Gu Nianzhi stopped and turned around with a smile, "Professor He, is there anything else?"
He Zhichu was still sitting on the sofa with his hand on his forehead. He didn't move and looked at her quietly.
Gu Nianzhi didn't say anything and waited patiently for him to speak.
The spacious living room was quiet. The snow-white curtains hung from the tall French windows like a waterfall.
There was a clock as tall as a person in the corner of the room. It looked like an antique, but the pendulum was still swinging. The occasional click made the room even more silent.
No one knew where the maid and the butler had hidden themselves, and they were nowhere to be seen.
They stared at each other in silence. It was like they were separated by mountains and rivers.
He Zhichu pursed his lips and looked away. His voice was calm as he said, "I promised to give you a party for your 18th birthday. Now, there are three places for you to choose. One is the banquet hall of the Capitol, another is the Rose Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, and the third place is on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Tell me tomorrow when you've decided which one to choose. There's not much time left. It's time to prepare. "
Gu Nianzhi smiled, her eyes drifting. "Professor He, you're too kind. I was just joking before. Don't take it seriously. How can I let you spend money on my birthday? It's fine, I'll just eat cake and blow out some candles with my relatives and friends. "
Although her 18th birthday was important to her, the most important thing was who she was spending it with.
If Huo Shaoheng could personally celebrate her birthday with her, it didn't matter even if there was no cake or candles. As long as she could see him standing in front of her and personally wish her a happy birthday, her 18th birthday would be perfect.
He Zhichu could clearly see that Gu Nianzhi was distracted. He clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands popped. They were very obvious on his fair skin, like cracks in the ice on exquisite porcelain.
"You don't have to take it seriously, but I, He Zhichu, have never gone back on my word." He Zhichu stood up. "You don't have to refuse or think too much about it. I always throw birthday parties for my students. If you don't believe me, you can ask them yourself."
Gu Nianzhi collected her thoughts and thought about it carefully.
She had once heard from her fellow graduate students that the professors would indeed celebrate their graduate students' birthdays, but most of them would go out to a restaurant for a meal and then go to karaoke. She had never heard of He Zhichu spending as much as he did.
Of course, those people couldn't compare to a mentor as powerful as He Zhichu.
"No matter which of these three choices, it will take time to prepare. You should choose one quickly." He Zhichu turned around and walked toward the spiral staircase, leaving Gu Nianzhi with the view of his long and lonely back.
Gu Nianzhi bit her lip and could tell that He Zhichu was angry.
With his ability, these three choices were probably like watching a movie, eating at a restaurant, or going to a karaoke bar for an ordinary person's birthday.
Gu Nianzhi asked weakly, "Will it be very troublesome for a cruise on the high seas of the Caribbean?"
She had her own selfish motives.
If her 18th birthday party was held at the US Capitol or the Rose Garden on the South Lawn of the White House, the chances of Huo Shaoheng attending would be very low.
Even if he could overcome all difficulties and really come to see her, Gu Nianzhi couldn't bear to put him in danger.
She knew that Huo Shaoheng's identity was too sensitive. The CIA in the US might have been keeping an eye on him …
He Zhichu's footsteps stopped. His hand was on the staircase's railing, and his two long legs were one high and one low on the stairs. Without turning around, he said, "Okay, a cruise on the high seas of the Caribbean."
His mood improved a little.
Because he was also willing to go with the third option.
On a cruise on the high seas, he could celebrate her birthday without any qualms.
But he still didn't turn around. He slowly walked up the stairs alone and left Gu Nianzhi downstairs.
Gu Nianzhi sighed and turned to leave the main house. She went to the garage to find the driver from earlier to take him home.
The driver was very talkative and chattered with Gu Nianzhi about many interesting things He Zhichu and his students had done.
It turned out that He Zhichu did indeed celebrate the birthday of his graduate students every year, and it was always extravagant.
In the past three years, he had taken his students on a day trip to Las Vegas, booked a movie theater at Universal Studios in Florida, and taken them hunting in Africa.
Compared to that, the three choices he had prepared for himself weren't too out of line.
Gu Nianzhi breathed a sigh of relief, but secretly mocked herself for being so petty.
He Zhichu was too far away from her, and a girl from an ordinary family like her couldn't imagine the way these elites spent their money.
