The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife-Chapter 542: I now have long hair that reaches my waist; would you like to marry me?

Chapter 542: I now have long hair that reaches my waist; would you like to marry me?

"Gu Yang, it’s been three months since I’ve seen you, I’ve missed you." Her voice was light and tender. As expected, the person on the bed had no reaction, but Tao Ran’s heart suddenly found solace. Even though Gu Yang was still in a coma, this person was now truly in front of her, not missing like before, which prevented her from being certain of his condition.

Tao Ran held Gu Yang’s hand, pressing her face into his palm and smiling as she said, "Hey, I’m confessing to you, why aren’t you responding at all? Could it be that you haven’t missed me at all after such a long time?" She pouted slightly, with a touch of playfulness, "If you dare say you haven’t missed me, watch how I’ll deal with you later."

"Gu Yang, our company recently took on a project, and the leadership has been squeezing us non-stop. We have to work overtime every day; it’s so exhausting. The capitalism of Wan En is unbearable. Once you get better, you must take me out for a good meal, to treat me properly."

"Alright." A hoarse voice sounded above Tao Ran’s head. She startled, abruptly looked up and saw that Gu Yang was looking at her with his eyes open, his gaze warm and affectionate.

The surprise shone on Tao Ran’s face, "Gu Yang, you’re awake."

Gu Yang smiled, pretending to complain, "I was actually planning to sleep for a few more days, but then I heard you chattering away by my ear, giving me a headache. Besides, seeing how pitiful you sounded, I thought, ’What if you started crying if I didn’t wake up?’ So, I woke up."

Tao Ran glared at him, raised her hand as if to hit him, but thinking of the bandages wrapped around his chest, she loosened her fist and decided to pinch his face instead, "You’re already hurt, and still so slick with your words." She was very gentle, careful to avoid his wounds.

Gu Yang grinned, "Only my wife would be so concerned for me, not wanting me to hurt."

Tao Ran snorted lightly, "Who’s your wife?"

Gu Yang took her hand, gently shaking it, "It’s you, it’s always been you, and it can only be you."

Now that Gu Yang was awake, Tao Ran’s heart finally settled. She suddenly remembered the things he had concealed from her, and her face fell, "I didn’t even know about your injuries; I had to find out from someone else. It doesn’t seem I hold much importance in your heart."

Hearing this, Gu Yang appeared embarrassed and quickly swore to the heavens, "I swear, in my heart, you are absolutely the first and foremost."

Tao Ran huffed, "You’re just all talk."

When Gu Yang saw that Tao Ran was upset, he tried to get up to appease her. But the motion tugged at his wound, turning his face pale. Tao Ran, seeing this, had no mind to remain angry, and promptly made him lie down, "Don’t move, who told you to move? Lie down quickly, I’ll go call the doctor. I have no idea if the wound has been reopened."

She tried to find a doctor, but Gu Yang held her hand, "Ranran, don’t be nervous, I’m fine. Tell me first, are you still mad?"

Tao Ran was in no mood for that, "Is this really the time to talk about that?"

Gu Yang’s expression grew serious, "This is more important than the doctor. Ranran, don’t be angry; I just didn’t want to worry you."

Tao Ran, no longer able to stay mad after seeing his earnest expression, took on a serious demeanor as well, "Gu Yang, what angers me is you hiding the extent of your injuries from me. I know you did it for my sake, not wanting to cause me worry, but do you understand? When I can’t get news about you, I start imagining all kinds of things, which makes me even more anxious. Promise you won’t hide anything from me again, okay?"

"Okay, I promise you, something like this will absolutely not happen a second time," Gu Yang assured.

"Alright, I’m not angry anymore. I’ll go find a doctor for you now; I’ve no idea if the wound has reopened." Tao Ran stood up and mumbled as she walked out of the hospital room, while Gu Yang’s gaze followed her until she was gone.

Fu Jingtong and Shen Qinglan were sitting on the corridor bench. Seeing Tao Ran come out in a hurry, they feared that something had happened to Gu Yang. Fu Jingtong immediately panicked, "What’s wrong with Gu Yang?"

"He’s awake, I’m going to call the doctor," Tao Ran said quickly and disappeared in an instant.

