Buy Your Wife a Flower

Chapter 136

"Click."

The sound of the bathroom door lock popping open was exceptionally crisp in the quiet room.

Gu Ran was sitting in the rattan chair, pretending to scroll through his phone. Hearing the sound, he looked up and almost couldn't hold back his laughter.

Good heavens.

In the sauna-like weather of Jiangnan in July, Ye Zhenzhen had managed to wrap herself up like a walking zongzi.

Wearing a long-sleeved, long-pants pure cotton pajama set, she had buttoned it up as high as it could go, her hands gripping the collar tightly.

Anyone who didn't know better would think there was a starving Siberian wolf crouching outside the door, ready to pounce at any moment.

The young girl's face was flushed pink from the steam, and her eyes darted around, simply not daring to meet his gaze.

"Doctor Ye," Gu Ran put down his phone, his gaze sweeping over her, his tone teasing. "Are you going on an Antarctic expedition? The AC is set to twenty-six degrees, not minus twenty-six."

"Mind... mind your own business! I like it this way!"

Like a startled rabbit with its fur standing on end, Ye Zhenzhen hugged her changed clothes and scurried onto the bed in a flash. She stuffed herself under the covers, revealing only a pair of large, damp eyes that stared at him as if guarding against a thief.

"Alright, I'm going to shower."

Gu Ran stood up, grabbed a bath towel, and deliberately paused his steps as he passed by the bed.

The silkworm baby in the bed instantly shrank tighter, even the stray hairs on top of her head exuding tension.

Gu Ran chuckled lightly and turned to enter the bathroom.

The main point was—he actually didn't close the door tightly, leaving a crack!

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

Wait, why was this guy showering in her room?

Was his room foreclosed?

What was the point of booking two rooms?

Just to comfort herself?

"Splash—"

The sound of running water suddenly started, carrying a built-in 3D surround sound effect in the quiet room.

Hiding under the covers, Ye Zhenzhen's thoughts were instantly shattered by the sound of the water.

Why was the water so loud?

And that damn frosted glass, wasn't its light transmittance a bit too good?

She didn't want to look, but her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, glancing over uncontrollably.

Under the warm yellow light, a tall figure was cast on the glass, a hundred times clearer than her silhouette had been earlier.

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, a standard inverted triangle.

When he raised his hand to wipe his hair, the lines of his arm muscles undulated with the water flow, his hormones practically overflowing from the screen...

"Ahhh! Pei Susu, you dirty demon king! It's all your fault!"

Ye Zhenzhen screamed frantically in her heart, cursing her best friend who was always spouting things like male beauty is a trap a hundred times over.

What a man's waist is a deadly knife, what for a top-tier body you must look at the V-line...

These wild words were now frantically scrolling through her mind like bullet comments, automatically matching up with the shadow on the glass.

Help, her CPU was about to fry!

Just as Ye Zhenzhen felt like she was going to spontaneously combust from lack of oxygen, the water finally stopped.

The bathroom door was pulled open.

A wave of hot, damp air carrying a crisp lemon scent washed over her.

Ye Zhenzhen subconsciously covered her eyes, but the gaps between her fingers were spread wider than her eyes.

With just one look, her nasal cavity grew hot.

Gu Ran wasn't wearing a shirt.

He just swaggered out like that, a bath towel loosely wrapped around his waist, his V-line dangerously deep.

The lines of his abs were tight and powerful, and undried water droplets slid down the texture of his muscles into the shadows at the edge of the towel...

This visual impact was simply a nuclear-level strike for an innocent eighteen-year-old girl.

"Ah! Hooligan! Put some clothes on!"

Ye Zhenzhen screamed, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him.

Gu Ran caught the pillow with one hand and casually tossed it back onto the bed, looking innocent. "What am I supposed to wear right after a shower? Besides, my suitcase is on your side, how am I supposed to get dressed?"

He walked to the edge of the bed and looked at the girl who had wrapped herself up like a burrito, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Crawling under the covers with dripping wet hair? Do you want a migraine?"

Without leaving room for argument, he dug a hairdryer out of the cabinet and plugged it in.

"Sit up."

His tone carried a natural sense of oppression, brooking no refusal. Gu 'Bossy CEO' Ran was online once again.

Ye Zhenzhen just wanted to resist: "I'll do it myself..."

"Your arms are too short to reach the back, sit properly."

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

What kind of thing was that to say?

Your arms are short, your whole family's arms are short...

Gu Ran whipped the covers off, lifted her up like a little chick, and pressed her down on the edge of the bed with her back to him.

"Whoosh—"

The hot air sounded.

His long, slender fingers combed through her wet, long hair. His fingertips were warm, occasionally brushing against her scalp and the back of her neck.

That feeling was absolutely lethal.

It was like tiny electric currents drilling into her heart through the roots of her hair. A tingling sensation shot straight to the top of her head, and even her toes couldn't help but curl up.

It was so comfortable that she wanted to shrink her neck, narrow her eyes, and purr like a kitten being stroked.

Ye Zhenzhen lowered her head, her gaze falling on the bare feet on the carpet. The bones of his ankles were distinct, and they actually looked that good too.

"Gu 'Dog' Ran..." Her voice was as small as a mosquito's hum.

"Hmm?" Gu Ran turned off the hairdryer.

The world instantly fell quiet.

"Nothing... thank you." Ye Zhenzhen bit her lip, awkwardly squeezing out the words.

