Watching from above, the teen's eyes grow darker and unwelcoming as the little splat downstairs on goes. Those storm-filled eyes follow the girl in the fur jacket till she was out of sight but never out of his mind. Even when he could no longer see her shadow, Huang Gou Heng did not take his eyes off the last place she was. There was a strange longing in his gaze that hung above his heart that pressured him to continue looking for her shadow even if she was long gone. Though he wasn't someone who frowned often, this time one could literally see the clouds above his head and the lightning crackling in the air.
Powerless? Used goods? Rejected?... So, she likes Shen Chuanli? Like a song on repeat, Hua Fan's familiar "Brother Shen" kept ringing in his ears. The hands that were resting on the sides of his chair in a relaxed manner were now clenched so tightly you could see the white of his knuckles. Shen Chuanli somewhat nervously laughs, trying to ease the suffocating tension. "G-Gou Heng you know how girls are. Haha! They did not mean anything by it."
"So that's what the Shen family thinks of her." His sentence was short and seemed to be a light comment especially when spoken with that smooth voice of his. Yet the implications were heavy enough to make Shen Chuanli pale and panic, unable to keep calm after his silent accusation. "It's just a misunderstanding! My sister means nothing by it!" Wang Minglan taps his drink and leans into his seat beside Gou Heng in a relaxed manner.
With a devilish smile, he shot the pale Shen Chuanli a teasing glance with an admiring whistle. "Wow! To think I'd hear of someone actually rejecting "Princess" Zhou. You are one brave boy!" Shen Chuanli's cheeks grow hot and he sends Gou Heng a fearful look. "It's not, like....that..sir...." Gou Heng's somber eyes slowly look at Shen Chuanli from the corner of his vision effectively making the younger boy's voice grow as quiet as a mouse. He shrinks into his seat and shuffles in the uncomfortable silence under that opaque gaze.
Wang Minglan's eyes flash with a hint of something but even he did not dare laugh anymore. Wah, when this guy is in a bad mood it's rather scary compared to when others get angry. His guess was on the point then, that Zhou flower really is this guy's reverse scale. Though he did not know why since the relationships between a mistress's child and the marriage-born children have never been good. If Gou Heng was a normal person, the doom and mocking of the Zhou flower should make him happy not so displeased.
But now that he thought about it, although the first time they got acquainted was not exactly pleasant it was not as if Gou Heng had ever purposely said anything about wanting to do well and outshine that girl. And the rumors between the two of them never escalated above that of "mistress's son" replacing the heiress. Meaning the girl herself also did not promote her hostility and mistreatment while trying to gain supporters to go against Gou Heng. Everyone had expected a war, yet not even a single gunshot was fired before it was over and done with. At first, he thought it was the calm before the storm but it seemed as if the girl had forgotten the existence of this Huang Gou Heng entirely and lived her life the way she wanted.
He even heard that she directly called Gou Heng her "adopted brother" without any ill intent and even defended him one time. Though...he wasn't sure if it was true or not, you can never trust rumors even if they held hints of truth sometimes. In his curiosity to get down to the truth, he befriended the reserved teenager when others would not dare to and realized that although there was not exactly a war the teen still suffered injustices. And he confirmed in his heart, ah, so it's like that. Though she does nothing on the surface they can never be sure she wasn't the one who is shooting him down in the shadows.
Of course, Hua Fan had no idea he was being bullied by the first branch children, this was only people speculating but she was the most likely suspect. And perhaps due to this he felt sympathetic with the person who only knew how to endure and endure longer he felt the need to help him out at times. Although his father had a simple job as a chief his mother was a well-known artist and well respected in the community so he had a little bit of power to help out. If not by a lot then at least by a small bit so that Gou Heng would not suffer when he was present. When they became a bit closer it was only then he noticed the strange anomaly that is Huang Gou Heng's behavior, when faced with his offenders.
He had a habit of asking those beaten down brats, "Who sent you?" And even if they were shitting their pants their responses would always be the same. "M-M-Miss Zhou! We swe-swear we aren't lying!!" And the darkness in his eyes would grow more prominent, before Wang Minglan can even attempt to stop him the people who ended up suffering the most were those who spoke "her" name. Then the doubt in his heart grew and he hesitated after seeing those people one by one confessing it was the Zhou heiress who sent them even though when asked who the other offenders were called they could not recognize the names. That doubt grew and grew until he realized he was rather stupid.
