TLDMDTBS Chapter 37

Chapter 37

There are many amusement facilities in the paradise, with thrilling roller coasters for adrenaline enthusiasts, and naturally, there are also options for timid visitors.

After leaving the store, the group dashed straight to the safest facility in the entire park—the crystal sightseeing pony cart.

Although it operates on a half-high track, its height is much lower than the roller coaster, and it has almost no ups and downs, moving at a very slow speed, ranking it alongside the carousel in terms of gentleness.

However, these pony carts look quite exquisite and luxurious. Sitting inside feels like stepping into a dazzling crystal house, and the light effects are stunning. All the tourists waiting in line here are undoubtedly here to take photos and check in.

As soon as Ji Ruan entered, he was dazzled by the lights. He sat next to Gu Xiuyi, with his three roommates across from him. True to its reputation as a photo spot, even Han Xiaolin, who has darker skin, appeared at least a couple of shades lighter.

The moment Han Xiaolin saw Ji Ruan, he was astonished and exclaimed, “Ji Ruan, you’re practically transparent!”

Ji Ruan didn’t catch what he said, replying, “What?”

The train slowly started moving, and the wind blew in through the window, causing the purple pom-pom on his head to sway in the breeze.

The other few people quickly removed their headbands after just a few minutes; Qin Shan held his in hand, Han Xiaolin wore his around his neck, and Li Yu put his away in his bag.

Only Ji Ruan happily wore the hairpin, occasionally shaking the little antenna on his head. In Han Xiaolin’s eyes, this cheerful yet clueless appearance made him seem quite silly and sweet.

Han Xiaolin thought to himself that if Ji Ruan could control a cunning person like President Gu, it should go down in history as one of the world’s three greatest miracles.

Gu Xiuyi’s gaze remained fixed on Ji Ruan, a barely contained smile appearing on his face after a long period of restraint.

He tapped Ji Ruan’s shoulder and said, “Sit over there, I’ll take a few group photos for you.”

The others, holding their selfie sticks and pondering how to take a complete group photo, quickly chimed in upon hearing Gu Xiuyi’s words:

“Hey, that works!”

“This is good!”

“Thank you, President Gu!”

The three of them squeezed together, leaving the center position for the birthday star, while Ji Ruan sat over, tidying his hair, gripping the pom-pom on his head to keep it still.

Opposite him, Gu Xiuyi raised his phone, and Ji Ruan calmly posed with a “peace” sign, smiling.

Click—

A fresh photo was taken, but Gu Xiuyi seemed unsatisfied and took several more before stopping.

Upon returning to Gu Xiuyi’s side, Ji Ruan leaned over curiously and nearly froze upon seeing the photo, his smile instantly fading.

“What… what is this…”

Among the four, the other three looked suave and handsome with fair and delicate skin, while Ji Ruan as the center was thoroughly exposed!

He sat in the middle, looking like a ghost making a “peace” sign!

And every single photo was like that!

Gu Xiuyi sent all the photos to Ji Ruan, who became increasingly frustrated as he scrolled through them.

“What happened? What do they look like?”

“Ji Ruan, quickly send them to the group for us to see!”

“It’s okay, President Gu, if your skills are a bit lacking, we won’t mind!”

Ji Ruan’s finger hesitated over the forward button for a long time, but ultimately he selflessly sent them out, then lowered his head in defeat.

The opposite side erupted in exclamations.

“Wow, am I this handsome?!”

“I’ve never been this fair in my life!”

“Is this place equipped with a face-thinning feature? My face seems smaller!”

“That’s probably because Ji Ruan’s excessive exposure blurred your features.”

“Ji Ruan is the only one who looks clear with just the sweater and that antenna on his head. How did it turn out like this, hahahaha…”

Ji Ruan was speechless, not wanting to say a word, he lowered his head, the pom-pom on top of his head poking Gu Xiuyi’s neck with each sway of the cart.

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t help but chuckle, pushing aside the little antenna, pinching the back of Ji Ruan’s neck: “I really didn’t add any filters, but you’re just too fair.”

Ji Ruan suddenly lifted his head, the pom-pom brushing Gu Xiuyi’s chin, but he was oblivious, lost in his grievances: “Oh, so now being fair is my fault?”

“……”

Gu Xiuyi paused for two seconds, carefully observing Ji Ruan’s expression, before flatly stating:

“I’ll have someone dim the lights in the entire cart tomorrow.”

The other side gasped in horror: “President Gu?!”

“Please think this through, President Gu!!”

That one statement inexplicably eased Ji Ruan’s heart quite a bit. He knew many people were taking photos in the cart because of the lights and wouldn’t really selfishly ask Gu Xiuyi to change the conditions just for him.

“Forget it,” Ji Ruan huffed lightly, “After all, not everyone is as fair as I am.”

There was a hint of pride in his tone.

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t help but laugh, nudging his little antenna: “Yes, you are the most special.”

“——Hey, where’s Senior Zi Zhang?” Qin Shan suddenly whispered.

“Yeah, how could she not come?”

Hearing the familiar name, Ji Ruan turned his head: “What are you talking about?”

