Raid

Chapter 165

The bouquet of red roses by the bed, having fermented overnight, was a breathtaking, almost wickedly glamorous shade of red.

The very first second Ye Zhenzhen opened her eyes, her visual center was accurately sniped by this splash of red.

Her brain loaded for three seconds before the memories came flooding back—

The tiramisu-flavored kiss, the suffocating embrace, and that deep, low "be my girlfriend"...

It actually wasn't a dream!

The girl abruptly pulled the blanket over her head, wrapping herself up like a silkworm pupa.

In the oxygen-deprived darkness, her cheeks burned so hot she could probably fry two eggs right on them.

After a long while, a small, fair hand poked out from under the covers and skillfully fished out that pink notebook from the drawer.

By the morning light, the girl gently chewed on the end of her pen, her cheeks puffed out.

After the original 48 must-do items, she solemnly added another:

[Be my girlfriend, okay?]

After writing it, the corners of her mouth flew up wildly, harder to suppress than the recoil of an AK-47.

Then, switching to a red pen, she forcefully drew a checkmark next to it and added the date: July 25, 2011.

She also casually drew a little red heart at the end.

Staring at the heart for a moment, the girl could no longer hold back. She hugged the notebook and rolled around on the bed a few times until her hair was rubbed into a bird's nest, and only then did her feverish brain gradually cool down.

Was Gu Ran up yet?

If she went out and bumped into him, what should her first words be?

"Hi, boyfriend"?

Or should she employ tactical amnesia and pretend nothing happened?

Just thinking of that scene made Ye Zhenzhen instantly lose her nerve, and she shrank back into the blankets.

After dawdling for ages, she finally shimmied out of bed like a cautious hamster and pressed her ear against the door to listen for any movement.

The living room was dead silent.

The girl breathed a sigh of relief and tentatively turned the doorknob.

Not seeing a certain someone's figure, she immediately straightened her back, ready to quickly slip into the bathroom.

However, the moment she turned the corner of the entryway, her footsteps were instantly nailed to the floor.

At the kitchen door, Gu Ran was walking out holding a plate.

White shirt, black straight-leg trousers, sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms, with a slightly parted, textured fringe hanging over his forehead. His whole being exuded the lazy vibe of a "stay-at-home boyfriend."

Their eyes met.

Ye Zhenzhen's brain instantly shut down. She opened her mouth and let out a meaningless single syllable.

"Uh..."

"You're awake?"

Gu Ran looked perfectly calm. His gaze swept over her messy bird's-nest hair, a hint of teasing amusement flashing in his eyes. "Go wash up. Breakfast is ready."

"Oh... oh!"

Hearing this, the girl felt as if she had been granted a general amnesty. She bolted into the bathroom with awkward, uncoordinated steps and slammed the door shut with a bang.

Outside the door, Gu Ran unhurriedly poured two glasses of hot milk, the corners of his lips curving up slightly.

Little fool, you think I can't handle you?

The story of boiling a frog in warm water was something he, a certain Mr. Gu, knew backward and forward.

...

At the dining table, the atmosphere was so subtle and tense you could almost pull strings from it.

Ye Zhenzhen wished she could bury her face in her fried egg. She chewed mechanically, her eyes fixed dead on the tablecloth pattern as if trying to stare a hole right through the floral design.

Opposite her, Gu Ran propped up his chin, his gaze brazenly patrolling her face.

From her slightly trembling eyelashes to the completely red tips of her ears, and then down to her slender neck.

"Am I a paid tourist attraction? Do you need to buy a ticket to look?"

Gu Ran set down his glass, the glass clinking against the tabletop with a crisp sound.

Ye Zhenzhen jumped slightly and muttered in a low voice, "Wh... what?"

"You've been staring at that piece of fried egg for five minutes. Does it look better than your boyfriend?"

"..."

How on earth did this guy manage to say such shameful words without blushing or his heart skipping a beat?!

