Beware of Fire, Theft, and Ye Zhenzhen

Chapter 313

At noon, in a four-story seafood buffet restaurant.

The place was bustling with noise, and the air was thick with the rich aroma of butter, cheese, and grilled seafood.

Ye Zhenzhen kept her delicate face cold and expressionless, wearing her "I'm still mad" attitude plainly for all to see.

She clung stiffly to Ye Shulian's arm, striding ahead in her little leather boots, treating Gu Ran, who was trailing behind them, like a transparent patch of air.

Gu Ran held a plate and shamelessly sidled up to strike up a conversation, asking if she wanted some freshly baked cheese-baked lobster or garlic vermicelli scallops.

Ye Zhenzhen played deaf and dumb, not even sparing him a sidelong glance, and forcefully redirected the conversation to Ye Shulian beside her.

She pointed at the chilled seafood section nearby, pulled her mother along to walk over quickly, and deliberately picked out those extra-large sweet shrimp and salmon sashimi.

Ye Shulian had long noticed the tense atmosphere between the two kids. She took a moment to shoot a meaningful glance at Gu Xiangcheng, who was a few steps behind.

The older couple carried their selected food and each flanked one of the young people.

Ye Shulian carefully chose her words.

"Zhenzhen, I noticed you haven't really been talking to Xiaoran today. Aren't you two usually... pretty close?"

As she spoke, she glanced at her daughter's expression and saw that when Gu Ran was mentioned, her little lips gave a faint pout.

Ye Shulian understood in her heart.

Sure enough, she had guessed right.

"Zhenzhen, did you two have a little quarrel?"

"No, not at all! We're fine!"

At the same time, on the other side.

Gu Xiangcheng wasn't one for beating around the bush; he came straight to the point.

"Did you and Zhenzhen have a falling out?"

Gu Ran was startled, surprised by his father's sharp intuition.

"How could that be? We're just fine."

Both of their answers were perfectly synchronized, and since they weren't far apart, hearing the identical response—

The two turned their heads and looked at each other knowingly.

When the young girl met the eyes cast her way, her cheeks flushed slightly. She gave a proud little huff and turned her head away.

Gu Ran watched this scene, thinking she was still angry, and subconsciously scratched his head.

Both older couples had been through it all, and seeing this, they understood everything. They exchanged a glance.

Alright, nothing going on. Let's just eat.

They selected their food and found seats.

Faced with unlimited grilled durian and top-tier seafood, Ye Zhenzhen's food-warrior spirit completely overpowered the little leftover sulk in her heart.

She ate with her cheeks stuffed full, her movements for peeling shrimp shells quick and nimble, and her mood turned from cloudy to clear in no time.

Gu Ran sat across from her, watching her chow down, and occasionally handed her a napkin, feeling a sigh of relief inside.

This little princess has finally calmed down. If she stayed mad any longer, it would mess up tomorrow's plans...

As Gu Ran looked down in thought, a giant piece of garlic-baked oyster suddenly appeared in front of him.

He looked up to see the young girl across from him smiling happily, holding her chopsticks.

She rested her cheek on one hand, her eyes sparkling, and her voice was soft and sweet.

"Gu Ran, you've been working so hard lately, staying up late every night to code."

Ye Zhenzhen picked up a napkin to wipe the oil from her fingers, then pushed the plate filled with various kinds of oysters toward him.

"Eat more oysters to build yourself back up. Don't wear yourself out, okay?"

Gu Ran stared at the steaming oyster in his bowl, his chopsticks frozen in midair.

Hiss...

This little girl was usually very protective of her food, and now she was being all attentive. Something fishy was definitely going on!

He let out a dry chuckle, using his chopsticks to push the oysters aside, staring warily at the smiling girl across from him.

Those who eat are quick to take favors, and those who receive favors are soft-handed.

Gu Ran portioned some out to Gu Xiangcheng, speaking with great filial respect.

"Dad, this is Sister Zhenzhen's kind gesture. You should have some too, to build up your strength."

Hearing this, the three of them exchanged awkward glances. Gu Xiangcheng shot Gu Ran a glare.

Rascal!

Using his old man as a punching bag again!

Ye Shulian covered her mouth with a soft cough, pretending not to have heard.

The girl, whose trick had backfired on her, shot Gu Ran a sharp look.

You dog!

Tonight, you're sleeping alone as punishment!

