Chapter 43: Formal Attire (Part 2)

  Jet-black long hair fell straight down her back, setting off the girl's crystal-clear porcelain-like skin. A cute princess skirt hung above her knees, and lovely yet not childish handmade pleats replaced lace. On her feet were white vintage sweet bow round-toe doll shoes...

  Gu Tianxi gazed at her, and after a moment, the frost on his face was like warm sunshine, sparkling, gradually fading, and the beautiful, unadorned face wove a gentle smile that only bloomed for his sister.

  On the contrary, Ye Qinglan, who was drinking tea, almost spat out the water from his mouth. He coughed several times before asking uncertainly in a low voice, "Little girl?"

  "Thanks for your comment, Brother Lan." After saying that, Gu Huanli turned around and walked back, muttering to herself, "Fine, since I've already made a vomiting face this time, next time if someone makes a vomiting face again, I won't think it's weird or anything."

  "Lu Yu Chen, I didn't expect 'Dunkelmond' to still be rushing as usual." Gu Tian Xi said this to Lu Yu Chen who was standing not far away with a hint of a smile.

  "This young master is not like you, he has nothing but idle time to spend with the little girl." Lu Yichen waved his hand impatiently and said to the store clerk standing aside, peeking at them, "Get off work early today, salary will be paid as usual, you all go ahead and leave first."

  After the shop assistants had all left, Lu Yichen continued, "Besides, that evening gown from design to finished product is not considered complicated at all, so this speed is already slow."

  "Yi Chen, how did you suddenly become so humble today?" Ye Qinglan put down the teacup in her hand and looked at Luo Yi Chen's outfit, shaking her head with a bitter smile. "Even if you had a fight with your uncle, it shouldn't have taken only three days to make you look like this, should it?"

  "As a good friend, you're not even standing on my side, but instead, you're sneaking a smile...". Luo Yi Chen disdainfully curled his lips and turned to look at Gu Tian Xi, "How's that? Under my magic wand, your mischievous little sister has become much more lovely, right?"

  Gu Tianxi hummed softly, "Do you want me to let Xiaoli recognize you as her godmother?"

  "Fairy godmother? Unfortunately, your little sister isn't Cinderella and doesn't need a pumpkin carriage or crystal shoes." Lu Yichen sat down beside him with a deep smile, stretching out his legs lazily. "Speaking of which, Dunkelmond was able to open thanks to you and Lan. Before taking over the family business, I could do things I liked for a few years, so my life wasn't in vain."

  Ye Qinglan smiled slightly and said, "Father has invited you to go over tonight to play a game of chess with him. Otherwise, he'll have you put on a plane and express delivered directly to Uncle Luo."

  "Hmph!" Ruo Yichen furrowed his brow, tapping impatiently on the armrest of the sofa. "Doesn't your old man know that Young Master is running away from home?"

  Ye Qinglan smiled and looked at him, "Luo Yichen, your running away from home is simply a joke. Otherwise, why didn't you hide in Ethiopia?"

  "Lan, I've noticed that you're really idle lately! Is it because all the girls in school have fallen for Tianxi, so you're bored with nothing to do and came here to tease me?"

  "Sorry about that." Ye Qinglan spread her hands and said with a smile, "I'm not like you who likes older women, oh, saying older women makes me sound young. Sigh, Yichen, do you know or not, Han Ruoxi's good friend Qi Weiwei is spreading the news of your heroic deeds in school."

  "Ye Qinglan, you annoying little thing, didn't you know what was going on at the time?! If it wasn't for Xiao Yatou...!" Ruo Yichen glanced at Gu Tianhui and said helplessly, "I'm telling you, Tianhui, how did you raise such a mischievous little sister? She's really too much!"

  "Is Xiaoli very mischievous?" Gu Tianxi smiled faintly and said to Ye Qinglan, "She's timid, has a weak personality, and also has social anxiety disorder. If I hadn't recently participated in the basketball league, she would have been thinking of cheering me on every day, but instead she'd probably be hiding at home, reading books and practicing piano."

  Ye Qinglan's eyes showed a hint of regret as he sighed, "To think about it, did Little Xiao really have to give up the piano?"

  "Don't worry." Ruo Yichen chuckled and wrapped his arm around Ye Qinglan's neck, teasingly saying, "You're not only a good person, but also love to worry unnecessarily. Didn't you see that her brother said she was still practicing piano? I reckon the little girl just doesn't want music as her dream, but interests and all should still be preserved. Am I right, Tianxi?"