The girl, humiliated into anger, looked up and glared at him.

Her eyes rippled with emotion, completely devoid of any lethality. Instead, it looked like she was acting coquettishly, soft beyond words.

Gu Ran smiled, his hand suddenly reaching across the table.

Ye Zhenzhen immediately shrank back like a frightened rabbit.

"Don't move! What are you hiding from?"

Gu Ran's fingers merely pulled a tissue from beside her hand, rewarding her with an eye-roll in passing.

But just as the girl breathed a sigh of relief, someone's fingertips brushed against the back of her hand, seemingly unintentionally.

Dry, warm, and carrying a jolt of electricity.

Ye Zhenzhen's hand shook, and the milk sloshed out, spilling a few drops on the table.

"Why are you so nervous?"

Ye Zhenzhen: "!!!"

Asking when he already knew the answer!

What a jerk!

The puffed-up girl ground her canine teeth, and finally, having no other choice, vented her anger on the fried egg in her bowl, taking a vicious bite.

After wiping up the few drops of milk, Gu Ran continued, "Hurry up and eat. When you're done, I'll take you to practice the S-curve."

At the mention of driving practice, the girl's dead memories suddenly attacked her brain, and her pretty face contorted as if wearing a mask of pain. "Can I take a day off..."

"No. The exam is in a week."

Ye Zhenzhen: "!!!" x2

How was the exam so soon?!

Seeing her shock, Gu Ran tossed the crumpled tissue into the trash can. His pitch-black eyes locked straight onto her, a wicked smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"As your private coach, I have to take full responsibility for my girlfriend, don't I? I can't let the top student in the grade fail her exam, right?"

Boom—

The word "girlfriend" exploded directly in her mind like a depth charge, sending a mushroom cloud soaring into the air.

"Cough, cough, cough..." The girl suddenly choked, her face flushing bright red.

Gu Ran stood up and walked behind her, pressing his palm against her back and patting gently to help her catch her breath.

The temperature of his palm burned through the thin fabric of her clothes. Its presence was incredibly strong, completely impossible to ignore.

"Drink slowly, no one is fighting you for it." He leaned down close to her ear, his warm breath carrying a fresh minty scent that tugged at her heartstrings.

"Who... who is your girlfriend..."

Ye Zhenzhen severely lacked confidence, her voice smaller than a mosquito's. "That was... that was last night..."

"What about last night?"

Gu Ran pinched her earlobe, which was so red it looked ready to drip blood. He rubbed it with the pad of his finger, speaking with a touch of carelessness, "Someone nodded and accepted the flowers. Want to back out now? Too late."

"According to the Gu Family Contract Law, once goods are dispatched, they are strictly non-refundable and non-exchangeable."

"You... scoundrel!"

"Yep, I'm a scoundrel."

Gu Ran accepted the label smoothly, smiling with absolute candor and even a bit of petty pride. "Eat up. After you finish, I'll take you to practice driving, my... girlfriend."

Ye Zhenzhen: "!!!" x3

He said it again!

...

The entire day of driving practice passed in this state of pain and pleasure.

Gu Ran was not only a gold-medal game producer but also a top-tier veteran driver.

Under his hand-by-hand teaching, Ye Zhenzhen miraculously conquered the S-curve.

Of course, the price was that quite a bit of tuition was collected from her.

The midsummer night was hot and dry, and the cicadas outside the window chirped so loudly it made one feel restless.

They returned home after dinner.

"Want to watch a movie?" Gu Ran waved his laptop. "Newly downloaded horror movie, Orphan. It has great ratings."

The girl was a typical case of being terrible at it but highly addicted. Her almond eyes lit up, yet she felt a bit cowardly: "Is it scary?"

"I'm here, what are you afraid of."

Gu Ran didn't allow any arguments and pulled her into the bedroom.

The lights in the room were off, leaving only the faint glow of the laptop screen. The air conditioning was blasting cold air, creating an isolated little world.

