The first step is always the hardest.

With the location of Xingyao Entertainment finally confirmed, Gu Xingyi immediately contacted a renovation company. He needed to get the office up and running as soon as possible.

“Fengzi, come with me tomorrow to register the company. Also, let’s post some job listings online. We don’t have any singers for now, but we really need to fill some essential positions.”

“Sure, let’s go together tomorrow. As for the renovation, don’t worry about it—I’ll oversee it myself. Hehe~ This is Xingyao Animation’s office we’re talking about, I’ll definitely handle it personally!”

Chen Feng agreed enthusiastically. He was full of energy when it came to the company.

After finalizing things with the renovation company, Gu Xingyi looked up at the spacious office floor before him, his mind racing with everything that needed to be done next.

Starting a company was completely new to him—like a bride on her wedding day—so he had no choice but to carefully study every step and try his best to avoid making mistakes.

Renovation was just the first step. After that would come equipment installation, recruitment, bringing Feng Xiaoxiao and Yi Shuihan officially into the company… that was the extent of the early planning. From there on out, he would have to take it one step at a time.

Meanwhile, Tao Lele was dragging Xia Xiyao through the rooms one by one. Yun-jie followed behind them, a constant smile on her face. Now that they had their own company, this little girl had already started thinking about office layouts and was eagerly discussing ideas with Xia Xiyao.

Listening to Tao Lele excitedly imagine their future, Xia Xiyao blinked her beautiful eyes and subconsciously glanced at Gu Xingyi, who was still deep in thought. Her heart was filled with emotion.

It felt like her life had changed dramatically without her even realizing it—like waking up from a dream. Especially now, standing in this space, everything still felt surreal.

Suddenly, she was scared.

Tao Lele was about to pull Xia Xiyao forward again when she noticed her Xiyao-jie had stopped in place, standing there as if her soul had left her body.

“Xiyao-jie? What are you thinking about?”

Tao Lele called out, trying to get her attention.

Xia Xiyao didn’t respond. The next second, she suddenly pulled her hand free from Tao Lele and walked straight toward Gu Xingyi.

Gu Xingyi was still lost in thought about the company’s future when a light fragrance drifted over, and a soft, warm hand suddenly gripped his tightly—firmly.

He looked up and saw Xia Xiyao’s bare face—no makeup, just her naturally beautiful features.

Only now, those almond-shaped eyes of hers were filled with unease.

“What’s wrong?”

Gu Xingyi gently squeezed her hand and asked in a soft voice.

As soon as he spoke, the small hand in his tightened its grip even more.

Xia Xiyao pressed her lips together, eyes locked on his.

Yun-jie and Tao Lele, who had followed them from the other room, instinctively stopped. They, too, had noticed something was off with Xia Xiyao.

Yun-jie didn’t know exactly what was wrong, but she had a good idea. Her heart ached slightly. This silly girl—just when she was finally finding a bit of happiness—was already starting to get scared again.

Though Yun-jie didn’t know what she was afraid of, she was sure the reason had something to do with Gu Xingyi. She glanced at him, at the way he was looking at Xia Xiyao with such deep warmth, and quietly pulled Tao Lele aside to give them some space.

This was a moment for the couple to be alone.

Chen Feng scratched his head, confused at first. But when he saw Yun-jie and Tao Lele leaving, he quickly caught on and rushed after them.

The atmosphere here was just a bit too intense for him!

The sensation of Xia Xiyao’s warm hand made Gu Xingyi’s heart beat faster. She wanted to ask something, but was afraid the answer might disappoint her.

But the steady gentleness in Gu Xingyi’s gaze gave her the courage to speak up.

“Gu daizi~ you… you’re not going to disappear, right?”

Gu Xingyi was momentarily stunned by her question. He hadn’t thought about it before.

When he first arrived here, he did think about leaving—traveling the world. But later, that idea faded.

Still, whether he would disappear… he had never really considered it. And now, he didn’t know how to answer.

Everything is destined by the heavens—none of it is up to us.

Not hearing the answer she had hoped for, the panic in Xia Xiyao’s eyes deepened. She gripped Gu Xingyi’s hand even tighter, and her eyes started to well with tears.

This question had been on her mind for a long time—from the moment he appeared. She had always been the same, and the closer she got to happiness, the more intense her fear became.

She was afraid this happiness was just a fleeting dream, a phantom moment in time that would vanish like mist at dawn. That the beautiful encounter they shared would eventually dissolve into nothingness.

Sensing her growing panic, Gu Xingyi began to feel uneasy too. He turned his hand to hold hers and gently pulled her into his arms.

“There are some things I don’t know… but I won’t leave of my own will.”

As he spoke, his gaze gradually grew firmer. He gently patted Xia Xiyao’s slightly trembling back and continued,

“If one day I really do disappear… wait for me. I will definitely come back!”

Xia Xiyao didn’t reply right away. She simply held tightly onto Gu Xingyi’s waist, quietly feeling the warmth of his body.

Only after a long while did Gu Xingyi finally hear her soft voice near his ear.

“Okay.”

Just one word, but it carried all of Xia Xiyao’s resolve.

Even though it wasn’t the answer she truly wanted, it was enough. It was a promise she could hold on to.

Their emotions slowly settled down. But in Gu Xingyi’s heart, a new layer of worry formed—one that he himself wasn’t certain how to resolve.

With things settled at the office, the four of them left the company and headed for the bank.

On the way, thanks to Tao Lele—their cheerful little spark—Xia Xiyao’s mood gradually lightened up.

As Gu Xingyi drove, he couldn’t help but feel impressed. These two really were Xia Xiyao’s loyal right hands—they understood her better than anyone.

This bank visit was for one purpose: to pay these two contributors their salaries.

...

...

Life began to settle into a new rhythm. For now, Xia Xiyao finally had a bit of free time, while Gu Xingyi—who had sworn to become a full-time stay-at-home dad—was running around non-stop.

Registering the company, hiring staff, designing the company logo… one thing after another left him without a moment to rest.

After half a month, the buzz around them online had gradually faded. For a while, it felt as if Xia Xiyao and Gu Xingyi had disappeared from the world.

All the netizens could do was listen to their songs while nostalgically arguing under their Weibo posts.

   “Hey hey hey! Where are you guys?! Still not coming back to work? I’ve been waiting so long the flowers I planted withered!”

   “Exactly! Don’t you have any sense of duty? It’s been half a month! Even the donkey on the farm doesn’t take breaks this long!”

   “Listening to your music while nagging you to come back… honestly? Feels kinda great.”

   “Didn’t you say you were going independent? Why’s there no news? You two off playing somewhere?”

   “Old geezer! If you don’t show up soon, I swear I’ll park my ghostfire scooter in front of your house! Xingyao is mine, gagaga!”

While the netizens kept pushing for their return, the entertainment industry had uncharacteristically quieted down. Major entertainment companies finally breathed a sigh of relief. Without the pressure of those two, life was good again.

Still, no one dared dominate the trending charts too aggressively—they all feared that one day, Gu Xingyi would suddenly reappear and slap them all down with a bang.

Because if he showed up, it was guaranteed—instant top trending.

And if that happened, all the money they had dumped into promotions would be completely wasted.

Turns out, their caution was justified. On October 20th, both Xia Xiyao and Gu Xingyi updated their Weibo accounts at the same time.

And in just one short hour, that post shot straight to the top of the trending chart.

“Long time no see! Time for a quick work update—starting today, Xingyao Entertainment is officially live!”