Chapter 101 — Kiss Marks

His dark eyes shone with joy and excitement.

His darling had said yes.

Just moments earlier, after he had finished arranging the entire room, he had not been entirely satisfied. The decor was not romantic enough, the room not spacious enough, the flowers not vivid enough, the diamond ring not large enough.

But now his little woman was content, and he was grateful.

In nearly thirty years of life, this was the first time he had ever wanted to give everything to a woman with no blood tie to him.

Mu Ran was outstanding. She was unique. She was beautiful.

So he could not let her slip away.

Standing before her, the handsome man lowered his brows slightly, his thin lips pressed into a line.

"Ranran, you will never be alone again."

As the words fell, the woman’s tears also dropped like beads from a broken string.

With trembling hands, Gu Beicheng slipped a ten-carat diamond ring onto her slender finger, then bent to press a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Beibei, why a diamond ring?"

Gu Beicheng froze for a moment, then a smile bloomed across his striking face.

"Because I love you. I wanted the whole world to know at once that you are mine."

With that, the man and woman embraced tightly.

"Give her a kiss!"

"Give her a kiss!"

"Don’t be shy! Come on, Beicheng, kiss her!"

Shen Mubai and the others stood nearby, calling out excitedly.

Mu Ran lifted her head and gave the group off to the side, all of them smiling in a knowingly teasing way, a fleeting glance.

Embarrassed, she lowered her head and clung tightly to the man, murmuring in a soft, coy voice, "No kissing."

Gu Beicheng smiled indulgently and gently stroked the little woman in his arms.

"Out."

Suddenly, the man turned, his cool gaze gathering a trace of anger.

"Hey! You! Beicheng, you really are a man who throws away the millstone when the grain is ground—if it weren’t for us—"

Shen Mubai flushed red and pointed at the man who had won the beauty’s heart, his face full of indignation.

As expected of Gu Beicheng.

Once he had a wife, he forgot his brothers.

"Come on, let’s go. Stop standing here and being candlelight. We’ll clear the place for them. Maybe by this time next year, we’ll have a little nephew to hold!"

Mu Lang, the third young master of the Mu family, dragged the agitated and resentful Shen Mubai out of the room, and the others followed close behind.

After they left, the room fell quiet, yet overflowed with sweetness.

Gu Beicheng loosened his arms around the woman.

"What is it?" Mu Ran murmured softly. The man’s body was warm; she still had not hugged him enough.

"Cold?"

The instant he let go, Gu Beicheng felt her shiver. Perhaps the air conditioning in the room was too strong.

"Mm. I want a hug."

Mu Ran’s cheeks were red as she lifted her face, her fox-like eyes brimming with tender emotion.

"Ranran, be good. It won’t feel cold in a moment."

Mu Ran pressed herself against the man’s broad chest and spread her arms, waiting for him to hold her.

"I want a hug."

Her eyes carried a note of grievance as she complained softly that he would not let her cuddle him.

Gu Beicheng lowered his head and stroked her soft curls. His tall, straight figure cast a shadow from the window, enveloping the woman completely beneath him.

"Ranran, in a little while you won’t feel cold anymore."

Then, a wicked smile curved the man’s lips.

That smile was full of desire; his eyes overflowed with restraint and longing.

He reached out, seized both of her arms, and wrapped them around his waist.

"Beibei, what are you going to do?"

The woman retreated a step, because she felt her entire body being shrouded by the dangerous desire radiating from him.

She was afraid.

Mu Ran sensed something was very wrong. Was this man planning to press her down onto the bed?

She did not want that so soon...

"Ranran, look at me."

Gu Beicheng lifted her chin with a long finger, making her look up at him.

Then his slender, well-defined fingers touched her soft lips, stroking the two cherry-red petals gently.

He stepped forward.

The woman stepped back.

He stepped forward again.

The woman continued retreating.

Thud.

Mu Ran fell back onto the soft bed behind her, sinking deep into it.

Gu Beicheng gave a light laugh and, giving her no time to react, followed her down and pressed himself over her.

"Beibei!"

Mu Ran panicked, her pretty face flushed, the red peach-blossom at the corner of her eye blooming with breathtaking beauty.

She braced both hands against his chest, her voice soft and sweet, alluring. "Move away, you’re too heavy."

Gu Beicheng raised his thick brows but did not move, did not speak.

"Beibei, get up, will you? Tonight is the SY gala. It wouldn’t be right..."

"Wouldn’t be right how?"

The man’s voice was hoarse to the extreme, making the little woman beneath him itch at the ears.

"Aah—"

Gu Beicheng suddenly seized Mu Ran’s wrist and lifted it above her head, pinning it against the bed.

Her wrist was so slender that his hand nearly encompassed it entirely.

"Mmm—"

Her slightly parted lips were sealed by Gu Beicheng’s.

One of his hands kept both of her wrists trapped while the other roamed over her body, exploring from top to bottom.

"No—"

Gu Beicheng’s burning palm covered a certain place.

Mu Ran’s nerves tightened; her face went scarlet, her eyes wide. She was a little frightened, but also a little thrilled.

"Mmm... Beibei..."

Between kisses, Mu Ran whimpered softly.

Yet the man still remained unmoved, his movements fierce and dominant, though he did not cross the final line.

The heat continued for half an hour.

During that time, Mu Ran felt as if she were caught in the middle of the sea, rising and falling with the waves.

Mu Ran flushed deeply and gulped in air. The room was thick with the scent of the man’s hormones, damp and sensual.

"Still cold?"

Gu Beicheng asked a question whose answer he already knew.

His large hand rested on her forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat.

Mu Ran turned her face away and refused to look at the satisfied expression on his face.