  "When she gets to the US, she'll find what she wants to do." Gu Tianxi didn't like indulging her sister's weakness, so, since Gu Huanlin wasn't a spoiled child, as long as they helped her choose a path and let her go, that was it. "How about...Lan, why don't we just hand him over to UPS?"

  "That's right, I fully agree." Ye Qinglan didn't struggle and let Luo Yichen hold her, and deliberately whispered in his ear, "Anyway, watching Uncle Luo enforce family law is quite entertaining too."

  "Hey, Lan, you're my childhood friend and partner in crime! Ruo Yi Chen glared at him with some dissatisfaction. "Not to mention that I prefer Federal Express, even if we take a step back, this young master has no intention of going back at all. But little girl, I'm talking about Tian Xi, leaving her alone in the US, can you really be at ease?"

  "If she were sent to England, she would be spoiled and become overly dependent on others." ZUU pointed out. Gu Tianxi turned around, gazing aimlessly at the tall floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, there were people of all shapes and sizes, busy souls rushing about.

  There was a long silence in the store.

  "But then, every summer in England there is a four-month social season. The huge ballrooms are the perfect place to hone your social skills," said Lord Thornton.

  "Xiao Li is still young, besides, I don't want her to dance every day until dawn for the entire summer." A faint smile floated on Gu Tian Xi's lips. In fact, he was well aware of his sister's poor social skills. However, Gu Tian Xi did not want to spoil her, nor did he want to cultivate his lovely sister into a so-called queen of the ballroom.

  Ye Qinglan smiled, her eyes narrowing into a beautiful arc. "Have you ever thought of changing cities? Although it's an unfamiliar environment, it won't make Xiao Yatou feel too isolated."

  "I have indeed considered it." Gu Tian Xi said candidly, his fingers slowly stroking the straight lines of the window frame, a smile of elegance and refinement on his face as always. "However, what I plan to do next may very likely put Xiao Li in harm's way. I am unwilling to take this risk, nor can I bear the consequences of losing her."

  "That matter, both I and Yichen have a share in it. If some people want to take revenge, they will start with the three of us." Ye Qinglan couldn't ignore the faint sense of loss at the bottom of his heart, but he still smiled and said so, his warm voice revealing an icy tone that didn't match.

  Crime?

  No, that was just a robbery. In the scramble for inheritance, as an onlooker, as the executor of the plot, carefully stretching out sharp claws, slowly and quietly devouring the delicious food bit by bit.

  Sorrow?

  Gu Tianxi didn't care about the sorrow in Gu Quyun's heart, nor did he care about how Shen Yanran and her mother would make a living from now on. He had promised to do something, and that was his life principle. Yes, that's right, he wanted to destroy the Chu Corporation completely as compensation for hurting his beloved sister.

  Zero passed the night, handing over his tape to make him horrified. Gu Tianxi thought of his sister's delicate and beautiful eyebrows with a hint of worry that couldn't be dispelled, thinking of his innocent and naive sister being deeply locked in a cage like a golden bird by that person...

  He turned around, looking at Luo Yi Chen and Ye Qing Lan, a hint of a smile on the corner of his mouth, but his eyes had cooled down. "Once is enough danger, if I can't stay with her for a long time, the only choice is to place her in a corner where no one can find." Just like the king who imprisoned the nightingale in a fairy tale, he would let his sister live only in his arms, only in his palm.

  Ye Qinglan shook her head at Luo Yichen, who looked like he wanted to say something but was too proud. As a family member of the victim, it wasn't hard to understand their anxiety. Moreover, the series of events that followed made them have no choice but to form a temporary alliance. After all, Chu Corporation had business dealings with Luo Media and Pu Shi Medical Group.

  In business, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies.

  Under the premise of maintaining a good reputation, if we can divide the Chu family enterprise, such a good thing, why not do it. Therefore, the three big men entrusted the handling of this matter to their chosen successor, which is not only a test but also the beginning of in-depth cooperation between the three companies.

  "No one can be safe forever." Ruo Yu Chen's mouth curled up with a faint smile, his right hand lightly turning the silver ring on the tip of his left hand. "Rather than locking Xiao Yao in an ivory tower, why not let her learn some self-defense skills? Lan, I remember that Ye's subordinate has a woman named Ling, whose martial arts skills are quite good. Why don't you introduce her to Tian Xi and have Ling serve as Xiao Yao's coach and bodyguard?"

