Gu Yebai stood downstairs, looking up at the silhouette of the towering buildings that seemed almost ready to press down on him.
He subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
The so-called magic that granted courage clearly was not working very well, or perhaps the sense of shock before him was simply too overwhelming for a budding youth.
This was the Bund.
It was the core financial district of Donghai, and as far as the eye could see, there were rows upon rows of CBD skyscrapers.
Their glass curtain walls shimmered with a sharp, cold luster under the refraction of the sunlight.
The Oriental Pearl Tower stood quietly in the distance, like a giant looking down upon the entire city.
Gu Yebai even thought to himself, ‘If I drink a four-yuan lemonade from Mixue Bingcheng in a place like this, I might actually be pierced on the spot by some laser coming from who-knows-where.’
“Keep your head up, puff out your chest. Uncle Bai is most charming when he is confident.”
Gao Hongyi held his hand, her tone gentle and her steps light, like a small beast jumping through the woods.
A faint crimson still lingered on her pretty face, as if she were still immersed in the afterglow of their first kiss.
Being led by her hand, he walked step by step.
Suddenly, his gaze was firmly captured by a line of text at the entrance.
Improper attire prohibited.
Gu Yebai looked down at his clothes and could not help but begin to doubt whether his current outfit counted as “proper attire.”
Would the security guard block him when he saw him, look him up and down from head to toe with a professional, scrutinizing gaze, and then politely ask him to leave?
Even worse, if they saw someone like him walking side by side and holding hands with Gao Hongyi, would they subconsciously conclude that he was some kind of pretty boy being kept by her?
And then they would privately mock Hongyi’s poor taste…
As soon as this thought surfaced, his fingertips tightened slightly.
However, Gao Hongyi acted as if she had not noticed anything, leading him straight toward the entrance that symbolized status and thresholds.
“Young Master, you are more noble than many who claim to be so.”
The Butler spoke from behind, his voice steady and warm.
“Living in Tomson Riviera, the starting price is 100 million. Over the years, I have seen too many different kinds of people. They are used to dividing people into three, six, and nine grades with clear distinctions, but the more they do so, the more it proves the insecurity in their hearts.”
“This so-called nobility is nothing more than a respectability built up with deliberate postures. In essence, it is just a way to hide their panic.”
“Is it really okay for me to live here?”
“Of course. You deserve it.”
The lobby was comparable to a five-star hotel, and the elevators were magnificent.
Owners, butlers, and servants took different channels; social classes were exquisitely divided within the details.
“Young Master, I will leave after I bring yours and the Lady’s luggage upstairs. Please contact me whenever you need anything.”
“I will not disturb you and the Lady while you nurture your relationship afterward.”
The Butler smiled and stepped back.
Gu Yebai had checked online before coming.
It was said that for every floor you went up here, the price increased by over 1 million.
The elevator stopped at the twenty-eighth floor.
Clearly, a resident was already using it.
Then, the numbers slowly ticked downward.
What kind of person would be in the elevator?
An entrepreneur, or a celebrity?
Gu Yebai wondered to himself.
The elevator doors opened.
The person who walked out was not the suit-clad elite he had imagined, but a youthful and beautiful girl.
Her ponytail was neat and sharp, yet she had bare legs in the dead of winter, wearing shorts paired with canvas shoes.
She carried a sense of youthful vitality that was not hidden at all.
She was beautiful to the point of being sharp.
That kind of beauty reminded one of a female star in a Korean drama, but it was more real than the screen.
Her skin was so fair that it was almost impossible to find a flaw, and her eyes were soft yet filled with a distinct vitality.
“Annyeonghaseyo.”
As she passed Gu Yebai, she nodded slightly and spoke in a sweet, soft tone.
Gu Yebai froze.
“She is saying hello. It is Korean,” Gao Hongyi said calmly.
“H-Hello… t-this humble person is Gu Yebai-sumida!”
Under the pressure, Gu Yebai began to speak nonsense.
Responding immediately when someone greeted you was basic politeness.
Moreover, the person was such a beautiful young girl.
Ah, her presence was so strong it was a bit blinding.
