Chapter 54: The Passage of Time (Part 1)

  A person can be so petty, Gu Huanli is considered to have known. [Ye Zi] [You You] A big man like him, at least over 20 years old, being calculative with a little girl of her age, isn't he afraid of being ridiculed? By the way, respecting the elderly and loving the young is a traditional virtue, how can he let this lovely little girl grow up with a bad temper?

  Evil, it's really too evil.

  Gu Huanli glared at his profile, the anger in his eyes becoming even more apparent. He naturally unleashed his gaze-slaying technique. It would be best to chop him into eighteen pieces, just a small joke, why take it so seriously?

  Hmph, perverted self-esteem

  "Wild cat." At night, he just pretended not to see it and instead nodded with his chin towards the small shop that was still open, saying lightly, "Go take a look, if you dawdle any longer, they'll probably close up soon."

  Come on, who's dragging their feet?

  No, just close it then, she didn't want to go anyway.

  Although she thought so, she watched as Ye walked into the depths of the alley with a proud and confident stride, and could only reluctantly follow behind him, muttering to herself as she walked, not even knowing what she was saying.

  "Didn't you just say that the black chocolate flavor in the car was pretty good?" Ye Fang slowed down his pace, although he wasn't used to doing so, but hearing the hurried footsteps behind him, which were almost like a jog, he patiently waited for her.

  "Huh?"

  "Want to go take a look?"

  "Huh?" Going to a chocolate store in the middle of the night? He's really going all out for her long eyelashes, isn't he? A grown man being so petty is just weird.

  "That small handmade chocolate shop just ahead is run by a Chinese-Canadian. Don't look at the owner being an almost Ph.D., his craftsmanship is impeccable."

  She took a deep breath, and looked at Ye in astonishment, saying word by word, "Doctor of Engineering?" Had she not misheard? A Doctor of Engineering making handmade chocolates - was this parallel world originally absurd, or was she just too old-fashioned and dull.

  She smiled slightly and said softly, "Yes. I remember the boss once told me that when he was preparing for his doctoral defense, it just so happened that he ate a box of chocolates sent by his wife. At that moment, he suddenly felt that after spending more than 20 years studying, it was simply too ridiculous to fight for a piece of paper. So, he didn't even attend the defense and went back to Canada with his wife to start a business."

  "It's hard to imagine, but I sincerely admire from the bottom of my heart. Because I don't like being bound, I'm not willing to be fixed, so I gave up on things that I was deeply attached to... Gu Huanli's eyes were a bit blurry, in fact, there are stories beyond her, people who start anew are not just her alone, she muttered to herself, "Living is about doing what you like."

  He stopped in his tracks at night, gazing at her, and asked slowly, "And you?" His tone was exceptionally gentle, as if comforting a lost child. But if Zero had heard this voice, it wouldn't just send shivers down his spine, he might even tremble uncontrollably.

  "Me?" Gu Huan Lian thought for a moment, then lowered her head, a hint of a bitter smile on her lips. The next moment, she raised her chin high, with an air of pride, "I'm the kind of person who, once I've made up my mind, won't regret it even if I fail, even if it's a huge mistake, even if the whole world is against me."

  Ye raised an eyebrow, and under the dim yellow light, that face was truly unspeakably terrifying. However, his voice didn't have its usual coldness, but instead had a hint of playful teasing, "Behind my back, haven't you secretly cried?"

  Gu Huanli stared at him intently for a long time, then took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision, and said softly, "That's a secret that can't be told."

  "What's the secret?" The night didn't continue to interrogate, he continued on his way, but muttered under his breath, "As long as it's true, there will always be a day when it's exposed. In this world, there are no real secrets."

  Right, so Heaven sent a clumsy angel to be her soul guardian. Even if she wants to blurt it out, she has to think about the safety of those around her. Moreover, if someone were to find out something, he might even personally destroy the evidence.

  This isn't about how much trust there is, it's just that in Gu Huan Lian's view, angels are all rigid, so tasks are just tasks and won't have any negligence or omissions. "That's not necessarily true. Some people say Zhao Zilong was a woman, but historians all say he was a man. Some people say Jack the Ripper might be left-handed, while others say he could use both hands skillfully with a knife... What you see isn't necessarily real, what you hear isn't necessarily false. Even if all evidence points to a suspect, it's still possible for the criminal to escape due to negligence."

