TLDMDTBS Chapter 78

Chapter 78 – Extra 05

The air conditioning was on in the living room, and Ji Ruan was passionately kissed by Gu Xiuyi, the cold air blowing across his back made him shiver.

“Are you cold?” Gu Xiuyi asked sensitively, stopping to grab the remote and turn up the temperature, holding Ji Ruan’s back. “Why are you shivering?”

Ji Ruan sniffled, his eyes red, his breath slightly rapid. “It’s fine, um… maybe I was sweating a bit outside earlier, and the air conditioning feels chilly.”

Gu Xiuyi immediately slipped his hand under the hem of his T-shirt, and sure enough, he found Ji Ruan’s skin cool and damp.

“Such nonsense.” Gu Xiuyi’s expression darkened immediately.

The romantic atmosphere vanished, and without saying a word, he carried Ji Ruan upstairs.

Gu Xiuyi’s brows were tightly furrowed. Sweating and then sitting in air conditioning was the easiest way to catch a cold, not to mention Ji Ruan’s already fragile constitution.

Ji Ruan was set gently onto the bed, watching Gu Xiuyi quickly walk into the bathroom to run the water. A few minutes later, he was stripped of his clothes and tossed into the bathtub.

He soaked in the hot water until he turned as red as a boiled shrimp before being fished out, dried off, and taken outside to blow dry his hair.

“Don’t be so anxious,” Ji Ruan said, hooking his pinky around Gu Xiuyi’s, looking at the man before him, who seemed on high alert, giving a helpless smile. “I’m much better than before.”

The so-called much better was merely in comparison to post-surgery. Ji Ruan’s health still remained as fragile as a glass doll compared to others, and Gu Xiuyi dared not let his guard down.

He turned off the hairdryer, his fingers still tangled in Ji Ruan’s hair. Some of Ji Ruan’s soft locks were warmed by the blowing air, while others were still damp and cool at the tips.

He gently touched Ji Ruan’s cheek with the back of his hand. Just out of the bath, Ji Ruan’s skin was softer than usual, still retaining warmth, and Gu Xiuyi felt like he was being melted away by that warmth.

“I’m the one being too anxious…” he relaxed a bit, his tone softening.

Ji Ruan shook his head, wrapping his arms around Gu Xiuyi’s waist, looking up at him. “But I really like it when you care about me like this.”

When he looked at someone this way, there was always a unique seriousness in his expression, making it hard for others to look away. Gu Xiuyi felt as if his heart was being crushed into pieces, a rush of bittersweetness and excitement flooding through his veins.

Gu Xiuyi took a deep breath, turned on the hairdryer, and continued to gently comb through Ji Ruan’s silky strands.

·

That afternoon, Ji Ruan, to his credit, did not fall ill. His good condition lasted all the way until the day he finished his driving test.

By the time the third part of the exam came, the heated autumn sun had crossed into late November, deep into autumn.

Gu Xiuyi took a day off work to accompany him for the test, bringing along Ji Ruan’s special thermos and a little blanket, treating the day like sending a child off for the college entrance examination.

The examination area restricted access to just the examinees and their instructors, turning Gu Xiuyi into an unfortunate bystander, left waiting silently outside the iron gate.

Ji Ruan had never been troubled by exams all his life, and obtaining a driver’s license was easy for him. A few hours later, Gu Xiuyi stood outside the fourth part examination hall, welcomed by a beaming Ji Ruan.

That day, the sun shone brightly, with a warm autumn breeze. Ji Ruan, holding a dark-colored booklet, rushed towards him in a cream-colored fleece coat.

His hair was tousled by the wind, fluttering about, and Gu Xiuyi only had time to catch a glimpse of his dazzling smile before instinctively opening his arms to catch him.

“I passed my driving test!” Ji Ruan exclaimed joyfully, bouncing up and down.

Overcome with excitement, he disregarded the surrounding onlookers and wrapped his arms around Gu Xiuyi’s neck, leaning in to give him a kiss.

Gu Xiuyi had never received so many kisses from Ji Ruan at once; he felt as if his heart had soared into the sky, his blood boiling with excitement.

Once home, Ji Ruan walked ahead, using his phone to take pictures of his beloved little booklet, announcing the fantastic news to his roommates.

But before he could send it out, just as he passed through the foyer, Gu Xiuyi grabbed his waist and pinned him against the countertop, his phone clattering to the floor.

Ji Ruan’s vision blurred, a deep kiss coming down like a shower.

Gu Xiuyi lifted him onto the countertop with one arm, gripping the back of his head, kissing him with a powerful yet restrained urgency, emotions swirling intensely, knowing he had to be careful not to hurt Ji Ruan.

