191: Chapter 191 I said I was serious

At this moment, a middle-aged woman with a sturdy build and a face etched with vicissitudes and fatigue, having heard the news of Su Ye's ten-million donation, walked over quickly from the side, squeezed into the crowd, and extended her right hand toward Su Ye with a hearty and gentle expression, saying gratefully:

"Thank you, thank you, sir. I am one of the organizers of this charity gala, Teacher Han. Thank you for your contribution to children's medical care."

Looking at Teacher Han before him, Su Ye felt a mix of emotions. This woman could have clearly enjoyed a high-society life, yet she had resolutely devoted herself to the charity industry. Moreover, when there was work to be done, she truly stepped up, and when it came to money, she truly donated. It could be said that if the concept of merit truly existed, Teacher Han would certainly have several halos behind her head.

Su Ye reached out and firmly grasped Teacher Han's hand, saying with a warm smile on his face:

"It is just a small token of my effort. I hope it can help some children."

After a pause, Su Ye took out a business card from his pocket. This had been customized for him by Zhang Jing, and it was supposedly made of some kind of recycled meteorite powder mixed paper. Originally, the suggestion was to use handmade bamboo fiber paper from Japan, but Su Ye refused, so this was chosen instead.

The light gray business card lacked any exaggerated titles or cumbersome information; it only featured an embossed pattern, a name, and a string of phone numbers.

"If Teacher Han ever needs help or encounters any trouble in Sichuan Province, you can call this number."

After saying this, Su Ye smiled at the surrounding crowd and then led Gu Qingyan away by her small hand. The matter was finished, but Su Ye had no intention of attending the gala later.

Three words: Meaningless.

By the time Teacher Han came to her senses, Su Ye had already vanished from the banquet hall. Her calloused hand rubbed the business card, feeling the texture of the embossing, before she carefully tucked the card into her pocket.

Teacher Han felt a bit annoyed; she had actually been dazed just now and hadn't asked for this gentleman's name.

She did not know who this young man was—she had never seen him before, nor had she even heard his name. However, from the young man's generosity and demeanor, Teacher Han knew that this business card might help her solve a major problem in the future.

Of course, Teacher Han had encountered quite a few people like Su Ye over the years. In the vast Summer Nation, there were always some people who could not bear to see the suffering of the world and wanted to give her a hand.

This was also one of the motivations that had supported her in continuing her work for so many years. She knew she was not walking alone; many people had silently given her a lot of support and helped her resolve many troubles.

After Su Ye left, a young man in a gray suit walked over to stand opposite Qin Qitian, pointing in the direction where Su Ye had disappeared with a hint of mockery, saying:

"What? Young Master Qin, aren't you going to greet an old acquaintance when you see one?"

This person was also a member of Liu Yi's circle. His family's strength was slightly greater than that of the former Qin Family, but only to a limited extent. He was a minor, invisible character with little presence. When Qin Qitian had first arrived, he had been very enthusiastic because, with Qin Qitian there, he wasn't the one of the lowest status.

However, with the Qin Family now acting as dogs for the Liu Family, Qin Qitian's status in Liu Yi's circle had risen; at the very least, it was higher than his. Thus, he had become the bottom-tier invisible person again, and naturally, he was unhappy with Qin Qitian.

A young man who had been chatting happily with Qin Qitian earlier heard this and asked curiously:

"Brother Zhe, are you saying Young Master Qin knows that big shot from just now?"

Brother Zhe's eyes lit up. This was like being handed a pillow just as one was getting drowsy; he had just been worrying about how to spread the news of Su Ye beating the Qin Family into submission, and now the opportunity had arrived.

Looking at the curious gazes all around, Brother Zhe cleared his throat and said:

"To talk about this big shot just now, he is no ordinary person—"

Qin Qitian did not stop Brother Zhe, because his mind was currently in chaos, and he himself did not know what he was thinking. Su Ye had already become his nightmare.

When the tourmaline-red AMG slowly pulled up to the Jinjiang Wharf, the deck of the "Wangjiang" yacht was already lit with warm yellow string lights, looking just like a cruise ship from a fairy tale.

Su Ye got out first, raising his hand to shield the top of the car door. Gu Qingyan stepped out, lifting the hem of her champagne-colored evening gown. Her newly changed high heels clicked softly as they stepped onto the wooden boardwalk of the wharf.

