novelraw Chapter 222 "From Beginning to End"
Chapter 222 "From Beginning to End"
Lu Xiran's heart skipped a beat.
Gu Yanshen didn't say anything, but his eyes said it all.
Before she could even speak, he kissed her. Not the kind of tentative, delicate kiss, as if afraid of breaking something. It was warm, carrying the longing that had accumulated over the past three months of nights they couldn't be close. His hands rested on her waist, gently pulling her into his embrace, his kiss tender and lingering.
He had waited too long for this day.
For three months, over ninety nights, she lay beside him, her breathing even, her eyelashes casting a small shadow in the moonlight. He could only watch, only endure, only gently tucking her stray hairs behind her ear after she fell asleep, not daring to touch her even slightly. At this moment, she was in his arms, warm and soft, carrying that scent that drove him mad.
The way he kissed her had changed—no longer cautious, no longer tentative, but a long-suppressed, almost uncontrollable desire. His lips slid from the corner of her lips to her chin, from her chin to her earlobe, his breath heavy and hot, like a fireplace that had burned all winter finally having its vent opened.
His hand moved an inch up from her waist, then stopped.
His palm rested against her slightly protruding belly, the curve of which pressed against his hand through the fabric like a gentle reminder. His fingers curled slightly, loosening their grip and gently cupping her, as if cradling something fragile.
The kiss didn't stop; it even intensified. He held her lower lip in his mouth, his tongue tracing the shape of her lips with an almost greedy, insatiable eagerness.
He held her tightly in his arms, his arms tightening and then loosening slightly, afraid of hurting the baby, yet unwilling to let go. The contradiction almost tore him apart—he wanted her, desperately wanted her, every cell in his body screaming for her, his reason like a string stretched too long, ready to snap at any moment.
Lu Xiran's hand slipped inside his pajamas, her fingertips brushing against his burning skin. His body trembled violently, a low groan escaping his throat. He grabbed her hand, pressing it above his head, his fingers interlocking with hers, his palm pressed against the back of her hand, an impenetrable seal. He lowered his head, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, their breaths mingling, indistinguishable.
"Ranran..." His voice was hoarse beyond belief, like dust crushed from the depths of his chest, carrying a plea, a long-suppressed desire, and a vulnerability he himself was unaware of. His eyes shone brightly in the darkness, containing fire, water, and the memories of every sleepless night of the past three months.
Lu Xiran didn't speak. She simply raised her head slightly, kissed him, and responded. The kiss was light, like a snowflake falling on a flame, yet it completely shattered his reason.
He responded to her with a domineering intensity, as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones, but the moment she frowned, he immediately softened his grip, withdrawing his strength as if burned, cautiously probing to make sure she wasn't uncomfortable before daring to continue. His palm remained protectively on her waist, his thumb gently caressing the slightly raised curve, as if comforting her, or perhaps comforting himself.
Beautiful night.
The overwhelming online abuse didn't last long.
It wasn't because netizens suddenly had a change of heart, but because Gu Yanshen didn't give them a chance to continue to ferment.
The next morning, the official account of Ruijing Resort posted a new update—not a statement, not a lawyer's letter, but an announcement about the progress of the event.
"Since the launch of the 'From Beginning to End, It's Only You' confession campaign, we've received over 30,000 applications. Every love story is unique, and every sincere sentiment deserves to be seen. To allow more people to witness these touching moments, Ruijing Resort has decided to produce short films of the shortlisted love stories and play them on screens throughout the city, allowing everyone to witness true love. At the same time, we will invite shortlisted couples to Ruijing Resort's anniversary celebration, where the president of the Gu Group will personally present the 'From Beginning to End' special award, and each shortlisted couple will receive a NT$10000 voucher!"
The last line of the announcement, in bold, read: "The CEO said: True love is not about who met whom first, but about never thinking of anyone else from the day you meet."
Less than half an hour after the announcement, the tone of the comments section completely shifted. People began discussing love stories, ordinary couples who had been together for ten, twenty, or even half a lifetime, and what the phrase "from beginning to end" truly meant. Those melodramatic plots about mistresses, third parties, and miscarriages suddenly seemed so pale in the face of genuine, enduring love.
"I cried after watching those short films. There was an elderly couple who had been together for fifty years. The old man said, 'My wife was so beautiful when she was young, and she is still beautiful now.' That's true love."
"I think Mr. Gu is right. True love isn't about how long you've known each other, it's about whether there's someone else in your heart. He's always had someone in his heart, it's been that one person from beginning to end, what's wrong with that?"
"So what if Song Zhihe knew him a long time ago? He doesn't have her in his heart."
"And those short videos are so sweet, I want to go to Ruijing to check them out! I'll also try my luck at winning a 500 yuan voucher!"
"Wait a minute, don't you guys think President Gu's move was brilliant? He responded to the public opinion, promoted the new project, and got ordinary people involved—I give this public relations a perfect score."
Reservations for the Ruijing Resort surged fivefold within an hour of the announcement. Tickets for the opening ceremony were in extremely high demand, with scalpers driving prices up to ten times the original price. Netizens' attention was completely diverted—from attacking Lu Xiran to discussing their love story, to scrambling for tickets, and to figuring out how to win the 100 million yuan prize. The voices condemning her as a "homewrecker" were still there, but like puddles after the tide receded, they were scattered and stranded in corners, no longer capable of creating any ripples.
What truly turned public opinion around was the day the shortlist for the event was announced.
Among the shortlisted stories is a special "couple"—not a couple, but Gu Yanshen and Lu Xiran.
Their story is placed on the last page, titled "Only You From Beginning to End." The text contains only one sentence: "From the day I saw her reading by the lake, she was the only one in my heart."
The accompanying photo wasn't a group photo, but an old picture—by a lake on a university campus, the benches were empty, only sunlight filtered through the leaves, scattering golden fragments on the ground. That was the place where he first saw her.
Below the photo is a line of small print: "On the afternoon she was reading, I stood under the tree behind her. She didn't know."
—This is an old photo that even Lu Xiran has never seen before.