novelraw Chapter 244 From Beginning to End
Chapter 244 From Beginning to End
Gu Yanshen finally turned around and faced Lu Xiran directly.
The light fell on her face, illuminating the two tears that finally couldn't be held back and rolled down her cheeks. He looked at her, his eyes shining—a light that was the only one in the entire room that hadn't been calculated by any designer. It only appeared when he looked at her, and only for her to see.
His voice lowered, so low that only she could hear it:
"Ruijing is not a hotel. Ruijing is a letter I wrote to Ranran. Each room is a sentence, each ray of light is a word. From beginning to end, I only wrote this one letter."
Then he released her hand.
Take a step back.
He knelt down on one knee.
His movements were swift and decisive, without hesitation or sentimentality. The sound of his knees hitting the ground was dull yet powerful, eliciting gasps from the entire hall. But his back remained ramrod straight, just as he always did—even when kneeling, he knelt with dignity and composure, neither servile nor arrogant.
He didn't look at anyone in the audience; his eyes were only on her.
"Ranran." He looked up, and a visible seriousness finally appeared on his usually indifferent face. "Three years ago, I said a lot of nonsense. I thought pushing you away was for your own good, that making you hate me was to protect you. I was wrong."
His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice, though still not loud, was as heavy as a stone.
"I owe you a formal promise, made in front of everyone. It's not a contract, not an arranged marriage, not anyone's arrangement. It's me, Gu Yanshen—for the rest of my life, I only want you."
He paused for a second, staring intently at her, as if trying to etch her entire being into his eyes.
From beginning to end, it's only you. For the rest of my life, it's only you.
Lu Xiran's tears finally broke free, falling one after another into his outstretched palm. She nodded frantically, unable to utter a single word, simply placing her trembling hand into his palm.
He stood up and pulled her into his arms.
His movements were incredibly gentle—extremely careful. One hand supported her waist, while the other circled her shoulder, carefully avoiding her slightly protruding belly. His expression remained restrained, without any exaggerated emotion, but everyone could see that the way he held her was as if he were holding the most precious thing in the world, afraid that even a little too much force would break her, and a little too little would cause her to fall.
He rested his chin on the top of her head and closed his eyes.
At that moment, the entire room fell silent.
This man, who had always armed himself with indifference and restraint, this ruthless and decisive CEO of the Gu Group who never bowed to anyone in the business world, finally shed all his armor at this moment—only in front of her, only in this embrace.
Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, flashbulbs went off everywhere, some people were wiping away tears, and some stood up excitedly.
He remained unmoved.
He simply held her, as if he were holding the whole world in his arms.
From beginning to end, it's only you.
His tenderness was never spoken. It was hidden in the forty-three days of lighting adjustments, in the three-centimeter difference in the handrail height, in every piece of flooring that was forty percent thicker than the national standard—in every storm he shielded her from, a storm she was unaware of.
And in this moment, in this quiet, almost reverent embrace.
The lights gradually came on, and the music started again.
Gu Yanshen stood in the center of the stage. He paused, not looking at anyone, but his gaze fell on Lu Xiran's face, and his voice deepened.
"I didn't want to take up too much of everyone's time."
He said it so casually, as if explaining why he had to say so much tonight. But every word he uttered next began to carry an undeniable weight.
"But—the speculations about my wife are getting more and more intense."
His tone didn't rise; in fact, it was even lower than before, so low that the entire hall had to be completely silent to hear him. But that silence wasn't forced; it was drawn away by an invisible aura. Everyone held their breath.
"Then I'll tell you right here."
He turned his head to face the audience. His eyes, cold as ice-cold blades, slowly swept across the dark mass of people—over the media area, over the guest seats, over those who had been waiting to see him fail.
She is my only one.
Four words, each uttered slowly and deliberately. It wasn't a declaration, but a pronouncement. Like a king reading an unalterable decree from the city walls.
"Everyone present today is a witness."
His gaze returned to Lu Xiran. The ice in his eyes cracked silently the moment it touched her—not melting, but something buried for years finally breaking through the ice.
"I can promise the whole world—I, Gu Yanshen, will only have Lu Xiran as my wife for the rest of my life."
"I will dedicate my life to interpreting the meaning of 'from beginning to end'."
The moment the words fell, it was as if the air in the hall had been sucked out for a moment.
Then--
Jin Qiqi stood up.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she raised her hands above her head, clapping vigorously. The applause was crisp and loud, carrying a sense of exhilaration that said, "I've waited too long for this day."
Immediately afterward, Xin Mubai also stood up. He wore his usual slightly frivolous smile, but clapped with considerable force, his palms turning red. His older brother, Xin Muyuan, glanced at him, said nothing, and also stood up.
Then--
Row after row, piece after piece.
From the VIP section to the media area, from partners to hotel staff, everyone stood up. Applause surged from the front of the stage to every corner of the lobby, eventually forming a vast ocean of applause.
No one led the cheers, no one stirred up trouble. There was only applause, continuous, spontaneous, and ever-growing applause. Some people were clapping, some were wiping away tears, and some were holding their phones with trembling hands.
Gu Yanshen didn't look back even once.
He didn't care how many people applauded, how tomorrow's headlines would be written, or how the online trolls would misinterpret his words. He only had eyes for one person.
His entirety.