Temporary Farewell

Chapter 240

At seven in the morning, the sunlight of the capital pierced through the thin morning mist, shining a bit blindingly against the floor-to-ceiling windows on the 66th floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel.

Gu Ran pushed open the door of the guest bedroom, just in time to see Ye Jinliang frantically messing with his sparse bangs in front of the full-length mirror.

The can of hairspray in his hand was being sprayed onto his head as if it were free.

"Alright, stop spraying."

Gu Ran leaned against the doorframe, holding a cup of freshly extracted espresso in his hand, his tone lazy.

"If you keep spraying, airport security will confiscate you as a flammable and explosive item."

Ye Jinliang chuckled, but the movements of his hands didn't stop as he continued to examine himself from left to right in the mirror.

"Susu said this is called image management. Heads can roll, blood can flow, but the hairstyle must not be messed up!"

"She just thinks your hair looks like a chicken coop struck by lightning."

Gu Ran took a sip of the bitter coffee, his gaze sweeping toward the master bedroom.

The door to the master bedroom was ajar, and the humming of a hairdryer came from inside, along with the intermittent laughter of the girls.

Before long, Pei Susu walked out holding onto the doorframe, her foot still wrapped in bandages.

Ye Zhenzhen followed behind her, carrying two bulging toiletry bags in her hands.

"Fatty, come help me."

Even though Pei Susu's ankle was still swollen, her aura as a "master of love theory" was undiminished.

Ye Jinliang reacted extremely quickly, dropping the hairspray and darting over.

He practicedly half-squatted, letting the girl rest her weight on his shoulder.

"Lend me the hairspray."

Pei Susu sniffed the pungent smell in the air and curled her lips in disgust.

Yet she conveniently took the bottle Ye Jinliang handed her and lightly spritzed the somewhat frizzy ends of her hair a few times.

Watching this scene, a playful curve hooked the corners of Gu Ran's mouth.

This kind of unspoken tacit understanding was often much more interesting than those vows of eternal love hanging on people's lips.

"Let's have breakfast first."

Gu Ran turned to look at Ye Zhenzhen, his eyes instantly turning gentle.

The young girl wore a simple blue T-shirt paired with white denim shorts today, her long hair tied up into a high ponytail, making her look exceptionally clean and neat.

She walked up to Gu Ran and naturally took the coffee cup from his hand to take a sip.

Immediately, her entire little face wrinkled up from the bitterness.

"Why is it so bitter?"

"Life is just this bitter, which is why it needs a sweet you to neutralize it."

Gu Ran took the opportunity to pinch the tip of her nose.

"Oh, please~"

Ye Zhenzhen rolled her eyes at him.

When these words reached the ears of the two third wheels nearby, it gave them goosebumps all over.

"Eww~"

"So greasy!"

Pei Susu had a look that was hard to describe in a single word.

"How can you even say such shameless words out loud? Only our Zhenzhen wouldn't be disgusted by you!"

Hearing this, the young girl's pretty face flushed red.

"Susu~"

......

The final "get our money's worth" breakfast took place in the living room.

Various exquisite French pastries and Cantonese morning tea.

The table was filled with exquisite French pastries and Cantonese morning tea, and Ye Jinliang seemed to be turning his grief into an appetite.

He was seen gripping a croissant in his left hand and holding a fork in his right.

Sweeping through the plates like a conquering army, his mouth was stuffed to the brim.

"If we can't eat back the room rate, we at least have to collect some interest."

"If a buffet owner saw you, he'd probably transfer ownership of his restaurant overnight."

Gu Ran slowly and methodically cut his fried egg, but his mouth was unforgiving.

"Are you really planning to eat yourself into a ball so that Pei Susu can just roll you along in the future?"

"Pfft—"

The two girls laughed so hard they trembled like branches in the wind.

While laughing, Pei Susu placed a piece of smoked salmon onto Ye Jinliang's plate.

"Eat more, you'll need the strength to carry me on your back later."

Ye Jinliang froze for a moment, and his cheeks suddenly flushed red.

He then realized this was Pei Susu giving him a chance to show off.

He puffed out his chest and patted it loudly.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't have a problem carrying you until the end of time."

At exactly eight o'clock, the executive car arranged by the hotel was waiting punctually downstairs.

The convoy drove onto Chang'an Avenue, the scenery outside the window rapidly receding.

The CCTV Headquarters, China World Trade Center Tower 3—these behemoths symbolizing power and wealth flashed past their line of sight.

Ye Zhenzhen leaned against the car window, looking at the busy traffic outside, her eyes a bit dazed.

"Reluctant to leave?"

Gu Ran shifted his position, letting her lean against his shoulder.

"A little."

Ye Zhenzhen said softly.

"It feels like these past two days were a dream. Once we're back at school, it'll be anatomy classes, physiology, and an endless list of pharmacology terms to memorize."

Gu Ran didn't speak, just held her hand, gently rubbing the soft palm with his thumb.

This sense of falling from the clouds back to the mortal realm was an inevitable path after the end of every vacation.

