TLDMDTBS Chapter 31

Chapter 31 ..

The light in the room was dim; Ji Ruan had only turned on the desk lamp, making it almost dark.

Gu Xiuyi was leaning against the head of the bed, his sharp facial features blending into the darkness, leaving only the faint smile in his eyes.

Outside the window, sporadic streetlights shone in, faintly igniting a small cluster of flickering light in his eyes, creating an inexplicable feeling of intimacy.

As their gazes met, Ji Ruan was momentarily stunned, and warm feelings seemed to rise in his fingertips, leaving him feeling a bit disoriented.

He placed his hands on the back of the chair, smiling in confusion: “Has Boss Gu’s massage business expanded to acupressure?”

Gu Xiuyi’s smile deepened: “Yes, that’s the plan. How about I give you a free trial voucher? Would this customer like to try it?”

Ji Ruan hesitated for only two seconds before standing up and walking over to Gu Xiuyi.

Although he couldn’t quite articulate why he felt strange looking at Gu Xiuyi at that moment, he at least knew he didn’t repulse that strangeness.

In fact, the warmth rising in his fingertips gradually spread throughout his body, as if the closer he got to Gu Xiuyi, the warmer the world felt. Human beings are creatures drawn to light and warmth, and Ji Ruan was no exception.

He sat down at the edge of the bed, placing his stuffed bear on Gu Xiuyi’s lap as a cushion, then turned sideways, laying down with his face against the bear’s belly: “Let’s start, but be gentle, okay?”

“Mm.”

Gu Xiuyi’s fingertips landed on Ji Ruan’s temples, warmth radiating between them, and Ji Ruan comfortably closed his eyes.

“Can you go up a bit?”

“Could you apply a little more pressure?”

“… Forget it, just keep it light, like at the beginning.”

He merely suggested a few points to the massage therapist, but was suddenly pinched on the cheek; the therapist seemed to laugh, saying: “You have quite high demands, don’t you?”

Ji Ruan rubbed the spot that was pinched, burying his face in the bear’s belly and chuckling: “Isn’t that part of your professional ethics? Besides, my head is very precious; if you don’t massage it well, I won’t come back to your place again.”

Customers have quite the temper.

Gu Xiuyi chuckled: “Alright then.”

To be honest, it seemed that Boss Gu really hadn’t served anyone before, lacking any technique. Fortunately, his pressure was light, and his body temperature was high, pressing against Ji Ruan’s forehead felt like a warm compress, comfortable even without movement.

Ji Ruan really liked his body heat.

At first, Gu Xiuyi could properly play the role of a therapist, but after a short while, he seemed to let go of himself. Ji Ruan would occasionally feel his cheeks being tickled, his earlobes pinched, and his auricles scratched, feeling all ticklish.

He caught Gu Xiuyi’s hand, lying back and looking at him: “Do you want to give me a full face massage?”

As soon as Gu Xiuyi heard this, he laughed: “I might… if you need it.”

Saying that, he immediately reached out, wanting to show off his superb massage skills.

Ji Ruan quickly sat up: “Forget it, forget it, I’ll pass.”

At first, a forehead massage was acceptable to Ji Ruan, but having his face touched felt very strange; he could not express it, but it just made his heart feel fluttery and numb.

He casually ruffled his messy hair, got off the bed, and sat back at the desk: “I’m done; it’s time for me to study again. Boss Gu, you should go back and sleep. Goodnight.”

Holding a pen in his hand, Ji Ruan seemed to enter a study state immediately, becoming oblivious to the world outside. Gu Xiuyi looked at his straight back for a second, then deeply felt a sense of loneliness as if he were a used item thrown away.

He stood up and walked to the desk, crossing his arms and looking down at Ji Ruan: “That’s it?”

Ji Ruan glanced back: “What more is there?”

“… Like, thanks for something?”

“Well then, thank you; it was really comfortable.”

“How about a bit more?”

