"What do you guys think? What kind of girl does Yan ge actually like?"
"Knowing Yan ge for so many years, I've never seen him get close to any girl."
"Could it be a college classmate? Didn't Yan ge study abroad before? Maybe he met her then?"
Gu Yuheng created a small group chat with only three members: himself, Lei Ting, and He Shufan. Ever since Lu Yanbei revealed that he was already married, the three of them couldn't contain their curiosity and had discussed it countless times in private.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember something." Prompted by Lei Ting, Gu Yuheng suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "Do you remember five years ago, Yan ge fell seriously ill, lost thirty pounds, and was depressed for a whole year?"
The other two nodded in agreement.
"Now that you say it, I vaguely recall. I heard something happened abroad, and he was hospitalized for a month after returning. We didn't see him for a long time after that." Lei Ting played with a new toy Lu Yanbei had given him, cherishing it dearly.
"It seems Yan ge's aversion to women started around that time..." He Shufan, who was driving, chimed in with a Bluetooth headset.
An eerie silence followed on the call.
It felt as if they had stumbled upon a secret!
Gu Yuheng couldn't help but gasp. "You don't think... the sister-in-law might be some blonde, blue-eyed foreigner?"
"Probably not." He Shufan shook his head. "Yan ge is very traditional at heart."
"Ah, could it be that Yan ge was dumped by a woman before?" Gu Yuheng was startled by his own conclusion.
Lei Ting said with a sigh, "I'll relay that to Yan ge."
"You little punk, are you looking for a beating?" Gu Yuheng roared in embarrassment.
Lei Ting stifled a laugh and said, "Your deduction doesn't make any sense! Yan ge is so outstanding, what woman would be crazy enough to reject him?"
"I was just guessing, not stating it as a fact." Gu Yuheng quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Of course, I believe in Yan ge's charm! It's just, how do we explain all these inconsistencies?"
The other two remained silent for a long time, offering no further opinions.
Lu Yanbei's behavior was indeed quite peculiar. If it wasn't heartbreak, why would he have become so cold and ascetic? On one occasion, a bold woman tried to take advantage of Lu Yanbei and accidentally brushed against him in his arms. Lu Yanbei's expression suddenly changed, and he even seemed to vomit uncomfortably.
The woman's expression at the time was priceless!
After that incident spread, no one dared to be so forward as to throw themselves at Lu Yanbei.
"Forget it, let's stop guessing. Didn't Yan ge say he'd bring the sister-in-law to the Lu Group's anniversary celebration? We'll see her then!" After much deliberation, Gu Yuheng decided to drop the subject, lest any rumors reach the boss's ears.
*
The Lu Corporation's anniversary celebration was held annually, and this year's was particularly grand. Not only would Old Master Lu, who had been rarely seen, be attending, but it was also rumored that many celebrities from the entertainment industry had been invited to perform, making it a star-studded event.
Su He was informed that she had to attend the anniversary celebration the day before the event.
She was a bit bewildered at the time.
"I have to go too?" she asked, pointing at herself.
Lu Yanbei handed her a tote bag. "This is the dress and jewelry you'll wear tomorrow."
Su He: ...
She didn't think she had agreed yet.
"It's Grandpa's idea," Lu Yanbei added.
This time, Su He found it hard to refuse.
Old Master Lu had genuinely doted on her like a granddaughter for three years. If she refused his invitation, it would seem too unkind.
"Do I just need to make an appearance?" Su He disliked socializing and thought she could just go through the motions and leave.
"It won't take too long," Lu Yanbei promised.
He knew some things couldn't be rushed. The purpose of having her attend the banquet this time was not to announce her status as Mrs. Lu, but to let the world know that Su He had not broken ties with the Lu family.
His situation with Su He was special, and they had to proceed gradually.
Hearing him say that, Su He felt much more relaxed. "Okay, I'll be there on time tomorrow."
"Someone will pick you up this afternoon to go to the beauty salon for styling. I'll pick you up from the salon later," Lu Yanbei had arranged the schedule in advance.
He wouldn't let her go alone.
Su He thought to herself: Was he afraid she would run away and he wouldn't be able to account for it to Old Master Lu?
The next afternoon, shortly after Su He finished lunch, she heard someone ring the doorbell.
"Miss Su, I'm Mr. Lu's driver. I'm here to take you to the beauty salon."
"Please wait five minutes," Su He instructed through the intercom, before hurrying back to her room to pack. Her phone, bag, dress, jewelry, and high heels – nothing could be forgotten.
Five minutes later, she appeared downstairs exactly on time.
"Miss Su, let me get that for you." Seeing her with a lot of bags, the driver quickly stepped forward to help.
Su He didn't stand on ceremony and handed the items to him.
The beauty salon had been notified and was waiting at the entrance.
Just then, a black Audi slowly approached, and a mother and daughter alighted from the car.
"Oh, Mom, why are they all greeting us at the door? Do they know we're coming?" The girl who got out first was wearing a white lace dress. She was tall, with a delicate appearance and a sweet voice tinged with surprise.
Beside her, the lady was dressed in a classic black Chanel suit, with an exquisite appearance and elegant demeanor. She glanced at the manager at the door, and a hint of pride curved her lips. "The service industry isn't easy these days. Being attentive to guests can be a marketing strategy."
In other words, she implicitly agreed with her daughter's assertion.
The girl was overjoyed upon hearing this.
She hadn't expected such a high-end beauty salon to welcome them so warmly. It seemed they knew about her family's background and dared not neglect them. With this thought, a sense of superiority washed over her.
The manager, seeing a car pull up, initially thought it was the guest they were waiting for. To her surprise, it was another Miss Su.
"Manager Qiao, your service is getting better and better. You even came to the door to greet us." Mrs. Su approached with a smile, giving the manager a look of approval.
Manager Qiao's lips twitched slightly but she didn't displease the guest. "Are you here for a spa or a manicure today? I'll have someone assist you."
Mrs. Su gently patted her daughter, Su Anan's, hand and said, "We're going to a banquet later, so of course, we need a full skincare treatment."
"Certainly, Mrs. Su, please come inside." Manager Qiao patiently attended to them.
After finally ushering the two women inside and handing them over to the front desk, she immediately rushed back to the entrance, fearing she would miss the real VIP guest.
Mrs. Su had been quite pleased with herself at first, but then she saw Manager Qiao leave again. Moreover, the staff at the entrance had not yet gone inside, clearly indicating that they were not specifically there to welcome her and her daughter.
Mrs. Su's face suddenly felt hot.
Su Anan's expression also became somewhat unnatural. She wondered if anyone had overheard her earlier remarks. If word got out, she would be terribly embarrassed!
Just as she was wondering who had such a high status that the manager of the prestigious Beauty Pavilion would personally greet them, a familiar figure caught her eye.
"Why is it her?" Su Anan exclaimed involuntarily.
Mrs. Su, who was discussing her requirements with the receptionist, turned around upon hearing Su Anan's voice. "Who is it? Someone you know, An'an?"
Su Anan watched as Manager Qiao led that person in with a smiling face, her fingernails digging deeply into her palm.