TLDMDTBS Chapter 76

Chapter 76 Extra 03

More than a week had passed, and Ji Ruan’s wound finally scabbed over and healed, new flesh growing back. He received notification that he could have the cochlear implant fitted again.

The previous night, he was so excited that he hardly slept.

This was the longest time he had lost his hearing in his life. Every day, he could only hear a bit of distorted and garbled sounds, and it was only when Gu Xiuyi spoke close to his ear that he could truly feel sound.

When Gu Xiuyi wasn’t beside him, it felt as if he had lost connection with the whole world. Ji Ruan thought to himself that if he remained deaf for just a few more days, he might forget how to speak.

The next day, Ji Ruan had two large dark circles under his eyes, but he was in high spirits, sitting on the edge of the bed and swinging his legs. Getting the cochlear implant meant he could be discharged from the hospital, and he could finally see the light of day again!

He had already changed out of the little floral hospital gown; now, he wore a pure white T-shirt, topped off with a thin light blue jacket draped over him by Gu Xiuyi. He had knee-length shorts on, which exposed the scar on his calf.

Ji Ruan had many scars on his body.

Gu Xiuyi felt a little heartache and handed him a glass of honey water, sitting down beside him and watching him take small sips. “I told you to sleep early last night, but you didn’t. Now look at those dark circles.”

Ji Ruan held the cup and smiled, “I’m just too happy.”

He leaned closer, resting his chin on Gu Xiuyi’s shoulder, his voice softening, “I’m so happy. I can hear again.”

Gu Xiuyi took the cup away to prevent Ji Ruan from spilling, kissing his brow and eyes gently. “Hmm, but is it okay that you didn’t sleep well? Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

“No,” Ji Ruan’s eyes sparkled. “I feel great.”

His current state was causing him to be so excited that he seemed almost euphoric, probably due to being cooped up in the hospital for too long.

Hoping to let the little one out for some fresh air, Gu Xiuyi didn’t waste any time, quickly finishing breakfast with Ji Ruan before taking him to see Li Sui’an.

It was still the familiar treatment room. This was Ji Ruan’s third time getting the cochlear implant fitted here, and he sat down comfortably at the treatment table.

Li Sui’an took out the equipment and spoke slowly to Ji Ruan, “If you feel uncomfortable at any point, just raise your hand. We can take breaks and go slowly; there’s no need to push yourself.”

Ji Ruan listened intently, nodding and giving an “OK” sign.

Li Sui’an looked at Gu Xiuyi again, reassuring him, “It’s fine. This is the third time. He has adapted to it, so it might not be as uncomfortable this time.”

Gu Xiuyi’s expression was neutral, but his voice was deep. “Let’s start.”

“Okay.” Li Sui’an replied, connecting the equipment behind Ji Ruan’s ear and starting the tuning.

In an instant, a current coursed through Ji Ruan’s scalp, the sounds near him alternating between silence and noise. He was very familiar with every step of the process.

But being sensitive meant he was simply sensitive; he hadn’t become more accustomed despite multiple attempts. Even though Ji Ruan concentrated hard and tensed his body, he still couldn’t withstand the intense dizziness and nausea.

A few minutes later, cold sweat appeared at his temples.

Gu Xiuyi had been holding Ji Ruan, feeling his back slightly arch, his left arm pressed against his abdomen, leaving only one hand free to give feedback.

Li Sui’an noticed that Ji Ruan’s body wasn’t adapting well and consciously quickened his pace, but it still didn’t help Ji Ruan hold out until the end.

Halfway through, when Ji Ruan’s face turned pale as he leaned into Gu Xiuyi’s arms trembling, Gu Xiuyi called for a stop.

Li Sui’an immediately paused the device, standing up. “How are you feeling?”

The noisy waves gradually receded, and Ji Ruan’s senses began to return, but he felt terribly dizzy, everything in front of him spinning wildly.

