Her tone was casual, as if she wasn't announcing something of monumental importance—the cancellation of a major marriage alliance between two prominent families.
It was more like discussing what to eat for dinner or what drink to have, delivered with complete composure.
The elder who had been trying to smooth things over between them froze for a moment, all his expressions stiffening on his face, unable to immediately grasp what was being said.
Then the look on his face rapidly shifted first to disbelief, followed by a surge of immense shock.
His movements stiffened
for a second, and he glanced rather awkwardly at Gu Zhaoping's face before turning to look at Shen Yifeng.
His first reaction was disbelief—how could this be? He had never heard a word about it, and last time he had mentioned this very topic to Shen Yifeng, Shen Yifeng hadn't refuted it! If they had already agreed to dissolve the engagement, how could there be no rumors at all? And Shen Yifeng's reaction now seemed...
As he looked at Shen Yifeng now, who showed no sign of objecting, a sudden understanding dawned on him. He then felt a wave of profound awkwardness.
He wanted to say something more, but was too embarrassed to get any words out.
Oh—it suddenly made sense.
In that instant, he understood.
Looking at how dazzling Gu Zhaoping was now, if he were Shen Yifeng, he wouldn't want to publicly declare that they had already called off the engagement either!
He felt terribly awkward inside. He had originally wanted to get closer to Gu Zhaoping and chat more, but he never expected to step into such a huge misunderstanding right from the start.
No wonder he had found it strange earlier when he saw Gu Zhaoping chatting with another young man, feeling somewhat worried for Shen Yifeng. It turned out he had been overthinking it; Shen Yifeng simply didn't have the standing to interfere.
Judging by their attitudes, it was clear who was more eager to end the engagement and who was still lingering in the past relationship, unable to fully extricate themselves.
The elder endured the awkwardness for a moment, but being a battle-hardened entrepreneur, he soon broke into another hearty laugh: "Oh my, so that's how it is. You kids didn't even tell your Uncle. We old folks just want to see the younger generation happy and lively, but we didn't know you two had already parted ways amicably. Well, it makes sense. You were both so young when the engagement was set. Now that you're grown up, it's right to find your own paths. Very good, very good."
"It wasn't exactly an amicable parting," Gu Zhaoping said with a hint of apology, giving him a polite nod. Although it wasn't ideal to keep putting this uncle in awkward situations, this was precisely the perfect opportunity she had been waiting for to publicly sever ties with Shen Yifeng.
Announcing it at this moment was to maximize the impact of the dissolution.
She stated calmly, "In the past, I was the only one maintaining this engagement. Shen Yifeng was indifferent to it, so I naturally decided to cut my losses in time and devote more energy to my career. I've already caused Old Master enough worry over the marriage matter; I can't very well leave the Gu Family's affairs unattended as well, with no one to help him."
She didn't mind others casting more disapproving looks Shen Yifeng's way.
"When I was younger, I was too emotional and didn't help share much of Grandpa's burdens. Now that I'm older and gradually more sensible, I understand what the eldest granddaughter of the Gu Family, the eldest grandchild of my grandfather, should prioritize. So, this engagement was canceled some time ago. Thank you all for your concern."
She subtly reinforced her identity as the eldest grandchild in everyone's minds, leaving no room for any other interpretation.
In other words, she was also telling those who knew her past that her previous unseemly behavior was due to being responsible for this engagement, thus misled and drained by the relationship, which was why she had never appeared by her grandfather's side.
Now, free from the influence of this engagement and Shen Yifeng, she was naturally beginning to shine.
Put that way, Shen Yifeng sounded like a jinx.
There's an old saying that the right person will stand in your future. Clearly, Shen Yifeng wasn't there, so he was out.
The others listened in astonishment, holding their wine glasses, turning their heads in small groups to look at them.
Old Master Gu had just been chatting idly with Theodore when he suddenly noticed the hall fall silent, followed by the sound of his granddaughter Gu Zhaoping's voice. His heart skipped a beat, and he nearly dropped the glass in his hand.
He knew about the dissolution of the engagement, but had thought the Gu and Shen families would discuss it properly in private afterward, parting on good terms. He never expected Gu Zhaoping to announce it so directly at today's banquet.