Fu Jingtong looked blankly at Shen Qinglan, "Did she just say Gu Yang woke up?"

Shen Qinglan nodded with a smile, "Yes, Auntie."

Quickly, Fu Jingtong ran into the hospital room and indeed saw that Gu Yang had woken up. He was eagerly looking toward the door and called out when he saw her come in, "Mom, sister-in-law."

Fu Jingtong smiled with relief, "It’s good you’re awake; you’ve given your mother quite the scare."

Gu Yang said apologetically, "I’m sorry for worrying everyone."

The doctor came in to examine Gu Yang’s condition, which was very good, "It’s good that you’re awake. Take care of your injuries, and once the wounds have healed, you’ll be fine."

Hearing the primary doctor’s response, everyone felt relieved. Fu Jingtong saw the doctor out and took the opportunity to ask about any precautions going forward.

Seeing there was nothing left for her to do, Shen Qinglan decided to go home, "Well, I’ll head back now, I’ll come to see you another day."

"Sister-in-law, Grandfather doesn’t know about this, does he?" Gu Yang was a bit concerned about Old Sir Fu.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "He doesn’t know; we didn’t tell him."

Hearing this, Gu Yang felt relieved, "Sister-in-law, be careful on your way home."

Shen Qinglan hummed in acknowledgment and left the hospital without asking if Tao Ran wanted to go with her. Now, she was sure Tao Ran wouldn’t leave.

With Gu Yang awake, Tao Ran was also at ease. The next day when she went to work, she was in a very good mood, and her eyes and brows were filled with smiles.

She originally planned to take leave to care for Gu Yang, but both Gu Yang and Fu Jingtong disagreed. Considering she also had a lot of work recently, and taking leave would be troublesome, she agreed to visit Gu Yang after work.

"Ranran, come here, I need to tell you something." Just as Tao Ran sat down to start working, her colleague Xiao Zhou, sitting beside her, whispered to her.

Tao Ran looked at her puzzledly, "What’s up? Why do you look so secretive?"

Xiao Zhou tugged at her sleeve, "Come outside with me, I have something to tell you."

Seeing her serious look, Tao Ran nodded. The two walked out of the office, one after the other.

Xiao Zhou specifically went to the stairwell, looking around to make sure no one was there, her grave demeanor making Tao Ran nervous.

"What’s happened? What’s the matter?"

Xiao Zhou shot her an annoyed look, "What’s been going on with you these days?"

A bewildered Tao Ran replied, "Nothing’s wrong with me, is there?"

"Don’t you know?"

"Know what?"

As it appeared she truly didn’t know, Xiao Zhou explained the whole story, "Haven’t you been picked up by luxury cars every night after work these days? Then someone started saying that you’re being kept by a wealthy man, that you’ve become his mistress. Yesterday afternoon, you also had a dispute with Lu Minghua in the office, and somehow, someone spread the word that you turned him down because he isn’t rich, and you look down on him, and even humiliated him."

Tao Ran’s face darkened a bit. Had the rumors worsened in just one day?

"Ranran, we’ve worked together for three years now, and I know you’re a good person. All this nonsense about someone keeping you must be false, but who has been picking you up these past few days? You should quickly clear things up with everyone," she suggested, "otherwise, if the management gets the wrong impression, it could negatively affect you."

Tao Ran pursed her lips, "The person who came to pick me up a few days ago was my boyfriend’s mother, and the day before yesterday and yesterday it was my boyfriend’s sister-in-law."

Xiao Zhou breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "I knew it! You would never do something like that. But your boyfriend’s family is so wealthy, and you’ve kept it a secret all this time. Ranran, you’ve kept it very well hidden." Xiao Zhou knew that Tao Ran had a boyfriend who was a soldier, but she didn’t know much else about their situation.

Tao Ran felt helpless, "When I met my boyfriend, I didn’t know about his family background. Besides, I fell for him, not his family. Why should I go about bragging about it?"

"That makes sense," Xiao Zhou conceded. "But you should clear this up with everyone soon. Some are already believing the rumors and speaking ill of you behind your back."

Although Tao Ran was annoyed by the rumors, she had no intention of offering explanations, as such things tend to get messier. "Rumors stop with the wise, explaining wouldn’t help."