He felt so unwell he closed his eyes, but with his eyes shut, it felt like he was spinning himself. He almost lost his balance and fell off the chair, but Gu Xiuyi caught him securely.

“It’s okay, my baby. We’re not in a hurry.” Gu Xiuyi whispered in his ear, his voice distorted in the rotating space, yet low and steady, making it very clear for Ji Ruan to hear.

He gently soothed Ji Ruan’s back. “Let’s take a break and go slowly; it will be fine soon…”

“I’m holding you. Let’s rest for a moment.”

Ji Ruan leaned weakly against Gu Xiuyi’s shoulder, supported by him. He focused on his breathing, adjusting his state, and after a while, he gently nodded.

At the end of the tuning process, Ji Ruan was dripping with sweat and was lethargically carried back to the hospital room by Gu Xiuyi.

Although it was as uncomfortable as usual, Ji Ruan didn’t throw up this time, which was a milestone progress for him.

His pale cheeks were supported by Gu Xiuyi, yet a faint smile lingered at the corners of his mouth, as if he felt his progress was commendable. He also received a loving kiss from Gu Xiuyi.

Back in the hospital room, Gu Xiuyi stayed with Ji Ruan for a while. Once he felt a bit better, he fed him something to eat. And due to Ji Ruan feeling uncomfortable from sweating, Gu Xiuyi took him to have a nice wash, leaving his hair fluffy and smooth.

When Ji Ruan swayed his hair at the entrance while preparing to leave the hospital, he looked like a fragrant dandelion swaying in the wind, oh no, half a dandelion.

The hospital luggage had been packed and taken away by the assistant last night, so today Gu Xiuyi traveled light, personally acting as the driver to take Ji Ruan home.

Now that Ji Ruan had regained his hearing, he was like a curious baby, turning his head to look at whatever sound he heard. He hadn’t heard clear sounds in nearly a month, and even the slightest noise piqued his curiosity.

As they drove into the city, there was a bit of traffic, and they found themselves stuck in a stream of moving vehicles.

Ji Ruan completely rolled down the car window, slightly turning his body, with both hands resting on the window frame—not reaching out, just holding the tips of his fingers, sitting very obediently.

He blinked his big eyes while looking at the streets outside, laughing at the song playing in the nearby car, and at the real estate agency outside doing an exercise routine, everything made him laugh.

His eyes sparkled with amazement, each glance filled with curiosity, exploration, and love for the world; sound was the most wonderful thing in the world to him.

Even the honking and racket during a traffic jam that annoyed everyone else was a precious sensation for him.

Gu Xiuyi watched, feeling warmth in his heart, as Ji Ruan’s joyful and innocent gaze burned brightly, as if it could scorch him.

When the red light came on, he stopped the car, turned Ji Ruan’s face towards him, and kissed him deeply.

·

Before heading home, Ji Ruan stopped by the school to pick up some things.

Gu Xiuyi parked the car by the road, waiting for him at the security booth by the entrance.

Ji Ruan went in with high spirits but returned with a pout, looking somewhat unhappy.

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t let such a good opportunity slip by. He first gave Ji Ruan a kiss on the pouty lips before wrapping his arms around him. “What’s wrong? Who made you unhappy?”

Ji Ruan had a bag in his hand, and Gu Xiuyi vaguely saw some documents and a few packaging boxes inside it. It should have been the materials his roommates collected for him, along with a special gift.

Logically, Ji Ruan should have been very happy.

Ji Ruan raised his face, the hood of his jacket pulled over, covering half his brows and eyes. He lifted his hand to adjust it so his eyes were visible, expressing his grievance:

“Han Xiaolin and the others laughed at me.”

His little face was crumpled up, looking quite aggrieved.

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t help but pinch his chubby cheek. “What did they say about you?”

Ji Ruan’s cheeks puffed as he took off his hood and pointed at his shiny half-shaved head. “They said I look like a Shamate!”

