#63: Kisses and Confessions (9)

The afternoon before, Gu Congli had originally cleared his schedule to spend time with Shi Yin.

However, the shy young girl, after pushing him out of the room, spent the entire afternoon cooped up inside, too embarrassed to face him. Coincidentally, Lu Jiaheng called.

Lu Jiaheng was originally from the capital, a princeling under the shadow of the imperial city. In recent years, he had mostly stayed at the branch office in S City in the south, reportedly because his girlfriend preferred the oil-based dipping sauce served with hot pot there.

During this period, he and his girlfriend had returned to the capital to prepare for the Lunar New Year. Hearing that Gu Congli was also in town, Lu Jiaheng casually invited him out.

When Gu Congli arrived, he spotted the princeling’s petite girlfriend sulking in the distance while the heir himself trailed behind her, coaxing her with gentle words, calling her “baby” repeatedly.

A grown man, completely shameless.

The young woman’s face turned red as she stamped her foot, turning around with a soft voice that carried little anger—more like a playful pout. “Who’s your baby?”

Gu Congli observed thoughtfully.

So this term of endearment seemed important. When used to soothe an upset girlfriend, it appeared to have remarkable effects.

Sure enough, the moment he used it, Shi Yin stiffened slightly, and her hand pinching his waist relaxed.

Gu Congli thought perhaps Lu Jiaheng wasn’t entirely useless.

Shi Yin slowly raised her hand, pressing lightly against his abdomen, and gave him a gentle push. She tilted her head up, looking at him with confusion. “Did your account get hacked?”

“…”

Gu Congli decided Lu Jiaheng was still utterly useless.

He patted Shi Yin’s head. “Weren’t you upset? I’m praising you.”

Shi Yin puffed up her cheeks, muttering softly, “Too little, too late.”

Gu Congli arched an eyebrow, gazing at her inflated cheeks and couldn’t resist reaching out to poke them gently.

With a soft “pop,” Shi Yin’s mouth loosened. “Why did you deliberately ignore my distress signal earlier?” She looked up at him accusingly. “I had no experience handling that kind of situation, and my mind nearly went blank. I was afraid they’d start fighting down there while you just stood there watching like it was a show.”

Shi Yin pouted pitifully. “You ignored me… You didn’t want to help me…”

Gu Congli chuckled. “If I interfere, you throw a tantrum. If I don’t, you still throw a tantrum.” He lowered his gaze, his voice soft. “I wanted to intervene, to keep you safe at home, away from the book-signing event altogether.”

If he truly followed his own desires, it wouldn’t stop at just this small incident.

He might lock her up at home forever, ensuring no one else would ever see her. Every inch of her beauty would belong solely to him.

But she didn’t like that.

She craved freedom, so he gave it to her. She disliked his jealousy, so he restrained it. She wanted to improve herself, so he helped her grow.

All his desires could be suppressed in front of her.

Shi Yin suddenly understood what he meant.

He was teaching her.

From a young age, Shi Yin had always been quite independent—not the type to rely on others when faced with problems. But when it came to Gu Congli, she instinctively sought out his presence.

As long as he was there, she felt there was nothing she needed to worry about. Somewhere along the way, this dependency on him had naturally developed without her realizing it.

It wasn’t ideal.

Shi Yin pursed her lips but still couldn’t help but murmur softly in protest, “When did I ever throw a tantrum…?”

“The Lin Youhe incident,” Gu Congli said calmly. “Count how many days you ignored me.”

Shi Yin blinked, correcting him. “That doesn’t count. I wasn’t mad about that—I was upset because you bit my lip so hard it still hurts.”

Gu Congli glanced down. “Really?”

Shi Yin nodded sincerely. “Why would I lie to you?”

Gu Congli nodded, leaning closer. His fingers tipped her chin upward, and he kissed her lips, his voice slipping into her mouth. “Then let me check…”

“…”

After thoroughly inspecting every inch of her lips, Gu Congli finally released her, leaving Shi Yin breathless and limp in his arms.

This man certainly didn’t bite anymore, but it seemed there hadn’t been much improvement overall.

Her lips were swollen, and the root of her tongue felt numb and sore from being rolled over relentlessly. He refused to let go, holding her in a kiss so prolonged it could suffocate someone.

Shi Yin resolved to research whether it was possible to breathe through her nose while kissing next time.

Their flight was scheduled for the afternoon, leaving little time after the book-signing ended before heading straight back to S City.

Before leaving, Gu Congli stepped away for a while, disappearing somewhere.

Shi Yin waited for him at the airport, playing Candy Crush . Just as their departure time approached, he returned right on schedule, carrying a bag. Opening it revealed a whole roasted duck, tightly sealed, with accompanying sauce and pancakes.

Shi Yin’s eyes widened. “You went to buy roast duck?”

Gu Congli glanced at her. “Didn’t someone cry and beg to eat it before we left?”

Shi Yin’s heart warmed, and she couldn’t help but smile. She coughed softly, tugging at the corners of her lips downward. “But eating it like this feels different from eating it at the restaurant.”

“Mm,” Gu Congli replied. “I’ll bring you here again sometime to eat it at the shop.” Taking her suitcase from her, he headed to check it in.

“Oh,” Shi Yin hummed happily, following closely behind him.

On the way back, Shi Yin fell asleep as usual.

Winter days were short and nights long. By the time the plane landed, it was already evening. Outside the window, night had fallen. Gu Congli parked his car at the airport parking lot. As soon as they got in, his phone powered on, and it immediately rang—a number he didn’t recognize.

He answered, not saying a word, and Aunt Cao’s voice came through loud and clear: “My dear young master Gu! You’ve finally answered! I’ve been trying to call you for so long!”

