CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: LOST

"Who is it?"

Gu Yi heard the knock on the door but didn’t dare to open it hastily.

"It’s me, Ye Hao."

Gu Yi quickly opened the door.

"Come in quickly."

Gu Yi checked the time; it was only 5:40.

"Why did you come over at this time? Aren’t you supposed to be in class until evening?"

"Knowing you’re here, I couldn’t wait until the evening. It’s dinnertime now, so I took leave to come out and have a meal with you. I’ll go back after that."

Ye Hao held Gu Yi’s hand as soon as he came in.

Gu Yi looked at Ye Hao; he probably ran all the way here. It was so cold, yet his face was still sweaty.

"I’ll go get a towel; you can wipe your face."

Gu Yi felt a bit embarrassed by Ye Hao’s gaze and tried to pull her hand away.

Ye Hao tightened his grip, not letting her go. Gu Yi blushed and glared at him, and he laughed and let her hand go.

Gu Yi handed the towel to Ye Hao, but instead of taking it, he wiped his face using her hand.

Because he had to do it using her hand, he bent down. After wiping, he looked up, his face resting in Gu Yi’s hand.

Just in time to lock eyes with Gu Yi, his eyes curved into a smile.

"I missed you."

Gu Yi felt her heart beating fast and out of control.

Ye Hao stared at the red-faced, slightly dazed Gu Yi in front of him.

He suddenly leaned forward, stole a kiss from Gu Yi’s lips, and quickly stood up straight.

Gu Yi secretly despised herself; at her age, she could still be flustered and blushing because of Ye Hao.

She glared at the instigator in front of her, just as Ye Hao looked back and grinned at her.

"Let me take you to get something to eat."

Gu Yi wasn’t really hungry, but she feared that if she didn’t go, Ye Hao wouldn’t eat either.

"Alright, let’s go."

Gu Yi knew Ye Hao had limited time for meals, so she got her clothes and scarf and planned to head out.

Ye Hao held her, carefully wrapped the scarf around her.

"It’s cold outside. Let’s go now."

Ye Hao was a bit pressed for time, so they directly went to grab a bowl of noodles, and then Ye Hao had to head back to school.

"You should hurry and attend class; I’ll go back after eating."

Gu Yi saw that he seemed worried about her, so she quickly urged him to go back.

"Alright, head back after you finish, okay? Don’t wander around. I’ll come by again after class."

Ye Hao wanted to escort Gu Yi back to the hotel, but evening self-study was about to start at school.

After giving Gu Yi a few reminders, he ran towards the school.

Gu Yi slowly finished her bowl of noodles so as not to waste it.

After finishing her meal, she went straight back to the hotel.

At 9:10 PM, Ye Hao returned to the hotel with a bag of items in his hand.

"Will you be going back later?"

Gu Yi asked, seeing Ye Hao take off his jacket as soon as he entered the room.

"No, I took leave for these nights."

"Is it okay taking a leave, though? Won’t it disrupt your studies?"

Gu Yi was a bit anxious. She knew this opportunity was too crucial for Ye Hao, given his lack of background, and couldn’t afford any mistakes.

"Don’t worry, don’t scare yourself. I promised my counselor it wouldn’t affect my studies. Besides, the counselor was once in our shoes and understands."

Being a soldier wasn’t easy, especially when family reunions were rare.

When Ye Hao told his counselor his wife was visiting, the counselor only reminded him not to miss out on studies and approved his leave.

"Alright, as long as it doesn’t affect you."

"It’s okay, really. I’ll just take a quick shower; I’m all sweaty from the run."

"Why did you run? There’s no rush."

"Who says there’s no rush? I’m eager to see my pretty wife."

"Stop being cheeky. Go have your shower."

Gu Yi felt both annoyed and amused, pushing Ye Hao towards the bathroom.

In no time, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

Gu Yi quickly tidied up her messy bed.

"Are you tidying up for me?"

Ye Hao hugged Gu Yi from behind.

"You startled me. How did you finish so quickly?"

Gu Yi turned around to see Ye Hao wearing only a towel around his waist. Due to his regular training, his body had not an ounce of extra flesh.

"Why aren’t you dressed?"

"I’d just have to undress again soon. Don’t you think that’s bothersome?"

Ye Hao hugged Gu Yi closer.

"What’s the plan for tomorrow?"

"I’m going to help at Li Yitian’s store tomorrow, so don’t come by at noon."

"Alright, how many days will you be busy there?"

"Not sure yet. I have to see how things are tomorrow."

Ye Hao kept staring at Gu Yi.

"What’s wrong? What are you thinking?"

"I’m just thinking I should really thank Mom for tricking me into coming back; otherwise, I’d never have married you."

Gu Yi glanced at him, letting out a proud humph.

Ye Hao laughed and embraced her, pulling her onto the bed.

When Gu Yi woke up the next morning, Ye Hao was already gone.

At that moment, Gu Yi felt a bit down. Just last night everything was sweet and romantic, and now in the morning, she couldn’t see any trace of him.

Though she couldn’t blame Ye Hao for it, Gu Yi still felt a bit sad.

She thought she was being a bit dramatic, sat in bed dazing for a bit, and then got up.

After getting ready, she went out, had a quick breakfast, and came back to find Li Yitian already waiting at the door.

"You’re here, wait a moment for me."

Gu Yi said and went back inside to tidy up before heading to the store with Li Yitian.

Once Gu Yi arrived, she noticed that Li Yitian had indeed listened to her advice. He installed lights in the store and set up a display window.

"Not bad, it looks quite decent."

Gu Yi smiled at Li Yitian as she spoke.

"Of course, I did it exactly as you suggested last time. How is it? Does it look legit?"

"Yes, not bad. Let’s get to work."

Since Li Yitian was making women’s clothing, Gu Yi ensured that the clothes were not only warm but also aesthetically pleasing in her combinations.

In winter, most people’s clothes are dark, for practicality, but dark colors often dampen moods.

Gu Yi added more bright-colored inner layers under the coats.

With Gu Yi’s touch, the whole store immediately brightened up.

It projected a warm feeling, making it especially attractive.

"Hey, you won’t believe it, this styling completely changed the store’s vibe."

Li Yitian and Gu Yi stood outside, carefully observing the changes inside the store.

"And pairing coats with skirts and shorts, how did you think of that?"

The more Li Yitian worked with Gu Yi, the more he realized how impressive she was.

He couldn’t understand how her mind worked to confidently mix such combinations, yet the result turned out quite appealing.

"It’s talent, got it?"

Gu Yi thought that these pairings were quite common in the later generations, and she was just borrowing their brilliance.

"Why don’t you partner with me? I feel like your mind shouldn’t go to waste."

Li Yitian found himself increasingly convinced that this was a great idea.

"I haven’t really thought about it."

Gu Yi didn’t expect Li Yitian to propose such an idea.

"You can think about it now. Imagine us expanding the store, with branches in every place. Wouldn’t that be great?"

Gu Yi realized Li Yitian was truly a born businessman. Even without the concept of chain stores back then, he was already considering it.

At this point, Gu Yi really contemplated whether she should seize the opportunity while the going was good and become part of this venture.