"Ranran, are you being naive? If you don’t explain, people will assume you’re guilty. By the time the rumor has spread throughout the entire company, it’ll be too late to clarify," Xiao Zhou said earnestly, frustrated. The two of them got along very well, having a great partnership at work. Xiao Zhou was genuinely concerned for Tao Ran.

Tao Ran just smiled, "Even if I explained, people would say I’m making excuses. Why bother wasting my breath?"

Seeing Tao Ran so nonchalant, Xiao Zhou frowned and sighed, "This whole mess is because of Lu Minghua. He seemed like a decent guy at first, but now it’s clear he’s anything but a man."

"Let’s not waste energy getting angry over someone like that. Let’s get back to work; otherwise, if the manager sees us, we’re both going to get reprimanded," Tao Ran said, not letting the situation bother her. She was eager to finish her work and then visit Gu Yang at the hospital.

Xiao Zhou observed her, "Ranran, you seem to be in an unusually good mood today. Did something happy happen?" Normally, even if Tao Ran wasn’t bothered by such an incident, she wouldn’t be this indifferent.

Tao Ran smiled, "There’s no happy event. It’s just that my boyfriend has returned."

Xiao Zhou immediately understood, "So that’s it. No wonder you’re all smiles. Alright, let’s get back to work quickly, so you can get home to see your boyfriend sooner."

They returned to their office as if nothing had happened. However, it wasn’t long before Tao Ran was called into the manager’s office. Xiao Zhou watched her with concern, but Tao Ran gave her a reassuring look. She was innocent and would respond the same way to anyone who asked.

Manager Mi was a man in his thirties, very strict and rigid, but he was tolerant of those who were competent. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He scrutinized Tao Ran for a moment and adjusted his glasses, his stern face growing even sterner. He pointed at a chair, "Sit."

Tao Ran sat down, "Manager, did you want to talk about the project today?"

"It’s not about the project. I have some other things I need to ask you," Manager Mi said seriously. Tao Ran understood that it must be about the office gossip.

Sure enough, Manager Mi asked the next second, "What’s this I hear about you being kept by someone?"

Manager Mi, who was usually quite good to the capable Tao Ran, naturally paid more attention to her than to the average colleague. Even though not one to gossip, it wasn’t surprising that he caught wind of such rumors.

Tao Ran repeated what she had told Xiao Zhou to Manager Mi. His serious face relaxed a bit, "Since that’s the case, find an opportunity to clear things up, so it doesn’t affect your work."

"Yes, Manager. I will be careful," she said. She didn’t mention that the rumors were spread by Lu Minghua since she had no evidence. Accusing someone without proof could backfire and perhaps even leave a bad impression on the manager.

Tao Ran left the manager’s office and deliberately glanced at Lu Minghua. The man was all calmness, burying his head in his work as if nothing had happened. Tao Ran couldn’t help but admire his mental fortitude; to slander a woman like that and not have the slightest guilt was astounding.

However, with Gu Yang being hospitalized now, all her energy was focused on him, and she didn’t have time to investigate this matter further. She would wait for some time.

Knowing that a lot of people were looking at her differently within the company, and not wanting to endure the scrutiny, Tao Ran decided to not go down for lunch. Instead, she asked Xiao Zhou to bring it up, so she could use the lunch hour to work.

She spent the entire day in the office, except for bathroom breaks, and finally finished her work before leaving time. She could relax a bit over the next few days. Looking at the clock, it was nearly five-thirty, so she quickly packed up and left.

At this hour, the office was bustling with people ending their workday. On her way out, she still encountered many curious or contemptuous stares, but Tao Ran walked out of the company with an unchanged expression, composed.

She went to the supermarket, bought groceries, cooked dinner, and then hurried to the hospital. She had already called Gu Yang, who was waiting to have dinner with her.

With Gu Yang’s right hand fractured and his movement impeded, Tao Ran fed him herself. "How does it taste?" she asked with anticipation, her cooking skills having grown a bit rusty from lack of practice.

Gu Yang gave her a thumbs-up. "My wife’s cooking is, of course, beyond reproach—awesome," he praised.

Tao Ran gave him an annoyed look. "I’m not your wife yet, so stop calling me that."

