Is College Life Actually Good or Bad

Chapter 184

Binjiang Garden, the bedroom of the Gu family's young lady.

The glow of the setting sun, like spilled orange soda, flowed in through the gap in the half-closed curtains, dyeing the large bed a brilliant gold.

The air was filled with a mixture of the unique scent of osmanthus and the distinct industrial smell of newly unboxed electronics.

Ye Zhenzhen was kneeling by the edge of the bed, the tip of her nose glistening with a fine layer of sweat.

Holding a transparent screen protector in her hand, she didn't even dare to breathe heavily as she wrestled with the white iPhone 4.

With her fully concentrated posture, anyone who didn't know better would think she was defusing a bomb.

"Gu Ran, don't move around... It's crooked, it's going to be crooked again!"

The young girl playfully slapped away Gu Ran's reaching hand, her small face taut. "This is company property. If I mess up the screen protector, I'll have to resign in disgrace on my first day as a 'specialist'."

Gu Ran leaned against the headboard, watching her act as if she were facing a formidable enemy, his heart softening into a puddle.

He casually grabbed the black iPhone 4 next to him and tore off the protective film in a few swift moves, his actions as rough as tearing open a delivery package.

"Specialist Ye, devices are meant to serve us, not to be worshipped."

Playing with the heavy tempered glass and stainless steel frame in his hand, a wicked smile curled the corner of his mouth. "Come on, stop applying the protector and fulfill your duties first. Let's see how our company's 'nuclear weapon' performs on iOS."

Saying that, he opened the newly downloaded Fruit Ninja.

The screen went black, and a cold blade flashed across it.

"I... I've never played this before." The focused girl finally got the screen protector on straight and somewhat awkwardly took his phone, not even daring to press too hard with her fingers.

"If you don't know how, just learn. The interaction logic of this kind of full-screen smartphone is completely different from the semi-smartphones we used before."

As Gu Ran explained, he quietly shifted his body closer to her. "Come on, move in a bit, I'll teach you the finger techniques."

Before the girl could react, she sank into a warm embrace.

The boy's chest pressed tightly against her slender back, his arms naturally wrapping under her armpits, and his large hands directly covered her small ones.

This all-encompassing posture, which felt like he was trying to meld her into his very bones, instantly made the 22-degree air-conditioned room feel scorching hot.

"You... just talk, don't get so close. My... my mom is still home." Ye Zhenzhen's body stiffened, and the base of her ears turned completely red at a visible speed.

"Isn't that even more sti... ahem, how can I see the screen if I don't get closer? This is called immersive teaching."

Gu Ran lowered his head slightly, his warm breath hitting the girl's sensitive nape directly, causing her to tremble slightly.

Ye Zhenzhen: "???"

She couldn't help but feel that this guy was hinting at something else?!

But it had to be said... Ye Shulian was watching TV in the living room just one wall away.

The immoral feeling of committing a crime right under someone's nose was so thrilling that it made one's scalp tingle.

"Watch closely, your fingers need to swipe fast, don't hesitate..."

Gu Ran guided her fingers across the screen, and bright red watermelons burst under the blade's flash, juice effects splashing all over the screen.

But Ye Zhenzhen's mind was complete mush at this moment. Dopamine was secreting wildly in her brain, and her pretty face was so red it looked like it could bleed.

She could no longer tell whether what popped up on the screen was a watermelon or a bomb.

"Oh no, hit a bomb!"

A muffled sound came from the screen, and the game was over.

"Your reaction is too slow, Specialist Ye." Instead of letting go, Gu Ran rested his chin on her shoulder. "This test data is unqualified. Shouldn't you pay some 'tuition' for makeup lessons?"

Ye Zhenzhen subconsciously turned her head, meeting the boy's pitch-black eyes.

Just as she was about to retort, her lips were sealed by a warm touch.

"Mmph..."

The iPhone 4 in the girl's hand slipped onto the quilt, making a muffled sound.

The chirping of cicadas outside the window seemed to have been muted. In the cramped space, only the overlapping sound of their heartbeats remained, deafeningly loud.

A long time later.

"Zhenzhen, Xiao Ran, come out and eat!"

Ye Shulian's shout suddenly came from the living room, like a clap of thunder, waking the two who were immersed in their intimacy.

The girl pushed him away abruptly like a frightened fawn, frantically adjusting her slightly messy blue skirt. She panted heavily while glaring at the boy beside her, her flowing gaze full of embarrassed and annoyed playfulness.

The latter, thick-skinned, licked his lips with a look of wanting more: "Tsk, I could pay this tuition for a lifetime."

"Jerk!"

Ye Zhenzhen pinched him in embarrassed anger, blushing as she jumped off the bed. As a result, her legs went soft, and she almost slid to her knees on the floor. She quickly supported herself against the wall and trotted out of the bedroom.

......

On the dining table, the meal was almost excessively lavish.

Braised lion's head meatballs, steamed sea bass... and a large bowl of golden stewed free-range chicken soup, steaming with white mist.

Ye Shulian looked at the two children, her loving eyes revealing an unconcealable sorrow of parting.

"Eat more. Once you get to Qinglin, you'll have to wait until the holidays to eat my cooking."

Ye Shulian placed a lion's head meatball into Ye Zhenzhen's and Gu Ran's bowls. As she spoke, her eyes turned red. "In the blink of an eye, you've both become college students."