However, Old Master Gu didn't really mind. After all, they hadn't invited Shen Yifeng; he had come of his own accord.
Now with so many excellent suitors waiting in the wings, he would turn a blind eye no matter how Gu Zhaoping slapped Shen Yifeng in the face.
Was he supposed to side with outsiders, criticize his own granddaughter for the sake of the so-called Shen family's face, and publicly embarrass her? He wouldn't do anything so foolish.
Gu Zhaoping would need to meet many people in her future endeavors; she needed to establish her authority and solidify her image.
Old Master Gu also had to be her staunch supporter. If outsiders sensed discord between grandfather and granddaughter, it would create opportunities for sowing discord, which wouldn't benefit their family's development.
In matters not involving Gu Zhaoye, the male lead from the original story, Old Master Gu's mind remained quite sharp.
Pretending not to notice, he turned back with a normal expression and instead engaged Theodore in more conversation: "Did you go to listen to my granddaughter's speech today as well? Heh, she spoke very well, didn't she?"
The other guests, initially dumbfounded, soon understood upon seeing Old Master Gu's attitude—this was condoned by the Gu Family. The family had known about this all along, just hadn't informed outsiders.
Many who were unaware had been startled, thinking Miss Gu already had a confirmed fiancé. But it turned out this guy couldn't keep up and was quickly left behind by Miss Gu.
Thus, more people began to have ideas.
They started quietly assessing whether any relative or junior from their own family could outshine this Shen Yifeng.
They mentally compared everything from looks and education to character, sizing up Shen Yifeng as if he were a benchmark, weighing his worth.
Their perspectives were critical, as if appraising a piece of merchandise.
Of course, everyone wanted to secure a promising prospect like her, everyone wanted to decipher her tastes.
However, to their slight regret, this Miss Gu appeared to be very proper, candid, and somewhat aloof, not someone easily swayed by mere flirtation.
Many male entrepreneurs have fallen for honey traps, but few female entrepreneurs have.
It seems this Shen Yifeng also ended in failure.
Shen Yifeng felt a chill run through his body. He stood rigidly in place.
For a long time, he made no move to extricate himself from this awkward situation.
As the heir to the Shen family, he was so outstanding, so admired by many, always handling things with ease. Many people revolved around him, including that pair of siblings from the Li family who had always been his followers.
One could say that from childhood, he had always been the model and example in others' eyes, even for the former Gu Zhaoping.
Although these past days had repeatedly shattered his certainty and pride in controlling everything, thanks to Gu Zhaoping, no moment had ever struck him such a heavy blow as this one, leaving him utterly cold.
The last time Gu Zhaoping announced everything in front of those young people, even in front of that young master Theodore, he could still maintain a semblance of composure, asking them to leave.
Last time, he was the host; it was still his territory, so he still felt he could hold his ground, for the sake of so-called grace, not interfering with the matter of Gu Zhaoping leaving with another man.
But now he was a guest. In that instant, it was as if he had spaced out in a delusion. He looked around and then realized this wasn't some banquet agreed upon by those entrepreneurs at all, but one hosted by the Gu Family.
He saw that among all the people present, Old Master Gu was dressed the most brightly and conspicuously in red, clearly in the posture of the host.
And Gu Zhaoping had also been calmly conversing with others before he arrived.
At this moment, Gu Zhaoping's agency and presence before him were unprecedentedly strong.
Moreover, he was also acutely aware that this public discussion meant the loss he suffered was no longer merely becoming a laughingstock within their circle and a topic for their behind-the-back ridicule and mockery.
It had further progressed into a loss of power, a subtle reduction in weight when others looked at him.
Yes, because he was abandoned by a woman, Gu Zhaoping, it caused a slight loss of status.
Although this subtle feeling was delicate, it was captured by his pride.
And he clearly saw Theodore, upon hearing Gu Zhaoping say those words without hesitation, pause for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on that handsome face. But then, as if thinking it impolite, he tried his best to suppress that smile.
It was utterly absurd.
Shen Yifeng once felt such a scene shouldn't happen among people like them.
In his vague conception, a scene like this at a banquet, where a few people confront each other, with someone feeling triumphant or humiliated over the affirmation or denial of a fiancé(e)'s status, should only happen with the genders reversed.
