TLDMDTBS Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Ten minutes later.

The bathroom was brightly lit, with steam rising from the hot water in the bathtub, and soft instrumental music surrounded the two of them.

Mr. Gu even lit some aromatherapy candles to show his “taste” in Ji Ruan’s eyes.

Ji Ruan sat on a small stool in front of the bathtub, hands crossed defensively, clutching the hem of his clothes, his face so flushed he couldn’t lift his head.

His beige coat had been unceremoniously stripped off by Gu Xiuyi before entering the bathroom, leaving him with only a thin short-sleeve T-shirt, exposing his slim, pale arms. The fingers clutching the hem turned pink from embarrassment.

After setting the water, Gu Xiuyi turned back to look at Ji Ruan; from his angle, he could only see the fuzzy top of Ji Ruan’s head, which was hanging low, the skin on the back of his neck turning a light pink, the delicate contours of his neck visible, tapering down into the collar.

Song Ling had some conscience; the bathtub wasn’t pink.

But Ji Ruan looked like a little princess brought out from a room dyed in color, alone on the small stool turning pink.

“Ji Ruan.” Gu Xiuyi lifted his chin up: “Look at me and speak properly.”

Ji Ruan seemed to still be sulking; he turned his head to the side, skillfully slipping out from Gu Xiuyi’s hand, appearing to refuse communication.

They had already engaged in a heated and serious discussion about whether to let Gu Xiuyi help him bathe.

Gu Xiuyi held an absolutely affirmative stance, believing Ji Ruan’s current body condition made it necessary for him to assist.

Ji Ruan snorted, saying what kind of “assistance”? It was clear he wanted to take care of everything, and he firmly stated that he couldn’t be seen exposed.

The standoff resulted in Gu Xiuyi forcibly stripping Ji Ruan of his coat and carrying him into the bathroom, setting him down on the small stool with a “thud.”

Ji Ruan clung to the last layer of his thin clothing, like a little farmer guarding his modest patch of land, pitiful yet resolute.

“Ji Ruan…” Gu Xiuyi sighed, squatting down before him: “You really can’t bathe by yourself right now.”

“Why not?” Ji Ruan lifted his head.

He glanced sideways; the warm steam from the bathtub rushed right at his face:

“I’m soaking, not showering, I won’t fall, and lifting my foot onto the rack won’t get the wound wet.”

Gu Xiuyi shook his head: “There’s still a risk. It’s safest if I help you.”

“No way!” Ji Ruan insisted: “What kind of talk is this, how can you see my body? Why not just get a nurse?”

“…Why can’t I look?”

Ji Ruan was stunned: “We’re both gay!”

As lonely gays, in such an atmospheric bathroom, wasn’t he afraid of accidental sparks? Was Mr. Gu too confident in his self-control or too unconfident?

Gu Xiuyi: “…”

“What if the nurse is also gay? Getting a woman isn’t exactly good either, is it?”

“So I said I can wash myself!”

“You can’t.”

“…………”

Ji Ruan was exasperated; why couldn’t he get through to this person?

“Anyway, I absolutely won’t let you see my body!” Ji Ruan asserted stiffly.

“Too late.” Gu Xiuyi remained calm: “I’ve already seen.”

“???”

“You were unconscious for those few days, and I used a towel to wipe you down. Otherwise, why do you think you woke up still smelling good?”

!!!

Gu Xiuyi watched Ji Ruan’s eyes widen in shock, speaking in an exceptionally calm tone:

“So don’t think too much about it; ensuring your safety is what matters most. Bathing alone might splash water onto your wound, and you could slip in the bathtub. Washing your hair by yourself is also quite difficult.”

With his elbows resting on his knees, he coaxed gently: “If it really makes you uncomfortable, you can treat me like a nurse. Do you need me to wear gloves and a mask?”

Ji Ruan was dumbfounded, stuttering: “But I… you… huh?”

What was that?

He furrowed his brow, suddenly feeling a bit dazed; what was Gu Xiuyi saying?

Um… it seemed he hadn’t caught it all…

At Ji Ruan’s current hearing level, if Gu Xiuyi could speak slowly and clearly, he could basically understand, but once the sentences increased and the pace quickened, it sounded like he was reading from a classic text.

