After divorcing the mute girl, President Gu knelt down and begged for reconciliation.

Chapter 96 Male Dignity

Du Lan said she wanted to fight for it, but Shen Qianqian knew that nothing she said would make a difference at this point, so she sighed and said, "Then I won't try to persuade you."

"But I want to add one more thing: Gu Xijue is not truly divorced yet. Even if you are in the queue, you should know your limits and not end up with a ruined reputation."

Duran's behavior, to put it bluntly, is that of a mistress, so she needs to know when to advance and when to retreat, otherwise she will make a fool of herself, ruin her reputation, and how will she ever get married again?

During her few days back in China, Shen Qianqian made a point of investigating Gu Xijue's character. All she could say was that every woman around him met a bad end…

But Gu Xijue is indeed very capable, though he seems a bit like a feudal emperor, and will likely end up all alone in the future.

Although Shen Qianqian was worried, she couldn't resist Du Lan's affection. This was the first time she had ever liked a man so much. All she hoped for now was that Du Lan wouldn't get hurt, and if she did, that she would recover quickly.

Duan Nanhe, holding a wine glass in one hand, nudged the man next to him with his elbow: "Hey, the woman next to Miss Du looks at you like you're a wolf or a tiger, as if she's afraid you'll devour her best friend whole."

Women are very sensitive to men's gaze, but by the same token, men are just as suspicious of women.

Gu Xijue simply sipped his wine without saying a word.

He still needs to take advantage of the Du family's desire for Du Lan to marry him. After all, if he wants to enter the artificial intelligence industry, he needs an experienced mentor to guide him so he doesn't stumble too much. That's why he's willing to attend Du Lan's birthday party.

The Du family gambled that Duran could win his heart, but wasn't he also gambling?
After all, the Du family has been developing in this field for more than a decade. It's perfectly normal for them to seize the opportunity to get involved. Businessmen are profit-driven, and Gu Xijue is a successful businessman.

After Gu Xijue finished his conversation with Du Minghua, he was about to leave. Duan Nanhe also found the business dinner boring, so he simply followed Gu Xijue.

The banquet continued, and Du Lan soon learned that Gu Xijue had left. She couldn't help but feel disappointed, but she hid it well.

Gu Xijue and Duan Nanhe both drank alcohol, but Wei Zhou did not. He drove the car, and after getting in, Wei Zhou asked, "Mr. Gu, where are we going?"

At this time, there wasn't much to do at the company. As he passed a traffic light, a car belonging to the Gu family's old residence came into view. Wei Zhou's eyelids twitched, and he glanced at the license plate number...

"Mr. Gu, the car right in front is the old mansion's car."

Gu Xijue frowned slightly upon hearing Wei Zhou's voice. He glanced ahead, his brow furrowing slightly, before answering Wei Zhou's previous question: "Let's go night fishing at the Duan family's manor."

Duan Nanhe exclaimed "Ah!" and smirked, "You've gone night fishing again. You've caught all the fish on the beach."

Then, he shifted the topic to the Du family dinner that evening: "It seems that your aunt really wants to change her daughter-in-law. She even came to the dinner to support her future daughter-in-law."

Duan Nanhe gave him a look that said, "You're doomed," while Gu Xijue didn't care at all, took out his phone and scrolled through it again: "Ignore her."

Gu Xi will never sign that divorce agreement, at least not now.

"Let's drive," he said.

Upon arriving at the Duan family's manor, Gu Xijue didn't immediately head out fishing. Instead, he found a sofa, crossed his legs, and chain-smoked, one cigarette after another. Amidst the wisps of smoke, his other hand was scrolling through his phone, his brow furrowed in quiet contemplation. Duan Nanhe, on the other hand, had already selected his fishing gear and looked at him, asking, "Weren't you here to fish? Why are you smoking?"

He glanced at the cigarette butts in the ashtray again, his face full of disapproval, and said, "Does your little mute allow you to smoke at home? Gu Hetang is still so young, and he has to grow up smelling his father's secondhand smoke."

He liked Gu Hetang, the little girl. She was clever and good-looking at such a young age. Duan Nanhe even thought that if he had a child, he would definitely be a doting father and would want to get her all the good things in the world.

Gu Xijue chuckled, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes: "Let's go sea fishing."

……

Du Lan's eyes lit up when Madam Gu arrived. Madam Gu personally handed her the gift and gently said, "Happy Birthday."

When Du Minghua and his wife saw Madam Gu arrive, they were both delighted, but they suppressed their feelings and did not show it. After chatting for a while, they asked Du Lan to keep Madam Gu company.

Madam Gu smiled and asked, "Did you have a good chat with Xi Jue?"

Du Lan's cheeks flushed slightly, showing a girlish charm: "I had a very good chat with my senior, but he had something to do at his company, so he had to go back first."

Madam Gu gave a forced smile, inwardly criticizing her son, but outwardly she appeared to agree: "A man should focus more on his work, so that he can protect his family and be a safe haven for his wife and children."

“Yes, I think the same way as Auntie.” Du Lan agreed with this statement because the Du family was the same. Du Minghua always prioritized his career, but he could still take care of his family to some extent. Her mother always told her that her father was making sacrifices for the whole family.

Madam Gu nodded. She was very satisfied with Du Lan. After all, this child was far superior to that mute girl in every aspect. Although her methods and personality were not as good as Su Ruoya's, her obedient nature had its advantages. Such a girl was more suitable for her son.

"Xi Jue is busy with work. You can go to Gu's to visit him. After all, he is your senior brother. You can ask him if there is anything you don't understand." Madam Gu was encouraging Du Lan to take the initiative. That way, even if her son didn't have any feelings at first, he might still have some feelings after seeing each other more often.

Duran's eyes flickered: "Is it really okay? Won't this disturb my senior brother?"

Madam Gu's small face was unfamiliar, and her eyes flickered slightly: "What you want, you have to fight for yourself."

Upon hearing this, Du Lan's already tightly pursed lips tightened even more. At this moment, Madam Gu pressed her advantage, asking, "Miss Du, what kind of feelings do you have for Xi Jue?"

"Is it only brotherly affection, or romantic affection?"

The question was so direct that Du Lan's palms started to sweat. Many boys had confessed their feelings to her since she was a child, but she seemed to lack common sense and didn't like these romantic notions. However, the moment she saw Gu Xijue, she felt a sudden flutter in her heart…

However, he has a wife and children, which made her hesitate and feel afraid.

Madam Gu just watched her like that, because she knew that if she didn't take the initiative, her son wouldn't even glance at her.

Because Gu Xijue enjoys the process of conquest. For example, if Song Jin'an throws a tantrum or gives him the cold shoulder, he'll feel uneasy, as if his male dignity has been challenged...

(End of this chapter)