Chapter 25: Colored Perspectives

The Dugu family's company is not particularly large, and they adopt a rather laid-back approach toward their employees, fostering a relatively free work environment. Today’s gathering was merely to formally introduce Dugu Yi to everyone; as for the agenda, it was little more than a formality.

Dugu Yi stepped out of the office and let go of Gu Xinyao’s hand, walking on his own toward the small park outside the building, where red koi swam leisurely in a pond. He sat on a bench by the water, and Gu Xinyao followed him, standing by the edge. He did not look at her, nor did he ask what had happened earlier.

The air felt heavy. Although he was not a man of many words, he was not usually this sullen. His silence made her heart flutter, leaving her unsure of what to do.

"Is it really that important to have parents’ love?" Gu Xinyao stared at the fish swimming lazily in the pond for a while before hearing the man beside her ask this.

She turned to look at him. His expression was blank, his eyes fixed intently on the fish, as if he were asking them the question. But since the fish could not answer, she decided he must be asking her.

"When we are young, our parents love us to ensure we grow up happy and healthy. When we are grown, if our parents continue to love us, that is a blessing. If they feel we no longer need that love and give it to others instead, I don't think we should feel angry or sad. We have our own paths to walk; parents cannot accompany us forever. As long as we love ourselves, that is enough. And Yi, you... let me be the one to love you, okay?"

He watched the pond for a long time, neither moving nor speaking further.

She did not know if her words had any effect. With this man, she always felt clumsy and helpless. He was too strong-willed and too stubborn, making it difficult for her to find a way to shower him with more love.

"Am I... not good enough? Is that why they think everything I do is wrong?" he muttered in a low voice. Had Gu Xinyao not been listening intently, she would have missed it.

She looked at him in surprise. She had thought his tireless work and desire to be the best were his own dreams, but she hadn't realized he was doing it all to prove his worth. He was such a fool. A person’s life is not lived for others, but for oneself.

"Fool!" She gently reached out and took his hands into her own. They were slightly cool, whether from poor circulation or the chill of the conference room, she couldn't say.

"A fool?" He pursed his lips, staring at the pond, refusing to meet her gaze, repeating her words under his breath.

"A fool... don't you understand? When I call you a fool, I don't mean you're actually stupid. It’s because I love you; I only say that because I’m frustrated that you can’t let things go." She forcefully turned his face toward hers. She was at a loss—she couldn't stay angry at him, nor could she bring herself to scold him. This man could be so stubborn at times that she wanted to kiss him into submission, just so he could no longer ignore her.

He looked at her in astonishment. He had always thought her gentle, never expecting her to be so assertive.

"Seeing your brother bully me earlier, aren't you angry?" she decided to turn the tables before he could regain his composure, hoping to avoid being held accountable later.

He looked at her, seeing her righteous indignation, and seemed puzzled.

"It was my brother who came off worse," he said coolly, though a hint of a smile flickered in his eyes.

Gu Xinyao pouted again. She knew he would take his brother's side. At the time, it was clearly Dugu Ning who had kissed her, and she felt she was the one who had suffered from a forced kiss.

"I knew you were biased. Fine, regardless of who came off worse, next time—if anyone dares to do that again—you, you must be tougher. Tell that person: I am yours. And of course, you must be mine." She squeezed his hand, drawing a line in the sand; she wouldn't allow him to make her jealous with anyone else in the future.

"Huh?" Dugu Yi parted his lips slightly. He had never expected Gu Xinyao to talk like this. She had always been so polite; she had said many sweet things before, but never anything so possessive. She was truly domineering, but he liked it.

*Liked it?* He paused. He rarely liked anything, and people were certainly not on his list of preferences. Could it be true that he actually liked her?

Gu Xinyao noticed the smile that had just surfaced in Dugu Yi’s eyes fade into a daze. She shook his hand in front of his face, but he didn't react.

"Darling, Yi, what are you thinking about?" She was almost leaning against his face, yet he still didn't stir. She sighed softly, wondering if their meeting was a blessing or a disaster. Regardless, she had never seen him so absent-minded before.

She linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. His shoulder was comfortable. If she had met a man like this in her own time, she would surely have fallen for him at first sight.

"I... I think I’m starting to like you," she heard him say hesitantly near her ear, right as her mind was wandering.

She took a moment to process this. She felt happier than she had when the manager announced she was the chief engineer. He was starting to like her—didn't that mean love was just around the corner?

She lifted her head from his shoulder so abruptly she nearly bumped his chin, though she managed to pull back just in time to avoid mutual injury.

"Really? You're starting to like me?" she asked loudly, clutching his arm in joy. After he nodded in confirmation, she nearly jumped for joy.

"That's great! That's wonderful! We... we must celebrate!" She pulled him up and began pacing in circles. Dugu Yi felt a faint smile bloom, and he allowed her to lead him in what looked like a silly dance—raising their hands above their heads and waving them. Of course, since she was holding his hands, he had no choice but to wave his arms along with her.

"Right, right! Let’s go to Sister Qin’s place. Brother-in-law Ge Yue makes delicious fish. Sister Qin said that after our wedding, we must visit her; she wants to celebrate our marriage too." After pacing and acting so foolishly, Gu Xinyao finally stopped and decided on Qin Rou’s home as the place to celebrate.

