Chapter 8: Chapter 8 Birthday Banquet, Love Rival
Both of them got into the car, with Mu Jinyu placing the bag of changed clothes in the back seat, and then sitting in the passenger seat feeling awkward all over.
Of course, he didn't put the wooden box containing the Thousand-year Ginseng in the back seat, fearing that he would forget it, and held onto it the whole time.
Gu Xiyan glanced at Mu Jinyu, started the car, and said, "Try to get used to it, as a War King, you shouldn't have such poor adaptability, right?!"
"Yeah," Mu Jinyu responded with a stiff face, "Don't worry, I'll get used to it soon, it's just that I haven't worn a suit in a long time."
"That's good then."
After Gu Xiyan finished speaking, she checked her watch, saw that it was almost time, then started the car and drove towards the banquet hotel organized by her grandfather.
Soon, after half an hour.
Gu Xiyan parked the car in front of the square of a five-star hotel, then opened the car door, walked to the back of the vehicle, and opened the trunk to take out the prepared gift.
"Bang!"
After closing the trunk, Gu Xiyan looked up at Mu Jinyu, who stood beside the car watching her, and said, "Let's go."
"Yeah." Mu Jinyu, holding the box with the Thousand-year Ginseng, stepped forward to keep up, walking shoulder to shoulder with Gu Xiyan.
Gu Xiyan took a sideways glance at the box in Mu Jinyu's hand, seeing it was antique and looked quite valuable, she nodded with satisfaction and commented, "That's thoughtful of you."
She really hadn't expected that this money-grubbing guy would actually prepare a gift in advance.
"Huh?" Mu Jinyu was puzzled, not understanding what Gu Xiyan was talking about.
Gu Xiyan didn't say anything more, but reminded him, "Remember not to be too proud later. Be nice to my relatives, and when you call my name, just say..."
With a tentativeness, Mu Jinyu replied, "Xiao Yan? Yanyan? Xiyan? Dear? Wife..."
Listening to this, Gu Xiyan got goosebumps and quickly raised her hand to signal stop, saying, "Just call me Xiyan."
"Alright." Mu Jinyu didn't really want to use such an intimate nickname; indeed, it felt a bit too cheesy.
Mu Jinyu followed Gu Xiyan into the hotel, walking left and right until they finally reached the banquet hall reserved by the Gu Family.
As soon as the door was pushed open.
Mu Jinyu saw that there were already dozens of people seated in the banquet hall.
For the Gu Family patriarch's 70th birthday, it could've easily accommodated a hundred tables with no empty seats.
But today, they had not invited that many people, with only five tables set up for family and very close friends.
The group of Gu family members who were chatting and snacking on seeds at the tables looked up to see the door open and Gu Xiyan entering, immediately showing smiles and called out, "Xiyan is here, come in and have a seat."
"Yeah," Gu Xiyan responded, pulling the shy Mu Jinyu inside and introduced him, "Uncle, Second Uncle, Second Aunt... this is my boyfriend, Lin Feng, he just returned from abroad not long ago..."
"Ah?!"
At that moment, a young man who had just stood up from his seat with a smile to greet Gu Xiyan was stunned upon hearing her introduction of Mu Jinyu.
It was as if a bolt from the blue struck his head, leaving his mind blank.
How could Gu Xiyan suddenly have a boyfriend?
He couldn't accept it.
Mu Jinyu looked at the guy with a hint of pity.
He knew the guy's identity. When Gu Xiyan brought him here, she had explained to him about his mission at this birthday banquet, mainly to fend off this guy's relentless pursuit of Gu Xiyan.
This guy's name was Zhang Qiuhuai, a rich kid whose Zhang Family had good relations with the Gu Family. Qiuhuai grew up with Gu Xiyan and the two were considered childhood sweethearts.
However, Gu Xiyan didn't feel anything for this guy, especially after discovering that he was two-timing with five others, making her dislike him even more.
But the Gu and Zhang families thought they were quite a good match and had always been keen on pairing them up, considering them a golden boy and jade girl since they were young.
Gu Xiyan was at her wits' end.
Before today, she had heard rumors that Qiuhuai planned to use the occasion of her grandfather's birthday tonight to present a nice gift to win her grandfather's favor, and then propose...
In such a situation, it was very likely for her grandfather to agree.
Gu Xiyan really had no choice, and on her best friend's prompting, she sought out Soldier King Lin Feng to back her up.
Otherwise, she would have been out of her mind to resort to something as ridiculous as finding a fake boyfriend.
And the reason for finding Lin Feng? For one, her best friend said he was a man of integrity who wouldn't act inappropriately, and secondly, because a War King had great strength. If Qiuhuai, having been provoked, sought revenge, Lin Feng should be able to handle it.
Unfortunately, due to a series of misunderstandings, Gu Xiyan ended up asking Mu Jinyu to pretend to be her boyfriend in a muddleheaded manner.
But, in Mu Jinyu's opinion, he thought he should be able to do even better than that Soldier King.
After all, he was a Divine Doctor.
Meanwhile, as Mu Jinyu was lost in thought.
When Gu Xiyan's relatives found out that Mu Jinyu was her boyfriend, they were shocked and quickly came up asking, "Xiyan, what's going on? How come you suddenly have a boyfriend?!"
"Yeah, I never heard about you making friends abroad? Could it be that he's fake?"
