"Gu Yuheng, did you invite these people?" Lei Ting was stunned when he saw the girls entering. He immediately found Gu Yuheng, wanting to get to the bottom of it.
"It wasn't me!" Gu Yuheng denied immediately. "It was Lin Ran, that kid! By the time I knew, it was too late to stop it!"
"What do we do now? Brother Yan hates these people the most!" Lei Ting glanced cautiously at Lu Yanbei, feeling uneasy.
"We're all in the same circle, we'll see each other again. It's hard to directly kick them out," Gu Yuheng rubbed his temples, but he was right. They came to celebrate Lei Ting's birthday, and turning them away would be too inhospitable.
Moreover, many of their families had dealings with the Lei family, so they had to show some respect.
"Keep an eye on them later, don't let them get close to Brother Yan," Gu Yuheng said in a low voice.
Lei Ting quietly put away his figurines and moved his position, intending to sit next to Lu Yanbei. Unfortunately, before he could stand up, someone else beat him to it.
"Can I sit here?" The speaker was a girl with outstanding looks and temperament, wearing a new season autumn set from a certain haute couture brand. She was poised and elegant, not at all annoying.
She was one of Lu Yanbei's admirers, Song Linda from the Song family.
There was a rumor in their circle that to pursue Lu Yanbei, Song Linda had given up dancing, which she had studied for many years, and worked hard to get into the business school Lu Yanbei had attended, just for the chance to see him at an alumni event.
Unfortunately, Lu Yanbei was not one to pity the ladies. Faced with the beauty's overtures, he was not only indifferent but even showed a hint of disgust. "No!"
He refused flatly.
Song Linda's smile froze, and her hand, hanging by her side, clenched in distress.
She seemed a little unwilling, biting her lower lip and saying, "The seats over there are full..."
"I'm already taken, it's inconvenient," Lu Yanbei's words dropped like a bombshell.
"Did I hear that right? Young Master Yan said he's already taken? When did this happen? How come I didn't know?" Gu Yuheng almost choked on his wine in excitement. "Shu Fan, pinch me, I think I'm hallucinating."
He Shu Fan glanced at him as if he were an idiot. "You're not hearing things. Brother Yan did say he's taken."
Gu Yuheng swallowed, feeling a sense of unreality. "Do you think I'll be beaten to death if I ask Brother Yan about his wife's gender?"
He Shu Fan rubbed his temples, planning to distance himself from him to avoid any collateral damage.
Lei Ting was also stunned for a while. "Brother Yan, when did you get a sister-in-law? Why didn't you bring her along?"
Lu Yanbei touched the tail ring on his left hand and patiently explained, "She's shy, I'll introduce you to her another day."
Hearing this, Lei Ting and the others were even more surprised.
"Brother Yan, are you serious?"
"We've got the certificate, what do you think?" Lu Yanbei swirled his wine glass and replied unhurriedly.
"Got the certificate? That fast..."
"Which noble family's daughter is sister-in-law? Is she local?"
After the shock, Gu Yuheng started chattering and asking questions.
Lu Yanbei scanned the people present, uninterested in answering their questions. "You'll see her at the Lu Group's 70th-anniversary banquet in a couple of days."
"Oh, keeping it so mysterious!"
"With Brother Yan protecting her so much, she must be a stunning beauty!"
A group of people discussed excitedly.
The girls present, however, looked dejected, each having suffered a blow to varying degrees. Song Linda, who had been pursuing Lu Yanbei for years, even had tears welling up in her eyes.
After being ruthlessly rejected, she had no face to stay any longer and ran out with red eyes.
Lin Ran, who had called her, felt guilty. He stood up, apologized to Lu Yanbei, and then chased after her. The others also felt awkward and began to take their leave.
Not long after, the news of Lu Yanbei's marriage spread through their circle.
That evening, Lu Yanbei received a call from Grandpa Lu. "You scoundrel, such a big thing as marriage, and you didn't even consult your grandfather?"
Lu Yanbei was unbuttoning his shirt as he walked towards the bathroom. "It's just getting a certificate, what's there to discuss?"
Grandpa Lu was momentarily speechless, then roared angrily, "You can't mistreat Su Su! She didn't have a wedding when she married Lu Jingyang, and now she's with you secretly. What kind of way is that!"
Lu Yanbei also wanted to take things slow and give Su He full respect, but he didn't dare to gamble. He had already lost once and didn't want to lose again. Before she regained her memory, he had to make sure she was firmly established as Mrs. Lu.
"Grandpa, we'll have the wedding later," Lu Yanbei sighed, making a promise.
"Why wait until later?" Grandpa Lu was utterly confused.
"It's just... she just divorced Lu Jingyang," Lu Yanbei blurted out a fabricated reason.
Grandpa Lu was speechless. "You know she was married to Lu Jingyang! What is this between you two!"
The old man deliberated for a while and then decided to let it go. "The news is out, you figure out how to give the Su family an explanation. I'm old now, I can't make decisions for you young people!"
Lu Yanbei gave a noncommittal "Mm."
An explanation to the Su family?
They weren't worthy!
As for Su He's adoptive parents, he would have to make time to see them.
***
Su He was still unaware that Lu Yanbei had already flaunted their marriage, and she continued to serve him as if he were her benefactor.
One day, she received a call from her best friend, Jiang Xiaoxiao, who was frantic. "I told you earlier, why were you so reserved? You should have pushed him down sooner... Now look, he's married, and you have no chance at all!"
In Jiang Xiaoxiao's opinion, single, high-quality young men could be pursued boldly, but once someone was married, no matter how much you liked them, you couldn't pursue them. That was a matter of moral principle.
Jiang Xiaoxiao felt indignant for Su He. "You, you had the advantage of being close, and you missed out!"
Su He rubbed her sore eyes. "Actually... I just..."
"Miao Miao, what can I say about you, you're too disappointing!"
"No, Lu Yanbei and I..."
"Alright, enough talk! I'll introduce you to some younger guys another day, the ones with great physiques."
"Really, no need! Xiaoxiao, I'll be honest with you, I..."
"Don't worry, I have a good eye for people, they're all your type."
Su He was interrupted several times when she tried to explain, and she was becoming a little withdrawn.
After Jiang Xiaoxiao had grumbled enough, she finally remembered to ask Su He, "What were you going to say just now?"
Su He couldn't help but put her hand on her forehead. "It's nothing. I have a manuscript to finish, I'll contact you when I have time."
"You took on another commission? What about the new book you promised?" As Su He's most loyal fan, Jiang Xiaoxiao was very diligent about urging her to update. "You haven't come up with anything yet, have you!"
"Almost, give me two more days," Su He said, and nervously hung up the phone.
She really hadn't decided on a new story yet. The current market works were all similar, with little new creativity. After drawing for so many years, Su He had reached a creative bottleneck, feeling like she was running out of ideas.
What kind of story would be attractive, yet not too far from reality?
Su He propped her head on her hand, her gaze drifting involuntarily to the door opposite.