Chapter 19: Impossible to Give Him
Probably realizing that there really was no chance between the two of them, Liang Ye didn't bother her at all for the next two days.
Not only him, even Gu Chacha had calmed down a lot, stopping her sarcastic remarks.
It wasn't until the day of the birthday party, with the event check-in time set between six and seven in the evening, that things started moving.
At half past five, Han Mo's car pulled up exactly on time at her doorstep.
Wearing a suit of smoke-gray, standing in front of the little car He Huanhuan had picked out, he somehow made even that vehicle look far more upscale.
He Huanhuan was still sporting her flashy hairdo, but she did him the favor of wearing a short-tailed evening dress.
The hem just barely grazed the top of her thighs, leaving two long, slender legs exposed beneath the skirt.
The moment he saw her come out, something in Han Mo's gaze shifted.
In formal wear, she looked much more composed.
When their eyes met in the air, He Huanhuan clicked her heels over to Han Mo and shook her leg. "Good-looking?"
...
Guess that was just a false impression.
He nodded and complimented her, "You look nice."
He Huanhuan grinned. "Picked it especially for you."
Word had it that Han Mo and his brother didn't get along, so she chose a short gown.
Short skirt, perfect for throwing hands!
But to Han Mo's ears, her words meant something entirely different.
Today was his father's birthday, and she had accepted his invitation.
She also specifically picked out an outfit for him.
That was more than enough to show her stance.
His usually indifferent eyes flickered unsteadily, avoiding her straightforward gaze.
His large, sharp-knuckled hand tightened firmly on the car door handle as he opened it for her. "Let's go."
He Huanhuan didn't notice anything off about him at all and plopped right into the seat.
Along the way, he still didn't say much.
In her eyes, he had always been a man of few words.
Less, and even less—either way, it was all the same to her.
It wasn't until the car approached the Han family estate that the last trace of hesitation in Han Mo's eyes finally vanished.
The car moved very slowly, yet with an unshakable certainty, it drove into the estate, rolling into full view of the crowd.
"BYD? What broke-ass pauper is this?"
"How did security let this car in?"
"..."
As the car slowly came to a halt amidst whispered murmurs, a sharply defined face emerged from the door, and the crowd was instantly stunned.
"Han Mo driving such a cheap car?"
"Has the family finally had a complete falling-out?"
"Hey, there's someone in the passenger seat!"
"Holy crap, it's a mop that came to life!"
"..."
The moment He Huanhuan poked her head out and got out of the car, everyone's eyes seemed to go collectively blind for a second.
"Who's that? Never seen her before."
"How come she came with Han Mo? Isn't he with Gu Chacha?"
"You don't know? Gu Chacha isn't really a daughter of the Gu family!"
"What?"
"..."
Chatting away excitedly, the little scandal of the Gu family quickly spread through the crowd.
In the middle of all the chatter, the Gu family's car slowly pulled up right in front of them.
The door opened, and Gu Chacha stepped out in a floor-length ivory satin fishtail gown, a perfectly composed smile on her face.
She could feel it—everyone's eyes were on her.
Curiosity, scrutiny, schadenfreude...
All those gazes cut like knives, slicing mercilessly into her pride.
She didn't need to guess—she knew they had all found out about her real background.
She raised her chin higher and straightened her spine.
So what if there was no blood relation?
She was the child her parents had raised with their own hands. She was the Gu family's daughter!
No one was going to kick her out of this life. She wouldn't allow it.
She walked firmly beside Gu Chengye, speaking obediently to him: “Dad, do you know which piano master Uncle Han invited tonight?”
She had studied piano since childhood, and though her talent was average, she had been taught by renowned teachers for years, far surpassing those who only aimed for exam grades.
This was her honor, one that He Huanhuan could never take away.
Old Mr. Gu smiled and patted her hand: “If he hasn’t invited anyone, you can play a piece to celebrate Uncle Han’s birthday.”
“Dad~”
Gu Chacha chuckled coquettishly: “There are so many elders here tonight; I wouldn’t dare to show off!”
“How is it showing off? You’ve been learning piano since you were little...”
The two chatted and laughed as they entered, drawing glances that fiercely exchanged in the air around them.
[Looks like Gu Chacha hasn’t lost her favor, judging by Uncle Gu’s manner?]
[What’s the deal with Han Mo then?]
[Of course, he’s leaning toward his biological daughter! Blood ties are what matter most!]
Entering the first-floor hall, all the notable families in Jiang City had already arrived.
Han Changyong, with his younger son Han Xuan, greeted everyone with a beaming face.
When he saw Han Mo and He Huanhuan enter, Han Changyong’s expression flickered for a moment before quickly breaking into a smile: “Xiao Mo, who is this?”
Han Mo led He Huanhuan over and introduced her: “Dad, this is Uncle Gu’s daughter, He Huanhuan.”
He Huanhuan smiled sweetly: “Happy birthday, Uncle.”
Han Changyong warmly thanked her: “With your blessing, this uncle will surely be happy this year.”
Beside him, Han Xuan snorted: “Big Brother’s quick on the draw, huh. The Gu family’s daughter was just found, and he’s already sucking up?”
The sarcasm in his tone was thick, but Han Mo didn’t care at all.
He turned to He Huanhuan: “Tired? Want to rest a bit?”
He Huanhuan nodded: “Let’s rest—I don’t like listening to dogs bark.”
Han Xuan immediately grew furious: “Who are you calling a dog!”
He Huanhuan widened her eyes and looked at Han Mo: “What’s with all the barking again? So noisy!”
Han Mo raised his hand, lightly covering her ears: “Then ignore it.”
He gave his father a perfunctory nod: “I’ll take Huanhuan to rest over there.”
Han Changyong smiled and agreed: “Go ahead.”
Watching them leave, Han Xuan fumed: “Dad! She insulted me!”
“You deserved it!”
Han Changyong glared at his son: “Don’t you know what to say and what not to say?”
Unwilling to back down, Han Xuan retorted: “I didn’t say anything wrong.”
He was never afraid of his father, who had always favored him.
Han Changyong shot him an exasperated look: “That’s Gu Chengye’s daughter—are you clueless?”
Han Xuan curled his lip dismissively: “Isn’t he just trying to meddle in the East City development? As if he’s fit for it!”
His father had long said that everything in the family was meant for him.
It was only because he had been too young and his father’s health had been poor that he had let Han Mo take over as acting manager.
“Dad, look how greedy Han Mo is! You can’t keep him in the company anymore—he’ll steal our family business!”
Han Changyong glanced at him: “If I pull him out, who takes over? You?”
“Me! I’m up for it! I’m not useless!”
He leaned on Han Changyong, pleading with puppy-like persistence: “Dad, let me do it! I swear I’ll do a better job than Han Mo! Really!”
He begged repeatedly, but Han Changyong stood firm and refused.
It wasn’t that he favored Han Mo—he knew his own children well enough.
Han Xuan was impulsive and reckless—there was no way he’d hand over the company to him.
The moment he didn’t answer, Han Xuan immediately called out, “You’re not actually thinking of handing the company over to Han Mo, are you?”
Han Changyong sighed. “Can’t you be a little more composed?”
If he were even slightly reliable, would Han Mo have ever gotten involved in the company’s affairs?
But seeing how frantic Han Xuan was, Han Changyong couldn’t help but soften. “Don’t worry. The East City project won’t be given to him.”
He knew what Han Mo was after. Letting him into the company was one thing—getting involved in the East City project was another.
This family business was never going to end up in his hands.