Chapter 70: Warnings before returning home

In Donghai, the passersby everywhere looked as exquisite as princes and princesses.

Gu Yebai looked down at his own clothes.

He vaguely felt that even if he wore the same designer brands as them, he would still be seen through at a glance as an outsider—someone desperately trying to mimic their posture and blend in.

It was like a generation that had achieved a sudden reversal in status; sometimes, instead of receiving praise, they were contemptuously dismissed as the nouveau riche.

However, if wealth was managed within a family for more than three generations, it was viewed as having true heritage.

Some things, he feared, had long since merged into one’s blood and bone, making them difficult to change after the fact.

“Uncle Bai possesses something much more precious than they do.”

Gao Hongyi suddenly spoke.

“Sincerity, kindness, and… a bit of a slow wit.”

“Those are qualities they don’t have.”

“Can you read my mind?”

“Also, being slow-witted doesn’t exactly sound like a compliment, does it?”

Gu Yebai gave a somewhat helpless smile.

“Uncle Bai, you’ve been nervous ever since we got off the plane.”

Gao Hongyi covered her mouth and giggled softly.

Inside the airport, there were so many luxury stores that they seemed to stretch on forever.

In the passage leading to the parking lot, car headlights flashed past the edge of his vision from time to time, with light and shadow intertwining in a flickering dance.

Pedestrians came and went around them, including many foreign faces.

“It’s like I’ve stepped into another world.”

“Hongyi, I don’t know why…”

“For a moment, I felt like the entire world was moving forward at high speed.”

“And only I was left behind.”

“Completely stationary.”

In the next second, Gu Yebai felt a soft sensation against his back.

Strands of deep cherry-colored hair fell against the back of his neck, bringing a slight but distinct itchy sensation.

“Who cares? If Uncle Bai feels like he’s been left behind by the world, then I’ll stop too. I’ll stay right there with you.”

Her tone was as light as if she were stating something completely natural.

“By the way, how was your first time on a plane?”

“I was actually pretty nervous.”

Gu Yebai smiled.

“Don’t laugh at me.”

“I was even worried that the plane might suddenly malfunction, wondering what I would do if something really happened in the sky.”

“It’s normal to feel that way during your first flight.”

Gao Hongyi paused.

“But even if something like that really happened, it wouldn’t matter.”

“Because even if we died, being with Uncle Bai feels quite romantic.”

“Like the Titanic.”

“We both need to stay alive and well, Hongyi.”

Gu Yebai’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“I’m just joking, Uncle Bai.”

She blinked.

“But I’m really happy.”

“Because I took your first time.”

“You said what—”

“I mean, I was the one by your side during your first flight. Isn’t that also a first?”

“In the future, Uncle Bai will encounter many more firsts you’ve never experienced.”

“When that time comes, I’ll be by your side to experience and explore them all with you.”

“Let’s go. Let’s go home.”

At the pickup gate, people from the Gao Family had already been waiting for a long time.

Gu Yebai followed behind Gao Hongyi.

Her back was very beautiful.

Her long, deep cherry-colored hair swayed gently with her steps, looking clean and sharp.

Yet, it carried a kind of sharp edge that could not be ignored.

Sunglasses, boots, and a composed posture.

She looked like a proud little queen.

And standing beside her, he felt more like an insignificant foil.

Yet, it was this very person who said she wanted to marry him.

Last night in the car, she had even mentioned wanting him to learn French.

She said they could go to Paris together to study abroad in the future.

The look in her eyes when she said those things was too serious to be a joke.

Precisely because of this, being liked by someone as exceptional as her caused a lingering fear to sprout in the depths of Gu Yebai’s heart.

He couldn’t help but worry.

‘Once she truly sees how mediocre I am, will this affection simply vanish?’

She held his hand very tightly.

It was as if she were confirming something.

Or perhaps, as if she were preventing something from happening.

“Am I really worth so much of your attention?”

“Of course you are.”

“Uncle Bai.”

“You are the most important treasure in my life.”

They walked out of the terminal.

She suddenly seemed to remember something.

Her tone remained light, but it gained a layer of seriousness that could not be ignored.

“By the way, Uncle Bai.”

“If one day you suddenly feel disgusted by me, or try to leave my side without permission…”

She gave a small laugh.

“I’ll probably break completely.”

“I’m the type of woman who is very difficult to handle.”

“Once I’ve set my sights on a goal, I can’t just let go and act like nothing happened.”

“Besides…”

“Donghai is a very dangerous place. There are neon lights, wine, too many choices, and too many people.”

Her fingers slowly tightened, interlocking with his.

“In the future, Uncle Bai will surely meet many people who are beautiful, outstanding, and easy to fall for.”

Her tone was gentle, as if she were planning his future for him.

“But…”

She tilted her head slightly, leaning close to his ear.

“I won’t allow it. Whether it’s your heart or your gaze, Uncle Bai can only look at me. You can only like me.”

She laughed softly.

“What would happen if I broke that rule?”

Gu Yebai couldn’t help but swallow hard.

“I don’t even know what I would do.”

“So, Uncle Bai has to be a good boy.”

At that moment, Gu Yebai suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

That suffocating feeling of being tangled in piano strings climbed back up him in an instant.

Up until now, Gao Hongyi had always been so gentle.

She would buy him all sorts of things.

She liked to hold his hand.

She was clingy and sweet, her smiles always carrying a hint of little-demon-like temptation.

But in that moment just now…

It gave him a vague feeling that she had become a different person.

She wasn’t just being willful anymore; she had become somewhat terrifying.

But it didn’t matter.

With a girl like Hongyi, as long as he remained loyal and never abandoned her, nothing would go wrong.

“Miss, Young Master, welcome back.”

A black Lexus LM sat quietly in place, as if it had been waiting there for a long time.

A middle-aged man stepped out from the driver’s seat.

His movements were steady and unhurried.

He walked to the rear.

He came to a halt.

Slowly and with perfect form, he pulled open the car door.

Then, he stepped aside and made a gesture for them to enter.

He was the butler of the Gao Family.

“Ah… thank you.”

Gu Yebai spoke instinctively, his tone exceptionally polite.

“Master Gu.”

The butler’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was incredibly stable.

“Your father mentioned you many times.”

“Indeed, you haven’t had it easy these past years.”

As he said this, his tone remained calm.

He didn’t intentionally show sympathy.

It was more like he was stating a resume that had already been thoroughly organized.

“From now on, please put your mind at ease.”

“Your life will return to the track where it always belonged.”

Everything regarding the trip to Linchuan…

The hotel, the plane tickets, the connection of the itinerary…

Even the control of time down to the exact second had all been handled by this butler.

Not a single detail had been missed.

This was the way of doing things that he took pride in.

“Let’s go home.”

Gao Hongyi sat in the back of the car with Gu Yebai.

“May I ask, Miss…”

“Which home do you plan on taking the Young Master to?”

The soft lights filtered down.

The interior of the car was quiet and enclosed.

The dark leather and wood grain intersected, exuding a restrained and cool atmosphere.

Even though there was a small refrigerator in the back…

Gu Yebai felt a bit thirsty, but he didn’t even have the courage to reach out for water.

Just as he was hesitating over whether to take a bottle of mineral water, Gao Hongyi, sitting next to him, turned her head.

Her gaze fell upon his face.

“Uncle Bai.”

“Which home should we go to?”

“I forgot to tell you.”

“In Donghai, our family has more than just one home.”