To be fair, the barber’s skills were indeed quite impressive. One side of Ji Ruan’s head was shaved clean, without even a hint of stubble, while the other side had grown somewhat long after a month without a haircut.

This hairstyle really did look eye-catching at first glance, a bit edgy, more suited for the flashy characters you’d find in a small alley, almost reaching a higher status of coolness.

“They even played that song in front of me!” Ji Ruan was getting angrier as he spoke. “So I unilaterally severed ties with them for half an hour.”

“That song, you know it, right? It’s the one that goes, ‘Your mother always says I’m old-fashioned, so I went to Master Wang at the village entrance to perm my hair,'” Ji Ruan said, even singing a couple of lines, clenching his fists, grinding his teeth. “I’m really going to explode!”

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer; his lips twitched even as he tried to suppress his laughter, stepping back a couple of paces and covering his mouth to hold it in.

“How could that be? Don’t listen to what they say,” he wrapped his arm back around Ji Ruan, comforting him. “You don’t look anything like that; you’re incredibly cute. That hairstyle was all the rage when I was in school.”

Ji Ruan’s expression softened slightly. “Really?”

Gu Xiuyi nodded earnestly. “When have I ever lied to you? Half of my class had that hairstyle back in middle school.”

Ji Ruan nodded along, finally feeling less angry under Gu Xiuyi’s consolation. But then he suddenly had a realization:

“But you went to middle school during the peak of Shamate!”

Gu Xiuyi was left speechless: “…”

Ji Ruan almost cried from the frustration.

·

To comfort Ji Ruan’s wounded heart and help him temporarily forget he had turned into a Shamate, Gu Xiuyi took him to the supermarket, hoping to distract him with snacks.

Ji Ruan was indeed very cooperative, continuously stuffing snacks into the shopping cart, including but not limited to chocolates, beef jerky, and small potato chips.

Gu Xiuyi quietly followed behind, checking expiry dates, estimating whether Ji Ruan’s delicate stomach could finish all this before it went bad.

When they reached the tasting area, Ji Ruan stopped in his tracks, drawn in by the aroma of grilled sausages. A beautiful young lady was frying ham, and while doing so, she was sweetly advertising the product, her voice soft and melodious.

Ji Ruan unconsciously tilted his head, attentively listening.

When the young lady looked up, she noticed a cool and cute boy standing in front of her, wearing a hoodie and cap. He met her gaze and smiled with crescent-shaped eyes, unabashedly complimenting her, “Your voice is really nice.”

The young lady’s ears went red, and she shyly touched her face. “Th-thank you! Would you like to try some?”

She brought the entire frying pan and ham over to Ji Ruan.

Ji Ruan laughed and shook his head, pick up a toothpick. “No, just a little taste is enough for me.”

Thus, their shopping cart added two bags of premium ham.

As they went to checkout, they had to pass the bathing area. Gu Xiuyi pushed the cart dutifully in front, only to realize after a few steps that the side beside him was empty. When he turned around, he found Ji Ruan standing in front of a long row of shampoo products, dazed.

“What are you thinking about, my baby?” He stepped closer to embrace Ji Ruan, waving his hand in front of his eyes. “Baby?”

Ji Ruan turned his head, his gaze vacant, and pointed with a finger: “I want to buy this.”

Gu Xiuyi followed the tip of his pale finger and was stunned to find a bottle of霸王!

He really couldn’t forget about his hair.

“…” Gu Xiuyi opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words. “Um, baby…”

He struggled to phrase it. “霸王 is aimed at people with hair loss and difficulty regrowing hair; you’re not in that category.”

From his perspective, Ji Ruan’s hair was perfectly fine and grew faster than bamboo shoots after the rain; just a few days of careless neglect would leave him with a bit of stubble.

But Ji Ruan’s eyelashes fluttered, and he lowered his head, looking very wronged.

Gu Xiuyi’s heart broke at the sight, and he hurriedly cradled Ji Ruan’s face. “Okay, we’ll buy it!”

“Is one box enough?”