Even though Gu Yebai kept telling himself that Gao Hongyi was the most beautiful girl in the world, rationally, it was hard for him to deny the other girl’s radiance.
Wait, she just spoke Korean.
That meant she was likely from South Korea.
Thus, Gu Yebai subconsciously switched to English.
“Nice to meet you, my name is Gu —”
“I can understand Chinese.”
The girl spoke immediately.
Her tone was slightly awkward but carried a clear and unique foreign accent, cutting him off decisively.
“My name is Bai Xialin. If you want to say it more authentically, call me Baek Ha-rim. I would be even happier.”
“I am from Seoul. I just arrived in Donghai yesterday to study abroad. I am really happy to meet people my age.”
Gu Yebai subconsciously reached out his hand, but she gave him a light hug.
‘Are foreigners all this enthusiastic?’
“Hello, my name is Gu Yebai. Nice to meet —”
Before he could finish his sentence, Gao Hongyi, who had been holding his arm the entire time, moved slightly.
She stood in front of him like a mother hen protecting her chick in a game of hawk and chicken.
“I am Gao Hongyi.”
She wore a smile, her tone warm and proper.
“Hello, neighbor. Please take care of us.”
That smile looked impeccable.
However, there was a faint, unfriendly edge in the air.
The first kiss just now was enough to confirm one thing.
Gu Yebai had already been marked by her.
How could she allow him to continue chatting and laughing with another girl, or even hug her right in front of her face?
If the girl were plain, it would be fine.
But this girl named Bai Xialin possessed a beauty that was enough to constitute a threat.
Why couldn’t she just ignore them and walk away like the other residents?
That would have been more reassuring.
But she just had to stop.
She just had to strike up a conversation.
She just had to let the name “Bai Xialin” enter Uncle Bai’s memory.
“Miss Bai Xialin, you must have other things to attend to.”
“We will not bother you any longer.”
“I wish you a pleasant time studying abroad. Goodbye.”
Gao Hongyi blocked Gu Yebai completely.
He could only see the back of Hongyi’s head and could not see Bai Xialin’s beautiful figure at all.
“Ah, I don’t have anything else —”
Before Bai Xialin could finish, Gao Hongyi had already pulled Gu Yebai’s hand into the elevator.
“Goodbye, Miss Bai Xialin,” Gu Yebai added out of politeness before leaving.
“Goodbye, Gu Yebai, and Gao Hongyi.”
Bai Xialin stood in place, revealing a brilliant smile.
“I am very happy to meet you. I hope you can come to my home as guests when you are free. My home is on the twenty-eighth floor.”
Standing in the light, she truly looked like a girl who had walked out of a Korean drama.
Wherever she was, even the sunlight seemed brighter.
“Ah, we will. Good luck with your studies —”
Gu Yebai responded in a friendly manner and even waved his hand.
In the next second, the elevator doors slowly closed.
In the small, enclosed space, everything from the outside world was completely cut off.
“Uncle Bai.”
Gao Hongyi suddenly spoke.
“You have already kissed me.”
“You are already mine.”
“You are not allowed to talk to other girls anymore, do you understand?”
Her hand tightly gripped Gu Yebai’s wrist.
The strength was not great, but it was firm enough.
Gu Yebai clearly felt a slight pain in his wrist bone.
For some reason, the elevator felt like a closed interrogation room.
“I don’t have those kinds of thoughts about her, Hongyi.”
Gao Hongyi’s expression remained tense, as if she were facing some kind of dangerous intrusion.
“You’d better not.”
“Hongyi, don’t be like this. She’s just here to study.”
“Who knows if she is really here to study or if it is just a pretense.”
She looked up, her gaze locking onto Gu Yebai.
“Uncle Bai.”
“I don’t like you talking to females other than me.”
“I don’t like it at all.”
After a short pause, she added in a low voice.
“You are mine.”
“You have already been engraved with my mark.”
Her red hair fell over her shoulders, its deep cherry color looking like a slow-burning fire under the lights.
The elevator numbers ticked by.
The air, however, seemed to have quietly tightened.
She was smiling.
Gently and stubbornly.
That was not simple possessiveness.
It was an obsession that was taking root.