TLDMDTBS Chapter 57

Chapter 57

“Come here, Xiao Gu, have a cup of tea.”

Ten minutes later, Gu Xiuyi sat on the small sofa in the studio, accepting the white porcelain tea cup that Cheng Yunxiu handed him, politely saying, “Thank you.”

Cheng Yunxiu smiled gently, “You’re welcome. You two chat for a while; it’s getting late. Zizhang and I will go out to buy some groceries. If you’re not busy, why don’t you stay for dinner tonight?”

Gu Xiuyi did not refuse, “Alright, then I’ll take up your hospitality.”

Cheng Yunxiu shook her head with a smile and patted Ji Ruan’s shoulder, “Xiao Ruan, what do you want to eat?”

Ji Ruan held his cup, raising his head upon hearing the question, “Anything is fine! Didn’t you say you have specialty dishes, senior?”

Cheng Yunxiu thought for a moment, “Okay, then let’s be creative. Don’t blame us for whatever we make later!”

“How could I?” Ji Ruan laughed, “I will definitely support it.”

“Hahaha, good,” Cheng Yunxiu waved her hand, “You two chat; I’ll head out first.”

“Thank you, teacher.” Ji Ruan waved.

Gu Xiuyi also nodded with a faint smile.

After the mother-daughter duo’s figures disappeared at the door, Ji Ruan turned back to look at Gu Xiuyi.

The man placed the porcelain cup back on the tea table, leaned slightly forward, with his elbows resting on his thighs, fingers intertwined—a posture that seemed somewhat silent and unapproachable.

“… You should drink some tea.” Ji Ruan pushed the tea cup toward him, tentatively asking, “What’s wrong?”

Gu Xiuyi’s brows were furrowed, his eyes dark, making it hard to read his emotions.

He followed Ji Ruan’s suggestion, picked up the tea and took a sip, then placed it back down, his gaze landing on Ji Ruan as he scanned his waist and back, “Does it still hurt?”

“Ah? No, it’s not—,” Ji Ruan touched his nose, feeling embarrassed, “I said that casually…”

Earlier, Gu Xiuyi had embraced him for too long, and with people coming and going outside, since it was behind a glass door, Cheng Zizhang and her mother could easily see them moving around. Ji Ruan felt quite flustered.

Moreover, Gu Xiuyi’s movements were immensely strong; over time, it made Ji Ruan a bit breathless.

But no matter how he called out, it was useless. It seemed the one with hearing issues at that time was Gu Xiuyi, not him.

In frustration, Ji Ruan could only say he was hurt, pretending to be in pain, and only then did Gu Xiuyi come to his senses and let him go.

Gu Xiuyi extended a hand, “Come a bit closer.”

Ji Ruan didn’t understand but, out of trust, reached out to take Gu Xiuyi’s hand and stood up a bit nearer, “Are you really okay?”

He knew Gu Xiuyi was trying his best to appear gentler, but after holding back, he still seemed intimidating.

In a daze, Ji Ruan felt as if the Gu family was on the brink of bankruptcy, and Gu Xiuyi resembled a sturdy mountain trying hard to maintain his stability yet still precarious.

“I’m fine,” Gu Xiuyi said calmly, pulling Ji Ruan to sit on his lap.

At first, Ji Ruan didn’t react, but as he followed Gu Xiuyi’s pull and sat down, he suddenly realized something was off when he felt Gu Xiuyi’s suit pants beneath him and jumped up in alarm.

“What are you doing?!”

Yet Gu Xiuyi was very insistent, wrapping his arms around Ji Ruan’s waist without room for negotiation, “Sit.”

Unable to refuse, Ji Ruan could only cautiously sit sideways, his entire being in a state of helplessness, back tense, and legs tightly together.

Honestly… the sensation was too strange!

Gu Xiuyi’s suit was thin and comfortable, and Ji Ruan’s pants were not thick either. Within moments, their body temperature was transmitted through the material.

It was said that the butt is the coldest part of the human body; Ji Ruan used to not believe it, but now he felt it might actually be true.

Otherwise, he couldn’t explain why Gu Xiuyi’s thigh felt so hot!

Ji Ruan felt as if he were sitting on a bed of needles, and soon his cheeks and ears turned red.

He truly could not get used to this temperature, feeling so shy he wanted to cry, he pushed Gu Xiuyi’s shoulder:

“What exactly… do you want?!”

Gu Xiuyi, however, pulled him back into an embrace. Unlike the previous intense moments at the door, this hug was extremely gentle.

He sighed lightly, “I’m just taking it slow; can I have a hug?”

Ji Ruan was utterly confused by his back and forth and allowed himself to be embraced in a daze.

Fortunately, this time Gu Xiuyi was more restrained, not as fervent as before; he held Ji Ruan for a while and then let go.

Gu Xiuyi glanced around slightly; the smallest white suitcase quietly stood beside them, emphasizing the reason Ji Ruan was here.

“Are you planning to move in for a while?” he asked.

