"What’s all this commotion about? You sound like a shrew!" The Gu patriarch hobbled along with his cane, his expression slightly displeased.
"Patriarch, sorry for disturbing you. Just now, a classmate of Miss entered your study alone. This classmate’s character leaves something to be desired. Not only is she a vanity-obsessed, but she’s also a rural person who shamelessly borrowed clothes to come and attend the longevity banquet, even though Miss did not invite her. At school, she always gives Miss trouble and isolates her with a group of other students. When I went to Miss’s school last time, I learned that there was not a single person in the dormitory who talked to Miss, they simply treated Miss like she was invisible! I was worried she might touch your things in the study."
Gu patriarch frowned slightly, "Guests should be treated with respect, and you shouldn’t be rude to the guest to this extent, it might make us Gu Family look impolite. Perhaps she merely lost her way and mistakenly wandered into the wrong place. Have you ever thought about how this might make the young lady feel? You shouldn’t disparage her for being from the countryside, don’t forget, despite being a part of Gu Family for years, you are also from the countryside!"
After a few reprimanding words to the nanny, the patriarch was persuaded by the doctor who was rushing from behind to go back. The patriarch’s health has been declining in recent years, so he needed to go through regular checkups round the clock.
Over there, when He Zhilan returned to the first floor, Gu En was playing the piano in the living room, surrounded by a sea of people. Amidst the melodies, the voices of the people in the living room gradually fell, as they were all drawn in by Gu En’s performance.
However, the moment He Zhilan appeared, Gu En’s gaze immediately fell upon her. His look was full of unspeakable malice and sharpness, as though he wanted to bore a hole through her body with his gaze.
While the praises of Gu En flowed unceasingly from the guests, a round of thunderous applause rang out as the piece concluded.
"Actually, if it wasn’t for the sickening part inside Gu En, he is quite remarkable. Be it music, chess, literature, or painting, he’s always excelled amongst his peers in the mansion." Zhou Chenyue whispered to He Zhilan, appearing next to her without her realizing, "Especially his calligraphy, which the patriarch himself taught him. It’s so expressive and full of vitality that many people say that he has surpassed his teacher. If it weren’t for spending too much time on these activities, I assume he could have gotten into Capital University purely based on his own abilities."
"He sings well too." He Zhilan added pragmatically.
"Yes, when he was a kid, his singing charmed and made the elders in the mansion very happy." Zhou Chenyue nodded, "Many people in the mansion say he’s a little singer!"
He Zhilan did not respond further, because Gu En had already risen from the piano and was walking towards her. He opened a bottle of champagne from a table nearby, poured two glasses, held up one, and handed the other to He Zhilan with a winsome smile, "How was my performance? Grab a drink?"
At this moment, the eyes of everyone around were on them. He Zhilan had seen Gu En opening the champagne in front of her, so she was certain that he could not have tampered with it in any way. Thus, she accepted the glass.
Unexpectedly, it was this very action of acceptance that made her the butt of Gu En’s joke.
"Listen, classmate He, this is champagne, not your rural corn cob. Who would hold the glass like you do?" Gu En laughed heartily in front of everyone, "When attending such an occasion, even if you borrowed clothes, it wouldn’t matter. But you should have at least learned how to behave, this is just embarrassing."