When he left, it was scorching hot, but by the time he arrived at the Du family's old mansion, the sky was overcast, and the temperature had dropped from the scorching heat of summer. The wind carried a hint of coolness.
Xu Youshuai was wearing a newly tailored suit.
Although he was approaching fifty, had neglected his maintenance, and had a weathered face with a beer belly, his fundamental bearing was there. When he had a serious expression in a suit, he exuded a strong presence and could be quite intimidating.
The driver opened the door for him, and he got out of the car with his head held high and observed the surroundings, realizing that no one had noticed him.
Looking back at his son who had just gotten out of the car, tall and handsome, well-dressed, and confident and suave, he nodded in satisfaction.
Yes, he has the air of my younger days.
Of course, it's also partly because of his good looks from his mother. He added silently.
"Dad," Xu Zhuo walked up to him and glanced around.
The Du family's old mansion could be called an estate, with the lawn filled with various luxury cars. Glamorous women and well-dressed men emerged from the cars, greeting each other as they headed towards the main house.
Xu Zhuo asked, "Has Boss Chen arrived?"
"Boss Chen said he'll be late. Let's go in first," Xu Youshuai's tone changed as he warned him, "No matter how stubborn you usually are, you must do as I say today. If you dare to be ungrateful, I will break your legs."
"I get it." They passed by a family, and a young and invincible beauty stared at Xu Zhuo, who smiled politely.
Xu Youshuai's eyes lit up, and he lowered his voice, saying, "The people who came today are either rich or noble. There are many unmarried young ladies, so pay attention. Pick one you like, at your age, when I was your age..."
Buzzing...
Xu Zhuo scanned the area and hardly saw anyone familiar. It seemed that everyone had their own circle, exchanging simple pleasantries, warm hugs, or entering the house together.
There was also a small group of people who were as out of place as he and his father, probably newly rich.
Xu Zhuo intercepted his father's words, "Dad, wait a minute, I see a friend."
He took a few quick steps and caught up with the person in front of him. Lin Ruzhe seemed to have sensed something and turned around in surprise, "You're here too?"
Before Xu Zhuo could speak, Xu Youshuai cleared his throat and said with a smile, "This is my son's friend."
"My dad," Xu Zhuo explained.
Since there was an acquaintance to introduce, things were much easier. Although Lin Ruzhe's family background was not as good as Xu's, he was a branch of one of the families and had some connections with the aristocratic families.
Xu Zhuo's social talents obviously inherited from his old man. While Xu Youshuai mingled happily in the crowd, Xu Zhuo was not very interested and stood chatting at the long table.
"I didn't expect you to be a second-generation rich," Lin Ruzhe said, "I never would have guessed. Why do you work for others instead of going back to help your father?"
"It's complicated," Xu Zhuo took a sip of champagne, not wanting to talk about it. He tilted his chin slightly to a young man nearby and asked, "Who's that?"
Several people surrounded a man in his thirties who seemed to be the host, and the familiar expression became more and more familiar.
"Ah, you don't know?" Lin Ruzhe replied, "It's Du Dashao, Du Yongfeng."
Xu Zhuo immediately turned to look at him, "Mr. Du still has an elder brother?" he really hadn't heard anyone else mention it, but it also had to do with him not caring about these matters.
Lin Ruzhe laughed, "Otherwise, who do you think the Du family's business has been entrusted to? Old Mr. Du's health hasn't been good for some years now, gradually passing power to his eldest son, leaving only Bingyou. When Du Ziyu returns to the country, the declining Bingyou will be handed over to him."
The treatment is also vastly different, Xu Zhuo thought to himself. Bingyou, as an advertising company, no matter how much it revives from the dead, even if it becomes a leader in the industry, it still can't compare with some other companies in certain industries.
Thinking this, he looked up at the sky. The sky seemed even darker than before. "It's not going to rain, is it?"
"Hey? Let's go over there," Lin Ruzhe called out to him, as the guests gathered in place, preparing to listen to the host's speech on the platform.
The speaker was Du Yongfeng, and Xu Zhuo approached to take a look. He found that the two brothers, who both had an icy demeanor, Du Yongfeng and his younger brother, were quite different.
Du Ziyu was handsome, with delicate features, and when he had a serious expression, he gave off a somewhat intimidating feeling. Only those who had been around him for a long time would feel afraid of him because of his manner and actions.
Du Yongfeng was approaching forty, with sharp facial features and crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, like a stern and traditional patriarch, with a look in his eyes that indicated he was not to be trifled with.
He spoke a few words on the platform, mostly welcoming the guests, and then casually mentioned the acquisition of Ouya, as well as his "capable younger brother."
The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat strange. Xu Zhuo, not understanding, glanced at the people around him who were standing with him, and Xu Youcai, who was standing next to him, nudged him, saying, "Isn't he your Mr. Du?"
Xu Zhuo looked over and saw Du Ziyu walking onto the platform, with thin lips and impeccably dressed in a well-fitting suit.