Returning to her apartment with Zhao Liangze, Gu Nianzhi told him about her 18th birthday party, "… Professor He gave me three choices: the US Congress, the White House, or a cruise on the high seas of the Caribbean. I chose a cruise on the high seas of the Caribbean for my birthday. Wouldn't it be easier for Uncle Huo to go? "
Zhao Liangze laughed, "The high seas are much easier than entering the US Congress or the White House. I told them that Big Xiong would be coming too. "
"That's great!" Gu Nianzhi's eyes curved with joy, and her thick black eyelashes fluttered on her fair, delicate face like two disturbing butterflies.
Zhao Liangze averted his eyes, "I'll tell them."
…
"Huo Shao, Professor He plans to celebrate Nianzhi's 18th birthday on a cruise on the high seas of the Caribbean." Zhao Liangze sent the message back without a video call.
Huo Shaoheng's lips curved slightly when he saw the message, but he quickly calmed down.
"Big Xiong, don't bother." Huo Shaoheng called Yin Shixiong, "Nianzhi's 18th birthday party will be held on the high seas."
Yin Shixiong was delighted, "On the high seas? Hahahaha, that's great, we can do whatever we want on the high seas, hahaha … "
…
When Mei Xiawen received the news about Gu Nianzhi's 18th birthday party, it was only a week away.
"… On a cruise on the high seas of the Caribbean?" He looked at the electronic invitation Gu Nianzhi had sent him, and was very surprised, "Who's so generous?"
Jiang Hongcha leaned against his back and hugged his neck, looking at the electronic invitation with him, and was also surprised, "Isn't your little girlfriend an orphan? Her guardian is that rich? He's holding a birthday party on a Caribbean cruise? "
"Her guardian is just an ordinary white-collar worker, how could he have that much money?" Mei Xiawen shook his head absentmindedly, and his expression darkened as he had a bad feeling.
Jiang Hongcha paused, her thoughts echoing Mei Xiawen's. A strange smile appeared on her face, and she whispered in Mei Xiawen's ear, "You see, a beautiful woman, no matter how bad her background is, as long as she has the looks and brains, she has unlimited possibilities. So never underestimate a woman. "
"What do you mean?" Mei Xiawen pushed Jiang Hongcha away, "Nianzhi isn't that kind of person."
He refused to believe that Gu Nianzhi had betrayed him like Jiang Hongcha had.
"I didn't say she was that kind of person." Jiang Hongcha sat back on the sofa and crossed her slender legs. She rested her chin on her hand, and said dryly, "But a penniless orphan suddenly having an 18th birthday party on a Caribbean cruise ship, doesn't that mean she found a sugar daddy?"
Mei Xiawen walked into the back room without a word, and took out his phone to call Gu Nianzhi.
It was seven or eight o 'clock in the morning on Gu Nianzhi's side.
She had just walked into the Committee of Appropriations office in the US Capitol when her phone rang. Seeing that it was Mei Xiawen, she happily answered the call. "Xiawen? Did you get the invitation? "
"I did." Mei Xiawen suppressed his anger, and asked quietly, "Nianzhi, why did you want to celebrate your birthday on a Caribbean cruise ship?"
"It's not what I wanted." Gu Nianzhi said cheerfully, "It's Professor He, he's celebrating my birthday with everyone on a Caribbean cruise ship."
So it was Professor He.
Mei Xiawen breathed a sigh of relief, but when he thought about it, his heart sank again. "Professor He? He … He … Why is he so nice to you? Why is he willing to spend so much money? "
Mei Xiawen's tone made Gu Nianzhi very unhappy, "What do you mean? Make yourself clear. "
She angrily walked into her small office and shut the door.
Mei Xiawen raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, "Don't play dumb, you know what I mean. Tell me, why would a mentor take out so much money to celebrate your birthday? Do you think I'm stupid?! "
"Mei Xiawen! Don't humiliate me and Professor He! "Gu Nianzhi was furious, she wanted to throw her phone away," Apologize to me right now! Or I'll never talk to you again! "
Gu Nianzhi's reaction was so dramatic, her voice even had a hint of nasal sobbing.
"… Is there really no other reason?" Mei Xiawen was also nervous, "Nianzhi, you know I love you, I've been waiting for you, and you promised to be my girlfriend when you come back in six months. You can't go back on your word!"
Gu Nianzhi was very angry, but Mei Xiawen was so worried about her that she couldn't continue arguing with him, and his concerns weren't completely unreasonable.
Before Gu Nianzhi knew about He Zhichu's generosity towards his students, hadn't she also cautiously kept her distance from him?
