Seeing the amount of confidence Gu Nianzhi had in Zhao Liangze, Yin Shixiong stifled his laughter.
“Really? Then why I don’t see you kissing your brother Ze? You’re not a girl?”
“Me?” Gu Nianzhi pointed at herself, “How can I kiss Brother Ze? He’s my blood brother! How can I ever do that?”
“Blood my ass!” Yin Shixiong could not contain himself anymore. “Since when was he your blood brother?”
“Oh? Are you getting jealous now, Brother Xiong?” Gu Nianzhi asked comically. “I treat you as my blood brother as well, you know. Pot calling the kettle black; both of you are as important to me!”
“Like real! This little girl is getting more and more insatiable huh!” Yin Shixiong tightened his grip on his towel. This led Gu Nianzhi to put both her hands on her head in order to protect herself. “Brother Xiong! Just let me know if you’re not going to help me towel my hair; I can do it myself you know… Trying to attack people behind their back is so scheming and sly!”
“Fine, fine, just teasing you. Your hair is almost dry now, just blow dry it a little and it’ll be good.” Yin Shixiong stopped upon seeing her almost losing her cool. He toweled her long hair gently, while asking: “Nianzhi, Mr. Huo, Little Ze and I watched you grow up. Little Ze and I treat you like our very own little sister. Mr. Huo even looks upon you as his niece. He had always asked you to call him Uncle, hadn’t he? I noticed you stopped doing that recently… Any reasons?”
Gu Nianzhi did not know how to reply Yin Shixiong.
The relationship between Huo Shaoheng and herself wasn’t at a stage where it could go public yet. Even if they were to go public, Gu Nianzhi would leave the decision to him. He had an exceptional status, so Gu Nianzhi did not want to be a burden to him. Anyway, she trusts him completely.
That was the reason she could not give Yin Shixiong an answer. She just nodded, “Yes I know, all of you want the best for me, especially Huo Shao.”
“Now, that’s better,” Yin Shixiong slapped his thighs, “Mr. Huo dotes on you as an elder. When you have a boyfriend in the future and gets married, he will definitely give you a huge red packet!”
The corners of Gu Nianzhi’s lips twitched. She was unhappy at this remark, but couldn’t show it. So she turned around and smiled at Yin Shixiong, asking: “Why are you so concerned about my marriage all of a sudden, Brother Xiong? I’m only 18, and you want me married off already? Even though the legal age to get married is 18, you want me married off so soon, Brother Xiong?”
How can you even find an 18 year old getting married in the current society?
Yin Shixiong knew he was outtalked by Gu Nianzhi, and immediately tried to salvage the situation: “Did I say that you’d get married now? You need to get yourself a boyfriend first, of course! Then you guys would have to spend some time together in a relationship, and get married in 2 years’ time. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“I’d only be 20 in 2 years! Who says I want to get married at such a young age?” Rolling her eyes at Yin Shixiong, Gu Nianzhi thought: Unless I’m marrying Huo Shaoheng…
To be honest, Huo Shaoheng still did not admit that she was his girlfriend. So it’s still too early to talk about marriage.
Gu Nianzhi did not want to talk about this anymore, so she turned the odds to Yin Shixiong: “I’m still really young, so I’m in no rush at all. But you! Brother Xiong, aren’t you turning 27 after the New Year? You don’t even have a girlfriend. You’re not even worried, so why worry about an 18 year old, hmm?”
No wonder she was a lawyer. She really knew how to talk.
Yin Shixiong felt like a knife just stabbed him. Jumping from the ground he was sitting on, he sat on the sofa and crossed his arms. Rolling his eyes, he snapped: “Look what you’re talking about. Why would you care if I have a girlfriend? Why would you care if I’m getting married? What has it got to do with you?”
Gu Nianzhi stifled a laugh, “Aww, why are you getting so defensive, then?” Taking the towel, Gu Nianzhi walked to the bedroom. “Then don’t bother about me as well! If not, you can’t blame me for reminding you on your state too.”
