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

Chapter 36 Exploring the Frontier

Gu Yanshen gently guided her to feel the source of his excitement.

Lu Xiran reacted as if she had been burned.

"Don't be afraid."

Gu Yanshen kissed her deeply, his breathing growing heavier, his touch sometimes gentle, sometimes out of control.

That night, in the warm, hazy light and amidst their intertwined breaths, they explored each other's secrets and touched all the boundaries of intimacy.

Gu Yanshen's desire was like a beast breaking free of its cage, carrying a primal, irresistible possessiveness, yet each time it was about to cross the line, he pulled it back with his remaining reason. He kissed her again and again, tirelessly, leading her to feel unfamiliar tremors.

Lu Xiran felt dizzy in the illusion he had created, feeling that he was insatiable. That powerful tenderness and repressed fervor intertwined, frightening her yet inexplicably drawing her in. Until finally, he buried his face in the crook of her neck and stopped moving.

They did everything except for the last step.

Lu Xiran felt like her whole body was about to fall apart, her bones aching and weak. But Gu Yanshen seemed tireless, with astonishingly abundant energy. What surprised her even more was that he had been coming home earlier and earlier these past few days.

The day before the wedding, before 5 p.m., the sound of the door opening came from the entrance hall.

This was the first time in Gu Yanshen's life that he had "left early".

Faced with the stunned expressions of his subordinates in the president's office, Lin Chen could only push up his glasses and helplessly add, "Try to understand, after all... President Gu is getting married tomorrow." In everyone's preconceived notions, Gu Yanshen was an emotionless work machine, so this unprecedented move truly shocked many people.

The final version of the dress he specially ordered finally arrived. Gu Yanshen insisted that Lu Xiran change into a dress with a simpler design and a shorter skirt to ensure she could wear comfortable flat shoes.

Lu Xiran looked at herself in the mirror.

The dress was still exquisite, with impeccable materials and tailoring, but the shortened skirt to fit flat shoes did diminish the dreamlike and grand aura of a floor-length gown. She lowered her eyelashes, a small, undeniable sense of disappointment creeping into her heart.

Jin Qiqi keenly sensed her friend's emotions. Both her and Ling Xue's bridesmaid dresses were gorgeous and exquisite; in comparison, Lu Xiran's main wedding dress was visually much more "understated." Moreover, the bridesmaid lineup included someone as dazzling as Ling Xue. Seeing Lu Xiran's silent demeanor after trying on her dress, Jin Qiqi felt a pang of unease, but didn't say anything to Gu Yanshen.

After all, Gu Yanshen was concerned about Ranran's feet.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing," Jin Qiqi said hesitantly, remembering something. "The spare bridesmaid dress for Ni Cen doesn't fit Ling Xue perfectly, and there's no time to alter it. Ling Xue said she'd have a designer she knows prepare a similar one..."

"That's all we can do." Lu Xiran nodded, her voice somewhat muffled.

She looked again at the altered dress in the mirror, and a trace of resentment crept into her heart like tiny vines.

After all, Song Zhihe has returned to China. Will she attend the wedding?

A useless competitive spirit was particularly strong at this moment.

Even if she had never met Song Zhihe, someone who could make Gu Yanshen so unforgettable must be incredibly beautiful, right?

She didn't want to be outshone at her own wedding.

"Qiqi, we have to get up early tomorrow. Shouldn't you go home and rest early tonight?" Gu Yanshen ended a brief phone call, walked into the living room, and spoke calmly, but it was an undeniable "eviction notice."

Jin Qiqi was very perceptive and immediately stood up: "Yes, yes, Ranran, you should rest well. You'll be the most beautiful bride tomorrow!" She winked at Lu Xiran, picked up her bag, and quickly slipped away.

Only the two of them remained in the room.

Gu Yanshen walked behind Lu Xiran, looking at her slightly pouting lips and downcast eyes in the mirror. He naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, his chin gently resting on the top of her head. "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

His voice was deep and husky, his breath brushing against her ear.

"...I just feel that the main dress seems too simple," Lu Xiran couldn't help but complain softly, her fingertips unconsciously tugging at the hem of the skirt. "And the fact that you shortened the skirt so much makes the proportions look weird..."

Gu Yanshen chuckled softly, turned his head, and kissed her reddened earlobe. His tone was more patient and doting than ever before, yet it also carried an unwavering insistence: "Silly girl, your foot injury hasn't fully healed yet. The doctor said it's best not to wear high heels. What if you twist it again tomorrow?" He tightened his arms, pulling her closer into his embrace. His gaze met hers in the mirror, his deep eyes brimming with undisguised possessiveness and tenderness. "Besides, you're going to marry me. What you wear, what you adorn, doesn't matter. Anyway… in the end, it's all the same."

He paused deliberately, his gaze lingering on her cheeks, which flushed crimson with shyness. The unspoken words he wanted to say melted into a deepening kiss, carrying a tacit, passionate promise.

Lu Xiran was dizzy from his kiss, her cheeks burning. The slight resentment in her heart was dispelled, replaced by a sweet embarrassment and a faint expectation.

However, amidst the hazy sweetness, a certain name, like a tiny thorn, quietly pricked her—Song Zhihe.

She returned to China.

These past few days, Lu Xiran had wanted to ask Gu Yanshen several times, but she couldn't find the right moment to speak.

To be honest, he didn't give her many opportunities to "speak"... Every night, he would tirelessly explore and possess her, using his burning body temperature and close entanglement to drown out her reason and doubts, leaving her with immense anticipation for the coming tomorrow, intertwined with a barely perceptible tremor from the unknown.

At six o'clock, Lu Xiran and Jin Qiqi arrived at the presidential suite on the top floor of the Gu's Hotel. She was unwilling to marry into the Lu family, which had long since changed, and Gu Yanshen was also worried about other arrangements, so he let Lu Xiran go directly downstairs from this suite overlooking the entire city to the wedding venue.

The makeup artist was meticulously applying makeup to Lu Xiran, the room filled with soft music and a delicate fragrance of cosmetics. In this tranquil moment, faint voices drifted from the hallway outside, including a clear, gentle female voice with a familiar tone, softly calling out:

"Gardenia".

Lu Xiran paused slightly in her hand holding the comb.

Gardenia?

The name pierced her ears like a tiny needle, without warning. She almost immediately stood up, ignoring the makeup artist's exclamation, and hurried towards the suite door.

She gently opened the door and peered into the empty, luxurious corridor. The carpet was soft and absorbent, and the artworks on either side stood silently; the sound she had just heard seemed like a figment of her imagination.

Just as she hesitated, she heard soft footsteps and a concerned voice behind her: "Ranran? What's wrong?"