Is Old Gu about to give birth Oh, get promoted...

Chapter 166

"Don't panic."

Gu Ran let go of his hand, pointed at the French windows, and mouthed silently, "The coast isn't clear, let's bounce!"

Ye Zhenzhen woke up as if from a dream, nodding her head like a wind-up doll.

He didn't waste another word, hunching over and retreating toward the balcony.

The girl scrambled out of bed and dashed barefoot to the desk.

Click.

The desk lamp lit up.

She grabbed a study material and spread it open, not even caring if the book was upside down. The moment her butt touched the chair, the footsteps outside had already approached the hallway.

Her heart was drumming crazily in her chest, as if it would pop out the next second to entertain the two elders.

As soon as Gu Ran entered his room, he heard the footsteps stop right outside his bedroom door.

He ripped off his white shirt and tossed it onto the back of the chair with the precision of throwing a grenade.

He threw himself onto the bed, rolled up in the blanket, and frantically ruffled his hair, instantly creating a messy look of someone who had been sleeping so deeply they lost track of time and reality.

Click.

The door was pushed open.

Light from the living room poured into the dim bedroom.

Gu Xiangcheng stood at the door, his hand resting on the handle. Those eyes, which had scrutinized countless suspects, swept into the room like a radar.

He then subconsciously reached out and touched the back of the computer monitor, raising an eyebrow immediately. Oh ho, this kid has made progress, he actually wasn't staying up late playing games?!

Gu Ran poked half his head out from under the covers, squinting, his voice muffled and nasal: "Dad? Why are you back?"

With this acting, even the Oscars owed him a golden statuette.

Under the light, Gu Xiangcheng saw his son's bare-chested, bird's-nest-hair appearance. The doubt in his eyes dissipated a bit, turning into surprise.

"Asleep already? It's only past nine."

He walked into the room, his gaze sweeping around.

The shirt thrown haphazardly on the chair matched his stereotype. Everything was normal.

"I'm tired," Gu Ran yawned, rolling over and complaining half-jokingly, "Practicing driving all day, the S-curves made my cerebellum shrink."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Show some proper manners."

Gu Xiangcheng scolded him verbally, but his feet walked straight to the balcony.

Seeing this, Gu Ran's heart instantly leaped into his throat, cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Lao Gu pulled the curtains and casually fastened the lock.

Click.

A crisp locking sound.

"Even if it's hot, you need to close the balcony door when you sleep, otherwise you might catch a draft and get a stroke in the middle of the night."

Gu Ran quietly breathed a sigh of relief under the covers.

"Dad, why did you come back early?" He then sat up, showing a timely sense of curiosity.

Mentioning this, Gu Xiangcheng sighed for his lost annual leave.

He pulled the chair over and sat down, habitually reaching for his cigarette case, but remembering this was his son's room, he stuffed it back.

"Something happened."

Gu Xiangcheng lowered his voice: "The top boss of the A County Police Bureau was taken away by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection last night."

Gu Ran's pupils shrank slightly.

Memory fragments quickly pieced together.

Summer of 2011, a massive political earthquake in A County.

This storm came earlier than he remembered from his previous life.

Gu Xiangcheng was exactly the one appointed in this time of crisis, officially taking the helm half a year later and starting his rapid rise to power.

The butterfly flapped its wings, and the timeline was moved up.

"Under disciplinary investigation?" Gu Ran probed.

"Yeah, it's a huge deal." Gu Xiangcheng's expression was complex. "The municipal bureau directly called me back to take charge. I probably won't get to sleep tonight; I have to change clothes and go to the bureau for a meeting."

After saying that, he took a deep look at his son.

In the past, he would never have said a word about such things.

But ever since Gu Ran turned over a new leaf half a year ago, with his grades improving by leaps and bounds and his entire demeanor becoming steady, Gu Xiangcheng subconsciously treated him as a grown man.

"Dad, take care of your health," Gu Ran reminded him softly. "When an opportunity comes, you still need your life to seize it."