Gu Yang smiled mischievously. "It’s only a matter of time, Ranran. Once my injury heals, let’s go home and meet your parents. We’ve been together for so many years, and I’ve never visited your home. Your parents must have some opinions about me."

This reminder had come from Fu Jingtong earlier. Gu Yang realized he had been negligent; he’d introduced Tao Ran to his family long ago but had never thought to visit her parents.

"Sure," Tao Ran agreed readily, an idea that fit perfectly with her own thoughts. She had wanted to discuss this with Gu Yang but hadn’t found the right opportunity. Now that he had brought it up, it couldn’t be more perfect.

"However, we have to wait until you’re fully recovered. I want to bring a handsome boyfriend home." Tao Ran didn’t want her parents to know Gu Yang was injured. They already had concerns about his military service keeping him away often; if they knew his job was dangerous too, getting past them would be even harder for Gu Yang.

Of course, Gu Yang agreed without hesitation. After dinner, Tao Ran washed the dishes and then chatted with Gu Yang in the ward.

"Didn’t Uncle and Auntie come to see you today?" Tao Ran asked, finding it strange that she had not seen Gu Bowen and Fu Jingtong since she’d been there.

"I told them to go back. I finally have some time to be alone with my wife," Gu Yang said casually, causing Tao Ran’s face to redden. She glanced at him, half-annoyed, yet her eyes were full of smiles.

Gu Yang’s injuries were serious this time. The head wounds were minor compared to the two gunshot wounds to his chest and abdomen, which nearly claimed his life, not to mention his fractured right hand. He would need to recuperate at home for three to four months.

Tao Ran worked during the day and went to the hospital to accompany Gu Yang at night. Sometimes, she’d make do with a night on the ward’s sofa, which made Gu Yang’s heart ache, so he had another bed added to make things more comfortable for her. Tao Ran practically moved into the hospital, bringing a few changes of clothes and staying over.

Fu Jingtong hired a nurse to assist Gu Yang with tasks like bathing, so Tao Ran was spared from that. She would simply make a meal for him and engage in conversation. At times, when she had work, they would each do their own thing—he would read, and she would work—without disturbing one another. The days of convalescence were fulfilling.

Fu Jingting visited in the evenings twice and seeing the harmonious atmosphere between the two, she had no wish to interrupt. She eventually stopped coming at night, leaving them to their privacy.

After half a month’s rest, Gu Yang’s facial abrasions had mostly healed, and the bandages on his head had been removed.

During this time, the rumors about Tao Ran still circulated in the company, though there was a new twist—she had been branded as a gold digger with a wealthy second-generation boyfriend.

Yet, the people who spread these words felt either envy or jealousy, for not everyone could snag such a boyfriend.

Tao Ran heard these rumors but decided to let them be, not bothering to clarify. However, there was a particularly annoying version of the rumor that claimed she had dumped her soldier boyfriend for the embrace of a rich second-gen. Some had privately confronted her about the veracity of these gossips, with a tone that was quite impolite. She responded sharply, leaving them to sulk away, and afterwards, they steered clear of her.

From then on, everyone knew that Tao Ran of the technical department had a fiery temper and was not to be messed with. With a sharp tongue, she could curse someone out without using a single swear word. The only good thing about this was that no one dared to badmouth Tao Ran to her face.

As for the gossip behind her back, Tao Ran had neither the time nor the interest to care. She was busy with other things lately.

Today, with five minutes left before the end of work, Xiao Zhou wanted to ask Tao Ran a technical question. But when she looked up, Tao Ran had already vanished without a trace. Sighing, she thought, "once a woman falls in love, she loses all her previous composure."

After work, Tao Ran beelined for the mall, first buying herself a new outfit, then heading home for a shower. After changing into her new clothes and carefully doing her makeup, she grabbed her bag and was ready to leave.

Pan Yingying arrived home from work and, seeing Tao Ran’s getup, was astonished. "Ranran, are you going on a date? You’ve made yourself so beautiful."

Tao Ran beamed with a smile, "I have a big thing to do today." The thought of her upcoming endeavor made her giddy with excitement.

Pan Yingying’s interest piqued, "Oh, what’s the big thing? Tell me about it."

