“Several properties?”
“That’s right. It all depends on what style Uncle Bai likes. New Chinese, Mediterranean, or even Nordic—we have them all.”
Gao Hongyi chuckled softly as she took an iPad out of her backpack to show Gu Yebai her cloud photo album.
At the same time, she leaned her entire body against him.
Their shoulders aligned perfectly, and she naturally rested her head on his shoulder, a gentle smile of near-certainty playing on her lips.
“This one in the Pudong New Area is Tomson Riviera.”
A full floor-to-ceiling window appeared on the screen.
In front of the window sat a piano that was clearly incredibly expensive.
The floor was obviously extremely high, as the view was almost entirely unobstructed.
The river surface spread out in the night, and lights stretched along the waterfront, creating the illusion that the entire city was beneath one’s feet.
“I usually live at Tomson Riviera because it’s closer to my school.”
“And then here is another one of our houses, China Resources Foreland Mansion.”
The image changed.
The overall color palette was noticeably more subdued and steady.
Outside the window, the silhouettes of the river and the old city overlapped.
The lighting was handled with extreme restraint, and the interior furnishings were tasteful and refined.
There were no deliberately flashy decorations, yet every corner exuded an air of old-fashioned, composed confidence.
“Huangpu District is considered the center of Donghai City. Government offices, historical districts, and cultural resources are basically all concentrated in this area. Compared to the ‘always pushing forward’ feeling of the Pudong New Area, Huangpu District is actually more suitable for living.”
Gu Yebai’s entire understanding of Donghai City at that moment was reduced to a single thought.
‘Holy crap, this is incredible.’
He had never realized before that this city could be so clearly divided into layers.
“Generally speaking, those living in the Pudong New Area are mostly foreign enterprise executives and financial practitioners. Over here in Huangpu District, it’s mostly old Donghai families. Their families have been rooted here for many years. If you want to experience the true old Donghai, come to Huangpu District.”
Gu Yebai stared at the magnificent spaces on the screen, his Adam’s apple bobbing involuntarily as he swallowed.
“The… housing prices here must be very expensive, right?”
Gao Hongyi shook her head.
“I don’t know. I’m not interested in housing prices. Moving on, there’s this one—a detached mountain-view villa in Sheshan, Songjiang District.”
What appeared on the screen was a mansion that seemed almost completely isolated from the city.
There were no tall buildings and no sea of lights.
The courtyard merged with the shadows of the mountains, and the night swallowed the boundaries, leaving only a small area of safety defined by the lights.
Aside from that, there was an outdoor swimming pool, a golf course, and a tennis court.
All the amenities seemed like a matter of course.
“People living in Sheshan villas usually don’t need to commute to the CBD. The benefit is the silence and the sufficient privacy. These are my most recommended houses in the family. There are other properties too, but they’re either too small or too inconvenient to live in. Our family also has properties abroad, like in Tokyo and San Francisco. When the whole family goes on vacation together in the future, Uncle Bai will be able to see them.”
She put away the iPad and turned her head to look at him.
“Uncle Bai, what do you think? Where would you prefer to live?”
The Lexus LM was stopped at a red light.
The Butler on the driver’s side spoke up at the right moment.
“Young Master, regardless of where you choose to live, your room has already been prepared in advance.”
Gu Yebai opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn’t know how to answer.
“If Hongyi usually lives at Tomson Riviera, then I’ll live there too. After all, just looking at pictures on an iPad doesn’t give me much of a real sense of it. Besides, I’m not picky about where I live.”
He paused for a moment, his voice softening unconsciously.
“Every one of these houses has too much of an impact on me. The place where I used to live was a two-bedroom apartment, less than 60 square meters. The walls were damp year-round, and the windows were drafty. So, for a person like me to suddenly be able to choose where to live—especially in houses like these—it’s really a hard choice to make…”
As he reached this point, he didn’t continue.
Gu Yebai only felt a lingering sense of unreality.
Even now, he didn’t have that sense of groundedness that would allow him to straighten his back.
“Uncle Bai, don’t be so nervous! You’re not a guest!”
Gao Hongyi pouted and put her hands on her hips with some dissatisfaction.
“Let’s go to Tomson Riviera then. My school is closer to that side, so commuting will be more convenient.”
Gu Yebai took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.
Ordinarily, living in such a luxury mansion should make one happy enough to fly.
Yet, his chest felt as if it were blocked by a stifling breath that he couldn’t speak out or swallow.
Letting him choose the place to live?
He only felt that he understood nothing.
It was better to let them decide some things.
His only thought at the moment was that he wanted to be like duckweed, drifting with the wind, thinking of nothing.
“Forget it, Hongyi. We’ll go to Tomson Riviera. Commuting to school is the most important thing.”
“No problem, Uncle Bai. Although Tomson Riviera can’t even rank in the second tier among the many luxury homes in Donghai, its popularity is still in the first tier, and the location is good.”
The Butler immediately understood and steered the vehicle toward the Pudong New Area.
Along the way, the skyline of Donghai unfolded before Gu Yebai’s eyes, bringing a shock that was almost surreal.
Back at Linchuan Fifth High School, he often sat by the window looking at the rusted flagpole on the playground, urging himself over and over again.
He had to study harder.
He had to get out.
In the future, it would be best if he could stay in a big city.
What flashed through his mind back then wasn’t Yanjing or Donghai, but Shencheng, the capital of Dongling Province, or some other second-tier city with slightly better conditions.
Going to see Yanjing or Donghai was something he had thought about, but it felt more like a distant fantasy.
However, everything had changed now.
He had parents in Donghai.
He was going to become a person of Donghai.
Without even having to truly work for it, he had been pushed to the finish line.
After his parents had long since turned to bone, he had easily obtained things he wouldn’t have dared to even dream of in the past.
“Why are you handing me a tissue?”
“Uncle Bai, you’re crying.”
‘Am I crying?’
Gu Yebai belatedly raised his hand to touch his face.
His fingertips were wet.
“Why are you crying, Uncle Bai?”
“A part of my soul has been left in Linchuan forever. No matter where I go, in the end, I’m a native of Linchuan.”
“Uncle Bai, it doesn’t matter if you’re a person of Linchuan, Xinghai, or Donghai. It wouldn’t even matter if you were an alien. In the end, you are mine. That is the only thing that will never change.”
“Yours?”
“Yes, mine.”
Gao Hongyi gently embraced him.
Her deep cherry-colored long hair fell down like a soft curtain, obscuring his vision.
In the next second, her breath drew close.
Before Gu Yebai could react, the distance between their lips was quietly erased.
He didn’t even have time to think.
Soft, warm, and unfamiliar.
This was Gu Yebai’s first kiss.
She pressed against him gently, as if confirming something, and as if patiently waiting for his response.
Gu Yebai wanted to say something, but all language was swallowed by this sudden closeness.
When he opened his eyes, he only saw those blurred eyes inches away.
She was clearly enjoying this moment.
Her fingertips gently wiped away the tears at the corners of his eyes.
Her brows seemed to be smiling.
“It’s all your fault for being so insecure. This is magic to give you courage. From now on, you will become more and more confident.”