TLDMDTBS Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Before his discharge, Gu Xiuyi arranged a comprehensive physical examination for Ji Ruan.

The examination required fasting in the morning, so Ji Ruan was dragged out of bed just as the sky was brightening, making rounds in various departments, feeling so hungry that his eyes were filled with stars.

Leaning against the headboard while watching Gu Xiuyi, he felt as if the man’s face rose to the sky one moment and fell to the ground the next, making him dizzy, and eventually, he could only close his eyes to rest.

Aunt Zhao fed him half a bowl of porridge, but he was so hungry that his stomach hurt, and before long, he threw it back up. Originally expected to be discharged that day, after all the fuss, he ended up staying another night, and was finally taken home the next morning in a droopy state.

During the few days Ji Ruan was sick, he lived on just dew, with a sensitive stomach, only able to drink the mushy porridge Aunt Zhao cooked, occasionally eating some greens. He had no strength left in his body, and going upstairs still required Gu Xiuyi to half-support and half-carry him into bed.

The consequence of not being able to eat was losing weight. Gu Xiuyi glanced at the little bit of Ji Ruan’s wrist sticking out from under the blanket, feeling distressed.

And the meticulously arranged examination, down to the last detail, only brought him an even more distressing report.

Gu Xiuyi held the report, reading it multiple times from beginning to end. He even took out the glasses he hadn’t worn in a long time, still unable to believe his eyes.

Anemia, low blood sugar, malnutrition—all indicators were a mess, barely struggling to stay above the passing line. Calling it a big problem might be an exaggeration, but claiming it was minor seemed off, as there were issues everywhere.

Gu Xiuyi felt a headache throughout that whole day he received the report, always thinking that the little poor thing he brought home to avoid trouble had become so fragile that he was starting to spiral out of control and was about to turn into a real little troublemaker.

And he was the kind that couldn’t be scolded or hit; just a harsh word would make him faint—terrifying and fragile.

Ji Ruan stayed in bed for two days in this fuzzy state, and when his stomach finally felt better and could tolerate some oil, he finally came back to life, like a small grass that has long been parched, finally being nourished by the spring rain, stretching out its tender leaves with a rustle as it regained its vitality.

Every day when drinking the different soups Aunt Zhao made, Ji Ruan would sigh that humans really couldn’t live without meat.

Gu Xiuyi got busy again. Ji Ruan had lived here for almost a summer vacation, and although he knew that Gu Xiuyi not returning to the villa was the norm, in the past, no matter how busy he was on business trips, he would occasionally call back to chat, asking about Xiao An and what Aunt Zhao had cooked for dinner.

But these past few days, Ji Ruan hadn’t received a single call; it seemed Gu Xiuyi was especially busy.

When he saw Gu Xiuyi again, it was directly on the open day that Saturday.

When Ji Ruan was previously sick, he had been hospitalized before he could report to the university after being accepted, and he had never known what university life was like until he died.

Now he was given a new lease on life and could truly step into the university campus, excited enough that his heart was racing.

Indeed, human desires tend to grow; before, when there was no hope of life, he only wished to survive, but after surviving, he wanted to live a little better, a little easier, a little freer.

That night, Ji Ruan went to bed early. The next morning, he deliberately wore a light blue short sleeve that looked like a watercolor painting, and Aunt Zhao said he looked especially handsome in it.

After breakfast, Gu Xiuyi picked him up from the yard.

Gu Xiuyi wasn’t wearing a suit anymore; instead, he wore a casual striped shirt paired with black trousers. With broad shoulders and tall stature, he resembled the charismatic senior he had imagined on campus.

Ji Ruan stared at him with satisfaction for a while.

A couple of days ago, it had rained, and today the weather was pretty good—not too hot, with the sun occasionally peeking out.

“How is your health?” Gu Xiuyi asked in the car.

Ji Ruan was messaging Han Xiaolin, typing while responding, “Much better!”

Gu Xiuyi scrutinized Ji Ruan closely; although the weight he lost hadn’t returned, his spirit did seem much better, looking notably cheerful.

He was also dressed appropriately today, in a blue short sleeve and white shorts, carrying a casual crossbody bag. The strap pressed against his shoulder, making him look like a vibrant university student.

He was also the most suitable person Gu Xiuyi had ever seen in light blue.

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t help but smile slightly at the corners of his mouth and then asked Ji Ruan, “Do you still feel dizzy lately?”

His anemia and low blood sugar made dizziness and fatigue the most common symptoms.

Ji Ruan looked at Gu Xiuyi with a “how do you know?” expression: “A little bit…” He smiled shyly, “Especially when I’m hungry.”