Ji Ruan felt as if he was submerged in the sea, sometimes being tossed high and other times sinking down, caught in rising dizziness. Gaining confidence, he wrapped his arms around Gu Xiuyi’s neck, extending his tongue in response, blossoming like a rose unfurling its petals, soft and entwined with affection.

Gu Xiuyi’s body went rigid for a moment, then the heat of his breath next to Ji Ruan’s ear intensified, almost set him ablaze.

He loosened the bowtie that was nearly suffocating him, holding Ji Ruan’s waist while carrying him upstairs, his vigorous steps startling the household cat, who scurried away with a mewl.

As the night grew colder, Gu Xiuyi secured all doors and windows, turned on the heating, and even switched off the last small lamp.

Ji Ruan lay back on the bed, his black hair splayed out, his sheets felt like soft clouds, as if he were lying amidst them.

Close up, Gu Xiuyi could see the intoxicated love shimmering in Ji Ruan’s eyes.

A fluttery feeling ignited in Gu Xiuyi’s heart.

This feeling had been trapped inside him for so long, now struggling to break free.

It burst from its cage, snapping the shackles, turning into a majestic eagle soaring through the sky.

The clouds above were thick, scattered with countless soft clouds, the eagle gliding through them, beating its wings toward the two largest clusters.

They curled up in the layers of clouds, facing the pinpoint white light at the edge of the universe, shyly displaying the pearls they held within.

Yet the eagle’s wings were too sharp, ready to pierce through the clouds. It patiently circled around, letting the mist wet its feathers, gently caressing the soft clouds, approaching the most fragile gap between the two clusters with tender collisions.

The clouds hesitated, trembling their fragile bodies, offering the pearls shyly but then pulling back, layers upon layers folding over, blocking out the sunlight.

The atmosphere suddenly filled with moisture, and the eagle softly flapped its wings against the fluffy clouds. As the light scattered, it fiercely broke through the tight encirclement of clouds, its hard beak clenching the pearls buried deep within.

The clouds trembled violently, bewildered, drenching the eagle’s feathers, which then flapped rhythmically, causing the clouds to contract repeatedly, crystalline raindrops pouring down like a storm.

Crash—

Rain fell upon the earth.

Night fell, the ground dripped gently.

Gu Xiuyi turned on the wall lamp, tenderly carrying Ji Ruan to the bathroom to rinse off.

Outside, the sound of rain drummed against the window while he changed the bed sheets, embracing Ji Ruan to sleep.

Exhausted, Ji Ruan nestled against him for a while longer, softly brushing against him before sinking into a deep sleep in his arms.

That night, Gu Xiuyi didn’t dare to sleep too deeply. In the early morning haziness, he opened his eyes and noticed something was off with Ji Ruan.

His breathing was somewhat heavy, and his face felt much warmer than usual. Gu Xiuyi instantly sobered up, quickly getting up to turn on the light and search for the thermometer.

After Dr. Li Sui’an mentioned that the temperature gun could only measure surface temperature and was less effective than a regular thermometer, Gu Xiuyi made sure to stock up on several thermometers at home.

Ji Ruan was stirred awake by the faint sound of conversation. He opened his eyes, seeing a blurry figure.

Gu Xiuyi was sitting by the bed, holding his phone. Ji Ruan couldn’t see Gu Xiuyi’s expression clearly; the clearest thing in sight was the hem of the man’s pajamas beside him.

“Awake?” Gu Xiuyi saw him open his eyes, immediately ending the call and leaning down to touch his face. “Are you feeling unwell, baby?”

Ji Ruan parted his lips. “Gu… cough, cough!”

Before he could even call out Gu Xiuyi’s name, he was interrupted by a series of coughs, his throat itching, dry, and uncomfortable.

“Don’t talk for now.” Gu Xiuyi supported his back to sit him up, pulling up a blanket to wrap him snugly, gently stroking his chest.

Ji Ruan twisted his brows in discomfort, gripping Gu Xiuyi’s collar. After coughing for a while, he gradually calmed down, and Gu Xiuyi supported his chin to offer him some water.

“Feeling better?” He asked, close to Ji Ruan’s ear.

Ji Ruan’s eyes were red and misty, he struggled to focus but nodded slowly.

Gu Xiuyi grabbed the external device and put it on him, holding his face. “Can you hear me clearly?”

His voice was gentle, almost a bit too soft as if he feared to scare Ji Ruan. But Ji Ruan could sense his unmistakable tension.

Ji Ruan smiled reassuringly. “I can hear you clearly.”

“What about here? Does it hurt?” Gu Xiuyi’s fingertip brushed against the skin behind his ear.

