TLDMDTBS Chapter 23
by VolareTwo days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Aunt Zhao took a day off, and Gu Xiuyi simply took Ji Ruan out for a trip.
A friend had a private mountain villa on the outskirts of the city, not far away; it was just right for a two-day one-night getaway, and they could even spend a night there.
The two casually packed a few changes of clothes, didn’t call for a driver, and Gu Xiuyi drove them there himself, while Ji Ruan naturally took the passenger seat.
It felt a bit strange; the last time he sat in Gu Xiuyi’s passenger seat was when he was taken to the hospital due to gastroenteritis, feeling dizzy from the pain. He didn’t feel much then, but now, going out for fun with the clear weather and no clouds, yet no one was speaking, the air felt too quiet.
“Have you thought about getting a driver’s license?” Gu Xiuyi broke the silence first.
“A driver’s license?” Ji Ruan withdrew his gaze from the treetops outside. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”
Gu Xiuyi casually replied, “If you can drive, you could go many places on your own, carefree.”
That was true. Ji Ruan thought for a moment; a road trip indeed sounded wonderful, slowly taking in the scenery.
“But I’ve heard it’s hard to pass.” He scratched his nose, finding the idea of a road trip amusing yet a bit troublesome.
This seemed to touch upon Gu Xiuyi’s knowledge blind spot, as he furrowed his brow. “Is it hard?”
“Very,” Ji Ruan said seriously, raising three fingers. “Han Xiaolin has taken the second exam three times, and he’s an athlete; he’s so coordinated yet can’t pass.”
Their entire dorm was filled with slackers; only Han Xiaolin had been preparing for the driving test since summer vacation, but with school starting, he still hadn’t passed. He came back last week after failing the second test for the third time and cried all afternoon.
This frightened the other three, including Ji Ruan, away from the idea of getting a license.
“Is that so?” Gu Xiuyi rested his elbow on the window frame, his index finger absentmindedly rubbing his lip. “Then maybe it was simpler for us back then. The difficulty has increased; you all have way more tests than we did.”
Ji Ruan, a young man experiencing rapid societal competition, sighed at this. “Exactly, when we return from the break, we have so many tests to prepare for; it turns out that college also has midterms.”
Most of Gu Xiuyi’s friends were his age and dealt with highly competent older colleagues at work, so he hadn’t had the chance to interact with those more than ten years younger for many years. Naturally, he hadn’t heard complaints about midterm exams in a long time.
Thus, this small complaint, being outside Gu Xiuyi’s familiar realm, became quite adorable.
“Hmm,” he replied, his voice tinged with amusement. “Since there are more exams, we won’t learn to drive. We have a driver at home, so there’s no need to drive ourselves.”
Speaking of which, Gu Xiuyi should also be someone who rarely drives since he usually goes out with a driver. Ji Ruan silently observed him for a while.
Gu Xiuyi leaned lazily against the back of the seat, holding the steering wheel loosely. His posture was very casual, yet he drove quite well, no worse than the experienced driver Zhang Shu.
How could someone who rarely drove maintain such a high level? Why didn’t he become uncoordinated?
“What are you looking at?” Gu Xiuyi kept his gaze on the road ahead, not glancing sideways.
Ji Ruan quickly turned his head back. “Uh… nothing.”
Before going out, Aunt Zhao specially packed the mooncakes she made yesterday into a small food box for Ji Ruan to take. Ji Ruan opened the box and asked Gu Xiuyi, “Do you eat mooncakes?”
Gu Xiuyi glanced at it out of the corner of his eye. “Did you make them with Aunt Zhao?”
“Yes,” Ji Ruan suddenly thought of something fun and smiled. “I’ll randomly pick one for you to eat. Do you want to guess who made it?”
This kind of game was a bit boring and childish; normally, Gu Xiuyi wouldn’t play along.
The car smoothly drove along the paved road leading to the villa. After a moment of silence, Gu Xiuyi said, “Sure, but—”
He seemed a bit troubled, quietly placing his left hand down from the window frame and seriously gripping the steering wheel. “It’s inconvenient for me to eat while driving. How about you help me get it to my mouth?”
“Oh right,” Ji Ruan suddenly realized and felt apologetic. “Sorry, I selectively ignored that you were driving. Then I’ll feed you.”
Gu Xiuyi’s lips curved slightly, only to quickly press them shut, serious once more. “Thanks.”
“Eh… what’s there to thank for…” Ji Ruan’s tone elongated, resembling an unconscious act of coquettishness.
He wrapped a mooncake in a napkin and carefully extended it to Gu Xiuyi’s mouth without affecting the driving. Even so, he emphasized, “You seriously look ahead. Don’t look at me!”
“Got it.” Gu Xiuyi took a bite, the sweet taste of red bean paste spreading in his mouth, making him feel even more pleasant. “Good boy.”