Ji Ruan’s long eyelashes fluttered; he looked like a cherry blossom, his eyes tinged with pink, a bit anxious, “… Yes, is that not okay?”

Gu Xiuyi held his face with one hand and lightly brushed his fingertip at the corner of his eye, “No, it’s not that, my dear—”

He seemed to chuckle, suppressing his emotions, “But can you tell me first? I would worry a lot.”

Ji Ruan tilted his head, the anxiety in his eyes gradually transforming into confusion, “What are you talking about?”

“I told you before.”

He said seriously, “Before I left, I carefully described everything!”

“……Where did you describe it?” Gu Xiuyi frowned.

“I sent a message.”

“I didn’t receive it.”

“…”

Ji Ruan blinked, “Th-that’s impossible, I really sent it.”

“Then why didn’t you answer my call?” Gu Xiuyi stated, “Do you know how I felt when I got home and found you missing, your suitcase also gone, and couldn’t reach you by phone?”

“…Did you call me?” Ji Ruan’s assertiveness gradually softened. He touched his pocket but found no phone, and his heart sank.

“So sorry,” he forced a smile, “My phone is in the workroom… wait a moment, I’ll go get it—”

He stood up to go, but unexpectedly couldn’t get up and realized he was firmly held by Gu Xiuyi.

Ji Ruan: “…”

Ji Ruan was at a loss for words; he tapped the back of Gu Xiuyi’s hand, “Loosen up, I need to get my phone.”

For a moment, Gu Xiuyi’s brow furrowed even tighter, looking very hesitant, as if Ji Ruan was not taking a few steps to the workroom but going on a pilgrimage.

Fortunately, Gu Xiuyi quickly came to his senses and did not let his intellect descend into the uncontrollable abyss. He released his hold, calmly saying, “Go ahead.”

Only then did Ji Ruan breathe a sigh of relief as he quickly went to the workroom to find his phone.

Gu Xiuyi still wanted Ji Ruan to sit on his lap as he naturally extended his hand.

Ji Ruan was not foolish and wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice; he plopped down onto the sofa beside Gu Xiuyi.

Gu Xiuyi: “…”

“Check your phone,” he coolly withdrew his hand.

At this point, Ji Ruan knew the issue must lie with him, but he still opened his phone with a sliver of hope, yearning to see that message lying intact in the chat.

The message indeed lay in the chat box, proving Ji Ruan was not trying to vanish without a word; however, the conspicuous red exclamation point nearby was unmistakable.

It declared the fact that the message had failed to send.

Meanwhile, his notifications were red with messages from Han Xiaolin, Li Yu, and Qin Shan; they each sent over a dozen messages expressing their worries, and their dorm group chat was abuzz with discussions.

—It was still fervent.

Discussing whether Gu Xiuyi had found him and whether he had received family education, including any form of physical contact, and if he was alive.

Ji Ruan: “…”

Ji Ruan turned around and snapped a photo of Gu Xiuyi drinking tea indifferently and sent it out.

[Thank you for your concern; I am alive. Please don’t worry.]

The group chat suddenly became lively as people exclaimed how Gu Xiuyi actually still looked so neat and Ji Ruan was indeed alive… The latter part of the messages started to become quite eye-watering, and Ji Ruan did not hesitate to turn off the screen.

In a brief moment, the atmosphere turned exceptionally quiet; a gentle breeze outside rustled the treetops, making a soft sound.

Ji Ruan calmly put away his phone and made a decision.

He stood up, stepped forward, and accurately sat on Gu Xiuyi’s lap, under the somewhat surprised gaze of Gu Xiuyi, he confessed:

“I’m sorry for making you worry.”

“The message was sent from the garage; the signal was poor, so it didn’t go through,” he sighed softly, “It’s also my fault; I was too happy at that moment and didn’t check again.”

“But you saw it, I didn’t mean to. I sent you a message that was six or seven lines long, I was very sincere.”

“But I haven’t been out to have fun in a long time; seeing the flowers and plants outside made me so happy, and playing with the teacher and senior was also very enjoyable. I didn’t take your call, and I disturbed my roommates; it’s all my fault…”

“It’s always, all my fault.”

He rested his head against his own shoulder, his eyelashes casting a slight shadow, portraying a self-reproachful and downcast look. Yet, in his words, he had explained the situation nicely, portraying himself as a lonely and pitiful figure seeking happiness.

Still maintaining the overall structure.

Who would dare to criticize him?

Whoever did would be seen as an oppressive ruler bullying the vulnerable, deserving to be denounced by all.

Gu Xiuyi: “…………”

Gu Xiuyi was rendered speechless, marveling at Ji Ruan’s adaptability.

However, he couldn’t push him away now that he had willingly come to sit on his lap.

Gu Xiuyi tightened his embrace around Ji Ruan, holding him firmly. This time, it held a sense of helpless chastisement.

For the third time, Ji Ruan simply gave up struggling and passively accepted it.

Hugging was fine; it wouldn’t cost him anything.

