Gu Yebai understood clearly.
The moment Yi knocked on the door, he had already lost all avenues of retreat.
He stood up.
Yet within him, there was neither the wild joy of a carp leaping over the dragon’s gate that one might imagine, nor the intense resistance of self-imposed isolation.
No one in this situation had done anything wrong.
It was just that everyone was being pushed forward by fate.
He had long grown accustomed to loneliness and poverty.
But suddenly, someone told him: He no longer needed to live like this.
He could be taken away, could be cherished, could be compensated.
He would possess everything he had never dared to dream of before.
And yet, to Gu Yebai, all of this was not purely good news.
“I’m coming.”
Gu Yebai responded.
His voice was as steady as he could make it.
He began subconsciously managing his expression.
Since he was a child, he had never liked disappointing anyone, just like back when he was taking care of his parents, wanting so badly to cry, yet forcing a smile instead.
Some emotions were not meant to be spoken aloud.
Some emotions, if voiced, wouldn’t be understood, only seen as affectation.
Gu Yebai reached out and opened the door.
The light from the hallway poured in, stabbing into his somewhat dim and cramped little room.
Yi stood right at the doorstep.
“Uncle Bai, I’ve finally met you!”
The moment her voice fell, it was as if a flame had been ignited.
Her red hair was dazzling under the light, almost blazing.
The dark red Versace evening dress clung tightly to her slender, sharply defined waist.
Silver stiletto heels clicked against the floor—cold, hard, and flamboyant.
It wasn’t simple beauty, but an aggressive sense of impact that threatened to pull anyone in.
She had once been one of his most familiar long-time readers.
Also the one who, during his most financially strained and loneliest years, had given him the most help, always accompanying him through countless long nights of writing.
And now, she stood at his doorstep.
Gu Yebai subconsciously swallowed, his mind a complete blank.
What should he say?
Should he be warm, or maintain calm and restraint?
He hadn’t even had time to make a choice.
Less than a second after they met, the girl had already stepped forward and pulled him completely into her arms.
Gao Hongyi held Gu Yebai tightly.
The embrace was nearly suffocating, carrying a force that brooked no refusal, as if wanting to ignite him along with her, to melt him into her blazing, obsessive flame.
Her scent invaded Gu Yebai’s breath almost instantly.
The slightly bitter and crisp fragrance of bergamot perfume intertwined with her unique body temperature.
They were too close, so close it made thought impossible, slowly numbing Gu Yebai’s nerves.
No superfluous words.
She was simply using her actions to tell him one thing, unmistakably clear.
Once she held him.
He could forget about walking away unscathed.
“Uncle Bai… you big liar… You finally got caught, didn’t you?”
Her voice was close to his ear, carrying a slight tremor, and an undisguised sob.
“Is it that dramatic? Look how excited you are…”
Gu Yebai instinctively wanted to raise his hand to pat her shoulder.
But the motion stopped mid-air.
Perhaps it was because he had rarely been this close to a girl before.
The thought of touching her smooth, fair, completely exposed skin with his own hand made him hesitate.
Because she was too beautiful.
Far more beautiful than in her photos.
Although she herself didn’t mind the embrace at all, at that moment, because of her overwhelmingly radiant presence, Gu Yebai felt a surge of instinctive inferiority.
“I would definitely be incredibly excited…”
“Ever since I first read Uncle Bai’s words, ever since I knew that someone like you existed in this world, I’ve been longing for this meeting every single moment…”
She held on even tighter.
So tight that Gu Yebai could hardly breathe.
Her body was pressed firmly against his chest, leaving him no space to step back even half a pace.
Those seemingly slender arms possessed a strength completely disproportionate to her appearance, holding him securely in place.
“Uncle Bai has absolutely no idea how long I’ve been waiting for you…”
Her voice was very low, yet exceptionally earnest.
A gentle but persistent warmth slowly spread from where they touched, as if intending to melt the lingering chill deep in Gu Yebai’s heart, drop by drop.
“Can you feel my heartbeat, Uncle Bai?”
Gao Hongyi suddenly tilted her head and smiled.
It was a smile so beautiful it was hard to look away from.
In that instant, the smile carried satisfaction, relief, and also a hint of nearly dangerous reassurance.
As if she had finally confirmed something.
It was probably the most beautiful smile a woman could show before the man she truly loved.
Her slightly narrowed eyes held an undeniable stubbornness and possessiveness.
“It’s wonderful.”
“In this moment, we’ve finally become family.”
“Little Yi, you… let go first…”
Just then, Gao Hongyi’s parents also stood in the hallway, watching the scene with slightly amused expressions.
Being seen like this by her biological parents was obviously improper.
At least, that’s what Gu Yebai thought.
“Oh dear, sweetheart, I told you to slow down.”
“Us coming up the stairs so fast, did we interrupt the children’s alone time?”
Ya Xinyao gently chided her husband, a hint of helplessness in her tone.
“With us here, the kids can’t really open up either.”
“Little Gu, hello.”
“I called you before, I’m Gao Hongzhi.”
Gao Hongzhi stood with his wife at the doorway the entire time, not rashly stepping inside.
“I know that receiving so much information in a single day must be hard to process right away.”
“That’s alright. You can just call me Uncle Gao for now. This is my wife, Ya Xinyao, you can call her Auntie Ya.”
“No need to rush. Take it slow.”
They didn’t immediately demand that Gu Yebai address them as parents from the outset.
This careful restraint and respect made Gu Yebai feel a considerable amount of goodwill towards them.
And from beginning to end, without his permission, they quietly stood in the hallway, without a trace of the condescension and self-importance often associated with the wealthy.
They showed him ample respect.
“Uncle Gao, Auntie Ya, please come in.”
“You can just come in with your shoes on.”
“Then we’ll intrude, Little Gu.”
Gao Hongzhi and Ya Xinyao carefully stepped into the home.
“And lastly, this is my daughter, Gao Hongyi. You two have known each other for a long time.”
“Gao Hongyi…”
Gu Yebai repeated, this was the first time he had heard Little Yi’s real name.
The small home was less than fifty square meters, very small, almost entirely visible at a glance.
The entrance was extremely narrow, barely enough space for three pairs of shoes.
The living room and the two bedrooms were connected.
A not-very-wide bed and a worn-out desk were almost completely submerged under densely stacked novels and picture books.
The walls were plastered with various awards Gu Yebai had earned from childhood to the present.
The master bedroom was slightly more spacious, containing a double bed.
Hanging above the headboard was a wedding photo of a couple.
The two people in the photo smiled joyfully, their eyes seemingly still holding deep hopes for the future.
Further inside were funeral portraits.
In front of the portraits, traces remained from the incense burned earlier today.