TLDMDTBS Chapter 46

Chapter 46

As dusk fell, the sky, dyed by the sunset, gradually faded, and the deep blue expanse sparkled with a few glimmers of light.

The curtains of the small sunlit balcony on the second floor of the homestay were drawn, casting a warm yellow glow.

“Are you going to stay here?!” A slightly surprised voice exclaimed.

Ji Ruan, freshly showered and sitting on the bed, watched as Manager Gu, who had just come over for a meal, not only didn’t leave but even had Song Ling move over his suitcase while he was bathing, as if he intended to take root here.

Gu Xiuyi appeared calm, his fingers gliding over the vine decoration on the bedside table as he nodded slightly, as if finding it completely normal to settle down here.

He glanced around Ji Ruan’s small space. Although not large, it was tidy, with an old-fashioned wooden structure that looked elegant, and the array of small decorations was quite exquisite, far more charming than a generic hotel suite.

Ji Ruan tugged at Gu Xiuyi’s swaying hem: “But shouldn’t you go to a hotel? A suite at your level has a bathroom bigger than my entire room. Why would you want to squeeze in with me?”

Gu Xiuyi turned to look back, and Ji Ruan, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, had to tilt his face slightly upward to meet his gaze.

The sheet was a solid dark green, splattered like ink behind him, and a branch-shaped ambient light in the corner was glowing softly.

From Gu Xiuyi’s viewpoint, Ji Ruan had a resemblance to a little elf living in a forest.

He sat down at the edge of the bed, not answering the question, and reached out to Ji Ruan’s lower back.

Ji Ruan instinctively dodged: “What are you doing?”

Gu Xiuyi met Ji Ruan’s wary gaze without flinching, pulling him closer: “Don’t move, aren’t you sore?”

Ji Ruan stopped struggling for a second: “How do you know?”

Gu Xiuyi’s expression remained unchanged as he fixed his gaze on Ji Ruan’s face: “You can tell just by looking in the mirror.”

“……”

Ji Ruan was left speechless; he indeed felt tired and sore all over. Gu Xiuyi’s words made him realize how haggard he must look.

Seizing the moment when Ji Ruan was distracted, Gu Xiuyi pulled him further into his embrace, lightly patting his lower back: “Just relax, let me massage you, or you’ll cramp up again tonight.”

His hands were warm, and just resting them on Ji Ruan’s waist felt comforting, not to mention Gu Xiuyi’s massage skills had shown exponential improvement, rendering Ji Ruan defenseless within seconds.

Ji Ruan had to admit he enjoyed the pleasures of the moment, particularly when it came to anything that made him feel comfortable.

Even if those comforts carried ulterior motives or dangers, he preferred to indulge first and worry later; after all, one might not live to see another day, but living in the moment was all that mattered.

Warmth poured in continuously, starting from his lower back and gradually radiating throughout his entire body. Gu Xiuyi’s temperature felt like a kind of ethereal fantasy, not intense but mild, and unmistakably invasive in its slow advancement.

Rationality reminded Ji Ruan that he seemed to have forgotten something, yet his mind quickly relaxed, instinctively leaning closer to the heat source.

Gu Xiuyi’s palm pressed against Ji Ruan’s lower back, feeling the unnatural tension in his muscles: “Why are you so tense? How long have you been standing?”

Ji Ruan was already dazed in this warm embrace, his eyes hazily squinting as if drunk: “Uh… most of the day, I guess…”

Gu Xiuyi’s expression darkened slightly.

Ji Ruan suddenly frowned, his fingers clutching Gu Xiuyi’s shirt tail curling up involuntarily as a soft hum escaped his lips.

Gu Xiuyi paused: “Did I apply too much pressure?”

Ji Ruan nodded, impatiently rubbing his head against Gu Xiuyi’s shoulder: “Be gentler.”

He felt Gu Xiuyi’s breath hitch for half a second before his voice, laced with a hint of laughter, replied: “…Alright.”

Ji Ruan’s eyelids slowly drooped; halfway through, they shot back open, his gaze scattered in utter fatigue, though a persistent thought lingered in his mind:

“…Shouldn’t you go back to your hotel?”

Gu Xiuyi gently pulled him upwards, the kind of slight rocking that could rival a cradle making Ji Ruan feel more drowsy. He furrowed his brow and tugged on Gu Xiuyi’s fingers: “Stop moving.”

“I can’t go back to the hotel, Ji Ruan,” Gu Xiuyi whispered near his ear.

“Think about it, we’re already married, right? You’re wearing my ring, we’re meant to live together, and there will be a lot of media reporters tomorrow—spreading rumors would be bad.”

Ji Ruan, still hazy, responded: “But… sharing a bed isn’t appropriate…”

“We’ve shared a bed before.”

