Chapter 75. I want the whole world to hear it.

The party started at 7 p.m. In the afternoon, Shang Shu pulled Gu Sui into the dressing room and asked her to help her pick out a dress.

"Do you think I've gained weight?" Shang Shu swept her long, curly hair to one side and down to her chest, then lifted her skirt and stood in front of the large full-length mirror, turning half a circle to the left and half a circle to the right.

Most of their clothes are custom-made by specialized designers, and formal dresses are no exception, so they usually fit very well. However, as soon as Shang Shu put on this dress, she felt as if it was half an inch tighter around her waist.

Gu Sui looked at Shang Shu's porcelain-like back and her slightly twitching shoulders, then stood up from the sofa.

"Just right, so beautiful." She hugged Shang Shu from behind, resting her chin lightly on Shang Shu's shoulder, gazing at their embracing figures in the mirror.

Gu Sui thought, feeling a little reluctant to let her go.

His warm breath tickled her neck, making Shang Shu giggle and try to escape. Gu Sui wouldn't let go of her, so Shang Shu had no choice but to turn around in his arms, cup Gu Sui's face in her hands, and hold her still.

"Don't tease me," Shang Shu said softly, slightly out of breath.

Their eyes met, their breaths mingled, and the atmosphere gradually became ambiguous. Gu Sui placed his hand on Shang Shu's waist and gently stroked it with his thumb.

Shang Shu knew that this was a restrained and subtle signal from Gu Sui.

"What time is it?" Shang Shu asked in a slightly grainy, soft voice as her hand slid from Gu Sui's face to his neck.

There was no clock on the wall of the dressing room. Gu Sui swallowed hard, glanced at the watch cabinet not far away, but was reluctant to let go, so he took Shang Shu's arm and went over to look at it together.

"It's still early." Considering the time for a shower, there was plenty of time. As she lifted her clothes, Shang Shu's hands began to wander.

"Hmm, it's still early." Gu Sui took a breath, kissed Shang Shu, and began to untie the sash of her dress.

Right here, the dress is wrinkled; just change it.

After washing her hands, Gu Sui, breathing heavily, led her towards the sofa, but Shang Shu remained rooted to the spot and refused to move. She pursed her lower lip slightly, looked at Gu Sui, and then at the full-length mirror on the other side.

"How come you have so many clever ideas, huh?" Gu Sui laughed, having previously called her lewd.

"Yes," Shang Shu readily admitted, slowly leaning close to her ear, her breath sweet as orchids, "It's only for you."

A mirror can be used to tidy one's appearance, or to admire one's loved one. Dressing properly is a sign of presentability to the outside world, while looking at one's loved one is a sign of tenderness to one's loved one.

The wool carpet was thick and soft enough to protect their knees, and the vines twined around from the front, inviting those who watered it to admire how they climbed upwards, took root downwards, and grew wildly.

Knowing they would be going out later, they were relatively restrained this time.

After taking a shower, Shang Shu chose a new dress and asked Gu Sui to put a brooch on her.

Gu Sui carefully selected one, handed one to Shang Shu, and asked, "Did you design all of these yourself?"

Shang Shu glanced at the entire wall covered with a dazzling array of items and felt that the question was a bit exaggerated. She hadn't really put that much thought into designing her accessories.

“No, there are only two or three here,” she said, holding the one in her hand up to her chest and then lightly pecked Gu Sui on the cheek, unable to suppress the corners of her lips, “but the one you picked is…”

Gu Sui was slightly taken aback, but a smile also appeared on his face.

Shang Shu was worried about showing her belly, so she didn't plan to eat dinner. She was actually quite used to this, but Gu Sui wouldn't allow it, fearing that she would get drunk easily on an empty stomach and that her stomach would feel uncomfortable. So, after much persuasion, he finally coaxed her to eat something at home before going out.

Gu Sui still drove her there.

Shang Shu wore a deep burgundy velvet gown, her long hair styled in a low bun at the back of her head. The semi-high collar design accentuated her fair and slender neck. The dress was only slightly fitted at the waist, and apart from a delicate brooch at the neckline, there were no other complicated embellishments. She looked exceptionally elegant and poised.

Gu Sui felt that the little girl was like a lychee, inside and out, sweet and intoxicating, captivating and enchanting.

"Drink less later, okay?" Gu Sui parked the car and unbuckled Shang Shu's seatbelt.

