The Gentle Breeze Reflects in My Eyes - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Beep, beep. Beep, beep.”

The noisy alarm clock jolted Gu Yitong from her slumber.

Groggy and bleary-eyed, she fumbled to press the snooze button before dragging herself out of bed to the bathroom to wash up.

Thud!

“Ah!” The sharp pain radiating from her forehead snapped Gu Yitong completely awake.

As she rubbed her forehead and looked up to identify the culprit behind her collision, she froze in her tracks. Her mind went blank for a split second.

A punching bag? If she remembered correctly, she had kicked this punching bag until it burst five years ago. Back then, her company was booming, but she had been consumed by an endless cycle of guilt and agony over Xia Lusheng’s death. Refusing to return home, she had installed a punching bag in her office instead; she hadn’t kept one at home since.

Gu Yitong’s eyes darted around the room, taking in the rest of her surroundings. She stiffened again, her brain seemingly crashing for a second time.

The old sofa from years ago, the vintage furniture—everything was back. The layout was exactly as it had been years prior! Even the pajamas she was wearing weren’t the ones she had on last night; the childish pattern on them looked hauntingly familiar.

Coming to her senses, she lunged toward the calendar and stared at the date printed clearly on the page:

August 31, 2009.

But… today was supposed to be September 15, 2018!

Doubting her own reality, Gu Yitong reached out a trembling finger to touch the calendar. The solid, tactile sensation sent her heart racing. It was real.

What on earth was happening? Had she woken up nine years in the past?!

Unable to process it, she stumbled into the bathroom. Looking at the mirror, she swallowed hard at the sight of her youthful, vibrant reflection. This was the 21-year-old Gu Yitong.

After an indeterminate amount of time, another realization struck her. If she remembered correctly, August 31, 2009, was the very day she and Xia Lusheng officially met.

Gu Yitong’s initial shock was slowly replaced by a surge of euphoria.

If she was back nine years ago, did that mean everything could start over? Was there a second chance to fix it all?

Xia Lusheng… maybe Xia Lusheng wouldn’t have to die!?

The thought sent a wave of uncontrollable excitement through her. Xia Lusheng’s death was a wound in her heart that had never healed—the source of her deepest guilt and self-reproach.

When Aunt Xia passed away, she had asked Gu Yitong to take good care of Lusheng. But Gu Yitong had assumed providing material security was enough.

After bringing Lusheng home, she had never truly paid attention to her. She hadn’t even noticed when the girl spiraled into depression, not until she found Xia Lusheng in the bathtub, her wrists slit. The sight had left her paralyzed, hit by a realization that came far too late.

“Ring, ring, ring!” A cheerful ringtone snapped Gu Yitong out of her daze. It took her a moment to realize it was her phone.

Following the sound, she dug a Nokia out from the bedsheets. The lit screen displayed the name: “Qi Dadie” (Big Butterfly Qi).

Gu Yitong pressed the call button, a button she hadn’t touched in years. “Hello?”

The moment the call connected, a piercing female voice erupted: “Gu Yitong! Do you have any idea what time it is?! Just because we hired two new employees yesterday, you’re already putting on the ‘big boss’ act? Get your butt to work! You better not have forgotten today’s schedule!”

Gu Yitong held the phone away from her ear. Once the shouting died down, she brought it back. “I know, I know. I’m leaving now.”

Hanging up, she took a deep breath. She didn’t know how this had happened, but since she had been given a second chance, she had to seize it.

On the way to the office, Gu Yitong sorted through her memories. If things progressed as they had before, a murder was supposed to happen today at the hotel where Xia Lusheng was located.

At this thought, her brow furrowed. She jerked the steering wheel, making a U-turn at the intersection. Heading in the opposite direction of her office, she pulled out her phone and dialed Qi Die’s number.

“Hello? Gu Yitong, where the hell are you?! Look at the time!” Qi Die’s booming voice made her ears ache.

Gu Yitong cut straight to the point. “Die, you handle today’s orders. Something came up and I’m not coming in. Also, negotiate with the client—don’t host the lunch at the Mapo Tofu Hotel. Change it to the nearby Wine Fragrance Hotel.”

Qi Die’s voice jumped another few octaves. “I should handle it? Gu Yitong, have you lost your mind?! If I had a driver’s license and could take clients around, would I have given you my car to drive?! And you think we can just change the venue whenever we want? Especially at the last minute…”

Gu Yitong interrupted her. “It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a license; just knowing the way is enough. Mapo Tofu might not even be open today, so Wine Fragrance is a safer bet. I’ve said my piece, I’m leaving it to you. I’m driving, bye.”

“Gu Yitong, you! You—”

Beep, beep… Before Qi Die could finish, Gu Yitong hung up. She slammed her foot on the gas, and the car sped toward the Mapo Tofu Hotel.

Despite the name “Mapo Tofu”—which was just a single dish—it was actually the largest five-star hotel in A City.

Usually a bustling, prestigious landmark, the area was now cordoned off with police tape. A crowd of reporters swarmed the perimeter, cameras clicking incessantly at the hotel entrance.

After parking, Gu Yitong jumped out and ducked under the police tape, heading straight for the main doors. Before she could get close, a police officer on duty grabbed her. “Hey! Which news agency are you with? No one is allowed inside.”

Gu Yitong explained urgently, “I’m not a reporter. I’m here to find someone. My younger sister is inside.”

The officer looked at her skeptically. “Except for senior management, all staff have been evacuated. Your sister…”

“My sister isn’t a manager, but she must be in there. She wouldn’t have run off; she has nowhere else to go. She’s blind!”

The officer’s gaze suddenly sharpened. He stared at Gu Yitong for a few seconds before asking seriously, “The blind girl who plays the violin in the hotel—is she your sister?”

Gu Yitong nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”

After studying her for a moment longer, the officer said, “Follow me.”

Gu Yitong followed him into the hotel. She remembered back in 2009, she had been brought here by the police because she was listed as Xia Lusheng’s emergency contact on her employment records.

The officer led her straight to the fifth floor, the administrative area of the hotel. They walked to the very end of the corridor, where he led her into a room.

“Captain Li, this person says she’s Xia Lusheng’s older sister.”

Gu Yitong didn’t hear a word he said. Her gaze was locked onto a figure huddled in the corner of the room. Seeing the trembling young girl, Gu Yitong’s eyes instantly welled with tears.