In the small living room where they had been drinking and chatting the day before, Zhou Xuan met the energetic Gu Jiangang and Gu Yuan, as well as Gu Zhonghuai, the father, son, and grandson.
The moment Zhou Xuan entered the door, Gu Jiangang and the other two stood up to greet him.
When Zhou Xuan saw that Gu Jiangang wasn't in a wheelchair but instead stood up steadily to greet him, he was taken aback. He hadn't seen a wheelchair in the room, and a sudden feeling of unease flashed through his mind. Could it be him...?
Zhou Xuan was stunned, and some images vaguely appeared in his mind. Sure enough, Gu Jiangang grabbed his hand and warmly pulled him to sit down on the sofa. Then he said excitedly, "Brother Zhou, to be honest, this old man couldn't sleep for most of last night. All my ailments have been miraculously cured by you. I... I don't know how to thank you enough!"
Zhou Xuan's heart sank. Damn it, it really was him!
It seems that drinking really leads to trouble. Zhou Xuan wasn't particularly against curing Old Man Gu's illness, but he didn't want so many people to know.
Zhou Xuan gave an awkward laugh and said, "This...this...I don't remember either. I was drunk and don't remember anything, I..."
Gu Jiangang stared at Zhou Xuan's somewhat evasive manner, and suddenly realized what was going on. He immediately waved to Gu Zhonghuai and Gu Yuan and said, "You two uncle and nephew, go out for a moment. I have something to say to Xiao Zhou alone. Go out!"
Old ginger is indeed spicier!
In this one incident, Zhou Xuan witnessed Old Gu's shrewdness. He didn't say anything, or even give any hints, but his expression was awkward. Gu Jiangang immediately understood that Zhou Xuan didn't want more people to know. Whatever the reason, Gu Jiangang sent his son Gu Zhonghuai and grandson Gu Yuan away.
"Brother Zhou, I'm sorry, but you mean you don't want other people to know?" Gu Jiangang said with a forced smile.
Zhou Xuan smiled wryly and said, "Old Gu, to be honest, I really didn't want outsiders to know that I wanted to treat your illness. I did have that idea, but after drinking, I got confused. I can't hold my liquor at all, and once I'm drunk, I can't remember anything. I even forgot to ask Old Gu to keep it a secret!"
Gu Jiangang waved his hand and said apologetically, "No, no, the responsibility is mine. I was confused too. I was just too excited and didn't think about this. But please rest assured, Brother Zhou, for the time being, no one else knows about this except my son Zhonghuai and grandson Gu Yuan. Although yesterday was my birthday, I didn't go out to see any guests. I've been waiting here for Brother Zhou since early this morning!"
Zhou Xuan was somewhat relieved. Old Gu's influence was undeniable, and his words carried weight.
Currently, only Gu Jiangang's son, Gu Zhonghuai, and grandson, Gu Yuan, know the truth. Moreover, they only know that Gu Jiangang's old ailment has been cured. They don't know how it was cured or Zhou Xuan's extraordinary abilities. They just guess that Zhou Xuan has some secret medical skills. Gu Jiangang mentioned that Zhou Xuan said he had been practicing martial arts and learning medicine from an old Taoist priest since he was a child. This old Taoist priest must be a folk genius!
After Gu Jiangang saw Gu Zhonghuai and Gu Yuan out and closed the door, he said to Zhou Xuan, "Brother Zhou, I'm really sorry, I didn't think of everything for you!"
Zhou Xuan smiled wryly and said, "Old Master Gu, there's no need to talk about this. As long as Old Master Gu's son and Young Master Gu can keep this secret, that's fine. I'm not a person who likes trouble. As for me treating Old Master Gu's illness, outsiders don't know. Old Master Gu himself will definitely figure it out. There are many things that are not for others to know!"
Gu Jiangang became increasingly embarrassed and apologized, saying, "I understand. It was all my oversight. But I, Gu, assure Xiao Zhou that this matter will never be told to anyone. To be honest, Xiao Zhou gave me my life. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was my second father. How could I, Gu, let my savior be in a difficult position?"
"That's good, that's good!" Zhou Xuan reached out to stop Gu Jiangang from saying anything more. He could absolutely trust Old Gu's words.
