A President's Out-of-Body Experience

Chapter 38

Old Mister Yu did not say anything, only nodding and continuing with his meal. Renzi instead was the one surprised. “Dad, aren’t you angry?”

“What should I be angry about?”

“That... that he didn’t come to greet you even though he’s here?”

Old Mister Yu nodded. “It’s really not quite polite of him to do so. However, they’re young. To sneak around like that is more exciting, more fun. I understand.”

Renzi’s jaw really dropped this time. Old Mister Yu again started smiling slightly, “You know, I was once young too. At that time, did you know...”

Renzi hurriedly clamped his hands around his ears. “I don’t know, I don’t want to know!”

Old Mister Yu scoffed, “As if I’ll even tell you about it.” He then continued eating.

At the same time, Old Mister Gu was also discussing love and marriage with his son — it could also be said that it was Old Mister Yu’s one-sided queries. “How are things between you and Shu Jingyi?”

Old Mister Gu purposely used a non-ambiguous tone and wording, preventing the atmosphere from being awkward, as well as allowing him to look as though he was not impatient about it. Gu Xiaoshan hence also replied him with a non-ambiguous tone, “Our talk went very well, we should be able to be pretty good friends. Next time, if there’s an opportunity, we might even be able to be business partners.”

In the Gu family, such words were considered to be very direct, and not round-about.

With the Gu family’s manner of speaking, it was no wonder that Yu Yuntao did not like making contact with them. The old folks did not know why they had tried to arrange for a blind date between Yu Yuntao and Gu Xiaoshan. Fortunately it did not work out.

Old Mister Gu understood the meaning of his son’s words, and sighed lightly. “Shu Jingyi seems like a very good child. Although he’s a little older than you, but it also means he’s prudent and reliable.”

Gu Xiaoshan smiled faintly, “Is Father implying that I’m not prudent and reliable enough?”

Old Mister Gu smiled too. “Of course not.”

Then, Old Mister Gu took a pause, but his eyes still shone as he looked at Gu Xiaoshan. He was clearly using his silence to ask for a clear answer. Gu Xiaoshan could only reply, “It’s like “tenon and mortise”... we’re both tenons.”

Old Mister Gu only laughed in comprehension. Such words were already considered to be very salacious within the Gu family.

After that, Old Mister Gu again spoke with a smile, “Then, it didn’t work out with Old Mister Yu’s elder son, was it because he’s also a “tenon”?”

“That’s also part of it. However, that’s just secondary. I never got along with him.”

“Then shouldn’t it be fine? I see that you and Shu Jingyi should be able to get along with each other.”

Gu Xiaoshan had no choice but to answer. “Getting along with each other is useless — when two swords meet, one would break! Why seek this trouble?”

In the Gu family, these words were already considered to be very graphic. Old Mister Gu still wanted to ask, you think you’re in the <Legend of the Dragonslayer Sword>? However, just as he opened his mouth, images appeared in his mind, and he could not help but shake his head. “Oh, then forget about it. I’ll see if I can find a “mortise” for you instead.”

However, if he found someone who was well-matched in both family background and capability with Gu Xiaoshan, they were most likely “tenons”.

Old Mister Gu only knew that he himself had not acted with caution, and had neglected to consider such an important problem.

Gu Xiaoshan saw that Old Mister Gu was troubled, and so said, “Actually, there’s no rush for this. We’ll just leave it to fate.”

Old Mister Gu felt, are you fucking playing with me? But he replied courteously, “How could we do that? It’s rare that you actually thought about settling down, as a father I have to go all out.”

Gu Xiaoshan was also too embarrassed to tell his father that his out of the blue agreement to a blind date was not because he wanted to settle down, but to tell Yu Yunren that “I rather have a blind date with a stranger than to date you”. The blind date was only a pretext, used to shield himself from Yu Yunren’s affections.

As for Renzi’s affections, could they be shielded from so easily?

Later in the day, Renzi gave Gu Xiaoshan a call.

