Bringing Dependents

A pang of conscience seemed to strike him out of nowhere.

Before making the phone call to summon his second older brother, he had no idea that his brother would bring someone else along.

And a woman, at that.

As far as he knew, his second brother was a man bound by an engagement.

The one they had run into at the Imperial Clubhouse last time.

Counting this one, this made the second woman.

Besides, when Jiang Buyan raised his eyes to look at the man before him,

he saw the man’s tall and imposing figure shielding the young girl at his side. Was that not his second brother’s suit jacket?

It was actually draped over the young girl’s shoulders, and he was holding her hand as well.

Wasn't this treating her like family and protecting her?

Jiang Buyan’s heart hammered against his ribs, leaving him entirely at a loss for words.

In his eyes, Lu Yunzhou had always been like a flower blooming on a snowy peak—unattainable to anyone.

Years ago, when his second brother had just graduated from an elite university, how many debutantes in the capital circle had chased after him like shadows?

The women eager to marry his second brother could practically line up all the way from the banks of the Nanjiang River to the northern suburbs of Beijing.

They were like crucian carp crossing a river, spanning the entire capital; his suitors were truly countless.

Given Lu Yunzhou’s status, family background, and looks that were rare even across the entire capital,

how could those young socialites and heiresses not lose their minds?

Yet, a man like this

had always been too lazy to interact with women, refusing to spare even a glance for those noble ladies.

He was famously aloof, cold-tempered, and entirely uninterested in the opposite sex.

That was why he had remained single until now.

Jiang Buyan had always assumed that his second brother practiced self-discipline precisely because he was bound to Miss Shen by their engagement, wanting to reserve his best self for his future wife.

He never expected that his second brother had barely been back for a few days

before bringing an outsider straight to meet their circle of acquaintances.

Wasn’t his second brother always known for his strict self-discipline?

Why had things changed the moment he returned to the capital?

Although Jiang Buyan felt it was entirely inappropriate deep down, since his second brother had already brought her along,

he could hardly voice his objections.

Even so, he felt thoroughly unsettled. The moment the private dining room door closed and everyone took their seats, an expression of awkwardness still lingered on his face.

Perhaps wishing to ease his guilty conscience while they waited for the waiter to serve the dishes, his gaze drifted toward Lu Yunzhou opposite him.

Lu Yunzhou’s expression was somewhat cold. He wore a black casual shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing the distinct joints of his fingers.

He picked up a napkin to wipe down Shen Zhaoxi’s bowl and chopsticks, poured in some warm water, and rinsed them meticulously.

"Heh, Second Brother, what is your relationship with this young lady?"

Watching his second brother attend to her just like a boyfriend, Jiang Buyan stared at Lu Yunzhou’s slender, fair fingers and asked in a low voice.

"You two aren't dating or anything, are you?"

Gu Suizhou had been getting a massage in the lounge. Upon hearing the commotion of Lu Yunzhou’s arrival, he had told the masseur to leave.

Following Jiang Buyan’s chattering inquiry, Lu Yunzhou paused in the middle of wiping the chopsticks, offering no explanation.

Inside the main hall of the private suite sat a luxurious round table. Although they had come here to unwind, as dusk fell, it was naturally time for dinner.

When Gu Suizhou walked over, he happened to catch Jiang Buyan’s question. Raising his eyes slightly, he saw Lu Yunzhou seated at the dining spot alongside the young girl.

A single glance at Shen Zhaoxi’s face was enough for Gu Suizhou to understand the situation entirely.

Only Jiang Buyan was suffering through an internal torment. A gathering like this was nothing like the casual hangouts at the Imperial Clubhouse.

This was a gathering exclusively for close friends.

If she wasn't someone his second brother deeply cherished and trusted, how could he possibly have brought her here?

Didn’t this imply that this young girl was the person his second brother loved?

Yet everyone in the capital circle knew about the engagement between his second brother and Miss Shen.

Now, out of nowhere, a true beloved appeared.

What was one supposed to make of this?

Though Jiang Buyan had roamed the capital circle for many years and interacted with numerous high-class debutantes, his interactions had always been proper.

Even when dating, he never truly wronged anyone; they simply had a good time and parted ways amicably.

Yet his second brother was betrothed to another, sneaking out behind the back of the eldest Miss Shen to harbor a sweetheart in secret.

Was this... was this not an act that went against one's conscience?

"What, aren't you hungry?"

