According to Ding Ze's arrangement, since they were going to go public, they should pick a relatively low-key time—not during a collective holiday when everyone is happily gathered at home, perfect for gossiping and drama. So, they set the date for the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, after the New Year celebrations.
By then, the New Year festivities would be over, and everyone would be in the painful throes of returning to work or school, lacking much enthusiasm for juicy gossip. Moreover, if public interest did spike, the very next day was the Lantern Festival to divert everyone's attention.
Gu Ran had initially just wanted to simply announce her relationship. She felt that as a streamer genuinely loved by so many fans, she owed it to them to disclose her relationship status. She never expected announcing a relationship could involve so many considerations.
Firstly, because of her status as a top streamer, and secondly, because of the frustrating plotline where she'd likely be criticized for "going back to her ex."
Well, maybe she wouldn't necessarily be criticized...
Gu Ran looked at the active "One Hundred Years Couple" fan group chat, clinging to a sliver of hope.
A message from Xu Hui popped up on her phone: "Coming up to pick you up now."
Seeing this, Gu Ran got up from the sofa and went to the bedroom to wheel out a suitcase.
The New Year was approaching. Ji Heyuan had moved from Bei Yi back to the old Ji family residence for the festivities. Of course, Ji Shiyu and Gu Ran would accompany him there to celebrate the New Year.
Xu Hui was coming now to take Gu Ran to the old residence.
Ji Shiyu was still tying up the last bits of work before the holiday break, so Gu Ran went to the old residence first. Upon seeing Ji Heyuan, she ran over with a bright smile.
The Ji family old residence was located on Yuanxi Road, a quiet oasis amidst the bustling city center, with lush plane trees at the entrance.
Contrary to what most people might imagine—some grand, luxurious thousand-square-meter garden villa—the actual old residence was far from that large. It was a very low-key house, quietly nestled among the shadows of the plane trees in the city center.
Having seen many model units for villas and large apartments, Gu Ran realized that truly wealthy people often preferred understatement. The old residence's location and environment were both exceptional. As Ji Heyuan put it, smaller places were better for "gathering energy."
Gu Ran tidied up her room with the help of the housekeeper.
She and Ji Shiyu wouldn't be sharing a room. Since elders would be present during the New Year, even though Ji Heyuan adored her, she wasn't yet the official daughter-in-law.
Ji Shiyu didn't arrive until dinner time, finally on his New Year holiday.
At the dinner table, Ji Heyuan looked at the two young people before him and, as usual, brought up the topic of marriage.
Gu Ran immediately looked up from her bowl, first glancing at Ji Shiyu.
Just as she was about to speak, Ji Shiyu answered Ji Heyuan first: "Next year."
Unexpectedly, Ji Heyuan frowned at Ji Shiyu: "I wasn't asking you."
He turned his gaze to Gu Ran: "What about you, Ranran?"
Gu Ran lowered her head and fell silent for a moment, her fingers tightening around her chopsticks.
Ji Shiyu had just said "next year."
She didn't know how to broach the subject, yet she knew she absolutely had to make things clear.
Head still bowed, Gu Ran finally mumbled, "I don't want to get married yet."
After speaking, she quietly awaited Ji Heyuan's reaction.
She didn't want to anger Ji Heyuan, but it seemed impossible that he wouldn't be upset.
Gu Ran thought that if Ji Heyuan started disliking her from now on, she would accept it.
Just as she was thinking this, she heard a calm reply from across the table: "Hmm, that's fine too."
Ji Heyuan nodded: "Waiting a few more years doesn't matter. Ranran is still young. There's plenty of time before thirty."
As soon as he finished speaking, both Gu Ran and Ji Shiyu looked over simultaneously, their eyes filled with astonishment, though from different perspectives.
Gu Ran was so shocked by Ji Heyuan's sudden change that she was almost stunned. Her lips moved, and she blurted out without thinking, "Then, what about the three..."
The three children she had promised to have.