Yin Shixiong admitted defeat. He couldn’t figure how to outtalk Gu Nianzhi no matter how he tried, so he decided to head downstairs. “I’ll be going down, you come down for dinner when you’re done.”
All Gu Nianzhi could hear at that point of time, was the sound of her hairdryer.
Her relationship with Yin Shixiong needn’t be so formal anyway; he could come and leave as he wanted, he didn’t have to greet her.
She came out of the bathroom when she was done drying her hair. Noticing that he had left the room, she returned and put on a facial mask. It didn’t bother her that he wasn’t in the room anymore, as she knew that he must have gone out. Logging into her account on her laptop, she saw that a couple of her roommates were online. They began a happy session of videoconference.
…
The reunion dinner was almost ready at about 7 in the evening.
The chef called Huo Shaoheng and informed him that dinner would be ready in 30 minutes.
Huo Shaoheng hung up, rubbed his eyes, looked through the mission projection and manpower of the year once more, and called Zhao Liangze using the landline: “How’s the investigation going on your end?”
Zhao Liangze spent over an hour in the nation’s household register and identification system before completing his search.
The list of names in front of him made him scared.
He was doing some advanced search when Huo Shaoheng called.
“Mr. Huo, I’ve completed the initial search. There’re a total of 1823 Gu Xiangwen’s who are alive in the country now.”
Huo Shaoheng: “…”
That’s a lot.
“…Then what about the name list of those who passed away within this decade? Did you check up on that too?” Huo Shaoheng asked again. Only by doing so would they not leave any details out.
Zhao Liangze shook his head, “Haven’t done the list on those who passed away, does Mr. Huo want to begin the search on that first?”
“Yes, let’s check it out.” He leaned against his seat, “We will check those over the age of 35. Those under that age seemed too young.”
“Yes, official.” Zhao Liangze accepted the suggestion and logged in to another database.
“Doubt we’ll be able to get much since the number of people is so great. Let’s just go back for dinner first, then.”
That’s true, Zhao Liangze thought. Putting his computer on auto search, he left the office block with Huo Shaoheng.
Even though Zhao Liangze and Yin Shixiong have their own houses within the compound of the Special Forces Headquarters, they each have their own place in Huo Shaoheng’s mansion as well, so they’d stay in their own places when they need to work overtime together.
They stay with Huo Shaoheng in his mansion most of the time, though.
They had to stay up the entire night to Shousui (a Chinese custom whereby the younger generations stay up the entire night so that their elders will live another year longer) after the dinner, so he definitely wouldn’t be going back. So he just went to Huo Shaoheng’s mansion with him.
It was already dark when they came out from the office block. The lights from the mansion looked even brighter in the clear, dark sky.
Huo Shaoheng smiled, looks like Yin Shixiong really did his best for this housewarming…
…
“Sir!” Standing at attention, the soldier guarding the entrance greeted Huo Shaoheng.
Huo Shaoheng nodded slightly in acknowledgement, “Happy new year, had your dinner?”
“Yes sir!” the soldier sounded full of vigor. “We will be having supper after we change shift later on!”
Zhao Liangze couldn’t control himself. Laughing out loud at the soldier, he patted him on the shoulders and entered the living room with Huo Shaoheng.
Yin Shixiong was cleaning his gun with a long terry cloth in the living room, alone.
He kept his gun upon seeing them, smiled and stood up: “Mr. Huo, you’re all done?”
Huo Shaoheng glanced at the surroundings: “The reunion dinner is done?”
“Almost.” Yin Shixiong walked over, pointing at the dining hall: “Dinner will be served in 30 minutes.”
“Have you informed them?” Huo Shaoheng looked upstairs.
Yin Shixiong knew that Huo Shaoheng was referring to Song Jinning and Gu Nianzhi, and replied: “Yes I’ve dialed their landlines. Mdm Song said that she would be down soon. Nianzhi… I couldn’t get through.”
Huo Shaoheng nodded, as he proceeded upstairs. “I’ll go change.”
