The Only Choice - 60

"Then... don't break up with me, okay…?"

After crying for what felt like ages, the tears finally subsided. She clung to him tightly and whispered the request.

Guan Yuanbai paused, then let out a soft, helpless laugh. "So, after all that talking, it didn't get through at all?"

"Just say yes or no…"

"Yes. Of course, yes."

Satisfied, Zhou Fanfan finally felt the fear and anxiety of the past few days begin to dissolve. Her eyes were red and swollen as she cupped Guan Yuanbai's face and began planting kisses all over it.

Her position on his lap was already intimate, and her frantic peppering of kisses easily ignited the kindling.

Guan Yuanbai's breathing grew ragged as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back properly.

But in the middle of the kiss, she suddenly pushed herself away with surprising force. "Stop… I think I'm gonna be sick."

"…Huh?" He was dazed.

She scrambled unsteadily to her feet. "I really need to throw up."

Understanding dawned. Guan Yuanbai immediately scooped her up. "Try to hold it in."

He carried her straight to the nearest bathroom. Once he set her down, Zhou Fanfan clung to the toilet bowl and retched for a while. She hadn't eaten much, so it was mostly wine coming up.

"Feeling any better?" Guan Yuanbai waited beside her, then handed her a glass of water.

Zhou Fanfan slumped against the wall, took a few sips, then shoved the glass back into his hand and abruptly started taking off her clothes.

His gaze intensified. He caught her hands. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him, dazed and confused. "I want to sleep. I need a shower…"

"Right now?"

"Right now."

She pulled her hands free and went back to fumbling with her clothes.

Guan Yuanbai watched her for a moment before gathering her into his arms again. "Let's use the upstairs shower. It's better there."

"Really?"

"Mm. I'll carry you up and help you wash, okay?"

He was fully in coaxing mode now. The drunk Zhou Fanfan was easy to persuade. Finding his logic sound, she cooperatively wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her upstairs.

In the bathroom, she could barely stand, but she insisted on brushing her teeth. Guan Yuanbai had no choice. He corralled her in front of the sink, letting her lean against him as she clumsily went through the motions.

"You're this drunk, and you still have to follow the routine?" he mused.

But the person in front of him was no longer listening. She gargled noisily, tossed her toothbrush aside, and pointed a wobbly finger towards the shower stall.

Guan Yuanbai said, "Are you even in any state to shower? How about we skip it for today and just go straight to bed?"

Zhou Fanfan shook her head vigorously. "Smelly. I smell bad."

"You mean the alcohol?"

"Mm-hmm…"

Zhou Fanfan was still wearing her sweater and jeans. She'd already discarded her jacket downstairs. Now, she started pulling the sweater up over her head.

The curve of her waist was exposed with the movement. Guan Yuanbai stilled for a second, then asked softly, "Should I help you?"

"Mmm… Okay."

Even though they'd been intimate before, a sober Zhou Fanfan would never have let him help her bathe.

Right now, she was completely out of it.

The sweater joined the growing pile on the bathroom counter. He undid the button of her jeans.

Zhou Fanfan swayed into the shower stall. Watching her retreating back, Guan Yuanbai followed her in without a word.

Once inside, just as he was about to help her with the remaining clasps, she reached out and yanked the shower handle.

A spray of cold water cascaded down. Zhou Fanfan shrieked and crashed back into Guan Yuanbai's arms.

"It's freezing!"

Guan Yuanbai stepped back, his back hitting the cool glass wall, shielding her from the direct spray. He reached over and adjusted the handle. "Stop moving around. Let me handle it."

"Okay…"

Finally, warm water rained down, splashing everywhere, soaking his clothes in the process.

And now, with her soft, pliant body nestled against him, a man who had already tasted paradise couldn't possibly resist such temptation. He was easily aroused.

"Body wash…"

"I know."

Lather bloomed and was swiftly washed away by the water overhead.

