The Only Choice - Extra 1

Zhou Fanfan returned to the capital. It was only the next day that she discovered what Guan Yuanbai had meant by the ‘other’ birthday gift he’d mentioned.

A pink Lamborghini.

She’d known he was a car fanatic, of course. She’d seen the collection of limited-edition sports cars parked in his family’s underground garage. But she never expected him to get one for her, and in such a blinding shade of pink.

The car was outrageously, vibrantly pink. For quite a while after seeing it, Zhou Fanfan couldn’t bring herself to drive it. It was only after Guan Yuanbai started complaining, "Don’t you like the gift I gave you?", that she finally drove it to work a few times.

Today, she was returning from the post-production studio for Scarlet Flames. Since they had plans to have dinner at the Guan family home, she went straight to Nanheng to pick up Guan Yuanbai.

When she arrived at his office, his assistant, Lin Zhao, informed her he was still in a meeting in a conference room on the same floor.

With time to kill, Zhou Fanfan wandered over and peeked through the door.

The room was full of people in sharp suits, men and women alike, all wearing uniformly serious expressions. And yet, in the midst of all this solemnity, there was the boss himself… with a head of shockingly pink hair.

Incongruous? Absolutely. But somehow, it was also… endearing.

"How much longer?" Zhou Fanfan whispered to Lin Zhao.

"They've been at it for half an hour. Probably another thirty minutes or so," Lin Zhao replied.

"Okay."

Lin Zhao and Zhou Fanfan were quite familiar by now. Lin Zhao had even taken Zhou Fanfan up on her offer to visit the Scarlet Flames set, finally getting to meet her own ‘precious son’ in the flesh.

"Fanfan, what would you like to drink?"

"Just coffee is fine."

"Ok, wait here, I'll get it for you."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Lin Zhao gave her a knowing smile. "We should be the ones thanking you. The boss has been noticeably more… amiable lately. His mood has been excellent."

Zhou Fanfan found this strange. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Everything! Ever since Scarlet Flames wrapped and you came back, Mr. Guan has been in remarkably high spirits."

"Really…"

"Absolutely." Lin Zhao's tone turned teasing. "There isn't a soul in this company who doesn't know how utterly smitten our Mr. Guan is with his girlfriend~"

Zhou Fanfan flushed, gently shoving Lin Zhao's arm. "Stop it. Coffee, please."

"Alright, alright~"

By the time she finished her coffee, Guan Yuanbai's meeting was over.

"Wait long?" he asked.

Zhou Fanfan was lounging comfortably in his office chair. "Not at all. Are you finished?"

"Mn. Let's go, time for dinner."

"Okay."

He held out his hand. She took it, and they walked together to the parking garage.

"Is everyone going to be there tonight?" she asked on the way.

"Besides Grandfather and Grandma, it's just our generation. No other parents, so no need to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous," Zhou Fanfan protested immediately. "It's not like I haven't met them all before…"

Guan Yuanbai chuckled. "True. There isn't a single member of my family you haven't met." He paused. "So, are you planning to tell Grandfather and Grandma tonight that we're going to get our marriage license?"

He glanced at her. "Is it okay to tell them?"

"Yes… I was planning to tell my Grandma soon too."

"Alright. Then we'll inform them tonight."

An hour later, they arrived at the Guan family estate.

The housekeeper, watering flowers in the courtyard, greeted them respectfully as they entered. "Third Young Master, Miss Zhou, you're here."

"Mn."

Hearing the voices, Guan Xi and Jiang Suizhou, who had just arrived themselves, turned from the doorway.

"Fanfan, what a coincidence, we just got here too," Guan Xi said. Then, spotting her brother, she added, "Oh, and the Pink-Haired Hunk is still wonderfully pink, I see."

Zhou Fanfan greeted them both.

Guan Yuanbai stepped forward. "How long are you going to call me that?"

Guan Xi blinked innocently. "What's wrong with it? I called you a hunk."

Guan Yuanbai gave her a look but didn't bother to retort, simply leading Zhou Fanfan inside instead.

Guan Xi shrugged and said to Jiang Suizhou, "What's he so dissatisfied about?"

Jiang Suizhou replied drily, "He probably feels you're disrespectful. That he's lost his dignity as an older brother."

Guan Xi snorted. "What dignity can you have with a head of pink hair?"

Jiang Suizhou glanced at Guan Yuanbai's retreating back. "Hm… fair point."

Inside, almost everyone had already gathered. Aside from the second son, Guan Ziyu, who was still single, all the other siblings were present with their partners.

Cui Mingzhu, the matriarch, spotted Zhou Fanfan and immediately pulled her aside. "Fanfan, I haven't seen you in so long! Let me look at you… still as lovely as ever."