"I heard that Mr. Du, who graduated from a famous foreign university, was very talented from a young age in his studies, proficient in all manner of arts and skills, and when he returned to the country, he took over the family business and performed with great success," Xu Youcai said with a meaningful glance at his son. "Mr. Du is really lucky to have two such capable sons, who take the initiative to share their father's work. Some poor old men don't have such good sons."
Xu Zhuo didn't pay attention to his rambling at all, his thoughts entirely focused on the people on the platform.
During his speech, Du Ziyu struggled to maintain composure, his voice tense, a heavy cloud over his head, unwillingly written all over his face.
Du Yongfeng stood slightly lower on the platform, his body language emanating dissatisfaction as he looked up at his younger brother.
After a while, the speeches came to an end, and the crowd dispersed, with people at the front coming forward one by one to talk to the host.
Xu Youcai couldn't find an opportunity among the crowd, and Xu Zhuo, with keen eyes, glimpsed Du Ziyu going back into the mansion through the gaps in the crowd.
"Rumble—"
Thunder echoed through the sky, and everyone looked up, but in the blink of an eye, thick dark clouds pressed down on the earth, and the wind picked up, lifting the skirts of the women and the tablecloths. It was a sign of an impending storm.
Someone shouted, "Let's go inside," and groups of people made their way into the mansion. The orchestra played classical music, its melodious tunes echoing in the hall and corridors. The guests' laughter and joy seemed to pervade every corner of the mansion.
Xu Zhuo stood near the entrance, slowly sipping his champagne, watching the staff deftly move long tables and food into the house.
The sky grew even darker, the sunlight completely blocked by the dark clouds, and even people's moods became oppressive, unable to breathe.
Cool wind brushed against his face, carrying moisture. Xu Zhuo finished the last sip of his drink and absentmindedly placed the glass on a passing tray, then turned and entered the mansion.
Seemingly wandering aimlessly, he passed through the grand hall, skirted the corridors, and bumped into men and women dancing or laughing heartily. With the music gradually growing more lively, he turned onto the spiral staircase leading to the second floor.
"Rumble—"
Another deafening thunder followed by a torrential rain. The music downstairs had become faint amidst the flashes of lightning and thunder, and only a few guests could be seen on the second floor, pairing off and sharing intimate moments, their inside knowledge unspoken, with no one showing restraint or inquiring looks to others.
Xu Zhuo walked along the corridor, one side lined with a huge glass curtain wall facing the entrance to the estate, from where rows of luxury cars could be vaguely seen in the distance, while below was the location of their gathering just now.
On the other side of the corridor were countless rooms. A large room had its door opened, and a nurse in white pushed a wheelchair out gently and closed the door again.
He just glanced casually and didn't stop. This unfamiliar mansion seemed to have a kind of magic, where people, whether familiar or not, lived in their own world, and everyone followed a set of rules, with numerous secrets and scandals buried at this moment and place, never to be revealed to the outside world.
He walked to the end of the corridor, turned a corner, and reached another tree-covered open-air garden.
As the rain poured down, the tree branches drooped helplessly, littering the ground with fallen leaves. The rain was too heavy, and under the dim light, only a few meters of the scene could be barely seen.
The meandering corridor running through the garden was too narrow, providing little shelter from the wind and rain. Xu Zhuo had barely taken a step before he was splashed in the face by rain, and his suit was soaked through in no time, making him shiver with cold.
In the pouring rain, he could barely keep his eyes open, as he pushed aside the branches lashing at him and stepped on thick layers of scattered, mud-covered petals. Finally, in a corner of the tangle of branches, he found the person he was looking for.
The dense vines were intertwined with each other, forming a curved surface, like a large upright bowl, enclosing the person sitting underneath.
However, with the wind and rain raging, Du Ziyu sat motionless on a large boulder, his back against the vines, enveloped by the violent storm, like a bird driven from its nest, sitting helplessly as it awaited rescue.
Xu Zhuo didn't call out to him. He wiped the rain off his face with a hand, but it was futile in the torrential rain.
He gave up, walked over to Du Ziyu, bent down, and placed his hands on his shoulders, thin and delicate, as if they could be crushed with a little force.
Du Ziyu seemed to just notice him, his eyes blank, and his eye sockets were red. As he recognized Xu Zhuo, his lips curled down, and they trembled, as if he had endured endless grievance.
In the next moment, Xu Zhuo felt someone rush into him. Two slender arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and soft, cold lips pressed against his.
Xu Zhuo's head exploded, and he was pulled down by the weight, and while he instinctively held onto the person's waist, his hand touched a supple and firm area.
He quickly moved his hand away, his heart pounding, his ears filled with the rushing of blood, until he felt a slightly rough touch between his lips, a dangerous little thing trying to force its way into his mouth.
Their chests pressed against each other, and Xu Zhuo wanted to tear the person away from him, but he couldn't find any leverage. He was full of youthful vigor, and being rubbed against in such an intense manner, he was inexplicably stirred.