Chapter 243
The exam week had just ended, and Ye Zhenzhen's mind had already flown back home.
At the thought of the upcoming National Day holiday, she was so excited that she could hardly sit still.
She urged Gu Ran while frantically packing her luggage.
A few hours later, County A, Qinglin City.
The black Audi parked steadily downstairs at Binjiang Garden.
Gu Ran turned off the engine and looked sideways at the passenger seat.
Ye Zhenzhen wasn't in a hurry to get out of the car. Instead, she pulled down the sun visor mirror with a swish and checked herself left and right in the reflection.
Her fingers nervously fumbled with her collar buttons, wishing she could pull the collar all the way up to her chin to cover herself completely.
"What are you doing?"
Gu Ran rested one hand on the steering wheel, watching her with a relaxed and amused expression.
"People who don't know any better would think you just went and did something shady."
"Shut up!"
The girl glared at him through the mirror, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"I'm checking to see if you left any marks on me. If my mom and Uncle Gu see anything, you're dead meat."
Before they left, this guy acted like a dog, catching her and kissing her wildly.
Even though she guarded herself strictly, it was hard to guarantee nothing slipped through the cracks.
You have to know, Uncle Gu has a background in criminal investigation; those eyes of his are sharper than a CT scanner.
If he saw anything, Gu Ran's legs would probably be left at Binjiang Garden as fertilizer today.
"Don't worry, Dr. Ye."
The young man unfastened his seatbelt, leaned over to help her tidy the stray hairs at her temples, and smiled in a highly punchable way.
"My skills are very good. They are all in places that can't be seen. I promise Old Gu won't be able to find out."
"Get lost!"
Ye Zhenzhen was so embarrassed she wanted to die. After making sure everything was foolproof, the girl took a deep breath and pushed the car door open.
The trunk was stuffed to the brim, entirely with local specialties Gu Ran had brought back from the capital.
Carrying bags big and small, the two of them huffed and puffed their way upstairs.
Standing in front of the familiar security door, neither of them knocked.
Gu Ran fished the keys out of his pocket.
He made a shushing gesture to Ye Zhenzhen and gently turned the key.
It was evening.
The faint sound of the evening news broadcast on the TV could be heard from inside.
Click.
The lock popped open, and the two quietly changed their shoes and entered the house.
In the living room, Gu Xiangcheng was sitting on the sofa, holding a newspaper in his hands.
His brows were tightly furrowed, as if he were pondering some major national affairs.
But Gu Ran had sharp eyes and instantly noticed that his old man was holding the newspaper upside down.
Moreover, his eyes were clearly in standby mode; it was obvious he was zoning out.
At the kitchen door, Ye Shulian, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, was frowning at the refrigerator.
"Old Gu, what should we eat tonight? It seems we're out of meat. How about you go buy some braised dishes?"
"Whatever, I'm not picky."
Gu Xiangcheng didn't even lift his head, his voice authoritative.
"Whatever? Then you can go eat dirt!"
Ye Shulian replied in a bad mood.
Gu Xiangcheng's mouth twitched, and he was just about to retort.
Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine and whipped his head around.
A magnified smiling face was almost pressed against the tip of his nose.
"!!!"
Gu Xiangcheng shuddered in fright, and the newspaper in his hands fell to the floor with a rustle.
"You brat! Are you part cat? You walk without making a sound!"
Gu Xiangcheng clutched his chest. After seeing clearly that it was Gu Ran and Ye Zhenzhen, his originally tense, dark face instantly broke character. He wanted to get angry but couldn't help showing a smile.
"Dad, your vigilance has dropped. I've been standing here for half a minute."
Gu Ran smilingly picked up the newspaper and conveniently turned it right-side up for his old man.
"You were holding the newspaper upside down. Are you practicing upside-down reading? It seems this martial art has been lost for a long time, hasn't it?"
"Get out of here!"
Gu Xiangcheng's old face flushed red, and he slapped Gu Ran's arm.
"Show some respect!"
Hearing the commotion, Ye Shulian poked her head out of the kitchen. Seeing the two kids, her eyes instantly lit up.
"Oh my! Ranran! Zhenzhen! Why are you back today? Didn't you say you were leaving tomorrow?"
Ye Shulian dropped the spatula, completely ignoring Gu Xiangcheng.
She walked over quickly, grabbed Ye Zhenzhen's hand, and looked her up and down.
"You've lost weight. Did you not eat well at school? I told you the cafeteria food has no nutrition..."
"We just missed you guys, so we rushed back as soon as exams were over."
Ye Zhenzhen obediently let her mother hold her hand.
Her eyes, however, couldn't help but glance toward Gu Xiangcheng, terrified he might notice some clues.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."
Ye Shulian smiled from ear to ear and turned to look at Gu Xiangcheng.
"What are you staring blankly for? We're out of meat, hurry up and go buy a roast duck, and slice up two pounds of beef!"
Gu Xiangcheng stood up from the sofa, putting on the air of a police chief, but his tone had clearly softened.
"It's not like we don't have food at home. I saw eggs and green peppers in the fridge, just stir-frying a couple of dishes will do. Or we can just go out to eat, it saves trouble."
"Go out to eat my foot!"
Ye Shulian's eyebrows shot up, and she waved the spatula in the air.
"The kids finally came back for a visit, shouldn't they eat something good to nourish themselves?"
Gu Xiangcheng coughed, "What I mean is... cough, the food outside can't compare to your cooking. I'm just worried you'll tire yourself out."
He spouted nonsense with a straight face, his expression screaming that he was doing this for her own good.
"Yeah, right!"
Ye Shulian was coaxed into a slightly better mood and gave him a reproachful glare.
"Stop being glib in front of the kids, and hurry up and brew some tea!"
Gu Ran and Ye Zhenzhen exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
This public display of affection might be late, but it always arrives.
After a round of greetings, Ye Shulian went into the kitchen to cook, and the atmosphere in the living room gradually shifted from surprise to scrutiny.
Gu Xiangcheng sat on the single sofa, holding a teacup, but his eyes darted back and forth between Gu Ran and Ye Zhenzhen.
Even though he had long tacitly approved of these two kids being together.
But as an old father, he couldn't help but feel that something was a little off about their return this time.
Their eye contact, and the casual physical touches... they were too natural.
So natural that it was like... an old married couple?
These two kids... they couldn't be getting ready to give him a grandchild, could they?!
At this thought, Gu Xiangcheng's gaze immediately landed on Ye Zhenzhen.
The girl's face was flushed, and her eyes were evasive.
She kept her head down, pretending to organize that facial mask gift box, not daring to meet his eyes at all.
Oh no!
Something is definitely not right!
......
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