"I'll try my best," Shang Shu said confidently, pulling her hand and poking it twice in her palm. "Anyway, you'll be there to pick me up."

Gu Sui helplessly squeezed her fingertips, wanting to say something, but Shang Shu spoke first.

"Give me a kiss quickly, Lan will be coming to find me soon." She closed her eyes and brought her face close to Gu Sui's.

"What if your makeup gets smudged?" Gu Sui smiled and twirled her fingers, not daring to cup her face.

Shang Shu opened her eyes angrily and wrinkled her nose slightly: "I deliberately didn't put on lipstick beforehand, so if you don't want to kiss me, then forget it."

As she spoke, she was about to apply her lipstick.

Gu Sui couldn't help but chuckle. With one hand, he gently grasped Shang Shu's wrist as she was about to raise it, and with the other hand, he hooked her chin and tenderly and carefully kissed and nibbled at her lips.

How could she not think about it? In her eyes and mind, all she could see was the image of the little girl, as delicate as a lychee. She was afraid that if she touched it even slightly, she would fall in love with it.

Satisfied, Shang Shu moistened her lips, savoring the moment, and then coaxed Gu Sui to apply lipstick for her.

"I can't stand myself anymore," Shang Shu thought to herself, feeling both disgusted and sweet.

Soon after, Song Lan came to pick them up. After watching the two leave, Gu Sui returned to the car, picked up her iPad and started looking at something. She didn't plan to go anywhere else; she just wanted to wait here for Shang Shu to finish.

After watching for a while, my phone suddenly rang. It was Gu Qi calling.

"Sister," Gu Sui answered the phone.

"Are you busy?" There was a rustling sound on Gu Qi's end, as if someone was tidying up something.

"No," Gu Sui locked the iPad, put it aside, and turned up the phone volume. "What's wrong?"

“Bring A-Shu over for a meal during the Chinese New Year,” Gu Qi’s cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone. “I’m going to Switzerland on a business trip next week and won’t be back until the end of the month. I’m afraid I’ll forget because I’m busy.”

Actually, she and Gu Xiangyi don't really celebrate the Spring Festival. They don't go back to the Gu family, and they don't have any traditional customs. In the past, they used to treat it as a vacation and fly to all over the world to play. But in the past three years, they have been staying with Gu Sui, so they haven't gone anywhere else. They have also gotten used to having a meal together during the Spring Festival.

Gu Sui chuckled and glanced at the passenger seat: "Hmm, I'll ask her about it later."

She recalled that when she and Shang Shu spent their first Chinese New Year in Aicheng, she asked about it once. At that time, they had only been together for a short time and did not know much about each other's family backgrounds. Shang Shu just vaguely said that they didn't usually celebrate Chinese New Year like that before, so she didn't ask any more questions. Later, after learning about Shang Shu's situation, they didn't make a point of celebrating it again.

So she was actually a little unsure whether the girl would like it, and thinking that she should respect her opinion, she didn't agree on her behalf.

"Okay." Gu Qi's voice was a little distant, probably because he was still packing up and had the call on speakerphone.

Gu Sui pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Sister, when I was little...did I like going out?"

The murmured noise on the other end paused, then Gu Qi's laughter came through: "What's the question?"

She didn't know how young her sister meant by "when she was little," nor did she know whether "going out" meant traveling or something else, but she knew all too well who the question was for.

Gu Sui lowered her eyelashes, smiled, and realized that her question was a bit inexplicable.

"I'm hanging up," she said, pursing her lips.

When Shang Shu returned, it was already past ten o'clock. Gu Sui saw that she was being helped over by Song Lan, so he quickly got out of the car to greet her.

"Why did you drink so much?" Gu Sui frowned as he took the person from him and carefully helped him into the passenger seat.

Shang Shu wasn't actually very drunk. She had taken some hangover medicine beforehand. Since it was a public place, she wouldn't let herself lose control. She had walked steadily just now, though her face was a little red. To others, she would only look slightly tipsy, but Gu Sui could tell that she had drunk quite a bit.

"No." Shang Shu leaned back against the headrest, tilting her head to look at Gu Sui, who was leaning against the car door, and smiled.

Gu Sui tucked a lip into his mouth, helped her tuck in her skirt, adjusted the seat, bent down to fasten her seatbelt, and then gently closed the door.

"Mr. Shang didn't drink much at first, but then he met one of his mother's former subordinates and they chatted for a while, so he drank a bit too much," Song Lan explained from the side. Then she glanced at the time and said, "Ms. Gu, I'll be going now. Please contact me if you need anything."

