The abandoned daughter of the Lu family turns around and marries a celibate tycoon.

Chapter 21 Couple Photos

Gu Yanshen approached step by step until Lu Xiran's back gently pressed against the cold wall, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.

She could even count the tiny shadows cast by his eyelashes.

The next second, everything spun around—Gu Yanshen bent down and picked her up in his arms.

"Ah!" Lu Xiran exclaimed softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck and sinking into his firm and warm embrace.

"Uncle! We...we still need to take pictures!" she protested softly, but her cheeks involuntarily pressed against his chest, and she could hear his steady and powerful heartbeat through his shirt.

Gu Yanshen held her, his steps slow and steady, as if measuring a certain intimate distance. Lu Xiran secretly raised her eyes, her gaze tracing his defined jawline, catching the barely suppressed upward curve of his lips. Her heart immediately pounded wildly, like a restless little rabbit.

However, the anticipated "next step" did not happen.

With a swift turn, Gu Yanshen gently placed her on the soft sofa.

"Of course, it's for taking pictures," he said, leaning down and bracing himself on either side of her, trapping her between the sofa and him. A clear amusement gleamed in his eyes. "Otherwise, what do you think I wanted to do?"

Lu Xiran then realized she had misunderstood, her cheeks flushed red, she pursed her lips awkwardly, and looked away.

"What?" Gu Yanshen persisted, his gaze locking onto her evasive eyes. His voice was low and breathy. "Judging from your expression... you seem a little disappointed?"

"I didn't!" Lu Xiran hurriedly denied, but her voice was soft and lacked confidence.

"So what are you expecting?" He leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers, his warm breath brushing against her skin. "Hmm?"

The last syllable felt like a feather brushing against the tip of my heart.

Lu Xiran frantically grabbed her phone from the coffee table, the screen's light illuminating her flushed face. "Take a picture! Of course, take a picture!"

She practically scurried out from under his arms, running to grab a camera tripod and frantically setting up her phone. Gu Yanshen, on the other hand, calmly sat back on the sofa, his gaze following her the entire time, his eyes calm and focused, with a barely perceptible flame burning deep within.

Lu Xiran wore a soft white sweater today. As she adjusted the angle of the stand, she unconsciously pulled the neckline of the sweater to one side, revealing her fair and rounded shoulder and a delicate collarbone. In the warm light, that skin looked so smooth that it seemed to glow with a luminous sheen.

Gu Yan took a deep breath and paused almost imperceptibly.

—She was always like this, using the most innocent and naive expressions and actions to do things that were fatally alluring to him. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced himself to look away, suppressing the surging heat back into his heart.

Lu Xiran set up the tripod and looked at him carefully again. She felt that his shirt was buttoned up too tightly, lacking the casual feel of a home photoshoot. She mustered her courage, leaned closer, and reached out to unbutton the top two buttons of his collar. Her fingertips inadvertently brushed against the skin on the side of his neck, feeling a slightly cool touch.

Just as she was concentrating on adjusting, there was a soft "click".

Gu Yanshen had no idea when he got the control keys.

"Uncle! I haven't gotten into position yet!" Lu Xiran pouted, frowned in dissatisfaction, and lightly punched his shoulder.

The force was light and airy.

—It's less of a protest and more of a coquettish act.

Gu Yanshen chuckled softly, his chest heaving slightly, his relaxed expression captivating. He then pressed the shutter again.

"Uncle," Lu Xiran murmured, momentarily stunned by his rare hearty smile, "You look so handsome when you smile."

"Don't I usually smile?" He raised an eyebrow.

Lu Xiran shook her head, her voice soft: "Anyway... she's never smiled at me like that much."

Before she could finish speaking, Gu Yanshen wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his embrace. Her cheek pressed against the warm skin of his open collar, the faint scent of shampoo mingling with his cool, refreshing aroma.

"Click." Another one.

Over the next few days, they changed clothes three times. Gu Yanshen seemed to have taken a liking to candid photography; his lens always managed to capture her moments of playful anger, laughter, focus, or absent-mindedness. Lu Xiran roughly estimated that he probably took nearly a hundred photos.

For the last set, Lu Xiran had just washed her hair, which was still wet and draped over her shoulders. The plan was to take a set of photos taken from her boyfriend's perspective while blow-drying her hair.

She sat in front of the vanity mirror, with Gu Yanshen standing behind her, holding a hairdryer, his fingers running through her soft hair. The warm air hummed, and the mirror reflected their close figures, the atmosphere peaceful yet subtle.

"Okay, all done." After taking the last photo, Lu Xiran breathed a sigh of relief and reached for the hairdryer. "I can dry myself in my room..."

Gu Yanshen did not let go.

Lu Xiran tensed up again, wanting to slip away from him: "I have my own hairdryer..."

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Yanshen pulled her up from the chair and gently placed her on the large dressing table. He stood between her legs, turned the hairdryer back on, and said in a low, husky voice mixed with the noise of the airflow, "I'll dry your hair."

Lu Xiran lowered her eyelashes, not daring to look at the overly intimate posture of the two in the mirror. The warm air from the hairdryer brushed against her neck and behind her ears, sending shivers down her spine. She could feel the gentle touch of his fingers occasionally brushing against her scalp, each time making her heart race.

Finally, the hair dryer stopped.

The world suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of breathing mingling, which sounded exceptionally clear in the dim light.

Gu Yanshen gently placed the hair dryer aside, his movements as slow as a movie slow motion. He rested his hands on the edge of the dressing table, completely enveloping her in his breath, his gaze fixed intently on her downcast eyes.

"It's late..." he said, his voice even hoarser than before, carrying a certain unspoken implication.

Just then—

"Buzzing..."

Gu Yanshen's phone, which was lying to the side, vibrated at an inopportune moment, and the screen lit up.

He frowned, initially not wanting to pay attention, but his gaze unconsciously swept across the screen.

Caller ID: Zhihe.

Two words clearly caught Lu Xiran's eye, which she also instinctively looked towards.

Su Lanzhi's meaningful words at the Gu family's old house that day instantly and uncontrollably popped back into his mind.

Lu Xiran saw Gu Yanshen's suddenly furrowed brows and the complex expression that flashed across his eyes. There was concern, surprise, and perhaps something else... It seemed that the intense emotions that had almost overwhelmed her just now were gone.

She slid off the dressing table from his arms almost instantly, her movements so quick they seemed hurried. "I...I'm going back to my room first," she said softly, trying to remain calm and obedient.

This time, he didn't stop her.