The Only Choice - 64

Due to urgent matters at the company, Guan Yuanbai could only stay for one day. Early the next morning, he had to catch his return flight.

Zhou Fanfan saw him off at the airport, holding his hand reluctantly before he went through security.

"Call me again after you land."

Guan Yuanbai: "What if you're busy?"

"Then just send me a message. I'll reply when I see it~"

"Mm, alright."

Having only been together for one day after such a long separation, Zhou Fanfan was very reluctant to let him go. But if he really stayed, she wouldn't have much time to spend with him either.

This was the downside of both of them being busy.

"When do you think we'll see each other next?" she asked.

Guan Yuanbai was already feeling reluctant to part; seeing her cling to him so tenderly made his heart melt. He wished he could just take her back with him right then. "I'll come see you as soon as I have any free time."

"Maybe don't do that. You're already busy, and flying back and forth is exhausting," Zhou Fanfan said worriedly. "Besides, we often have night shoots… Forget it. I'll find you when I go back to the university."

Her class schedule was very light this semester. Zhou Fanfan only flew back to the Imperial Capital for classes or matters with her advisor, and even then, it was always a quick trip. Lately, almost all her focus was on the drama Scarlet Flame.

Guan Yuanbai also knew that even if she returned to the Imperial Capital, she might not have time to see him. He said, "Focus on your work. Don't worry about me. How about this: I'll come visit the set again next month for your birthday."

Zhou Fanfan had long forgotten her own birthday amidst her busy schedule. Only when he mentioned it did she remember her birthday was in two weeks.

"Are you sure you'll be free that day?"

"Definitely."

"Okay then! I'll be waiting for you."

Guan Yuanbai nodded. "So, is there anything you want as a gift?"

Zhou Fanfan couldn't think of anything she particularly wanted at the moment. "I don't know."

"Think about it properly. If there's nothing specific you want, I'll have to improvise."

Having witnessed him buying her lots of diamond jewelry before, Zhou Fanfan was afraid he would spend a lot of money again. "I don't really need anything. If you come that day, that'll be the best gift for me."

"Oh? So you don't want things, you want me?"

Zhou Fanfan grinned and hugged him. "Yes! My birthday gift is having you come to me."

A smile touched Guan Yuanbai's lips as he held her tightly. "Okay. I'll definitely come."

---

Life on set was tiring but fulfilling. Time passed bit by bit, and it went by fairly quickly.

Before she knew it, her birthday had arrived. However, Zhou Fanfan didn't tell anyone it was her birthday, intending to just carry on with work as usual.

Unexpectedly, the moment she arrived on set that day, someone wished her a happy birthday.

"Fanfan!"

Zhou Fanfan turned to see Guan Zhiyi waving at her from not far away. Next to her were several very familiar faces.

Zhou Fanfan's face lit up with joy, and she ran over.

"President! Vice President! A-Chou!"

They were members of Guan Zhiyi's fan club, the core support group. It seemed they had come to visit the set on behalf of the fans! Fan representatives had visited before, but this was the first time she was seeing familiar faces.

"Fanfan!!!" A-Chou immediately gave Zhou Fanfan a hug. "I knew we'd see you here."

The news that Zhou Fanfan had bought the novel's adaptation rights and ultimately cast Guan Zhiyi as the female lead had long spread among the fan circles. Everyone said this was the ultimate form of star-chasing.

"Oh, you all know each other?" Guan Zhiyi said with a smile.

The club president said, "Of course! Fanfan used to be a member of our fan club too."

Zhou Fanfan said, "I still am!"

The president laughed. "Right, right, you are, you are."

A-Chou said, "By the way, Fanfan, we brought some food, milk tea, and cake. Remember to have some later."

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome." A-Chou took her hand solemnly. "We're entrusting Zhiyi to you! You must take good care of her!"

Zhou Fanfan immediately became serious. "I definitely will!"