He watched helplessly as the other person babbled on, only catching a few words.

Gu Xiuyi reached out with a damp fingertip, touching the back of Ji Ruan’s hand as he held the fabric, leaning in to ask:

“So, are you going to take it off yourself or do I help you?”

“……”

Ji Ruan’s banter with Gu Xiuyi ended in defeat for the first time.

Oh, he sniffed, suddenly feeling quite wronged. Gu Xiuyi was obviously taking advantage of his poor hearing, speaking slowly and acting as he pleased.

Yet, Mr. Gu vividly illustrated for Ji Ruan what it meant for a man’s heart to be made of stone.

He paid no mind to Ji Ruan’s pitiful expression, as with a steady yet impressive motion, he quickly stripped Ji Ruan of his last layer of defense.

Then he happily cradled the slippery little prince into the bathtub.

However, the subsequent events were significantly more optimistic than Ji Ruan imagined.

It turned out the water in the bathtub wasn’t just plain warm water, but a bubble bath!

His injured leg rested on a rack at the side, and the bubbles filled the tub right up to his chest, meaning Gu Xiuyi actually couldn’t see a thing.

He could hide his body under the bubbles while scrubbing himself. Gu Xiuyi’s main role was indeed as he’d said – ensuring safety and keeping Ji Ruan’s wounds dry.

Acting as a nurse, he affectionately helped Ji Ruan wash his hair.

Throughout the process, Ji Ruan was honest with Gu Xiuyi only at the beginning when he was stripped and carried in, and during the final rinse when he was wrapped in a towel afterward.

Gu Xiuyi really was a man of his word, a righteous gentleman!

Saying he would wash Ji Ruan meant just that, washing steadily yet subtly, even massaging his scalp comfortably.

After being held by Gu Xiuyi while his hair dried and then tucked into the covers, Ji Ruan sniffed his fragrant self and felt a bit guilty.

He really shouldn’t judge others by his own standards, thinking Gu Xiuyi had other intentions in saying he’d help him bathe.

During the washing, Gu Xiuyi had also gotten wet, and now with a towel headed to the bathroom, Ji Ruan stared at the closed frosted door, secretly deciding that once Mr. Gu came out, he must express his gratitude properly.

But Gu Xiuyi was taking too long…

Longer than the time Ji Ruan spent in the bath.

Could it be that his larger physique meant he had more to wash than Ji Ruan? That couldn’t possibly account for all this time, right?

Ji Ruan waited until his eyes blurred, the bed was already exceptionally soft and comfortable, a surefire hypnotic device, and despite struggling to keep his eyes open for a while, he ultimately couldn’t resist falling asleep.

But in the last moment before closing his eyes, he suddenly realized that the bathroom’s frosted glass door seemed not to be fogged at all?

He had only soaked for a little while, and his door was covered in a thick layer of condensation, yet Gu Xiuyi washing inside for so long hadn’t generated any mist?

But he was too tired; without waiting to figure out what was happening, he happily drifted off to find the King of Dreams.

·

As it turned out, Gu Xiuyi’s selflessness did achieve great results.

After that day, Ji Ruan increasingly depended on him without defenses; needing to be fed while eating, needing closeness while talking, and even sometimes needing hugs while sleeping.

Every time Gu Xiuyi lay down on that soft pink bed at Ji Ruan’s request and brought Ji Ruan into his arms, inhaling the sweet scent from him, he felt it was all worthwhile.

An hour of cold water bathing was not in vain.

However, Ji Ruan’s extreme clinginess came to an end on the day his new external device was fitted.

After that, Ji Ruan, having regained his hearing, was like a bird spreading its wings; although full of life and vigor, he no longer clung to him while speaking.

During their bickering, Gu Xiuyi never won again, as if the Ji Ruan who had been easily fooled in the bathroom was merely a dream of Gu Xiuyi’s.

Thus, on the day of the device fitting, Song Ling saw a boss with a very foul expression.

Li Sui’an, holding a report, comfortingly stated that although Ji Ruan had sustained serious injuries from a rock, fortunately, the implant behind his ear had not been displaced or damaged, and he could proceed directly with fitting the external device.