  "I did have such thoughts, but just now I saw that Mr. Collins, and I think he should be able to protect Xiao Yatou well. Besides, practicing martial arts will inevitably leave one's body covered in bruises, and if they're not careful and get hurt again...” Ye Qinglan looked at Luo Yi Chen's face with a hint of a teasing smile, and sighed, "Ling is also someone who was trained by Ye, if you want to let Xiao Yatou learn Taekwondo or self-defense techniques, it would be best for Ye to teach her. But, Tian Xi, are you willing to?"

  Gu Tianxi turned around to look at Luo Yichen and Ye Qinglan, his handsome face curved into a perfect elegant smile. "Qinglan, I hope you can convey my sincere invitation to Mr. Ye and Miss Ling. Three days later, I will be waiting for them at Kuanglu Xuan."

  Lan thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "How about this? Since everyone has to attend the Rui Xin Group's wedding banquet anyway, I'll arrange for you to meet there. No choice, Ye is my uncle, but his temper is extremely eccentric. Whether or not he can become Xiao Yao's master depends on fate."

  "What's the relationship?" Suddenly, a voice with some confusion came from behind. Unable to wait for the store clerk, Gu Huanli had to change into her dress herself and curiously looked at Luo Yichen and Ye Qinglan.

  Gu Tianxi looked at her sister's eyes shining with curiosity, and couldn't help but stretch out his hand to hold her in his arms, saying in a low voice, "Xiao Li, this is the designer of 'Dunkelmond' that you admire - Luo Yichen. I think you two are already acquainted, so there's no need for introductions."

  "What? Brother Yi Chen is the designer of 'Dunkelmond'?" Gu Huanli stared at Luo Yichen in astonishment, this world was indeed full of "surprises". She had no idea that Luo Yichen could design clothes, just like she had no idea he used to have such a PUNK style.

  And he is actually the designer of "Dunkelmond"!

  It turns out that the nine sets of wedding dresses she wore at her wedding, including the wedding dress, were all works by "Dunkelmond". Because the designer of "Dunkelmond" is very mysterious, the communication before making clothes was all done online, and she had never met the designer in person.

  At this thought, Gu Huanli's body stiffened, and she looked at Luo Yichen with some hesitation, her heart full of confusion. After a while, a sweet smile finally appeared on her face, "Brother, it's getting late, if we're any later, the traffic will be terrible."

  "I understand." Gu Tianxi said calmly, bidding a simple farewell to Ye Qinglan and Luo Yichen before slowly leaving "Dunkelmond" with his sister.

  The driver had been waiting in the parking lot, sitting in the car. Gu Tianxi had already heard Cassidy mention what happened that afternoon, so he let Gu Huanlin lean on his legs and covered her body with his jacket. He gently patted her back to comfort her occasional dry cough.

  Returning to the Gu family's old residence, Gu Tianxi personally handed a bowl of soup to his sister.

  "What is this?" Gu Huanli frowned, looking at the unknown thing in front of her.

  "Chuan Bei Snow Pear Soup."

  "Kuan Pei? So bitter..."

  "There's a lot of rock sugar in the soup, so it won't be particularly bitter." Gu Tianxi looked at his sister with some displeasure and, without warning, scooped up a spoonful to put to Gu Huanlin's lips. "No picking at your food."

  Is this considered picky eating? Gu Huanli hesitated for a moment, her lips parted slightly, and she took a light sip.

  "Is it delicious?" she asked softly.

  "Hmm." She replied softly.

  Gu Qiujuan and Chu Lianyou, who had important matters to discuss with Gu Tianxi, saw this scene as they walked into the living room. Their facial expressions were different. The two stood at the door silently watching, afraid of disturbing that quiet warmth.

  The crystal-like pear pieces were soaking in the sweet broth, and the fragrance of the fruit was wafting out one after another. Gu Tianxi smiled as he watched Gu Huanli finish the bowl of snow pear soup, saying softly, "Remember to drink this every day for the next few days, got it?"

  "Mm." Gu Huan Lian replied softly, but the corners of her mouth involuntarily curled up into a smile that betrayed her heart.

  Warm dusk, warm brother, warm loquat snow pear soup.

  That's what they call happiness.