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Derek Gu's gaze pierced through the overlapping silhouettes of the elegant figures, finally settling on a woman in a corner holding a tray, her eyes closed in blissful contentment, as lazy as a cat, quietly enjoying her meal. Perhaps sensing his gaze, she lifted her head and gave him a pure, innocent smile, revealing a small fang that added a touch of innocence to her face, which was as as his own.
He quietly stepped back from the crowd, furrowing his handsome brows as he approached the woman. With a sigh, he gently wiped away a small smudge from the corner of her mouth.
The woman licked her lips, still savoring the taste, and smiled at him. “Are you hungry? Want some? It's delicious!”
Derek Gu's eyes were filled with unhidden indulgence and concern. He elegantly cut the food on the plate with the knife and fork in her hand, took a few bites, and said, “You're the only one who has the luxury to hide here and enjoy the food!”
The woman laughed and said in a playful tone, “There's so much good food at the banquet, I couldn't resist!”
Seeing that Derek Gu had finished in just a few bites, she blinked her bright eyes: “Want more? It's your birthday today; you won't have the energy to socialize if you don't eat your fill!”
Derek Gu stared at her in silence, his emotions churning beneath his eyes.
The woman extended her slender fingers, pinching his handsome cheeks and pulling them apart mischievously: Hey, don't be like that. Every year on this day, you act like I owe you eight million. Today is your birthday, so smile!"
Faced with the woman's carefree attitude, Derek Gu was both annoyed and helpless. From childhood to adulthood, she had always been this way—unaware of and indifferent to everything. The older she got, the more she enjoyed this invisible state.
“Hey, Derek Gu, if Grandpa sees you like this, he'll think I'm bullying you! Hmm, you're getting more and more handsome!”
She rummaged through her pocket and finally pulled out a small item resembling a phone charm, casually slipping it into Derek Gu's palm: “Happy birthday!”
Derek Gu, who had been frowning, finally smiled when he saw the item in his hand and said excitedly, “Did you embroider this?”
Then he nervously took the woman's hand, checked it, and only relaxed when he saw there were no wounds. The woman gave him a look that said, “Do you really think I'm an i***t?” and angrily pulled her hand back: It's my first time embroidering, so of course it's not great. You don't have to look down on me like that! It hurts my pride!"
Inside the transparent plastic frame, a cartoon-style couple stood hand in hand. The girl showed off exaggerated fangs, and the boy smiled brightly. There were no letters or Chinese characters, and the back was a tangled mess of threads like a knotted spiderweb.
Seeing Derek Gu's smile, the woman glared at him in embarrassment and anger: “If you don't like it, give it back!” She reached out to take it back.
“There's no such thing as taking back a gift once it's given!” Derek Gu smiled, revealing a row of white teeth, quickly put the item away, and pulled out a beautifully wrapped small envelope, smiling brightly: “Sis, happy birthday!”
A fleeting wave of moisture flashed in the woman's eyes. She blinked her misty eyes, gave a silly smile, took the gift Derek Gu handed her, and quickly kissed his cheek with her oil-stained red lips before putting the gift away.
“Aren't you going to look at it?” Derek Gu was dissatisfied with the woman's casual disposal of his gift.
The woman reluctantly opened the envelope, which contained a check. She quietly hugged Derek Gu: “Thank you!”
Actually, she didn't need to look to know what it was. From childhood to adulthood, he had given her a gift every year on this day. When she was young, it was pocket money; as she grew older, it became a savings book or a bank card. This time, it was a check.
On her birthday when she was still missing two front teeth, he, surrounded by a room full of birthday gifts, asked her, who was quiet and seemed almost invisible: “Sis, what’s your favorite gift?”
“Money!” She was quiet and well-behaved, unlike a child.
The Gu Family was one of the older families in the city. The old patriarch had five children, who in turn had eight daughters each. Though all were intelligent and beautiful, they were not boys, and few could win the old patriarch’s favor.
After years of eager anticipation, he finally welcomed a grandson, Derek Gu.
With eight beautiful and graceful older sisters above her and an outstanding younger brother below her, her awkward position in the family made her an invisible person in the Gu Family for twenty years.
But she wasn't invisible. The two were twins, one named Sophia Gu and the other Derek Gu.
The woman glanced at Derek Gu, her eyes filled with laughter. This was her brother, her most important brother.
She leaned lazily against the window frame, her legs pressed against the large glass wall, slowly using a fork to pick fruit from the plate and place it in her mouth. The sweetness made her eyes squint, and she looked as happy as a cat that had stolen some milk.
The dance floor was filled with people, young men and women dressed in fashionable, elegant attire, spinning around as their skirts swayed in beautiful arcs. Today was the birthday of Derek Gu, the beloved son of the Gu Family. This grand birthday party was held in his honor, attended by the city’s most prominent figures. The men wore tailored suits, and the women moved gracefully, gently swaying the golden liquid in their glasses as they chatted softly and warmly.
The Gu Family's eight daughters, each with their own unique charm—some elegant, some intellectual, some lively, some charming—all greeted the guests with graceful smiles. Each daughter shone brightly, showcasing her own allure, yet none overshadowed today's main guest, Derek Gu.