Arriving at Terminal 3.

The four of them avoided the weaving crowds and went straight into a private lounge.

Taking advantage of the wait before boarding, Ye Zhenzhen crouched down and carefully checked Pei Susu's ankle.

"The swelling has gone down a lot. Remember to keep spraying the medicine when you get back, and don't wear high heels for the next couple of days."

Ye Zhenzhen instructed, her expression serious.

"Got it, Dr. Ye."

Pei Susu pulled Ye Zhenzhen up, the rims of her eyes feeling slightly hot.

It wasn't until this moment that the emotion of parting truly felt real.

At the VIP channel entrance, the security inspector had already started signaling for boarding.

"Gu Ran."

Pei Susu was the first to break the silence. She crossed her arms over her chest.

Putting on the posture of a big sister, she stared sharply at Gu Ran.

"Take good care of our Zhenzhen when you get back. If I find out she's been wronged, even with a broken foot, I'll charge all the way to Qinglin to settle the score with you."

Gu Ran cooperatively raised both hands, his face full of sincerity.

"Rest assured, Heroine Pei, I will definitely treat her like an ancestor, feeding her three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes every day, guaranteeing to raise her to be fair and chubby."

"Who wants to be fair and chubby! That's a pig!"

Ye Zhenzhen punched him in embarrassment and annoyance.

The two girls hugged each other tightly.

"See you on National Day."

"See you on National Day!"

The young man turned to Ye Jinliang, and the two men exchanged a look.

There was no sensational hug; Gu Ran reached out and heavily punched Ye Jinliang's solid chest.

"The road has been paved. You have to walk the rest yourself."

He lowered his voice, his tone carrying a deep meaning that only brothers would understand.

"Don't chicken out."

Ye Jinliang nodded heavily, his eyes revealing an unprecedented firmness.

"Don't worry, Brother Gu. With me handling things, you can stress... ah, bah! Don't worry!"

The three of them were amused into hearty laughter.

Gu Ran took Ye Zhenzhen's hand and waved dashingly.

"Let's go."

The two turned and walked toward the security checkpoint, their backs tall and composed.

Watching Gu Ran and Ye Zhenzhen disappear around the corner, Ye Jinliang turned around and looked at Pei Susu beside him.

Without those two "third wheels" cum "hype men," the air instantly quieted down.

Inside the private car on the return trip, Ye Jinliang carefully helped Pei Susu adjust her seat angle.

He then twisted open a bottle of mineral water and handed it over, his movements gentle.

Pei Susu took the water, turning her head to look at Ye Jinliang.

That deliberate silence wasn't awkward.

Instead, an emotion called "reliance" quietly flowed within the cabin.

She suddenly felt that this dense "brick" of a guy seemed to truly be slowly turning into a "gold brick."

......

Ten thousand meters in the air.

The plane's wings sliced through the thick clouds, and the city below turned into miniature building blocks.

In the first-class cabin, Ye Zhenzhen stared out the window, looking completely wilted.

"That is your seventh sigh."

Gu Ran put down his financial magazine and turned his head to look at her.

"If you keep sighing, there won't be enough oxygen on this plane for you to consume."

Ye Zhenzhen turned her head and rolled her eyes at him. Then, as if thinking of something, her small face scrunched up.

"Just thinking about facing the cadavers tomorrow makes my nose fill with the smell of formalin."

The pain of being forcibly switched from a luxury vacation mode to a miserable medical student mode left her feeling a wave of emptiness.

The withdrawal symptoms were truly living up to their reputation.

Gu Ran chuckled softly and suddenly reached out his hand.

He unceremoniously pinched her slightly chubby cheeks and tugged them outward.

"Ouch! Gu 'Dog' Ran, what are you doing!"

Ye Zhenzhen exclaimed, swatting his hand away.

"A physical wake-up call."

Gu Ran leaned in with a wicked smirk, his breath brushing against her ear.

"Dr. Ye, wake up. In your dreams, I won't be there to peel lobsters for you, and no one will carry you on their back up the Great Wall. Considering a certain someone's lack of stamina yesterday left my shoulders still aching..."

"After we get back, shouldn't you fulfill your duties as my private doctor and give me a massage?"

Ye Zhenzhen laughed out of sheer annoyance at his pushy behavior, and her previous melancholy vanished into thin air.

"Gu 'Dog' Ran, stop acting innocent after getting your way! Who was the one screaming even worse than Jin Liang on the roller coaster yesterday?"

"That was a tactical shout, you wouldn't understand."

"I wouldn't understand? Who was the one holding onto my hand for dear life with their palms covered in sweat?"

The two of them bickered back and forth ten thousand meters in the air, bargaining over everything from the length of the massage to the evening cafeteria menu.

Gu Ran looked at her recovering her spirits and smiled inwardly.

The plane flew smoothly through the clouds.

Gu Ran leaned back in his seat, feeling the warmth radiating from the girl beside him.

A satisfied smile curved the corners of his lips.

...