The morning sunshine through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows cut the cold marble floor into a geometric pattern of light and dark, but it could not dispel the coldness in the bones of the "cloud water bank" at all. Lin Wei woke up very early, or rather, she stayed up almost all night. The strange environment, the invisible pressure, and the cold eyes that penetrated the crack of the door at the stairway last night made her nervous.
Housekeeper Zhou knocked on the door on time, followed by two silent maids, holding well-ironed high-end custom-made dresses and matching jewelry.
"Mrs. Gu, good morning. Mr. Gu ordered that you need to accompany the charity dinner hosted by the Gu Foundation tonight. This is the dress and accessories prepared for you. The styling team will arrive in an hour. Butler Zhou's voice is as steady and rigid as ever, as if reading a daily agenda.
Charity dinner. The first item of "performance of public partner obligations" clearly listed in the agreement. Lin Wei looked at the luxuriously tailored champagne-colored long skirt with a pearly luster fabric, and the dazzling diamond jewelry on the velvet tray next to it, and her heart was calm. This is just the moment when she was officially pushed on the display stand for the first time as an expensive exhibit of "Mrs. Gu".
"Understod." She responded indifferently, and her tone could not be heard from joy and anger.
In the next few hours, she was surrounded by a group of well-trained styling teams with the same scrutiny eyes. Washing, skin care, makeup, hairstyle... Every step is as precise as assembly line operation. When the cold buckle of the last diamond necklace was attached to the skin behind her neck, a brilliant and impeccable "Mrs. Gu" appeared in the mirror. The makeup perfectly covered the faint blue shadow under her eyes, and the gorgeous jewelry set her off like the most exquisite doll in the window. She was amazingly beautiful, but also lifeless.
In the afternoon, Gu Heng came back. He didn't go upstairs, but just waited in the living room. When Lin Wei walked down the spiral staircase accompanied by Housekeeper Zhou, he was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and talking on the phone. He was upright, wearing a perfectly tailored black evening dress, and his side face was cold. Hearing the footsteps, he ended the call and turned around.
His eyes fell on Lin Wei, like the most accurate scanner, meticulously from head to toe. There was no amazement in those eyes, no appreciation, only pure evaluation - to evaluate whether this "tool" meets the standards he set.
Lin Wei straightened her back, met his gaze, and tried to maintain superficial calmness. She could feel the weight of his eyes, like a cold scale, measuring her value.
"Very good." A few seconds later, he simply spit out two words, and his tone was calm, which was considered to have passed the acceptance. It's time. Let's go."
He didn't stretch out his arm to her, but just turned around and walked to the door first. Lin Wei pursed her lips, lifted her heavy skirt, and silently followed him one step away. The Rolls-Royce Phantom has been waiting outside for a long time.
The dinner venue is the city's landmark top hotel banquet hall. The car stopped, the red carpet spread out, and the flash was as bright as daylight in an instant. Gu Heng took the lead in getting out of the car and was instantly surrounded by reporters and cameras. He looked indifferent and ignored the questions that were flocking to him, and his body exuded aura that strangers should not approach. Then, he turned sideways and paused slightly, as if he was waiting.
Lin Wei took a deep breath and knew that it was time for her to play. She adjusted her facial expression and showed a standard, elegant and decent smile. Under the escort of the bodyguard, she got out of the car calmly. She approached Gu Heng's side naturally and without a trace, maintaining an intimate and measured distance.
"Mrs. Gu! Look this way!"
"Mrs. Gu, how do you feel about your first public appearance?"
"Mrs. Gu, how did you and Mr. Gu meet?"
Questions are surging like a tide, with spying and hunting. Lin Wei kept smiling and nodded slightly, but did not say a word, but gently took Gu Heng's arm. Her movements were naturally smooth, and her fingertips were separated by the expensive suit fabric. She felt the momentary tightness of his arm muscles, and then returned to the cold and hard normal state.
Gu Heng lowered his eyes and glanced at her hand on his arm. His eyes were still deep and bottomless, but they seemed to pass through an extremely subtle and indecipherable emotion. He did not push away or respond. He just stepped forward and took her through the crowd to the brightly lit door of the banquet hall. The magnesium lamp chased their figures, recording the first public appearance of the pair of "Bi people" - one cold alienation, the other gentle and decent, which perfectly fits the outside world's imagination of the "Gu couple".
In the banquet hall, the clothes are fragrant and the temples are staggered. The air is filled with a mixture of fine perfume, cigars and money. Lin Wei took Gu Heng, like an exquisite pendant, and followed him between celebrities from all walks of life, business giants and dignitaries. Gu Heng said very little. Most of the time, he just nodded, raised his glass, and occasionally responded briefly. Lin Wei, on the other hand, plays the role of a perfect listener and vase, smiling and nodding at the right time to deal with those sincere or hypocritical greetings. Her performance is impeccable, as if she was born to belong to this circle. Only she herself knows that behind every "nice to meet you" is a tense nerve and depressed self.
"Mrs. Gu is really outstanding. Together with Gu Terminal, it's really a match made by heaven and earth." A pearly noblewoman smiled and complimented, but her eyes looked at her without concealment.
"You're too good." Lin Wei responded with a smile and a gentle tone.