"I've been busy with work recently and couldn't come visit you," Zhou Fanfan said apologetically. "Grandma, how is your health?"

"Perfectly fine." Cui Mingzhu patted her hand. "Xiao Wu told me you've been with her on the film set these past few months. Look at you, so young and already so dedicated to your career. You're much better than our Ziyu."

Guan Ziyu, who had been minding his own business, looked over, wounded. "Grandma, if you want to praise her, just praise her. Why drag me into it?"

"Because you're the one I worry about! Who else here gives me as much trouble as you do?"

Guan Ziyu was indignant. "Yuanbai used to get scolded with me! Now I'm all alone in this. Just because he has a girlfriend now! So your standard for whether we're trouble or not is just whether we're dating someone!"

"And what if it is?" Cui Mingzhu shot back. "Do you have the ability to bring a proper partner home?"

Guan Ziyu wasn't falling for it. "Yeah, well, I'm a committed bachelor."

The older generation could never quite understand such concepts. Cui Mingzhu simply waved him off, uninterested in arguing, and turned her full attention back to Zhou Fanfan.

Their conversation eventually turned to Guan Yuanbai's hair.

Cui Mingzhu was quite traditional. Back when Guan Xi had dyed her hair, she'd complained it damaged the hair and that the strange colors were unattractive.

But when it came to Guan Yuanbai this time, she had nothing but praise.

"Yuanbai said he dyed it pink because you like the color. I thought to myself, how wonderful! His hair has been plain black his whole life, how boring! I'm very satisfied with this new color. What do you think, Fanfan…"

Guan Xi, standing nearby, was baffled by the blatant double standard. But as she listened on, she understood. Her Grandma was terrified that this prospective granddaughter-in-law might slip away, so now, no matter what Guan Yuanbai did, she would find a way to praise it to the skies!

Cui Mingzhu continued, "Fanfan, you have no idea, I even showed our group photo to some of my friends. They all said you two make such a handsome couple, and that his pink hair looks particularly dashing on him."

Zhou Fanfan smiled. "It does suit him. But… he's thinking of dyeing it back soon."

Cui Mingzhu was taken aback. "Oh? Why? What's wrong? Oh! Is it that your family finds it… improper?"

Zhou Fanfan quickly shook her head. "No, not at all! My family doesn't mind. They don't think it's a problem. It's just… we think that for our wedding license photo, a darker hair color would be more… appropriate."

"…"

Instantly, all movement in the room ceased. Every pair of eyes locked onto Zhou Fanfan.

Being stared at by so many people, especially concerning marriage, made her cheeks flush. She suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

"No need to stare. We are planning to register our marriage," Guan Yuanbai finished for her, his tone matter-of-fact.

"R-really?" Cui Mingzhu finally found her voice, her face transforming with sheer delight.

Zhou Fanfan nodded.

Cui Mingzhu sprang to her feet. "Then… then we must pick an auspicious day! We… we must visit Fanfan's family!"

"Grandma, don't get too excited," Guan Yuanbai said calmly.

"How can I not be excited? It hasn't been easy, finally getting you off my hands!" Cui Mingzhu hurried toward the study, moving with a speed that defied her age, her back straight and her legs seemingly free of any ache. "Old man! Old man! Fanfan says she's willing to marry Yuanbai, "

Guan Yuanbai: "…………"

A moment of stunned silence hung in the living room, before it was abruptly broken by a wave of laughter.

Soon after, dinner was served.

The family gathered around the table, the conversation dominated by one topic: what kind of wedding they should have.

Truthfully, Zhou Fanfan hadn't given it much thought yet and couldn't immediately articulate her preferences.

"That's perfectly alright, Fanfan. There's no rush for the wedding," Cui Mingzhu assured her, beaming. "You can take your time and think it over carefully. Have it exactly how you envision it. I'll support you fully!"

"Thank you, Grandma…"

"No need for thanks, it's only right." The smile on Cui Mingzhu's face was utterly irrepressible. She continuously served Zhou Fanfan more food. "Eat more of this meat… This crab is delicious too…"

In the end, Zhou Fanfan was thoroughly stuffed before she finally managed to leave the dinner table.

After a stroll in the garden to aid digestion, Guan Yuanbai took Zhou Fanfan to see the room reserved for him in the house.

Cui Mingzhu had kept a room for each of the five grandchildren, for whenever they visited. Guan Yuanbai had stayed here often as a child, and the room held many remnants from those days.

Like the books on the shelves, and some very old photographs.

"Ah! It's Yiyi! So adorable! The two of you look super alike in your baby photos!"

On a bookshelf was a photo album filled with pictures of Guan Yuanbai and his younger sister, Guan Zhiyi, from their childhood, many of which had never been seen online. As a devoted fan, Zhou Fanfan couldn't contain her excitement.