Gu Jiangang chuckled and immediately changed the subject, saying with a smile, "Let's not talk about that anymore, old man Zhou. This old man wants to introduce you to a marriage proposal. What do you think?"
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Volume 1, Chapter 299
"A matchmaker?" Zhou Xuan was stunned, not expecting Gu Jiangang to suddenly say such a thing! After a moment of hesitation, he replied, "This..." He didn't know how to begin, his face full of embarrassment. He hesitated to answer because he suspected that Old Man Gu might want to give him his granddaughter, Gu Ailin. This wild girl wasn't his type. Of course, even if he did like her, he already had Yingying and couldn't possibly get involved with another girl.
Gu Jiangang thought Zhou Xuan was just shy and embarrassed, so he smiled and said, "Brother Zhou, I, Old Gu, have my reasons for saying this. I've watched this girl grow up. Whether it's her status or her appearance, she's one in a million, absolutely outstanding. That's why I, Old Gu, have the audacity to bring this up with you, Brother Zhou."
Zhou Xuan chuckled awkwardly. The more Old Man Gu spoke, the more he believed that he was talking about Gu Ailin. Which parent wouldn't love their own child? Naturally, they all thought their own child was top-notch and the most outstanding. Besides, Old Man Gu also mentioned her status and appearance. To be honest, although Gu Ailin wasn't extremely beautiful, she was still quite presentable. As for her status, with her Gu family being so wealthy, she could certainly be considered to have a prestigious background.
Zhou Xuan had been considering how to phrase it, while Gu Jiangang, who had always thought Zhou Xuan was just shy, chuckled and said, "This girl, apart from being a bit arrogant, can be said to have no flaws. But her arrogance mainly stems from her own excellence, so she looks down on men inferior to her. I truly admire her. In my circle of friends, among my grandchildren's generation, I can't find anyone more capable than her. In recent years, because her father has been seriously ill, the burden of the family has fallen on her shoulders alone, yet she has managed to make the family business thrive. It's truly remarkable. Hehe, seeing you today, Brother Zhou, I think you'd be a good match for my old friend's granddaughter, which is why I brought it up!" At this point, Zhou Xuan suddenly realized that Old Gu wasn't talking about his granddaughter, Gu Ailin, but his friend's granddaughter! Zhou Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. In front of Old Gu, it was naturally inappropriate to speak ill of his granddaughter, but if it was his friend's granddaughter, then it was fine.
"Mr. Gu, I'm really sorry!" Zhou Xuan said more naturally with a wry smile, "Actually, I already have a fiancée, and I'm getting married in two months!" "Oh..." Gu Jiangang looked up in surprise. When he first saw Zhou Xuan's expression, he thought he was just shy and didn't object or refuse on the spot, so he continued talking. But Zhou Xuan's sudden revelation that he was about to get married was really unexpected.
After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Brother Zhou, may I ask which family your fiancée comes from?" He thought to himself that given Zhou Xuan's status, his fiancée could only be one of two types: either a family within their circle, a political marriage, or a woman from a mainland business family. Gu Jiangang might not be too familiar with those in politics, but he knew the top tycoons in the business world. He didn't necessarily have deep friendships with them, but he could at least strike up a conversation. If it was someone he knew, or even someone he didn't, he could establish a connection with that family and then do more cooperation. This would also serve the purpose of building a relationship with Zhou Xuan.
Zhou Xuan hesitated for a moment before answering, "Mr. Gu, my fiancée isn't from China; she's an American citizen of Chinese descent, from New York!" Gu Jiangang was somewhat surprised and asked, "A Chinese person from New York? I know a few Chinese business owners in New York. I wonder if your fiancée's family name is Fu, Chen, or Zhu?" "It's Fu!" Zhou Xuan answered honestly, not expecting Mr. Gu to be so knowledgeable. But then he thought, the Gu family is one of the top tycoons in Hong Kong. The world is vast for ordinary people, but for people like them, it's quite small. They can count the number of billionaires in the world on their fingers, so it's not surprising that they know each other.