Although Guan Zhiyi occasionally called Zhou Fanfan 'sister-in-law,' at this moment, looking at them was like looking at a group of younger sisters. She couldn't help but laugh. "I can take care of myself. You all need to look after your health too."

"We will, we will~"

After parting ways with A-Chou and the others, Zhou Fanfan and Guan Zhiyi walked towards the set together.

"Fanfan, wait for me a moment."

"Huh?"

Guan Zhiyi called her assistant over and then took a gift bag from her. "Happy Birthday."

Zhou Fanfan was surprised. "How did you know?"

"Brother told me."

Zhou Fanfan was deeply touched. "Thank you!! I'm so happy!!"

"You'll be even happier when Brother arrives. When is he coming?"

Zhou Fanfan really didn't know when he would arrive. He had only said he would definitely make it today to celebrate her birthday with her.

"He said he's driving directly here. I don't know what time he'll arrive."

"Probably not too late. He wouldn't have the heart to disappoint you on your birthday."

Zhou Fanfan smiled sheepishly.

"Alright, I need to go get my makeup done. You busy yourself."

"Mm, mm, go ahead."

There was an important scene scheduled for the morning. Zhou Fanfan didn't have the mind to constantly check when Guan Yuanbai would arrive; she threw herself completely into her work.

It wasn't until noon, after the scene was successfully filmed, that she finally relaxed and sent Guan Yuanbai a message asking when he would arrive. He said about an hour.

This time, Guan Yuanbai had ordered even more catering trucks than last time, making an even bigger splash.

One of them was from a very famous local dessert shop, specifically delivering cakes. A banner even had "Happy Birthday, Zhou Fanfan" written on it.

Now the entire crew knew it was Zhou Fanfan's birthday and offered their congratulations one after another.

Zhou Fanfan urged everyone to enjoy the food. After chatting for a while and still not seeing Guan Yuanbai, she went inside to wait.

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!!!!" Before long, Lu Mimi rushed in. "Fanfan! Your boyfriend is here!!"

"Really?" Zhou Fanfan stood up to go out, but after two steps, she glanced amusedly at Lu Mimi. "Why are you so excited?"

Lu Mimi pointed to her own hair and gave a big thumbs up. "Stunning!!! So handsome! Seriously too handsome! It's a completely different vibe from before! Fanfan, your man really suits that color!!!"

Zhou Fanfan didn't understand. "What color?"

"His hair! It looks so good! After we wrap filming, I want to go dye mine the same color!"

Dyed hair? Guan Yuanbai?

He hadn't mentioned anything…

Full of questions, Zhou Fanfan ran outside. As she neared the entrance, she first saw a crowd, crew members and Guan Zhiyi, all looking in one direction, talking to someone.

Zhou Fanfan took two more steps out and saw the man they were surrounding. He was very tall, dressed in a black overcoat, his figure easily rivaling any male actor on set.

But at this moment, his height and looks weren't the main point. The main point was… his pink hair!

Zhou Fanfan stared, rooted to the spot, unable to make a sound for a long time.

Just then, the man in the distance spotted her and walked towards her.

It really was pink… Had he lost his mind?

Zhou Fanfan had never imagined Guan Yuanbai would dye his hair such a bright color. Given his personality and the nature of his work, this behavior seemed completely out of character.

But as Lu Mimi had said, he looked really good with pink hair.

It was different from his black hair. With black hair, he looked steady and gentle. With pink hair, he was bold and unrestrained, his cool demeanor carrying a unique softness, like cherry blossoms scattering, clean and romantic.

"Satisfied?" He stopped in front of her, his gaze lowering, filled with laughter.

Zhou Fanfan snapped out of her daze and finally asked, "What's with your hair…"

"It's pink. The color you like."

"You dyed it this color because of me?"

"I remember you said before you really like people with dyed hair, that you find it attractive." Guan Yuanbai leaned down slightly and asked in a voice only she could hear, "Do I look good now?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded dumbly.