Ji Ruan pressed his lips together, seeming to ponder seriously for a moment, then looked at Gu Xiuyi with clear eyes: “I’ll repay you with a perfect score on my exam.”

“…”

As it turned out, although Gu Xiuyi’s massage skills were lacking, they did wonders for Ji Ruan’s exams; he indeed received several perfect scores.

However, after the university’s final exams, they went straight home for the holidays, and there wouldn’t be any papers handed out again. To fulfill his promise, Ji Ruan specially printed out the report card and plastered it all over the door of the therapist’s room for three whole days as a genuine expression of gratitude and praise.

In front of the door, Ji Ruan carefully smoothed every corner of the report card, proudly looking up at Gu Xiuyi: “How about it?”

Gu Xiuyi: “…”

Gu Xiuyi tugged at the corner of his mouth: “Awesome.”

Although Gu Xiuyi always felt like he hadn’t received anything, this was Ji Ruan’s first promise fulfilled to him… at least it symbolized a breakthrough in their relationship…

Maybe it can be considered a breakthrough… Gu Xiuyi consoled himself in this manner.

The two looked at the shimmering report card together, from which the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival was set to unfold.

Jing Da’s final exams were held late this year, ending not long before the New Year. The arrangements at home were all changed to warm colors, with auspicious couplets pasted on the windows and red lanterns hung at the entrance.

On New Year’s Eve, Gu Xiuyi was busy outside the whole day, returning home in the afternoon before dinner.

When he entered, Ji Ruan was on a ladder sticking up couplets at the door.

The villa was tall, with the main door even more grand than a typical apartment door. Ji Ruan stood tall, making Gu Xiuyi raise his head to look at him, startling him at this height.

“What are you doing?” Gu Xiuyi quickly approached.

Ji Ruan was still holding double-sided tape; upon hearing the question, he looked down with a cheerful smile: “Sticking up couplets, I went out to buy them with Aunt Zhao this morning. The prices are really getting higher and higher; a pair of couplets costs—hey, what are you doing!”

Ji Ruan suddenly found himself lifted in the air by Gu Xiuyi, and in an instant, the world in front of him swirled, and his heart skipped a beat.

Only when Ji Ruan was safely placed back on the ground did Gu Xiuyi let out a sigh of relief.

There was no one around, and Aunt Zhao didn’t know where she was either. The ground steps were made of cobblestones, making it easy for Ji Ruan to trip. If he hadn’t steadied himself and had fallen, who knew what would’ve happened.

Gu Xiuyi thought about it and found it terrifying.

“From now on, don’t climb this high if no one’s around, got it?”

Ji Ruan’s heart had not yet settled; there was a slight feeling of weightlessness when he was lifted. He patted his chest: “You still say that? You lifting me down was way more frightening than standing up there. You could have at least warned me first!”

“…”

Having calmed down, Gu Xiuyi also recognized that his earlier move was a bit abrupt.

“Sorry,” he coughed: “Are you done?”

“Almost…” Ji Ruan complained but knew that Gu Xiuyi meant well, so he no longer attempted to climb on his own and moved aside a bit.

Gu Xiuyi took the double-sided tape from Ji Ruan’s hand, climbed the ladder two or three steps to smooth the couplets out, then brought Ji Ruan into the house.

Ji Ruan was still wearing a thick scarf. Gu Xiuyi helped him take it off, looking at his pale face: “Were you scared?”

Ji Ruan’s eyelashes fluttered, looking down at Gu Xiuyi with a justified expression: “Anyone would be scared like that…”

Gu Xiuyi shifted his gaze, patting Ji Ruan’s head: “You really are delicate… go wash your hands.”

Aunt Zhao prepared a feast for the New Year’s Eve dinner, the table full of bright and festive dishes. Ji Ruan took a photo and sent it to the dorm group before starting to eat.

There was a dish of sweet rice balls, especially delicious, meeting Ji Ruan’s taste more than any seafood or meat.

