The second floor was exceptionally quiet. Had Gu Ran not been bedridden with fever for the past two days, no one would have been permitted upstairs. Under normal circumstances, aside from Xiao Ya, no one was allowed on the upper level.
However, the scene shifted entirely upon reaching the first floor.
The estate workers bustled about, coming and going, creating a rather lively atmosphere.
Yet this liveliness vanished in an instant the moment Gu Ran appeared downstairs. The previously chattering and working staff fell into dead silence, their heads bowing lower than the next, each terrified of accidentally provoking this young mistress.
Gu Ran frowned again. Who could she blame but herself? It seemed she needed to work hard to repair her image.
Well, for now, she would adopt a sweet and soft persona—the adorable little wife by the domineering CEO’s side. The contrast was charming, quite nice indeed.
With that thought, Gu Ran ignored the cautious servants before her and headed straight to the dining room.
The moment she left, she could feel the palpable relief from those behind her. The corner of her mouth twitched—was she some kind of monster? So frightening?
But then she recalled her notorious nickname in the underworld—it really was quite intimidating. Fine, sweet and soft, sweet and soft, Gu Ran repeated inwardly.
Breakfast at Tan Palace was lavish. To be precise, it had become lavish ever since she moved in. There was no helping it—back then, she had been determined to irritate Fu Sijue.
Initially, Tan Palace served about six varieties for breakfast daily. But Gu Ran, intent on making Fu Sijue loathe her, had thrown a fit. Since then, her breakfast had consisted of eight Chinese and eight Western dishes every day, of which she only ate a tiny portion. Looking back now, it felt utterly shameful and wasteful.
Seeing the table laden with food and two maids standing by, ready to cater to any sudden cravings, Gu Ran felt a pang of remorse.
Xiao Ya, who had followed her, promptly pulled out a chair as Gu Ran entered the dining room. Once Gu Ran was seated, she began to assist with the meal.
But Gu Ran raised a hand to stop her.
“No need from now on. Starting tomorrow, revert to the previous breakfast standard.”
“Ah… Miss Gu, you…”
Xiao Ya and the other two servants were stunned. All three looked at Gu Ran with trepidation, their nervous expressions practically spelling out, “What mischief is this young lady up to now?”
Gu Ran glanced up but offered no explanation. Her eyes swept over the overflowing table.
The food was light and simple—easily digestible liquids and soft foods, considering she hadn’t eaten properly for days.
Gu Ran served herself a bowl of plain congee, suddenly feeling an emptiness in her heart.
Such a large table, and she was eating alone.
“Where’s Jue? Has he eaten?”
The two servants were slow to react, but Xiao Ya recovered first.
“Miss Gu, Sir usually has his meals at Elegant Garden. He’s probably finished by this hour.”
No sooner had she spoken than a servant hurried in from outside and whispered something into Xiao Ya’s ear. Xiao Ya’s expression shifted noticeably, and she cautiously glanced at Gu Ran, who was quietly sipping her congee, before stammering,
“Miss Gu, Sir is at the door… He wants to come in…”
Before Xiao Ya could finish with “to see you,” a figure flashed past her, and Gu Ran had vanished from the dining room.
Gu Ran had never imagined she would one day feel such an urgent need to see someone—even as she inwardly scolded herself.
This was clearly Fu Sijue’s territory, yet because of her capricious behavior, even the Milord spoken of by outsiders had to seek permission from an outsider to enter his own place.
Fu Sijue had been in a video conference when he received the servant’s report that Gu Ran had come downstairs. Immediately, he abandoned all the executives and came straight to the main building.
Originally, Fu Sijue intended to enter directly, but recalling past incidents, he halted at the doorway. He had always believed that Gu Ran’s sudden tenderness and dependence last night were merely reactions from her fever-addled mind. He feared that any misstep might provoke her anger again.
Gu Ran actually shouldn’t have been running in her current state. After just a short sprint, she was already breathless. She cursed herself inwardly for being so weak—once strong enough to wrestle bulls, she now seemed to be rivaling the delicate Lin Daiyu in frailty.
Fortunately, the dining room wasn’t far from the villa’s entrance. Seeing the noble and proud man at the door, her heart ached with tenderness. This man, esteemed in the eyes of others, had shed all his sharp edges before her, simply yearning for her company.
In the next moment, Gu Ran threw herself into Fu Sijue’s embrace, nuzzling deliberately against his chest like an affectionate kitten. That gesture melted his heart completely, dissolving all his tension and apprehension instantly.
“Brother Jue, carry me to the dining room.”
As she spoke, she arched upward, wrapping her long, slender legs around his waist while her arms clung tightly to his neck. She nestled her head against the crook of his shoulder after nuzzling his neck.
Fu Sijue froze completely. Since bringing Gu Ran back to Tan Palace, they had never been this intimate. She had been like a prickly hedgehog, always keeping her guard up against him.
But now, feeling her soft body in his arms and her warm breath by his ear, his calm heart rippled with emotion once more.
Seeing Fu Sijue standing motionless, Gu Ran looked up at him, her eyes shimmering. Then she leaned in, pressing her soft lips briefly against his slightly cool ones—a fleeting, dragonfly-touch—before drawing back. She moved close to his ear again, her voice sweet and pleading.
“Brother Jue, Ranran is hungry and can’t walk anymore. Will you carry me to the dining room, please?”
That address—”Brother Jue”—shattered his defenses entirely. He became utterly compliant to her wishes, without a trace of refusal left.
Fu Sijue wrapped his arms around Gu Ran’s slender waist, holding her protectively as he stepped into Tan Palace Main Building. Under the stunned, gaping stares of all the servants, he carried her step by step toward the dining room.
Every servant in the main building stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed, as if witnessing the eighth wonder of the world. Some even pinched themselves discreetly, afraid they were hallucinating.
Xiao Ya, who had already seen Gu Ran clinging to Fu Sijue last night, was equally shocked. Like Fu Sijue’s initial assumption, she had thought Gu Ran’s behavior the previous night was just delirium from her high fever.
But now, what was going on with this woman clinging to their master like a koala? It was absolutely terrifying. Had this Miss Gu Ran come up with some new way to torment people?
Ignoring everyone’s astonished expressions, Fu Sijue walked to the dining table and was about to set Gu Ran down when she tightened her arms around his neck.
“Brother Jue, I want to sit on your lap.”
Well, since the little ancestor had spoken, how could Fu Sijue refuse? In this situation, even if she asked him to die on the spot, he wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest.
Everyone said that Fu Sijue was completely wrapped around Gu Ran’s finger in this lifetime. Fu Sijue never argued, because it was the truth—and he savored it gladly. As long as Gu Ran stayed by his side, he would do anything.