"Xiawen, Professor He's status is not ordinary, he's always been this generous when it comes to his students' birthdays. I didn't really go out of line this time. " Gu Nianzhi suppressed her anger and explained to Mei Xiawen, "He once sent his students on a day trip to Las Vegas, booked a whole theater at Universal Studios in Florida, and even took them hunting in Africa, all at Professor He's expense."
"What?!" Mei Xiawen suddenly realized he was wrong, and his face was full of shame. He was truly a frog in a well, it seemed like people like Professor He were even richer than him, a second-generation rich kid from an aristocratic family.
"Nianzhi, I was wrong, I shouldn't have thought like that before I figured it out." Mei Xiawen sincerely apologized, "You see, it's really different being Professor He's student. There's no professor in our country who would go this far for their own graduate student. "
Gu Nianzhi admired Mei Xiawen's attitude of correcting his mistakes and not letting them argue overnight. They were in a different place and still in the early stages of getting to know each other, so a prompt explanation like this was all the more necessary.
She hadn't even agreed to be his girlfriend, yet Mei Xiawen was already so worried about her. Was this really an expression of love?
"Alright, I shouldn't have lost my temper at you just now." Gu Nianzhi gave Mei Xiawen a way out, "So are you coming or not?"
"Of course I'll come, I'll definitely come!" Mei Xiawen rubbed his palms together, he planned to use this opportunity to get closer to Professor He, and let him know that Gu Nianzhi was his girlfriend. Would he take care of him?
After hanging up, Mei Xiawen pushed open the door to see Jiang Hongcha standing up from her computer.
"What are you doing?" Mei Xiawen didn't like people touching his computer.
"Playing minesweeper." Jiang Hongcha shrugged, "How was it? Did you get the answer? "
"Yeah, her professor threw a birthday party for her." Mei Xiawen tossed his phone onto the computer desk, "You're overthinking it."
"Professor?" Jiang Hongcha's eyes darted around, "Xiawen, when I was studying at the Juliet School of Music, I heard that one of our female classmates slept with a professor in exchange for good grades and scholarships …"
"Professor He isn't that kind of person." Mei Xiawen finally understood, "And for her, celebrating her birthday on a cruise ship is like getting your nails done. Do you really think getting your nails done is going to bankrupt you?"
Having known Mei Xiawen for so long, Jiang Hongcha felt that this was the first time he had insulted her so harshly.
She endured and endured, but in the end, she kept Mei Xiawen company, as if nothing had happened.
Mei Xiawen had everything planned out, but the next morning, when he was about to board the plane, Jiang Hongcha, who had spent the night with him, suddenly complained of a stomachache. She rolled around on the bed in pain …
"Hongcha? Hongcha? Are you alright?! "Mei Xiawen picked up his phone in a panic, and called an ambulance.
Half an hour later, Jiang Hongcha was rushed to the operating room.
Mei Xiawen sat alone outside the operating room, not daring to speak to anyone, because the doctor had told him that Jiang Hongcha had miscarried …
He watched helplessly as his plane flew away.
Two hours later, Jiang Hongcha was wheeled out of the operating room.
The obstetrician with the loudest voice looked at Mei Xiawen reproachfully, "You too, your girlfriend has a child, and you still don't know how to control yourself. Are you happy now that the child is gone?"
Mei Xiawen was speechless.
He quietly stayed by Jiang Hongcha's bedside until she woke up that afternoon.
"Xiawen?" Jiang Hongcha looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry for delaying your flight. Hurry up and book another flight, it's not too late."
Mei Xiawen shook his head, "It's okay. I'll celebrate her birthday with her when she returns next year. I want to be with you for the next few days. "
Even if she had miscarried, she still needed confinement.
…
Soon after, Gu Nianzhi, who was far away in a foreign country, received a text from Mei Xiawen, saying that he was busy for the next few days and wouldn't be able to make it.
Gu Nianzhi looked at her phone, and didn't feel particularly disappointed. She thought about it, and texted Mei Xiawen back, politely expressing her understanding.
He Zhichu wasn't in Washington for the next few days either.
Wen Shouyi said that Professor He had urgent matters to attend to at home, so he had to rush back. He might not be able to attend the birthday party, but he had entrusted everything to Wen Shouyi, and so on.
Gu Nianzhi didn't completely believe Wen Shouyi, but He Zhichu still hadn't returned the night before her birthday.
Gu Nianzhi hugged her panda pillow as she sat in her bedroom, resting her head on her hand. This time, it was probably only Uncle Huo and the others who would be by her side to celebrate her birthday with her.
Zhao Liangze knocked on the door, and smiled, "Sleep early, we have to go to the airport early tomorrow morning."
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