Gu Jiangang's eyes flashed, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really the Fu family?... Oh..." Suddenly, he realized, "I remember, a few months ago, the New York media reported extensively that the third-generation heir of the wealthy New York Fu family was engaged, and the first-generation head Fu Tianlai's assets were transferred to his heirs, with 70% of the Fu family's shares going to his granddaughter Fu Ying's fiancé... That... should be Zhou Xuan, right? So, so that Zhou Xuan is you, little brother Zhou!" Zhou Xuan smiled awkwardly, not denying it, which was tantamount to admitting the fact.
Gu Jiangang was truly taken aback. The Fu family in New York was far more powerful than his own Gu family. If Zhou Xuan was the heir of the Fu family, his wealth would indeed be extraordinary, making him an equal to Gu Jiangang without being inferior to him. He had originally intended to arrange a marriage for him, but upon reflection, he decided against it. Although the girl he wanted to introduce was also outstanding, her wealth was still considerably less than that of the Fu family.
In fact, the girl that Old Man Gu arranged for Zhou Xuan to marry was Shangguan Mingyue, but Zhou Xuan didn't know that. Moreover, after bringing up Fu Ying, Gu Jiangang completely gave up on the idea of discussing the matter again.
"Hehehe, forget it, let's not say anything more, let's just have a good drink, eat and chat!" Gu Jiangang simply put aside his calculations. It seems that treating Zhou Xuan sincerely is the best approach. He doesn't care about money or wealth, and neither beauty nor fame can sway him. Such a person is probably beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Now, instead of giving him anything, Zhou Xuan has given him a tremendous gift. If the priceless jade carving was a great gift, then Zhou Xuan's cure of his chronic illness, which gave him a second life, is far more valuable than the jade carving. This great gift is worth exchanging even for the Gu family's entire fortune. In fact, for wealthy old men like Gu Jiangang, when they reach old age, they would be willing to exchange their entire fortune for health and longevity. However, such a thing is something they can't do even if they want to.
Gu Jiangang understood, however, that even before yesterday, he knew his life could end at any moment. But today, he also knew that his body could allow him to live at least another ten years peacefully. Could money buy that? The answer was definitely no! As soon as Zhou Xuan heard Gu Jiangang mention drinking again, he quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, Mr. Gu, to be honest, my alcohol tolerance is really low. I got drunk yesterday and was completely out of it. I don't even know what I did. I'd better not drink anymore."
Gu Jiangang didn't insist. At this point, his opinion of Zhou Xuan changed. At first, he thought Zhou Xuan was mysterious, but now, in addition to being mysterious, Zhou Xuan's identity, coupled with the title of heir to the wealthy Fu family, carried even greater weight.
Gu Jiangang built his fortune from scratch, and so did the Fu family's wealth. It was all the result of hard work. If Gu Jiangang wanted to transfer nine floors of the property to his granddaughter Gu Ailin's future husband, he couldn't do it. Fu Tianlai, that old man, probably thought much the same way. So why would he so openly announce the transfer of assets to Zhou Xuan in front of the media? There must be something else going on. The cunning and shrewd Fu Tianlai wouldn't do anything that would put him at a disadvantage. Gu Jiangang stopped talking about these things and instructed the servants to call Gu Zhonghuai, Gu Yuan, and other family members over. He set up a table; he was in a good mood, feeling well, and had a good appetite. He'd been eating vegetarian food for too long, so he wanted to change things up.
Because Zhou Xuan didn't want too many people to know about his affairs, and Gu Jiangang's paralyzed legs suddenly recovered, this would definitely arouse a lot of speculation, which was always a troublesome and headache for Zhou Xuan.
So Gu Jiangang didn't invite anyone else from his family, except for his son and grandson Gu Yuan. But not long after, Gu Ailin brought Shangguan Mingyue in.
Gu Jiangang was in a real bind. He had slapped his beloved granddaughter yesterday, and it pained him to do so. Gu Ailin was indeed spoiled and arrogant. If he didn't discipline her, she would think that the Gu family was the most powerful family in the world. Last night, after Zhou Xuan got drunk, Gu Jiangang gave his granddaughter another good talking-to. Although he didn't say it outright, he subtly implied that Zhou Xuan was not the liar she claimed to be, but someone not to be trifled with.
Don't even mention provoking them. The best thing to do is to win them over, build a good relationship, and get closer to them. But that depends on whether Zhou Xuan is happy or not. It's not something that can be left to Gu Jia to do as he pleases.