Seeing Jiang Buyan’s expression, Gu Suizhou assumed he had too much time on his hands and was worrying needlessly over nothing.

Jiang Buyan frowned. "No, Brother Gu, shouldn't you be saying something about this?"

He frantically signaled Gu Suizhou with his eyes, implying: *Am I the only one who thinks what Second Brother is doing is wrong?*

*Brother Gu saw it too, and yet he isn't the least bit surprised?*

*Say what?*

Gu Suizhou raised an eyebrow, looking at Jiang Buyan in mild puzzlement before glancing at the others present.

Then, in a gentle voice, he remarked, "I should say that there's still one person who hasn't arrived."

Judging by Gu Suizhou’s demeanor, he seemed completely indifferent, offering no other remarks as he quietly took his seat.

"Please enjoy your meal, everyone..."

With a smile, the young waitress spoke. After respectfully serving the tea, she closed the door and stepped outside.

Hearing Gu Suizhou’s words, Jiang Buyan realized someone was still missing.

Feng Chenxin had arrived earlier, but suddenly had some business to attend to and left.

He had claimed he would rush back by evening.

Was Gu Suizhou talking about Second Brother Feng now?

No, he was clearly talking about his second brother.

"Eat your food."

Noticing Jiang Buyan muttering by his ear, Gu Suizhou’s gaze darkened slightly as he picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and placed it into Jiang Buyan’s bowl.

He had been busy at the hospital and finally managed to carve out some time to relax, only to be subjected to endless nagging right beside his ear.

Worst of all, Jiang Buyan was acting like a clueless fool, worrying himself sick all alone.

But how could he not worry?

Just look at Second Brother—he was actually picking out the scallions from the girl's bowl.

And serving food to Shen Zhaoxi.

That attentive look—was that not the way a man took care of his girlfriend?

It was driving Jiang Buyan crazy.

He shot frantic glances at Gu Suizhou, but the man to his left remained entirely unmovable.

Gu Suizhou lowered his head, eating his food with concentration. The dishes at the Jin Feng Yu Lu Lou were primarily Jiangnan cuisine, quite famous around the capital.

Yet even the piece of fish he had dropped into Jiang Buyan's bowl failed to distract Jiang Buyan from his obsession.

Shen Zhaoxi lowered her gaze, her porcelain-white fingers quietly continuing to eat.

By contrast, Jiang Buyan’s frantic eye-signals to Gu Suizhou fell entirely within her field of vision.

Without batting an eye, she shifted her gaze away, pretending not to notice.

She had certainly heard of the Jiang Corporation and the Jiang family in the capital—they were, after all, capital tycoons.

Yet she had truly never met anyone as foolish as Jiang Buyan, whose objections to her were practically written across his face.

He looked as though she were a mistress intruding upon Lu Yunzhou’s relationship.

Just as she lowered her eyes, her chopsticks hovering over a spicy skewered delicacy, she heard Lu Yunzhou’s low, cool voice advising her from beside her.

"This is rather spicy. I'm afraid your stomach might feel uncomfortable later."

At the same time, her path was blocked. Lu Yunzhou frowned, looking at her with a concerned gaze, though the young girl's expression turned slightly displeased.

Shen Zhaoxi furrowed her brows.

Not wanting to upset her, Lu Yunzhou hesitated, though he had been about to list all the reasons why eating spicy food would harm her. After a momentary frown,

he asked in a low voice, "You want it?"

Shen Zhaoxi did not pull her hand back.

Lu Yunzhou’s gaze darkened. He pressed his lips together, helpless, seemingly indulging her stubborn temper.

Then, he picked up that fiercely spicy piece of food and placed it directly into her bowl.

Jiang Buyan was struck dumb with astonishment.

The piece of fish he had managed to pick up slipped from his chopsticks and dropped back into his bowl.

Staring at them in sheer disbelief,

he thought to himself: *When has Second Brother ever been so indulgent with anyone?*

He had always been meticulous and uncompromising—even with him.

He never imagined he would see his second brother doting on a girl like this today.

Gu Suizhou acted as though he were entirely accustomed to it.

With lowered eyes and a calm expression, he simply ate his meal without any dramatic shifts in mood.

Earlier at the Shen residence, Lu Yunzhou had called him in the middle of the night, demanding he rush over to examine Miss Shen's injuries.

He had hurried over to the Shen family without a second thought.

Thus, he seemed entirely unfazed by Lu Yunzhou’s current attitude.