As if at a banquet, it should be some CEO's fiancée who gets announced as having the engagement canceled, and then another female character stands by looking smug. He felt it should be like that.
But Gu Zhaoping, time and again, overturned and reversed the scenes he had in mind. He could no longer control the situation, let alone predict what would happen next.
Gu Zhaoping even showed him a final bit of courtesy.
She asked him, "Mr. Shen, if you insist on staying for this banquet, then we don't mind hosting one more guest."
However, after saying this, she showed no real intention of hosting him. She didn't instruct a waiter to bring him a glass of wine or offer any other hospitality. She just stood there, quietly and calmly looking at him, as if waiting for him to have some self-respect and leave on his own.
That Gu Zhaoping who had once mistakenly sent him the male model video.
That Gu Zhaoping who usually seemed idle and unacademic but came to consult him on professional questions.
That Gu Zhaoping who, in his impression, he had thought was vague, yet whose image was so vivid.
Had completely vanished into the distance.
Now Shen Yifeng had no doubts.
He felt utterly ridiculous. Even if others knew his thoughts, they would find him laughable in the extreme.
He had actually thought before that Gu Zhaoping learning jiu-jitsu was her new trick to attract his attention. That her spending his money on male models was a petty act of revenge to make him pay more attention to her.
But at this moment, he finally realized with utmost clarity: No.
He had been too narcissistic, too presumptuous. He had never truly known Gu Zhaoping.
And as more and more people came to recognize Gu Zhaoping's true self, he would be increasingly and profoundly punished for this lack of recognition.
Perhaps, as Gu Zhaoping's fame grew, even more people would eagerly bring up him, the ex-fiancé who was dumped, as one of the insignificant pieces of gossip in her life, adding a touch of color to her glorious future.
All he could offer was this kind of amusement value.
His body moved with difficulty, like a long-unlubricated robot starting up.
Shen Yifeng opened his mouth and uttered words that even he found hoarse and unpleasant to hear: "No. I won't stay."
"...I didn't know it was your banquet."
"I'm sorry."
Shen Yifeng paused for a moment, took half a step back, then turned and left.
He seemed to want to say something more to Gu Zhaoping, but it seemed nothing he could say would matter to her. In the end, the only thing that could come out was this "I'm sorry," which was perhaps powerless and something she neither valued nor needed.
For his past neglect. For his past arrogance.
For missing that Gu Zhaoping who had been sincerely maintaining the engagement.
All that time, he had felt Gu Zhaoping's lingering in the world of pleasure was absurd and improper, yet he had never considered:
Since he assumed the engagement didn't require his affection, then why did he assume it demanded her absolute loyalty?
Shen Yifeng walked out the door, looked back, and saw the banquet hall had returned to its bustling noise. No one paid him any mind, no one gave him a second glance.
He was just an embarrassing interlude.
They were all gathered around Gu Zhaoping.
Gu Zhaoping paid him no more attention.
In an instant, worlds apart.
Ni Tiansong witnessed all of this, slightly taken aback. He then realized he hadn't heard about this previous marital engagement before. After being introduced to the Gu Family by Uncle Qi, he thought he was the first, but he never expected Miss Gu had been engaged to someone before.
...Fortunately, it was over now, and ended in such a public declaration before everyone. That person must have crossed a very absolute line for Miss Gu; she would absolutely never give him a second chance.
This crisis had appeared and was immediately resolved. While Ni Tiansong breathed a sigh of relief, he also felt a greater sense of unease rising within him.
He glanced at Valentine beside Gu Zhaoping, feeling their conversation had gone on a bit too long. He recalled that right after the speech earlier, Miss Gu seemed to be talking with him and another man, and now he saw both of them were here.
The more one harbors certain thoughts, the easier it is to suspect others of having them too.
Ni Tiansong, his mind somewhat preoccupied, took a glass of wine from a waiter beside him. The wine had just been chilled, and perhaps because he was distracted, he choked slightly as it went down his throat, coughing a couple of times.
The waiter was momentarily taken aback, then offered him a handkerchief. Wiping the corner of his mouth, he said, "Thank you."
