At 6 o'clock, the landline in the living room suddenly rang, and Shu Pan was sitting nearby. She picked up the phone without reaching it to her ear, and she heard Gu Shaoting's voice on the other end.
"Are you ready? I'll come to pick you up in a moment."
"Okay." Shu Pan put on a dress, off-shoulder with a waistband, a light apricot color that was close to white, perfectly showcasing her long legs and arms. Because there was a hint of autumn in the air, she added a small shawl.
Just the thought of her having to dress like this, wearing a dress, putting on light makeup, with a smile on her face, and listening to unfamiliar conversations and topics with a group of elegantly dressed women, Shu Pan felt her stomach knotting.
Shu Pan had also eaten a little something to fill her stomach so that she wouldn't get too hungry and lose her composure later.
The time was almost up, and Shu Pan grabbed a handbag in the same color as her dress and headed out.
Not far away, Gu Shaoting sat in the car with one hand resting on the car window and the other on the steering wheel. Shu Pan approached the car, raised her hand, and lightly tapped on the window to let him know that she had arrived.
Hearing the sound, Gu Shaoting turned his head and briefly glanced at Shu Pan before shifting his gaze back to the road ahead. Shu Pan opened the car door and bent down to get in. She looked at his side profile, which was exceptionally graceful. The evening sun cast its glow through the window, highlighting his resilient and smooth skin, handsome eyebrows, straight nose, thin lips, and flowing contour lines that were criminally attractive.
Shu Pan withdrew her admiring gaze and looked out the window.
When they arrived at Bin City Grand Hotel, Gu Shaoting said, "You go up first. Mom is probably already here. I need to talk to He Ming and Shaohuai about something."
"Okay." Shu Pan walked into the banquet hall and saw her mother-in-law, Song Can, and several elegant ladies sitting at the central round table, like stars surrounding the moon.
Shu Pan walked over and greeted them.
"Who is this?" one of the noble ladies present asked. Song Can quickly glanced at Shu Pan, who stood there with a smile and didn't say a word like a sensible little girl, and said weakly, "This is Shu Pan, Shaoting's partner."
The noble lady's smile seemed somewhat forced. "Oh, I haven't heard of you. Quite young."
The guests arrived one after another, and the band started playing. Richard's "Wedding in a Dream" filled the air. Although the melody was simple, it was very fitting. The emcee came out and asked everyone to take their seats. The wedding was about to begin.
Because the banquet hall was large, Shu Pan didn't know where Gu Shaoting and his friends were sitting, so she found a seat and sat down.
As soon as she sat down, she heard the people at her table gossiping.
"Have you heard? Tong Fei is coming back." A woman next to her raised her voice, instantly capturing the attention of most people.
"You mean the international supermodel Tong Fei? She has been so successful in her career abroad. Why would she come back?" a voice questioned with doubt.
"The entertainment news said it, and she confirmed it herself. She said there is someone very important here."
"I heard she was previously engaged to Gu Shaoting, the CEO of Gu Corporation, but for some unknown reason, they broke up. Do you think she came back this time to rekindle the old flame?"
Shu Pan's heart trembled when she heard Gu Shaoting's name. She never expected him to have such a past. Ah, who could guess the arrangements of fate? Shu Pan closed her eyes, swallowed a sip of her drink, but felt a lingering discomfort in her throat.