Everything was already settled yesterday…
At the Ibis Hotel, Gao Hongyi had confessed to her parents.
“Dad, Mom, in this life, I will marry no one but Gu Yebai.”
“Therefore, I will definitely use every means I can think of to transform Uncle Bai into something that belongs to me.”
“Even if Uncle Bai likes someone else, I will stop at nothing to make him shift all his attention back onto me.”
This excessively resolute attitude didn’t sound like words from the Piano Princess who had once rejected countless outstanding young talents.
Her eyes held a stubbornness that would rather break than bend.
Gao Hongzhi had seen a similar look in his own eyes during his business battles, and it truly moved him.
Gu Yebai shared his bloodline and was a good child.
Gao Hongyi was also a good child with her own ideas.
So, there was no reason to refuse.
“We understand your feelings for Xiao Gu, and we will definitely support you with all our might.”
“Dad, Mom, you’re going to Yenching tomorrow, not directly back to Donghai, right?”
“I plan to spend a day in Shencheng with Uncle Bai; I want to be alone with him…”
“In the past, Uncle Bai had the chance to get into the provincial key high school in Shencheng, but he missed it. I want to visit the school he missed out on, just the two of us.”
“Uncle Bai once thought that if he just tried a little harder, maybe he could still live a decent life.”
“No, that’s completely wrong; he was born deserving better!”
“Next, I also want to stroll around an unfamiliar city with Uncle Bai, maybe play in an unfamiliar amusement park, or sing at a KTV, or maybe visit an aquarium, and then, I want to have a candlelit dinner with Uncle Bai.”
“Finally, return to the hotel together.”
“The whole time, no mom and dad around, just me and Uncle Bai. But precisely because mom and dad aren’t there, I can say more things, and I might even be more…”
“More?”
“More unscrupulous…”
“To turn Uncle Bai, from a timid big dumb dog, into a member of our family.”
“That’s it, basically.”
“So, Mom and Dad, when we get to Shencheng tomorrow, please cooperate with me.”
“No problem.”
“But you’re still young, especially you, Hongyi. The bottom line is you can’t have children too early; it would cause irreversible damage to your body.”
“Xiao Gu should be trustworthy, I think.”
……
……
Gu Yebai stood dumbfounded at the entrance of the Yunjing Grand Hotel in Shencheng.
This was his first time at such a high-end hotel: the well-arranged glass curtain wall, the polite doorman, the lobby faintly visible through the door.
Such a luxurious atmosphere made Gu Yebai’s legs feel weak.
Although the internet was developed, and Gu Yebai had searched for five-star hotels online for his writing, Seeing it on a screen was different from being there in person.
“Let’s go, Uncle Bai. We’re staying here tonight.”
Gao Hongyi took the opportunity to grab Gu Yebai’s hand and lead him towards the hotel.
Gu Yebai nodded.
He had to admit, this was the provincial capital after all.
Wider main streets than the county town, more high-rise buildings, and even more vehicles.
People were dressed more decently, more glamorously.
“Hey, Hongyi…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I can walk by myself, so, um…”
“What?”
“The hand.”
“It’s better if I hold it. If you get lost, or if a human trafficker grabs you, it’ll be trouble.”
“There are no human traffickers.”
“Well, maybe aliens will come and take Uncle Bai away?”
“There’s even less chance of aliens.”
“Okay, fine, I just simply like holding your hand, hehe.”
Wouldn’t she feel embarrassed, being seen holding hands with an ordinary person like him?
Gu Yebai thought silently to himself.
They approached the front desk.
“Hello, my father’s name is Gao Hongzhi. He booked two double rooms here. Do I need to give you my ID number?”
Gao Hongzhi seemed to be a friend of the hotel owner’s, and it appeared the front desk had already been notified beforehand.
So, even though Gu Yebai and Gao Hongyi were both minors, they easily checked into this hotel, which cost 1000 RMB per person per night.
“Uncle Bai, let’s take the elevator upstairs first.”
“Okay…”
Gu Yebai’s room was next to Gao Hongyi’s room.
Now, it really was just the two of them…
Should he consider his relationship with Gao Hongyi as family?
Her hand was so soft, and she smelled so good.
The first time, he could vaguely detect a scent of bergamot perfume on her.
This time, it seemed like a mix of tuberose and white lily.
It was somewhat enchanting.
“Hongyi, I’m going back to my room first. We got up at five o’clock today, so you should go back to your room and get some more sleep. After you’ve rested enough, um…”
Gao Hongyi still showed no sign of letting go.
“Hongyi?”
“Mom and Dad aren’t here now, Uncle Bai. Aren’t you going to stay in the same room as me?”
Gao Hongyi tilted her head, looking at Gu Yebai.
“That’s not appropriate.”
“What’s not appropriate about it?”
“A man and a woman alone together…”
“We’re family, not some so-called ‘man and woman alone.’ Could it be that Uncle Bai hates me?”
“Do you think I’m ugly?”
“Do you find me annoying?”
“Although this hotel is five-star, I’m still just a minor. If a bad person barges into my room, and there’s no one to protect me, what would I do, Uncle Bai?”
“Uncle Bai, I’m so scared…”
“But back in the county town, didn’t you also stay in a room by yourself?”
“Back then, Mom and Dad were on the same floor, so of course I wasn’t too scared. But now, I only have Uncle Bai. It’s like a drowning person instinctively grabbing onto a floating log in the sea. So, can this big, dumb log of mine give me a little sense of security?”
“Anyway, Mom and Dad aren’t here.”
“Uh…”
“Don’t be so shy, Uncle Bai. It’s not like I’m going to eat you, am I?”
Gao Hongyi hooked her arm firmly around Gu Yebai’s.
“Being eaten by you… that should probably be a good thing…”
Gu Yebai swallowed hard.
Being in the same room alone with a girl like Gao Hongyi was excessively stimulating for a red-blooded young man like Gu Yebai.
“Then just get in here, Uncle Bai!”
“But we booked two rooms, that one will go to waste…”
“Nagging. Our family has money. Booking one extra is just a backup.”
“Come on, let’s go into the room.”
If the bed gets dirty, they can just change the sheets.
Perfectly fine.
Mom and Dad said not to have children at an age when they shouldn’t be having them.
Gao Hongyi was very obedient.
So even if something really did happen, there would be safety measures in place.
And so, Gu Yebai, half-persuaded and half-pushed, was dragged into Gao Hongyi’s room.
Sometimes, it was really hard to imagine that Gao Hongyi’s seemingly delicate body could occasionally burst with a strength that even left Gu Yebai struggling to cope.
She took off her deep red velvet baseball cap and plopped it onto Gu Yebai’s head.
For some reason, the image that subconsciously came to Gu Yebai’s mind was a girl taking out a collar and putting it on a dog.
“The red cap really suits Uncle Bai’s temperament too, hehe…”
“Red cap, red pants, red shoes, and of course, most importantly, Hongyi (Red Clothes).”
“So I say, red and white are the most matching colors in the world!”
Gao Hongyi locked the hotel room door and blocked it with her body.