Spring Heart Stirring

Chapter 239

The top-floor terrace.

Steam curled upward as the warm spring water soothed all the aches and pains from climbing the Great Wall.

The view here was excellent, taking in more than half of the imperial capital's night scenery.

Gu Ran leaned against the edge of the pool, his arm resting on the rim.

Ye Zhenzhen was like a lazy cat, eyes half-closed, enjoying this rare tranquility.

"Look at that star, it's so bright."

Ye Zhenzhen pointed at the night sky.

"That's Venus, the Evening Star."

Gu Ran casually shared the trivia, but his gaze fell on the girl's cheeks, flushed pink from the steam.

"But not as pretty as you."

"Smooth talker."

Ye Zhenzhen playfully slapped the water, splashing Gu Ran right in the face.

On the other side, the vibe was a bit...

Too proper.

Ye Jinliang stood stiffly next to Pei Susu like a dutiful bodyguard.

His hands hovered awkwardly, terrified that this young miss would slip and fall into the pool.

"Can you just sit down? You're making me dizzy hovering around like that."

Pei Susu rolled her eyes, speechless.

"Oh... right."

Ye Jinliang sat down carefully, trying his best to maintain a safe distance.

But the space underwater was only so big. As the water rippled, their fingertips occasionally brushed against each other beneath the surface.

With every touch, Ye Jinliang jolted as if electrocuted, his whole body stiffening, yet he didn't pull away.

Neither did Pei Susu.

An ambiguous atmosphere fermented in the mist, feeling even hotter than the hot spring water itself.

...

After soaking in the hot spring, the group returned to the suite, radiating warmth.

According to their previous arrangement, the girls would still sleep in the master bedroom's large bed tonight, while the boys took the guest room.

The heavy wooden door of the master bedroom closed, dividing the world into two private spaces.

Only a dim, yellow bedside lamp was left on in the room, casting a soft, warm glow.

Ye Zhenzhen and Pei Susu lay side by side on the large bed that was as soft as a cloud.

The usually aloof girl turned on her side, propping her head up with one hand, her large eyes sparkling with gossip under the lamplight.

"Susu, confess."

"Confess what?"

The Armchair Strategist was still playing dumb, scrolling aimlessly on her phone.

"Stop pretending."

Ye Zhenzhen snatched her phone away. "What do you really think of Ye Jinliang?"

Hearing this, Pei Susu froze for a moment, her gaze landing on the intricate patterns of the ceiling.

By her usual standards, a guy like Ye Jinliang would not even make it past the preliminary auditions.

He wasn't handsome, was a bit chubby, and rarely ever acted seriously.

He had absolutely nothing in common with her ideal type of a cool, aloof top student or a bad-boy campus heartthrob.

As a master of dating theory, she could analyze other people's relationships with perfect logic.

Terms like sunk cost and emotional value rolled right off her tongue.

But over the past two days...

She remembered the figure on the Great Wall who, despite being half-dead from exhaustion, still reached out to pull her up.

And the clumsy way he just knelt on the ground to apply an ice pack to her ankle.

After a long silence.

Pei Susu sighed softly, her voice light but clear.

"Actually... he's not that bad."

She rolled over, burying her face in the pillow, her voice muffled.

"Although he's a bit clumsy and not handsome, he's... quite dependable."

"That feeling, how should I put it, is like walking down a dark street at night while holding a brick in your hand."

"It might not look good and it's not presentable, but holding it makes you feel secure."

Ye Zhenzhen: "..."

What a terrible metaphor.

"So you are moved?"

Ye Zhenzhen instantly transformed into a gossiping bystander, smiling like a sly little fox who just stole a treat.

"I knew it. During dinner earlier, someone was secretly smiling just drinking milk tea, blushing as red as a monkey's butt."

"Who was blushing! I was hot! From the hot spring!"

Pei Susu bristled instantly.

"Oh, oh, oh, someone's getting defensive."

Ye Zhenzhen mocked, imitating Pei Susu's usual sarcastic tone.

"My, my, I wonder who used to say, 'Men will only affect the speed at which I draw my sword,' and 'I, Pei Susu, will never like a chubby guy in this lifetime'..."

"Ye Zhenzhen!"

Pei Susu was dying of embarrassment. The shame of a theory king being completely owned by a practical novice made her break character instantly.

She flipped over abruptly, pinning Ye Zhenzhen down, her hands going straight for the other girl's ticklish spots.

"I think you're asking for a beating! Gu Ran has spoiled you rotten, hasn't he? How dare you mock the strategist?!"

"Hahaha... I was wrong, I was wrong... Spare my life, heroine... Hahaha..."

Ye Zhenzhen begged for mercy while fighting back, and the two girls rolled around on the bed.

Their bathrobes were messy, their laughter crisp and clear.

After messing around for quite a while, the two finally lay back down, panting.

"Seriously though."

Pei Susu straightened her hair, looking at the ceiling with a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Giving it a try wouldn't hurt. What if... the brick turns into a gold brick?"

...

Meanwhile, in the guest room.

The two guys were not asleep either.

Gu Ran rested his hands behind his head, looking at Ye Jinliang beside him, who was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

The guy was grinning foolishly at his phone, the screen displaying a candid photo he had secretly taken of Pei Susu's back.

"Alright, stop looking. If you stare any longer, you're going to burn a hole through your phone screen."

Gu Ran kicked him in exasperation.

"You don't understand, hehe..."

Ye Jinliang put down his phone and sat up, his face flushed red.

"Do you think... Susu might be interested in me?"

Gu Ran glanced at him with an expression that said the boy was teachable.

"Let's review the battle situation over the past two days."

He began to analyze slowly and methodically.

"First, she didn't shake off your hand on the Great Wall; second, she took the initiative to comfort you on the roller coaster; third, when you were icing her foot just now, although she talked tough, her eyes couldn't lie."

Gu Ran paused and held up one finger.

"Lao Ye, as someone who has been there, let me give you the bottom line. This thing is 90 percent a done deal."

"Really?!"

Ye Jinliang was so excited he almost launched himself off the bed, his eyes shining.

"What about the remaining 10 percent?"

"The remaining 10 percent depends on whether you can maintain this shameless... oh wait, I mean sincere momentum."

Gu Ran smiled, his tone carrying a bit of youthful spirit.

"I've already paved the way for you. If you still manage to mess this up, you might as well find a block of tofu and smash your head against it."

Ye Jinliang nodded heavily and clenched his fists.

"Don't worry, Brother Gu! I, Ye Jinliang, might not have much else, but I do have a thick skin! I'm definitely going to marry this wife!"

The night grew deeper.

The noisy presidential suite finally returned to tranquility.

In the master bedroom, the two girls breathed steadily, smiles seemingly hanging on the corners of their mouths.

In the guest room, Ye Jinliang hugged his pillow, having sweet dreams about the future.

Before going to sleep, Gu Ran habitually took out his phone and glanced at the backend data for WeChat.

The daily active users were growing steadily, and the interaction volume on Moments hit a new high.

Everything was progressing smoothly according to his plan.

Suddenly, a message popped up on his phone.

Dr. Ye: "Silly Bear, good night~"

A bright, smiling face automatically surfaced in his mind.

Good night.

Dr. Ye.

...