Su Ye gathered the cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders for her, his fingertips touching her slightly cool shoulder line.

"Hungry?"

"I've prepared white truffle pasta on the boat, as well as a Burgundy Romanée-Conti. It should taste quite good."

Gu Qingyan nodded with a smile, her gaze falling on the gilded boat emblem of the yacht, a flash of emotion in her eyes:

"I wanted to ride this last time I passed by the Jinjiang River, and I just mentioned it in passing. I didn't expect you to remember."

While they were talking, the captain in a white uniform bowed and came up to greet them, handing over warm towels:

"Mr. Su, Miss Gu, everything has been prepared according to your instructions. We can set sail now."

The moment they stepped onto the deck, the river breeze, laden with water vapor, rushed toward them. In the distance, the red lanterns of the Anshun Covered Bridge formed a continuous line, reflected on the river surface and swaying with the waves. The yacht's interior was in a French gilded style, with the crystal chandelier in the living room refracting fragmented light. The dining table was set by the window, covered with a damask silk tablecloth, and in the center were two fresh Ecuadorian roses, their petals still dotted with dew. A waiter pushed a dining cart forward, the silver tray holding chilled oysters, accompanied by lemon slices and caviar, with that bottle of 1990 Romanée-Conti chilling in the ice bucket nearby.

Su Ye poured half a glass of red wine for Gu Qingyan, the liquid sloshing in the crystal glass with an amber arc of light:

"Drink some wine first to warm your stomach."

Gu Qingyan forked an oyster. Upon tasting it, the crispness of the seawater and the salty freshness of the caviar filled her mouth. She curved her eyes and said, a bit surprised:

"These oysters are so fresh."

As she finished speaking, the yacht slowly sailed away from the wharf, and the buildings on the shore gradually receded. The light show of the International Finance Center's "Twin Towers" was just lighting up, weaving blue and purple light bands into a fantasy in the night sky, making Gu Qingyan's profile look even softer.

The waiters brought out the main courses one after another. The white truffle pasta released a rich aroma the moment it was placed on the table; the truffle was shaved on the spot, its thin slices landing on the noodles, shimmering with marble-like veins.

The Australian Wagyu ribeye was pan-seared to medium-well; when cut, it had juices but no pink color, accompanied by mashed potatoes seasoned with black truffle sauce. Su Ye cut the steak for Gu Qingyan and passed it to her, winking:

"Taste this; it should suit the palate of people of the Summer Nation."

Gu Qingyan took a bite, the meat juices melting on her tongue, mixed with the aroma of black truffle. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction:

"I've discovered that skipping the dining portion of the gala was the right choice."

Su Ye watched her, a smile welling up in his eyes. He raised his hand to check his wristwatch—the hour hand had just passed nine. He tapped the table twice, and the waiter understood and retreated outside the cabin. On the deck, only the sound of the two breathing and the gentle flow of the river remained.

Su Ye suddenly took Gu Qingyan's hand and pointed to the night sky.

"Look over there."

The moment Gu Qingyan looked up, dozens of drones rose from low over the river surface. First, they formed an arc, then slowly changed formation—first into a rounded heart shape, flashing with warm white light in the night sky. Immediately after, the two characters "Qingyan" appeared in the center of the heart, the strokes fluid, even the vertical hook of the character "Qing" in her name having a soft curve.

The river breeze blew past, and the lights of the drones cast fragmented reflections on the water, echoing the string lights of the yacht. The entire Jinjiang River seemed to have become a backdrop for this romance.

Gu Qingyan's eyes lit up instantly, and the smile on her lips spread uncontrollably. She turned to look at Su Ye, her eyes shimmering with fine tears:

"When did you arrange this?"

Su Ye wiped away the glimmer from the corner of her eye, his fingertips warm, and said with a smile:

"Earlier, when I saw you scrolling through Douyin, you were so mesmerized for a long time."

The drones were still changing formations, the heart shape slowly rotating around the name "Qingyan." Gu Qingyan leaned on Su Ye's shoulder, smelling the faint cedar scent on him and listening to the sound of the river flowing under the boat, suddenly feeling that this moment was more precious than any luxurious gala.

Su Ye gently put his arm around her waist, his gaze falling on her smiling profile, thinking to himself—I have said that although my heart is broken into many pieces, I am serious about all of you.