That rotten man still had the nerve to say that!

Still, fortunately, he had some restraint and had not done anything even more excessive.

But the chill she had felt at that moment, in that place, would not leave her mind no matter what.

"Ranran, you’re so soft."

Gu Beicheng helped Mu Ran sit up, his long arm around her shoulders. His fingers, unable to resist, prodded the swollen curve of her lips.

"It’s swollen..."

Mu Ran looked up and just caught the man’s gaze growing darker and darker.

Black, and bottomless.

"No!"

Mu Ran pushed at him, but her whole body was limp, and she had no strength at all.

It was more like a caress than a push.

The man chuckled softly, his eyes gradually clearing.

He took her little hand and kissed it once.

"Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing."

Mu Ran: "..."

"Do I have anything... on my neck?"

Mu Ran noticed that the man kept glancing at her neck, his eyes carrying a wicked sort of amusement.

"Yes."

Mu Ran shot to her feet at once and ran to the mirror.

"Gu Beicheng!!!"

Before the mirror, the beautifully ravaged woman frowned deeply, stretching her neck as her slender, pale fingers covered the skin there.

"Explain this to me! What is this?"

Fury blazed in Mu Ran’s eyes, and she wanted nothing more than to bite the lazy man on the bed to death.

She shot him a vicious glare, then turned back to the mirror.

She was wearing a strapless evening gown.

Her neck and chest were completely bare.

How was she supposed to deal with the reddish-brown marks on her neck and chest?

"Come here!"

Mu Ran barked at the man on the bed.

"Gu Beicheng! How am I supposed to face anyone like this?"

Later she would have to socialize with the investors, the director, and all the big names.

How was she supposed to meet people looking like this?

Was she meant to tell them these kiss marks were tattoos or birthmarks?

One or two marks might have been barely explainable.

But these strawberries all over her chest?

How was she supposed to explain that?

Everyone was an adult; no one would fail to understand what those marks meant.

But she was the dignified president of SY. If people found out she had slipped upstairs to tumble with a man, what sort of scandal would that be?

Mu Ran shot a sharp, cutting glare at the smiling man in front of her.

He, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, wrapped up so tightly from head to toe.

"I brought you a few evening gowns."

The man was calm and unhurried, his long finger resting on one of the red marks over her chest.

Seeing her snow-white skin blossom into mottled blooms because of him, he felt an indescribable sense of accomplishment.

Mu Ran knocked his hand away and said coolly, "You prepared all this in advance?"

"Of course. If I was confessing my love to you, I naturally had to be thoroughly prepared!"

Mu Ran: "..."

"Come on, I’ll take you to try them on."

Gu Beicheng led the dark-faced Mu Ran to the dressing room.

"Go ahead and open it."

He let go of her hand and motioned toward the cabinet in front of her.

Creak.

The cabinet door opened, revealing a hidden world within.

Behind it was a very large room.

Inside were rows upon rows of luxury handbags and shoes.

Mu Ran stared in amazement, then turned to the man, who looked entirely composed. "You prepared all of this for me?"

Gu Beicheng’s smile deepened as he nodded.

It seemed his Ranran was very satisfied.

He would give Shen Mubai a raise when they got back.

"So many evening gowns? I have choice anxiety."

Mu Ran stepped carefully into the room and lightly touched the expensive, exquisitely made dresses.

"So beautiful."

These evening gowns, all these luxury brands, were things she had never come into contact with in her previous life.

First, because she had no money. And second, because she had no money.

In her past life, after she married that scumbag Bai Zekhan, part of her money was put onto a beauty salon card, and the rest was left with Bai Zekhan.

Thinking of it now, she had truly been foolish beyond words back then.

A pure love-brained fool, a total sucker.

"Ranran, what are you thinking about?"

Mu Ran came back to her senses and casually picked out a dark green long dress.

The style was simple, but the fabric was excellent.

Most importantly, its design suited her perfectly right now, since she could not show her neck or chest.

A few minutes later, Mu Ran changed into the dress and walked up to Gu Beicheng, turning in a circle.

"Stop spinning. If you keep tempting me, don’t expect to walk out of this room."

Mu Ran’s expression cooled. She passed him and walked out of the dressing room. "Who’s tempting you?"

She stood before the mirror and admired herself, yet felt that something was still missing...

The style of this dress was cool, sharp, and glamorous.

But today her makeup and hairstyle were softer, and they did not quite blend with the dress.

It looked a little abrupt.

"Do you have scissors?"

A faint smile hung on Mu Ran’s face.

Her question made the man standing behind her somewhat puzzled.

"Is the dress not the right fit?"

Gu Beicheng stepped forward, his gaze domineering as it swept over her from head to toe.

Because of her voluptuous curves, his clear eyes gradually grew hazy.

"What are you thinking? The dress fits. I want to cut my hair."

Gu Beicheng’s unfocused eyes cleared again.

"Yes. Besides scissors, do you need anything else?"

Mu Ran thought for a moment. "A straightener."

"All right, I’ll make the call."

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

"Beicheng, you two need to take it easy, all right? Don’t get carried away. Scissors are not something you mess around with!"

Shen Mubai pressed himself against the door, his eyes darting around the room.

"Why are you looking? Go back."

Once again, Gu Beicheng threw his brotherly loyalty to the wind, took the tools handed to him, and shut the door heavily.

"Hey! You! You really are something!"

Outside, Shen Mubai rubbed his nose and left, muttering complaints under his breath.

"Ranran, you want to cut your hair?"

"Mm. Have you heard of princess cut bangs?"

Gu Beicheng shook his head.

Mu Ran smiled smugly. Princess cut bangs would not become popular until five years later; she was going to be the first person in the entertainment industry to wear them now.