If luck had been worse and the implant moved, he would have to undergo surgery, which would be quite a burden on Ji Ruan’s body.

This news allowed Gu Xiuyi’s expression to relax for a few seconds; he gently coaxed Ji Ruan, but after Ji Ruan was taken away by Li Sui’an, he returned to his previous half-dead, emotionless demeanor.

Song Ling contemplated for a moment and said, “It’s okay, don’t worry, once Ji Ruan can hear clearly again, he won’t cling to you all the time; you can also relax a bit.”

He felt though Ji Ruan was lovely and his boss liked him, which man in the world would be willing to be constantly attached to their wife? After both sides lost their mystery, even the deepest feelings could wear down over time.

And what was most important to a man? Of course, personal space!

Song Ling believed he had given a fair and empathetic piece of advice, only to receive a cold, wage-deducting glare from Gu Xiuyi.

Song Ling: “??”

Gu Xiuyi averted his gaze coldly, his arms folded over his chest, leaning against the door frame: “I remember I asked you to decorate the ward in blue, right? Do you think I’m colorblind?”

“…”

Song Ling jolted; he had done this for his boss and his wife’s good, hadn’t he?

Moreover, he saw Gu Xiuyi clearly liked it too; why had he suddenly started questioning him?

Song Ling was on the verge of tears, hearing the sound of his bonus disappearing.

·

That afternoon, Cheng Zizhang and Han Xiaolin came to visit Ji Ruan once again as a team.

But at that time, Ji Ruan had just had his external device fitted, and his reactions were still intense; he vomited all the lunch he had eaten and was leaning against Gu Xiuyi, lacking the energy to entertain them.

Seeing Ji Ruan like this, they didn’t want to stay too long, merely exchanged a few words and reminded him to take care of himself before tidying up and leaving.

Feeling unwell after sending off his guests, Ji Ruan was hugged by Gu Xiuyi and fell asleep for a while.

Yet, this sleep was quite troubled.

When he woke up, Gu Xiuyi was not by his side, and the ward was empty, only the humidifier’s white mist tirelessly rolling in the air.

Ji Ruan had sweated a lot, his head felt heavy, and his heart was racing; it seemed he had had a nightmare, but he couldn’t recall what the dream was about.

He lifted his arm to cover his forehead, trying to adjust his breathing and calm his emotions, but for some reason, a strong sense of unease enveloped him.

It felt like there was something extremely important that he had overlooked.

Ji Ruan’s eyes were tightly shut, closely following that fleeting thought in his mind, trying to capture the source of his profound unease.

What could it be?…

What was it…

In an instant, a thought shot across his mind like lightning, causing Ji Ruan’s body to tremble.

He opened his eyes; his originally bright, clear eyes now felt particularly dry, faintly revealing a look of fear.

He remembered.

The scene described by his cousin about this novel vividly flashed into his mind, strikingly clear and present.

He recalled his cousin crossing her legs, looking pained and regretful as she spoke:

“How tragic, later there was an accident and he got seriously injured. At that time, the gong was particularly gentle with him, and he completely fell for him.”

“This is the last sweet segment in the text; not long after, the damned ‘white moonlight’ came back, making it so heart-wrenching… In short, I couldn’t stop crying… so tragic!”

Back then, Ji Ruan had laughed at his cousin’s exaggerated gestures of wiping away tears, lacking strong empathy for the characters in the story.

He had even been curious about what could move his cousin so deeply in that old novel and somewhat expected her to continue the tale.

But he never learned the follow-up; that night his condition worsened, and he was taken into the emergency room. Unfortunately, his luck ran out that time, and he didn’t pull through; when he opened his eyes again, he had become a character from the book.

Now to think of it, wasn’t the turning point of that serious injury exactly what he was experiencing?

Ji Ruan, finally realizing belatedly, understood that the storyline continued unfolding, without changing a single bit because of his actions.

His heart raced faster and faster, accompanied by a ringing in his ears, nearly pounding out of his chest.

The terrible story he had once dismissed as a joke was about to genuinely happen to him; the feeling turned out to be so terrifying.