet; when he did, it was a slow, wide grin, which only made him look even cuter.

The grandmother was so charmed she didn't know what to do. She held him until he got hungry and needed to be fed, then handed him back to the nanny.

The eldest aunt said, "Xuan Jin looks exactly like Shenhan did as a child. Xuan Yu also resembles his father in many ways, but he's cuter than his dad was at that age. These two kids really know how to inherit the family's good looks."

The grandmother said, "It's rare for you to say something I like to hear. Speaking of which, Tao Ling is also very beautiful. If she ever has children, they'll be just as lovely."

The eldest aunt smiled and agreed.

The third aunt, Ding Rui, got annoyed. For a long time, the eldest branch and Gu Shenhan had been at odds, and the aunt's relationship with Gu Shenhan was not bad, but definitely not warm either.

But lately, both the eldest branch and the aunt seemed to be drawing closer to Gu Shenhan. Especially after Gu Chengzhi left, Gu Chengfeng's relationship with Gu Shenhan thawed, and Tao Ling got along very well with Rong Yuan. That just made the third branch look like the bad guys.

Though they hadn't been the grandparents' favorites before, it was never as bad as now.

This wasn't the situation she wanted.

If things continued like this, and Gu Shenhan fully took over the Gu family, the third branch's position could end up worse than the eldest branch's. After all, the person Gu Shenhan hates the most was his biological father, Gu Mingpo.

But she still had her own child to think about.

The old lady then asked, "Wenjie, how's school lately? Is the workload heavy?"

The third branch's child, Gu Wenjie, was seventeen and in high school.

He usually kept quiet at the table, just like his parents. When he was younger, he had been more outspoken, not knowing about the adults' affairs. But after learning the truth later, his feelings toward the family became complicated.

He had just been about to pick up some food when he pulled his chopsticks back and said, "It's a bit busy, but I can manage."

The grandfather said, "If school isn't too busy, come home more often on weekends. You're much younger than your brothers, but you're still brothers. You should spend more time with them."

Gu Wenjie nodded. "Yes, Grandpa."

He glanced at Gu Shenhan but didn't say anything else.

When he was younger, he had actually liked his second brother, but his second brother didn't like him. It wasn't bullying, but he was cold and distant.

Back then, he didn't know why. Later, when he found out, it became hard to get close. Every time he approached his second cousin, he felt a sense of guilt. Even though he knew it wasn't his fault.

As for his eldest and third cousins, they weren't particularly close to the third branch either.

Rong Yuan observed everything and, after some thought, said, "Wenjie, is the place where you study far from Cui Xi Yuan?"

Gu Wenjie was taken aback. He never expected Rong Yuan to start a conversation with him. Apart from a polite greeting at their first meeting, they had barely spoken. He paused for a moment before replying, "Not too far. It's probably less than half an hour by car."

Rong Yuan said, "Then you can come to Cui Xi Yuan sometime if you have free time."

Gu Wenjie couldn't help but look at Gu Shenhan again. He saw Gu Shenhan concentrating on cutting the crab shell for Rong Yuan, not paying attention to him. He nodded. "Okay, thank you, second sister-in-law."

Ding Rui's mind churned. She couldn't help but wonder what Rong Yuan meant by this.

Clearly, she seemed quite annoyed with Gu Mingpo, yet she showed kindness to her son.

But if Rong Yuan could really make Gu Shenhan and her son get along like brothers, then she would be willing. Nothing is more important than her son's future.

Although she didn't particularly like Gu Shenhan either, after all, Gu Shenhan was also a child and hadn't done anything wrong.

As long as he didn't suppress her son, she could put all issues aside.

The old man smiled with satisfaction. "Then it's settled for the hundred-day banquet. In the meantime, if you, Shenhan and Xiao An, have any special ideas, let Grandpa know. I'll take charge of making arrangements."

Rong Yuan said, "Thank you, Grandpa. We don't have any special requests—just to have the event go smoothly and happily."

Gu Chengfeng said, "Recently, a friend of mine transferred to Yulongtai. Grandpa, if you haven't reached out yet, I could ask him for suggestions first."

The old man said, "That would be great. It can't hurt to ask around. Let's make it as lively as possible."