"Mom, look at you, why are you crying on such a happy day." Ye Zhenzhen quickly put down her bowl and chopsticks to comfort her, her voice also carrying a bit of a nasal tone.

Gu Ran also nodded in agreement, "Exactly, on this joyous..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was choked back by a death stare from the girl.

Joyous your big head!

Gu Xiangcheng sat at the head of the table, holding a wine glass and taking a sip. "Hey, why are you crying? The children have grown up and are going to college, it's a good thing."

Lao Gu then cleared his throat, looked at Gu Ran, and his eyes became serious. "Gu Ran, when you get to college, you must stick to your original intentions. Qinglin is not like County A; it's the provincial capital, and the waters are very deep. Your little businesses must follow the rules. Don't cause trouble, or else when the time comes, I might not be able to bail you out."

"Understood, Director Gu. I will resolutely obey the organization's arrangements and will absolutely not smear your good name." Gu Ran gave a cheeky salute while shoveling food into his mouth.

"Also, even though you bought a car, I suggest you keep a low profile at school as much as possible."

Gu Xiangcheng knocked on the table, speaking earnestly. "A young man driving an Audi A6 to registration, what does that look like? People who don't know would think you're the son of some coal boss. Try to park the car outside the campus. It's not worth it to have some rich-hater scratch it one day."

These words left Ye Shulian bewildered. Ye Zhenzhen leaned into her ear and whispered a few words.

The next second, her eyes widened in utter shock: "Xiao Ran, you made your own money and bought an Audi? More expensive than the new one your dad's workplace issued?"

"Ahem." Gu Ran coughed lightly, pulled the car key with the four-ring logo out of his pocket, and placed it on the table. "It's actually alright. I mainly made a little game and got lucky, earning a bit."

Ye Shulian stared at the exquisite key, then looked at Lao Gu's instantly frozen face, suddenly seeming to understand something.

"Oh my, Lao Gu."

Ye Shulian cast a sidelong glance at her husband, a hint of teasing in her tone. "Is this the 'sofa wrapped in iron' you've been muttering about every time you left the house these past two days? That 'flashy and wasteful' four-ringed car?"

Gu Xiangcheng was just picking up some greens with his chopsticks. Hearing this, his hand trembled, and the greens dropped onto the table with a smack.

"I... I was analyzing consumer psychology from a macroscopic perspective!" Lao Gu's old face flushed red as he stiffened his neck to retort. "Young people nowadays are too vain. I was conducting ideological education!"

"Oh, come on." Ye Shulian exposed him without mercy. "Who was it that couldn't sleep in the middle of the night yesterday, leaning on the windowsill and staring at that car downstairs for half an hour? You even sighed to me about how shiny the paint was, saying it was way better than the bureau's broken-down Passat."

"Pfft." Ye Zhenzhen really couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Gu Xiangcheng's dignity was swept away by his wife's "boomerang." His old face turned the color of pig liver. He could only awkwardly lower his head, take a fierce gulp of liquor, and mutter, "That... I was inspecting a suspicious vehicle to eliminate safety hazards..."

.......

After dinner, Gu Xiangcheng used smoking as an excuse to call Gu Ran out to the balcony.

The summer night breeze carried a trace of dry heat. Lao Gu handed Gu Ran a cigarette.

Gu Ran looked at that Chunghwa cigarette, completely bewildered.

???

What's the situation? A father offering his son a smoke?

"No thanks, Dad. I quit." He waved his hand, his tone as weathered as an old man who had seen through the vanity of the world.

Gu Xiangcheng: "???"

Since when did you even start smoking, kid?

Seeing Lao Gu's bewildered look again, Gu Ran chuckled. "Just making a joke to liven up the atmosphere. Dad, what instructions do you have for calling me out here?"

"Kid, I won't hold the car thing against you." Gu Xiangcheng looked at the black Audi downstairs, blew out a smoke ring, and kept his voice very low. "But there's one thing you have to keep firmly in mind."

"Go ahead." Gu Ran dropped his playful demeanor and stood up straight.

"Zhenzhen is an innocent girl, and it hasn't been easy for your Aunt Ye to bring her into our family."

Gu Xiangcheng's eyes grew sharp and profound. "Once you get to Qinglin, taking care of her is your duty. However, taking care of her is just taking care of her."

As he spoke, Lao Gu turned his head, stared at him dead in the eye, and warned him, enunciating every word:

"On the surface, she is your older sister! If you dare to pull any 'get on the bus first, buy the ticket later' crap over there and ruin her reputation, even if I have to strip off this police uniform, I will break your legs! Do you hear me?"

The next second, Gu Ran put on an expression of awe-inspiring righteousness. "Dad, what are you saying? Am I that kind of person? I promise, I will absolutely take perfect care of her. She won't lose a single hair."

In his heart, however, he silently added: *You said it yourself, she's my sister on the surface, but in private...*

"Hmph, it better be that way." Gu Xiangcheng stubbed out his cigarette and turned to walk into the living room.

Gu Ran stood on the balcony, looking toward the distant city of Qinglin, where the lights were brilliant and the stars shone like a river.

He looked at the Longines watch on his wrist, a meaningful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

School was about to start. He was going to experience what life was really like at this top-tier university...