bloom

The Bloom That Will Never Be Seen Again

On the hottest day of the summer of 1999, Gu Yan stood in the lobby of the top floor of the Weber Group. Her long, straight, jet-black hair reached her waist and was neatly gathered behind her. A small, sad white flower was pinned to her bangs. Her white linen dress was clean and simple. The sixteen-year-old girl looked fragile and lonely against the backdrop of a room full of burly men in black suits.

Gu Boyun gazed at his youngest daughter for a long time. Sixteen years had passed since they last met, and the fatherly love that had been absent surged up all at once, so strong that it choked him and he couldn't let it dissipate. The usually cold and aloof man was at a loss for what to do. After a long while, he waved his hand behind him, "Yicheng, take Gu Yan home and settle her in first."

"Yes, Uncle Gu."

The young man named Fang Yicheng appeared in response, took Gu Yan's luggage, and his deep, mellow voice rang in Gu Yan's ear, "Hello, I am Fang Yicheng." He extended his hand to her, his warm fingertips dry and strong.

Gu Yan looked up at him, took his hand, and nodded with a smile.

At that time, summer was in full swing. In the sweltering heat, cicadas chirped incessantly, and dust swirled in the beams of light. In that instant, everything around them suddenly fell silent, and the world became still. In Gu Yan's eyes and heart, there was only the handsome young man before her. The curve of his smile was just right, and his warm hands seemed to foreshadow eternity.

"Fang Yicheng, I want to go home."

"Fang Yicheng, buy me that!"

"Fang Yicheng, can you take me to school tomorrow? My classmates said they want to see you."

"Fang Yicheng! We agreed to go to the movies today! How could you go back on your word!"

"Yicheng..."

She woke up from that dream for the 1302nd time, the sweltering heat of that summer still lingering in her chest, Fang Yicheng's smiling face still vivid in her mind. She couldn't fall back asleep. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, then gently sat up, her mind filled with fragmented images. She stared blankly, lost in thought. The night was cool, and goosebumps rose on her bare skin. She hugged the blanket and slipped into bed. The person behind her turned over, and the next second she fell into a warm embrace. Liang Feifan's handsome brows furrowed, his sleepy gaze slowly turning hot as he looked down at her unbuttoned pajamas. "Can't sleep?"

Gu Yan only snapped out of her daze the moment he suddenly entered her. A throbbing, tingling sensation came from below, and delicate tendrils slowly crawled all over her body. She couldn't help but moan softly, "Mmm...so swollen, Feifan..." The last word was like a hot, thin chocolate thread pulling at the man's heart, melting into an even more intense, ambiguous sound. Liang Feifan's blood rushed to his lower body, his handsome face slightly contorted, and he gritted his teeth, "You little vixen..." He no longer cared that he had hurt her so badly just a few hours ago, and that her delicate flower was still adorably swollen. He let go of himself and thrust hard into her body.

She woke up the next day in the afternoon; Liang Feifan had already left. She turned over, and the soreness in her waist and legs made her groan involuntarily. She sat up and took a sip of water. At the slightest sound, there was a soft knock at the door. A cute little maid stood timidly at the door, holding a bathrobe. "Miss Yan, the master said that you should get up and do your hair and makeup; there's a party tonight."

A party? She frowned. Ugh, that jerk Liang Feifan, knowing there was an event, still tormented her so much last night.

"I'm not going!"

"But," the little girl was on the verge of tears, "Young Master Rong sent several people to urge him—" What's more, Rong Yan himself made two or three phone calls. But no one dared to wake Miss Yan, so they could only pace anxiously outside the door.

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow, stretched out her arms and legs, and plopped back onto the soft bed, looking lazy and comfortable. "Then tell Young Master Rong that I'm still sleepy."

Mingzhu

Liang Feifan leaned back on the sofa, holding a wine glass, his fingers lightly tapping the rim of the glass—a habitual gesture when he was impatient. Rong Yan leaned in obsequiously, "Boss, I've already asked someone to hurry up. They said they're coming soon. How about we warm things up with some games?"