  "A criminal is a criminal, he may escape for the time being, but he can't escape his fate." The night's eyes sank, he didn't like Gu Huanli's ambiguous point of view. Although this world has too many gray areas, and even Li Tian himself exists in the gray area, as a leader, he must distinguish between right and wrong at times, otherwise, it would be difficult to make decisions. "History is the same. Although every historian has their own argument, the real events, the real people, happened during that time, revealing the truth is only a matter of time, just like Cao Cao, whether he was a villain or a hero, in fact, everyone has already made up their minds."

  "So, I said you have cavities, all you need to do is prove that you don't have any and it's settled. Why do you want me to grow insect teeth just to conclude this?" Gu Huan Lian stopped mid-sentence and looked at Ye with caution, saying "Could it be that the dentists in your area haven't opened their clinics for a long time? So, you want to help them get patients? Actually, you can arrange for everyone to have their teeth cleaned once a year or something. It's a benefit, it guarantees everyone's physical health, and it also maintains the dental clinic's expenses. It's a win-win situation, why not do it?"

  After talking for so long, it turned out that she was making a detour to tease him with a joke. As the night began to recall, there were no young children in the family who didn't want to find the "魅" heir, and he had also been in contact with little girls of similar age to Gu Huanli. None of them were as delicate as her, none of them were as unpredictable as her, and none of them were as stubborn yet playful as her. One second ago, he thought she was just an adult like him, the next second, her childishness could make people's teeth ache. When he decided to forgive her because of her youth and ignorance, she would do something that made people scratch their heads or even stunned, and then he would think she was actually an adult again.

  This cycle...

  Isn't it interesting?

  "This is also a good idea, if we install a bug in everyone's teeth while they are brushing their teeth, and the battery life is set to one year, then we should be able to gather a lot of useful information." Ye said this out of nowhere, rubbing his chin.

  Although Gu Huanli had watched many gangster movies, spy movies and espionage dramas, she never thought that such things would really happen around her. Okay, can't she just pretend she didn't hear anything? And she swore that from now on, when seeing the dentist, Cassidy must be by her side to supervise, lest someone hears her unintentional complaints and mutterings.

  The two were talking, when Ye suddenly pushed open the glass door, and his thin lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. It was not the coldness he usually had, nor was it the occasional jest, in Gu Huan's eyes, it should be some kind of calmness, as if pushing open this door was like coming home.

  "It's right here."

  Gazing up at the starry sky, she breathed in the rich aroma of chocolate that filled her nostrils, and it seemed as if the entire world had become sweet.

  "Welcome." A gentle voice of a middle-aged man came from not far away, "Haven't seen you for a long time, Ye."

  "Uncle Li." Night covered his mouth and coughed twice, barely considered a greeting. When he turned back around, he couldn't find Gu Huanli anymore. "Hey, little wild cat?"

  "I really want to eat...". A faint whispering sound came from the corner of the wall, "Hazelnut, almond, raisin, Bailey's sweet, truffle...... Ah, Uncle After Eight, is this peppermint flavor?"

  "Yes." The shop owner smiled and nodded.

  "I've had this brand before, it was a gift from a classmate. At the time, I thought the shape, taste, texture and packaging all had a medieval vampire duke style to them."

  "This is an inspiration my wife got when she was traveling in Europe."

  "Mmm, the fatal beauty and charm can only hide in the darkness of night. Once its prey is enchanted, whether it's love or not, they will still willingly offer their blood and life..."

  "Hehe, night, your new friend is interesting. The shop owner opened the glass door and carefully took out a piece of chocolate, 'Want to try our latest product?'"

  "Want" Gu Huanli looked at Ye with a pleased expression, then raised her hands high, like a hungry cat. Anyway, she was just a kid, anyway, he had the heart to let her grow fangs, wasn't it just eating chocolate? Eat then eat.

