Chapter 24: Is it really you?

The more she pieced together the fragments of information, the clearer Gao Hongyi’s conclusion became.

It was almost beyond doubt.

Gu Yebai was Bai Ye Duxing.

Her fingertip hovered over the video call icon on QQ, hesitating to press down.

It only took one light tap for the truth that had troubled her for so long to come to light.

She had just looked at Gu Yebai’s ID photo.

On countless nights, Gao Hongyi had repeatedly envisioned what Bai Ye Duxing would look like ….

‘Perhaps there is a gentleness hidden in his loneliness, a rationality preserved beneath his melancholy. Like a solitary lamp in a winter night, glowing alone, but not dazzling.’

And the boy in the ID photo was almost exactly as she had imagined.

His pen name was so similar to his real name.

That cold, pale complexion, those quiet eyes, the faint dark circles under them…

He looked like someone who hadn’t slept well for a long time, someone who kept too many secrets buried in his heart.

He was Gu Yebai.

He was also Bai Ye Duxing.

But if the truth was really like this, how was she supposed to reopen a conversation with the “Uncle Bai” she was already so familiar with?

Gao Hongyi had never been this nervous.

Of course, another possibility still existed.

But at this moment, in her eyes, that possibility was infinitesimal…

That Bai Ye Duxing and Gu Yebai were two different people.

She had to confirm it now.

Otherwise, even one second later, Gao Hongyi felt she would immediately die.

She was truly, truly running out of patience.

Only the brave deserve to enjoy life.

So, she clicked the video call option on QQ.

Beep… beep…

The sound echoed in her ear, drawn out long and empty.

She urged him on in her heart.

‘Answer it.’

‘Answer it, Uncle Bai.’

‘Tell me that you are Gu Yebai.’

But there was still no response.

A mere 15 seconds felt like a whole lifetime had passed.

A moment later, a message popped up.

Bai Ye Duxing: I’m writing a novel, Xiao Yi.

Bai Ye Duxing: Did you accidentally click the video call button again?

[Yi]: No, Uncle Bai.

[Yi]: I just simply wanted to see what you look like in real life.

[Yi]: Is Uncle Bai really ugly in real life?

[Yi]: Don’t worry, no matter what you look like, I won’t dislike you.

[Yi]: Didn’t I say it before? No matter if Uncle Bai is tall, short, fat, or thin, you are the most important person to me.

Her fingertips trembled slightly, yet she still typed out every word.

[Yi]: Back when I was at my loneliest, it was Uncle Bai’s words that accompanied me as I grew up.

[Yi]: Now, as I face the most important choice of my life…

[Yi]: If I could know what Uncle Bai looks like, it would be a form of comfort to me.

A few seconds later.

[Yi]: I’m sorry.

[Yi]: I understand. I shouldn’t have made such an unreasonable request.

[Yi]: I overstepped.

Bai Ye Duxing did not reply again.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes…

Gao Hongyi gently clenched her fist.

Disappointment was like drops of bitter water, slowly and stubbornly seeping into her heart, tangling around a heart that craved love and romance.

A sense of suffocation…

She had clearly taken a step forward, but what greeted her was like a cold wall.

Her mother in the car noticed her abnormality and looked over with concern.

“Hongyi, is everything okay?”

“I’m fine, Mom.”

She forced a smile, but her voice tightened involuntarily.

Right then —

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

[Bai Ye Duxing has initiated a video call.]

Accept was on the bottom left, and Decline was on the bottom right.

As long as she clicked that green button, the distance between them would be completely shortened at this moment.

The phone seemed to become a door, connecting two hearts that were accelerating.

Was there any need to hesitate?

If it was Uncle Bai knocking on the door, she would always open it.

Without hesitation, not even for a second.

She gently tapped “Accept.”

“I’m sorry… you suddenly called me, and I’m actually a bit nervous…”

The moment the screen lit up, Gao Hongyi’s breath nearly stopped.

The boy appeared on the screen, looking exactly like the one in the ID photo.

The “corporate slave uncle” who claimed to work in Xinghai City was completely exposed at this moment.

Bai Ye Duxing was Gu Yebai.

His gaze shifted slightly, and a faint red flushed his pale cheeks.

It was as if his secret had been suddenly discovered, and his speech became stumbled.

That shy appearance made him look like a big, fluffy, stupid dog, making one want to ruffle his hair fiercely.

He seemed to be trying hard to maintain some semblance of masculinity, opening his mouth with forced composure: “So this is what Xiao Yi’s face looks like… You’re ten times better looking than in your photos. Um… I should clarify first, Xiao Yi is a very important benefactor of mine. You’ve always given tips and supported my novel, so — “

“So that’s why you answered, right?”

Gao Hongyi’s voice trembled, but she was smiling.

Her father in the driver’s seat was still driving steadily.

Through the rearview mirror, he saw the happiness that was almost overflowing from his daughter’s eyes, so he sensibly looked away.

Her mother, Ya Xinyao, also quietly turned away, leaving the most secure space for her.

“Yes…”

Gu Yebai scratched his head like a child caught red-handed.

“When you called the first time, I was nervous to death. I thought… I’m not handsome, I have dark circles, and I’m as thin as a drying rack. If you saw what Bai Ye Duxing really looked like, you might be extremely disappointed and then abandon the book, leaving me alone to fall apart in the wind, right?”

“You dummy…”

Gao Hongyi choked up.

Even though she was so happy she was about to go crazy, her tears fell uncontrollably.

Gu Yebai was Bai Ye Duxing.

This boy from Linchuan was now her family.

They would live under the same roof and see each other at the dining table in the morning.

A bit longer —

She would even be able to see his face while he was asleep.

Dislike him?

How was that possible?

“It’s over.”

Gu Yebai gave an awkward smile.

“I made you cry because I’m so ugly.”

“Shut up, you pig!” she scolded with a sob.

“I’m happy! I finally saw what Uncle Bai looks like! By the way… isn’t Uncle Bai a corporate slave? Why do you look so young?”

“I… my university classmates say the same thing.”

His voice grew smaller and smaller.

“It’s natural. I just don’t look old. Maybe it’s genetics.”

“Uncle Bai looks like a middle school student.”

“A lot of people say that, haha.”

“Liar.”

“Sorry.”

“Uncle Bai isn’t actually in Xinghai either, right?”

“I didn’t mean to lie to you…”

He carefully weighed his words.

“It’s just the internet. You always have to keep some distance.”

“I really want to crawl through the screen and bite you!”

She spoke fiercely, but there were still tears in the corners of her eyes.

She finally relaxed completely, as if the world had finally given her permission.

She was overflowing with happiness.

“I’m actually… a bit afraid of pain,” he said softly.

“I hope you’ll be merciful with your teeth.”

“Big dummy, big idiot.”

She sniffled, sounding like she was scolding him.

“And you even said you weren’t interested in girls younger than you. Aren’t you just a kid yourself? You spend every day on the internet pretending to be a mature uncle to deceive people, and now I’ve caught you, haven’t I?”

“Yeah, I’ve been caught.”

He sighed, feigning regret.

“I really shouldn’t have answered this video call.”

“It’s already too late.”

Gao Hongyi stared at the screen, her gaze so bright it was as if she wanted to carve him into the depths of her soul.

“Uncle Bai has already been locked on by me. I will never forget you. Even if you turned into ashes, I would still recognize you.”

She smiled slightly, her tone gentle.

Yet it carried a paranoia that refused to be denied.

“You can’t escape anymore.”