Becoming the Caged Canary of a Forced Love - Chapter 13

Gu Nian pushed open the door, and the noisy room fell silent for an instant. Seated at the head of the table was Chen Yan, the organizer of this class reunion.

He was dressed in a sharp suit, his hair meticulously held in place with styling gel. While his looks weren’t particularly outstanding, his eyes were bright and spirited, and his brow carried a hint of arrogance. Combined with his polished attire, he cut quite an imposing figure. Seated next to him was presumably the school beauty, Liu Xinyu; the two were sitting very close, and Chen Yan had one hand resting on her thigh.

Gu Nian silently observed the people around the room, matching them one by one to the faces in the graduation album.

“Oh, if it isn’t Lin Nuo? Long time no see, old classmate. Where are you working these days?” Chen Yan retracted his hand from Liu Xinyu’s thigh and stood up, straightening his lapels.

Chen Yan wasn’t bothered when Gu Nian didn’t respond immediately; he simply continued making arrangements as he pleased.

“Take a seat, take a seat. Reservations at the Imperial Court are very hard to get, and this largest private suite isn’t a place just anyone can enter. Don’t be shy, everyone—today’s bill is on me.” Having said that, he raised his wine glass.

“Since everyone is here, let’s all have a toast. Lin Nuo, you arrived late, so you’ll have to penalize yourself with three drinks.” After greeting the other classmates, Chen Yan turned his focus back to Gu Nian.

Gu Nian caressed the rim of his wine glass, remembering Pei Jichuan’s words from this morning before he left.

“No drinking.”

“I’m sorry, my health isn’t great. I can’t drink,” Gu Nian said calmly, setting down his glass.

Before Chen Yan could respond, another man sitting beside him jumped in. “It’s just a drink. President Chen is giving you face; Lin Nuo, don’t be ungrateful.” He spoke as if he were defending Chen Yan’s honor, glaring at Gu Nian.

“Oh, come on, we’re all old classmates. Don’t let it spoil the harmony. If his health is poor, he won’t drink.” Chen Yan acted as a peacemaker, stopping the man beside him.

He then spoke to Lin Nuo again: “I know your family circumstances aren’t great, so it’s normal if you aren’t used to this high-end wine. I’ve managed to work my way up to a manager position at the Pei Corporation, and I have my uncle there to help me. If you have any difficulties, just speak up. I can still arrange a comfortable, idle position for you at the company.”

Immediately, a wave of flattery rose from the surrounding classmates. “President Chen is so generous,” “President Chen, look at me—can I work as your assistant?”…

Li Zichen, sitting next to Gu Nian, let out a cold snort and muttered under his breath, “What is he showing off for? He’s looking down on people too much.”

Gu Nian ignored the chatter but suddenly turned to Li Zichen and lowered his voice. “Let me borrow your phone for a second.”

Li Zichen generously handed his phone over. Gu Nian took it, hiding his hands beneath the table. He tapped the keyboard a few times and sent a message. Once it was successfully sent, he quickly deleted the text and verified there were no traces left before returning the phone.

Li Zichen didn’t notice Gu Nian’s actions. He kept his eyes on Chen Yan and continued whispering in Gu Nian’s ear. “The manager of the Imperial Court had to receive you personally—what does he think he is? Lin Nuo, I can’t believe you’re putting up with this. He’s clearly mocking you to make himself look better.”

He glanced at Liu Xinyu next to Chen Yan; the two were even closer now. “Back in university, she chased you every day saying she liked you. Now that she sees Chen Yan is successful, she’s sticking to him instead.” He curled his lip.

Gu Nian looked up, scanning the room, and spoke abruptly. “It’s just the pursuit of profit. Perhaps in a few years, you’ll be just like them.”

Li Zichen didn’t take the comment to heart. “Don’t you know me? I’m not that kind of person.”

During a lull in the flattery, there was a knock at the door. The lobby manager who had received Gu Nian earlier pushed the door open and entered.

“President Chen really does have a lot of influence; even the manager of the Imperial Court has come personally.” The man who had attacked Gu Nian earlier spoke up again, his voice full of sycophancy.

The manager bowed slightly upon entering, but only Li Zichen noticed that the bow was directed toward Gu Nian.

“The bill for this suite has already been settled. I hope you all enjoy yourselves.”

“Is there a mistake? I haven’t gone to pay yet,” Chen Yan said, stunned and a bit surprised.

The manager remained composed. “The Imperial Court does not make mistakes.”

The manager then walked over to Gu Nian’s side and stood still. He leaned down slightly and whispered in Gu Nian’s ear, “President Pei has come to pick you up. He’s already at the entrance.”

“Understood. I’ll be out shortly.”

Gu Nian stood up and looked at his former classmates. The man who had been shouting earlier seemed to realize something; he lowered his head awkwardly, not daring to meet Gu Nian’s eyes.

“Everyone, I have something to attend to. I won’t be staying.” He then turned to Li Zichen. “I’m leaving first. Let’s keep in touch.”

Without waiting for a reaction, Gu Nian turned and walked out of the suite.

As soon as he stepped out, he looked up and saw Pei Jichuan at the end of the hallway. The shadows cast by the lights hit his side; half of his face was shrouded in the shadow thrown by the wall. His high nose bridge and deep-set eyes were faintly visible in the dim light. The coat Gu Nian had taken off was draped over the man’s arm.

It was said the Pei family had ethnic minority ancestry in their lineage, which had resulted in this top-tier facial structure, further complemented by his sharp, piercing aura. He was both captivating and dangerous.

Pei Jichuan had received Gu Nian’s message as soon as his meeting ended.

“Can you come pick me up early?”

Pei Jichuan had immediately replied with “Okay,” then left his employees behind to head to the Imperial Court with his driver and assistant.

Gu Nian walked toward him without hesitation. The man across from him curled his lips into a slight smile—like ice and snow melting—and his sharp aura vanished instantly.

However, before Gu Nian could take more than a few steps, Chen Yan caught up and blocked his path. The other classmates had also gathered at the door of the suite to watch the commotion.

“Lin Nuo, what I said earlier was just a joke. You mustn’t take it seriously! We haven’t seen each other in so many years, and honestly, I always admired you back in school…” Chen Yan’s arrogance had finally vanished, replaced by a fawning expression. He had managed to reach his current position largely because of his uncle, but he still possessed enough insight to know that, based on the manager’s attitude toward Gu Nian, he absolutely could not make an enemy of him.

But before Chen Yan could finish, someone grabbed the hand he had extended toward Gu Nian. Before Chen Yan could react, he was violently shoved against the side wall.

Chen Yan hit the wall with the force of the shove and cried out in pain. He then turned to see who had done it.

“Who the hell… how dare you touch…” He got halfway through the sentence before it died in his throat, as if he were being strangled.

“P-P-President Pei? Why are you here…” Chen Yan stammered.

“Chen… Yan?” Pei Jichuan’s brow furrowed slightly as he searched his memory, realizing there was indeed such a person in the company.

The slight smile on Pei Jichuan’s face disappeared. His gaze was as sharp as a knife as he looked down at the man. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

“I remember your uncle is named Chen Yongbing. General Manager Chen, correct?”

“Yes… yes, sir.” Chen Yan’s muscles were tense and he was trembling. He could guess with even his toes that Gu Nian’s relationship with the boss was anything but ordinary. He cast a pleading look toward Gu Nian.

Gu Nian, however, ignored him entirely, choosing instead to watch Pei Jichuan silently.

Mmh, he thought. A man with a temper is actually quite handsome.