Gu Jin motioned for Gu Min to sit at the seat of honor to his left. Taking a cup of tea from the young attendant, he handed it to Gu Min with concern.
"How is Her Highness? Is she feeling any better today?"
"Father is keeping her company," Gu Min sighed. "Her Highness has always been a woman of deep thought, troubled by constant worries. If not for that, her asthma might have long been cured."
"Her Highness dotes on Second Uncle the most," Shen Mingshu remarked, glancing at Gu Jin.
"Has Father spoken to you about what Shen Yun did?" Gu Jin asked with a faint smile.
"He has," Gu Min replied, sorrow clouding his eyes. "And about the chief attendant as well…"
"Since you already know what your Second Uncle has done," Gu Jin said evenly, ignoring Gu Min's melancholy, "I'm sure you understand the matter even better than I."
Turning to Shen Mingshu, Gu Jin continued, "I heard your father caught a chill. He wasn't at the New Year's court audience this year. Is he recovering well?
Speaking of which, it was thanks to your Second Uncle that your father merely caught a cold and fell ill for a while, instead of losing his life."
He paused, then looked at Shen Mingshu's paling face and smiled.
"Yesterday, the Prince Heir came by. I persuaded him for quite some time. People say the Prince Heir has a fiery temper and cannot bear humiliation, but from this incident, it seems he knows better how to put the greater good first.
Wouldn't you agree?"
At that, he turned back to Gu Min, whose expression was still somber, and asked with a smile,
"The Prince Heir has always been one of sound judgment. Father often praises him," Gu Min answered hastily.
"Today is our elder brother's birthday. Let's not dwell on such dreary matters. What fine wine has Brother prepared for us? We must drink to our hearts' content!" Evan Shea laughed, steering the conversation away.
"There's plenty of every wine you like. Drink freely today!" Gu Jin echoed with a hearty laugh.
Just as the hall began to fill with lively chatter, a voice outside announced, "The Prince Heir has arrived."
It was as if a ladle of cold water had been poured into a boiling pot—the room fell instantly silent.
"Trust him to be the last to arrive. We'll have to punish him with a few cups later," Gu Jin called out cheerfully.
"I'll go greet him!" Before he could finish, Princess Ninghe had already lifted her skirts and dashed out.
Gu Jin watched her hurried figure, his brows furrowing for a brief moment before smoothing again.
Evan Shea and Carl Shea had already gone out to greet the guest. Gu Jin signaled to Shen Mingshu, who was glancing toward the Second Prince. "You and Mingyi should go as well."
Shen Mingshu lowered his gaze and obeyed, following Shen Mingyi out of the hall.
Shen Mingqing rose but did not leave. Gu Fei tilted her head toward the doorway, only standing when she saw Gavin Shea enter.
Gavin walked in front, a faint smile touching his lips as he lifted the curtain and stepped inside.
The Second Prince instinctively began to rise, but Gu Jin pressed a restraining hand upon his arm.
"Why so late? You'll have to drink three cups as punishment!" Gu Jin said, smiling at the man striding in.
"I left the city early this morning, intending to arrive sooner, but the affairs of the day delayed me," Gavin replied lightly, straightening his robe before bowing deeply.
William Chen and Simon Wen followed behind, both kneeling to offer formal birthday greetings.
After rising, Gavin turned to salute the Second Prince seated beside Gu Jin, then took the seat on Gu Jin's other side.
Behind him, Shen Mingshu's eyes narrowed, his face dark with resentment—Gavin had saluted only the Second Prince, and no one else.
Shen Mingqing nudged Princess Ninghe forward two steps, placing herself neatly between Shen Mingshu and Gavin. She smiled gracefully. "It has been over half a year since I last saw the Prince Heir. I hope you have been well?"
"Well enough, thank you," Gavin replied with a polite nod and a faint smile.
"Please, everyone, be seated," Gu Jin said, inclining his body slightly.
Gavin bent as if to lift Gu Jin, but the latter pushed him away with a laugh. "Better the chair than your arms."
A young attendant rolled in a slightly higher wheelchair. Gavin stepped aside, then helped lift Gu Jin's arm together with the attendant. Once Gu Jin was settled, Gavin dismissed the servant and personally wheeled him to the head of the round table.
Gu Min and Gavin each made a courteous gesture to the other before sitting at Gu Jin's sides.
The Second Prince beckoned to Princess Ninghe. "Ayue, come sit here."
But Ninghe clung to Shen Mingqing's hand and, smiling across the table, said, "I want to sit with Elder Sister. Shall we, Sister?"
