Chapter 244
Alarm bells rang loudly in Gu Xiangcheng's heart.
He put down his teacup and cleared his throat.
"Gu Ran ah."
This drawn-out tone made Gu Ran's scalp tingle.
"What's wrong, Dad?"
Gu Ran kept a straight face, maintaining his shameless, unfazed smile.
"Come with me to the balcony for a moment, I have something to ask you."
Gu Xiangcheng stood up, his gaze sharp.
Conversations between men had to happen on the balcony, accompanied by a cigarette.
Gu Ran's heart skipped a beat.
Was Lao Gu going to interrogate him?
Just then, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Gu Xiangcheng's arm.
"What are you asking! The kids just got back, what can't you say right here?"
Ye Shulian, holding a bunch of celery, shielded Gu Ran like a protective mother hen.
"The kids have been on the bus all the way, they're exhausted, and you still want to do your interrogation routine? Hurry up and go to the kitchen to help me prep the vegetables!"
"No, I just want to ask a couple of questions..."
Gu Xiangcheng tried to struggle.
"Ask my foot! Hurry up and go!"
Ye Shulian didn't give him a chance at all, pushing him directly toward the kitchen.
"I want to eat the braised prawns you make tonight, hurry up!"
Gu Xiangcheng stumbled from the push.
"No... since when do I know how to make braised prawns..."
Without giving him any chance to retort, Ye Shulian dragged him away.
Just before entering the door, Gu Xiangcheng turned back and gave Gu Ran an I'll deal with you later look, walking into the kitchen helplessly.
The young man stood there, watching the meaningful smile Ye Shulian flashed over her shoulder as she pushed his dad away.
In that smile, there was maternal love, tolerance, and a kind of... insight?
Gu Ran touched his nose, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on his back.
Aunt Ye's look was even scarier than Lao Gu's.
Could she have figured something out?
"Alright, don't just stand there like an idiot, go back to your room and rest for a bit."
Seeing the alarm lifted, Ye Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief, picked up her luggage, and headed toward her room.
"Wait."
Gu Ran grabbed her wrist and lowered his voice ambiguously.
"See you in a bit."
Ye Zhenzhen blushed, glared at him, shook off his hand, and ran into her room.
...
Gu Ran returned to his room and casually tossed his luggage aside.
He paced around the room a couple of times, listening to the conversation and chopping sounds coming from the kitchen.
He couldn't suppress the restlessness in his heart no matter what.
Was this the thrill of stealing?
No wonder Ye Zhenzhen was addicted, it was so damn thrilling!
Even though they were a legal couple, acting like underground spies at home was something else.
Gu Ran walked to the French window and skillfully undid the latch.
Knock, knock.
He gently knocked on the French window of the girl's room next door.
The curtains were drawn, and rustling sounds came from inside.
A few seconds later, the curtain was pulled open a crack, revealing a startled little face.
Ye Zhenzhen was just about to change into her loungewear and had her top half off.
Clutching a pajama shirt to her chest, her eyes nearly popped out when she saw Gu Ran outside the window.
She frantically threw on her clothes and unlocked the window.
She pulled Gu Ran in and quickly drew the curtains.
"Are you crazy!"
The aloof girl lowered her voice, punching him in exasperation.
"We just got back, what if we get caught!!"
"Relax, I've already scouted the area, it's very safe."
Gu Ran reached back and locked the bedroom door.
The loungewear the girl had just changed into was loose and soft, emitting a faint osmanthus scent that hit his face.
Gu Ran took the opportunity to collapse onto her large pink bed, stretching his long legs out like a boss.
"Dr. Ye, did you see Aunt Ye's look just now? It was a bit off, I keep feeling like she knows something."
"Stop overthinking!"
Ye Zhenzhen felt her hair stand on end from his words. She went over and pulled his arm, trying to drag him up.
"If my mom knew, she would have whipped me with a feather duster long ago, you think she'd still make you braised pork? Hurry back! You'll be discovered in a minute!"
"What's the rush, let me recharge for a bit."
Gu Ran grabbed her wrist back and pulled slightly.
Losing her balance, Ye Zhenzhen cried out in surprise and fell into his arms.
Gu Ran naturally wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her collarbone and taking a deep breath.
Even though they were together every day, it just didn't feel as good as hugging like this right now.
The unique fragrance on the girl, mixed with her panicked heartbeat, brought back his soul that had just been scared away by Lao Gu.
"Gu Ran... stop messing around..."
Ye Zhenzhen's body went half limp, her pushing hands lost their strength, and her voice was as soft as a cat's meow.
"The door isn't deadbolted... what if..."
Before she could finish her sentence.
A furious roar suddenly came from the direction of the living room.
"Gu Ran!!!"
This shout scared the two of them so much they sprang apart instantly like they'd been electrocuted.
Ye Zhenzhen's face went pale, her hand trembling as she pointed at the window.
"Quick! Go quickly! Uncle Gu is calling you!"
Gu Ran's heart also skipped a beat. Lao Gu's loud voice was really wasted by not being a tenor.
"Where the hell did that brat go! Hurry downstairs and buy a big bottle of cola! We're out of drinks!"
Gu Xiangcheng's voice drew closer, and from the footsteps, it sounded like he was heading toward Gu Ran's room.
"Hurry up!"
Ye Zhenzhen was so anxious she was about to cry, desperately pushing Gu Ran toward the balcony.
Gu Ran was about to leave but suddenly stopped.
He turned around, looked at the panicked girl, and pointed to his lips with a roguish look.
"Toll fee. No kiss, no leave, otherwise I'll just walk out the front door and tell Lao Gu I was exploring human anatomy with you."
"You... scoundrel!"
Hearing the footsteps in the living room already reaching Gu Ran's door, Ye Zhenzhen was dying of embarrassment.
She gritted her teeth and stood on her tiptoes.
Closing her eyes, she leaned in and gave the young man a quick peck on the corner of his mouth.
The touch was warm and soft, separating as quickly as it met.
"Happy now! Get out!"
Gu Ran licked his lips in satisfaction, and just before a sock could hit his face...
He dodged nimbly and ran back to his own room.
After entering, he adjusted his breathing and shouted toward the door at the top of his lungs.
"Got it, Dad! Going right now!"
His voice was loud and righteous, without the slightest hint of a guilty conscience.
In the next room.
Ye Zhenzhen leaned against the door panel, listening to the commotion on Gu Ran's side, her heart still dancing wildly in her chest.
A moment later, the sound of Gu Ran's door opening came, followed by the sound of the front security door closing.
"This brat, dawdling just to buy a cola..."
Gu Xiangcheng's muttering faded away.
Ye Zhenzhen let out a long breath, slid down to sit on the carpet, and touched her burning cheeks.
The rich aroma of braised pork wafted through the air, mixing with that kiss carrying the boy's scent.
Was the sense of immorality really this strong?
She felt like she was going to break...
...
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
