Like today, she spent extra time making herself beautiful for another dinner 'date' with him. Good lord. She couldn't believe she was starting all over again with He Lianchen, but she just couldn't resist him no matter how hard she tried to avoid him.

  Gu Yuyao felt that she still wanted his company above the rest. He didn't make her feel awkward nor bad about herself, except for their first meeting after years of not seeing each other. Thankfully, He Lianchen never confronted her about their past and had chosen to focus on what they had at the moment.

  She finished her makeup with lip gloss before deciding she had done enough. She was wearing a cream colored blouse with a pair of black trousers. This was better than wearing dresses that made her feel too girly. After putting on her white pearl earrings, Gu Yuyao stared at her reflection in the mirror.

  She didn't usually give much thought about her appearance because she wore clothes that looked good and comfortable at the same time. However, tonight, she spent extra time to look prettier for He Lianchen.

  Did she really want him back in her life? A resounding 'yes' echoed in her mind. A repeat of their nasty break up was totally out of the question. So what if she wanted He Lianchen back? The only reason why she couldn't be with him was because of her irritating family.

  Gu Yuyao considered Li Meili's suggestion. If He Lianchen still had marriage in mind, she wondered if he would be appalled by the notion of getting a prenuptial agreement with her.

  A part of her wanted to know how far He Lianchen was willing to go for her sake, but the other part was afraid to face the reality that he would deny her this time. She didn't think she would be able to endure it if He Lianchen gave up on her as she did before.

  It made her feel guilty that she'd subjected him to such traumatic pain by turning her back on him. Gu Yuyao couldn't even understand why he didn't hate her. If it was another man, he would surely spite her, curse her to the heavens.

  Gu Yuyao shook her head to brush away these unwanted thoughts. What mattered now was that she was willing to try again with He Lianchen. As for her family, she would deal with them once and for all.

  Since she had already moved out of Peach Blossom Garden and was living alone in her apartment downtown, it wasn't surprising that she was missing the little buns' company.

  He Lianchen stood before her, looking relaxed in a button-down light blue shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of black trousers. He gave her a slow once-over and smiled. Leaning forward, he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and took her hand in his.

  "I thought you were still at Tang Enterprise, but Tang Moyu said you left early today. Are you alright?" He asked while she locked the door behind her.

  "Hmm… Just feel a little tired from too much work lately. I took a short nap. I can't believe I used to hate naps when I was a kid." Gu Yuyao sighed, which was followed by He Lianchen's chuckle. He then tucked a stray lock behind her ear, much to her shock.

  He was glad Song Fengyan had suggested trying a different method to woo Gu Yuyao back to his side, otherwise he was sure as hell he wouldn't be able to touch her like this again.

  "You can always negotiate for power nap allocations with the empress, considering you are her good friend." He smiled at her before extending his arm for her to take. "Shall we go, milady?"

  Gu Yuyao rested her hand inside his elbow and followed his lead as they walked towards the elevator of her apartment building. With their closeness, she could pick up his familiar scent. It was still the same scent she could associate with him years ago.

  Good lord. She couldn't believe that she was still able to remember it considering she hadn't been with him for so long. Her past boyfriends seem to be forgotten as He Lianchen was the only one who managed to leave a deep impression on her.

  Outside the apartment complex, He Lianchen opened the door of his passenger seat for her. Gu Yuyao shivered and sat uncomfortably inside while He Lianchen took the driver's seat and maneuvered his car away from her apartment complex. Fear shot through her and she cursed herself for not being brave enough to face it.

  He looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he drove towards the restaurant. He had noticed it before, but Gu Yuyao was always uncomfortable whenever she was inside the car and kept fidgeting with her fingers. In fact, He Lianchen was starting to wonder if she had a phobia with cars.

  Gu Yuyao only released a sigh of relief once they arrived at their destination and stepped out of his car. There were things that He Lianchen still didn't know about her, but he was willing to wait and try to be understanding until she was ready to trust him.

  Gu Yuyao was aware of his unspoken question and she knew she should offer him some explanation for it. Perhaps, it was time for her to come clean and reveal to him what kind of person she truly was.