“Ah?”
Ji Ruan had just retracted his hand, wanting to pick a piece for himself, absentmindedly raising his head.
“…” Gu Xiuyi maintained his composure. “I meant it was delicious; you made it, right?”
Ji Ruan was a bit surprised. “Wow, how did you guess?”
It was just a plain red bean mooncake; Aunt Zhao had made the skin and filling, and Ji Ruan had merely learned how to wrap it. Logically, he shouldn’t be able to tell the difference unless the piece he gave Gu Xiuyi had a slight corner missing from a cooking error, which Ji Ruan himself might not even recognize who made it.
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “You took a wild guess and got it right, didn’t you?”
Gu Xiuyi shook his head, his tone calm yet very certain. “You used too much filling; it’s sweet.”
“…”
Ji Ruan looked closely; it did seem like his filling was indeed much more than Aunt Zhao’s.
“So, um…” Ji Ruan awkwardly tried to make up for it. “Generally, for any filling food, the more filling there is, the more delicious it is.”
“Oh really?” Gu Xiuyi seemed genuinely curious, looking like he had never heard this before.
“Of course.” Ji Ruan tried to brainwash him.
“Hmm…” Gu Xiuyi nodded thoughtfully. “Then I’ll try another bite.”
“Sure.” Ji Ruan wrapped another piece in a napkin and offered it to Gu Xiuyi again, but halfway through, he suddenly paused.
Something felt a bit off.
·
The villa was magnificently built, resembling an estate from a British drama, with endless green lawns and solemn castle architecture.
After the waiter took the car away, Gu Xiuyi led Ji Ruan slowly along the pebbled path through the lawn.
“Will there be a lot of people this time?” Ji Ruan asked.
“Not too many,” Gu Xiuyi gave Ji Ruan a slight pull. “Besides the owner here, you know everyone else, Song Ling and Li Sui’an.”
Hearing familiar names, Ji Ruan relaxed a bit, feeling that fewer people would mean more comfort in playing. “That’s good.”
In the small garden in front of the castle, a few people were having afternoon tea. Upon seeing them, everyone stood up to greet, and the man at the front was of average height but had a hearty appearance, followed by Li Sui’an and another unfamiliar face.
“Old Gu, you’re late!” the man greeted Gu Xiuyi cheerfully.
Gu Xiuyi glanced at his watch, unimpressed. “Not late.”
The man laughed, “Come on, no need to be so polite!”
Li Sui’an, still maintaining his graceful demeanor, first greeted Ji Ruan. “Long time no see, Ji Ruan.”
Gu Xiuyi cleared his throat. “Who are you calling a little friend?”
“…” Li Sui’an was speechless. “Alright, then Ji Ruan, little patient?”
Among the three, Ji Ruan only recognized Li Sui’an and smiled generously. “Long time no see, Doctor Li.”
At that moment, Song Ling finally arrived, looking much more refreshed without a suit on, and bumped fists with Li Sui’an. “I’m not very late, right?”
Li Sui’an casually replied, “Everyone’s about the same.”
The shorter man looked at Ji Ruan, speaking warmly, “So you are Ji Ruan, the legendary figure. Today I finally get to see the real person! I’m Duan Zeping, just call me Brother Duan. This is Lin Qing…”
He said, pulling over another unfamiliar face, which surprisingly showed a bit of shyness. “I’m pursuing him.”
Lin Qing seemed quiet and bookish, flashing a gentle smile at everyone. “Hello.”
“Hey, not bad, Brother Duan,” Song Ling jested. “When did this happen? So, am I the only single one now?”
Li Sui’an had a girlfriend, Duan Zeping was pursuing someone, and their boss had even rushed to the front row and was already married. It left Song Ling feeling a bit bitter as the only lonely person.
Li Sui’an tugged at the corner of his mouth. “You know what? It’s been a few months since he started pursuing.”
Lin Qing turned his head and said nothing.
Duan Zeping looked at Lin Qing’s expression, laughing a bit awkwardly. “Shut up, Qingqing is shy; don’t cheer him on.”
At the end of September, the start of autumn was still warm, with the sun making the temperature a bit high, hinting at the lingering heat of summer. Since Ji Ruan wasn’t resistant to the sun, his lips dried up after standing for a while.
Gu Xiuyi frowned and interrupted the increasingly far-reaching conversation. “What’s the plan for the afternoon?”
Li Sui’an replied first, “We’re preparing to go fishing. There’ll be a fish feast in the evening.”
Gu Xiuyi remained non-committal and looked at Ji Ruan. “Will fishing be boring?”
After all, fishing was usually something enjoyed by people older than them. Ji Ruan was the kind who had gone to the nightclub with Han Xiaolin, so Gu Xiuyi was quite doubtful that he could sit still.