He knew his body couldn’t tolerate hunger; Ji Ruan had always been aware of this. In the past, when he was hungry, he would just feel a bit weak, but now he felt dizzy as soon as he was hungry. One morning, he even fell after getting up, and although he landed on the carpet, he was still dazed for quite a while before he could get up.

“You have a bit of anemia, so you’ll get dizzy easily. Be careful when sitting up and moving; walk slowly, and try not to fall.” Gu Xiuyi repeated the doctor’s words verbatim.

Ji Ruan touched his nose and didn’t mention that he had just fallen: “Okay, I got it.”

The new student mobilization meeting and campus open day were bustling from the moment Ji Ruan reached the entrance of Jing Da. The long shaded path was filled with banners, as new students, alumni, relatives, and volunteers in blue vests chatted happily.

Ji Ruan walked quietly beside Gu Xiuyi, occasionally glancing at the passing crowd and then lifting his big eyes to look at the banners above.

The tree-lined path had two entire rows of parasol trees planted along it, with the well-established trees of an old prestigious school being so tall and leafy that here and there, patches of light sporadically fell, making Ji Ruan squint for a moment, but within a few seconds, he would raise his head again to continue looking.

Gu Xiuyi quietly observed Ji Ruan, feeling that he really seemed to harbor a unique curiosity and yearning for university life.

“Ji Ruan—!”

Han Xiaolin was chatting with a senior in a blue vest from afar and spotted Ji Ruan with keen eyes, bouncing toward him and waving.

Ji Ruan was amused by his comical demeanor and let out a laugh.

Gu Xiuyi patted Ji Ruan’s shoulder: “Go ahead.”

Ji Ruan looked up at him, his long eyelashes fluttering: “What about you?”

Gu Xiuyi’s lips curved into a slight arc, and his speech turned a bit gentle: “The alumni are gathering at Beijiao Plaza; you should be in the multifunctional hall, right? I’ll come find you later.”

“Yeah… that sounds good.” Ji Ruan thought for a moment; Gu Xiuyi indeed had his own matters to attend to.

“By the way,” Gu Xiuyi pointed a finger, reminding him, “Don’t run; walk slowly.”

“I know.” Ji Ruan waved goodbye and turned to walk toward Han Xiaolin.

Gu Xiuyi watched as Ji Ruan merged with his friends through the crowd. At first, he walked obediently, but upon running into Han Xiaolin, the two quickly started jogging, linking their arms.

Ji Ruan was particularly happy, laughing brightly, with his mouth raised high and his eyes curving beautifully, the kind of smile that belonged to eighteen-year-olds.

Gu Xiuyi’s expression softened unconsciously, shaking his head as he turned to walk toward his own alumni gathering.

Jing Da has produced many talented individuals, and in the alumni meeting, many people Gu Xiuyi met on the business field came over one after another to strike up a conversation with him. His phone vibrated—it was a call from Song Ling. Gu Xiuyi pressed to answer.

“Boss, Xiao Ya said you changed the delivery address back to the villa?” Song Ling asked. “Are you moving back?”

“That’s right,” Gu Xiuyi declined a glass of champagne, saying, “In the future, don’t send anything to the apartment.”

“So sudden… so you’ve been busy lately, doesn’t it mean you’re moving?” Song Ling clicked his tongue: “If I may ask, why?”

Gu Xiuyi paused for two seconds, pressed his lips together: “Xiao An doesn’t recognize me anymore; it’s better to accompany the cat more.”

In the past, Xiao An always lived in the apartment with Gu Xiuyi, and Aunt Zhao would come to take care of him occasionally. Ever since Ji Ruan moved in, Aunt Zhao had been responsible for him and took the cat back to the villa.

That was a good excuse.

But Song Ling obviously didn’t believe it, and it even sounded like he was stifling a laugh: “Really?”

It could be for the sake of the cat, but this cat was not the same cat.

Gu Xiuyi: “…I’m hanging up.”

His throat felt a bit dry; he tugged at his collar and asked a volunteer for a bottle of mineral water.

“Did you see the dormitory assignment table in the group?” Han Xiaolin pulled Ji Ruan through an unusually crowded area.

“I did,” Ji Ruan was a bit out of breath: “How could I share a dorm with you?”

Han Xiaolin laughed heartily: “We were both the leftovers; the Chinese department only had you left, and the sports department had me left. The other two…”

“The Art Department and the Finance Department,” Ji Ruan supplemented while taking off a ribbon that was stuck in his hair.

The previous segment had some activities, and there were plenty of firecrackers going off. Ji Ruan got sprayed all over.

“How special—we’re the only ones in the entire freshman mixed dorm! Should I buy a lottery ticket?” Han Xiaolin laughed, showing all his teeth.

Ji Ruan glanced at him helplessly: “I wish you luck with five million.”

