Chapter 119: Dispersal
Li Du raised his wine glass, taking a thoughtful sip, while Su Min’an followed his gaze. By this time, three rounds of drinks had passed and the meal was finished; the gathering was drawing to a close.
It wasn’t too late, but most of the people in the private room lived in Qingnan Hutong, and they were all preparing to head back. Perhaps they all had their own affairs to attend to the next day. After all, aside from the few who were still in school, everyone here had their own careers. Thinking this, Gu Wanrong followed the group out of the private room.
Emerging from the clubhouse, the group waited for their drivers to bring the cars around.
The night breeze was exceptionally cool, feeling comfortable against the face. Gu Wanrong couldn’t help but extend her hand to feel the caress of the wind. After a short while, as time passed, the chill of the night wind began to seep into her skin. The flush on her face from the stuffy room faded, and her fingers turned ice-cold.
Xie Xian attentively noticed this. He silently took off his own gloves and gently handed them to Gu Wanrong. “Put these on. It will be a while before the car arrives.”
“Thank you,” Gu Wanrong said softly.
She took the gloves and put them on carefully, feeling the warmth of the gloves enveloping her fingers.
Xie Xian smiled. “No need to be so polite.”
Just then, Yu Yingying walked over. Seeing Xie Xian hand his gloves to Gu Wanrong, she didn’t find anything amiss. She only felt that her own fingers were also freezing from the night wind, so she leaned in front of Xie Xian and asked coquettishly, “Second Brother, where are my gloves?”
She rummaged through her bag but couldn’t find them. She had forgotten that she hadn’t worn gloves when she left the house today, so where was Xie Xian supposed to conjure a pair for her?
It was Liu Ji who took the scarf from his neck and gave it to Yu Yingying. “Here. I didn’t see you wearing gloves when you arrived today anyway.”
“Tch.”
Li Du, who had been observing from the side, let out a scoff, looking at Su Min’an with interest. Even trying to be attentive, he was a step too late.
Did Su Min’an think he was the only one who noticed that Xie Xian’s attitude toward Gu Wanrong was different from others? In this group, probably only that little fool Yu Yingying hadn’t sensed it.
Su Min’an was clearly distracted while chatting with the group tonight. Li Du had originally been observing Xie Xian and Gu Wanrong, but he ended up discovering that Su Min’an seemed to care a bit too much for Gu Wanrong without even realizing it himself.
Look at Xie Xian over there, boiling the frog in warm water—wooing her slowly and imperceptibly—while the person involved remained unaware. Then look at Su Min’an on the side, talking to someone while putting his own gloves back on, yet his eyes were fixed on the men’s gloves on Gu Wanrong’s hands.
Li Du found it extremely interesting. This trip tonight wasn’t in vain; the old man’s mission could be considered over-fulfilled.
“The car is here. Everyone back to their homes. I’ll head out first,” Li Du said, straightening his suit jacket, and was the first to get into his car.
One after another, everyone got into their cars and left.
With a single glance from Liu Xiu, Yan Shen understood her meaning and detained Liu Ji, who was trying to slip away, forcing him onto the car returning to Qingnan Hutong. Immediately after, he got into the Liu family’s car as well. At the same time, the Yan family’s driver followed closely behind, driving behind the Liu family’s car as they left the clubhouse together.
The clubhouse manager stood in the lobby, watching the line of cars slowly drive out of sight. Only when the last car disappeared did he gently exhale, feeling the pressure on his shoulders lighten instantly.
Who would understand? It was a once-in-a-century event for this group of people to gather at their clubhouse. Any single one of them was someone they couldn’t afford to offend, let alone a whole group. Although each of them maintained good manners and demeanor, just their standing there put him under immense pressure.
“Did you all remember the appearance of that Miss Gu, whom Miss Yu kept holding onto?”
Once the cars were out of sight, the manager turned and asked his subordinates. He paid extra attention to this fresh face, Gu Wanrong. Judging by how she chatted and laughed with everyone, and how the group implicitly centered around her, the manager understood she was also an absolute heavyweight not to be provoked.
Plus, the manager had been startled by Gu Wanrong’s bodyguards earlier. He hadn’t seen so many bodyguards enter the clubhouse, yet they suddenly appeared in front of him. The manager knew he had encountered top-tier security personnel who could freely control their presence—a rare sight.
The subordinates nodded in unison.
Silence filled the car; the breathing of the driver in the front seat was clearly audible. The dim yellow streetlights outside shone through the window onto Su Min’an’s face. The corners of his mouth were raised in a faint arc, but beside him, Su Huaijing felt that his usually gentle-as-jade brother seemed incredibly cold at this moment.
Unable to stand the silence, Su Huaijing spoke up, “I thought since Sister Gu was so mysterious before, her personality would be distant and unapproachable. I didn’t expect her to be so kind, and so pretty. Big Brother, you knew Sister Gu before, why didn’t you tell me? It made Zhong Wenyi and me ask Sister Ying about her privately, promising so many treasures in exchange. Sister Ying is mean too. Zhong Wenyi and I have done whatever she pointed at since we were kids, yet she was so heartless. Hmph, I’m going to tell Sister Gu not to give Sister Ying a backdoor to see her idol’s stage…”
Su Huaijing pulled out his phone, his fingers typing a message to Zhong Wenyi so fast they were a blur. At the same time, he kept talking to Su Min’an, not leaving him out.
Su Min’an quietly listened to Su Huaijing chattering non-stop, occasionally echoing a few words, but his thoughts had long drifted away, Gu Wanrong’s figure constantly surfacing before his eyes.
Not seeing her for three months, she seemed to have changed significantly. When they first met, he could sense the timidity beneath her calm exterior. But seeing her today, she appeared so composed and at ease.
Even the dark green long dress and bright red gems couldn’t outshine the rippling brilliance in her eyes. Her appearance was as stunning as ever, but she had transformed from a tender yellow sprout in early spring into a captivating, full-blown flower.
Xie Xian… did he know, did he watch, or did he participate in her metamorphosis?
His vision gradually blurred, and Su Min’an seemed to see the gloves on his hands slowly changing. It was those slender, jade-like hands taking the gloves that didn’t belong to her in the wind, gently covering ten fingers reddened by the cold. The gloves still held warmth that belonged neither to her nor to himself.
His brother’s chattering voice still echoed in his ears, but a sourness surged in his heart, along with an inexplicable jealousy.
Su Huaijing’s voice grew quieter because he realized Su Min’an hadn’t responded for a while. Clearly, he hadn’t listened to a word he said, staring blankly at his own gloves instead. So, he reached out and waved his hand in front of Su Min’an’s eyes. Only then did Su Min’an shift his gaze to Su Huaijing.
Su Huaijing sighed helplessly. His brother didn’t seem to be in high spirits, so he’d better not disturb him. He leaned back in his seat, shut his mouth, and scrolled through his phone.
Su Min’an continued to stare at his gloves, his thoughts drifting away, as if trapped in his own world.
Qingnan Hutong, Li Residence.
The head of the Li family was still Li Du’s grandfather, Li Shi. Unlike other families in Qingnan Hutong, he had not yet retired behind the scenes. At this moment, inside Li Shi’s study, Li Du’s father, Li Yu, was also present.
The two sat opposite each other, each busy with their own matters. In such a huge Siheyuan, could they not find two separate studies?
Recommended Reads
![Accidentally Turned a Tragic Romance Plotline into a Sweet and Pampering One [Transmigration]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ACCIDENTALLY.png)