"That must also be for show, a fake public relations stunt," Xia Honglang immediately chimed in, picking up on Xia Qingyu's words.
He had been stunned at first when he saw the photos Xia Qingtian posted.
But thinking of how Mr. Gu always had a cold demeanor towards everyone, and how his daughter didn't seem to have any other intentions towards Mr. Gu,
Mr. Gu had visited the Xia family several times, and he hadn't noticed anything suspicious between the two young people.
Perhaps the photos were taken at an odd angle.
Yes, it must be like that.
Xia Qingtian exchanged a guilty glance with Gu Yaoyang.
Seeing their subtle movements, Xia Qingyu's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of crisis immediately washed over her – her sister was being snatched away!
"Heh... heh heh?" Seeing that no one was responding, Xia Honglang looked at Xia Qingtian with some surprise, his tone tinged with uncertainty, "It's fake... right?"
"This... this could be real," Xia Qingtian coughed lightly and then, as if more formally, introduced Gu Yaoyang to the Xia family present: "This is my new boyfriend, Gu Yaoyang."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yaoyang's lips curved upwards slightly, and he greeted the Xia family generously.
Miao Tong's eyes widened. He had only made those teasing remarks earlier to ease the tension, trying to lighten the mood with a joke.
But he never imagined that Xia Qingtian had actually won over Mr. Gu?
Amazing!
Xia Shang's gaze drifted between Xia Qingtian and Gu Yaoyang. He remained silent, seemingly still processing the fact.
Although Aunt Liu was also a bit surprised, she often heard Xia Honglang privately praising Mr. Gu's work capabilities. Seeing that Mr. Gu was also handsome and well-mannered, she felt he was a good match for her Qing Tian.
She was subtly adopting the stance of a "mother-in-law appraising her son-in-law."
Xia Qingyu clenched her fists at her sides. She had been working hard to earn money, accumulating considerable wealth, so how could she still be a step too late?
If she had known this day would come, she shouldn't have entered into that "dealing with a tiger to seek its skin" partnership with Gu Yaoyang. Her sister had been snatched away by this man after all.
Xia Qingyu felt a dull ache of discontent in her heart.
Among the entire Xia family, the most shocked person was undoubtedly Xia Honglang.
He admired Mr. Gu, always considering him the most dazzling among the rising stars, and viewing him as an exceptionally capable business partner.
But... when did he set his sights on his own daughter?
Xia Honglang's gaze flickered between Xia Qingtian and Gu Yaoyang.
Even though he felt a pang of jealousy at that moment, he had to admit Gu Yaoyang's excellence.
But his daughter was the precious golden cabbage he had carefully nurtured. Even if Gu Yaoyang was a divine pig from heaven, he couldn't simply snatch away his golden cabbage like this!
"Well, don't you... don't you guys want to say anything?" Xia Qingtian felt a strange awkwardness emanating from the silence in the air.
This was the first time she had brought a boyfriend home, couldn't the reactions be a little more enthusiastic?
Gu Yaoyang also felt a bit uneasy. He was usually quite confident in himself. Regardless, he couldn't have made everyone speechless to this extent, could he...
"Um..." Aunt Liu was the first to react and said, "Let's have some tea first!"
"Mm," Xia Qingtian also looked at Gu Yaoyang and said, "Have some tea and rest before you go back."
"Alright." Since Gu Yaoyang had returned with Xia Qingtian, he was prepared to face the Xia family openly and honestly.
"Mr. Gu, you... come to the study with me," Xia Honglang said with a somber expression.
"Dad!" Xia Qingtian felt a bit uneasy.
Aunt Liu immediately reached out to hook Xia Qingtian's arm, shook her head slightly, signaling Xia Qingtian not to speak out, and then said with a light smile, "You go to the study. I'll bring some tea and snacks up later."
Hearing Aunt Liu's words, Gu Yaoyang looked at Xia Qingtian and gave her a reassuring smile.
Xia Qingtian knew she couldn't say anything at the moment, so she could only watch as Gu Yaoyang followed Xia Honglang upstairs.
"Your dad loves you the most. Seeing someone about to snatch away his precious darling, it's normal for him to feel uncomfortable. Just let him be," Aunt Liu said softly. "You tell us first, what's going on between you and Mr. Gu."
"Yeah, we didn't see you being that close with him before. How did you manage to win him over?" Miao Tong's eyes darted around, looking very curious.
Although Xia Qingyu didn't speak, her eyes were constantly fixed on Xia Qingtian, as if trying to figure out the reason.
"Hmm..." Xia Shang nodded slowly, he also wanted to know.
Xia Qingtian knew that everyone present cared for and doted on her, so she held nothing back.
From her initial acquaintance with Gu Yaoyang, mistaking him for Mr. Gu's special assistant, to their shared peril on the divine mountain, then their time together in Paris, and the misunderstandings and cooperation after entering the company.
Excluding the system's involvement and the incident where she was almost killed during a kidnapping in City C, Xia Qingtian tried to narrate the events in a lighter tone.
After clarifying these connections, Xia Qingtian said with a faint smile, "He also gave me three choices today, and making it public was just one of them."
Xia Qingtian felt that reaching this point with Gu Yaoyang had not been easy.
Aunt Liu listened with an indulgent smile throughout. Although she had had some unpleasantness with Xia Qingtian before, she had long since put those matters behind her. She cherished Xia Honglang's kindness and only wished for Xia Qingtian's happiness and well-being.
Miao Tong listened while munching on sunflower seeds, marveling at the story. In the end, all he could say was, "When fate arrives, you can't stop it."
"Hmm..." Xia Shang drew out his words, his expression dazed, still seemingly trying to process all the information he had just heard.
Only Xia Qingyu pouted unhappily.
If she had realized sooner, if she had planned earlier, then the person by Xia Qingtian's side would have been her, not that Mr. Gu!
That Mr. Gu was truly cunning. He claimed to be giving Xia Qingtian a choice, but hadn't he taken advantage of her sister's soft heart and kindness?
Tsk.
Although Xia Qingyu was sulking, she also knew that Mr. Gu had extended a helping hand to save Xia Qingtian during her several near-death experiences. She couldn't blame Mr. Gu for getting there first, she could only blame herself for her lack of preparedness.
"So, when are you two getting married?" Miao Tong seemed addicted to the drama, determined to hear the conclusion.
Upon hearing the word "marriage," Xia Qingtian and Xia Qingyu both froze.
"Pfft." Xia Qingtian couldn't help but burst out laughing. "He's still in the trial period as a boyfriend, and there's a three-month probation period before he's officially approved. It's too early to talk about marriage, isn't it?"
Hearing Xia Qingtian's words, Xia Qingyu's expression slightly softened.
That was true. This wasn't like those old-fashioned feudal times.
It was just dating. What if Xia Qingtian dumped Mr. Gu within three months?
Her sister deserved the best in the world!