The two sat side by side on the carpet next to the bed, leaning against the edge of the bed. It was as if there were an impassable border line drawn between them.

The movie began.

There were no cheap jump scares; it was all an oppressive atmosphere and eerie background music, maxing out the psychological horror.

As the plot progressed, Ye Zhenzhen unconsciously shrank toward Gu Ran. The invisible boundary between them gradually disappeared until it completely dropped to zero.

Gu Ran naturally reached out and quietly wrapped his arm around her waist.

The girl's body stiffened for a moment, but she didn't resist. Instead, she took the opportunity to lean her head on his shoulder, like a little kitten seeking shelter.

However, it didn't take long for his innocent intentions to turn sour.

The hand around the girl's waist gradually became restless. His thumb unconsciously rubbed the soft flesh at the side of her waist, carrying a scorching heat.

"Stop it, that tickles." Ye Zhenzhen swatted his hand away, her small face blushing slightly.

"Oh."

Gu Ran replied and behaved himself for exactly three seconds.

Then, as if it had a mind of its own, his hand quietly crept up an inch.

Through the fabric, his fingertips faintly brushed against the bottom hooks of her bra.

Ye Zhenzhen felt as if a high-voltage current had run through her entire body. She couldn't focus on the movie at all; her mind was completely occupied by the burning hand on her waist.

Just as she was about to flare up, a shrill scream suddenly erupted from the movie.

"Ah—!"

Ye Zhenzhen trembled in fright and buried herself into Gu Ran's embrace. She hugged his waist tightly, wishing she could melt right into his body.

Taking advantage of the situation, Gu Ran tightened his arms, locking her firmly in place. He rested his chin on the top of her head, a triumphant smile curling the corners of his lips.

"Don't be afraid, it's fake."

He coaxed her in a low voice, his palm gently patting her back. His movements were gentle, but his intentions were anything but pure.

So this is... a boyfriend's embrace?

It felt quite different from before.

So warm, so firm...

The movie was still playing, but neither of them was in the mood to watch it anymore.

In the cramped bedroom, the air felt thick and scorching. The ambiguity grew wildly in the dark, as if threatening to swallow them both whole.

Gu Ran lowered his head, watching the trembling eyelashes of the girl in his arms, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Unconsciously, he slowly leaned in, seeking out those two soft lips.

The girl immediately noticed his subtle movement.

Her beautiful eyelashes trembled even more violently, but she slightly tilted her head up and closed her eyes, looking entirely willing to be kissed.

Their breaths intertwined, and the distance between them dropped to zero.

Just at the moment their lips were about to touch—

"Click."

A crisp sound of clashing metal abruptly rang out from the living room.

It was the sound of a key turning in the lock.

Immediately after, the security door was pushed open, and a familiar voice drilled into their ears without any warning, striking like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

"It's so damn hot today! Lao Gu, slice up the watermelon."

"Sure. Hey, are Zhenzhen and Gu Ran not home? Why are the living room lights off?"

"Their shoes are still here. They're probably studying in the room."

"Still studying even after the college entrance exams are over. I always said Zhenzhen was a good kid."

The voices of Gu Xiangcheng and Ye Shulian exploded like thunder in the girl's bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, the two of them instantly froze, as if someone had hit the pause button.

The next second, the "good kid" Gu Xiangcheng had just praised snapped her eyes open. Her pupils quaked, and her face went from blushing red to deadly pale in an instant.

She turned her head and looked at the position she and Gu Ran were in.

Late at night, a lone boy and a lone girl, behind closed doors, holding each other, with their lips practically touching...

If they were discovered, Ye Zhenzhen, you might as well just jump out the window!

The kind where you don't take the stairs or the elevator!!!

Gu Ran reacted extremely fast, reaching back to slam the laptop shut with a loud smack.

The eerie background music came to an abrupt halt. The bedroom plunged into a deathly silent darkness, leaving only the sound of their thunderous heartbeats.