"That's it for the thanks?"

Gu Ran put down the hairdryer, propped his hands on either side of her, and leaned in close, his warm breath spraying against her ear:

"Acting as your Hairstylist Tony, and you just thank me with your mouth? Is that appropriate?!"

Ye Zhenzhen: "..."

This guy always had a magical ability to make people want to slap him hard across the face at the exact same time they felt moved by him!

But when the huffing girl turned her head, she instantly froze.

The distance between them was extremely close.

So close that if she just lifted her head, she would touch the tip of his nose, their breaths intertwining.

"Why... why are you so close!"

Ye Zhenzhen's heart beat like a drum, her brain short-circuiting a bit. After giving him a headbutt, she grabbed the white dress she had prepared earlier and rushed into the bathroom. "I'm changing clothes!"

Watching her fleeing back, Gu Ran smiled like a fox.

Tsk tsk, coward.

...

Half an hour later, the night scenery of Xizha was as tranquil as water.

The banks of the river were brightly lit, red lanterns reflecting in the water, as sculling boats rowed through and shattered the river of starlight.

Gu Ran had a DSLR camera slung around his neck as he held Ye Zhenzhen's hand, weaving through the bluestone alleys, turning heads at a rate of two hundred percent.

"Stand there."

Gu Ran pointed to the stone bridge railing. "Turn sideways, lift your chin, look at the lantern, don't look at the lens. You need to have that relaxed vibe of I am the most beautiful woman alive."

Ye Zhenzhen felt a bit constrained. "Like this? Won't it look silly?"

"Trust me."

Gu Ran half-squatted, skillfully adjusting the aperture and shutter.

In his previous life, in order to argue with those UI designers who had questionable aesthetics, he had specially studied photography and composition.

Taking pictures of girls?

That was basic skill, a dimensional strike.

"Click."

Gu Ran glanced at the playback and waved his hand. "Come here."

Ye Zhenzhen leaned close to the camera screen, and the next second, her eyes lit up.

On the screen, the girl in the white dress leaned against the railing, the myriad of lights behind her blurred out.

The warm light outlined her side profile, her hair flying in the breeze. Within the aloofness, there was a trace of otherworldly fairy-like aura, the atmosphere maxed out.

This... was her?

"It's... so pretty." She blushed, her voice full of pleasant surprise.

"Well, look who the model is." Gu Ran casually ruffled her hair. "Of course, the photographer's skill accounts for 99%."

"Pfft! Shameless!" Ye Zhenzhen swatted his hand away, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up.

As the two walked to the edge of Dingsheng Bridge, an old woman carrying a flower basket blocked their path.

"Young man, buy a flower for your wife to wear?"

The old lady smiled, her wrinkled face blooming like a chrysanthemum. Holding up the pure white gardenias and bracelets, she said, "Wishing you two a loving marriage and a baby soon!"

Wife?

A baby soon?!

Isn't this jumping the gun a bit?

Ye Zhenzhen's face instantly turned beet red. Like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, she stammered, "No... Granny, you misunderstood, we aren't..."

"How much?"

Gu Ran smoothly pulled out his wallet, extracted a crisp hundred-yuan bill, and handed it over in one fluid motion. "Actually, keep the change. Thanks for the good wishes."

"Oh my, thank you, boss! This girl is truly blessed! She's definitely destined to be a wealthy wife!" The old lady grinned from ear to ear, insisting on pressing the two largest flowers into their hands.

Once the old lady walked away, the young woman's attention had already shifted to his extravagant spending.

"Why do you spend money like water? You don't know how to be frugal at all. A hundred bucks for two flowers, are you a sucker..."

While she was still muttering her complaints, Gu Ran tucked the dew-kissed gardenia behind her ear. His movements were impossibly gentle.

"From now on, you can just help me manage my wallet."

He took a step back, studying the girl before him.

White dress, black hair, white flower.

She looked so beautiful it was almost a crime.

Meanwhile, the girl's pretty face was flushed crimson, almost melting into a puddle from his sweet talk.

Managing his wallet...

Wasn't that a wife's job?

Bah, how shameless!

She then turned her back to him, refusing to look at him anymore. She reached up to touch the flower by her ear, but couldn't bear to take it off.

The faint fragrance of the gardenia drifted into her nose, so sweet it was almost intoxicating.

Before they knew it, the two arrived in front of a small tavern with a banner that read Sanbai Wine.

The mellow sound of an acoustic guitar drifted out from inside.

"Tired?" Gu Ran stopped in his tracks.

"Not at all." Ye Zhenzhen shook her head, her almond eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Want to go in and sit for a bit?" Gu Ran pointed at the sign. "We're already here. It'd be a shame not to try the local specialty."

The girl glanced at the antique-looking wine jugs, then met Gu Ran's half-smiling gaze.

Was he trying to goad her?

She took a deep breath as her competitive spirit instantly flared up. Raising her chin and revealing the slender lines of her neck, she shot him a provocative look:

"Let's drink then, who's afraid of who? But let's get one thing straight: we aren't leaving until we're drunk! Whoever chickens out is a dog!"

Gu Ran raised an eyebrow. Watching this reckless little lamb willingly offer herself to the wolf's mouth, his smile deepened.

"Alright, Doctor Ye."

He pushed open the wooden door and made a gentlemanly gesture for her to enter, his eyes brimming with amusement.

"Tonight, I'm with you to the very end."