Guan Yuanbai smiled contentedly. "That's good. I was afraid you might not be satisfied. After all, if you weren't satisfied, I'd be useless as a gift."

"Gift?"

Guan Yuanbai: "Didn't I say last time? I'm here today as the gift."

Because he was the gift, he appeared in her favorite color.

Zhou Fanfan was suddenly overwhelmed with mixed emotions, both amused and deeply touched.

Meanwhile, Guan Zhiyi was already taking pictures on the side, muttering about how she absolutely had to mass-send them to the family, let everyone have a look.

Guan Yuanbai looked back at her. "No need to mass-send. Take a photo for us instead."

Guan Zhiyi narrowed her eyes. "You're going to post it on your social media?!"

Guan Yuanbai handed her his phone. "Yes."

Guan Zhiyi muttered in disbelief, "I remember not long ago, a certain someone was telling me that dyeing hair was 'non-mainstream'…"

Guan Yuanbai smiled slightly. "Guan Xiao Wu, hurry up and take the picture."

"…Oh."

The pink hair attracted a lot of attention on set, and it was just as conspicuous when they left and went to a restaurant.

Guan Yuanbai's skin was fair to begin with, and this pink shade made his complexion appear even more translucent, giving him a bit of an idol actor vibe.

Zhou Fanfan watched people at the next table constantly glancing over and couldn't help but stare at him herself.

Guan Yuanbai, however, was used to it. He'd had the hair for a few days now and had become numb to the sidelong glances he'd been getting at the company lately.

"Will it be okay if your family finds out?" Zhou Fanfan asked.

"You mean the hair?"

"Mm…"

Guan Yuanbai laughed. "What does it matter to them what color I dye my hair?"

Zhou Fanfan looked envious. "My grandma won't let me dye mine… But you really look so good with this color. I really, really like this pink."

Seeing the sparkle in Zhou Fanfan's eyes, Guan Yuanbai felt the hair dye was truly worth it.

"Glad you like it. Oh, there's another birthday gift, but it wasn't convenient to bring. It's at home. You can see it when you get back."

"What is it?"

"Nothing too special. You'll find out when you get back."

Since Guan Yuanbai didn't elaborate, Zhou Fanfan didn't press. After all, he was here himself. Whatever the other gift was, she would love it.

The food hadn't arrived yet. Seizing this spare moment, Guan Yuanbai lowered his head and posted the photo from earlier on his social media.

Zhou Fanfan, seeing him fiddling with his phone, asked, "What are you doing?"

Guan Yuanbai turned the phone towards her. "Showing off."

Zhou Fanfan leaned forward to look. Guan Yuanbai had captioned the photo: [Miss Zhou says she likes this hair color]

Within just a few seconds, she saw several people had already liked it.

Zhou Fanfan's lips curved into a smile as she looked up at him.

He raised an eyebrow slightly. The sunlight was strong, streaming through the window and falling on his face and hair, casting a golden glow over his fair skin and light pink hair. His pride seemed particularly unrestrained.

Zhou Fanfan felt utterly captivated by his expression, her heart trembling with affection.

"What's wrong?" Guan Yuanbai asked, seeing her staring at him intently.

Zhou Fanfan said, "Nothing. I just wanted to say… Miss Zhou likes this hair color, but she likes you even more."

---

After coming to celebrate Zhou Fanfan's birthday this time, Guan Yuanbai stayed with her on set for a few more days.

When she was busy, he usually worked on his laptop at the hotel. During her free time, he would walk around the set and have meals with Zhou Fanfan and Guan Zhiyi.

After posting the photo of himself with pink hair and Zhou Fanfan on his social media, many people had contacted him over the past few days. Even business partners he rarely spoke with expressed surprise, praising him for being "rebellious."

Later, it wasn't just friends; people online found out too.

It started one evening when Guan Yuanbai and Guan Zhiyi were eating out.