“I was on the plane this afternoon,” Gu Congli pulled the phone away slightly, double-checking the number on the screen. “Aunt Cao? What’s wrong?”

“Madam is missing!”

In the quiet car, faint sounds of a woman could be heard in the background.

Shi Yin turned her head, stunned.

The lines of Gu Congli’s profile were taut, his eyelashes slightly lowered, his brown eyes icy cold.

“What do you mean, ‘missing’?” he asked.

“She said she left her lipstick in the garden and insisted we all go look for it, so she sent us out there. But when I turned around, she was gone! I clearly locked the gate! And she took my phone—she won’t answer when I call!”

“What about her location?”

“That’s why I’m panicking! She hasn’t turned it on!” Aunt Cao’s voice sounded close to tears. “She’s been talking about going to find you and Master Gu all day yesterday. I don’t have Master Gu’s number, so I could only call you. Please hurry and look for her—she listens to you. Madam has been doing well these past two days, but I’m really…”

“I understand. Don’t panic. I’ll go find her.” Gu Congli hung up.

His expression was terrifying—dark and heavy. Shi Yin cautiously glanced at him. “What… happened?”

Gu Congli didn’t respond. After hanging up, he dialed another number. After a long wait, someone finally picked up.

A soft, gentle voice, like flowing water, spoke: “A-Li, are you home from school?”

“Mm,” Gu Congli murmured lowly. “I just got home. I didn’t see you—are you outside?”

“It’s snowing today. Mother went out for a walk,” Bai Lu said with a smile. “Do you remember when you were little, during winter, I would take you out to sketch the snow? That snow would melt halfway through falling in the air, and you were so upset. You pouted and said you couldn’t draw it.”

Gu Congli paused for a moment. “Where are you? Should I have Aunt Cao pick you up first?”

“Aunt Cao is in Yangcheng. Why would you send her over? It’s so far.” Bai Lu sounded displeased but then softly laughed again. “Mother will come pick you up. Let’s go find your father, okay? I know where you are. You haven’t been going to school every day. That time, I even heard you talking to Aunt Cao. A-Li has learned how to skip class now.”

Bai Lu hung up. A minute later, she sent over a photo.

It was nighttime in the city center. The massive glass curtain wall of Yaoguang Publishing reflected the bright LED lights from across the street, standing eerily silent against the dark night.

Below the image was a line of text:

【Mommy is waiting for you to come get me.】

Gu Congli put down his phone, started the car, backed out of the parking space, and floored the gas pedal, speeding out of the airport.

Shi Yin quietly curled up in the passenger seat, watching him uneasily.

Gu Congli’s lips were pressed tightly together. Noticing her gaze, he hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to gently stroke her hair.

“It’s fine,” his voice was hoarse, his fingers combing through her hair one by one. “It’s fine. Don’t be afraid.”

The car had been parked at the airport for a long time, so it had been freezing inside. Now, the air conditioning had kicked in, and the temperature was gradually rising. Yet Gu Congli’s fingers remained icy cold, grazing against her scalp and earlobe, making her want to shrink away—but she endured.

The traffic light turned red, and he barely managed to stop the car in time, pressing the brake firmly.

Shi Yin reached out, grabbing his hand with both of hers, and began rubbing his fingers gently.

“Are you still cold?” Her voice was soft and low.

Gu Congli’s fingers trembled faintly, almost imperceptibly. He lowered his gaze and turned his head to look at her. “Shi Yin.”

She held his fingertips and looked up at him.

What Gu Congli had originally planned was to keep hiding everything.

To keep it hidden forever.

She was a smart girl. She must have noticed something was off long ago, yet she had never asked.

About his matters, she had deliberately avoided them. Even after their relationship exploded into conflict, she hadn’t pressed him for answers.

Her silence had made him breathe a sigh of relief.

The things about his mother—the dysfunctional, unhealthy family and upbringing, the toxic father-son relationship—all of it, he didn’t want Shi Yin to know.

Every time he saw Bai Lu, it was like looking at his future self.

He had inherited her obsession, the part of her blood that ran through him making him feel so uneasy, so disheveled.

Gu Congli didn’t know if he would become like Bai Lu after falling in love with someone.

But he couldn’t let that happen.

His little girl was so timid. Even with his restraint, she was already walking on eggshells.

Gu Congli didn’t know what Shi Yin would do if she found out about his family.

She might leave him.

She might run far, far away.

The air conditioning kept raising the temperature. Shi Yin hadn’t taken off her coat, and now she was starting to feel hot.

She shifted slightly, preparing to take off her coat.

Her movement seemed to trigger something within him.

Gu Congli suddenly tightened his grip on her wrist, his eyes darkening with suppressed emotion. His voice was low and steady. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Shi Yin winced at the pain in her wrist. She froze, wanting to pull away.

Sensing his abnormality, she didn’t resist. Enduring the pain, she stayed still under his grasp. “I just wanted to take off my coat.”

Gu Congli didn’t move.

Shi Yin wrinkled her nose, her voice small and委屈 (pitiful). “You’re hurting me.”

Gu Congli stiffened, loosening his grip slightly. Shi Yin shook her reddened wrist and removed her coat.

As soon as her arms slipped out of the sleeves, Gu Congli suddenly leaned forward, gripping the back of her neck and pulling her tightly into his embrace. “Shi Yin.”

She blinked.

Though she didn’t know what was wrong.

Still.

Shi Yin obediently raised her arms, wrapping them around his waist, her soft body leaning lightly against him, curling up in his arms. “I’m here.”

The warmth of his skin brushed against her forehead, his Adam’s apple subtly moving.

“You’re not allowed to run,”

His voice was low above her head, his arms holding her so tightly it felt like he wanted to meld her entirely into his body. “Never think of escaping. Never.”