JOH CH37: First Kiss
The next morning, Su Yiran didn’t go straight to the shop. Instead, he stayed home, reviewing the draft statement he had prepared the previous night to counter the rumors. After making some minor edits, he logged into Weibo to post it.
According to his original plan, he would post the statement, observe the situation, and then follow up with additional responses as needed.
After posting the statement, Su Yiran habitually checked the trending list. To his surprise, the negative topics about him and his shop, which had been trending yesterday, were gone.
Perhaps the buzz had died down, and they’d been pushed off the list. Su Yiran didn’t think much of it and sighed in relief. He then searched for keywords related to “Yiting” to gauge how much the heat had subsided.
To his shock, all negative topics about “Yiting” seemed to have vanished. He tried different keywords, but every negative post or comment related to him or his shop was gone.
Not only on Weibo but across other online platforms as well—no negative news about him could be found.
Overnight, all the negative content about him had disappeared.
It was as if an invisible hand had forcefully suppressed everything, leaving no room for retaliation.
Su Yiran was stunned.
He recalled what Gu Yuanting had said yesterday: that the issue would be resolved soon.
Was this… his doing?
Su Yiran had considered how Gu Yuanting might handle it, but he never imagined it would be resolved in such a way.
How could Gu Yuanting… have the power to do something like this?
He stared at his phone for a moment, but regardless, the matter had been suppressed, and he felt a wave of relief.
He put away his phone and headed to the shop.
Two Days Later. Country D, Midnight, Port.
Xiao Zhu sat nervously in the car, waiting. He kept glancing toward the sea in the darkness, but it was calm and still. Too far away, he could neither see nor hear anything.
For this operation, he was only a peripheral member, responsible for pickup, but even handling the outskirts was enough to give him a glimpse of its dangers.
Xiao Zhu waited anxiously, unsure how much time had passed, from night until dawn.
Just as his heart began to sink, he saw a massive cruise ship dock at the port. His heartbeat quickened, and he held his breath, staring unblinkingly at the port.
Who would step off the ship?
Finally, Xiao Zhu saw a familiar figure surrounded by a crowd. His hands trembled with excitement.
It was President Gu!
They had succeeded!
Gu Yuanting’s operation had gone relatively smoothly.
Though a small hiccup occurred due to insufficient preparation, resulting in a minor injury, he ultimately succeeded.
Gu Yuanting pressed his left side, leaned back in the car seat, and exhaled in relief.
The biggest trouble was resolved. In the next two days, he only needed to handle the aftermath and wrap things up. Soon, everything would be settled.
Then, he could… go home, back to Yiran’s side.
The past few days, Su Yiran went about his routine as usual, living calmly.
The online storm had settled. Apple Live had issued a statement debunking the rumors about his senior’s “unfair favoritism,” and Su Yiran had retweeted it, leaving the matter alone for now.
Business at the shop remained booming. Since the controversy had been quelled so quickly, it hadn’t impacted sales.
Perhaps due to being too busy, Su Yiran had been feeling slight soreness in his waist, a bit uncomfortable.
Today was December 24, Christmas Eve.
That evening, Su Yiran received a video call from Gu Yuanting. They had been talking daily at this time, as usual.
Seeing Su Yiran nestled in bed, with only his small face peeking out from the blanket, lying on his side while talking, Gu Yuanting’s heart softened.
He gently wished him, “Yiran, Happy Christmas Eve.”
Su Yiran smiled. “You too, Happy Christmas Eve.”
Gu Yuanting thought of an unwritten tradition and asked, “Did you eat an apple today? For peace and safety.”
Su Yiran replied, “Of course. Every employee gave me one. I couldn’t finish them, so I brought them home and put them in the fridge.” He asked, “What about you? Did you eat an apple?”
Gu Yuanting nodded. “I did. Was the shop busy today? Are you tired?” He knew Su Yiran had been busy with Christmas Eve and Christmas promotions.
Su Yiran said, “It’s fine, same as usual, just a bit sleepy.” He had gone to bed early tonight, planning to rest. Hearing he was tired, Gu Yuanting didn’t want to disturb him further. “Then rest well. I’m taking a morning flight tomorrow and will be home by 8 p.m.” He still had one final task to handle at midnight, or he could have left tonight.
Su Yiran nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.” Gu Yuanting had already told him two days ago that he’d return on the 25th.
They chatted a bit more, but Gu Yuanting, worried Su Yiran was exhausted, said, “You’ve been too busy. Sleep now. See you tomorrow.”
Su Yiran replied, “Okay, see you tomorrow.” They hung up.
After the call, Gu Yuanting stared at his phone for a while before pocketing it and resuming work.
On the Gu family’s side, things had mostly settled. At the Gu Corporation, only some final tasks remained.
This life was entirely different from his previous one in another world.
In his past life, he was discovered and brought back to the Gu family as a cripple. The Gu family would never accept a disabled heir, especially since his “elder brother,” Gu Wenlong, was still alive and firmly in the heir’s position, not yet diagnosed with lung cancer.