But Gu Xiuyi limited Ji Ruan’s amount under the excuse that glutinous rice is hard to digest, which made Ji Ruan sulkily set aside the rice balls and drink two bowls of soup as a sign of his displeasure.

In the evening, the two sat on the thick carpet in the living room with a cat, watching the Spring Festival Gala. Gu Xiuyi had managed to live until now without being able to calmly enjoy a Spring Festival Gala on New Year’s Eve, a day indeed rare for him.

So, at this moment, it was a particularly strange warmth for him.

Ji Ruan’s phone buzzed; his roommates successively sent pictures of their New Year celebrations.

Qin Shan’s family was still dining, playing the Spring Festival Gala in the background. Li Yu was already outside setting off fireworks, and Han Xiaolin sent a picture of a snowman.

Ji Ruan opened it to take a look, [@Han Da Xian, Han Xiaolin, why did you put the snowman in the fridge?]

Han Xiaolin replied instantly: [For keeping it fresh.]

[Ji Ruan: ……?]

[Han Da Xian: This is something you might not know; in our family’s traditions, making a snowman on New Year’s Eve can bring prosperity for the coming year and also ward off evil spirits.]

Ji Ruan raised his eyebrows: [Is there such a saying?]

[Han Xiaolin: Not sure about other places, but our family does. When I lived in the countryside, we made a big one every year. Now that I’ve moved to the city, the elevator apartments don’t allow it outside, so I thought the fridge door counts as the entrance; it’ll do.]

What the hell, the fridge door counts as an entrance? Ji Ruan couldn’t help but laugh; Gu Xiuyi shot him a glance.

Still chuckling, Ji Ruan took a sip of water to clear his throat and showed the chat history to Gu Xiuyi.

Gu Xiuyi raised his eyebrows while reading: “Your friend is quite a character.”

Ji Ruan smiled even wider: “How can someone his age still believe in such nonsense?”

“Exactly,” Gu Xiuyi agreed: “Feudal superstitions should be avoided.”

“You’re right.”

After saying that, the two fell into silence for a while, quietly watching the Spring Festival Gala. However, Ji Ruan gradually began to reminisce, reopening Han Xiaolin’s picture to take a glance.

A few minutes later, he checked it again.

That snowman… looked quite cute.

“Ahem,” Ji Ruan cleared his throat, idly tugging at the tassels on the pillow: “Who would go out on New Year’s Eve to make a snowman? How boring.”

Gu Xiuyi nodded, genuinely agreeing: “And it’s easy to catch a cold.”

Ji Ruan: “…”

He turned to look at Gu Xiuyi: “I would never do such childish things.”

“Neither would I.”

Gu Xiuyi casually replied but then realized something felt off, as if the gaze beside him was overly intense.

He hesitantly turned his head and unexpectedly locked eyes with Ji Ruan, whose large, beautiful eyes were staring back at him.

Gu Xiuyi stared at him for a while, realizing that the one saying making snowmen is childish had eyes filled with eagerness.

The other’s gaze flickered slightly, and Ji Ruan immediately understood that Gu Xiuyi had guessed his thoughts; he pursed his lips and smiled.

He firmly believed that this smile was especially cute and sweet, like a dimple filled with syrup, irresistible to anyone, from eighty-year-olds to three-year-olds, regardless of gender.

Let alone Gu Xiuyi, a man who loved to show off and secretly was a bit repressed.

Sure enough, Gu Xiuyi pressed his lips together, and Ji Ruan could see a bit of loosening in his expression.

But in the next second, Gu Xiuyi suddenly turned his head toward the TV, “Who’s singing now?”

Clearly changing the subject.

Ji Ruan snatched the remote from his hand, forcing him to meet his gaze once more: “If I told you, you wouldn’t know who he is anyway. Why ask? Let’s just enjoy the present.”

Gu Xiuyi: “…”

Gu Xiuyi was truly at a loss.

Usually lazy and nonchalant, but whenever Ji Ruan stared seriously at someone, his eyes shone brightly, as his shallow-colored irises made them look like beautiful gemstones, his gaze so scorching it could redden the other’s ears.