Ji Ruan focused and replied, “It doesn’t hurt.”

Only then did Gu Xiuyi feel a bit relieved.

According to Dr. Li Sui’an, as long as Ji Ruan’s ears were fine, it was just a simple cold, no need to rush to the hospital. They could take some medicine and rest, and if the fever persisted by morning, they could go to the hospital then.

Gu Xiuyi poured a glass of warm water, took some fever-reducing medicine, and held Ji Ruan in his arms. “You have a slight fever. How about we take the medicine and monitor it for a bit?”

Ji Ruan felt so weak, as if melting into Gu Xiuyi’s embrace, he nodded and took the medicine from Gu Xiuyi’s hand. Gu Xiuyi then tore off a fever patch and placed it on his forehead.

After a short while, Ji Ruan could no longer sit still due to discomfort. He tugged at Gu Xiuyi’s hand with a whimper, his voice strained, “It hurts…”

Gu Xiuyi understood that he had caused quite a ruckus, with not an ounce of anger. He hurried to hold his waist and gently rub his back, whispering soothingly into his ear:

“Does it hurt? Let’s massage it, it’ll feel better. I promise to be gentler next time, okay?…”

Gu Xiuyi was already familiar with caring for others, yet no matter how skilled, his heart raced anxiously afterward.

It might be because Ji Ruan was feeling unwell; he couldn’t fall asleep again. Overcome with fatigue, he could only frown and murmur in Gu Xiuyi’s embrace.

His eyelashes hung low, appearing quite worn.

Gu Xiuyi lifted his face, “Are you feeling very unwell? Or should we go to the hospital directly?”

Ji Ruan shook his head, coughed a couple of times, and looked up at Gu Xiuyi with watery eyes. “I’m sorry, I got sick again…”

Gu Xiuyi couldn’t stand to see him like this, his heart aching painfully. “It’s not your fault; you’re the one suffering from being sick.”

Moreover, it was ultimately Gu Xiuyi’s oversight for forgetting to take it easy, which led to this happening at night without caring whether Ji Ruan could handle it.

Ji Ruan pressed his pale lips together. He was innocent of worldly matters and probably didn’t connect the fever with that kind of event, only feeling frustrated that his body wasn’t up to par. “But because of me, you couldn’t sleep well and had a hard time, when I’ve been just fine lately… I really…”

Gu Xiuyi felt a sharp pain in his heart.

“Ji Ruan,” he called his name, “I’m not suffering at all; this is a very happy thing.”

His gaze was focused and serious. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have anyone so close to me in this world. I would never understand what a close relationship meant to me in my entire life.”

It meant that he wouldn’t have walked through this life in vain; he had tasted the flavors of life, felt emotions, and realized that when one genuinely loves another, they can also become unrecognizable.

He would feel uncertain, intimidated, jealous, and even possessive, wanting to claim everything about him, and he would want to see him shine brightly in the spotlight.

When he liked Ji Ruan, it didn’t mean he was selflessly magnanimous in all his thoughts, but every second of emotion was intensely alive, his heart would violently pound against his chest, his mind would overflow, thoughts short-circuiting, and a single word from Ji Ruan could bring him joy.

This was a precious emotion Gu Xiuyi had never experienced in the first thirty years of his life.

He generally spoke to Ji Ruan tenderly, rarely adopting such a serious demeanor. He fixed his dark eyes upon Ji Ruan:

“So from now on, don’t think like that again, okay?”

Ji Ruan, feeling dizzy from the fever, couldn’t think straight, but he could still sense Gu Xiuyi’s seriousness.

A warm sensation filled his heart, and he smiled with crescent eyes, kissing the corner of Gu Xiuyi’s lips. “I understand; I really like you.”

Although his voice was still hoarse, the words rolled off his tongue like honey.

Gu Xiuyi’s heart skipped a beat.

He had to admit that Ji Ruan didn’t have as many convoluted thoughts as he did; when expressing his love, the purity and straightforwardness was profound. Liking someone was simply liking them, needing no self-affirmation or reasons, nor did it carry so much “meaning.”

But just one spontaneous proclamation of affection from Ji Ruan could make his heart race into overdrive.

Gu Xiuyi lowered his head and pressed a scorching kiss to Ji Ruan’s earlobe.

Just the thought of being able to kiss Ji Ruan like this every day in the years to come made the world feel incredibly beautiful, yet time felt fleeting.

How could a few decades of love be enough?

He tightened his embrace around Ji Ruan, contemplating asking him the next morning if he wanted to continue this together in their next life.

Of course, the answer would be singular; he wouldn’t offer a denial.

– The End –