Tao Ran continued smiling, "It’s a secret."

Pan Yingying huffed, "Such attitude. But wait, isn’t your boyfriend in the hospital? He hasn’t been discharged yet, has he? Who are you dressing up for then?"

"Don’t try to pry information out of me. I won’t tell you. Once I’ve accomplished this, I’ll let you in on it. Alright, it’s about time I left."

"Hey, you’re choosing love over friendship."

Since Gu Yang was hospitalized, Tao Ran had all but abandoned her home, only returning in a hurry. Sometimes, Pan Yingying would go days without seeing her. If not for their daily wechat conversations, Pan Yingying might have thought Tao Ran had gone missing.

Tao Ran ignored Pan Yingying’s teasing and, striding on her high heels, left the house. On her way, she stopped by a florist, bought a bouquet of flowers, and then hailed a taxi to the hospital.

But just as she reached the ward, she heard laughter inside. Hesitating, she hid the flowers behind her back and walked in, only to find several unfamiliar faces amongst the visitors.

Gu Yang’s eyes lit up when he saw her, and a flicker of amazement passed through them. He beckoned, "Ranran, come here, let me introduce you. These are my comrades-in-arms who’ve come to visit."

The one leading was Mu Liancheng, still captain of the Sharp Knife Team and Gu Yang’s direct superior.

Gu Yang’s injury meant Mu Liancheng should have visited sooner, but he was tied up leading a mission. Only back for a couple of days, he made it to Beijing without delay to see Gu Yang.

Tao Ran, still with her hands behind her back, smiled at the group while Gu Yang introduced them one by one. Noticing that her hands were still hidden, he asked, "Ranran, what are you holding?"

Tao Ran’s eyes flashed uneasily. She glanced at everyone, thought of what she intended to do, and with determination, brought out the flowers – a bouquet of passionate red roses, adorned with baby’s breath, exquisitely wrapped.

Everyone let out a collective "Oh," and looked at Gu Yang with teasing glances.

Gu Yang scratched his head, embarrassed. He’d never expected Tao Ran to bring flowers, typically a gift from men to women. Her gesture made him feel somewhat bashful.

Just as Gu Yang was about to take the flowers, Tao Ran suddenly knelt on one knee. With a deft motion as if performing a magic trick, she pulled out a ring. She gazed steadily at Gu Yang and asked, "Gu Yang, ’I have hair that reaches my waist, will you take me as your wife?’"

This dramatic scene stunned everybody. They looked at each other in disbelief and then turned their eyes unanimously toward Gu Yang.

Gu Yang was stupefied by Tao Ran’s move, staring at her blankly. Tao Ran watched him steadily, waiting for his reaction.

One of his comrades was the first to snap out of it, nudging Gu Yang, "The girl is waiting for your response. What are you dazing off about?"

Gu Yang came back to reality and, under Tao Ran’s nervous and expectant gaze, shook his head. The light in Tao Ran’s eyes instantly extinguished, and she looked at Gu Yang, her expression awkward.

But Gu Yang lifted the quilt, struggled out of bed, and with his uninjured left hand pulled Tao Ran up from the ground, "Silly girl, it’s the man’s job to do this kind of thing."

Having said that, he dropped to his knees on the ground. The sudden movement aggravated the wound in his abdomen. He winced with the pain but then his face relaxed as he held Tao Ran’s hand.

"Ranran, today I haven’t had time to prepare a ring, or flowers, or to set up a romantic proposal scene for you. But still, I want to say, I want to marry you. Will you have me?"

He gazed at Tao Ran ardently, with a serious expression as he spoke. Tao Ran stared at the man kneeling on the ground in his hospital gown, eyes suddenly brimming with tears. Under the expectant eyes of everyone, she nodded her head, "I do."

Gu Yang smiled, tried to stand up, but suddenly realized that he had exerted himself too much and now couldn’t get up. He felt somewhat embarrassed when his comrades quickly came to his aid.

Gu Yang hugged Tao Ran tightly, "Ranran, I will always treat you well for the rest of our lives."

Tao Ran hugged him back, her face flushed with shyness.

Gu Yang took the ring from Tao Ran’s hand and noticed that she had bought a pair of rings, "Where’s yours?"