Gu Zhaoping noticed and looked up at him. Seeing her turn her head, Ni Tiansong, having already set down his glass, smiled at her and said, "Apologies for interrupting your conversation."
"It's fine, no interruption at all."
"That's good. By the way, Miss Gu, regarding the chess game this morning, I still have a question I'd like to discuss with you, to get your perspective. I wonder if you'll have some time later?"
"We can discuss it now," Gu Zhaoping replied. "What's the question?"
Gu Zhaoping could effortlessly engage with any topic brought up by any guest present. She seemed to show no particular favoritism towards anyone, nor did she become overly familiar with any single person.
This was both good and not so good.
The good part was that she didn't show any special treatment towards others.
The not-so-good part was that she didn't show any towards him either.
Theodore seemed completely indifferent to the sudden appearance and disappearance of this former fiancé, as if he hadn't seen him at all. Having been questioned by this very person on the snowy mountain before, he already knew this unraveled individual posed no real competition.
However, since this person had dared to provoke him so blatantly, even questioning whether he knew about the matters between his brother and Gu Zhaoping, Theodore still harbored a touch of vindictiveness. So, just as Shen Yifeng turned his head, Theodore ended his conversation with Old Master Gu and walked over to Gu Zhaoping.
He lightly placed his hand on Valentine's shoulder. Valentine stiffened and looked at him, puzzled as to why the usually aloof Theodore was suddenly being so familiar. His intuition told him it was because Gu Zhaoping was present.
After a moment's hesitation, he suppressed the strange feeling and politely addressed him as "brother."
Shen Yifeng, having walked a few steps, turned back and unexpectedly caught sight of this scene. His pupils suddenly contracted.
From his angle, the two of them looked remarkably alike.
It was unclear what exactly he had realized, but Theodore wasn't interested anyway.
Theodore finally greeted Gu Zhaoping, thereby inserting himself into her conversation with Ni Tiansong.
Ni Tiansong's smile remained, but the look in his eyes grew more intense.
Old Master Gu still wore an expression of not having talked enough; it seemed he and this young man, despite the decades-wide age gap, had conversed quite well. Although Theodore was only a few years older than Gu Zhaoping, he, like her, was very familiar with and could effortlessly discuss topics of interest to old men like them.
Tsk tsk, those groomed to inherit family businesses are truly different, having to grasp a bit of everything.
Seeing him approach his granddaughter, Old Master Gu's gaze immediately sharpened. Although he was curious about what they would all discuss together, he also felt it somewhat inappropriate. Clearing his throat, he said to the person beside him, "This celebration banquet can be considered concluded."
The entrepreneurs present began to bid their farewells.
However, there was still one person who was somewhat dissatisfied, and hearing that it was time to end, grew even more displeased.
He had come today hoping to discuss the project issues mentioned in Gu Zhaoping's speech with her at length. But she had been constantly surrounded by too many people, leaving little opportunity for more than a few brief exchanges with him, none of which touched on what he really wanted to know.
He wanted to glean more specific information from Gu Zhaoping. But Gu Zhaoping was as slippery as an eel, always painting grand visions, seemingly unwilling to reveal her true hand until he showed some genuine commitment.
This President Lin was just about to interject when he saw Theodore approaching, so his words were once again cut off.
His patience finally worn thin, watching Gu Zhaoping laugh and chat with those around her, he finally spoke up, interrupting them: "Miss Gu, are you really not considering the issue I just mentioned? You must understand, currently there are no truly outstanding battery manufacturing enterprises domestically. If you want to pursue this path, you must cooperate with other industry leaders; there's no way around it. I've been bringing this up with you, hoping to see your sincerity."
"But you've only been presenting this concept without giving us concrete direction. I genuinely want to facilitate cooperation and jointly promote new energy development. Yet you remain evasive. Could it be that there are problems with the project itself, and you're afraid I'll discover them if you disclose details?"
His tone carried a hint of impatience. "I've always believed young people should have more boldness. If you're confident in your direction, you shouldn't hide things like this. If you don't show something substantial today, I'm afraid it will be hard to gain others' trust in the future."