They had finished early that day. Zhou Fanfan had booked a table at a relatively famous local restaurant and wanted to take Guan Yuanbai and Guan Zhiyi there. Just before leaving, she had to discuss something with the director, so she asked Guan Zhiyi and Guan Yuanbai to go first.

Unexpectedly, someone secretly took photos of Guan Zhiyi that day, capturing her entering a restaurant with a pink-haired man, appearing very familiar. The news broke that very night.

The paparazzi had shot from a distance, making it hard to see the man clearly. Consequently, netizens speculated about which idol actor it might be. Since Guan Zhiyi was married, being seen dining alone with an idol actor would surely damage her image.

But what the paparazzi didn't expect was that the rumor was quashed the very next morning.

Because Guan Zhiyi directly responded, utterly exasperated, saying, "That's my biological brother."

The anti-fans were instantly deflated, but the general fanbase was thrilled. That pink-haired man was actually Guan Yuanbai?! Was it really the Guan Yuanbai they knew?!

There were too many questions. Guan Zhiyi calmly replied to a fan in the comments: "Yes, no need to doubt it. It's him."

"Ahhh! So handsome! Does Brother like pink? What a twist!"

Guan Zhiyi: "No, his girlfriend does."

Anyone who had been part of Guan Zhiyi's fan circle knew that their former fan club president had gotten together with their idol's older brother. And not only did she land the brother, she also directly bought an IP for the idol to star in.

She was practically the ultimate fan.

[OMG, I've seen Zhou Fanfan at many fan events before. She seems to really like pink; even her car is pink!]

[So sweet! Just because his girlfriend likes pink, he dyed his own hair pink.]

[According to an insider, Guan Yuanbai dyed his hair pink to celebrate Zhou Fanfan's birthday and make her happy.]

[Side note: Does anyone know what shade of pink this is? It's so nice. I want to get the same color…]

[Probably Pink Rose Gold? I've dyed a similar color before.]

[A domineering CEO dyes his hair for love, and it's pink! New material for novels right here.]

[To chase stars to this extent… she's a role model for our generation…]

Later on, someone from Guan Yuanbai's social media circle, no one knew who, leaked that photo of him and Zhou Fanfan online.

While Guan Yuanbai's compatibility with pink was highly praised, it also inexplicably sparked a trend for pink hair. For a while afterwards, many guys and girls actually went to dye their hair pink…

---

Another month or so later, Scarlet Flame wrapped up filming.

Zhou Fanfan originally planned to return to the Imperial Capital the day after the wrap party. But unexpectedly, it started snowing heavily that day. Due to the weather, flights were repeatedly delayed.

Zhou Fanfan had no choice but to check into a nearby hotel and video call Guan Yuanbai.

"No idea when the flight will take off. There's still no notification. I feel like it might not even fly tonight."

Guan Yuanbai comforted her from the other end. "It's okay. If you can't fly today, come back tomorrow."

Zhou Fanfan sighed. "Alright then. I'll cancel my ticket. Don't wait for me today. See you tomorrow."

"Mm. Get some rest early."

"Okay…"

Actually, if possible, she still wanted to return today. No particular reason, just that it had been too long since she'd been back, and she wanted to see him sooner.

So, while she said she would cancel the ticket, after much hesitation, she ultimately didn't. She kept waiting.

Fortunately, the wait wasn't in vain. When the flight was delayed until after 9 PM, they were notified it could finally take off.

Overjoyed, Zhou Fanfan grabbed her luggage and headed straight for the airport.

However, thinking it would be very late by the time she arrived in the Imperial Capital, and afraid Guan Yuanbai would come to pick her up if he knew her flight was back on, she didn't inform him.

A few hours later, she landed in the Imperial Capital, took a taxi directly to Xinghe Bay, and arrived at his place a little past midnight. The lights were off; she guessed he was already asleep.

Zhou Fanfan entered quietly, left her luggage, took off her cold coat on the sofa, and went upstairs.

Pushing the bedroom door open, the lights were indeed off…

By the light from outside, she could see Guan Yuanbai lying on his side, his soft pink hair falling across his forehead.