·

However, upon careful consideration, this incident of Ji Ruan seemingly running away from home might not have been entirely without its benefits.

At least Gu Xiuyi’s threshold for separation had risen; he had become more accepting of the idea of Ji Ruan staying at Cheng Zizhang’s for a while and also willing to let Ji Ruan stay in the dormitory for the last month or two of the semester.

The only requirement was that they couldn’t lose contact.

But Cheng Zizhang felt troubled; although Ji Ruan had been living at her home for several days, it seemed like he had separated from Gu Xiuyi; Gu Xiuyi appeared to be lurking everywhere.

The busy Gu Xiuyi seemingly became unoccupied all of a sudden, personally delivering every meal three times a day, the trade-off being that he could call Ji Ruan out to embrace him gently.

In the evenings, he would excuse taking Ji Ruan out for walks, claiming his injury needed exercise—walking until nightfall.

Cheng Zizhang felt as though she saw Ji Ruan every day, yet she seemed never to glimpse his shadow.

The only advantage was perhaps Gu Xiuyi’s cooking was delicious, so she didn’t have to cook herself.

A few days later, Monday.

After missing nearly a month of classes, Ji Ruan finally returned to school, full of energy.

Life in the dormitory was no different than before; he still attended classes during the day, occasionally visiting the studio with Cheng Zizhang, and spent evenings chatting and gaming in the dormitory.

His roommates were dedicated to teaching Ji Ruan how to play games, but Ji Ruan seemed to be naturally allergic to gaming; staring at those flashy screens for long made him dizzy.

However, dorm life always required some group activities, so Ji Ruan independently shifted his roommates’ intense interest in “Honor of Kings” to the simple and aesthetically pleasing game of Mahjong.

Life in the dorm was significantly more enriching than simply staying at home. Ji Ruan spent his days happily, but the only downside was he saw less of Gu Xiuyi.

Although he returned home every weekend and Gu Xiuyi would occasionally take him out to eat, every night at nine o’clock when Ji Ruan heated up his milk by himself, he couldn’t shake off an inexplicable sadness that left him feeling empty.

And this feeling didn’t improve over time; it only got better when he returned home on weekends, sitting on Gu Xiuyi’s lap while finishing a cup of milk.

On Friday afternoon, Ji Ruan had no classes; after lunch, it was Gu Xiuyi’s regular time to pick him up.

But this week, a last-minute public class had been added that coincided with the first period of the afternoon, and the notification had been very late. Ji Ruan only received the news during lunch and immediately felt down.

“What’s with that face?” Han Xiaolin tapped on his bowl, “Your lips are pouting enough to hang an oil bottle.”

Ji Ruan, annoyed, pushed his food around, “Public class! Did your class group not send anything? So annoying, we should have been on break already.”

The most useless thing about their school was these public classes; they were of no real benefit, completely disregarding discipline, yet attendance was rigorously enforced, mandating students must show up, but no one would care what you did during class as long as it looked full.

This wretched system.

“Hey, why are you complaining?” Han Xiaolin clicked his tongue, “Isn’t your first class this afternoon good enough? Just finish it and leave! You know when mine is?”

He pointed with a finger, “Tomorrow morning, Saturday! Eight AM! Want to swap with me?”

Ji Ruan: “…”

Ji Ruan quickly took a bite of food, then wiped his mouth and stood up, “You eat slowly; I’m off to class.”

He didn’t return to the dorm for a nap but went straight to the lecture hall, finding a seat in the last row of a corner, pulling out his phone to complain to Gu Xiuyi: had to attend a class; they couldn’t let out right after.

He added a crying emoji.

Also, since his phone had been without a charge all morning and was running low, Ji Ruan hastily reported to Gu Xiuyi, ensuring the message sent successfully to avoid Gu Xiuyi spiraling again over not being able to find him.

This class turned out to be even duller than anticipated. Ji Ruan’s phone completely ran out of battery and shut down; he couldn’t even play Mahjong.

Sitting beside the window, the afternoon sun warmed the room, and for someone like Ji Ruan who hadn’t taken a nap, it felt like a bomb dropped.

But he didn’t dare to sleep.

By mid-May, the temperature was already high, and the air conditioning in the classroom was running early. Although Ji Ruan wore a thin long-sleeved shirt, he still feared that sleeping under the air conditioning would make him catch a cold.

His eyelids waged a war repeatedly, and he forcibly kept them open with his hands, but ultimately, he couldn’t resist the drowsiness that swept in.

Sitting alone in the back, his eyes closed, he dozed off jerky like a chick pecking at rice. When the last strung nerve finally broke, his head came crashing down onto the desk.

Just as it seemed disastrous would strike, a steady hand held Ji Ruan’s face, preventing the desk from smashing down and saving him from a possible bump on the forehead.

Although he merely landed on a warm flesh pillow, Ji Ruan’s muddled consciousness faintly came back to clarity as he opened his eyes, landing on the surprised and complex expression of Gu Xiuyi.