Eventually, the sodden men's shirt was also discarded and tossed out of the stall…

By the time Zhou Fanfan was dried off and carried out, an hour had passed. Wrapped in a large, thick bath towel, she curled up on the edge of the bed, letting him blow-dry her hair.

Once her hair was dry, he unwrapped the towel and tucked her into the bed.

Zhou Fanfan fell asleep almost the moment her head hit the pillow. After cleaning up, Guan Yuanbai slid in beside her and pulled the deeply sleeping woman into his embrace.

A hangover was an inevitable consequence of drinking too much. Waking the next morning, Zhou Fanfan opened her eyes and pressed her temples, slowly realizing where she was.

She turned over and, sure enough, found Guan Yuanbai still asleep beside her.

It wasn't a dream.

He had really come back last night.

She remembered they had talked a lot… and done a lot of other things, too.

Her face grew warm, but she couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips. So, they were back together, right?

She remembered him saying last night that he wouldn't break up.

Zhou Fanfan watched his sleeping face, gradually inching closer until she was nestled against his chest.

After her brief talk with Xu Xiaoxian the other day, she had done a lot of thinking. Meeting someone sincere and genuine was rare. She truly didn't want to lose him… That's why she had come to his place.

The drinking was partly to give herself courage. Whether he came back or not, she needed to tell him she didn't want to lose him.

"You're awake." The moment she nestled closer, his arms encircled her. His eyes still closed, he rested his chin on her head. "Not going back to sleep?"

"No," she murmured. "Had a dream. I'm wide awake now."

"What dream?"

"I dreamed we were in the bathroom…" She trailed off, then added, "Well… maybe it wasn't a dream. I was so drunk, everything's a bit hazy."

"Seems you remember after all. I thought you were too far gone last night to remember anything."

Zhou Fanfan felt a little embarrassed. "Was I really troublesome yesterday? You must have slept very late…"

"Not troublesome. I thought it was rather nice."

"Nice?"

Guan Yuanbai said slowly, "You were very obedient and cooperative. You let me do anything."

Catching his implication, Zhou Fanfan blushed furiously and bit him.

"Ouch… Where are you biting? Copying me?" Guan Yuanbai pulled her back slightly, amused.

Zhou Fanfan turned her head away. "What copying?"

Guan Yuanbai pointed to his chest and said meaningfully, "Biting me here. If you're not copying me, then what is it?"

He was practically rolling innuendo over her face.

Zhou Fanfan flipped over, ignoring him completely. Guan Yuanbai hugged her from behind. "You still get so embarrassed, even now."

"You're older! You have thicker skin!"

Guan Yuanbai gave her a playful squeeze. "That's a personal attack. What does it have to do with my age?"

"I don't care… Ah! Stop moving, it hurts…"

Guan Yuanbai's expression softened slightly. He turned her back to face him. "Did it still hurt this time?"

She had been pliant and let him have his way last night in her drunken state, but that didn't mean she hadn't felt any discomfort.

Zhou Fanfan whispered, "It did… Y-you should reflect on that."

"Reflect? On what, exactly?"

Trying to provoke him, Zhou Fanfan said, "Well… like, maybe your technique isn't very good?"

Guan Yuanbai's eyebrow quirked upward. "My technique isn't good. Well, it's possible, I suppose. Theory alone isn't much use. Practice makes perfect, as they say."

With that, he flipped over, pinning her beneath him.

Zhou Fanfan yelped and tried to scramble away. "I was joking! Ah—No!"

"I think I need more practice."

"No, no, you don't! You don't need practice! It's a hardware issue, not a technique problem!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Zhou Fanfan froze, her face exploding into a deeper shade of red as she realized what she'd said.

A dark, simmering light gleamed in Guan Yuanbai's eyes. He chuckled slowly. "Oh? Well, we should still practice more. You'll get used to it eventually."

"…"

They tussled playfully on the bed. Just then, the ring of Guan Yuanbai's phone came to Zhou Fanfan's rescue.

"Answer your phone!"

