Moreover, Gu Qiaoqiao was extremely fond of sculpting. When she held the chisel to the stone, it felt as fluid and natural as a stream flowing by. Sometimes, one could even hear the enchanting notes produced by the chisel touching the stone. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novｅlfire.net He felt that Gu Qiaoqiao could fully enhance her quality of life once again. He procured a batch of books on art and sculpture for Gu Qiaoqiao. As expected, Gu Qiaoqiao did not disappoint him. She eagerly absorbed knowledge in this area. Then he was surprised to discover that these were no longer enough for Gu Qiaoqiao, and moreover, she had developed many of her own ideas about sculpting. So, when he took Gu Qiaoqiao home for the New Year, he brought her to visit a friend’s antique shop. That little antique shop immediately opened the door for Gu Qiaoqiao to a whole new world. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized Qiaoqiao had truly grown up. Qiaoqiao’s world no longer revolved solely around him. Her world had become richer, which was what he hoped for, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of loss. But he still liked this version of Gu Qiaoqiao. The girl with light steps and a bright, radiant smile had returned. When the family visit ended, he took her back to the Border City, It seemed that, compared to the Imperial Capital, Qiaoqiao preferred life at the Northern Frontier. Moreover, it was only after visiting the antique shop that they learned some stones by the river could be turned into artworks. Qiaoqiao decided to return, go to the riverbank and pick up stones, then sculpt them into pieces of art. They were not short of money. His salary, bonuses, and shares, were all placed in her hands for her to spend freely. Moreover, the income from the two shops Great Grandfather gave him added up, so he hoped Gu Qiaoqiao would treat this as a hobby, but evidently, Gu Qiaoqiao also developed an interest in making money. Naturally, he was happy to see this outcome. It was certainly better than having her spend time with those ill-intentioned women. He never confessed his feelings for her. At that time, his thoughts were simple and foolish. In retrospect, he wished he could kill himself every time he thought about it. He felt that Gu Qiaoqiao should understand what was in his heart, so there was no need to say it. He believed that love could be understood without words. Besides, both were quite young, with a long future ahead of them... Later events proved how much of a bastard and fool he was. And just like that, time moved on to the summer of the year 1989. Father arranged for a school for Gu Qiaoqiao, preparing for Qiaoqiao to go study in September, but he did not agree. He hoped this would be Gu Qiaoqiao’s hobby, not her career. However, Gu Qiaoqiao was evidently very interested, yet she also agreed with his idea. Instead of attending school, she would just visit some antique shops to learn during the holidays. Afterward, Gu Qiaoqiao returned to the Imperial Capital alone. A week later, she called him, saying she’d be back in mid-August. At that time, he also happened to be returning from a mission. Seeing that Gu Qiaoqiao was going to stay in the Imperial Capital for such a long time, he felt uneasy and called her, hoping she would return home earlier. Return to their home in the Border City. He couldn’t wait any longer, and couldn’t hold back any longer. Each time he was with Qiaoqiao, he acted indifferent, suppressing his emotions. But this time was different. After August, Qiaoqiao would be fully twenty-one years old and could become his wife, and the mother of his children. Gu Qiaoqiao did not object and happily agreed.