Gu Xiangcheng was taken aback, then chuckled, reaching out to roughly rub his son's messy hair. "You brat, lecturing your old man now. Go to sleep, I'm leaving."

Watching his father close the door and leave, Gu Ran let out a long breath of stale air and collapsed on the bed.

He had managed to scrape through this trial.

But the person next door didn't have such good psychological fortitude.

...

The guest bedroom next door.

Ye Zhenzhen sat stiffly in her chair, her back straight as a steel plate, gripping her English book so tightly she was about to leave finger marks on it.

Click.

The door was gently pushed open.

Ye Shulian walked in carrying a plate of watermelon, her face full of tenderness. "Zhenzhen, still studying? Take a break and have some watermelon."

Ye Zhenzhen turned her head mechanically, forcing a smile that was uglier than crying. "Mom... you're back."

"Yes, Uncle Gu had an emergency at work."

Ye Shulian set the plate down and her gaze landed on her daughter's face, suddenly letting out a sound of surprise.

"Why is your face so red?"

She reached out to feel her daughter's forehead. "You don't have a fever. Are you hot? Isn't the AC on?"

Ye Zhenzhen's cheeks were astonishingly hot. Half from holding her breath earlier, and half from fear now.

"N-no." Her eyes darted around, her brain spinning wildly, and finally, she squeezed out a lame excuse. "This math problem is too hard, it made my brain overheat."

"..." Ye Shulian was amused. "Alright, the college entrance exams are over anyway. Don't push yourself too hard."

Saying this, she turned and took out an exquisite kraft paper bag from her suitcase.

"I was going to give this to you in a few days, but since you're awake, try it on first."

Ye Shulian handed it over as if presenting a treasure. "When we were coming back, we passed by Wuzhen and saw this while shopping. I instantly thought it would suit you. That ancient town blue calico fabric will definitely make your skin look fair, just like a girl from a Jiangnan water town."

Wuzhen... Blue calico...

Several keywords pierced her ears like needles, and an extremely ominous premonition surged within Ye Zhenzhen.

With trembling hands, she took the bag and opened it.

A dark blue cotton-linen dress with a white floral print lay quietly inside. Vintage frog buttons, a cinched waist design, and a few small daisies embroidered on the hem.

Boom!

A nuclear bomb seemed to detonate in Ye Zhenzhen's brain, instantly rendering her mind completely blank.

This dress... compared to the one Gu Ran bought for her when he took her on a secret trip to Wuzhen over half a month ago...

You couldn't say they were unrelated; you could only say they were exactly the same!

Even the placement of the daisies on the hem was identical!

"How is it? Do you like it?" Ye Shulian urged with a smile. "This is a custom handmade piece from that old shop. They said it's one of a kind. I picked it out for a long time."

One of a kind... One of a kind my foot!

Ye Zhenzhen's mouth twitched wildly.

If her mom found out that hidden in a sealed bag deep inside her closet was an identical "one of a kind" dress...

Then jumping into the Yellow River wouldn't be enough to wash away the scandalous affair between her and Gu Ran!

This wasn't a dress; it was clearly courtroom evidence!

"I l-like it." Ye Zhenzhen gripped the bag tightly, her voice trembling. "Thank you, Mom. It's... such a surprise."

A surprise indeed. More like a fright!

"As long as you like it. You... never mind, wear it tomorrow and show me." Ye Shulian nodded in satisfaction and yawned. "It's getting late. Go to sleep early, I'm going to wash up too."

The door closed.

Ye Zhenzhen slumped limply in her chair, as if her bones had been removed.

She looked at the dress in her hand, which felt like a hot potato, and then at the tightly shut closet door, wanting to cry but having no tears.

The evidence must be destroyed!

But... the one in the closet was a gift from Gu Ran, and the one in her hand was a gift from her mother...

The girl clutched her head in her hands, caught in an unprecedented inner struggle as she found herself completely torn between family and love.