The boss walking ahead was still praising Ruinan and introducing its local delicacies, while the two behind him seemed like young lovers in their first love, their hearts racing because they were holding hands.
Ye Lichuan took out their ID cards to register. The room was a suite with a vine-covered rocking chair on the balcony. Gu Anran was lazy and lay on the rocking chair, refusing to get up.
The head of the family, Ye Lichuan, began packing his belongings. Gu Xiaotian sat on the balcony, enjoying the breeze. A pleasant evening breeze blew by, and Gu Anran closed her eyes, savoring the tranquility of the moment.
It was already evening when we came out after everything was settled. The street opposite the guesthouse was a famous bar street, where you could hear familiar folk songs from time to time.
Are you sleepy?
Ye Lichuan forced his way between the two and pulled him into his arms. Gu Xiaotian pouted, shifted his position, and continued playing with his tablet.
"Not sleepy." Gu Anran relaxed her body against his chest, half-closing her eyes and feeling drowsy.
There were two bedrooms in the room. Gu Xiaotian miserably occupied one by himself, unaware that Ye Lichuan, lying in the next room, was still grumbling about him, "Regret bringing your son here."
Gu Anran pushed him away, who was clinging to her, and muttered, "He's your son."
On her first night in Ruinan, she didn't dream about models. When she woke up, breakfast was already on the table: a local specialty, sauerkraut paste. Although it didn't look very appealing, it tasted quite good.
She would rush to the market early in the morning and enjoy the tranquility of the night along the riverbank. After spending a week in Ruinan, where the pace of life was so slow it made her feel lazy, Gu Anran's mood improved a lot, but she could not completely let go of the past.
About a month after I returned home, the countdown to the Spring Festival began. The weather turned unusually cold, with constant light rain, and my breath turned into white mist.
The public on the internet is forgetful. The incident came on strong but disappeared without a trace. Now, few people mention it anymore, and the media dare not mention it either. The two media outlets that lost more than a million yuan are a warning.
The two went out to buy New Year's goods over the weekend. The supermarket was crowded and filled with the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Gu Anran felt cold, so she pulled her coat tighter around herself.
"What's wrong?" Ye Lichuan asked worriedly when he saw her staring blankly ahead.
Gu Anran shook her head. If the model were still alive, she would probably be shopping for New Year's goods with her family right now. They would be gathered together discussing how the year went and laughing heartily while watching the Spring Festival programs on TV.
Guilt washed over her again, and Ye Lichuan pulled her into his arms. "Don't think about it so much."
"The Spring Festival is just a few days away, and I want to go and see them."
Ye Lichuan paused for a moment, then said, "Okay, I'll go with you." He rested his chin on her head and rubbed it back and forth.
After discussing it, the two decided to visit the day before the Spring Festival. Gu Anran went to the mall to buy clothes for the model's family for this day.
Based on Gu Anran's description, the shop assistant recommended several warm and timeless down jackets to her, which she bought. She then went to a designer store and bought two pairs of shoes and two outfits for her model brother.
She was covered in bags and wearing a heavy down jacket. She started sweating after taking a few steps. She found a place to sit down and called Ye Lichuan.
Ye Lichuan, who was still working, rushed to the mall immediately. "Why didn't you call me?"
"I'm afraid you're too busy." Ye Lichuan has already neglected too much work to spend with her, and he still works in his study until the early hours of the morning every day after returning home. She doesn't want to trouble him any further.
"No matter how busy I am, nothing is more important than spending time with my wife. If you need anything else to buy, I'll go with you."
Gu Anran, who felt that the model's family lacked everything, almost emptied the mall, but was stopped by Ye Lichuan. She then stopped shopping, thought for a while, and said, "I haven't bought any food yet, let me buy two more things."
Ye Lichuan nodded helplessly and accompanied her to buy some more nutritional supplements before they went home. The driver helped carry them, and Gu Xiaotian, who came out of the room, looked at the things for a long time before finally going back into the room.
Sensitive Gu Anran sensed that Xiao Tian was angry and wanted to go in to coax him, but Ye Lichuan stopped her and told her to go and rest. He then went to Xiao Tian's bedroom door, knocked on it, and went inside.
Gu Xiaotian was sleeping. Seeing him turn over without saying anything, Ye Lichuan took out a game console and handed it to him. "I have indeed neglected you during this time, but Mom has finally managed to get over this..."
"I know, Dad. Go back and keep Mom company." Gu Xiaotian said gruffly, urging him to leave. Ye Lichuan sighed, quietly opened the door, and left.
As soon as the sky began to lighten in the early morning, the sound of firecrackers could be heard. Gu Anran got up, gave Xiaotian a red envelope, gave her a few instructions, and then hurriedly went to the model's parents' house with Ye Lichuan.
She was uneasy on the way, and even had the thought of changing her mind, but she suppressed it. The car soon arrived at the entrance of an old apartment building.
She took two deep breaths. "Let's go."
Worry was evident in Ye Lichuan's eyes, but he ultimately said nothing and went upstairs with her.
The soundproofing in the apartment complex wasn't very good. After ringing the doorbell, Gu Anran could hear footsteps getting closer and closer, and her heart was beating faster and faster until the door was opened.
"It's you?" The middle-aged man who opened the door was also stunned by the sudden appearance of the person.
"Who is it?" The woman walked over, her expression changing drastically upon seeing her. "What are you doing here?"
She pursed her lips and handed them the things in her hands. "I came to see you for the New Year; these are gifts I bought for you."
“Who cares about your things? Do you think you can get our forgiveness this way? Let me tell you, I will never forgive you! You murderer.” The woman lowered her voice, mindful of her son inside the house.
"Get out of here! You're not welcome in our house. Go as far away as you can! *smack*" The door was slammed shut. Gu Anran trembled and stood there for a long time before placing the gift in front of the door, turning around and silently going downstairs.
As soon as she stepped out of the building, Gu Anran began to sob, her body trembling. She kept wiping away her tears with her hands, and completely broke down after crashing into Ye Lichuan's arms, her sobs becoming even louder.
Ye Lichuan carried her into the car and gently coaxed her, "They just thought of their daughter on this joyous occasion, and you happened to come to visit, so they took it out on you. Don't cry."
With his patient persuasion, Gu Anran finally managed to stop crying. At this moment, Ye Lichuan noticed that the middle-aged man came downstairs, carrying the gifts they had brought him, and threw them all away by the trash can.
He stepped aside to shield Gu Anran from further agitation. "Today is the Spring Festival, and Xiao Tian is still waiting for us at home. Shall we go back first?"
Gu Anran nodded, sobbing. She wanted to see her son; she couldn't let him spend the Spring Festival all alone.
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