“But this bed is really small…”

“It’s alright, we have two blankets.”

When Gu Xiuyi became gentle, he truly could be very tender, his deep voice swirling in Ji Ruan’s ears, narrating as if he were telling a beautiful fairy tale.

With Gu Xiuyi massaging his waist, Ji Ruan had long since turned to mush, his mind becoming a jumble.

He blinked dreamily, nodding off, and fell asleep under Gu Xiuyi’s coaxing.

Uncertain how much time had passed, Ji Ruan’s nebulous awareness returned with Gu Xiuyi getting into bed after showering, pulling back the covers.

In his slightly unclear vision, he saw the mattress dip down, followed by the scent of body wash wafting in, Gu Xiuyi’s warm breath enveloping him.

Gu Xiuyi’s fingers brushed behind his ear as he skillfully adjusted the air conditioner remote on the bedside table, then casually turned off the small lamp.

Ji Ruan turned over, facing away from him; the rustling sounds he heard faded into the distance. Suddenly, Gu Xiuyi patted the top of his head, his warm breath drifting over him as he softly said goodnight.

Perhaps he really had studied magic somewhere; those two short words managed to illuminate Ji Ruan’s heart.

In a daze, Ji Ruan only heard a “ding!” sound, and then his consciousness fell completely into chaos, unable to muster a response to Gu Xiuyi’s goodnight at all.

—

The next morning, spring sunlight streamed in beautifully.

The open-air terrace on the third floor of the exhibition hall was bustling with activity, the auction proceeding in an orderly manner amidst the large crowd without a hint of disorder.

Ji Ruan, wearing a blue staff badge, navigated through the throng with his teachers, passing by Gu Xiuyi several times or catching his eye, remaining speechless, even unhesitatingly avoiding his gaze with flushed cheeks, clearly displaying a “Currently Pouting, Do Not Approach” demeanor.

Gu Xiuyi was both amused and exasperated; he really hadn’t done anything wrong.

Right until the night before, everything had been fine. If he had to mention anything, it was simply that he had teased Ji Ruan that morning before leaving, but the young boy had a delicate pride intertwined with grudges, leading to the current atmosphere.

As for what had happened that morning, to Gu Xiuyi, it seemed quite normal—after all, they had merely turned the two blankets into one, and the instigator had been Ji Ruan.

But Ji Ruan couldn’t accept it.

God knew the shock and horror he felt upon waking to find himself hugging Gu Xiuyi’s arm as if he were grasping a massive drumstick, while Gu Xiuyi had his head resting on Ji Ruan’s pillow, the bedding turned into a single-person size.

Not to mention, Gu Xiuyi’s pillow had inexplicably found its way behind Ji Ruan’s waist; based on Ji Ruan’s limited theoretical understanding and never-experienced practical knowledge, it resembled a situation that typically followed something else altogether.

Ji Ruan practically jumped off the bed, feeling as if low blood sugar and low blood pressure had been cured in that instant.

He even truly doubted for a short moment. In Gu Xiuyi’s bewildered gaze, he slipped into the bathroom to stretch his legs and even searched on X for reactions following a specific activity.

In an extremely tense state, Ji Ruan confirmed thrice that he and Gu Xiuyi had indeed remained innocent for the entire night.

Two vigorous young men had slept in the same room, wrapped up together for the whole night, and absolutely nothing had happened?

Ji Ruan couldn’t help but admire himself.

No, he admired Gu Xiuyi even more.

After confirming the established fact, Ji Ruan exhaled in relief, feeling the previous low blood sugar return to claim him down to the ground, leaving him unable to get up.

In the end, he had to rely on Gu Xiuyi to carry him out, offer him water and candy, then, as usual, let him spin for five minutes by the bedside.

Once his blood sugar had returned to normal, Ji Ruan finally regained enough strength to wash up independently, only to find Gu Xiuyi already dressed.

Ji Ruan brushed his teeth in front of the sink while Gu Xiuyi stood beside him tying his tie. With his neck straight and fingers long, the wedding ring on his fourth finger gleamed.

Ji Ruan subconsciously glanced at the mirror, noticing that on his own hand holding the toothbrush was also a similar but slightly narrower wedding ring.

This scene felt too bizarre, prompting Ji Ruan to quickly avert his gaze, bending down to spit out the unpleasant toothpaste.

However, Gu Xiuyi’s mental composure was truly incomparable; it was something ordinary people could hardly fathom.

The memory of that morning sleeping side by side, skin touching, seemed to have no impact on him whatsoever. He remained utterly calm throughout.

After finishing his tie, he looked at the Ji Ruan who had just washed his face with damp lashes, and in a tone as calm as asking “What’s for breakfast”, he said slowly:

“You slept well at the lodge, so why were you tossing and turning last night…?”