  "Good. Seeing customers like and identify with their own work is the happiest thing." The shop owner put the chocolate on a small paper plate, then handed it to Gu Huanli, "Try it, then tell Uncle your evaluation."

  She carefully picked up the small chocolate, brought it to her nose for a sniff, and then popped it into her mouth, savoring the flavor. "Uncle, you've chosen a very authentic cocoa, I'm sure this is something you personally hand-roasted at home? There's a special aroma to it. It's a bit hard and bitter, but as it slides down my throat, it's surprisingly sweet. For some reason, eating this makes me feel a pang of sadness, like the taste has been slowly accumulating over time, a lingering aftertaste."

  It's just a pity that in this world, there are too many couples who not only forget each other like strangers on the street, but also become sworn enemies, never to see each other again until death. The love they once had has all turned into unbearable pain. So, before it's too late and all hope is lost, why not let go of this stubborn attachment? But no one knows when to give up and when to persist. After all, in this world, there is still the saying "to persevere".

  She suddenly wiped away the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, "This kind of chocolate is suitable for old couples like us who have gone through hardships. Because only those who have experienced it will know that no matter how bitter it is, there will be sweetness."

  "Little wild cat, are you thinking of your aunt and uncle? Or..." At night, looking at the tears that Gu Huanli had left behind, his face suddenly sank, he lowered his head to gaze at her tearful eyes, his voice slightly hoarse.

  Gu Huanli shook her head, she just thought of many people and things.

  "You're a very discerning kid." The shop owner nodded, smiling as he said, "It's made with a special formula we came up with for our 30th wedding anniversary. We won't sell this chocolate publicly, but it will definitely become a tradition in our family."

  "Uncle, is there Forgetfulness in the River of Forgetting here?"

  "There are." The shopkeeper sighed, "Every day someone buys it, just like every day someone is born and also someone dies."

  Gu Huanli nodded, making a mental note. When she felt that the memory was just a memory and no longer had the power to affect her life, she should come here to taste what "forgetting each other in the mortal world" was like.

  "Come on, have a piece and it'll make you laugh." The shop owner picked up another piece of chocolate for Gu Huanlin.

  "Hmm." She put it in her mouth and savored it, but within three seconds she let out a sharp cry, "Wow, uncle, how did you mix pop rocks into the filling? Ugh... my whole mouth is full of popping sugar!" She covered her mouth, jumping up and down with laughter, before finally calming down.

  Watching her laugh and cry for a while at night, the corners of her mouth twitched, but her heart was warm.

  "It's so much fun, uncle! Next time there's a new product tasting or something, you must invite me!"

  "Good."

  "This time, I want one of each of these, uncle please wrap two pieces for me, and make sure they're packaged... wow, I really want to try every kind. But no way, my teeth will definitely protest. Yet, each one is so tempting...”

  Gu Huanli leaned against the glass, staring longingly, hesitated for a while, then pointed at the white chocolate and said, "This one... come on..."

  She hesitated for a moment, then straightened up and said firmly, "Eight pieces, no packaging."

  Hey, you're laughing at her in the middle of the night, won't your teeth protest like this?

  As they walked out of the chocolate shop with their things in hand, Gu Mengyu couldn't help but turn around and look back three times.

  "Alright, little kitten, enjoy your meal. Come back next time if you want more. If you keep staring, that uncle will be embarrassed."

  "Oh." Gu Huanli sighed reluctantly and finally stopped looking back.

  "Where would you like to go next?"

  “……”

  "Want another cup of red tea? There's a great Hong Kong-style dessert shop up ahead?"

  “……”

  "Or go back home and rest, it's about time anyway."

  “……”

  "Kitty? You......" Only then did Ye notice that Gu Huan's cheeks were puffed up like a squirrel, and the white chocolate in her hand was completely gone.

  Gu Huanli looked at the empty bag in her hand, then looked at Ye, and only then did she remember. After all, it was someone else's money, so she should let them have some. "Uh... sorry, I wanted to save a piece for Uncle, but it was just too delicious." Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled aside by Ye.

  What? Is he angry?

  Gu Huanli struggled to apologize, but heard Ye whispering in her ear, "In a moment, no matter what I do, you must not move."