Come Out and Drink Water

Chapter 246

Ye Shulian pulled Ye Zhenzhen down to lie on the large bed in the master bedroom. The soft bedding gave off a faint scent of laundry detergent.

She turned on her side, resting her head on her hand, her gaze gentle.

"Zhenzhen... is there really no boy you like at school?"

Ye Zhenzhen had been staring blankly at the ceiling. Caught off guard by the question, her whole body stiffened in fright.

Her pretty face instantly flushed beet red.

"Mom... I'm busy burying my head in textbooks every day. Where would I find the time to think about that..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, her eyes darting around, not daring to look at her mother at all.

Ye Shulian narrowed her eyes, a meaningful smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Is that so? Then how about Mom introduces you to someone? Or... there should be plenty of outstanding boys at your medical school, right?"

Ye Zhenzhen panicked and shook her head frantically, her fingers clutching the edge of the blanket in a death grip.

"N-no need! I really haven't thought about it!"

The more she explained, the guiltier she felt. This guilty little look of hers was practically a confession in itself.

Looking at her daughter's reaction, Ye Shulian was already eighty or ninety percent sure.

This silly child had most likely really fallen for someone.

"Then what do you think..."

Ye Shulian changed the subject, pretending to sound casual.

"How about Mom finds you a boyfriend with a personality like Xiao Ran? Sensible, motivated, and knows how to care for people."

As soon as the words left her mouth.

Ye Zhenzhen shot up from the bed as if she had been burned.

Her cheeks were so red they looked like they could bleed.

"Mom! W-what nonsense are you spouting!"

She grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her head, her muffled voice coming from underneath.

"How could I use him as a standard to find a boyfriend... H-how embarrassing..."

Under the covers, the young girl's breathing was rapid and hurried, even the tips of her ears turning completely red.

Ye Shulian looked at her daughter's totally smitten state, shaking her head in a mix of exasperation and amusement.

She hadn't even pointed anything out yet, and the girl was already acting this innocent and flustered.

If someone said there was nothing going on between those two, even a ghost wouldn't believe it.

She gently patted the bulging blanket.

"Alright, alright, Mom won't say anymore. Come out now, you're going to suffocate in there."

Only then did Ye Zhenzhen slowly poke her little head out, her eyes darting away as she muttered softly.

"It's true anyway..."

Ye Shulian sighed and reached out to smooth her messy hair, her gaze becoming somewhat complex.

"Zhenzhen."

Her voice suddenly turned serious.

"You've been well-behaved since you were little. You never made Mom worry, let alone do anything to make Mom lose face."

"Back when Mom and your Uncle Gu formed a blended family, you were the first to stand up and support us. You even encouraged me to bravely pursue my happiness..."

She paused, looking deeply at her daughter.

"Now that you've grown up, as someone who has been through it, Mom understands a lot of things—"

Before she could finish.

Ye Zhenzhen suddenly sat up with a blushing face and threw her arms around Ye Shulian, burying her small face deeply into her mother's shoulder.

"Mom..."

The young girl's voice carried a heavy, affectionate nasal tone.

Ye Zhenzhen hugged her mother tightly, her heart beating as fast as a drum.

Oh no, oh no!

That jinx Gu Ran, could he have actually been right?!

Mom was acting way too weird tonight!

Every sentence revolved around Gu 'Dog' Ran. With this attitude... she had clearly noticed something!

This hug should soften her mom's heart so she wouldn't ask those lethal questions anymore, right?

Feeling the slight tremble of her daughter's body, Ye Shulian hugged her back, sighing silently in her heart.

Forget it, why make things difficult for the child.

It was just a crush, they hadn't actually done anything.

She would just keep a closer eye on them in the future.

It shouldn't... progress to that step, right...

.......

Meanwhile, in Gu Ran's room.

Gu Xiangcheng sat on the edge of the bed, his hands resting on his knees, his expression stern.

"You brat, let me get the ugly words out of the way first—if you dare to mistreat Zhenzhen in the slightest, I'll be the first to break your legs."

Gu Ran sat at the desk, uncharacteristically putting away his usual frivolous demeanor, and nodded solemnly.

"Dad, don't worry, I'm serious."

Gu Xiangcheng stared at his son for a long time before finally sighing.

"As for Shulian... I'll help you keep it a secret for now. She has traditional views, so we have to take this slowly. I'm afraid she won't be able to accept it all at once."

"But you better take it easy, kid. You absolutely cannot do things you shouldn't be doing, you hear me?"

The corner of Gu Ran's mouth twitched imperceptibly, and he replied dryly.

"...Got it."

In the silence, the father and son reached a tacit understanding that belonged only to men.

The night deepened.

Gu Xiangcheng soon lay flat and began to snore long, drawn-out snores.

Gu Ran tossed and turned in bed, his heart feeling like it was being scratched by a cat.

He pulled out his phone, tapped on that familiar profile picture, and sent a WeChat message.

"Miss me?"

A few seconds later, the phone buzzed.

"Get lost! We just saw each other tonight!"

It was followed by an angry sticker of a kitten throwing a punch.

Gu Ran silently curled his lips, his fingers flying across the screen.

"So did you miss me or not?"

This time, the chat box remained silent for a long time before a single word slowly popped up.

"...Yes."

Gu Ran almost laughed out loud, but quickly covered his mouth.

He warily glanced at his loudly snoring old man, his fingers typing rapidly on the screen.

"Come out for a drink of water, meet me in the living room."

Ye Zhenzhen: "......."

Is it really water you want to drink?!

I'm too embarrassed to even call you out!

The young girl quietly turned her head and glanced at Ye Shulian, who was breathing steadily beside her.

Feeling like a thief, she replied cautiously.

"Will... will this work?"

Gu Ran replied instantly.

"No problem, I'll go out first to scout the way and wait for you."

He turned his head to look at the soundly sleeping Gu Xiangcheng; the snores were still even and strong.

He tiptoed out of bed, making his every movement as light as possible.

The young man silently opened his bedroom door and slipped into the living room.

The cool moonlight spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. He leaned against the armrest of the sofa, his burning gaze fixed in the direction of the master bedroom.

He didn't know how long he waited.

The door to the master bedroom finally opened a crack.

First, a fluffy little head poked out, looking left and right. Only after confirming it was absolutely safe,

did Ye Zhenzhen scurry out like a little mouse stealing cheese.

She felt incredibly guilty right now, feeling as if her little heart was going to leap out of her chest.

As expected, people shouldn't do bad things!

It wasn't until she saw Gu Ran's silhouette in the moonlight that her hanging heart finally settled halfway.

She ran a few steps over to him, keeping her voice down as she whispered breathlessly.

"Do you have a death wish? What if we get caught?"

Gu Ran smiled and reached out, grabbing her wrist and lightly pulling her into the shadows behind the kitchen refrigerator.

He lowered his voice, his hot breath brushing against her ear, making it feel numb and itchy.

"Don't worry, Old Gu is sleeping like a log."

Ye Zhenzhen glared at him, but couldn't bring herself to pull her hand away.

The two looked at each other in the dim living room. Everything was silent, leaving only the sound of their drum-like heartbeats.

Gu Ran slowly leaned closer to her ear, his voice unbelievably husky.

"Dr. Ye, the thrill is all about the heartbeat. Exciting, isn't it?"

Ye Zhenzhen's cheeks exploded in red. She raised her hand to thump his chest.

But he smoothly caught it, turning the gesture into their fingers interlocking tightly.

Under the moonlight, two shadows were stretched long.

They overlapped, until they could no longer be told apart.

......