Ji Heyuan: "Nowadays, young people are into that 'DINK' trend. I'm not particularly fond of children myself. Have them if you want, don't if you don't. I won't meddle in you young people's affairs."
Gu Ran suddenly wondered if today's Ji Heyuan was the same Ji Heyuan from before.
Ji Shiyu met Ji Heyuan's gaze and basically understood.
Although Ji Heyuan had been living in Bei Yi, fishing and playing chess every day, that didn't mean he was cut off from the world. Last time he and Gu Ran visited Bei Yi, Ji Heyuan should have already sensed something.
Today's words served a dual purpose: protecting Gu Ran on one hand, and admonishing Ji Shiyu on the other.
In the past, the marriage issue wasn't brought up by Gu Ran alone; he had initiated it first. Gu Ran had just happily joined in the discussion. Ji Shiyu's refusal to marry, which drove Gu Ran away, was also an act of defiance against Ji Heyuan.
Ji Heyuan's gaze at Ji Shiyu was stern.
Gu Ran, meanwhile, was suddenly immersed in the delightful surprise of no longer facing pressure from elders about marriage and children, her mood soaring.
Ji Shiyu looked at Gu Ran, who now couldn't hide her good mood because she didn't have to get married or have children, feeling an indescribable bitterness.
After dinner, Gu Ran even proactively confessed to Ji Heyuan that she wasn't idling her time away anymore and was actually working as a streamer.
Ji Heyuan seemed to already know. Hearing this, he showed no sign of anger. Instead, he took out his phone, put on his reading glasses, and asked, "How do you streamers do your broadcasts? I usually enjoy watching live-streamed chess matches."
During her last visit to Bei Yi, Gu Ran had specifically taught Ji Heyuan how to use Cat Paw to watch streams. Today, hearing he wanted to see how streaming worked behind the scenes, she decided to give him a demonstration.
She had already announced that she wanted to take a break during the New Year and couldn't maintain her daily streaming schedule, but she would randomly go online to interact with everyone.
Today seemed like a good day for an impromptu interaction.
Gu Ran started streaming directly from her phone. It was sudden, without even an advance notice. Yet, as soon as she went live, fans still flocked in like a flood of little lambs.
[Ranran!]
[Happy New Year, Ranran!]
[This 'random' is really random!]
[The One Hundred Years Couple still isn't happily together yet, wuwuwu]
Gu Ran pointed the front camera at herself: "Has everyone gone home for the New Year? I'm currently at the ol... my hometown." She quickly changed "old residence" to "hometown."
Fortunately, the Ji family old residence wasn't ostentatiously luxurious. The background in her stream looked within the normal range of decoration.
Fans: [Village girl Erya is back home, hahaha]
[Why are you alone at home, Ranran? Where are the others?]
[Yeah, yeah, where are the other people?]
Of course, she wasn't the only one at home.
Gu Ran sought permission with a glance from Ji Heyuan beside her, then moved the camera slightly towards him. She said, "This is my uncle."
Ji Heyuan had Ji Shiyu in his forties, so Gu Ran had always called him "uncle."
The live stream room fans immediately followed suit in the bullet comments: [Hello, Uncle!]
[Ranran's uncle is my uncle too!]
[Happy New Year, Uncle!]
The entire screen was filled with comments saying "Hello, Uncle!"
Ji Heyuan looked at Gu Ran's live stream interface and nodded with a smile.
Just as everyone was enthusiastically greeting "Uncle," when they saw the uncle himself appear on screen, some suddenly found him familiar.
[Why do I feel like I've seen this uncle somewhere before?]
[+1, he looks so familiar.]
[Darn it, why can't I remember where!]
However, those comments that felt familiar didn't post too excessively and were soon overtaken by other comments.
Gu Ran turned the camera back to herself, chatted with her fans for a while from the sofa, and then went offline.
She put down her phone and faced Ji Heyuan like a primary school student awaiting judgment: "So, this is how the livestream goes."
Ji Heyuan nodded: "Very good, well done."
