Lan Lan now felt that Jiang Rong didn't need to consult her on any methods for dealing with men; she was naturally gifted.
Although Gu Song appeared carefree, he was undoubtedly a shrewd individual with many hidden depths, otherwise, he wouldn't have reached his current position. Especially in matters of romance, he handled himself with great precision, and no one was known to have outmaneuvered him.
Feng Feng and Lin Mei were also surprised by Jiang Rong's words. Feng Feng glanced towards Gu Song and happened to see him looking in their direction, his gaze fixed on Jiang Rong. The smile and affection in his eyes were impossible to conceal.
Even from a distance, Feng Feng could feel a prickle on her skin – likely because she had never seen Gu Song like this before. However, Feng Feng now believed Jiang Rong truly possessed something special to have him so captivated.
Later, Lan Lan asked the question Feng Feng wanted to, "How does this 'fishing for evidence' work? Tell us about it."
Jiang Rong was not shy. She glanced at Gu Song, lowered her voice, and, smiling, recounted the subtle tactics and little stratagems she had employed with him, such as when they first met, she would chat with Gu Song daily on WeChat, then suddenly stop responding. Afterward, Gu Song personally brought his dog to find her. While grooming the dog, he seized the opportunity to ask her about it. Through this incident, Jiang Rong conducted a test on Gu Song – before engaging in "fishing for evidence," one must first confirm if the bait possesses sufficient allure for the fish.
After this step, everything else seemed to fall into place. Gu Song would often visit Jiang Rong, they would eat together, walk their dogs. They hadn't done anything particularly romantic or passionate, but after some time, Gu Song suddenly asked Jiang Rong if she wanted to be his girlfriend. This question came earlier than Jiang Rong had expected.
Although Jiang Rong had never been in a relationship, she understood human nature; things that are too easily obtained are never cherished. Therefore, even though she was excited when Gu Song proposed they be together, she didn't agree immediately, instead saying she needed to "consider it," delaying the decision until now.
After hearing Jiang Rong's account, Feng Feng, Lin Mei, and Lan Lan were no longer overly worried about her being "deceived" by Gu Song. Jiang Rong was quite clear-headed and hadn't lost her judgment due to Gu Song's actions.
Lan Lan glanced at Liang Yufeng and said with a smile, "Your cousin is worried about this little cabbage being gobbled up by a pig."
As Lan Lan had said, Liang Yufeng was indeed worried. While they were "interrogating" Jiang Rong, Gu Song was simultaneously undergoing "torture" from Shen Su, Xing Zheng, and Liang Yufeng. Liang Yufeng, in particular, hadn't given Gu Song a single pleasant look since Gu Song brought Jiang Rong over.
Shen Su, who was usually closest to Gu Song, didn't even know how Gu Song had gotten involved with Jiang Rong. "When did you start contacting Jiang Rong? Why haven't you mentioned it?" Shen Su glanced at Liang Yufeng, not forgetting to remind Gu Song, "Don't foul your own nest; Jiang Rong isn't someone you can casually date."
She was Liang Yufeng's cousin – as evident from Liang Yufeng's current expression. If Gu Song were to do anything to wrong Jiang Rong in the future, or if they broke up, Liang Yufeng would definitely cut off their friendship.
Gu Song retorted, "Who said I was dating her casually?"
Xing Zheng followed up, "Does this mean you're serious?"
Liang Yufeng remained silent, staring intently at Gu Song, as if waiting for him to answer this question.
Gu Song nodded readily, "Of course, I'm serious. Have you ever seen me bring another woman to this kind of event?"
That was true, but Shen Su was curious, "I remember you didn't like this type, did you?"
Gu Song's previous girlfriends were mostly those with good figures and outgoing personalities, and they were all around his age. Gu Song had explicitly stated that he didn't like those much younger than him, but Jiang Rong was only twenty-four, and they had a seven-year age gap.
By Gu Song's standards, Jiang Rong should have been like a child who hadn't grown up in his eyes. His sudden liking for her was quite a swift change in taste.
Gu Song also asked Shen Su, "Did you like Feng Feng's type before? Who can say for sure about love? When it truly arrives, you can't stop it." He spoke with a seriousness that was evident to everyone who knew him, a departure from his usual flippant demeanor.
Xing Zheng asked again, "Are you two together now?"
Gu Song smiled and said, "She hasn't agreed yet." Despite this answer, Gu Song wasn't upset. "I have a history, so it's normal for her to assess me. No rush, she's still young anyway."
Even without Gu Song explicitly stating it, it was clear from his words that he was not only serious about Jiang Rong but had even considered their future.
After hearing these words, Liang Yufeng finally spoke, "Are you saying you want to marry Jiang Rong?"
Gu Song nodded without hesitation, still wearing a smile, "When she's willing, definitely."
Shen Su and Xing Zheng were somewhat astonished, "Didn't you think marriage was quite meaningless?"
If nothing else, if any of his previous girlfriends had brought up marriage, he would likely have broken up with them by the next day. Gu Song appeared to have a good temper, but if someone touched his boundaries, he was definitely not one to show mercy. Shen Su and Xing Zheng knew several ex-girlfriends who had broken up with him over this very issue.
But this time with Jiang Rong, it seemed Gu Song himself had the idea of marriage, which was truly unbelievable.
Gu Song took a sip of red wine and said with a smile, "I used to think it was meaningless, but seeing you all settle down, I also think it's nice to have someone by my side."
Liang Yufeng let out a cold scoff and said mercilessly, "You've played enough and want to find someone to take over."
Gu Song: "That's really not the case. I genuinely like Jiang Rong."
Although Gu Song knew that Liang Yufeng's opinion wouldn't influence Jiang Rong's decision, he still wanted to build a good relationship with this "future brother-in-law."
Liang Yufeng understood this point. After a moment of silence, he warned Gu Song, "If you use your usual tactics on her, don't blame me for abandoning our friendship."
As they were talking, someone from the kitchen brought out the cake, and everyone's attention returned to Feng Feng's birthday party.
The cake was a Black Forest, from Feng Feng's favorite dessert shop.
The cake was placed in front of Feng Feng. Shen Su stepped forward, lit the candles for her, and then turned off the lights.
Jiang Rong was the first to start singing "Happy Birthday," followed by the others.
After they finished singing, Jiang Rong said to Feng Feng, "Make a wish, it's very effective!"
Feng Feng hadn't believed in such things before, but Jiang Rong was so enthusiastic that she closed her eyes and made a wish: for a smooth life.