The Slacker Stepmother and the Non-Domineering CEO

Chapter 164

What was meant to be a hospital visit turned into a front-row seat to a marriage pressure drama.

It seems the world is just one giant matchmaking service—even the children of the wealthiest aren't spared from marriage pressure.

The three of them spent half an hour in Yan Zhensheng's hospital room. Seeing that the old man was tiring, they didn't stay longer and took their leave.

Once in the car, Nian Suian voiced her question.

"Yan Heguang isn't married yet? Why not?" Although marriage is a personal choice, in a family like the Yans, it was rare for the son considered the heir to still be unmarried in his forties.

Yan Heguang being unmarried at his age was indeed newsworthy.

Or rather, it would have been news five or even ten years ago. Now, everyone seemed used to it. If he were to get married now, that would be the real headline.

This wasn't a secret. Gu Junxing had heard about it from others.

"Yan Heguang had a girlfriend in college. They were very much in love. After graduation, he brought her home to meet Yan Zhensheng. They wanted to get married."

Hearing this, Nian Suian couldn't help but guess the rest of the story. "Yan Zhensheng didn't approve?"

Gu Junxing nodded. "That's right. He didn't approve. And he said it openly, not hiding it from anyone. He said Yan Heguang's girlfriend at the time was from an ordinary background, had a weak personality, and lacked the ability to be the Yan family's daughter-in-law."

At that time, because his father openly disapproved of his relationship and belittled his girlfriend, Yan Heguang almost had a falling out with Yan Zhensheng.

"The father-son discord became public knowledge, which also caused some negative impact on the Yan family. At that time, Yan Zhensheng made a proposal: he would send the girl abroad to study, and after a few years when she returned with her degree, he would agree to their marriage. Yan Zhensheng publicly stated that he was doing this to groom the future Yan family daughter-in-law, and Yan Heguang agreed to this arrangement."

Up to this point, it seemed like a rather cliché story, at least from Nian Suian's perspective.

"So what happened next? Did they break up after she went abroad?" Nian Suian guessed, after all, the trope of a rich CEO breaking up because his girlfriend went abroad was all too common in novels.

"No, they remained very much in love. Yan Heguang often flew abroad to visit his girlfriend. But later, his girlfriend was seriously injured in a terrorist attack in a foreign country and eventually passed away."

Nian Suian was speechless for a while, truly not expecting such an ending.

"Afterwards, Yan Heguang never dated again. At first, Yan Zhensheng probably felt guilty. After all, even if he wanted to break them up, he never intended for her to lose her life. In recent years, he's probably genuinely anxious, so he started pressuring again."

According to what Gu Junxing knew, after that incident, Yan Heguang wanted to leave the Yan family altogether. But just as he showed signs of this intention, Yan Zhensheng's second wife—Yan Heguang and Yan Hexu's stepmother—started meddling, even trying to manipulate Yan Hexu's marriage.

Although Yan Zhensheng wasn't senile enough to let his wife marry off their daughter carelessly, there were plenty of families in their circle that looked glamorous on the surface but were rotten inside. For the sake of his sister, Yan Heguang couldn't leave the Yan family.

After explaining this, Gu Junxing shared his own speculation: "Yan Heguang is likely to get married soon. He needs a stable marriage and an heir to take control. Based on his current moves, he probably already has someone in mind."

Word had gotten out about which families were potential candidates. It was clear that Yan Heguang had put a lot of thought into it. Whichever family it turned out to be, it would be a significant boost for him and would leave Yan Zhensheng with no room for objection.

"Dad, if I find a girlfriend you don't approve of in the future, what will you do? Will it be like the Yan family?" Gu Zhijing, sitting in the back, had been listening and now had some thoughts of his own.

"Haven't I told you before? Man or woman, alive or dead, I'll agree to whoever you want to marry."

Nian Suian, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't help but laugh at this response.

Gu Junxing's "open-mindedness" actually displeased Gu Zhijing.

"Dad, the way you say it, it sounds like you don't care about me at all. If you really cared, wouldn't you hope for me to find someone good?"

"Huh, you're quite demanding."

"Zhijing, what your father means is that he'll respect your choice. As long as you like them, he won't care about their family background or other external conditions. Besides, don't you know your dad, and don't you know yourself? Do you think your taste would lead you to choose someone really unsuitable?" After saying this, Nian Suian patted Gu Junxing's thigh, signaling him to speak. "That's what you meant, right, Gu Junxing?"

What could Gu Junxing say? Nian Suian's hand was already pinching his leg. He gave a barely audible "Mm" in response.

Gu Zhijing finally felt better. "If that's what you mean, then I'm quite satisfied."

After thinking for a moment, he complained to Gu Junxing: "A perfectly good sentiment, how do you manage to make it sound so unpleasant? I'll buy you another book later, you should read it carefully, 'Don't Lose Out Because You Can't Express Yourself'."

Since the conversation had come this far, Nian Suian curiously asked Gu Zhijing, "Do you have any girls or boys you like at school?"

Before the sports meet last time, when Gu Zhijing's friends came to play at their house, they mentioned that Zhijing didn't have any girls he liked. But teenagers change their minds daily—maybe he didn't then, but he might now.

"Can I answer this question? There needs to be some distance between parents and children."

Hearing him say this, Nian Suian understood.

"So you do like someone!" If he didn't, he would have just said no. Why else would he say something like that?

At this, even Gu Junxing slightly raised his head, glancing at his son through the rearview mirror.

Afraid of revealing more, Gu Zhijing simply shut his mouth and said nothing more.

Nian Suian said to him, "It's perfectly normal to like someone at your age. No need to be embarrassed."

Having romantic feelings at fifteen or sixteen is the most natural thing in the world.

That night, Gu Junxing went to Gu Zhijing's room.

Since Gu Zhijing started elementary school, Gu Junxing had rarely come to his room.

"Dad, do you need something?"

Gu Junxing sat directly on Gu Zhijing's bed and asked, "So you really like a girl?"

Gu Zhijing's face reddened slightly. He scratched his head and answered honestly, "Actually, I'm not sure if it counts as liking someone."

"Is she in your class?"

"No. Dad, stop asking. I won't date early."

Suddenly, Gu Junxing took something out of his pocket and placed it in front of Gu Zhijing.

Gu Zhijing looked closely and jumped up in shock. "Dad, why... why are you giving me this? I... I don't need it."

Gu Junxing said seriously, "I'm showing you this, not telling you to use it."

"You're not going to give me sex education, are you?"

"Shouldn't I?"