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

"If it weren't for you, I would definitely regret it," she said softly, with heartfelt gratitude.

"That's what I thought too!" Jin Qiqi looked at her ankle, which was red and swollen again, and frowned with heartache. "But... it seems to be a little swollen again. What should we do? We still have to walk quite a distance to toast later."

"It's okay, just bear with it." Lu Xiran shook her head, took Jin Qiqi's hand, and asked with curiosity and emotion, "I haven't asked you yet, how did you think of preparing everything? The wedding dress, the crown, even these 'spare' high heels were prepared?" These were obviously not things that could be gathered at the last minute.

Jin Qiqi looked up, a hint of smugness on her face, mixed with a touch of embarrassment: "Yesterday, after you tried on the altered dress, although you didn't say anything, that look in your eyes... I've known you for so many years, how could I not understand? I thought, better safe than sorry! So I contacted someone overnight and secretly prepared a copy of everything from the first design you liked. This morning, I was like a spy, secretly bringing them in and hiding them!" As she spoke, she realized she was exaggerating a bit and giggled.

"Thank you..." Lu Xiran's heart swelled with emotion. She reached out and hugged her best friend, who was squatting in front of her, tightly. She buried her face in her shoulder and her voice was a little choked up. "Really... only you would think of these things for me."

"Are you stupid to tell me this!" Jin Qiqi patted her back, her tone disdainful but her movements incredibly gentle. "Your happiness is more important than anything else."

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door of the lounge, followed by a push. Gu Yanshen walked in carrying a tray with a glass of warm water and a small dish of delicate pastries. His gaze first fell on Lu Xiran's still slightly red eyes, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He then looked at Jin Qiqi and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

Then, he walked up to Lu Xiran, placed the tray aside, and half-squatted down—this man, who usually held a high position, now knelt down with remarkable ease, his gaze level with hers. He didn't touch her feet first, but instead took her hand, his fingertips gently caressing her finger adorned with her wedding ring.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice low, carrying a kind of clumsy tenderness that he only showed to her.

Seeing this, Jin Qiqi wisely stepped back a few paces to give them space.

Lu Xiran shook her head, her face beaming with an undisguised smile of happiness.

Gu Yanshen sat down on the sofa beside her, naturally lifting her foot gently and placing it on his lap. His fingertips touched the slightly hot, swollen area, and his brows immediately furrowed. "It's swollen. Why are you being so stubborn?"

There was no blame in his tone, only deep heartache.

He rubbed his palms together to warm them, then placed them on her ankles, gently massaging them with moderate pressure. The scalding heat of his palms seeped into her skin, and Lu Xiran couldn't help but gasp softly.

"Does it hurt?" He stopped immediately and looked up at her.

Lu Xiran quickly shook her head, biting her lip, but her ears turned red.

"Why don't you listen?" He continued what he was doing, his voice low and slow, with a hint of helpless indulgence.

Lu Xiran suddenly raised her chin, her eyes shining with a stubborn yet expectant light, and asked softly, "...Is it beautiful?"

Gu Yanshen paused for a moment, then sighed helplessly, a soft ripple spreading across his eyes. "Beautiful." He looked at her, each word clear and earnest, "The most beautiful bride I've ever seen."

Lu Xiran smiled contentedly, like a cat that had stolen a piece of candy.

Just then, Gu Yanshen suddenly lowered his head and very lightly kissed the red and swollen skin on her ankle.

Lu Xiran froze instantly, holding her breath. The touch was so light, like a feather brushing against her, yet it carried the burning heat of his lips, strange yet intimate, far surpassing the pain itself, striking straight into the softest part of her heart, stirring up a strange shiver.

"You..." Her voice was strained, and her fingertips unconsciously gripped the sofa fabric.

Gu Yanshen raised his head, the heartache in his eyes lingering, but a deeper, more obscure color settling within. "If it hurts, tell me later." His thumb continued to gently linger on that skin, his voice low and possessive, "Every part of you, whether intact or injured, whether breathtakingly beautiful or disheveled as you are now... belongs to me."

Lu Xiran's heart pounded like a drum, her cheeks burning from the naked declaration in his words, and she could only obediently nod.

"Change into flat shoes when we're toasting later," he stated, no longer suggesting a discussion.

"No!" Lu Xiran retorted instinctively, with a touch of willfulness.

"Ranran..." Gu Yanshen's tone was helpless, but his fingertips touched her warm cheek, his gaze deep, "The wedding dress is for others to see. As for us, the real 'main event'... will be tonight."

He spoke bluntly, with a certain unspoken implication.

Lu Xiran's face flushed bright red, even her neck turned pink. She hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to look into his burning eyes any longer.

"So, listen to me, wear flats." He ruffled her hair, making his final decision.

Lu Xiran pouted unhappily, but didn't insist any further, only expressing a small protest with her eyes. Gu Yanshen looked at her like this, a smile flashing across his eyes, and shook his head.

Outside the lounge, Jin Qiqi had just finished whispering instructions to the staff when she turned around and her forehead almost bumped into a crisp suit fabric.

"Hey—!" She reacted swiftly, turning to the side and simultaneously raising her arm to block the doorknob. Looking up, she saw Gu Yanxu—Gu Yanshen's second uncle's son. She remembered that face all too well; at the blind date arranged by the two families' elders, this guy sported deliberately messy hair gel, wore a flashy shirt, and talked a load of nonsense, perfectly embodying the "spoiled brat." And she, without holding back, pretended to be clueless the whole time, deliberately picking on awkward topics to talk about. The two of them tacitly worked together to turn that blind date into a mess, and afterwards, they didn't even exchange contact information.

I never expected to run into you here, especially in this kind of setting.

"Second Young Master Gu," Jin Qiqi quickly put on an impeccable social smile, but her body stood firmly in front of the door, not moving an inch, her scrutinizing gaze clearly visible, "What brings you here? It's not convenient inside right now."

Gu Yanxu stopped in his tracks, his gaze first falling on her fingers, which were covered in delicate nail polish, before slowly raising them to meet her eyes.

He looked quite presentable today, wearing a well-tailored dark gray suit, his hair neatly combed, revealing a full forehead and those eyes that always held a playful glint in their eyes. The slight, ambiguous smile at the corner of his mouth overlapped with the "playboy" image I remembered, yet seemed to carry something else entirely.