“I can!” Ji Ruan licked his lips, squinting up at the sun. “I like eating fish.”
He was also quite adept at such a patient, stationary activity.
“Alright,” Gu Xiuyi didn’t intend to let Ji Ruan stay in the sun any longer, quickly stating, “Let’s go drop off our luggage first.”
Duan Zeping smiled warmly. “Okay, okay, we’ll head over first. See you at the fishing spot!”
The interior of the castle was also decorated in an exquisite old European style, beautifully intricate and classic.
Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi’s room was on the fifth floor. They opened the window to overlook the distant layered mountains, offering a very wide view.
Gu Xiuyi rummaged through his luggage to find a thermos, unscrewed it, and handed it to Ji Ruan. “Your lips are dry; you don’t know to drink water?”
Ji Ruan had been so focused on the scenery that he hadn’t paid attention, but when he saw the cup offered to him, he revealed a small dimple. “Thanks.”
Gu Xiuyi stared at Ji Ruan’s dimple for a few seconds longer before looking away. “I’ll go to the restroom; you tidy up a bit. We’ll go fishing later.”
“Mm-hmm.” Ji Ruan nodded with a smile.
Inside the cup was the sugar water Aunt Zhao prepared for him, not too sweet, just light enough. Ji Ruan sipped bit by bit, hydrating his throat while enjoying the gentle breeze from the window, feeling much refreshed overall.
Telling him to tidy up meant Ji Ruan actually tidied up properly.
When Gu Xiuyi finished washing his hands and came out, he saw Ji Ruan wearing a black fisherman’s hat, patiently sitting on the edge of the bed waiting for him.
That hat was uncertain where it came from—its brim was quite wide and a bit large, perhaps Ji Ruan’s head was simply too small, so it didn’t sit quite firmly. Ji Ruan occasionally lifted the brim and sometimes brushed the bangs that blocked his eyes.
From Gu Xiuyi’s perspective, Ji Ruan had his head slightly bowed, with his brows and eyes hidden beneath the hat, revealing a fair chin and a bit of chubby cheek, resembling a child ready for a spring outing.
Gu Xiuyi stood still for a moment watching him, then in the next second, their gazes met when Ji Ruan looked up, trying to expose his eyes.
Ji Ruan seemed a bit impatient, his brow slightly furrowed, and the ends of his eyes reddened by his bangs, making his gaze appear very adorable and delicate.
Gu Xiuyi instantly felt his fingers tremble and his heart race.
He stepped forward and gently patted Ji Ruan’s head. “Is this hat for fishing?”
“No,” Ji Ruan took off the ill-fitting hat, his cheeks puffed in annoyance. “I’m afraid of sunburn…”
His thick hair always looked messy easily; it reminded him of how Xiao An, the long-haired cat, used to look when it got all fluffy.
Suppressing a smile, Gu Xiuyi adjusted Ji Ruan’s hair. “No worries; you can sit under the parasol while fishing.”
Ji Ruan suddenly raised his head, looking mad, indicating he had wasted an effort. “Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
·
“Hey, don’t you think Ji Ruan… resembles that someone?” At the fishing spot, Duan Zeping leaned in close to Li Sui’an and whispered.
“Which someone?” Li Sui’an was busy choosing fishing gear and baits, responding casually.
Duan Zeping clicked his tongue. “You know, the one with the surname Bai.”
Li Sui’an paused for a moment and quickly looked around. Lin Qing was in the restroom, and the other three hadn’t arrived yet. “Don’t say that. He doesn’t look similar.”
“Eh, I’m not saying he looks the same,” Duan Zeping wrinkled his brow, racking his brain for words. “It’s just that kind of feeling, you know… it’s hard to explain, plus the height and build are a bit similar.”
Li Sui’an laid down the fishing gear, looking serious. “Don’t most boys around eighteen or nineteen look like that? Why are you bringing that up? You know how he looks now, right?”
“It’s been over ten years since I last saw him…” Duan Zeping said awkwardly. “I mean no harm; just brought it up casually…”
“What are you two talking about?” Lin Qing appeared from the restroom, noticing an awkward atmosphere between the two.
Duan Zeping quickly smiled and nudged Lin Qing. “Nothing, come on, Qingqing, let’s go fishing.”
In a way, fishing is indeed an activity that many find boring and requires extreme patience. However, Gu Xiuyi noticed that Ji Ruan could really sit still, even seeming to genuinely enjoy himself.
Perhaps it was a skill he cultivated from being cooped up at home all summer.
The two shared a fishing rod, sitting under a parasol—Gu Xiuyi was responsible for the fishing, while Ji Ruan played the role of a mascot and munched on snacks.
He ate quietly and demurely, using a small spoon to gently scoop out tiny pieces of a little cake, making it last for a long time.
Fishing required patience, often the water surface remained still. Gu Xiuyi quietly watched Ji Ruan eat from the corner of his eye.