Yulongtai is the largest resort hotel in the area, newly built less than two years ago, with a great reputation.

The baby is too young to travel far, so holding it locally is more suitable.

Gu Shenhan said, "When Chengfeng is free, ask your friend if they can book the entire venue, including accommodations, for at least three days."

Gu Chengfeng immediately understood that there might be friends from out of town coming, and nodded. "Okay, I'll call him after dinner."

Aunt Lu came over holding Xuan Jin. Before she even reached them, everyone in the dining room could hear the baby crying. Rong Yuan had already stood up and gone over to meet her. "What's wrong?"

"He's probably looking for you." Aunt Lu handed the baby to Rong Yuan. "We've fed him, changed his diaper, and he doesn't have a fever, but he's just fussing."

"Has he started recognizing me?" Rong Yuan said as she took the baby and cuddled him. She was amazed that the baby actually stopped crying.

"Recognizing people so early?" Aunt Anran said. "He's not even a hundred days old. What a clever little one."

"Maybe he remembers the scent on An An," Gu Shenhan said. "He's always holding him, so he's probably familiar."

"Wah!" Just as they were talking, the younger one started crying again.

The old lady said, "Alright, Shenhan, take him away quickly. I can't stand the crying."

Gu Shenhan took the baby and tried to soothe him. But his efforts were useless—the little one didn't buy it and continued crying loudly, as if he had been wronged.

Aunt Lu said, "The baby might be hungry. Just now the older baby had milk, but the little one hasn't had any yet."

As she spoke, another nanny brought over a bottle of milk at just the right temperature. Gu Shenhan fed his younger son, and sure enough, he stopped crying and drank eagerly. After sucking for a while, he got so tired he broke a sweat.

Gu Shenhan laughed at his younger son. "People who know might think you're drinking milk, but those who don't would think you went to build the Three Gorges Dam. Look how tired you are."

Gu Xuanyu clenched his tiny fists, looked at his father with a confused expression, smiled, and then continued drinking.

Seeing that smile, Gu Shenhan felt as if the sky had completely cleared.

He took the handkerchief Aunt Lu handed him, wiped his younger son's mouth, held him upright and patted him gently. As if making casual conversation, he said, "Wenjie will be eighteen next year, right? If you're not busy during the holidays, you can come to the company and look around. Getting familiar with Lianshan's operations early will help you choose the right field of study later."

Gu Wenjie had wanted this for a long time, but had never dared to bring it up. Hearing this, he said, "Really, Second Brother? If it's possible, I can go anytime."

Gu Shenhan said, "Then start from tomorrow. Go to Lianshan and ask for Fang Yankai. Tell him I sent you, and he'll set things up for you."

Gu Wenjie was genuinely a little excited now. He had always felt that he couldn't fit into this family, but at this moment, it seemed the family had suddenly opened a door for him.

Rong Yuan said, "Then, Uncle Wenjie, you'd better bring a water bottle. Lianshan's headquarters are great in every way, but the place is so big that the drinking water stations are far apart."

Gu Wenjie said okay.

Gu Shenhan said, "Then I'll have someone fix that problem. Honey, can you come visit me often?"

Rong Yuan smiled and said, "I'll come even if you don't fix it. But I can't go for nothing. If I go, you have to take me for a nice lunch. I heard from Little Aunt Anran that there are many good restaurants near Lianshan headquarters, but I haven't tried any of them because I was too busy studying back then."

The old lady said, "There are good restaurants near Lianshan headquarters? I've never heard of that before."

Gu Shenhan said, "That's perfect. Let's book a restaurant next week. A family meal is a family meal, wherever we eat."

Rong Yuan said, "Exactly. Wherever the family eats together is a family feast."

The old man said with relief, "That's right. I'll be waiting for you all to arrange it."

Rong Yuan said, "Grandpa, just wait for us to come pick you up."

Gu Mingpo saw the good atmosphere and wanted to chime in. Ding Rui noticed his intention and immediately glared at him to stop.

Rong Yuan pretended not to see, grabbed his older son's tiny hand, and gently tapped Gu Shenhan.

Gu Shenhan understood that this was a form of consolation, so he didn't say anything. He kept taking Rong Yuan's hand, kneading his palm as if trying to press it into his heart.