Gu Heng just nodded indifferently and did not answer.
Just then, a slightly sharp female voice interjected: "Yo, isn't this Miss Lin? Oh, no, it's time to call Mrs. Gu now." A young woman in a fiery red dark V dress with gorgeous makeup came over with a wine glass in a swaying posture, with undisguised provocation in her eyes. Lin Wei recognized that she was the richest of a new upset. Zhou Lili was famous for her domineering and coveting Gu Heng.
"Hello, Miss Zhou." Lin Wei maintained basic politeness, but her tone was obviously lighter.
Zhou Lili's eyes swept over Lin Wei like a knife, and finally fell on the valuable diamond necklace between her neck. She sneered, "Mr. Gu is really generous. He is willing to wear such a precious necklace to the 'new wife'. But," she deliberately lengthened her tone, and her voice was neither loud nor small, just so that people at several tables around her could hear it. "I heard that Miss Lin's family has not been going well recently? Is this a 'timely rain'?" The malice and hints in the words are self-evident.
The surrounding air became a little quieter in an instant, and many inquiring eyes came over.
Gu Heng frowned almost imperceptably, and his eyes became cold in an instant. He looked at Zhou Lili with a warning chill. However, due to the occasion and identity, he did not have a direct attack.
Lin Wei's heart suddenly sank, and a strong sense of humiliation surged up. She knew that the other party was deliberately humiliating her, implying that she married Gu Heng for money. She subconsciously clenched her fingers and pinched her nails into her palm. She can bear the role of a vase and Gu Heng's indifference, but she can't stand the naked trampling on her personality!
Just as Gu Heng was about to ask the bodyguard to "please" Zhou Lili, Lin Wei gently pressed his arm. Gu Heng was slightly stunned and looked down at her.
Lin Wei raised her head, and the gentle smile on her face did not disappear. Instead, it deepened a little. In the depths of her eyes, there was a calm and sharp light, just like she used to focus on analyzing complex data. Instead of looking at Zhou Lili, she turned to an old man with white hair and elegant temperament who had just talked to Gu Heng - the other party was Wu Lao, a top art collector and investor in China. During the chat just now, she keenly caught Mr. Wu's recent interest in investing in rare red wine.
"Mr. Wu," Lin Wei's voice is clear and pleasant, with just the right amount of respect and a hint of professionalism. "I just heard you mention your attention to the Burgundy Special Garden, especially the potential of Romanico Emperor. Coincidentally, I happened to see a very interesting report recently. She spoke steadily and clearly, which instantly attracted the attention of Mr. Wu and several really knowledgeable people around her.
"Oh?" Wu Lao Rao raised his eyebrows with interest, "Mrs. Gu also pays attention to the red wine market?" He was obviously a little surprised.
"Slightly involved in hunting." Lin Wei smiled slightly, calmly, as if Zhou Lili's provocation just now had never happened. The report analyzed in detail the auction data and scarcity trends of the top wineries in Burgundy special gardens in the past five years. Combined with the trends of the world's top collectors and the long-term impact of climatic factors on yield, it puts forward a very interesting point of view: the investment value of Romanite in certain specific years and specific plots will be up to Within five years, it may far exceed market expectations, especially considering the window period caused by the fluctuations of the euro exchange rate..." She accurately quoted several sets of key data and years. The analysis was concise and powerful, and the logic was clear, not like a vase in vain.
Mr. Wu's eyes lit up, and several business tycoons around him also showed a serious look. Zhou Lili's superficial provocation instantly appeared extremely childish and ridiculous in front of such a professional and in-depth discussion. She froze in place with a wine glass in her hand, her face turned red and white, and she couldn't speak at all. She was completely left aside.
Gu Heng stood beside Lin Wei and looked down at her talkative side face. Her eyes were focused and shining with the light of wisdom. The professional aura emitted from the inside out was strangely integrated with the luxurious dress on her body, forming a unique and dazzling charm. This is what he has never seen on her. She is no longer the woman who desperately signed in the office, nor the "prisoner" who is silent and patient on the bank of Yunqi Water, but a woman with her own thoughts, wisdom and light.
The usual cold scrutiny in his eyes was replaced by a clear emotion called "accident" and "exploration" for the first time. He looked at her quietly without interrupting.
Lin Wei stopped immediately. After arousing Mr. Wu's strong interest, she elegantly returned the topic to the professional: "Of course, this is just the words of the report. The specifics also depends on Mr. Wu's insight and judgment."
"Haha, Mrs. Gu has unique insights and solid data! It seems that Mr. Gu not only married a beautiful woman, but also married a virtuous assistant!" Mr. Wu laughed heartily, and his appreciation for Lin Wei was overflowing. The people around also agreed one after another, and the eyes on Lin Wei completely changed, with a little more respect.
Zhou Lili has already disappeared into the crowd.
This small storm was resolved by Lin Wei in this way, and even won her unexpected respect.
Gu Heng picked up the wine glass and took a sip, covering up the complicated emotions surging in his eyes. His deep voice sounded in Lin Wei's ear, with a trace of imperceptible... interest?
"Go on."
Lin Wei's heartbeat missed a beat. She looked sideways at him and crashed into his bottomless eyes. There seems to be something in it. It's different.