Hearing her grandfather say this, and in such a serious and earnest way, Gu Ailin was genuinely frightened. No wonder her grandfather slapped her in anger yesterday after she said those things. She also remembered when she first met Zhou Xuan, she had said some offensive things to him, and Shangguan Mingyue had nervously explained to Zhou Xuan that she was just talking nonsense. Could Zhou Xuan really be such an amazing person? Gu Ailin had always admired her grandfather since she was a child. Of all the family members, she dared not object to or argue with her grandfather. Now her grandfather was treating Zhou Xuan like an honored guest. Although Gu Ailin no longer talked nonsense to Zhou Xuan, she secretly guessed that Zhou Xuan probably just came from a very powerful family and wasn't necessarily that capable himself.
Seeing that Gu Ailin was no longer as rude and nonsensical as she had been yesterday, Gu Jiangang decided not to restrict her from staying there. He also genuinely liked Shangguan Mingyue and had originally intended to arrange their marriage, but since Zhou Xuan already had someone else, he had no choice but to let it go. However, it was fine for Shangguan Mingyue to come here and have a meal together.
Shangguan Mingyue sat down lightly next to Gu Ailin beside Zhou Xuan. Seeing Zhou Xuan again, she felt both excited and pitiful. She knew that Zhou Xuan had a fiancée, and she had even met her. If it were a girl inferior to her, she would be happier, but Fu Ying was no less than her in any way. She didn't realize it when she was indifferent to Zhou Xuan, but since she had unknowingly fallen in love with him, she had become speechless and lost her pride. Girls, no wonder they are always said to be gentle as water, her heart was like water, swaying back and forth!
Volume 1, Chapter 300
Since Gu Yuan brought Zhou Xuan here, he hadn't been able to speak to Zhou Xuan for the past two days. Now, finally getting Old Gu's permission to sit down, he instructed the servants to fetch the wine from the wine cellar.
Zhou Xuan chuckled and said, "Young Master Gu, I can't drink anymore today. My alcohol tolerance is terrible. I got completely drunk yesterday, and I'm sorry to have troubled you all. I don't even know how much of a fool I made!" Shangguan Mingyue asked in surprise, "You got drunk? How much did you drink?" "Just three or four ounces, not much. Little Zhou's alcohol tolerance is really just average!" Gu Jiangang answered for Zhou Xuan with a smile. It seems that Zhou Xuan doesn't like drinking, so he doesn't care about saving face by saying whether he can drink well or not, and he won't be blamed for saying it.
Shangguan Mingyue was even more puzzled. She wouldn't be surprised by anything else, but when it came to drinking, she would never forget it. Her first meeting with Zhou Xuan was when he shielded her from Wu Jianguo, the young master of the official family, and drank nearly 200,000 yuan worth of foreign liquor for her—twenty bottles! No one would forget that! That time, Zhou Xuan drank twenty bottles of foreign liquor without showing any signs of intoxication, let alone getting drunk. But now, what was Gu Jiangang saying? He only drank three or four ounces of liquor, and Zhou Xuan was completely drunk. This was truly incomprehensible. Unless Zhou Xuan was faking it, there was no way to explain it.
Is it possible that Zhou Xuan can only drink foreign liquor and not baijiu like Moutai? This reason is obviously illogical. As the saying goes, "If you are good at one skill, you can be good at everything." Someone who can drink alcohol can certainly drink any kind of alcohol.
Gu Yuan laughed and said, "Such days are rare, so drink less. What kind of gathering is this without wine?" Seeing Shangguan Mingyue's questioning look, Zhou Xuan felt helpless. After thinking for a moment, he stopped insisting. If they wanted to drink, they should. He didn't need to say so much. He could just use ice to cool them down. He could drink a few cups and then use that as an excuse to decline. It wasn't difficult.
To be honest, apart from Zhou Xuan, everyone else at the table, including the two girls and the old man Gu Jiangang, could drink a lot. Gu Jiangang, in particular, had been in poor health for the past few years, so his family had been controlling him. But now, miraculously, he had thrown away his wheelchair and stood up, just like a normal, healthy person. As long as he drank in moderation, his family naturally wouldn't say anything.