Guan Yuanbai leaned against her, looking at the album. "If we look so similar, why only praise her and not me?"

Zhou Fanfan glanced sideways at him. "You're even jealous of this?"

"I'm just stating a fact."

Zhou Fanfan suppressed a laugh. "You were adorable too. Super adorable."

Guan Yuanbai gave a noncommittal "Mn," seemingly somewhat satisfied.

Zhou Fanfan continued flipping through the pages, watching Guan Yuanbai gradually grow up within the small album.

Elementary school, middle school, high school, university… Well-preserved photos from all the important stages.

Her gaze finally settled on a photo from his high school years. By then, he had begun to blossom into a young man, handsome, yet still bearing traces of youthful innocence.

Fair, smooth skin, soft bangs, a lean frame.

Looking at it now, he was the very picture of a sweet, youthful 'puppy'.

"When was this photo taken?" Zhou Fanfan asked.

Guan Yuanbai thought for a moment. "Probably sophomore year of high school. At the sports day opening ceremony."

Zhou Fanfan gently touched the face in the photograph and let out a long sigh. "What a pity."

"A pity?"

"A pity that when you were a sophomore, I was still in elementary school."

Guan Yuanbai pinched her cheek. "What would you have done otherwise?"

"Gone to the sports field to check out the handsome upperclassman, of course! Look at how tender you looked back then, totally the campus heartthrob type." Zhou Fanfan sighed again. "There wasn't anyone nearly as handsome in my high school."

Guan Yuanbai chuckled. "Did you eat honey today? You're being very sweet with your words."

Zhou Fanfan grinned and nodded. "No honey, but that sweet soup the chef made was delicious. My mouth still tastes sweet."

Guan Yuanbai's eyes lowered, settling on her soft, pink lips. "Is that so? Let me taste."

"Huh?"

Guan Yuanbai cupped her face and, without another word, tilted his head and captured her lips.

Zhou Fanfan froze for a second, but soon tilted her head up to respond.

Kissing him was something she was very familiar with by now.

However, a brief, feather-light kiss was utterly unsatisfying in the throes of their current passion.

Before long, Guan Yuanbai took the album from her hands, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pressed her back against the bookshelf.

Zhou Fanfan's legs felt weak from his kisses, so she had to wrap her arms around his neck for support.

This only sank her deeper into his embrace…

Guan Yuanbai's kisses grew more demanding.

Knock knock, 

Suddenly, the door to the room sounded.

Zhou Fanfan jolted back to awareness, remembering exactly where they were, and feeling profoundly grateful she had closed the door behind them when they entered.

"Go answer it."

She quickly pushed him away, straightening her clothes.

Annoyance flashed in Guan Yuanbai's eyes, but he went to open the door nonetheless.

Qi Chengyan and Jiang Suizhou stood outside.

Jiang Suizhou's gaze lingered on Guan Yuanbai's lips for a moment before a knowing smile touched his lips. "A bit early to be calling it a night, isn't it? Guan Xi sent us to fetch you. She wants to play mahjong downstairs."

Guan Yuanbai replied flatly, "We'll be down in a bit."

Jiang Suizhou raised a brow. "What, still want to 'sleep' first?"

"No," Guan Yuanbai said. "I need to take her home first."

Jiang Suizhou looked surprised. "She's not staying?"

It was customary for everyone to stay over at the estate after these family dinners.

Qi Chengyan glanced at Jiang Suizhou. "It's probably because they're unmarried. It wouldn't be proper for them to share a room here." He added drily, "You should understand that best."

Jiang Suizhou replied with an air of nonchalance. "I wouldn't know."

Qi Chengyan pretended to ponder. "Ah, right. You were always sneaking from the guest room to Guan Xi's room in the dead of night, then putting on a show of returning to the guest room first thing in the morning. So you truly wouldn't know the meaning of 'staying separately' here."

Jiang Suizhou's faint smile vanished.

Having successfully nettled him, Qi Chengyan concluded, "How pitiful. You… illegitimate ones."

"…"

"…………"

Guan Yuanbai shot a cold glare at Qi Chengyan. "You go ahead. I'll join you later."

"Alright, then."

Guan Yuanbai closed the door and returned to Zhou Fanfan.

She walked over to him. "I should get going soon. I need to talk to my Grandma about our plans too."

"Mn, I'll take you home." He paused, thinking, then added, "Fanfan, let's pick a date. Let's get the license soon."

"How soon? Can't you wait a few days?"

"No, I can't," Guan Yuanbai said, a trace of that earlier frustration returning to his voice. "I want to make this legal. Sooner rather than later.”

---

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