How could it be possible that Zhou Hua Fan's own people did not recognize each other? Was it possible that you don't remember names even though the two of you supposedly were sent by the same person? His expression in front of Gou Heng was awkward when he had made this realization so when the teen told him to spit it out he did not sugar coat it and directly asked him after finding out the crucial information. "Those people, aren't her lackeys?" At that time, Gou Heng only returns his response with a weighty stare that made his stomach drop.
Which lead to the present, what was it that made him so angry all the time when people confessed then? It was not her name yet it was, in the context of her being behind these cruel deeds against him he would blow up and no longer endure. Yet when spoken of in a light sense without malicious intent he would be unphased and only give you a side glance as if he was the tiniest bit interested in what you were saying. In this strange type of situation, Gou Heng should be annoyed but since the other had done nothing to offend him the reaction should only be lukewarm and distant. But the dark glance towards Shen Chuanli made him retract his thoughts and reevaluate the reason for the shadows in Gou Heng's gaze.
The teen brought his cool gaze down to his lap where he casually fixes his cuffs at a leisurely pace making Wang Minglan's brow twitch. Not good. This was also another habit of Gou Heng he recognized, the teen stood and towards over the shivering Shen Chuanli. His expression calm but the storm that raged beneath was not. That habit of his that should be seen as a casual action was not casual or something to dismiss at all. That small action meant he was itching to beat the person who offended him till they couldn't even cry for their mothers.
But this was a kid! Wang Minlang clicked his tongue and stood up to block his path while patting the scared shitless Shen Chuanli's shoulder with a friendly grin. The terrified boy could only look up at him with fear in his eyes as if thinking Wang Minglan would beat him up first. But contrary to his thoughts, Wang Minglan was just trying to save his skin and Gou Heng's at the same time. Who's to say Gou Heng wouldn't run into trouble if he messed with the Shen family's only son? "How about you leave first? Gou Heng and I still have things to discuss."
The pale-faced boy did not even think about it before scampering away under the heavy glare that followed him down the stairs and out the backdoor. Wang Minglan clicked his tongue with disdain, "Already so old but still a coward. The Shen family is sure to be doomed in the future since they cultivated the wrong seedling." He looks over his shoulder to see Gou Heng's reaction but the teen was already leaving with his coat in hand. "Ah! Wait wait! You're not upset, are you? I did that for your own good! The Shen family's son isn't someone you can just casually beat up."
Other than a meaningful glance at him Gou Heng did not say much else and walked out under the close guard of his personal assitant who was a healthy twenty-something man with no outstanding background or face but he was efficient. Efficient meaning he knew Gou Heng's temper and did not pry even when the teen came back home with a few bruises or scratches and only helped him attend to the injuries wordlessly. Wang Minglan could only watch him leave while scratching his head awkwardly, "So ungrateful." He mutters. The assistant was waiting outside the cafe for Gou Heng before he even stepped outside and lowered his head respectfully. "Young master."
Gou Heng ignores the call and made his way towards the car that awaited him, the man did not panic and opens the door for him before seating himself in the passenger seat. Seeing the mood of Gou Heng was not good he tried to think of a conversation topic without gaining his ire. But before he could say anything, Gou Heng himself asks him something instead. "Her birthday, is when?" His voice was not quiet but it was not loud either, so Assistant Du had to strain to hear and collect the pieces in his mind before responding carefully.
"Who is the young master referring to?" Gou Heng leans against the car door staring out like a person whose spirit has been whisked away from the body. There was a suffocating loneliness that emitted from the teen that no one could put a stop to no matter what they tried. There was a constant cloud over his head that he never tried to clear up even after being brought into the Zhou house. And just as the assistant thought he would not repeat himself like always and he was preparing to ponder his question to himself, Gou Heng spoke again much to his and the driver's surprise.
"Zhou Hua Fan." His wandering gaze that was suddenly clear and determined rose to meet the man's stunned ones in the rearview mirror, "When is her birthday?"