“Thanks!” Han Xiaolin pushed open the glass door to the multifunctional hall, asking Ji Ruan: “So the military training is coming up; are you going? When will you move into the dorm?”

Ji Ruan had been worried for these past couple of days: “I don’t know; I really don’t want to do the military training. I’ll go back to discuss it with Gu Xiuyi; maybe I’ll arrive a few days later.”

He frowned delicately, his skin fair, and when he frowned slightly, there was a kind of lingering grace.

Han Xiaolin stared at him for a moment, muttering, “It’s okay, Boss Gu definitely wouldn’t want you to do the military training…”

Ji Ruan: “?”

The Chinese department’s reporting area was at the entrance, while the sports department was all the way inside. Han Xiaolin changed the subject: “I’ll go ahead; let’s contact each other by phone later?”

Ji Ruan shook his head: “Gu Xiuyi is coming to find me.”

His eyes were clear, possessing a talent for silently tormenting single dogs.

“…Alright then.” Han Xiaolin smiled, “I’ll take my leave.”

A gust of wind passed by Ji Ruan; Han Xiaolin, no doubt a track athlete, looked skinny like a monkey, but in reality, his legs were all muscle, quickly disappearing from sight.

As soon as the upperclassmen at the Chinese department spotted Ji Ruan, their eyes lit up, “Junior, are you from our department? Are you reporting in?”

“Yes,” Ji Ruan smiled slightly.

The senior was very enthusiastic, slapping a form down on the table: “Come, come, sit and fill out a form.”

Ji Ruan found this warmth a bit overwhelming and pulled out a chair to sit down: “Thank you, senior.”

The multifunctional hall had central air conditioning, but with so many people inside, the effect was minimal. Almost every department’s booth had brought a large fan to blow air.

Ji Ruan was directly facing the fan at the Chinese department and felt a bit dizzy from the wind. He moved his chair a little to the side and continued filling out the form.

When he wrote, the curve of his neck was very graceful, like a ballet dancer. Since he was sweating a little, the tip of his nose and the area around his eyes had turned slightly red, a striking beauty combining tranquility and vitality.

Strangely, more and more people gathered around him, approaching him one after another to strike up conversations.

“Junior, can we add WeChat?”

“Hey, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Do you prefer older or younger partners? Would you date someone the same age as you?”

…

With so many people, the air thinned out, and Ji Ruan felt a bit dizzy. His pencil paused momentarily as he looked up and smiled warmly: “I’m already married.”

It was as if a silencer had suddenly been taken off, and the surrounding area fell silent.

Ji Ruan let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly finished filling out the form and handed it to the senior.

A few seconds later, the silence broke, and the chatter of the crowd resumed.

“Married? No way…”

“It might be true, he’s wearing a ring on his ring finger…”

“Wow, we all just graduated from high school, and he’s certified; his speed is faster than mine getting a driver’s license; I failed the second test five times!”

…

Ji Ruan received a gift bag from the senior and turned to walk out discreetly.

“Hey! Isn’t he that… Gu… he looks familiar…”

“Whoa, that photo… it really looks like Gu Xiuyi…”

“Eighteen years old, admitted to a prestigious school, married into a wealthy family, beautiful as a flower… what a life winner…”

Ji Ruan once again underestimated the influence of Boss Gu, not expecting to be recognized like this. His heart tightened as he quickened his pace to leave.

But the crowd had grown so large that Ji Ruan felt panicked.

Fortunately, at that moment, Gu Xiuyi called. Without thinking, Ji Ruan quickly answered, “Hello?”

“I arrived…” Gu Xiuyi’s voice paused, suddenly sounding much more serious: “Why is it so noisy over there?”

Ji Ruan tightly covered his ear, afraid the crowd would push the phone away, his voice trembling a bit: “I am—”

As he spoke, he caught sight of Gu Xiuyi standing outside through the crowd, and at that moment of eye contact, Ji Ruan immediately hung up and jogged outside.

Gu Xiuyi must have jogged over as well. Despite the distance looking far, Ji Ruan barely ran a few steps before being grasped by the hand, then bumped against Gu Xiuyi.

Ji Ruan’s palms were sweaty.

Gu Xiuyi supported his shoulder: “Scared?”

Ji Ruan swallowed hard, steadied himself, and shook his head: “Just now a lot of people wanted my WeChat, so I said I was married, and then they recognized me as your partner…”

He furrowed his brow, looking both uneasy and shocked.

Gu Xiuyi raised his gaze to scan ahead. His cold expression exuded a natural aura of ‘no entry,’ directly isolating the crowd on the distant steps.

“It’s okay,” he grasped Ji Ruan’s hand: “Let’s go.”