"Thank you for your hard work." Gu Sui nodded to the man, then walked around to the other side and got into the car.

She turned her head and saw the young girl in the passenger seat looking at her. Her eyes weren't as bright as usual; they were half-open and blinking slowly.

"Gu Sui," Shang Shu moved her lips, feeling a slight numbness on the tip of her tongue, "Don't scold me."

The little girl's voice was lazy and slightly hoarse, and her words seemed to be spoken in slow motion.

"Okay, I won't scold you." Gu Sui smiled and couldn't help but bend his finger and reach over to rub Shang Shu's face.

Like a kitten.

Shang Shu hummed softly, shrinking back from the tickling sensation. The drinks she had taken afterward were starting to take effect, and she felt her eyelids getting heavy.

"We're home." Gu Sui's voice was clear and gentle, like a cup of warm water.

Um.

Shang Shu had no strength left, not even her vocal cords; she could only exhale a little air from her throat without making a sound.

As they drove back to the waterfront, Gu Sui unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to examine Shang Shu's sleeping face.

The little girl was very quiet, her breathing was shallow and deep, her neatly styled hair was a little loose, with a few strands falling loosely around her neck, and her cheeks were rosy, making her look very well-behaved.

Gu Sui couldn't resist and leaned in to lightly peck her lips; it probably tasted like lychee wine.

"Mmm..." Shang Shu moved slightly from the kiss, but after staying in that position for so long, her neck stiffened.

"It hurts." Her eyebrows furrowed into a small mountain, and Shang Shu groggily opened her eyes a crack.

Gu Sui quickly reached out to gently massage her.

"Are you feeling any better? Move slowly." After rubbing her neck, Gu Sui didn't let go immediately, but continued to gently support it.

"Hmm," Shang Shu tried to move around a bit, and she sobered up quite a bit. She asked in a soft voice, "Are we home yet?"

"We've arrived," Gu Sui said, gently brushing a stray hair from her forehead, a little worried. "Rest well at home tomorrow, and we can look at houses another day, okay?"

Shang Shu propped herself up and shook her head anxiously: "No, let's go tomorrow, I can do it, I really can."

"Hiss—" She covered her neck, which had just gotten a little better, but then it twisted again.

"Okay, we'll go tomorrow, we'll go tomorrow." Gu Sui gently removed Shang Shu's hand and then massaged it for a while.

When they got home, Shang Shu was already quite sober. Gu Sui made her a cup of honey water and watched her drink it in small sips. After a while, he turned on the water for her and even accompanied her to take a bath, still feeling uneasy.

After wearing high heels for several hours, not only did her neck ache, but her back, waist, and legs also ached. Shang Shu lay half-reclined in the bathtub while Gu Sui helped her wash.

With Gu Sui around, she's becoming more and more spoiled. It's quite remarkable that she can treat the dignified Second Miss Gu like this. Shang Shu condemned herself while trying to get by.

"I just ran into one of Mommy's former subordinates at the party." She casually draped one arm over the edge of the bathtub, splashing some water.

"Hmm, what did you talk about?" Gu Sui stroked her hair, ready to listen quietly.

Shang Shu remained silent for a while, then suddenly chuckled and said, "She recognized me at a glance and said I look a lot like Mommy."

Gu Sui gently stroked her earlobe.

Shang Shu paused, dipped her head and splashed the water a couple of times before continuing, "She also said that the company's original name was 'Mingzhu,' which my mother named because of me, saying that she loves me very much."

Shang Shu gazed at the water and smiled silently. She took a deep breath, but her hand trembled slightly as she exhaled. "Of course I know it used to be called 'Bright Pearl.' How could I not know it used to be called 'Bright Pearl'..."

Her voice gradually faded, as if she were speaking to someone, or perhaps just murmuring.

"Gu Sui." Shang Shu called her in a very soft, breathy voice, so soft that it almost melted into the misty water and disappeared.

"Don't leave me again."

Can you stay with me forever? Can you love me forever?

But a lifetime is too long, and eternity is too far. She knew they had already been blessed by heaven and favored by the gods, so she could only express it in this sentence to avoid being greedy.

“A-Shu…” Gu Sui squatted down, one knee lightly touching the ground. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against Shang Shu’s, her eyelashes wet. She made a promise in the misty steam.

"I will never leave you again."

Light and airy, yet heavy and weighty, it wants the whole world to hear it.