It sounded more like a soliloquy than a question directed at Ji Ruan.

Ji Ruan dried his face and wanted to tell him it was because the lodge’s bed was large, and now this bed was small.

At the lodge, there was a 2.5-meter King Size bed so he could move freely without a concern, but this current one couldn’t even be called 1.5 meters—completely unfit for comparison. It was all the bed’s fault, not his.

But as he opened his mouth, Gu Xiuyi had already floated downstairs to buy him some xiaolongbao.

Ji Ruan’s attempts to argue went down the drain, swallowed together with the crushed toothpaste in his mouth; he didn’t want to speak to Gu Xiuyi for at least three hours.

Then, three hours later, Gu Xiuyi cornered Ji Ruan in a corner of the exhibition hall on the third floor.

The weather had been exceptionally good lately, basking in a full week of bright sunshine, seemingly intent on skipping spring and rushing straight into summer. Even Ji Ruan, the little boy who feared the cold most, had shed his sweater for a light shirt.

Although the sun was strong, the wind was also brisk. The corners of Ji Ruan’s open shirt billowed upward, tightly adhering to his chest and abdomen, the blue badge fluttering in the wind.

Gu Xiuyi pinched the strap of the ID badge that was almost entangling around his neck and flipped it over, revealing Ji Ruan’s photograph abruptly.

It was likely a picture taken at the beginning of the semester.

In the picture, Ji Ruan stood upright, full of youthful vitality, with round cheeks beaming dimples, his face exuding “Well-behaved and Cute” vibes, completely different from the pouty boy frowning before him now.

Ji Ruan tugged the strap back, his voice muffled in the wind: “Don’t look at my ID photo.”

“Are you angry?… It’s very cute,” Gu Xiuyi replied, beaming.

Ji Ruan pressed his lips together and met Gu Xiuyi’s gaze, returning with equal composure, mimicking Gu Xiuyi’s blank expression as he said: “No, I’m just shy.”

Surprise flickered in Gu Xiuyi’s eyes as he stepped closer, growing more serious: “Then what about this morning? You were angry then, right?”

In truth, Gu Xiuyi hadn’t meant to tease Ji Ruan when he said that; he was merely stating a fact.

Ji Ruan’s sleeping position at the lodge had been exceptionally well-behaved, but last night had indeed made him somewhat uncomfortable. Watching Ji Ruan’s water-dripping chin after washing his face had inspired him to mention that.

But after returning with the xiaolongbao and entering the third floor where the auction began, Ji Ruan had continued to pout and not speak to him, leading Gu Xiuyi to come to this realization too late.

“I’m sorry,” Gu Xiuyi said, retrieving the hot milk he had prepared beforehand, inserting a straw, and offering it to Ji Ruan: “But I really was just teasing you because I think you’re cute.”

Ji Ruan glanced at the milk, then back at it again.

Gu Xiuyi truly seemed to have a knack for guessing; how did he know Ji Ruan was parched beyond measure?

Glancing at the time, Ji Ruan noted it had already surpassed three hours. He wasn’t so unreasonable that he could continue to hold a grudge, and since Manager Gu had taken the initiative to lower the tension, he didn’t plan to cling to the issue.

Clearing his throat, he accepted the cup of milk, grateful for the unexpected offering.

The sun truly was splendid, and Gu Xiuyi squinted against its brightness, while Ji Ruan appeared almost translucent in front of him.

His hands naturally folded over his chest, he inquired: “The weather is so nice, what do you plan to do this afternoon?”

Ji Ruan, sipping the milk through the straw, cheeks puffed, pointed behind him: “Isn’t there a very famous pavilion up on the mountain? It’s said that on a sunny day, you can see the Beiwang Tower from there. I want to go check it out.”

Gu Xiuyi also knew about this pavilion; it was located halfway up Qing Xi Mountain. When visibility was good, one could see A City’s iconic Beiwang Tower across the river.

Gu Xiuyi nodded: “That’s worth seeing. Who are you going with?”

Ji Ruan squinted against the bright sunlight to look at him: “With the teachers and their students; it’s like a team-building activity.”

“Can I come?” Gu Xiuyi asked Ji Ruan.

Ji Ruan was momentarily taken aback.

Gu Xiuyi pulled Ji Ruan’s badge, leading him slightly forward: “Is that not allowed?”

Ji Ruan’s face flushed instantly, gripping the strap and pulling back.

However, his strength was no match for Gu Xiuyi; as long as that man didn’t let go, he would not be able to escape.

It seemed Gu Xiuyi was eager for an answer from him.

Reluctantly, Ji Ruan gazed into Gu Xiuyi’s dark pupils, face burning:

“Well… it’s just that… others don’t bring their family members…”