The ringing persisted, likely something important. Guan Yuanbai pinched her cheek. "I'll let you off this time."

Zhou Fanfan: "You're so generous!"

Guan Yuanbai laughed, leaned back against the headboard, and picked up the phone. "Hello? Yes. I know. I'll be there later… Okay, you decide… Right…" A few minutes later, he hung up.

"Do you have to go work?" Zhou Fanfan asked.

"I have a meeting at ten, but it should be quick. Then I have lunch with the partners," Guan Yuanbai said. "What about you? Free this morning?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded. "Yeah, I just need to go to the university in the afternoon."

"Then come with me? We can have lunch together."

"But you're meeting with partners."

"It's fine. There will only be a few people."

Zhou Fanfan figured since she had nothing else to do, going to his company was fine. So they got up together, had breakfast at home, and then headed to Nanheng.

At the company, Guan Yuanbai went to his meeting, and Zhou Fanfan ordered coffee for Lin Zhao and the others, then played on her phone in his office.

The meeting was indeed short, just over half an hour, before he came to get her for lunch.

The restaurant wasn't far from the company. The other party's car had arrived a bit earlier. When Zhou Fanfan and Guan Yuanbai entered the private room, the others were already seated.

There were five people in total: two women and three men.

Zhou Fanfan only recognized one of them: He Zhi.

"Everyone's here, Mr. Guan. Shall I have them serve the food?" said one of the women present.

Guan Yuanbai pulled out a chair for Zhou Fanfan. "Yes, thank you, President Tang."

"Mr. Guan, no need for formalities with me."

Zhou Fanfan looked at the woman, feeling a faint sense of recognition.

After a moment, she remembered. The other day, Yao Ruo had shown her a social media post. The woman in the picture with short hair, wearing a suit and light makeup, was this very person.

Tang Zhen. The one Yao Ruo said had been on the business trip with Guan Yuanbai.

After instructing the staff, Tang Zhen turned to Zhou Fanfan. "Miss Zhou, I've heard so much about you. I'm Tang Zhen, General Manager at Xuli Power."

Zhou Fanfan shook her hand. "Hello, I'm Zhou Fanfan."

"I know. We were working in the States a few days ago, and Mr. Guan mentioned you. Seeing you in person is even better than hearing the stories. You're truly lovely."

"You're also very beautiful, Miss Tang…"

General Manager of Xuli Power. During work.

Zhou Fanfan glanced at Guan Yuanbai. Had he brought her today not just for lunch, but also as a more direct way of clarifying the situation?

Guan Yuanbai, however, seemed oblivious to her look. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "What would you like to drink? Let me pour it for you."

A small smile touched Zhou Fanfan's lips. "Juice is fine."

"Okay."

Once the food was served, the others began discussing work matters. The woman named Tang Zhen was highly professional, sharp, and efficient—exactly the kind of capable career woman Zhou Fanfan admired.

After the meal, the group walked downstairs together from the private room.

Guan Yuanbai was speaking with the Executive from Xuli Power, so Tang Zhen fell into step beside Zhou Fanfan.

"Miss Zhou."

"Yes?"

Tang Zhen lowered her voice slightly. "I'm sorry about the nonsense Yao Ruo spouted to you."

Zhou Fanfan was taken aback. "Ah… It's alright."

"She's my junior from university. The other day, she saw my social media post and asked me when we were returning, so I told her." Tang Zhen explained, "I didn't expect her to relay the information in a way that caused misunderstandings and trouble for you and Mr. Guan. My apologies."

Being apologized to so formally made Zhou Fanfan feel almost embarrassed. "It's really not your fault at all. There's no need for you to apologize."

"I still wanted to say it. Don't worry, I'll have a serious talk with her when I get back, make sure she gives up any foolish hopes regarding Mr. Guan." Tang Zhen smiled warmly and added sincerely, "Miss Zhou, just from observing you both at lunch, it's clear Mr. Guan truly adores you. I hope you'll both be very happy together.”

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