Gu Ran immediately smiled shyly.
In the evening, Gu Ran lay in bed and opened "Holy Spirit Jianghu".
She sent a "play together" game invitation to Ji Shiyu.
But Ji Shiyu was slow to come online.
Where is he?
Just as Gu Ran was about to send Ji Shiyu a WeChat message, her bedroom door was knocked.
Gu Ran: "Come in."
Ji Shiyu entered with a glass of milk.
He placed the milk on the nightstand, then sat on the edge of Gu Ran's bed, seeing the game invitation she had just sent him on her phone.
They played the game together for a while, now cooperating with perfect synergy, and today they went to the Misty Forest to fight a high-level boss.
After half an hour of battle, watching Ji Shiyu unleash a move to finish off the boss, with rare items and equipment scattering all over the ground, Gu Ran was so excited she almost jumped off the bed.
"I think with your skills, you could start a livestream in the gaming section, I'm serious," Gu Ran said earnestly to Ji Shiyu after the excitement subsided.
Ji Shiyu smiled, casually tossed his phone aside, and pulled Gu Ran onto his lap: "Maybe after I retire."
Gu Ran: "Then forget it. Nowadays, some male gaming streamers also need to rely on their looks, you know. By the time you retire, you'll be in your sixties or seventies, your reactions won't be sharp, and no young girls would come watch your stream. But then again, not necessarily. Didn't Cat Paw recently open a board games section where you can stream playing chess and..."
She chattered on, and Ji Shiyu listened quietly the whole time before speaking up: "Really don't want to get married?"
"Ranran," Ji Shiyu looked at her seriously, "Let's get married, okay?"
Gu Ran's chatter stopped abruptly.
He was talking about marriage.
Really don't want to get married? Let's get married, okay.
He was asking her.
It was because of those words with Ji Heyuan at the dinner table earlier.
Gu Ran pursed her lips, quieted down, and answered: "I don't want to."
She spoke softly: "I used to always think getting married could tie you down, but actually, it can't."
"We're in a free relationship now, and I think that's good," Gu Ran said, looking up at Ji Shiyu.
She felt things were good as they were. She didn't need to exhaust herself trying to bind someone anymore, nor did she need to constantly worry about losing someone. Because she had thought about it: if one day Ji Shiyu didn't want her anymore, she would leave.
Marriage is different from making a relationship public. It's normal for lovers to break up and get back together.
Not being married means she can leave anytime, without needing anyone's permission. She has savings and the ability to support herself, to leave gracefully.
It wasn't that she didn't like him; she just still remembered his words in the office that day.
Listening to Gu Ran, a sour ache spread again in Ji Shiyu's chest, a feeling of regret and helplessness enveloping him. He clearly understood one fact: now, it was he who wanted to use marriage to bind her.
He even realized he had started to become insecure and possessive. He was eager to lock things down firmly; he couldn't bear the thought of Gu Ran being able to leave him... anytime again.
He wanted her to belong to him completely, not as a lover who could separate at any time, but as an inseparable couple, one entity.
Ji Shiyu tightened his embrace, his kisses falling on Gu Ran's brows, eyes, and lips. His kisses were gentle, and they both fell back onto the bed together.
Gu Ran let out a soft moan, then looked at Ji Shiyu.
Meeting Gu Ran's deer-like eyes, now veiled with desire, Ji Shiyu felt his own impulses intensely with just one glance. In that moment, his possessiveness was so strong he wanted to hide her like this, to have her belong to him completely, in a place with no one else, where only he could see her, taste her.
He could even fully imagine how intoxicating and thrilling it would be to truly possess a little wife like the one before his eyes.
Not just physically, but psychologically—the exhilarating madness of this person belonging entirely to me.
The man was unusually intense tonight, desperately trying to be with her in another way, as if wishing they could never be apart again.
Gu Ran was more passive than ever before, her words coming out fragmented: "It's just not getting married, hmm? Everything else... there's no real difference."