The girl had no idea that her words would actually come true.

On the hallway back to their rooms after the meal, Ye Zhenzhen finally let her curiosity get the better of her.

She pretended to casually lean closer to Gu Ran, her eyes darting around slyly as she began testing the waters.

"Hey... the air in my room is kind of bad. It feels a bit stuffy."

She tugged at her collar as she spoke, sneaking glances at the boy beside her from the corner of her eye.

"I want to visit your room and take a look. I've never been inside."

Gu Ran saw right through her game and immediately stepped back, putting a safe distance between them.

"Your room—I've been there before. The view and the air are fine. Besides..."

He crossed his arms over his chest, striking a defensive pose as if defending his virtue.

"Men and women should keep their distance. Tonight, let's sleep in separate rooms. It's for the best."

With that, he turned and dashed into his own room, locking the connecting door with three spins of the latch, leaving no chance for the enemy to slip through.

Ye Zhenzhen: "..."

What are you pretending for?!

A couple days ago, when you were calling me 'baby' and holding me close, you didn't seem to remember anything about men and women keeping their distance!

What a jerk!!

The girl huffed and went back to her room. On a whim, she walked to the connecting door and gave the handle a soft turn.

Locked?!

Was he guarding against a thief?!

A surge of stubborn determination rose in her heart. She took a deep breath, stepped out of her room, and stood outside Gu Ran's door, launching into full drama mode.

After checking that the coast was clear, she leaned against the doorframe and let out a couple of fake moans, her voice so syrupy it gave goosebumps.

"Gu Ran~ I think I ate too much seafood and now my stomach hurts. Come rub it for me~"

When she heard no response from inside, she quickly switched tactics, clutching her head in mock pain.

"Gu Ran~ I have a headache. Can you find me some painkillers~"

Inside, Gu Ran listened to her terrible acting, grinning as he pumped air into a balloon, determined not to open the door.

Ye Zhenzhen, frustrated, let out a couple of empty yells in the hallway—enough to disturb the neighborhood—then turned and went back to her room.

Once inside, Gu Ran finally relaxed when the noise stopped. But then, a loud "thump" made him jump, nearly choking him on his own breath!

Back in her room, Ye Zhenzhen paced around, her eyes landing on the connecting door. A new idea struck her.

She wasn't the type of girl to give up at the first hurdle...

She walked up to the door and gave it a hard kick, then raised her voice in a panicked shout.

"Gu Ran, open up! There's a mouse in my room!"

She pounded on the door with both hands, stamping her feet frantically in fake desperation.

"It's huge and black! And it's baring its teeth at me!"

Gu Ran was driven half-crazy by her antics from behind the door, shocked that the girl would come up with such a ridiculous excuse just to get inside.

He leaned against the door, still holding a half-inflated pink balloon in his hand, and complained loudly through the door.

“Ye Zhenzhen, a mouse serving as a bridesmaid for a cat—you’d risk your life just to get through the door, huh?”

He pinched the balloon’s mouth shut, tied a knot, and tossed it carelessly onto the bed nearby.

“Your acting is way too crude.”

“This is a top-floor luxury suite, cleaned by staff every single day. Where would you even find a mouse?”

Gu Ran dusted off his hands and stood up straight.

“What, did Mickey Mouse turn into a spirit and come looking for you to play?”

Seeing that Ye Zhenzhen had no intention of giving up her door-banging crusade, Gu Ran let out a helpless sigh.

It looked like he had no choice but to put a stop to her stubbornness today.

He yanked open the door and strode over to knock on Ye Zhenzhen’s room.

The girl, hearing the commotion, opened the door excitedly. Gu Ran pressed his hands on her shoulders and straightened her collar with a serious expression.

“Take a break and stop the act, Dr. Ye. I just remembered I have important business to discuss with Dad and Aunt Ye Shulian.”

He subtly blocked the girl as she tried to slip through the crack in the door.

“I’ll have to excuse myself. You take your time catching that mouse.”

With that, he slipped away like greased lightning, striding down the hallway toward the elevator and leaving behind a remarkably carefree retreat.

Ye Zhenzhen stood rooted to the spot, stomping her feet in frustration and hurling threats at his back, her face full of unwillingness.

“Who wants to step foot in your dump of a doghouse anyway! Just you wait—I’ll dig up your secrets sooner or later!”

......