His room was directly opposite Gu Nianzhi’s.
He knocked on Gu Nianzhi’s door. No one answered. He took the keys to her room and opened the door.
Gu Nianzhi was chatting with her roommates on a headphone. That was why she couldn’t hear the landline ringing.
She just finished chatting when Huo Shaoheng entered the room.
“Why are you here, Huo Shao?” Gu Nianzhi asked, removing her headphones. “Is dinner ready?”
“Yes.” Huo Shaoheng glanced at her, stopping to look at her wrist. “Big Xiong said he tried calling you on the landline but you didn’t pick up.”
“I was conferencing with my roommates just now. It’s the New Year and we were wishing each other,” Gu Nianzhi explained.
Huo Shaoheng didn’t seem to mind. He continued, “Okay, I’ll go have a shower and a change of clothes.”
The moment she heard that Huo Shaoheng was going for a shower, Gu Nianzhi had to try really hard not to follow him into the bathroom.
She stood closer to Huo Shaoheng, and asked smilingly: “Huo Shao, which of your clothes will you be wearing today?”
“Any one would do; there’re so many anyway.” Huo Shaoheng looked at her before walking away.
“How can you do that? Let me help you select?” Gu Nianzhi held on to his arm, and asked with sparkling eyes.
“Come if you want.” Huo Shaoheng did not reject her. He allowed her to hold on to his arm, and entered his room.
He went for his shower immediately. He couldn’t spend too long in the shower as they were about to have dinner.
He washed his hair quickly, gave his body a rinse, and was done within 20 minutes.
Gu Nianzhi returned to her room after selecting his outfit.
Huo Shaoheng looked at the outfit that Gu Nianzhi had selected. It wasn’t an army uniform, but a set of civilian clothing instead.
She selected a thin maroon woolen turtleneck and a black woolen pair of trousers for him. It totally matched with her ¾ sleeved checkered woolen top and black pants. What she wanted to portray was obvious.
He contemplated if he should wear what she selected, but wore it anyway. After that, he took a tiny box from his wardrobe, walked to the common area and tapped on Gu Nianzhi’s shoulder.
Gu Nianzhi turned around. Seeing that Huo Shaoheng wore the clothes she selected, she smiled widely. They totally matched like a couple! “Eh? Where did this handsome come from? Did you go to the wrong place?” she asked happily.
Huo Shaoheng felt extremely awkward upon hearing that, and told Gu Nianzhi: “Call me that again and I shall not give you your present.”
“I have a present?” Gu Nianzhi’s eyes lit up. “Let me see it; let me see it please?”
Huo Shaoheng smiled, letting her beg and whine. After a while, he took the box out: “… Let me put it on for you.”
It was a watch – A lady’s watch from Bvlgari. It had a clean and elegant analog watch face and a rose gold strap. Most importantly, it was a matching pair of watch with the one he was wearing!
Gu Nianzhi was in shock. She watched Huo Shaoheng as he put it on for her. Her smooth, creamy skin was in stark contrast with the hard watch face, exuding an unexplainable seductive beauty.
Gu Nianzhi looked at the watch over and over again, and observed Huo Shaoheng’s, and decided she couldn’t contain her curiosity anymore: “Huo Shao, where did you get this from? I don’t remember seeing this model before…”
She blushed furiously when she said that.
That was because she revealed what she really wanted to portray all along.
A year ago, Gu Nianzhi wanted to get a watch which was a match with Huo Shaoheng’s. However, she couldn’t find it no matter how hard she tried. She even called Bvlgari’s customer service, only to find out that not all of their watches are made in pairs, and Huo Shaoheng’s watch happened to not have a matching lady’s version.
Then how did he get it?
“Yeah, there isn’t.” Huo Shaoheng replied nonchalantly.
“Then where did you get it?” Gu Nianzhi pestered on, while caressing her watch lovingly.
“… I got them to customize it for me.” Huo Shaoheng stood up like nothing just happened. “Let’s have dinner.”