Gu Yu Sheng was unusually patient this time, not urging her or showing any signs of impatience. Even after pressing the elevator button, when she hadn't reached it yet and the doors were about to close, he stretched out his hand to hold them open, waiting until she had stepped inside before following her in.

  Arriving at the floor where the dinner party was located, Gu Yu Sheng still let her go out first. This time, he didn't walk quickly in front of her like he did upstairs, but instead slowed down his pace and stepped into the grand hall of the dinner party with a calm and steady gait.

  At the dinner party, there were many people and inevitably some socializing.

  Gu's family had some reputation in Beijing's business circle, so people came to visit Gu Yusheng one after another.

  Qin Zhi Ai was afraid that she would accidentally cause some trouble, making it difficult for Gu Yu Sheng to handle, and then provoke him, ultimately suffering the consequences herself. So no matter how much her stomach hurt, her face always had a faint smile, standing by his side with poise, holding onto his arm, playing the role of a beautiful and perfect accompaniment.

  Even when clinking glasses with others while drinking, even if the wine is icy, she would lightly take two sips with elegance.

  It was just as well that Gu Yu Sheng had already greeted many people at the dinner party, so he didn't feel too out of place. After exchanging pleasantries with a Mr. Zhang he had recently collaborated with, he made his way to the resting area and sat down beside Lu Ban Cheng, who was chatting away with someone else.

  That table gathered many people, including both men and women.

  Apart from Lu Ban Cheng and Wu Huang, Qin Zhi Ai was very familiar with the rest of them, they were all people she had met before, a group that often hung out with Gu Yu Sheng on a daily basis.

  After Gu Yu sat down, he took out a cigarette from the cigarette box on the table and put it in his mouth before searching for a lighter.

  The lighter was a bit far from him, not enough to reach. Qin Zhi'ai, who was sitting next to him, helped to pick it up and handed it over to him. When she did, he didn't take it, but instead leaned in close to her face with the cigarette in his mouth.

  Qin Zhi'ai understood what he meant, because of abdominal pain, she pressed the lighter several times before pressing out fire and then stretched it to his cigarette.

  He took a drag, sparks flew from the cigarette butt, Qin Zhi'ai put away the lighter and placed it on the table. At this point, she had really reached her limit of endurance. She was afraid that if she continued to sit with him, she would reveal her weakness due to the unbearable pain, so she leaned in close to his ear and whispered: "I'll go to the restroom."

  Gu Yu Sheng was smoking, heard Qin Zhi Ai's words, nodded, then used his fingers to pinch the cigarette from his mouth, spat out a messy puff of smoke, and opened his mouth again to say: "Go."

  ……

  Qin Zhi'ai had just accompanied Gu Yu to a social engagement when she noticed that at the northernmost part of the banquet hall, there was a door. Going out, and walking down about ten flights of stairs, there was a small balcony.

  It's summer now, and it's a bit hot outside. There are almost no people there, so after Qin Zhi Ai got the permission from Gu Yu Sheng, she pretended to go out to the restroom first, and when Gu Yu Sheng couldn't see her, she went to that small balcony.