"If the Princess takes the lower seat, my cousin and I might have to sit outside the hall," Evan Shea teased.
"Let her sit where she likes. My brother is a man of cultivation, not bound by formalities," Gavin said calmly without looking at Evan, nodding toward the seat Ninghe wanted.
"My brother is right. There's no need for ceremony here. Sit wherever pleases you," Gu Jin said with a good-natured smile.
"Yes, yes, I was being too conventional," Evan laughed and bowed slightly.
Princess Ninghe cheerfully took the lowest seat, Shen Mingqing settling beside her.
Gu Fei cast a sidelong glance at the Princess, intending to sit on her other side, but Shen Mingqing caught her arm. "Ah Fei, sit here."
Gu Fei gave a soft, ambiguous hum and sat down next to her.
Evan Shea, noticing Shen Mingshu seated beside the Second Prince, took the seat beside Gavin instead.
Carl Shea and Shen Mingyi each sat next to their respective elder brothers.
The two attendants, William Chen and Simon Wen, naturally took the lowest seats—beside Princess Ninghe.
Simon sat next to the Princess, William beside Carl Shea.
As the attendants poured wine, Gavin lifted his cup first. "To my elder brother—may you live a hundred years."
Gu Jin raised his cup with a chuckle. "My capacity is modest—I can't handle you all coming at me one by one. Let this cup be shared among us all."
The room rang with cheerful toasts and well-wishing before everyone drank.
Setting down his cup, Gu Jin patted Gavin's shoulder and smiled. "Now you shall drink one cup for each of us. And you must finish every drop."
Gavin laughed, stood, and took the wine jug from the attendant, beginning with Gu Min.
Though not a strong drinker, Gu Min downed his cup with ease. "Your injury isn't fully healed—you shouldn't drink too much," he advised.
"I'm touched by your concern, but this cup from the Second Prince cannot go unreturned," Shen Mingshu interjected with a grin.
Gavin cast him a sidelong glance, then drained his cup. He gestured for the attendant to refill Shen Mingshu's wine, lifted his empty cup with a faint, sardonic smile, and said, "Drink up. It's my brother's birthday—let's all be merry."
Across from them, Evan Shea watched the exchange with amusement.
That imperial companion of Shen's, he thought, was far too dull to read the room. The Second Prince would one day inherit the throne, yes—but for now, he was merely a duke. On his elder brother's birthday, such provocations were in terribly poor taste.
Ah, the Shen family—never one among them truly fit to manage affairs. It troubled him as much as it did his mother.
Shen Mingshu glanced at Gavin's empty cup, hesitating whether to pour for him or summon an attendant, when Gavin tapped his own cup against Shen's. "Drink quickly, or I'll pour it down your throat myself."
"Hurry up and drink," Gu Min said nervously, patting Shen Mingshu's shoulder. He still remembered how Gavin had once forced their elder brother to drink until he'd coughed for weeks.
Shen Mingshu tipped back his head and emptied the cup. When he lifted it to show Gavin, the latter had already turned to Carl Shea.
"No need, I'll pour my own." Carl stood, took the jug, filled his cup, raised it to Gu Jin, and drank it in one go.
Next was Gu Fei, who rose and held her cup delicately. "I have little tolerance—this will have to do."
Gavin said nothing, merely lifted his cup slightly to her and moved on to Shen Mingqing.
Shen Mingqing rose and smiled. "The honor should be mine, to toast both my elder brother and the Prince Heir."
"No need to force yourself. My brother always says one should follow the heart," Gavin replied, clinking cups and drinking.
Shen Mingqing thanked him and drank her own in several swift gulps.
Princess Ninghe, meanwhile, was peeking past Simon Wen, trying to catch William Chen's eye, hoping for a moment of conversation. But William's gaze was fixed entirely on the wine table—on everyone but her.
"Ayue can hold her drink well. Have another cup," Gavin said, adding a bit more wine to her cup.
"I'll make a round of toasts myself later," the Princess said with a bright smile, lifting her cup and finishing it.
"You'd better not. When you drink too much, you turn into a little troublemaker and give us all a headache," Gu Jin laughed.
Gu Fei burst out laughing, and Shen Mingqing pulled the flustered Princess back into her seat.
"It was only that one time…" Ninghe murmured, her cheeks flushed crimson.
After Gavin finished his round of toasts, the Second Prince rose and offered another. Gu Fei soon pressed her temple, claiming dizziness from too much drink and asking leave to rest.
Gu Jin did not insist on keeping anyone longer and instructed Gavin to see the guests out.