TLDMDTBS Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Gu Xiuyi glanced at his phone. Among a string of incoming calls, there was a lonely little cherry icon.

The green little leaf on the cherry stem was just like the few unruly strands of hair on Ji Ruan’s head that refused to be tamed.

Ji Ruan had indeed called him, just past nine o’clock, a time when he was supposed to be drinking milk.

A strange feeling rose in Gu Xiuyi’s heart, like a soap bubble suddenly popping at a delicate moment, making him suddenly realize something.

Ji Ruan rarely took the initiative to call him; at most, he would occasionally send a message. Today, at this time, he called, didn’t it indicate that he had subconsciously associated nine o’clock and milk with him?

From now on, whenever Ji Ruan saw nine o’clock and milk, he would think of him.

Gu Xiuyi felt a warm sensation in his heart, a sense of satisfaction, like a carefully tended seed finally sprouting.

“Sorry,” he said, maintaining a calm expression, nonchalantly wrapping an arm around Ji Ruan’s shoulders. “My phone is mostly on silent; I didn’t receive any calls tonight.”

Ji Ruan allowed him to pull him forward, his fingers fidgeting with the zipper of his jacket, loosening his voice. “I also called Song Tezhu, but he didn’t answer. Later, Dr. Li called to say you were drunk, and that’s why I came.”

The implication was clear; he wasn’t easily fooled. Gu Xiuyi not answering the phone led him to incorrectly believe Dr. Li’s words.

Gu Xiuyi could obviously hear what Ji Ruan was hinting at—this little friend held a grudge and cared very much about being called “foolish,” subtly expressing that he was not a little fool.

Gu Xiuyi felt the urge to pinch his cheeks again.

He suppressed a smile, using a restrained touch at Ji Ruan’s hair. “Hmm, I won’t ignore your calls anymore.”

“Really?” Ji Ruan smiled, suddenly covering his mouth to cough twice. The evening wind was a bit chilly, and he had breathed in some cold air when he went out, leaving his throat cool all the way down to his chest.

“Then you promise.”

He covered his mouth and nose to ease the coughing before finishing his sentence.

Gu Xiuyi’s palm slowly moved along his back. “I promise; from now on, I will answer every call you make… why are you coughing again?”

Ji Ruan shook his head, moving his hand away. “It’s fine; it’s like this in spring.”

His throat had been checked at the hospital many times, but no major issues were found. They said it was sensitivity in the respiratory tract, easily irritated.

Now that it was spring, with fluctuating temperatures and various dust and pollen in the air, he wasn’t feeling too comfortable.

Gu Xiuyi felt a vague worry but was helpless; he couldn’t keep Ji Ruan locked up at home.

He noticed Ji Ruan’s eyes were slightly red from coughing and thought he looked a little thinner recently, the line of his jaw sharper.

The bar had three floors—the first floor was open for business, the second floor had private rooms reserved for guests, and the third floor was an exclusive area for a select few VIP customers.

Gu Xiuyi swiped his card and pushed open a heavy door, leading Ji Ruan inside. The space was quite large, with no chaotic decorations. A few atmospheric lights hung from the ceiling, there was an entire wall of liquor in the corner, and thick carpets covered the floor, making footsteps nearly silent.

Li Sui’an waved at them from the bar a few paces away.

Beside him was Duan Zeping, drunken and muttering to himself, along with Song Ling, who was tightly gripping a bottle, trying to stop Duan Zeping from drinking anymore. His tie was all askew, looking quite flustered.

Gu Xiuyi didn’t walk over to them but led Ji Ruan to a sofa in the opposite direction.

He looked at the time, pressed on top of Ji Ruan’s head, and said, “Stay here and wait for me; I’ll be back soon.”

Seeing him glance at his watch, Ji Ruan thought he had something important to do and nodded obediently, “Okay.”

Gu Xiuyi smiled with satisfaction, retracting his hand. Ji Ruan’s hair trembled slightly, before curling back into its original shape.

“……”

Gu Xiuyi paused; he shouldn’t have tried to compete with Ji Ruan’s hair.

He turned to Li Sui’an and instructed, “Take care of him for me.”

Li Sui’an nodded knowingly.

“Hey, Lao Gu! President Gu! Boss Gu!” Song Ling stood up hurriedly as he saw Gu Xiuyi about to leave. “Wait for me! I’m coming with you; I can’t take it anymore!”

As he spoke, his sleeve was pulled back, and he stumbled slightly, nearly falling to the ground. Duan Zeping, with his dazed expression, stubbornly urged, “Old Song, where are you going? Keep drinking! Come on! Fill it up!”

“Aiyo, get lost!” Song Ling retorted, struggling to free himself from Duan Zeping’s grip as he pried each of Duan Zeping’s fingers open.

He pressed Duan Zeping’s head back down on the bar. “Take a nap; stop babbling.”

Duan Zeping tried to move forward again to grab Song Ling, but was stopped by Li Sui’an’s outstretched arm.

Song Ling sighed with relief, put his hands together in a gesture of thanks to Li Sui’an, and then followed in Gu Xiuyi’s footsteps out the door.

Duan Zeping had drunk quite a lot all night, and Song Ling also reeked of alcohol. He first splashed water on his face and then used hand soap to wash each finger clean before searching for Gu Xiuyi to cool off.

Gu Xiuyi leaned against the service counter, his elbow resting on the marble surface, appearing to be waiting for something while casually scrolling through his phone. The dim lighting highlighted his long fingers.

Song Ling walked over, asked for a glass of plain water and some paper to wipe his face, and sighed, “Too terrifying; heartbreak is too terrifying.”

Especially someone like Duan Zeping, who wanted to drink after a breakup, was the scariest.

