novelraw Chapter 57 The Best Gift
Chapter 57 The Best Gift
Gu Yanshen held Lu Xiran in his arms, his arms possessively wrapped around her waist, his chin gently resting on the top of her head, the sweet, warm fragrance lingering around his nose, a languid and satisfied feeling after the ultimate intimacy.
He kissed her sweaty temples, his voice low and husky from the moment: "How did you know it was my birthday?"
Lu Xiran shifted in his arms, tilting her head back, her eyes clear and bright: "I asked Lin Chen." She paused, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on his chest, her tone tinged with a hint of pride and shyness, "and then I thought... I should give you a different kind of gift."
I want you to never forget me.
As she spoke, she was about to get up, but Gu Yanshen tightened his arm and pulled her back into his embrace. "Where are we going?" he asked, his tone filled with unconscious affection and a lingering desire for control.
"And there's a real gift!" Lu Xiran laughed, gently freeing herself from him, turning over to take a dark blue velvet box from the bedside table on his side, and handing it to him. "Happy birthday, Mr. Gu."
Looking at her expectant yet slightly nervous expression, Gu Yanshen's heart melted completely.
He took the box and opened it under her focused gaze.
On the dark velvet lining lay a pair of perfectly cut blue diamond cufflinks. The diamonds were not large, but their brilliance was understated, as blue as the deep sea, or like the deep night sky in his eyes when he occasionally gazed at her.
"Do you like it?" Lu Xiran asked softly.
Gu Yanshen's gaze shifted from his cufflinks to her face, his deep eyes swirling with emotions that ultimately softened into a tenderness that could drown a person. He closed the lid, casually placed the box on the bedside table, and pulled her back into his arms, tightening his embrace. He lowered his head to nuzzle her nose, his voice low and resolute:
"I like it. But the best gift is already here." He kissed her lips. "You've given yourself to me, and from now on, you're completely mine."
Lu Xiran's heart skipped a beat, then a warm current surged through her.
She nestled against his strong chest, looked up into his eyes, and said clearly and earnestly, word by word, "Lu Xiran belongs to Gu Yanshen. Forever, she belongs only to Gu Yanshen."
This straightforward and solemn declaration, like the strongest liquor, instantly ignited the hidden fire in Gu Yanshen's eyes.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, all his words turning into passionate actions. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply, responding to her unreserved surrender with an even more lingering night.
A month later.
"Lin Chen, why haven't any of the brands we agreed on with launched their products?" Song Zhihe's voice came through the phone, trying to remain calm but unable to hide her exasperation.
Lin Chen's businesslike voice betrayed no emotion: "Ms. Song, according to the contract, Gu's Group has settled all payments due, and we have fulfilled our contractual obligations. As for the specific media and schedule for GG's advertising, that falls within Gu's Group's business decision-making scope, and we have the right to adjust it according to the actual situation."
"Ha," Song Zhihe sneered, "Now the whole internet is speculating whether I offended Mrs. Gu and that Mr. Gu is going to blacklist me to win her favor? Are you all planning to use me as a tool for him to pamper his wife and create a good husband persona?"
"Miss Song," Lin Chen's voice turned colder, "you should know better than anyone what the root cause of the current situation is. Mr. Gu doesn't want irrelevant people to continue disturbing his wife's life."
"I want to speak with Yan Shen!"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Gu instructed that I will be handling all matters directly with you from now on. If there's nothing else important, I'll hang up now."
Hearing the busy tone on the phone, a shadow crossed Song Zhihe's refined face. She slowly put down her phone, her fingers tightening, and muttered to herself, "Lu Xiran... this is what you asked for."
She dialed another number.
In a private room at an upscale club, Lin Li looked at Song Zhihe, who was arriving late, picked up her teacup, and a shrewd calculation and a barely perceptible ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
"Miss Song has finally deigned to see me?" Lin Li's tone was as smooth as ever, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
She knew all too well how formidable the woman before her was.
From a bastard daughter of the Song family, who was kept hidden from the public eye, to a world champion in figure skating through astonishing willpower and talent, and then transitioning to the entertainment industry after retiring, she quickly rose to the top of the popularity charts. This kind of mentality, methods, and ruthless determination, even towards herself, is far from that of an ordinary delicate flower.
He happened to learn some less-than-honorable things about her while she was abroad.
She needs to cooperate with Song Zhihe; otherwise, once Lu Xiran gains a foothold with Gu Yanshen's help, the next step will be to enter the Lu Group's board of directors, completely shaking her and her son and daughter's position.
In the past month or so, Lu Xiran has transformed the dilapidated West City Shopping Mall into a thriving success, successfully relocating "Yun Yu Ji" there and organizing several highly talked-about events, attracting a large number of young customers. She has already become a small legend in the business world. Several old guys on the board of directors, led by Xie Mingzhong, have begun to openly and secretly praise Lu Xiran's outstanding abilities, far surpassing those of Lu Lichuan and Lu Xueyan, and voices are gradually rising suggesting that she be added to the board of directors.
"You mean you want Lu Xiran to be unable to stay in Haicheng?" Song Zhihe sat down and cut straight to the point, her eyes sharp.
"Yes." Lin Li took a sip of tea, her smile tinged with coldness. "Isn't this our common goal? With her around, you'll never get close to Gu Yanshen. With Gu Yanshen around, I can't touch her in the slightest."
"Gu Yanshen protects her like the apple of his eye, how can you touch her?" Song Zhihe frowned.
"So, I need you." Lin Li put down her teacup and looked directly at Song Zhihe. "Take Gu Yanshen away from her. As long as Gu Yanshen's heart isn't with her, or even... he despises her, the rest will be easy."
Song Zhihe's fingers curled slightly: "Right now... I can't even see anyone."
"Miss Song," Lin Li leaned forward slightly, her voice low and seductive, "with your charm, which man could truly resist? It just requires a little... special help." She pushed a plainly packaged small box in front of Song Zhihe.
Song Zhihe hesitated for a moment, then picked up the box and opened it. Inside were several pre-packaged micro-injections and a small vial of colorless liquid. Her pupils contracted slightly; she instantly understood what it was, and a look of astonishment and resistance flashed across her face: "You...you want me to use this kind of thing?"
Lin Li leaned back on the sofa, looking at her with a leisurely air: "Ms. Song, if conventional, respectable methods worked, would you still be sitting here discussing this with me? The process isn't important; what matters is the result. Lu Xiran may appear gentle on the surface, but deep down she's incredibly proud and intolerant of even the slightest injustice. The word 'betrayal,' especially betrayal from the person she trusts most, is fatal to her."
Seeing Song Zhihe's shifting expression, she knew she was wavering. "Here's the thing. Whether you use it or not, how you use it, is up to you." Lin Li picked up her handbag, stood up gracefully, and said, "Think it over carefully, Miss Song. Will you continue to watch them be affectionate and slowly be forgotten, or... seize the opportunity and take back what you believe is rightfully yours?"
After saying that, she turned and left the private room, leaving Song Zhihe alone facing the open box, her eyes filled with intense struggle.