Qin He chatted with a few women for a while. The current head of the Vinson family ascended the podium and gave a speech of thanks, after which Doris Vinson took the stage.
It was the young lady's coming-of-age ceremony, and all the guests looked on.
Qin He, using this moment when everyone's attention was diverted, quietly moved to Gu Qichen's side.
"Where is the master you mentioned?"
Gu Qichen lowered his eyes. The lights were now focused on the stage, making the lighting here seem dimmer.
Qin He's skin was fair, and from his perspective, he could see her curled eyelashes.
"I haven't seen him yet. I'll ask Mr. Vinson later," Gu Qichen's voice was deep and mellow.
Qin He pursed her lips. "He didn't come, did he?"
Such masters were usually eccentric, so it wasn't unusual for him not to show up.
On stage, Doris had finished thanking the guests and her gaze swept over to them.
Qin He sensed something and looked up at the stage.
Doris had golden hair, deep emerald eyes, and skin as pale as a fairy-tale angel.
Qin He and Doris made eye contact for a few seconds, and she noticed the latter's eyes shift slightly to the left.
The corner of Qin He's lips curved slightly. So, the young lady was looking at Gu Qichen.
Qin He moved a few steps away and walked to the side.
The banquet continued, and Qin He found a sofa in a corner to sit down.
She looked slightly tired, and people around her, being perceptive, didn't approach her to say hello.
Qin He sat on the sofa, her eyes half-closed, looking like the master craftsman of mortise and tenon really hadn't come.
She had come for nothing.
There were rumors that the Vinson family and the Qin family were at odds, and the Xu and Lu families, who were close to the Qin family, had not attended the Vinson family's banquet.
Qin He didn't know anyone present, so she idly rested her chin on her hand and watched Gu Qichen not far away.
"Qin He?" a surprised voice rang out.
Qin He turned her head and, upon seeing the person, raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Solly."
Solly Vinson's face was filled with surprise. "You're here, how wonderful."
Qin He's forehead twitched slightly. "Please, sit down."
They chatted for a while, and even discussed the beating Solly had received from Qin Yun back then. Solly seemed to not take it to heart at all.
"It was just that my parents were too worried about me back then," Solly chuckled sheepishly. "I didn't expect rumors of our families being at odds to spread later."
Qin He smiled faintly. "They are just rumors."
Solly's gaze fixed ardently on Qin He's profile. "So, do you have a boyfriend now?"
Qin He's heart tightened, and she asked warily, "What are you doing?"
This young master's pursuit was too over the top, and she felt a little overwhelmed.
Solly was very enthusiastic. "I saw your news recently. You divorced the CEO of Gu Corporation, so you must be single now, right?"
Qin He narrowed her eyes and lied, "No, I have a boyfriend."
"That's truly a pity," Solly looked somewhat dejected.
Just as they were chatting, Gu Qichen walked over from not far away.
Doris followed closely by Gu Qichen's side, saying something inaudible, with a sweet and charming smile on her face.
Gu Qichen stopped in front of Qin He and glanced at Solly beside her.
"I've already asked Mr. Vinson. That master only sent a gift today and didn't come in person."
Solly politely stood up and greeted him, "Mr. Gu."
Only then did Gu Qichen look at him properly. "Young Master Vinson, please excuse us."
Solly looked surprised but stepped aside a few paces. As soon as he stood firm, he saw Gu Qichen calmly sit down next to Qin He.
Doris wanted to sit on Gu Qichen's other side but was pulled back by a glum-looking Solly.
"Father has some matters to attend to. Let's go over there first," he shrewdly pulled his sister away.
Watching Solly and Doris's retreating figures, Qin He playfully glanced at Gu Qichen beside her.
"Mr. Gu has quite the charm. The Vinson family's young lady seems to be quite smitten with you."
Gu Qichen's expression was indifferent. "The Gu family and the Vinson family have always had business dealings. We were just making small talk."
Qin He smiled nonchalantly, as if it had nothing to do with her anyway.
In the latter half of the banquet, knowing that the master hadn't come, Qin He didn't even bother to move and just lounged on the sofa.
Gu Qichen sat beside Qin He, exuding an aura of aloofness that kept everyone within a ten-meter radius from approaching.
The banquet ended, and the guests began to leave one after another.
Qin He and Gu Qichen left the castle together. As they stopped by the car, she let out a small yawn.
"Get in the car."
Gu Qichen opened the car door for her.
Qin He curved her lips. "Thank you."
Just as she was about to get in, a delicate cry came from not far away: "Mr. Gu, please wait a moment."
It was Doris running over from a distance. Qin He stopped.
This was an outdoor parking lot, and as the event dispersed, guests still in the surroundings were bidding farewell here and there.
Doris ran up to Gu Qichen, her face flushed from exertion. "I, I have something I want to say to you."
Qin He's eyebrows arched. This looked like a confession, and she very sensibly stepped back a few paces.
Gu Qichen looked at Doris in front of him, then at Qin He, who had retreated several meters away, her face displaying a look of amused observation.
His expression turned even colder.
Doris's words were not really heeded. The young girl spoke in a low voice, filled with implied confessions.
"I've always wanted to wait until my eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony to say these things to you, Mr. Gu—I—"
Gu Qichen's attention was entirely on Qin He not far away. She was smiling playfully, completely unconcerned whether he would accept another woman's confession.
He looked at Doris and said with polite distance, "Miss Vinson, your father often calls me a brother. So, by seniority, you should call me Uncle Gu."
Doris's small face froze, and she stared at Gu Qichen, stunned.
Qin He heard it clearly and was amused, finding Gu Qichen quite wicked.
A surge of heat whistled past her ear at an extremely high speed, as if her ear had been scorched.
The next second, a sound of metal being penetrated came from a car not far away!
Qin He reacted almost instantly. Someone was shooting from the shadows!
She didn't even have time to turn around and immediately ran to the side.
Gu Qichen had already run over a few steps and grabbed her wrist, his voice low. "Get into my car!"
The person whose car had been hit screamed, and then the entire parking lot quickly descended into chaos. The noise rose into a cacophony, with people running in all directions, and some getting into cars.
Qin He was covered by Gu Qichen's hand over her head and shoved into the car!
"The car has been modified. It's bulletproof," Gu Qichen explained as he got into the car himself.
Qin He's face was icy. She turned sideways to look out the car window.
The bullet had come from behind her. Qin He, with a cold expression, looked in that direction.
There was only one suitable spot for a sniper there, a decorative tower belonging to the Vinson family.
Gu Qichen glanced in that direction. "The person is probably no longer there."
The habit of most sniper assassins was to strike and then disappear miles away.