According to Lao Duan, he had figured things out first and had told Lin Qing to end it.

But Song Ling didn’t understand; since he had figured it out, why was he still crying so heartbreakingly?

Gu Xiuyi replied indifferently, “So how did I tell you? Dating isn’t as interesting as work, take it as a warning.”

As he said this, a fleeting smile appeared, barely noticeable, like he had just casually tugged at the corners of his mouth. But Song Ling felt an alarm go off instantly, sensing the oppression from the capitalist.

Saying that dating isn’t as interesting as work while indulging in emotional romance himself…

So that’s their trick—fooling single employees into thinking being single is precious while filling their own arms with beauty.

Song Ling felt angry but couldn’t voice it.

The key, from his perspective, was that Gu Xiuyi’s love life couldn’t even be compared to Plato’s ideas, even falling short of Duan Zeping.

Even though Duan Zeping was in a torturous love, pouring his genuine feelings into the doghouse, at least he had confessed, and not only once; he had worked hard for it but just hadn’t met the right person, leading to his current drunken state in the middle of the night.

But what was Gu Xiuyi doing?

For several months, he was still dipping in lukewarm water.

Song Ling pondered, Ji Ruan didn’t seem like someone who could wait for him to slowly simmer; it was the kind of swan meat that people were lining up to eat. He wouldn’t be afraid of flying away.

Watching Gu Xiuyi’s relaxed demeanor, Song Ling deliberated for a while, finally speaking up, “About tonight, I feel like Ji Ruan should like you.”

Gu Xiuyi paused, finally looking up. “What happened tonight?”

“……?” Song Ling’s eyes widened, his lips moving a few times. “Are you saying you didn’t notice anything at all?”

He had indeed felt it; Ji Ruan cared about his milk, Ji Ruan had become dependent.

Gu Xiuyi had clearly felt it.

But Song Ling was unaware of these things, so it was obvious there were other things he hadn’t noticed.

He furrowed his brows. “What do you mean?”

“Oh my god.” Song Ling looked at him as if he couldn’t believe it, feeling that his boss’s brain must be entirely focused on work.

“He’s worried about you,” Song Ling said.

Gu Xiuyi’s expression became more serious.

Song Ling spread his hands and counted on his fingers. “Look, just now I noticed he called me. It’s almost bedtime for him; why would he call me? It must be because he couldn’t reach you, and he wanted to get news from me. Isn’t that because he misses you?”

Gu Xiuyi lightly tapped the table with his index finger, deep in thought. “Continue.”

“When Lao Li said you were drunk, he rushed over without a second thought, even though his health hasn’t been great. If he didn’t care about you and worry about you, who would want to be bothered at night? Don’t you think?”

“So you two, it’s this—” he pressed his two index fingers together, raising his eyebrows. “A mutual pursuit!”

Song Ling believed he had made himself clear, but Gu Xiuyi’s expression didn’t change much. He merely pursed his lips, bowing his head as if lost in thought.

Tsk, he wouldn’t still be confused, would he?

Song Ling was anxious, rubbing his fingers, trying to figure out how to press the issue a little more, but Gu Xiuyi’s lips began to move slightly.

Gu Xiuyi remained silent for a moment before finally showing an expression, albeit subtle, quickly shrouded again.

He coughed discreetly, looking aside. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

This was the first time Song Ling had heard Gu Xiuyi curse, even if it was mild.

In the shifting light and shadow, Song Ling vaguely saw the corners of Gu Xiuyi’s mouth, half-hidden, seem to be lifting.

As he looked closer, Gu Xiuyi’s ears… seemed a bit red.

Boom——

A loud noise rang in Song Ling’s mind, like seeing something horrifying, making his pupils shake.

Gu Xiuyi, was he blushing?

Gu Xiuyi could actually get shy?

Had he gone overboard, learning what it meant to be embarrassed?

Song Ling nearly choked on his own saliva, quickly grabbing his glass to sip water to calm down.

The ice water served with a lot of ice nearly made him lose his teeth with the first sip.

Song Ling cursed quietly; didn’t this bar charge for ice?

Gu Xiuyi kept slightly tilting his head, his face not showing too much of an expression, but he looked like he was immersed in some emotion, savoring something thoughtfully.

There was even a faint smile in the corners of his eyes.

So strange, so strange.

Anyone could make such a face, but with Gu Xiuyi, it was particularly peculiar.

Song Ling could hardly stand it, rubbing his neck as he surveyed the area, finally realizing they had been at the counter for a long time.

He was taken aback. “What are you doing here?”

“Just got a few things.”

Gu Xiuyi didn’t look at him, casually touching the wedding ring on his ring finger as he spoke.

Song Ling chuckled, confused. “What’s such a big deal…”

What do you go to a bar for if not to drink?

For them, regardless of what drink was wanted, regardless of the cost, with a single phone call, they could have a cart pushed to them within seconds; why bother coming to the counter to ask?

“——Mr. Gu, your milk is heated up.”

The manager’s professional and respectful voice rang out. Turning his head, Song Ling saw a well-mannered smile on his face and—on the table, that steaming cup of milk.

Song Ling’s previously smiling mouth froze.

What does this mean?

Gu Xiuyi came to the bar to drink milk?

And it was hot milk?!

“Thank you, you’ve worked hard.” Gu Xiuyi smiled, his words indicating that the manager would receive a hefty tip.

The manager’s smile grew deeper as he bent at the waist towards Gu Xiuyi’s back. “It’s an honor to serve you.”

Song Ling stiffly turned his head, watching Gu Xiuyi leisurely return with his milk.

His voice echoed lightly in the spacious hall, but Song Ling detected a hint of boasting:

“Ji Ruan only drinks this brand of milk.”