His hair should have faded long ago, but because she said she liked it, he had actually gone and had it touched up.

Zhou Fanfan walked over slowly, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to gently poke his cheek.

The man in his sleep was clearly not in deep slumber yet. He opened his eyes, startled at first, but once he recognized who it was, he reached out and pulled her down.

"Ah—"

Zhou Fanfan was promptly rolled into the blankets.

Guan Yuanbai took a deep breath against her neck, his voice husky with sleep. "Am I dreaming?"

Zhou Fanfan hugged him and murmured, "What do you think? Does it feel like a dream?"

He pinched her soft flesh. "No…"

Zhou Fanfan, tickled by his nuzzling, held his face. "Then it's not a dream. I just arrived."

Guan Yuanbai slowly processed this and frowned slightly. "Why didn't you tell me? You said you were coming back tomorrow."

"The flight was reinstated. I just wanted to come back a little earlier."

"You should have told me. I could have picked you up from the airport."

Zhou Fanfan pulled him down and kissed his lips. "I was afraid you'd drive to the airport to get me in the middle of the night. That's why I didn't tell you."

Guan Yuanbai was a little displeased, but after being coaxed by her soft words for a moment, he quickly sank back into the sweet intimacy of holding her.

Later, their cuddling under the covers was interrupted by a rumble from someone's stomach.

Guan Yuanbai stopped, chuckling softly. "Hungry?"

Zhou Fanfan nodded. "Mm… I didn't eat on the plane."

Guan Yuanbai: "Let's go downstairs then. I'll make you something to eat."

"Like what?"

"The fridge is stocked with lots of things I just bought, waiting for you to come back. There's everything." Guan Yuanbai got up as he spoke. "Wait a moment. I'll cook."

"Then… then I'll just have a simple bowl of noodles."

"Okay. We have that."

Guan Yuanbai was genuinely worried she was hungry. Despite his own evident desire, he went downstairs and into the kitchen.

Zhou Fanfan sat on the bed for a while, her heart feeling warm and full, and couldn't help but smile.

After a moment, she also went downstairs and stood at the kitchen doorway.

Pork ribs were simmering in a pot. Guan Yuanbai had his back to her, chopping leafy greens.

It was a very ordinary scene, yet she felt an unprecedented sense of belonging.

It felt like no matter where she returned from, or what time it was, he would always be there waiting for her.

Zhou Fanfan walked forward and wordlessly wrapped her arms around his waist.

Guan Yuanbai paused his movements. "Why'd you come in? Wait outside for a bit. It'll be ready soon."

"I wanted a hug."

Guan Yuanbai turned around. But because his hands were wet, he didn't touch her, simply looking down at her. "If you act this spoiled, do you still plan on eating?"

Zhou Fanfan paid no mind, simply leaning against his chest. After thinking for a moment, she suddenly called his name. "Guan Yuanbai."

"Mm?"

"In a little while, dye your hair back to its original color."

Guan Yuanbai was taken aback. "You don't like it anymore?"

"It's not that I don't like it. It's just… it might be inconvenient."

"Inconvenient how?"

Zhou Fanfan didn't know why this thought popped into her head just then. She just suddenly felt that she wanted this, wanted to be with Guan Yuanbai like this, forever.

"It would be inconvenient for taking ID photos," Zhou Fanfan said, looking up at him and reaching out to touch his hair. "This color doesn't go well with a red background."

Guan Yuanbai's eyes flickered slightly. "What did you say…?"

Zhou Fanfan mustered all her courage and finally spoke the words. "I'm saying, let's go get our marriage license."

What she once didn't believe in, what she once feared, what she once disregarded…

At this moment, because of the person in front of her, she chose to embrace it.

Feelings in this world are fickle, easily fading, easily scattering…

But she was willing to believe that there is always someone whose sincerity can withstand the test of time.

She thought, Guan Yuanbai was that person.

(The End)

---

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