Chapter 46: A Plan for Solitude

The luggage had been fully packed the previous night.

The next day, all he had to do was pick up his suitcase and head out.

It was very convenient.

He was about to leave Lincuan.

Unless something unexpected happened, he probably wouldn’t return to this impoverished small county for a very long time.

“Let’s go,” Gu Yebai said softly.

He was the only one in the hotel’s deluxe room, but those words felt like a final farewell to his parents in heaven.

The moment he pulled the door open—

“Good morning, Uncle Bai!”

A soft weight crashed into his arms before he could react.

Gu Yebai didn’t even have time to process it before he was hugged tightly.

A young girl wearing a crimson baseball cap, a cream-colored knit sweater, and a light brown trench coat had suddenly lunged into his embrace.

Her movements were so hurried that her red hair swayed gently behind her head, strands of it shimmering in the morning light.

“Is a hug the way you say good morning, Hongyi?”

Gu Yebai let her hold him, his voice carrying a hint of helpless amusement.

“That’s certainly a very special way to say good morning.”

“Hehe, the ‘good morning’ could also be a kiss, you know.”

Gao Hongyi was still exceptionally beautiful today.

It had to be said that when it came to fashion and aesthetics, her taste was already on par with well-known designers.

This outfit might have looked a bit out of place in Lincuan.

But if she were in London, it would have been perfect.

“GO! GO! GO! Let’s go home!”

Gao Hongyi was clearly very excited.

She picked up a suitcase with one hand and naturally grabbed Gu Yebai’s hand with the other, leading him toward the elevator.

Since meeting Gao Hongyi, Gu Yebai had gradually discovered that as long as the two of them were together, she had an almost obsessive persistence about holding hands.

She was truly a demon in the realm of hand-holding.

“Our dad is catching a plane to Yanjing at noon today,” Gao Hongyi said, turning her head toward him in the elevator.

“So we have to hurry. We’ll skip breakfast this morning and just eat lunch once we reach the provincial capital.”

She paused and added, “But if Uncle Bai is hungry, I bought sandwiches ahead of time. You can eat them in the car.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Me?”

She shook her head without hesitation.

“Not at all. I’m a girl, so it’s fine if I eat less.”

Gu Yebai nodded.

Indeed, Gao Hongyi’s figure was kept near-perfect.

“That can actually affect your cycle,” he said after a moment of thought.

“It can easily lead to irregular periods and worsen cramps, so—”

“If you’re about to say ‘drink more hot water’…”

Gao Hongyi narrowed her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of danger.

“I’m going to bite you.”

Gu Yebai fell silent for a second.

“Then… hot milk.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Gao Hongyi suddenly leaned in.

Before Gu Yebai could react, he felt a slight, brief sensation on his cheek.

It wasn’t a real bite.

It was more like a gentle press with a bit of pressure.

When she pulled away, a tiny tooth mark that was almost invisible appeared on his pale face.

He had been bitten by Gao Hongyi.

But rather than a bite, it felt more like a gentle kiss on the cheek.

“Let’s see if you ever dare to say that again!”

Gao Hongyi stood with her hands on her hips, her expression serious, looking exactly like a little girlfriend throwing a tantrum in front of her boyfriend.

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare,” Gu Yebai immediately gave in.

‘Yeah. I’ll do it again next time.’

Rather than a punishment, it felt more like a reward.

When they reached the underground parking lot, Gao Hongzhi was standing by the trunk of a Volvo XC90.

“Good morning! We’re ready to head back!”

“You two, get in the car.”

Ya Xinyao was already in the passenger seat, leaving the entire back row for Gu Yebai and Gao Hongyi.

She looked back and smiled, her expression carrying a hint of girlish sweetness.

“I used to dream of a life with a son, a daughter, a cat, and a dog.”

“Now, the dream has finally come true.”

“Little Gu,” Gao Hongzhi said from the driver’s seat.

“Volvo is a good brand, very reliable. They were the ones who invented the three-point seatbelt. This is a company that truly puts safety first. Unlike some car manufacturers who only care about looking trendy and cool while neglecting the most important safety issues. That’s just putting the cart before the horse.”

“Alright, dear,” Ya Xinyao motioned for him to stop.

“Let’s get going. Don’t you have to catch a plane at noon? You never stop talking once cars are mentioned.”

“Well, our family finally has another man like me. There are always many topics of conversation between men.”

“Alright, let’s head out.”

On the way home, Gao Hongzhi was in high spirits.

When he had first come to Lincuan, he had been extremely anxious, worried that Gu Yebai might be a bad kid who would disrupt their family harmony.

But now, it had been fully proven that Gu Yebai was a presence that Gao Hongzhi was quite satisfied with.

Gao Hongzhi turned on the stereo and played some music, humming along from time to time.

Even when occasional work calls came in, it didn’t dampen his good mood in the slightest.

Gao Hongyi snatched Gu Yebai’s phone and demanded he download a few mobile games so he could play with her when they were bored.

This was the first time Gu Yebai had ever taken a mobile game seriously.

“Uncle Bai, sell all your cards and go for a 3-star 5-cost.”

“But… Vayne has already won me so many matches, how can I just abandon her? Isn’t that just using her and throwing her away?”

“For the final victory, you have to learn how to let go, Uncle Bai. Hurry up and sell that 3-star Vayne. You might even hit a 3-star Galio. You only need two more. You’ll definitely roll them.”

Meanwhile, Ya Xinyao was leafing through the novel *White Night Solo*.

Although she usually preferred emotionally delicate works and never read mysteries, she couldn’t help but flip through page after page, knowing her son had written it.

From time to time, she would mutter softly in the car.

“Ah, this person named Lin Sanbei must be the killer.”

“How could he die in the very next chapter? How pitiful!”

“Mystery novels are actually quite interesting. It makes you want to flip to the next page immediately to find out the truth.”

The trip passed surprisingly quickly.

Gu Yebai suddenly realized that he actually quite liked this atmosphere.

‘Could I really… become a family with them?’

The desolate small county of Lincuan was slowly receding in the rearview mirror.

At 8:00 AM, the vehicle arrived in Shencheng, the capital of Dongling Province.

The time spent in the car felt like it had passed in the blink of an eye.

“Do you two plan to play in Shencheng for another two days, or go back to Donghai immediately?” Gao Hongzhi asked.

“If you want to go back early, I’ll buy your tickets now. But it’s Hongyi’s first time in Shencheng. If she wants to stay a few more days, that’s perfectly fine. I have a membership at the Yunjing Hotel. Little Gu probably wants to see Shencheng First High School too, right?”

Next, the parents were going to Yanjing.

That meant he and Uncle Bai would truly be alone.

Going home was nice, of course.

But compared to a familiar, unchanging environment, staying in an unfamiliar city with the person she liked was clearly much more appealing to Gao Hongyi.

“I want to play with Uncle Bai for two more days!”

Gao Hongyi said without hesitation.

After all, this had been the plan all along.