Tao Ran pulled out a ladies’ ring from her pocket. Gu Yang took it, slid the ring onto Tao Ran’s finger, "From today onwards, you’re my wife." He beamed, showing his big white teeth, looking like a fool. Tao Ran chuckled lightly, taking the other ring out and placing it on his left hand.

After all the comrades had left, only Tao Ran and Gu Yang remained in the ward.

Tao Ran kept her head down, not daring to look at Gu Yang. Gu Yang found it amusing and teased her, "You had so much courage to propose in front of everyone just now, and now you’re shy?"

"Stop it. How was I supposed to know your comrades were here?" Tao Ran whispered. She had intended to propose in private, not expecting the coincidence of his comrades arriving. Now recalling what she had just done, her face still felt hot.

Gu Yang pulled her over, holding her, "Silly girl, let me handle such matters from now on, alright?"

Tao Ran huffed softly. If this man weren’t always dragging his feet, would she have needed to propose herself? She lowered her head to look at the ring on her finger, smiling happily. No matter the process, the outcome was ultimately satisfying to her.

Fu Jingtong, delighted to know of her son’s successful proposal, took Tao Ran to the mall for a shopping spree, treating her to an array of goods, from clothes to shoes, to bags. Tao Ran found it hard to refuse and accepted Fu Jingtong’s kind gesture.

Fu Jingtong had wanted to buy them a new pair of rings, but Tao Ran declined. She felt the rings were quite nice as they were.

Fu Jingtong thought, after all, they were not wedding rings, so it didn’t really matter. They could always get a custom pair when the wedding came, so she conceded to Tao Ran’s wishes.

Two months later, Gu Yang was finally discharged from the hospital. Except for his right hand still being a little stiff, his other wounds had mostly healed.

Upon being discharged, they put visiting Tao Ran’s family on their agenda.

They chose a weekend, and Gu Yang and Tao Ran drove back to her hometown.

Since Gu Yang’s arm still hadn’t fully recovered, Tao Ran drove. Gu Yang spent the journey nervously using Tao Ran’s makeup mirror to neaten his appearance.

"Ranran, does my hair look okay right now? It’s not messy, is it?"

"Ranran, is there any problem with what I’m wearing today?"

Tao Ran helplessly glanced at him, "Gu Yang, stop being nervous, my parents are easy to talk to."

How could Gu Yang not be nervous? His hands were sweating from the anxiety, "Ranran, what if your uncle and auntie don’t like me? I should have gone to meet your parents with you earlier."

During this period, Fu Jingtong constantly nagged in his ear, making Gu Yang realize how negligent he had been.

Tao Ran comforted him, "You’re the one I chose, my parents adore me the most, they will definitely like you too, love me, love my dog."

Actually, even as Tao Ran said this, she didn’t feel entirely certain. Although she had called her parents two days earlier to let them know she would be coming home today, she hadn’t mentioned to her parents the part about Gu Yang proposing and her already accepting.

Even though Tao Ran said this, Gu Yang didn’t feel reassured, and instead, he grew more anxious.

When they reached the doorstep of Tao Ran’s family, Gu Yang’s palms sweated more and more, and he hesitated to unbuckle his seatbelt, "Ranran, I’m so nervous." He had never been this nervous, even on a mission.

Tao Ran unbuckled his seatbelt for him, glanced at him, and noticed fine sweat on Gu Yang’s forehead, couldn’t help but laugh softly, "Just think of my parents as normal elders, don’t be nervous, they won’t eat you, and besides, I’m also here, I will definitely be on your side."

"You think the gifts I’ve prepared are too few, should I have prepared more?" Gu Yang had another worry.

Tao Ran, holding her forehead, their trunk was already filled to the brim, with gifts Gu Yang bought for her parents even piled on the rear seats.

"That’s more than enough, do you also intend to move the whole shopping mall home or what? Come on, get out of the car, stop dilly-dallying," she urged.

Gu Yang opened the door and went straight to the trunk to take out the gifts for Tao Ran’s parents.

Knowing that their daughter was bringing her boyfriend home today, Tao Ran’s parents were waiting at home. The Tao family was just ordinary salaried folks, living in a typical apartment block. But their home was kept very clean.