Later, when Gu Wenlong was found to have early-stage lung cancer, which had a chance of being cured, the Gu family patriarch—his “grandfather”—had seen too many family members with lung cancer die despite initial hope. Believing lung cancer was incurable and that Gu Wenlong was doomed, he gave up on him.
Unable to tolerate the heir’s position falling to a collateral branch, the patriarch turned to Gu Yuanting, the only remaining direct descendant, and began to value him.
But when Gu Wenlong’s treatment showed promise, hinting at a possible cure, coupled with his suppression of Gu Yuanting, the patriarch quickly dismissed Gu Yuanting as a cripple again.
It took Gu Yuanting ten years in that life to finally reach the core of the Gu family’s highest echelons.
In this life, he returned to the Gu family at the moment Gu Wenlong was diagnosed with lung cancer. His legs were not crippled, and he had built enough influence on the original host’s foundation. The Gu family welcomed him back with great fanfare, placing him at the core of power from the start.
His past life’s experiences allowed him to anticipate nearly everything and handle any situation with ease, enabling him to swiftly eliminate all threats and secure the top position.
Gu Yuanting worked late into the night again before returning to the Gu residence.
In the quiet night, he thought of Yiran again.
Tomorrow, he would see him.
Gu Yuanting felt anxious, excited, nervous, uneasy, and an overwhelming longing.
The closer he got to seeing Yiran, the more intensely he missed him.
Time ticked by, his longing wrapping around him like vines—cold, bitter, yet sweet in its aftertaste.
He missed him so much.
The closer the moment, the deeper the longing.
Once again, Gu Yuanting didn’t sleep all night.
After hanging up, Su Yiran placed his phone on the nightstand, turned off the light, and closed his eyes to sleep.
He thought he’d fall asleep quickly, feeling tired, but the longer he lay there, the more he couldn’t sleep.
Ting-ge… was coming back tomorrow.
He’d see him tomorrow.
For some reason, the closer it got, the more he missed him.
With unease, Su Yiran tossed and turned.
He missed him so much.
The closer the moment, the deeper the longing.
December 25, Christmas Day
At 4 a.m., a sudden blizzard hit Country D, severely affecting Lunya City. All five airports around the city closed, cutting off all air routes in and out.
The unexpected weather caught everyone off guard. Gu Yuanting was frantic—his flight from Lunya City couldn’t take off, delaying his return. He called Su Yiran to explain, telling him to sleep well and that he’d likely arrive home late at night.
After hanging up, Gu Yuanting didn’t stop. He took a car, arranged a new flight, and switched routes. After much effort, he finally arrived home, exhausted, at 2 a.m.
Standing in the familiar yet unfamiliar elevator, his heart raced. The elevator ascended, dinging at the eighth floor. The doors slid open, and he pushed them aside, striding toward Apartment 804.
As he neared home, his steps slowed. Finally, he stopped at the familiar door.
Gu Yuanting hesitated.
He stood at the door, staring at it. His hand reached for the fingerprint lock but pulled back.
Suddenly, he didn’t dare go in.
He stood there for a long, long time.
Finally, he took a deep breath, reached out, and pressed his finger to the lock. With a “beep,” the door opened.
Pushing it open, he saw warm light spilling from the living room.
Had Yiran fallen asleep with the light on?
Gu Yuanting entered, closing the door softly to avoid waking Yiran.
As he stepped past the entryway, he froze.
Su Yiran was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep. His pale face rested against a soft blanket draped over him, his long, thick lashes trembling slightly, casting small shadows beneath his eyes. His breathing was soft, peaceful.
Gu Yuanting stood rooted in place, gazing at the sleeping Su Yiran.
His heart melted completely.
At that moment, all his unease, tension, anxiety, and fear vanished.
Time felt still, and life felt complete.
Three words were on the tip of his tongue.
As if sensing something, Su Yiran’s lashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
He had waited for Gu Yuanting so late that he’d fallen asleep on the sofa, unable to stay awake.
Opening his eyes, he saw Gu Yuanting standing at the entryway, looking at him.
Su Yiran sat up, the blanket sliding off. Still groggy, he could hardly believe it. “…Ting-ge?”
Gu Yuanting strode over, pulling him into a tight embrace, as if wanting to meld him into his body. “Yiran, I’m back.”
Feeling the familiar, enveloping embrace, Su Yiran’s sense of reality returned. He instinctively nuzzled into Ting-ge’s chest, wrapping his arms around him, his voice tinged with grievance. “You’re back.”
At that moment, all his unease and resolve to be strong melted away. He just wanted to stay in Ting-ge’s arms, to be held and cherished.
Finally holding Yiran, filled with his presence and scent, Gu Yuanting’s heart felt full.
But it wasn’t enough.
He wanted more.
Holding Su Yiran, Gu Yuanting gently kissed the top of his head. Gradually, he lifted Yiran’s face, pressing soft kisses to his forehead, eyes, nose, and cheeks.
Finally, his heart pounding, he kissed Su Yiran’s soft lips.
Sweet, beautiful, just as he’d imagined.
Gu Yuanting’s breathing quickened as he passionately kissed Su Yiran’s lips.
Even his heartbeat felt sweet.
Author’s Note:
[(Mini Theater) Tingting: (First!!! Kiss!!! spins around crazily)]