"He must be fake, Xiao Yan is just trying to cheer us up, right? You probably got a fake boyfriend to keep grandpa from worrying about your marriage prospects. But... the choice of your fake boyfriend isn't so great."
"Xiao Yan, are you just having a spat with Qiu Huai? Is that why you deliberately brought this guy here to provoke him?!"
"Right, it's normal for couples to have conflicts, Xiao Yan, you don't need to use this method to stimulate Qiu Huai. Just don't end up getting this young man hurt in a car accident."
"..."
The words of Gu Xiyan's aunts were enough to enrage Mu Jinyu!
What the hell do they mean?
My choice of fake boyfriend isn't good?
They just blatantly ignored me, lumping Gu Xiyan and Zhang Qiuhuai together as a couple?
And even threatening that I'll end up in a car accident?!
Mu Jinyu was so angry he wanted to punch them.
And at that moment.
Zhang Qiuhuai, looking distraught and utterly lost, snapped to his senses after hearing their words. He too started to believe that must be the case, as after all, they had never heard of Gu Xiyan having a boyfriend from abroad.
Zhang Qiuhuai put on a smile, completely ignoring the discontented Mu Jinyu, and stared intently at Gu Xiyan, hastily asking, "Xiao Yan, he's fake, right? You're just having a tiff with me, aren't you?!"
Listening to their words, Gu Xiyan's expression gradually turned cold, especially bothered by the reference to them as a 'couple'.
However, they were her elders, so it wasn't easy to say much in retaliation, but Zhang Qiuhuai...
Looking up at Zhang Qiuhuai who was interrogating her, Gu Xiyan smiled faintly, took Mu Jinyu's arm, and said, "Sorry, Lin Feng is indeed my boyfriend, it's just that he was busy building his career before, and I was afraid you wouldn't accept him, so I kept it hidden from you all."
"Impossible, you're lying to me!"
Zhang Qiuhuai didn't believe a word Gu Xiyan said, his gaze fixated on her hand clasping Mu Jinyu's arm, barely containing a surge of murderous intent.
After all, Gu Xiyan was the woman he viewed as his forbidden delicacy, yet today she had intimate contact with Mu Jinyu. He couldn't bring himself to harm Gu Xiyan, so naturally, his murderous intent shifted towards Mu Jinyu.
He decided he would deal with Mu Jinyu later.
No matter who he was, if he dared to pretend to be Gu Xiyan's boyfriend, he deserved to die!
Listening to Zhang Qiuhuai's aggressive words set Mu Jinyu aflame with anger.
He was already upset by the nonsensical chattering of those women, and now Zhang Qiuhuai was ignoring him and even daring to harbor killing intent.
Mu Jinyu laughed in rage, resolved to desecrate his goddess right in front of this man.
With that thought, Mu Jinyu wrapped his arm around Gu Xiyan's slender waist and before she could react in her stunned state, he planted a kiss on her red lips.
Gu Xiyan's eyes widened, her mind a chaotic mess, momentarily forgetting to push Mu Jinyu away.
Her gaggle of aunts and Zhang Qiuhuai, witnessing the scene of Mu Jinyu kissing Gu Xiyan, were stunned speechless.
"Th-th-th..."
Zhang Qiuhuai quickly came to his senses, his eyes bulging as he stared dumbfounded at Mu Jinyu kissing Gu Xiyan, trembling hands pointing at them, but unable to utter a word.
At this moment.
Mu Jinyu timely released Gu Xiyan, turned back, and looking provocatively at Zhang Qiuhuai, said, "Now, do you believe I'm Yanyan's boyfriend?"
Mu Jinyu didn't want to use such a cheesy nickname, but he thought calling her Xiyan wasn't irritating enough for Zhang Qiuhuai, so he deliberately said Yanyan.
As expected.
Zhang Qiuhuai's brows twitched at Mu Jinyu's use of the nickname, clearly infuriated beyond measure.
"You-you-you..."
Zhang Qiuhuai stuttered for a few moments, then turned his head, looking around for something to use against Mu Jinyu.
And at that moment.
Gu Xiyan also snapped out of it. She wanted to stomp hard on Mu Jinyu's foot as retaliation for his audacity, but seeing Zhang Qiuhuai's demeanor, she could only glare fiercely at Mu Jinyu before stepping forward, pulling Mu Jinyu behind her, and shouting, "Zhang Qiuhuai, what do you think you're doing? Want to start a fight? Just try to touch him today and see; I guarantee you'll regret it..."
While Gu Xiyan was scolding Zhang Qiuhuai, deep down, she was puzzled why she didn't feel any disgust toward Mu Jinyu's actions.
'Could it be... I actually don't hate Lin Feng for kissing me?'
As this thought flickered through Gu Xiyan's mind, she was taken aback and immediately stopped pondering over it, instead glaring venomously at Zhang Qiuhuai.
Seeing Gu Xiyan's protective stance, a bitter uneasiness filled Zhang Qiuhuai's heart.
Faced with Mu Jinyu's kiss, not only did Gu Xiyan not resist, she even defended him. Could it be... this guy really was Gu Xiyan's boyfriend?
Zhang Qiuhuai couldn't accept it, he didn't dare to.
At the same time, he eyed Mu Jinyu standing behind Gu Xiyan with icy murderous intent.