diff --git a/pyrogram/connection/transport/tcp/tcp.py b/pyrogram/connection/transport/tcp/tcp.py
index 1848ba35..a16f27ab 100644
--- a/pyrogram/connection/transport/tcp/tcp.py
+++ b/pyrogram/connection/transport/tcp/tcp.py
@@ -91,10 +91,8 @@ class TCP:
         )
         sock.settimeout(TCP.TIMEOUT)
 
-        await self.loop.sock_connect(
-            sock=sock,
-            address=destination
-        )
+        # fix: Use run_in_executor for socks.socksocket
+        await self.loop.run_in_executor(None, sock.connect, destination)
 
         sock.setblocking(False)
 
@@ -123,7 +121,7 @@ class TCP:
     async def connect(self, address: Tuple[str, int]) -> None:
         try:
             await asyncio.wait_for(self._connect(address), TCP.TIMEOUT)
-        except asyncio.TimeoutError:  # Re-raise as TimeoutError. asyncio.TimeoutError is deprecated in 3.11
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
             raise TimeoutError("Connection timed out")
 
     async def close(self) -> None:
diff --git a/pyrogram/methods/payments/send_gift.py b/pyrogram/methods/payments/send_gift.py
index b65d863b..40b709a3 100644
--- a/pyrogram/methods/payments/send_gift.py
+++ b/pyrogram/methods/payments/send_gift.py
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ class SendGift:
         """
         peer = await self.resolve_peer(chat_id)
 
-        text, entities = (await utils.parse_text_entities(self, text, parse_mode, entities)).values()
+        result = await utils.parse_text_entities(self, text, parse_mode, entities)
+        text, entities = result["message"], result["entities"]
 
         invoice = raw.types.InputInvoiceStarGift(
             peer=peer,
diff --git a/pyrogram/utils.py b/pyrogram/utils.py
index fc0e9abd..31b8f1b0 100644
--- a/pyrogram/utils.py
+++ b/pyrogram/utils.py
@@ -436,13 +436,15 @@ async def parse_text_entities(
     entities: List["types.MessageEntity"]
 ) -> Dict[str, Union[str, List[raw.base.MessageEntity]]]:
     if entities:
-        # Inject the client instance because parsing user mentions requires it
+      
         for entity in entities:
             entity._client = client
 
-        text, entities = text, [await entity.write() for entity in entities] or None
+        text, entities = text, [await entity.write() for entity in entities] or []
     else:
-        text, entities = (await client.parser.parse(text, parse_mode)).values()
+        parsed = await client.parser.parse(text, parse_mode)
+        
+        text, entities = parsed["message"], parsed.get("entities") or []
 
     return {
         "message": text,