Strangely enough, Ji Ruan was eating so little each time, yet his cheeks would still puff up, resembling a satisfied little squirrel who had plenty of nuts, and occasionally revealing a bit of his pink tongue.
As Ji Ruan ate, he felt a fiery gaze fixed on him. At first, he tried to ignore it, but as time went by, that gaze lingered on him longer.
Until it became so intense that it affected Ji Ruan’s eating, he finally couldn’t take it anymore and set down the spoon. “Why are you staring at me?”
Gu Xiuyi continued to support his head with his hand, looking casual, without a hint of embarrassment or evasion, replied nonchalantly. “Because the fish hasn’t taken the bait yet.”
So he’s watching him eat because the fish hasn’t taken the bait?
He wasn’t a fish!
Ji Ruan poked the cake with his spoon, speaking stiffly, “No more looking.”
Then he heard a soft laugh; Gu Xiuyi seemed to have really turned his head away.
“Old Gu! Quickly! There’s something exciting over here! Hahaha—”
Outside, Duan Zeping’s boastful laughter echoed.
Gu Xiuyi pressed down on Ji Ruan’s head lightly and spoke in a low voice. “You eat slowly; I’ll go take a look.”
Not long after Gu Xiuyi left, Lin Qing came over. Ji Ruan, who hadn’t spoken to him at all, felt a bit surprised.
Lin Qing pointed to the seat next to him. “Can I sit here?”
Ji Ruan nodded. “Feel free.”
Once Lin Qing sat down, Ji Ruan didn’t initiate conversation. The other seemed to hesitate for a moment and suddenly asked Ji Ruan, “Can I ask how you and Gu are together?”
This Lin Qing clearly didn’t know about their contractual marriage, so Ji Ruan pursed his lips and set down his spoon. “Why are you asking this?”
Lin Qing and Ji Ruan locked eyes, awkwardly laughing. “Looks like it’s not convenient to say…”
His fingers on his knee tightened, as if battling some inner conflict. After a long while, he took a deep breath and looked at Ji Ruan. “When you’re with Gu, don’t you fear people saying you’re after his money?”
Ji Ruan was taken aback, suddenly feeling as if he was in a cliched dog-blood drama; this character was exactly like Lin Qing.
“Um…” Ji Ruan pondered for a moment before tentatively replying, “Are you very bothered when people say that?”
“Of course,” Lin Qing rubbed his arms, showing his distaste through his body language.
Ji Ruan thought for a moment and asked, “So, this might be a bit blunt, but do you like Brother Duan?”
Lin Qing suddenly turned to Ji Ruan. Although his expression was complex, it notably lacked the fluttery emotion most would show when talking about someone they liked.
Ji Ruan roughly understood that Lin Qing wasn’t the most purehearted kind of flower.
Since he didn’t like him much and detested that kind of talk, why did he agree to come to the villa? Why let someone pursue him for months without rejecting or responding?
Of course, Ji Ruan would never voice these questions.
He placed the plate holding the cake back on the small table. “Sorry, but I can’t answer your question.”
Then he smiled. “I’m not afraid of how others see me.”
Their relationship didn’t start from emotions at all.
After saying that, Ji Ruan got up and went to Gu Xiuyi’s side where they had caught many fish.
Lin Qing saw Gu Xiuyi tidying Ji Ruan’s hair and laughingly asked what flavor of fish he wanted, Ji Ruan replied something unclear, but that comment undoubtedly made Gu Xiuyi happier.
·
After finishing the fish feast for dinner, a few fish were still left uncooked. Song Ling suggested to have an outdoor barbecue for supper, featuring grilled fish along with some side dishes.
Ji Ruan’s cold wasn’t completely healed, and Gu Xiuyi didn’t want Ji Ruan to eat something stimulating, so the two didn’t join everyone.
Gu Xiuyi went swimming in the indoor pool while Ji Ruan sat on a lounge chair by the pool, drinking orange juice, watching Gu Xiuyi swim from a distance.
The man had an excellent physique; his broad shoulders and long, straight legs were due to his natural bone structure, and his long-term habit of exercising meant he had no excess fat anywhere. While swimming, his arms and back muscles were notably firm and smooth.
After swimming a few laps, he returned to the shore. “Ji Ruan—”
Seeing this, Ji Ruan set down his orange juice and crouched down in front of him. “Do you need me to get you something?”
“No need,” Gu Xiuyi’s arms rested on the pure white tiles. “Can you swim?”
Ji Ruan hugged his knees, honestly shaking his head.
Gu Xiuyi nodded thoughtfully; as he wiped his face, a few drops splashed onto Ji Ruan’s foot.
The cold water made Ji Ruan shiver slightly.
Gu Xiuyi appeared nonchalant, casually asking, “Want to try jumping in?”