novelraw Chapter 56 Surprise
Chapter 56 Surprise
When Gu Yanshen opened the door, it was already 8:30 p.m.
The expected darkness and silence came over him, and a small patch of cold white light that automatically lit up the entrance hall cast his long, solitary shadow.
What is he expecting?
He gave a self-deprecating smirk. Hadn't he already received her message saying she wouldn't be back until tomorrow?
But deep in his heart, in a corner he himself was unwilling to admit, a sense of emptiness and bitterness still welled up.
He sighed almost inaudibly.
He's used to it, isn't he?
He was used to his birthday being just another number on the calendar, used to loneliness, used to all special days being buried in endless work. During the long years spent in the Gu family's vast yet cold mansion, he would even occasionally, absurdly, reminisce about the eight years he spent in the orphanage. At least there, loneliness was the norm, so it didn't feel particularly unbearable. It wasn't until later, when he fatefully found Lin Chen, a companion who was both a brother and a friend, closer than blood, that he felt a real ray of light shine into his life.
But this year... deep in his heart, he secretly and faintly hoped that things would be different.
—Because of her.
But for those who have long given up hope, that little bit of expectation has become something fragile that they are careful to touch and dare not touch.
People who are used to disappointment are most afraid of expectation.
He casually tossed his car keys onto the entryway cabinet, the metallic clang jarring against the silence. Just as he reached for the light switch—
"Uncle?"
A very soft, tentative voice suddenly came from the direction of the dressing room.
Gu Yanshen paused, looking in the direction of the sound.
"Could you... come in and help me?" The voice rang out again, and it was indeed Lu Xiran.
His heart skipped a beat, and almost instinctively, he turned and walked towards the master bedroom.
He slowed his pace and pushed open the slightly ajar door.
My breath stopped at that moment.
In the center of the soft halo, Lu Xiran stood with her back to the door in front of the huge floor-length mirror in the walk-in closet.
She was wearing a one-of-a-kind satin mermaid wedding dress with bows. The flowing cut cascaded gracefully from her waist down, flaring out elegantly like a mermaid's tail at her calves. The deep V-neck at the back extended to her waist, adorned only with three delicate satin bows of the same color along her spine, subtly revealing her snow-white back and slender waistline, exuding an unassuming allure amidst her pure beauty. The skirt was crafted from layers of soft lace, smooth satin, and sheer tulle, rippling with her every movement like dreamlike waves. The fitted V-neck was covered by a sheer tulle, revealing a small red mole near her collarbone, adding a touch of understated charm unique to her.
—She was clearly dressed up carefully.
Her long, jet-black hair was elegantly styled into a gentle low bun, with a few unruly strands falling loosely beside her ears and behind her neck, revealing her porcelain-white, gracefully swan-like neck. Her profile was soft and radiant under the light, and her long eyelashes drooped down, casting alluring shadows as she gazed intently at her reflection in the mirror.
She saw him in the mirror, and her eyes instantly lit up, as if a thousand stars had fallen into them. She turned slightly to the side, revealing the exquisite profile of her face, accentuated even more by the wedding dress, her voice tinged with a shyness and a pleading dependence: "Uncle... could you help me untie this?"
Gu Yanshen's Adam's apple bobbed heavily.
Instead of acting immediately, he took a step forward and approached her from behind.
He leaned down, his hot breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe and the back of her neck. His voice was extremely low, with a dangerous magnetism: "How... should I take it off?"
The three simple words, spoken with such a breathy tone and posture, were full of unspeakable implications.
Lu Xiran's ears instantly turned bright red, and her body trembled almost imperceptibly, but she still tried to remain calm and whispered, "It's... the hidden clasp behind the bow..."
Gu Yanshen didn't look at the snaps; he had already unfastened them when she tried on the wedding dress. His arm wrapped around her side, pulling her into his embrace with an absolute possessiveness, his chin resting on the crook of her neck, his gaze meeting hers in the mirror.
"Why didn't you tell me?" His voice was muffled, carrying a hint of barely perceptible grievance from being kept in the dark. "You even lied to me this afternoon and said you weren't coming back."
Seeing his unprecedentedly dejected and aggrieved expression, Lu Xiran's heart softened completely. She tilted her head slightly, her soft lips almost brushing against his cheek: "I wanted to give you a surprise!"
Her voice was soft and gentle, tinged with laughter, as she solemnly and deliberately addressed him in the mirror, saying, "Mr. Gu, happy birthday."
She looked into his eyes, where she saw astonishment, turbulent undercurrents, and the undisguised emotion she had been waiting to see.
After saying that, she turned her head completely, her nose almost touching his. She blinked, her long eyelashes brushing against his skin, and asked in a soft voice:
"Do you like this...gift with the ribbon tied around your neck?"
Gu Yanshen's heart, in its softest and most desolate place, was struck hard by those words. A surge of intense, burning emotions overwhelmed him, drowning out all rational thought. He tightened his arms, pulling her closer into his embrace. He lowered his head, and his burning kiss landed uncontrollably on the delicate skin of her neck, filled with an almost reverent tenderness and an uncontrollable desire.
"I love it..." His voice was hoarse, his kisses lingering on her neck, his breath hot. "It's the most precious and unique gift I've ever received in my life."
As he finished speaking, his fingers finally touched the delicate bow clasp.
"click"
"click"
"click"
With three soft clicks, the restraints were released.
Lu Xiran gasped softly, instinctively trying to gather the fabric that had slipped down in front of her, but he grabbed her wrist even faster.
"Go...go to the room..." Her cheeks flushed red, and her voice was barely audible.
"No," Gu Yanshen turned her around, embraced her face to face, lowered his head and kissed her lips, forcefully taking away all her protests, and declared vaguely but firmly between her lips, "Right here."
The mirror reflected the two figures embracing tightly, bathed in warm yellow light.
The satin fabric of the expensive wedding dress cascaded down the soft carpet like mercury, becoming entangled with the dark suit jacket.
He wanted her to see, to remember, how she belonged to him, and to him alone.
The night was deep outside the window, but in this small, warm space, all the loss and coldness were dispelled, leaving only the enchanting rising temperature and the heartbeats of two hearts closely intertwined, confirming each other's love.
He was no longer that lonely boy who longed for no one to remember his birthday in the darkness; she was the grandest surprise bestowed by heaven, enough to illuminate all his dark past years.