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

The next morning, Gu Yanshen woke up precisely on time, swayed by his biological clock. Before he was fully awake, he was first enveloped by the warm, soft body in his arms. Lu Xiran was curled up in his arms, fast asleep, her cheek pressed against his chest, her long eyelashes drooping quietly like butterfly wings, trembling gently with her breath.

A certain part of his heart was instantly filled, becoming incredibly tender. He lowered his head and couldn't help but kiss her smooth forehead, his movements so gentle he was afraid of disturbing her.

However, the person in his arms seemed to be disturbed from their sleep by this slight touch. Their eyelashes trembled more noticeably, and they unconsciously rubbed against his chest in their sleep, letting out a soft moan.

That soft moan was like a tiny flame, instantly igniting Gu Yanshen's already restless nerves. The restraint and exhaustion from last night's drinking had long since vanished, leaving only a clear-headed and burning desire. Looking at her defenseless sleeping face, the urge to completely possess her and confirm her existence could no longer be suppressed.

He propped himself up and, giving her almost no time to regain her senses, pressed his entire body against her with irresistible force.

"Ugh...no..." Lu Xiran was finally awakened, vaguely feeling a heavy pressure and a familiar burning breath. Her hands instinctively pressed against his hard chest, her voice soft and flustered from just waking up, "Uncle...it's dawn..."

"Perfect." His voice was low and husky, with a magnetic quality unique to mornings. His burning kisses landed on her sensitive earlobes and neck. His large hands easily grabbed her wrists as she tried to push them away, pulling them above her head with a forceful and fluid motion. "This is what you owe me last night."

She struggled in vain, but he held her down even tighter.

As soon as he finished speaking, a kiss sealed her protests. This kiss was more lucid and more intense than the one last night, carrying the vitality of dawn and an undeniable possessiveness. Under his relentless onslaught, Lu Xiran's remaining consciousness gradually faded, her body responding to his demands honestly before her reason.

After satisfying himself, Gu Yanshen released his hold on her, lingered for a moment, and then got up and went to the bathroom.

The sound of water reached her ears. Lu Xiran lay on the bed, trying to calm her racing heart and breathing, but the contents of the document she had seen last night, as well as the vague "hmm" she had uttered in her sleep, kept replaying in her mind.

When he finished washing up and came out feeling refreshed, she had already changed her clothes and was standing in the dressing room, holding a dark blue tie in her hand.

Gu Yanshen walked over and bent down. Lu Xiran stood on tiptoe, her slender fingers deftly tying his bow tie.

The air was quiet, with only the faint sound of fabric rubbing together.

"Last night..." She straightened her tie, her fingertips unconsciously smoothing out non-existent wrinkles on his shirt, hesitating to speak. She wanted to ask about the cooperation, about the child; a thousand thoughts swirled in her chest, but ultimately only, "Why did you drink so much?"

Gu Yanshen grasped her hand, which was resting on his chest, and held it in his palm. "I can't refuse Elder Qi's invitation. It concerns the Ruijing project, so I have to go."

Lu Xiran's heart clenched slightly, but she tried her best to remain calm: "Ruijing? You mean... the new suburban project we mentioned before?"

"Hmm." Gu Yanshen gazed at her lowered eyelashes, carefully choosing his words. "Gu's key project this year is the Ruijing Resort, located on a plot of land in the suburbs. The planning has been approved, and the subway and supporting facilities are under construction. The prospects are very good."

"Oh." Lu Xiran responded softly, her fingertips curling slightly in his palm. "That's...good. You said before that it's the most promising area."

Sensing her subtle change in emotion, Gu Yanshen pulled her closer to him, resting his chin on the top of her head, and spoke in a gentler voice: "Ranran, this project... there's one aspect we can't avoid during its progress."

"What?"

"The property rights of the suburban land." He paused, feeling the body in his arms stiffen slightly, but continued, "It requires your and Lu Hao's joint signature for confirmation. Therefore, Lu's Group is using this as a condition to request participation in the development. Old Master Qi also hopes for cooperation to avoid subsequent property disputes dragging down the entire project." He stepped back slightly, looking down at her, "You can also... take this opportunity to formally join Lu's Group's board of directors."

Lu Xiran was silent for a few seconds, then reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest. Her voice was muffled: "Actually... Uncle, I don't want to join the Lu Group's board of directors. Apart from Uncle Xie, everyone else there... is either my dad's person or Lin Li's person. I don't want to get involved in those complicated struggles."

She looked up, her clear eyes meeting his, filled with a pure longing: "I just want to cherish Yunyuji and finish university. After graduation, if I can get into a good design institute, I can learn slowly and one day build a house that I designed entirely by myself, that would be great."

"Do you want to go back to school?" Gu Yanshen loosened his grip on her slightly.

Unexpected, yet also reasonable.

"Of course I want to." Lu Xiran nodded, her eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia and determination. "That's the school I finally got into. During that time... something happened at home, and I felt like I had no hope for life. I almost couldn't hold on. It was at school, working on research projects with my teachers and classmates, that allowed me to temporarily forget those terrible things and slowly find some direction and meaning." She remembered the email she received from Professor Weber yesterday, asking when she would return to school and inviting her to join a new research project.

Gu Yanshen hugged her even tighter with heartache. He had never been a part of her past. How did she manage to get through it all alone in a foreign country?

"Uncle," she reached out and touched his face, her voice filled with apology and longing, "I know that if I go back to study, we'll be in a long-distance relationship... I'll miss that. But I still want to finish my studies and get my degree."

Gu Yanshen took her hand, pressed it against his cheek, and looked at her intently.

Of course, he wanted to keep her by his side at all times, but he was even more unwilling to break her wings. He kissed the top of her head, his voice low and gentle: "Of course. Whatever you want to do, I will support you." Just thinking about her leaving for so long, his heart was already uncontrollably filled with ripples of reluctance.

"Thank you, Uncle." Lu Xiran hugged him tighter again, drawing warmth and strength from him. "As for the suburban land, just let me know how you need my cooperation. I'll sign it."

Gu Yanshen's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He thought she would question him, feel wronged, or blame him. But she always processed all her bad emotions on her own, so understanding... it was heartbreaking.

"You...agree?" he asked, his voice a little hoarse.