On the other end of the phone, however, little Gu Zichen wasn't in the least bit amused.
Looking at the black - screened phone, Gu Zichen first stood still for a few seconds. Then he stormed up to the poker table, slammed the phone down beside Gu Xuyan's hand, and turned on his heel to leave.
Gu Xuyan, who was in the middle of picking up a card, was completely bewildered. He called out to Gu Zichen from afar, but the little boy didn't respond.
So he raised his hand and said to the people at the table, "Sorry, wait a moment," as he got up.
When Gu Xuyan pushed open the little boy's door, Gu Zichen was lying motionless on the bed.
Gu Xuyan walked over, patted his little head buried in the bedding, and asked what was wrong.
Gu Zichen kicked his feet twice but still didn't say a word.
Gu Xuyan then sat down patiently, opened his phone to check the call log, and said, "Weren't you on a video call with your godmother? Why are you suddenly so upset?"
At the mention of the word "godmother", the little boy finally showed some reaction.
He suddenly propped himself up from the bed, then with a straight face, asked Gu Xuyan very seriously, "Lao Gu, do you like my godmother?"
Gu Xuyan was taken aback and didn't know how to answer his son's rather sensitive question.
"What on earth is wrong with you?" So he deliberately changed the subject. "Did you quarrel with your godmother?"
"I don't care whether you like godmother or not. Anyway, I like her very much." But Gu Zichen didn't give his father a chance to dodge. He continued to be straightforward. "So I really hope you can marry my godmother."
Hearing this, Gu Xuyan said with a mixture of amusement and helplessness, "Zichen, just because you like someone doesn't mean I should marry them. That's not a valid causal relationship."
Hearing this, Gu Zichen's eyes dimmed. "So you don't like godmother?"
"It's not about like or dislike." Gu Xuyan tried to communicate with his ten - year - old son. "Of course I like your godmother very much. We're very fateful with her. She's kind, strong, and gentle. So we've been getting along very well for the past few years, both at work and in life, right?"
Seeing Gu Zichen nod, Gu Xuyan took a deep breath and continued, "But this kind of liking doesn't mean I should marry her."
"Why?" Gu Zichen got a bit excited.
"Why should I marry your godmother then?" Gu Xuyan countered.
"Because... then we can become a real family!" The little boy's face flushed with the argument. "Otherwise... someday she'll become someone else's godmother..."
Thinking of the uncle who was hugging Su Yang in the video just now, little Gu Zichen was extremely indignant.
That uncle looked bad and philandering at first sight. He was in no way worthy of his wonderful godmother!
But Gu Xuyan still calmly refuted his son. "No, Zichen. No matter whether your godmother gets married in the future or who she marries, she'll always be your godmother and our dear friend."
"Then why can't you marry godmother?" Gu Zichen's voice suddenly became much softer after hearing this.
He rarely got such a serious lecture from Gu Xuyan. By now, he didn't dare to be unreasonable anymore, but he still felt very wronged and unhappy. He pouted as he spoke, looking so pitiful.
"Because Dad still hasn't let go of your mom." Gu Xuyan suddenly reached out and pressed on Gu Zichen's forehead, then ruffled his soft hair, as if talking to himself. "If I marry your godmother at this time, it's unfair to her, to me, and to your mom."
This sounded simple, but it was obviously beyond Gu Zichen's comprehension.
The little boy frowned slightly and then silently lowered his head...
At the Xu family's villa, Xu Lize and Su Yang took a long time to come downstairs.
When Xu Zhiying saw them, she waved eagerly and asked Xu Lize if he wanted to play mahjong.
Xu Lize walked to the sofa, sat Su Yang down, and said with a smile, "You haven't even got your red envelope yet. Why are you so eager to lose money?"
Xu Zhiying was indignant. "Don't jinx it. We haven't even started playing. How do you know I'll be the one to lose?"
"Fine. I'll grant your wish. Don't cry if you lose all your money later." Xu Lize said with a smile as he rolled up his sleeves and nodded at Xu Zhiying.
The three of them then pulled Granny Xu to the mahjong table and started shuffling the tiles noisily.
Facts proved that Xu Lize was right. Among the four people at the table, Granny Xu had good gaming etiquette from years of playing, Xu Lize secretly calculated the tiles and had a good memory, and Su Yang openly remembered the tiles and had good luck. After several rounds, it was indeed only Xu Zhiying who lost from start to finish.
Director Gao stood behind the little girl with a cup of tea in his hand. At first, he gave some advice, but then he found that Xu Zhiying just played by instinct. Even he, as an on - looker, couldn't stand it anymore.
"Stupid girl. If you're not the loser, who will be?" A few minutes later, Director Gao shook his head repeatedly and withdrew from the "battlefield".
Xu Zhiying finally lost all the money in a red envelope. Angry, she kept calling Song Haolin to pour out her grievances. Over the phone, she told her boyfriend that she was going to sign up for a mahjong crash - course this year so that she could avenge herself and dominate the game next Chinese New Year.
Su Yang heard this and couldn't help laughing. She also took the opportunity to wish Song Haolin a happy New Year over the phone.
Song Haolin then whispered to Xu Zhiying, "Has my junior sister finally been taken by your brother?"
When it came to gossip, Xu Zhiying got excited. Whether she lost money or not didn't matter anymore. She grabbed the phone and ran to the dining room, then chatted with Song Haolin in a low voice.
Xu Lize took the opportunity to walk over and sit beside Su Yang. While opening the snacks on the table for her to eat, he asked her until when her annual leave was.
"Until the seventh day of the first lunar month." Su Yang said as she rotated her left leg. She felt that the pain had lessened a lot. "There's an investment promotion conference on the eighth day. I have to rush to Ning City. The itinerary was set a long time ago."
"How long will you be gone?" Xu Lize asked casually as he handed her a peeled mandarin orange.
"Three days and two nights." Su Yang took it, broke it open, and took a bite. It was very sweet.
"I'll go with you." The man took a wet wipe to wipe his hands. His words were not a question but a statement.
Su Yang looked at him in horror. "I'm going for work, not for fun."
Xu Lize nodded, looking extremely calm. "I know. My annual leave lasts until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. I just happen to be free to accompany you for a few more days."
Damn capitalist!
Su Yang muttered in her heart, but still firmly refused. "That's still not okay. What would it look like if you accompanied me to a meeting?"
"Baby, there's no room for negotiation on this." As it turned out, Young Master Xu stroked her head as if she were a pet. "The incident with Huo Long was the last time. Until I find someone to protect you, you must stay within my sight and not leave even a single step."