When Gu Yang entered, Mrs. Tao was still in the kitchen cooking.

"Dad, I’m back," Tao Ran greeted her father with a cheerful smile, "This is Gu Yang, my boyfriend."

Gu Yang put down the things in his hands, stood at attention, and saluted Mr. Tao, bellowing, "Hello, uncle." His voice was so loud that even Mrs. Tao, who was cooking in the kitchen, could hear it.

Time seemed to stop.

Tao Ran hadn’t expected Gu Yang to pull such a stunt at their first meeting, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to react, while Gu Yang also realized that he had been overly nervous.

Mr. Tao waved his hand, "Alright, come in first."

"Uncle, there are still things in the car I haven’t brought up yet, I will move them up first." Having said that, he turned and went downstairs.

Mr. Tao glanced at his daughter and said, "Your boyfriend seems kind of clueless?"

Tao Ran awkwardly responded, "He’s not usually like this, he’s probably just nervous."

Gu Yang was a very astute person; there was no way he could be described as clueless.

Mr. Tao initially had a great deal of resentment towards Gu Yang, but after the scene just now, his anger inexplicably dissipated by half.

When Gu Yang came up again, Mr. Tao looked at him somewhat warmly, but since this was, after all, Gu Yang’s first visit, he didn’t greet him with a smile, keeping a straight face.

"You’ve been with my daughter for four or five years now, and yet this is the first time I’m meeting you," Mr. Tao said casually.

One sentence had Gu Yang dripping with sweat, "Well, uncle, it’s my fault. I should have visited earlier, but because of the nature of my work, I’m away all year round and never got the chance. I’m sorry, I want to apologize right here!"

His attitude was indeed good. Mr. Tao thought to himself.

"Are you still in active service in the military?"

"Yes."

"So do you plan to stay in the military for life?"

"Dad, Gu Yang and I have finally managed to come home today, can’t you talk about something else with him?" Tao Ran tried to change the subject. Her parents didn’t want Gu Yang to continue staying in the military. But she knew that Gu Yang loved the military and didn’t want to leave, and she supported that.

Mr. Tao glared at his daughter, "I’m talking to him, why are you interrupting? Go, help your mother in the kitchen."

"I just want to stay with you, don’t you miss me after not seeing me for so long?" Tao Ran couldn’t bear to leave Gu Yang alone and didn’t want to leave.

"Go to the kitchen quickly, your mother can’t manage alone," Mr. Tao tried to send Tao Ran away.

"Ranran, you go help Auntie first, I’ll chat with your dad for a while," Gu Yang spoke up.

Tao Ran looked at him with concern. Gu Yang shook his head, indicating he could handle it.

"Alright, Dad, then I’ll go help my mom. Gu Yang is the boyfriend I’ve finally managed to find, you can’t scare him away. Otherwise, if I can’t get married, you’ll have to support me for life."

Mr. Tao glared at his daughter. The implication had been clear, "What nonsense are you talking about? Hurry up and go help."

Tao Ran stuck her tongue out and turned to go to the kitchen.

With the daughter gone, Mr. Tao then turned to Gu Yang, "I spoilt this daughter of mine, she doesn’t mince her words."

Gu Yang smiled, "Ranran’s just being herself, and that’s what I like about her."

Mr. Tao was just being modest, wasn’t truly criticizing his daughter, and Gu Yang’s reply naturally pleased him.

"You haven’t answered my question. Do you really plan to stay in the army for your whole life?"

Gu Yang pursed his lips, his demeanor grave, "Uncle, I don’t want to lie and deceive you. If possible, I do intend to stay in the military for life. I won’t hide it from you; my grandfather is a soldier, and I grew up in that atmosphere. My grandfather always hoped I would become a soldier, but at first, I didn’t like it and refused the path he laid out for me. However, the years spent in the military made me gradually fall in love with it; I can’t leave it. I understand you’re worried about me not having much time to spend with Ranran because of my job. For that, I can only apologize as it is true that due to work, I can’t stay by her side like other people, but I can promise this: For the rest of my life, I will only love Ranran, with all my heart and soul. As long as I live, I will do everything I can to protect her, cherish her, and give her the greatest happiness."