Dugu Yi’s previously gloomy mood was temporarily cast to the winds by Gu Xinyao’s antics.

On the way to the grocery store, Dugu Yi still felt something was missing. Even though Gu Xinyao said the store had everything, he wanted to buy a gift. The high-end shops along the street were filled with dazzling arrays of food and clothing, and he had no concept of what to buy.

Gu Xinyao pulled him toward a counter selling specialty rice crackers. A few people were already in line. She pointed at the uniquely shaped, handcrafted crackers inside and said, "Let's buy these. The grocery store doesn't carry this brand. Sister Qin can't afford the high cost of stocking them, and when Brother-in-law Ge Yue craves them, he has to wait in line here. It's rare that there are so few people today; we've come at just the right time."

Dugu Yi looked into the counter; a palm-sized cracker cost over a hundred. Although he did not live in poverty, having worked for several years, he knew the value of frugality and couldn't help but sigh at the high price.

As they stood in line, a loud female voice sounded from behind them.

"Wait, isn't this Gu Xinyao from the Qin family's shop? I haven't seen you in a few days—so you've been busy falling in love?"

Gu Xinyao and Dugu Yi turned to see a tall, sturdy, middle-aged woman. Gu Xinyao recognized her as a regular customer who often visited the shop. Sometimes, when she had time, they would chat. The woman was decent enough, though she was known for being a gossip.

"Oh, Sister He! What brings you here to buy rice crackers today?" Gu Xinyao smiled, dealing with this unexpected visitor.

"Oh, I got off work early, so I came to buy some for my little treasure. And who is this?" Sister He worked at a well-known clothing company and was a busy professional. She wasn't exactly wealthy, but she had some assets. She was generous, if a bit loose-lipped, but not a bad person. She was a typical "good mom" of the new generation.

Sister He answered Gu Xinyao casually while her eyes scanned Dugu Yi from head to toe, filled with the dazzle of seeing a handsome man. Women, naturally, would look twice at a handsome man, especially one as outstanding as Dugu Yi.

Gu Xinyao didn't mind the attention; she knew there was no malice in it.

"I'm already married. This is my partner, Dugu Yi. Yi, this is Sister He, a regular at our shop."

Dugu Yi politely greeted Sister He.

Sister He clicked her tongue. "Little Gu, you’re so lucky! To stumble upon such a fine man. No wonder I hadn't seen you at the shop lately. I asked that Qin Rou, but she kept her lips sealed. So you were hiding the good stuff from us! Haha, anyway, brother-in-law, my sister here is a good person. Living with her, you’re bound to be well taken care of." She patted Gu Xinyao and turned back to Dugu Yi.

Dugu Yi only smiled faintly and said nothing.

"Alright, Sister He, those who know you realize you're praising me, but those who don't might think you're selling a product!" Gu Xinyao couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, it's your turn." Sister He gestured for them to move forward as the previous customer finished. Dugu Yi nodded and turned to buy the crackers, leaving Gu Xinyao with Sister He.

"Are you headed home or to the shop?" Sister He whispered. "I was thinking of introducing you to a nice man, but it seems you’ve found one yourself. The shop will be lucky to have a handsome face around now."

Gu Xinyao glanced back at Dugu Yi, who was focused on picking out the crackers, a look of love flashing in her eyes. "Thank you for always thinking of me, Sister He, but Yi has his work. For his sake, I won't be returning to the shop for now."

Sister He looked slightly surprised that Gu Xinyao would commit to being a homemaker. After all, once a man is married, shouldn't he be the one staying home to manage the household? She shook her head, looking worried. "Little Gu, you're not as smart as me. When I married your brother-in-law, I was a penniless girl, but I didn't let him go out to work—I kept him at home. Men are safer at home. Besides, with him looking like that, are you really comfortable letting him work outside?"

Gu Xinyao was stunned for a moment, not quite grasping the implication. When she saw the expression on Sister He’s face, she couldn't help but laugh. "Sister He, you’ve misunderstood."

"Oh?"

"Yi has his own family company, and he works there. He loves his job, and I don't have the heart to make him stay home. Besides, I can do other things while staying home, and I can take better care of him that way."

Sister He shook her head, unable to understand. "Men with money are even harder to keep. You’d better be careful."

"Thank you, Sister He, we’ll be fine." Gu Xinyao didn't care what others thought about Dugu Yi working outside. Perhaps other men would be tempted, but she believed Dugu Yi was not that kind of person.

Seeing that her advice was unwelcome, Sister He dropped the subject.

Dugu Yi finally finished picking the crackers. As they said their goodbyes, Sister He frowned, as if remembering something. She held up a finger, and finally, it clicked.

"Right! Him—I think I’ve seen him in the papers. He’s the one from the Dugu family..."

Gu Xinyao knew what she was about to say. She pulled Dugu Yi away, not waiting for Sister He to finish. "Sister He, we’re in a rush. We’ll talk another time. Goodbye!"

With that, she dragged Dugu Yi out of the shop.

Dugu Yi, who had been pulled along, felt his once-ruddy complexion pale slightly. To say he didn't care about others' perceptions would be a lie; he just hadn't expected to be recognized here.