Gu Xiuyi covered Ji Ruan’s eyes with his hand, turning his face away.

Ji Ruan was suddenly plunged into darkness, but he could hear a faint sigh by his ear.

·

Ten minutes later, Ji Ruan appeared outside with a small bucket alongside Gu Xiuyi.

He was dressed quite thickly, making it cumbersome to move; Gu Xiuyi, unbothered by the cold, wore ordinary winter clothes and moved with far greater agility than Ji Ruan.

Once their hands touched the snow, Gu Xiuyi couldn’t help but find it unbelievable: “Who said they would absolutely never do anything this childish? Why are you out here now?”

Ji Ruan walked carefully to avoid slipping: “Oh come on, isn’t this to ensure your prosperity for next year?”

“No need,” Gu Xiuyi helped him slightly: “I’m quite wealthy.”

Ji Ruan laughed: “You are such an interesting person; who would think too much money is a bad thing?”

This was true; as a businessman, Gu Xiuyi certainly couldn’t treat money as worthless, so under Ji Ruan’s cheerful gaze, he sighed and began begrudgingly making snowballs.

They didn’t go to the yard but instead built two large snowballs at the entrance and stacked them on top of each other, forming a rudimentary snowman shape.

—In fact, it was all Gu Xiuyi’s handiwork.

Ji Ruan’s bulky clothing severely limited his movements, leaving him only able to play with the snow like mud while being by the side.

Once the snowman’s shape was completed, Ji Ruan then took buttons for eyes, a carrot for the nose, twigs for arms, and wrapped a scarf around it for the final touch.

It was freezing cold, and Ji Ruan’s legs turned numb; when he stood up, he accidentally plopped back down into the snow. The awkward part was that because his clothing was so thick, he couldn’t get back up.

He pushed against the snow and tried several times, but he didn’t budge at all, as if he were magnetically stuck to it.

In the end, Ji Ruan could only lift his hat and look up at Gu Xiuyi with puppy eyes.

Gu Xiuyi had intended to help Ji Ruan up from the start but found the little one struggling amusing, momentarily unable to resist watching the show with his arms crossed.

But now Ji Ruan undeniably couldn’t get up; his nose and cheeks were red, and Gu Xiuyi worried that if he sat in the snow any longer, he would wet his pants and catch a cold. He eventually leaned down, half-hugging Ji Ruan and pulling him up.

Ji Ruan, whose legs were numb, took small breaths, borrowing Gu Xiuyi’s strength.

Gu Xiuyi showed astonishment: “You hardly moved, how come you’re breathing like this?”

Ji Ruan shot him an annoyed glare: “Do you know how heavy this outfit is? Hah—standing to talk is not sore on your back.”

Gu Xiuyi laughed helplessly.

Having calmed his breathing somewhat, Ji Ruan had time to raise his head and look at Gu Xiuyi.

Putting other things aside, those two red lanterns at the entrance were chosen really well, casting bright light like fine gauze over Gu Xiuyi’s face, making him look warm all over.

Even his expression was warm.

Ji Ruan stared at him for a while and blurted out without thinking: “Your eyes are quite nice.”

Gu Xiuyi’s gaze flickered, seeming to become uneasy from those words: “What nonsense are you saying?”

Ji Ruan’s round dimple popped out: “I might have poor hearing but I’m not blind. Seriously, I never noticed before, but now they really are a bit good-looking.”

For a moment, Gu Xiuyi’s breath turned to mist and stalled in the air.

He swallowed hard, turning his head: “Have you been drunk off those sweet rice balls, Ji Ruan?”

Ji Ruan chuckled again.

Snow began to fall from the sky; not wanting to get wet, Ji Ruan picked up his small bucket and walked back inside leisurely: “I’m not drunk at all.”

His voice became soft and sticky in the snow-filled air.

Only after he walked away did Gu Xiuyi regain his senses and gaze at his retreating figure, feeling a sweet breath rise unconsciously from his chest.