At first, Renzi had only sent texts. It was Yu Yuntao’s suggestion to give him a call. He said, “You keep sending texts, but the person can choose not to reply them. However, if you call him, and call him several times, the other person would have to finally answer. After all, you’re Yu Yunren.”

“To keep calling like that, isn’t it very annoying?”

“It’s a rest day today. Anyway, you had just barged into his blind date yesterday, so you have something to discuss. It can be considered a good reason.”

Renzi called, and Gu Xiaoshan picked up very quickly.

This made Renzi feel a little overwhelmed. In the past, he was always used to Gu Xiaoshan answering his call very quickly. However, recently he had been gradually losing this preferential treatment. So, calling through so quickly this time, unexpectedly he realised that “Gu Xiaoshan would answer his call immediately” had become a gift. He suddenly recalled how hopeless He Jun felt in the past when he could not get in contact with Gu Xiaoshan for a few days. He wondered, would he one day also fall to that position? That position where he would not be able to get in contact with Gu Xiaoshan?

Gu Xiaoshan picked up his phone, and did not know that Renzi was in a daze. Not hearing a word from the other person for a few seconds, he started, “What happened?”

Renzi then regained his wits. “Brother Xiaoshan?”

Gu Xiaoshan nodded. “Yes.”

“My dad just told me, that last night was your... blind date. Did I disturb you last night?”

Renzi was a little stiff when he spoke, and the reason was that his words were all typed out on the computer by Yu Yuntao, and he just read along.

Gu Xiaoshan did not know about this. Although he felt that Renzi was a little strange, but he was not bothered, as recently Renzi had always been strange, probably because of his affections. “You also know that you disturbed me?”

“We’re so familiar with each other already. I think that you also won’t mind it too much?”

“Of course not. Also, Mr Shu is very easy-going, he won’t be bothered about such little things. He still thought that our meeting last night was very pleasant.”

Hearing that, Renzi was pretty dejected. However, he looked up to see Yu Yuntao’s computer screen, and brightened up. “Ah, then was your blind date successful? You’re still calling him Mr Shu?”

Gu Xiaoshan could not help but be startled, thinking, how come Renzi is suddenly so insightful?

“No matter what, we’ve only met once. Who knows what will happen in the future?”

Renzi got discouraged again, but as he read the words appearing on the screen, he again cheered up. “Oh, is it? But he told my brother that the two of you are more suited as friends.”

Renzi was delighted as he read this line, but actually, this was something Yu Yuntao had came up with. Shu Jingyi had never said anything like this, but this was only the truth, and Gu Xiaoshan was a little unable to hold his own against this.

Instead, he laughed, “He’s so close to your brother? They even can talk about things like this?”

“Not really. My brother says that he took a guess. After all, if a person can run off to work halfway through a blind date, it sounds like he just wants to dump the person. Nobody would be happy about it. Luckily I was there to liven up the atmosphere. I think, Brother Xiaoshan, in the future you should bring me along on your blind dates. With me to set the mood for you, it’s like bringing along a cupid. It’ll be 100% accurate, and will work every time.”

Gu Xiaoshan continued laughing, “According to you, if you’re so accurate, why did my blind date not work out this time?”

Renzi replied smartly, “It didn’t work out? Didn’t you just say that it was successful?!”

Gu Xiaoshan was speechless. He suspected that he had met a fake Yu Yunren.

Renzi continued, “So, in the end, I still disrupted you guys? I’m really sorry about that.”

Gu Xiaoshan could only say, “No, no. The blame doesn’t lie with anyone.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight. You’re not allowed to reject me.”

Gu Xiaoshan laughed, “I’m not free.”

“Then when are you free?”

“I’ll tell you when I’m free.”

“Bullshit! I’m treating you to a meal but you’re not willing. Then I’ll just bring a bowl of rice to your place and treat you to that. I’m only afraid that you won’t give me this favour.”

Gu Xiaoshan had no choice. “Fine, tomorrow night, does that work?”

Renzi then finally let him off. Gu Xiaoshan hung up his phone, wondering why did Renzi sound like his irritating elder brother. Could it be that he had lived with Yu Yuntao for too long, and so developed some irritating characteristics as well?