Drunkenness

Chapter 311

Steam rose from the private hot spring.

Ye Zhenzhen stared at the water surface, quietly inching toward the edge of the pool.

Gu Ran caught sight of the girl's movement and found it amusing.

This girl's sense of shame really came and went in waves.

They soaked without bothering each other for a long time. Ye Zhenzhen casually picked up a "drink" from the poolside and began sipping it. Before long, she felt her head growing heavier and heavier.

Her limbs turned as limp as noodles, becoming soft and weak, and her body began uncontrollably sliding down into the water.

Gu Ran let out a helpless sigh, stepped forward, and scooped up the girl who had nearly turned into a drowned cat.

"Ye Zhenzhen, wake up. We need to go."

"Soak any longer, and you'll be drinking your own bathwater here."

Although Ye Zhenzhen's brain was nearly fried, she was stubborn as ever, especially with her mouth.

"Stop talking nonsense. I just need a moment to adjust to this temperature. I could soak another half hour no problem. And also..."

The girl raised her rosy, delicate face and shot him a sharp glare.

"Show some respect. Call me sister!"

Those words were so familiar. He hadn't heard them in a while and even missed them a little.

Gu Ran smirked.

Forget it. No point arguing with a fool.

The young man half carried, half supported the person in his arms as he slowly walked toward the pool's edge.

"Fine, sis. Really, we have to hurry. If we don’t leave soon, you might end up camping in the pool tonight."

Ye Zhenzhen felt as if she were walking on cotton, her legs too weak to support her, forcing her to lean on the person beside her.

"Nonsense! I'm perfectly clear-headed. Let go of me. I want to stay and keep soaking!"

Despite her words, her body honestly followed the young man's steps, not falling behind at all.

Gu Ran looked at her face, as red as a ripe tomato, and began teasing her mercilessly.

"With your weak constitution—barely level five on a good day—if you soak another five minutes, I'll have to carry back a dried fish specimen."

Hearing this, Ye Zhen glared at him indignantly.

Such a decent person cursed with such a sharp tongue.

Hmph.

Bastard!

The two reached the shore and were about to put on their bathrobes and open the door when a familiar voice drifted in from outside.

"This private spring really helps with the fatigue, but the water's a bit too hot."

It was Gu Xiangcheng's voice!

"Exactly. I wonder how Xiao Ran and Zhenzhen are doing. Want to go check on them?"

Ye Shulian's voice followed right after.

Ye Zhenzhen snapped awake for a second, terrified, and pressed her whole body hard against the heavy wooden door, not daring to breathe.

Outside, Gu Xiangcheng, in a rare moment of enlightenment, quickly responded.

"Young people have their own circles. Let's not butt in. Let's go back to the room—we have important business to attend to."

Gu Ran didn't catch the last part, but Ye Shulian did. She blushed and scolded him coquettishly.

"You! Saying things like that in public—so improper ~"

As they talked, the couple moved closer to their room. Inside, Ye Zhenzhen looked like she'd had too much to drink.

Overwhelmed by the stress of the situation and the high indoor temperature, her already fuzzy mind completely shut down.

Just as she was about to pass out from holding her breath, Ye Zhenzhen lifted her head in a daze.

Her eyes glazed over, fixed on Gu Ran, who stood only inches away. She began to ramble.

"Huh? Gu 'Dog' Ran, have you been sneaking fertilizer behind my back? Why have you suddenly shot up in height?"

"And so fast!"

The girl exaggerated wildly, her eyes widening along with her words.

Gu Ran was so amused by her bizarre train of thought that he let out a frustrated laugh.

“Ye Zhenzhen, what kind of junk is packed in that brain of yours? What the hell, growing taller by eating fertilizer?”

Ye Zhenzhen reached out a finger and poked the tip of his nose in the air.

“You didn’t just grow taller—you grew two heads and four eyes!”

The footsteps outside suddenly paused.

“Lao Gu, did you hear something in there?”

Ye Zhenzhen was so startled she clamped her mouth shut, her eyes wide as brass bells.

