Mr. Xu rubbed his aching eyes, his voice strained with a heartache he couldn’t hide.
“Can you imagine? A 14 or 15-year-old child, carrying a heavy, tattered backpack every day, walking through those long hospital corridors. Every day, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was life and death.”
“In weather that was more than 10 degrees below zero, he was still wearing that thin, old coat. His cuffs were always damp, and he constantly smelled of disinfectant. That child… it really wasn’t easy for him.”
“The old Gu Yebai was very cheerful, lively, and played basketball well. He was kind-hearted — to the point of being a bit foolish. If anyone ran into trouble, he would be the first one to rush in and help.”
“But in the first semester of his third year of middle school, both his parents fell seriously ill. In just one year, it was as if his soul had been suddenly snatched away.”
Mr. Xu’s voice dropped.
“He became quiet and withdrawn. Once, I saw him crying alone at the entrance of the stairwell in the hallway.”
Mr. Xu paused, as if afraid his voice would choke up completely if he continued.
“I did a home visit and went to his house. It was a building in the old factory district, and there wasn’t a single decent piece of furniture in the room.”
“He is very filial.”
Mr. Xu’s fist slowly tightened, his knuckles turning slightly white.
“I heard his parents’ medical bills cost a lot of money. It was the kind of money you knew wouldn’t cure them, yet you had no choice but to keep spending.”
“At that time, I went to the school leadership to apply for donations for him. But even with donations, it was just a drop in the bucket.”
His tone was filled with obvious self-reproach.
“Later, I heard he started writing webnovels to earn money for the medical bills. He worked so hard. A mere child somehow managed to support an entire household.”
“Gu Yebai’s grades were always good, but at that time, they were far from the level of ranking second in the whole county.”
Mr. Xu sighed softly.
“I think he must have pushed himself to that point just to put his parents’ minds at ease. This child works desperately at everything — taking care of his parents, studying, and writing novels. The only thing he never considered was himself.”
“In fact, his grades were more than enough to get into a Provincial Key High School, enter the experimental class, and receive scholarships and poverty grants. But to take care of his parents, he rejected them all.”
Mr. Xu gave a bitter laugh.
“Foolish and kind. Among all the students I’ve taught, he is the one I can never forget.”
“Last week, when I saw him for the last time, his parents were already gone.”
“That child is all alone now, yet he’s still as stubborn as ever, never asking anyone for help.”
Mr. Xu was immersed in his own memories, telling Gu Yebai’s story to himself, completely unaware that the red-haired girl was already trembling with tears.
Gao Hongzhi and Ya Xinyao’s eyes were also red.
They kept their breathing low, as if afraid that any sound would cause them to lose control of their emotions completely.
Despite never having spent even a single day with Gu Yebai, they could empathize with him so deeply.
This brought a sense of inexplicable relief to Mr. Xu’s heart.
At first, he indeed had concerns.
He worried that if Gu Yebai returned to his biological parents, he might not necessarily find happiness.
After all, it was a completely foreign family, and too many wealthy people had luxurious lives but souls that were chillingly cold.
Mr. Xu had graduated from a prestigious university, but because of his blunt nature and refusal to flatter others, he had stayed in this small county his whole life, watching opportunities slip through his fingers time and again.
Because of this, he had initially been wary of Gu Yebai’s biological parents.
But at this moment, the tense string in his heart finally loosened.
“Little Gu is a good kid.”
Mr. Xu took a deep breath, his gaze seemingly returning to those middle school days.
“I teach Chinese, and he was my subject representative. In a sense, he was like my own child.”
“I only ask one thing of you.”
“You must take good care of him. Help him leave this small county and never let him come back.”
“That child deserves to see a wider world.”
“Rest assured, Mr. Xu.”
Gao Hongzhi stood up abruptly.
His voice trembled, yet it carried an unquestionable strength.
“That is exactly why I came. From now on, I will fulfill my responsibility as a father. As long as I have a breath left, I will never let him suffer again. I will make sure he lives a truly happy life.”
Mr. Xu nodded, his gaze involuntarily falling on Gao Hongyi, who was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.
She turned her beautiful, delicate face to the side, biting her lip hard, as if unwilling to let anyone see her lose composure.
Initially, when he saw her red hair, Mr. Xu had some prejudices.
But now, seeing her cry like this for Gu Yebai, that bit of friction quietly dissipated.
“This is your daughter, Mr. Gao?”
Mr. Xu’s tone softened.
“Seeing this young girl cry like this… I did have some misunderstandings about your family at first. I apologize to you now.”
“Additionally, while dyeing your hair isn’t great, I can see that your whole family is kind-hearted.”
“In that case, I can rest easy.”
Gao Hongyi sobbed, unable to even utter a complete sentence.
She could only be heard whispering in broken murmurs.
“We must… make him happy.”
“I definitely won’t let… him suffer again.”
“I will… love him dearly.”
It was already 6:30 PM when they saw Mr. Xu off.
Gao Hongzhi and Ya Xinyao looked at each other, and a thought occurred to both of them at the same time.
It was certain that Gao Hongyi had admired White Night Walker since three years ago, and now, she had confirmed that White Night Walker was none other than their biological son, Gu Yebai.
This trip to Linchen had yielded results far beyond expectations.
Whether it was his appearance, character, or learning ability, Gu Yebai was nearly perfect.
Furthermore, he was of the Gao bloodline.
Gao Hongyi was the same.
Though they shared no blood, they had lived together since childhood, and she was already a true daughter in their hearts.
If they lived together after the reunion…
They were the same age and already had an emotional foundation.
Why not make them even closer than kin?
Moreover, Gao Hongyi’s relatives were also long gone.
“Hongyi,” Ya Xinyao suddenly spoke, “do you like Gu Yebai?”
“Of course I like him!”
“But you haven’t actually met him yet, let alone lived together.”
“But I’ve known him for three years! I’m certain that I’m currently the person in this world who understands him best and loves him most!”
Gao Hongyi blurted out.
“Even if we haven’t lived together, I know everything about him. He — “
Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly realized something, and her pretty face instantly turned beet red.
The piano princess, who had been confessed to by countless boys but had always remained cold, now looked like a young girl in the first flush of love.
If those suitors saw this scene, they would probably have a mental breakdown on the spot.
“Don’t speak too soon,” Gao Hongzhi gave a light cough.
“However, Hongyi, I don’t object to you and Little Gu being together. If there truly is an emotion between you that goes beyond family, I will definitely give my full support.”
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