“The Han embroidery event at school today,” Qin Shan handed his phone to Ji Ruan: “Senior Zi Zhang didn’t come. Isn’t she the only daughter of Teacher Cheng?”

Ji Ruan briefly scrolled through the phone and saw photos from the event, with Lin Qing closely following a lady who resembled Cheng Zi Zhang, presumably the legendary Teacher Cheng.

He returned the phone to Qin Shan: “Senior Zi Zhang is sick and in the hospital, so she definitely won’t come today.”

“How do you know?”

Han Xiaolin suddenly realized: “So that day when you went to help her with embroidery, it was because she was sick?”

Qin Shan was shocked: “What do you mean? Ji Ruan, do you also know how to do that sort of intricate work?”

Ji Ruan was amused by his wording: “Just a little.”

Apart from Han Xiaolin, the other two were again in awe.

Qin Shan, a loyal fan of Cheng Zi Zhang, sighed: “If Senior Zi Zhang isn’t here, I won’t watch the live stream later; it’ll be boring.”

Li Yu rebutted: “We’re out to have fun—why watch a live stream? Do we not matter?”

Qin Shan laughed heartily: “Brothers are more important!”

·

After one round of the ride, the three of them took quite a few photos. Ji Ruan, the overly exposed ghost, felt unworthy to join them yet was unwilling to give up. He raised his phone and together with Gu Xiuyi, sought out different angles, taking the only shot that came out somewhat satisfactory, which he sent to Aunt Zhao.

After finishing the gentle pony cart ride, the three roommates were eager to go on the loudest roller coaster, but Ji Ruan couldn’t handle it; he would definitely throw up before it even reached half the course.

Gu Xiuyi directly suggested splitting into groups, and the roommates instantly understood and vanished to queue.

Ji Ruan felt a stir in his heart, knowing Gu Xiuyi was probably going to take him to see a surprise.

The two walked side by side, and Ji Ruan cautiously asked, “Where are we going?”

Gu Xiuyi took his hand, leading him around the crowd, smiling as he teased: “You’ll find out soon.”

Ji Ruan’s curiosity was piqued.

He initially thought Gu Xiuyi would take him to experience a newly developed attraction that hadn’t launched yet, but instead, Gu Xiuyi led him further off the path until they reached a corner work area entrance, where a heavy door displayed a “No Entry” sign.

Ignoring the sign, Gu Xiuyi pushed the door open for Ji Ruan, and the staff nearby didn’t offer any objections.

Ji Ruan followed Gu Xiuyi into the employee elevator, going straight up to the top floor. When the elevator doors opened, he found himself in the control room, where he could see employees working through the hollow glass of the doorway.

Ji Ruan felt a bit dazed.

He knew the amusement park was funded by Gu Xiuyi, but was he really here to show Ji Ruan around, giving him a unique birthday experience?

However, Gu Xiuyi didn’t stop in front of the control room for even a second; instead, he moved forward and opened another door.

It was a dark hallway, which he hadn’t realized led to another floor. This floor couldn’t be accessed by the elevator and required taking the stairs.

Ji Ruan followed Gu Xiuyi into the hallway, and as he did, he felt Ji Ruan’s palm getting sweaty. He smiled: “Are you scared?”

Ji Ruan, not hiding his apprehension, said: “You’re not going to sell me off, are you?”

Gu Xiuyi’s laughter was even more apparent: “Which trafficker would sell a delicate person like you? We don’t conduct unprofitable deals.”

“……Do you think I’m hard to maintain?”

“Not difficult,” it seemed they had arrived, Gu Xiuyi paused, supporting Ji Ruan’s shoulder: “It’s just the truth.”

“——Only I dare to raise you.”

They stopped again in front of a door. Although Ji Ruan couldn’t see clearly, he could feel that the door before him was different from the earlier grayish-white iron doors; it was a thick wooden door. When gently pushed open, it made a heavy scratching sound.

Inside should be a big, spacious room, but it was extremely dark, even the dim green glow of the hallway was gone.

With his vision completely lost, Ji Ruan’s heart began to race.

At this moment, Gu Xiuyi said: “You stay here and don’t move. Just wait for me a moment; I’ll be back soon.”

“Ah?” Ji Ruan flustered: “But I…”

Before he could finish, the person beside him had already disappeared.

He fumbled around, his hands unable to see anything.

The overly quiet and dark environment scared him, making his heart pound, thumping louder against his eardrums.

After a short while, something suddenly brushed against the back of his hand with a particularly unpleasant feeling. Ji Ruan immediately recoiled a step back, seemingly stepping on something soft, which scared him nearly to fall.

“Ji Ruan!”

Just at that critical moment, someone grabbed his wrist, and upon hearing the familiar voice, Ji Ruan immediately dove into the person’s embrace with a “woo.”

“What’s wrong?” Gu Xiuyi’s arm wrapped around his shoulder.

Ji Ruan tightly clutched his clothing: “Something touched me!”

“It’s not what you think; it was me,” Gu Xiuyi patted his back to calm him down: “That was me brushing against you just now.”