He glanced around; some people, drawn by his words, were looking over. His words became more provocative: "I originally thought you were an innovator in the new energy field, but I didn't expect you to be so stingy even in sharing ideas. Perhaps you're not fully prepared yet? In that case, weren't those earlier claims of innovation somewhat premature?"
At this, those who had been preparing to leave gradually stopped, staring at the two of them, waiting with some trepidation for the confrontation to erupt.
In truth, everyone could see that this President Lin was a bit too eager, wanting to secure a clear intention of cooperation right after today's discussions, but Gu Zhaoping hadn't given him that opening, hence his impatience.
But he also had a touch of condescension, not intending to negotiate in good faith with Gu Zhaoping by showing his own commitment first. Instead, he directly tried to provoke her, implying that if she didn't share her truly good ideas and specific operational details, she was either being evasive or just painting pretty pictures.
He was accustomed to using such tactics. However, he didn't expect that the moment his words fell, it was the people around Gu Zhaoping who looked over first, while Gu Zhaoping herself merely gave him a cool glance before smiling and saying:
"It seems your expectations for what I share are so high because you yourself lack any substantial new ideas of your own, and can only hope to borrow from mine?"
"Those with real capability act with careful consideration. They wouldn't start hastily sullying someone's reputation after just a few words about potential cooperation. That's rather unseemly."
Her tone was calm, but the attack was no less sharp, showing no intention of sparing his feelings.
President Lin's face changed.
"A truly good project isn't afraid to be kept under wraps. On the other hand, using the pretense of cooperation to fish for information, then showing one's true colors and making a scene when exposed—doesn't that lack a bit of grace?"
Gu Zhaoping continued in a measured tone, "Of course, regardless of whether anyone else has grace, I will have it. After all, this will be the Gu Family's primary development direction for the next twenty years. Until we meet a truly sincere partner, we won't rashly disclose the core details. That would also be irresponsible to our future collaborators."
Even Old Master Gu was taken aback for a moment. The Gu Family's primary direction for the next twenty years? Goodness, I didn't even know that.
He coughed a couple of times, however, and turned his head as if he hadn't heard.
"Today is the Gu Family's celebration banquet, so I'd prefer to keep the conversation light. Any sincere potential partners will naturally make their proposals on more formal occasions and with formal terms. Casual remarks made in jest like this won't be considered."
President Lin was momentarily stunned by her retort. He hadn't expected her to be so sharp-tongued, deftly dismantling the carefully prepared speech he had been mulling over. It left him feeling a tightness in his chest, and his expression darkened slightly.
After a moment, he mustered a smile laced with aggression. "Is Miss Gu planning to hold out for the highest bidder? My apologies, it's just that I've been in business for many years and have encountered too many empty promises and pie-in-the-sky projects. The blueprints are always attractive, but they lack any feasibility. Everyone here who wants to cooperate is being cautious, as we should be. Surely you can understand that, Miss Gu?"
He glanced around, confirming that everyone present was watching, and pressed on even more bluntly. "Moreover, from what I understand, among all the battery and energy enterprises represented here today, only my company can provide the latest technology. To implement your ideas, Miss Gu, you simply cannot avoid this aspect. How is it that even my company is deemed uncompetitive?"
His face still wore a smile, but his words were now loaded with barbs.
President Lin was feeling somewhat anxious; otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to this tactic. A major investor behind him was very interested in the project Gu Zhaoping had proposed and had insisted he find a way to secure it.
However, after talking at length, President Lin hadn't seen any sign of interest from Gu Zhaoping towards them, forcing him to try a underhanded approach.
Even if he couldn't secure her cooperation, if he could pry some genuine information from her, and then steer his own company in that direction, it would still count as a gain.
What he didn't expect was for Gu Zhaoping to simply ask him, "Is that so?"
In the moment he was caught off guard, someone walked in from the side, their voice booming, "Who says there are no good battery and energy enterprises in the country?"
Everyone turned their heads one after another to look.
Gu Zhaoping greeted him, "President Hou, you've arrived."
After waiting for so long, President Hou had finally come.
This was President Hou of Aurora Green Energy Group, the same one who had dined at their restaurant during the TV program.
He was also the one who had resolutely decided to withdraw the investment plan for Gu Zhaoye.