Liang Feifan glanced at him, then kept his eyes slightly closed and remained silent. The soft light cast a shadow on his handsome face, and the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. The brothers around him were all covered in cold sweat. At the anniversary celebration party of the "Fei" Entertainment Building, he was more than an hour late because of a woman. The bosses sitting there dumbfounded would probably laugh at him behind his back when they got back.

Rong Yan was secretly annoyed; Gu Yan was a woman whose birth chart clashed with his.

"Here she comes, Sister Yan!" Qin Song's voice, rising eight octaves, drew everyone's attention to Gu Yan, who had just walked in.

The waiter politely opened the door, and she walked in with an air of nonchalance. Her long hair was styled in a simple updo, and she wore no jewelry on her neck or hands. She wore a black, puffy princess dress, the thin, pure black tulle layered and flaring out, just reaching her knees, making her slender legs appear even more graceful. The dress, which should have exuded a sweet charm, wore her with an elegance that set her apart. She wasn't even wearing makeup, yet standing in the opulent hall, she possessed a captivating aura that made her stand out at first glance.

Liang Feifan stood up and walked towards Gu Yan, pulling her into his arms to shield her from the various gazes directed at her. He waved his hand and said, "Let's begin."

After a few rounds of drinks, Li Weiran smiled and brought over two glasses of wine. "Little Yanyan, I've kept your big brother waiting for ages today. You'll have to drink a penalty shot!"

Gu Yan nestled in Liang Feifan's arms and gave him a casual glance. "No."

"Hey—this is fruit wine."

Glancing at the malicious smiles of the people around her, Gu Yan understood immediately. They were standing up for their older brother. Did they think she wasn't giving them face? Didn't they realize that their overly energetic older brother had kept her up all night, and she'd only slept for a few hours before being rushed off again? Her legs were still sore, and she was the one complaining?

"I think your eldest brother would prefer to punish me in other ways, right?" She looked up at Liang Feifan with a sweet smile, her unpainted lips appearing even fuller and redder against her snow-white skin. "Isn't that right, Feifan?"

A light shone in Gu Yan's eyes, and Liang Feifan couldn't look away. He felt a slight dizziness, and the veins at the corners of his eyes throbbed. That feeling of being unable to control himself returned, and his sexy, thin lips pressed down, giving him a long, drawn-out kiss. The onlookers cheered loudly.

"Okay, I'm done with my punishment, it's your turn." Gu Yan stood up and picked up a large bottle of Imperial. "What did you call me just now?"

"Oh, Sister Yan..." Seeing the situation was getting out of hand, Li Weiran quickly turned around, "Big brother, you see, I spoke too quickly..."

A beautiful woman offered him a kiss, and Liang Feifan, feeling quite satisfied, raised his eyebrows, hugged Gu Yan, and smiled slightly without saying a word, clearly watching the show. Rong Yan and Chen Yubai, one on each side, supported the struggling Li Weiran. "Fifth brother, don't blame your brothers, let's go!" Li Weiran gulped down his wine while glaring at his group of disloyal brothers, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

"How lively!" A melodious female voice rang out from outside the crowd. Li Weiran hurriedly broke free from her protectors and stumbled over, crying out, "Sister Mingzhu, help!"

Gu Mingzhu, dressed in a pink floor-length dress, with exquisite makeup that made her look stunningly beautiful, said, "Wei Ran, it's you again? You know the saying 'the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.' Look how well-behaved Rong Er and Chen San are; they never cause trouble."

"Sister." Gu Yan stood up respectfully and greeted her with a serious expression.

Gu Mingzhu nodded slightly to indicate that she had heard, and sat down next to Liang Feifan, "President Liang, congratulations."

Liang Feifan frowned slightly at the sudden emptiness in his arms, but smiled politely, "Thank you for the honor."

"Let's find a quiet place to talk."

We chatted for over two hours.

Gu Yan leaned against the window watching the fireworks display. Should she tell her sister later that she wanted to go home to see their father? Her sister was so busy, but without her taking her home, their father... probably wouldn't see her.

"What are you thinking about?" Ji Nan

……