“You? Why did you touch me?! No, no…” Ji Ruan stumbled over his words: “It wasn’t you; it was sticky and wet, and cold… it definitely wasn’t human!”

Gu Xiuyi suddenly fell silent for a few seconds.

Hearing him not speak made Ji Ruan more anxious, thinking something gross was truly there: “Woo, what are you trying to do…?”

“Turn on the light.”

“……Huh?”

Gu Xiuyi pinched the back of his neck: “Be good, it’s not you I’m talking about.”

He turned his head and raised his volume: “Turn on the light!”

Bang—

A white light flashed before Ji Ruan’s eyes, the room filled with fluorescent light suddenly brightened, and he finally saw the surrounding environment.

“……”

So many flowers…

Apart from the small patch of space he stood in, the ground was covered with a type of beautiful white flower he didn’t know the name of, looking particularly romantic under the gentle lighting.

However, some of them had been crushed by his feet.

Ji Ruan: “……”

Gu Xiuyi was also holding a large bouquet of flowers, mixed with those ground flowers and yellow roses, the vibrant petals glistening with droplets of water.

A thought suddenly flashed through Ji Ruan’s mind, his ears turning red as he pointed at the bouquet: “That sticky and wet thing, it wouldn’t be it, right…”

Gu Xiuyi’s expression stiffened slightly: “Yes.”

He had originally wanted to bring the bouquet over to surprise Ji Ruan, but the bouquet was so large that it brushed against Ji Ruan’s hand first, and the kid was so frightened that he didn’t even wait for him to speak.

Realizing the mix-up, Ji Ruan touched his nose, his voice growing smaller: “Then… what about the cold one?”

Gu Xiuyi raised his other hand, palm up, a bracelet appearing before Ji Ruan’s eyes.

It was a very simple design with a small flower inlaid with diamonds in the center, looking like the same type as the flowers scattered around, presumably customized.

The birthday surprise had almost failed due to this little mishap, but Gu Xiuyi maintained a calm expression, trying his best to keep the process going.

He let Ji Ruan hold the bouquet, which nearly completely covered his upper body. After looking at it twice, he placed the flowers to the side and solemnly fastened the bracelet onto Ji Ruan’s wrist.

“Birthday gift.”

Ji Ruan’s wrist was slender and fair, and this minimalist delicate chain especially suited his temperament.

Staff members began to enter, moving things around, and Ji Ruan’s cheeks flushed completely red. He lowered his head to bury it in front of Gu Xiuyi, trying to use him to block the staff’s gaze.

The staff members only stayed for a short while before quickly leaving. The flowers on the ground were moved to open a small path, and the blackout curtain in front of the room was drawn open, revealing a long glass window.

He stepped up with the bouquet and placed it on a small table by the window, then looked out to behold the entire amusement park’s scenery.

The indoor amusement park operates day and night, continually lit, with countless moving light halos unfolding below, like the enchanting night view of a city, and like a galaxy flowing into the rivers and seas.

“Wow…” Ji Ruan couldn’t help but inch closer, pressing his palm against the glass.

Gu Xiuyi noticed the small palm print he left behind.

“This place was originally intended to be a viewing platform,” Gu Xiuyi said, “But it didn’t come to fruition and has remained empty. I thought you would like it.”

“I love it,” Ji Ruan murmured.

He gazed enchantedly for a while, then abruptly looked at Gu Xiuyi, a hint of complaint in his eyes: “So why not just bring me here to see this? I clearly love the flowers and the bracelet by the window; why scare me instead…”

Gu Xiuyi looked a bit awkward: “Sorry, I looked up some information and consulted with some experienced individuals, and they all said a dark environment is more suitable for creating surprises.”

His sudden seriousness made Ji Ruan want to laugh: “Hmm… The experienced individuals you refer to, they wouldn’t be Dr. Li, right?”

After all, Li Sui’an was Gu Xiuyi’s only friend with a smooth romantic life.

Having his mastermind identified, Gu Xiuyi covered his lips and coughed, saying nothing.

Ji Ruan laughed, gently tracing the bracelet’s small flower: “No, no, I don’t blame you. I really was just a bit scared.”

Gu Xiuyi sighed, pinching his earlobe: “It won’t be like this in the future… The flowers are pure white daffodils.”

Ji Ruan looked up: “Why this for me?”

Gu Xiuyi appeared somewhat surprised: “Your birthday flower, didn’t you know?”

That day, he heard Ji Ruan talk about giving birthday flowers to Cheng Zi Zhang and wanting to send him gifts, thinking Ji Ruan cared about these small meaningful things.

Pure white daffodils represent intoxication; his intention was for Ji Ruan to have a delightful and fulfilling birthday, though things had gone a bit wrong, and he ended up scaring him.

Ji Ruan froze for a moment; he truly didn’t know and hadn’t looked up his birthday flower, nor would he have imagined Gu Xiuyi would shower him with a roomful of flowers.

“Thank you.”

Seeing Ji Ruan’s eyes reflecting the flickering light outside, Gu Xiuyi’s voice fluttered in the air like a butterfly’s wings:

“I really like this birthday.”