"The number you have dialed--"
Xu Yuzai hung up the phone, his face turning alternately pale and green with anger. The brat had disappeared for so long, not answering his calls, he was increasingly not placing his father in his eyes.
"Old Chen," Xu Yuzai said to a man of similar age beside him, "I'm really sorry, I don't know where he has gone this time."
Old Chen smiled and even winked at him, "Maybe he has set his sights on some young lady and been enticed away. Young lads, they are all like this. As a father, you should be happy. In a short time, he might be able to hold a chubby grandson."
Xu Yuzai sighed. He knew his own son very well and vented to his friend, "If only that were the case. Look at my son, his family background is much better than mine was at his age, he's handsome, not to mention his good character. Despite being popular from a young age, why hasn't he been seen with a partner all these years? When I was his age, I had been dating his mother for over a year. And look at my wife..."
He inadvertently wore a smug smile and said, "She is talented and beautiful. Even when I was poor, she stuck to me. In this aspect, my son really can't compare to his father."
Old Chen knew he was a devoted husband, but being very concerned about his image, he nodded in agreement, raised his glass, and glanced at a figure.
He tilted his chin to indicate, "Isn't that your nephew?"
Looking over, Xu Zhiyong suddenly felt that something was not quite right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Dad," Xu Zhuo said with a smile as he casually picked up a glass of wine and nodded to them, "Uncle Chen."
"Ah, my nephew," Old Chen really liked this young man, and even proposed getting him to work in his company, but was politely refused, "Have you had some good news? You look so cheerful. Is it because you've been having an affair with a beauty?"
On the side, Xu Yuzai didn't give him any face, snorted, and said, "Him? Even if they throw themselves at him, he has no reaction at all, let alone having an affair."
Xu Zhiyong coughed a few times, a smile crept to the corners of his mouth involuntarily, sipping his wine, he nonchalantly said, "I was thinking, but the beauty drove me away."
Xu Yuzai couldn't believe his ears and kept asking, "What beauty? Whose daughter? Are you trying to deceive me again?"
On the contrary, Old Chen looked serious, warning him as an elder, "Nephew, the people here," he raised his glass to indicate the surroundings, "none of them is simple. Whether it's a fleeting romance or real feelings, you must distinguish it clearly."
Xu Zhiyong also looked serious, nodding, "Thank you, Uncle Chen, I have my own limits."
Finally, I saw Du Ziyou next to the band, talking with several older guests.
He had reverted to his usual cold and proud demeanor, composed and unhurried, not given to jesting, exuding an aura that kept strangers at a distance.
But Xu Zhuo's mindset had changed. He now saw everything through a thick filter, finding the other party irresistibly charming and elegant in every move and gesture.
That waist, Xu Zhuo thought to himself, tracing his silhouette with his gaze. It was slim and soft, yet had a certain resilience to it.
Those shoulders, slender yet rounded, one wouldn't even dare to grip them tightly for fear of crushing them.
And that neck, particularly sensitive, would flinch at the slightest touch, then turn faintly crimson, blending with the blush on the cheeks, with reproachful eyes looking at him.
As for that fair skin, oh, so delicate and smooth, the touch—
Xu Zhuo’s hand in his pocket, his thumb and forefinger rubbing against each other. He still felt that slick sensation when he had cupped Du Ziyou’s cheek with that hand earlier.
He thought to himself, feeling hot all over, and quickly put down the empty glass, switching to a glass of ice water to cool himself down, unable to resist glancing in that direction again.
Unfortunately, he hadn't had the chance to appreciate those slender, straight legs, imagining them wrapped around his waist—
Stop!
Xu Zhuo quickly averted his gaze, staring at another part of the hall. He dared not look again, or else he would have to perform a certain tent-raising act on the spot, and the old man would surely kill him.
He gulped down the iced water in his glass, calming his overheated mind, belatedly realizing what he had been doing.
Xu Zhuo, you're such a beast!?
Actually indulging in lewd thoughts about the host of the banquet in public, and this host was your boss!
Or rather, your object of pursuit.
Thinking of this, he felt even more remorseful. His fondness for Du Ziyou was definitely not driven by carnal desire, yet his behavior just now, even if no one else knew, was a form of objectification. If Du Ziyou found out, would he think that Xu Zhuo didn't respect him enough?
"Nephew," Boss Chen called out to him, "come with me to meet some people."
Before Xu Cai came, he had mentioned that Boss Chen had a wide network and was willing to mentor the younger generation, so Xu Zhuo seized the opportunity.
Xu Zhuo didn't want to oppose the old man at this time, and also to divert attention, so he nodded and joined the three of them, engaging in conversation with others.
As the newcomers in the wealthy circle, the Xu family did not lose face on such occasions, but they also did not have much appeal.
Boss Chen introduced the father and son to several acquaintances. Xu Zhuo, relying on his outstanding appearance and cheerful demeanor, effortlessly became the center of attention for everyone. The elderly praised him and engaged in conversation, while the younger generation also wanted to befriend him.
Seeing this scene, the person most pleased was Xu Cai, who laughed until his eyes were almost invisible, willingly pushed to the side to act as a foil for his son.
"Who is this?" a deep voice came from beside them.
Xu Zhuo turned to look, only to see Du Ziyou's older brother, Du Yongfeng.
Du Yongfeng bore only a slight resemblance to Du Ziyou, with a more rugged and mature temperament. The gaze he turned on them was like that of a lurking beast, seemingly calm and harmless, yet concealing a deadly intent.
Xu Zhuo had long since seen that the relationship between the two brothers was not harmonious, but basic courtesy should not be abandoned, especially on someone else's turf, so he politely raised his glass to greet him.
With the host joining in, the conversation among the people became livelier, and naturally turned to the main character of the banquet.
"Ziyou is a born business genius," a man in his fifties said, "I've watched him grow up. When he was young, he had a sharp wit, mischievous and now is completely different, stable and mature."
"Haha, yes, I remember when he hadn’t gone to school yet, he came to visit my home and let all the rabbits in our yard run free, saying he couldn't bear to see the little rabbits locked up," another person recalled, "My maid chased them for a long time before catching and putting them back in their cages."
Xu Zhuo listened with relish, but Du Yongfeng spoke in a nonchalant tone, "Blame it on our lax discipline." Then he changed the subject.
Xu Zhuo glanced at him and couldn’t read anything on his face, muttering to himself in his mind.
This Du Yongfeng... rather than being a big brother, he seems more like a parent.
Yes, he was much older than Du Ziyou, an elder brother like a father figure, perhaps he really had played the role of a father in Du Ziyou's growth.
The summer rain came and went quickly, stopping before midnight, and the guests began to bid farewell.
When Xu Zhuo left, he searched for Du Ziyou's figure and hesitated to take one last look.
Since they had come down from the bedroom, the other had only shown him his back, as if in a showdown, refusing to look at him no matter where he stood.
Xu Zhuo didn't feel the slightest anger; he thought this petulant attitude was simply too adorable!
Thinking so, he chuckled in the car.
Xu Cai looked at him inexplicably, suddenly had a moment of realization, finally understanding what was bothering him.
"You rascal!" He slapped his thigh and roared, "Why did you change your clothes!?"