Gu Ran lowered his voice, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

“Keep it up, and Aunt Ye will bust that door down. Then we’ll really be ‘stark naked’ in front of the elders.”

Gu Xiangcheng outside waved a hand.

“What noise? Probably the water. Come on, let’s head back and get our big thing done.”

The footsteps finally faded away.

Gu Ran was both speechless and amused—this girl could still curse even in this state.

Looking at her dazed expression, he decided to be the bigger person and let it slide.

Taking one for the team, he figured.

He scooped up Ye Zhenzhen, who kept slipping down, and shook his head helplessly.

“Ye Zhenzhen, you’re the only one in the world who can get drunk from a hot spring.”

Wait... drunk?

The thought hit him, and the young man finally realized—where was his cocktail?

Gu Ran turned to look at the corner by the pool. A glass lay quietly there, already empty.

Gu Ran: “...”

When did this little girl sneak a drink? He hadn’t noticed a thing. A rookie mistake!

He’d specifically asked for that drink to be stronger, meant to help him relax and sleep well.

No wonder she was this dizzy...

He poked the drunken girl in his arms and asked with a laugh.

“Ye Zhenzhen, why’d you steal my drink? Putting anything in your mouth—aren’t you afraid of trouble?”

Ye Zhenzhen squinted. “Who stole it? It was sitting right there. If you dare put it out, you dare let me drink it?”

Gu Ran shook his head, thinking, you really can’t argue with an idiot—especially a drunk one.

After listening carefully to make sure Gu Xiangcheng was far away,

Gu Ran grabbed a big bathrobe, wrapped her up tightly, and hoisted her into a princess carry.

Holding her in his arms, he nimbly opened the door, checked again, then snuck off through the elevator on the other side.

The girl in his arms curled up obediently, blinking as she started to complain.

“Gu ‘Dog’ Ran, your eyes are spinning in circles—they’re making me dizzy...”

Gu Ran frowned, his tone laced with mock disgust.

“In your state right now, you can’t even tell north from south. Close your eyes and rest.”

Ye Zhenzhen wriggled in protest in his arms.

“Nonsense! I can hold my liquor, I never get drunk. Put me down, I’ll walk a straight line for you!”

Gu Ran tightened his grip, afraid this little terror might fall.

“Yeah, yeah, you can walk a straight line—you can fly up and walk side by side with the sun. Just shut up and rest a bit.”

He secretly cursed himself for not pulling out his phone to record this for blackmail material, something he could play on loop for her later.

As the elevator doors opened, Gu Ran carried her quickly back to the room.

Back in the spacious suite, the young man carefully tucked her into the soft bed.

He adjusted the air conditioner, brought over some warm water, and fed her in small sips like a kitten.

“Drink slowly, no one’s racing you.”

Ye Zhenzhen gulped down half a glass of water and let out a long, satisfied sigh.

Gu Ran reached out and felt her forehead, confirming that the fever had gone down. The dizzy sensation Ye Zhenzhen felt, like she was "drunk on oxygen," had faded quite a bit.

But since she was still drunk, the dizziness lingered.

"Feeling better? Still warm?"

Ye Zhenzhen rubbed her eyes. As she adjusted back to the room temperature, she became a bit more sober.

"Much better, Gu 'Dog' Ran~ I'm a little hungry~"

Soaking in the hot spring had indeed been tiring. Gu Ran ordered room service, asking for some light rice porridge and small snacks.

They pulled a small table onto the bed, ate everything quickly, and the girl patted her little belly with satisfaction.

After eating, her mind was much clearer. She simply ignored the awkward things she had just done.

"The food at this mountain resort is pretty good. You really know how to pick a place~"

Gu Ran tidied up the table swiftly and, without a fuss, pulled the still-grumbling girl into his arms.

"Now that you're full and warm, time to sleep, right?"

Ye Zhenzhen leaned into his embrace and, with practiced ease, found a comfortable position.

"Sleep? Fine, you're so naggy."

Gu Ran was taken aback for a second but didn't snap back. He silently tightened his arms around her.

Holding each other, they drifted off into a deep sleep amid the quiet of the night.

......