Back to the Past: The Rise of the False Heiress Marrying the True Tycoon-Chapter 1041 Inviting Xu Sheng

As Jin Long watched the Zhang family awkwardly depart, he felt no pity for them. They had brought this upon themselves.

Turning to his subordinates, he gave firm instructions, "Quickly clear out the first floor, we're using it for the reception. Get rid of all the tables and chairs they used—everything must be replaced with new ones. I don't want my sister-in-law anywhere near their bad luck. Get to work now!"

To be honest, when Jin Long had initially agreed to book the private room for the Gu family, he simply wanted to watch them embarrass themselves. But what he hadn't expected was how blind they were, unable to even notice the celebratory banner hanging above them. Worse, they still had the gall to mock his sister-in-law, again and again.

It made him feel deeply guilty. Had he known it would cause such trouble, he would have never allowed them to book the room. Now, the whole situation felt cursed. The furniture had to be replaced, disinfected, and the air in the room needed to be completely freshened up.

Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.

Meanwhile, Gu Zi sat on the second floor, relaxing with some light snacks and a cup of oolong tea.

She felt at ease, unaffected by the drama below. She was only thinking about the grand banquet Jin Long had organized. It wasn't that she minded the expense—it was simply that she hadn't expected things to be so lavish.

She turned to Su Shen, her expression playful. "Do you have a red envelope with you? Give me one."

It was a special day for Gu Zi, and Su Shen had come prepared, with plenty of red envelopes for the occasion. Seeing Gu Zi's request, he handed her a large one but still made sure to explain, "I have plenty of these ready. Don't worry about it."

Gu Zi accepted the envelope with a smile, and from her purse, she pulled out one thousand yuan—the amount of her scholarship. She added, "Jin Long has shown a lot of sincerity by covering the banquet costs, not just two or three thousand, but more. As the sister-in-law, I should give back a little, share some of this joy with him. I hope he and Gong Xin can find happiness together soon."

Su Shen nodded, supporting her decision. He called Jin Long over. When Jin Long saw the red envelope, he was immediately taken aback, refusing it with a grin, "Sister-in-law, you're treating me like an outsider. I can't accept this."

He thought back to how the Gu family had already used the room today—it felt like enough of a favor already. The fact that they weren't holding it against him was more than enough; accepting a red envelope would be inappropriate. He placed it back on the table, and with a quick motion, he was gone. Gu Zi could only shake her head in resignation.

Su Shen chuckled and said, "You keep your prize money for yourself. I'll make sure to return Jin Long's favor. Don't worry about it."

Meanwhile, at the Lin family's side, they arrived at four in the afternoon. They should've come earlier, especially considering how the town and city stores had closed for the day in honor of Gu Zi's celebration.

But An Yun was far too nervous. After all, her daughter had just become the provincial top scorer—she couldn't show up unprepared. Despite being always frugal, she insisted on buying herself a new outfit for the occasion.

The family readily agreed, and they accompanied her to the department store. After getting the clothes, Li Hua suggested they go to a salon for trendy hairstyles, followed by a stop to pick up gifts. Finally, they made their way to the Su family residence.

When Su Li saw his grandmother and aunt with their new hairstyles, he couldn't help but gasp in delight. "Grandma looks so beautiful! Auntie looks gorgeous too! Our family has so many beauties!"

His compliments put An Yun and Li Hua in high spirits. Though An Yun had been initially apprehensive about the new hairstyle, hearing Su Li's praise made her feel at ease. 'Well, if my grandson says it looks good, then it must be,' she thought to herself, beaming.

The Lin family hadn't planned to stay long—they intended to pick up the children and then head to Golden Sun Hotel for the banquet. But the children were so absorbed in playing, with Su Li and Gao Ming leading Su Le outside to play with Big Yellow, that the adults couldn't bear to interrupt.

An Yun finally suggested, "Let them enjoy themselves. We'll leave at twenty past four."

The children, hearing they had just twenty minutes left to play, threw themselves into the game with even more enthusiasm. Laughter echoed through the front yard, filling the air with joy.

Down the street at the Xu family, Xu Sheng had just finished a set of exercises and had a ten-minute break. He'd already heard the sounds of Su Li and the others playing outside.

Eager to join them, he dashed downstairs and peeked over the railing, watching the lively scene below with envy. He longed to join Su Li and the others in their fun.

But then he remembered how, the last time he had visited the Su family, he had almost caused his mother to misunderstand Aunt Gu Zi. That had made him cautious. Moreover, his mother had told him not to play with Su Li, so he stayed where he was, simply watching. The Su family's home was always full of noise, unlike his own quiet, solitary one.

Lost in thought, he didn't notice how Su Li had appeared right in front of him. Su Li grinned and called out, "Xu Sheng, do you want to come join us for the banquet? I'm inviting you!"