TLDMDTBS Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Old Zhang only sent Ji Ruan to the bottom of the building; a tall secretary came to pick Ji Ruan up.

The secretary from Gu Xiuyi’s office looked exactly like the ones in the novel—beautiful and graceful. As soon as she saw Ji Ruan, she flashed a very pleasing smile: “Hello, Mr. Ji. Nice to meet you for the first time. You can call me Xiao Ya.”

Ji Ruan had just gotten out of the car and was blinded by the sunlight; he raised his hand to shield his forehead and smiled back at Xiao Ya: “Hello, but please don’t call me Mr. Ji. Just Ji Ruan is fine.”

After their secretary team selected candidates for marriage partners for Gu Xiuyi, it had always been Song Ling making contact. This was Xiao Ya’s first time seeing Ji Ruan in person, and he appeared much younger than in the photos, so calling him “Mr.” indeed felt a bit awkward.

However, Xiao Ya still smiled brightly, not agreeing with Ji Ruan’s words, only saying: “We all call him that because it sounds more polite, right?”

Ji Ruan didn’t think much of it: “But Assistant Song now calls me Xiao Ruan.”

“Ah?” Xiao Ya was taken aback. She remembered just a few days ago when Song Ling was on the phone, he was still very professional, addressing him as “Mr. Ji.” How did it suddenly change to Xiao Ruan?

But titles weren’t particularly important, so whatever the young lady preferred, that’s what they would call her.

Xiao Ya then greeted Zhang Shu, leading Ji Ruan into the company.

On the way, people came and went; many rushed over to greet Xiao Ya, but their eyes remained glued to Ji Ruan.

There were hushed discussions around, but Ji Ruan couldn’t hear clearly.

Gu Xiuyi had no intention of hiding the marriage, but the contract details hadn’t spread widely. The vast majority only knew that their boss, who had been single for nearly 30 years, suddenly had a partner.

About a month ago, when the secretary team secretly screened candidates, the company had already begun buzzing.

“Is that the young lady? She looks so young; is she even an adult?”

“Can you get married without being an adult? Our boss might not act like one during overtime, but he wouldn’t be that reckless!”

“But why the sudden decision to marry? Didn’t the boss say before that ‘getting married is like going to a grave, it’s unlucky; better to work instead’?”

“Have you lost your mind? Gu Xiuyi would never say something like that!”

“Really! He had said it when he was younger! He only became this tight-lipped tyrant after genuinely taking power a few years back!”

“Hahahaha, just because I joined the company late, you can’t fool me.”

“Fool you? Every old employee has a bootleg employee handbook with many classic quotes from Gu during his university days. I’ll share it with you!”

So today, when Ji Ruan made his appearance, no one could hold back their curiosity; everyone wanted to know who was making their boss reconsider marriage, hastily preparing to jump into the cemetery of matrimony.

Xiao Ya was initially worried that Ji Ruan, being a newly adult child, would struggle to cope with this atmosphere, so she quickened her pace toward the exclusive elevator.

However, Ji Ruan seemed completely oblivious to the discussions and gazes around him, or perhaps he noticed but didn’t mind, not sparing a glance.

Those who appeared tall and elegant like Xiao Ya in this busy office had to exert themselves to keep their backs straight daily, ensuring they didn’t lose their momentum in this smoke-free battlefield.

Yet Ji Ruan seemed blissfully unconcerned, or perhaps he was actually intelligent enough to appear a bit dull, dressed in a T-shirt, shorts, and canvas shoes, strolling casually with an absolutely relaxed demeanor, occasionally looking down at his phone to message friends, revealing a slight smile.

This relaxation and unearned confidence was something everyone present could never possess, truly resembling a pampered and innocent young lady.

“Which young master is this? Does anyone recognize him?”

“He doesn’t belong to that wealthy young master circle; he hasn’t appeared before.”

“Could it be a business marriage? Isn’t the group getting close to Lingzhou lately?”

“The chairman of Lingzhou only has one daughter, okay?”

“Ah…”

As the elevator doors closed, the chatter was cut off outside. Xiao Ya finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.

On the top floor of the building, there were less than one-tenth of the number of people on the previous floor, enveloped in a serious silence, and no one was shocked by Ji Ruan’s arrival anymore.

Xiao Ya led Ji Ruan toward Gu Xiuyi’s office, finally relaxing enough to give a general introduction about the surroundings.

Seeing Ji Ruan’s expression gradually relax as she spoke, with joy radiating from his brows, which brought about a persistent good mood, she couldn’t help but feel infected by it and listened quietly.

Noticing Ji Ruan smiling, Xiao Ya stopped and asked, “What’s up?”

Ji Ruan shook his head, straightforwardly saying: “I just feel like you must have some happy news recently.”

He had a magical affinity that made it hard for anyone to harbor suspicions against him.

“That is indeed true,” Xiao Ya said, unable to close her mouth, quietly telling him: “At the end of the month, our entire secretary team is going to get a bonus!”

“Really? Congratulations!” Ji Ruan said with a hint of joy.

“Not at all,” Xiao Ya looked at Ji Ruan like he was a fortune bringer, “It’s all thanks to you.”

Ji Ruan was slightly taken aback: “What did I do?”

Xiao Ya suddenly fell silent, only covering her mouth to smile, opening the door for Ji Ruan and saying: “Nothing, just come in quickly. The boss is still in a meeting; you’ll have to wait for a little while.”

She guided Ji Ruan to sit on the sofa, bent down softly asking: “Would you like sweet milk or plain milk?”

Ji Ruan: “…”

Why do all these young ladies assume that he loves drinking milk?

Ji Ruan pressed his lips together, smiling slightly: “Could you get me a glass of ice water?”

The weather was really hot!

·

When Gu Xiuyi returned to the office after the meeting, the ice water on the desk was left only with a few ice cubes that hadn’t fully melted, drops of water sliding down the metal surface leaving a small stain.

Ji Ruan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, hands resting on the glass, completely focused on whatever he was looking at below.

“Ji Ruan?”

……

This kid had no reaction at all.

Gu Xiuyi stepped closer, gently patted Ji Ruan on the shoulder. As expected, he got startled again, letting out a soft exclamation and moving back, his shoulder pressing against the glass wall.

Gu Xiuyi: “…”

He noticed that even though Ji Ruan seemed a bit more composed than other kids and wasn’t particularly timid, he was easily startled by unexpectedly appearing things.

Even if Gu Xiuyi hadn’t intended it that way, the slight tapping on his shoulder made Ji Ruan suddenly behave like a startled rabbit.

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Ji Ruan pressed the cochlear implant to turn it on: “…… I didn’t even know you came in.”

His cheeks were a bit flushed from the sun, and his eyelashes looked long under the sunlight, slightly trembling.

Gu Xiuyi gazed at that beautiful face, then brushed aside his hair by the right ear, glancing at the small external device: “Why did it turn off again? Didn’t Li Sui’an say you should wear it more to get used to it?”

Ji Ruan replied vaguely: “I’m used to it; I often turned it off before.”

Gu Xiuyi said nothing, looked at him for a while, then suddenly asked: “Is it uncomfortable to wear?”

Not really.

Ji Ruan touched his ear and said: “It’s just that it’s much clearer than my previous one, and I’m not used to it.”

Gu Xiuyi turned around, picked up a previously unopened cup to fill with water, casually said: “Then just wear it; otherwise, you won’t hear me, and every time I tap you, you get startled.”

Ji Ruan followed, quietly retorting: “I don’t always get startled.”

Gu Xiuyi lifted his eyelids to glance at him: “Hmm.”

“By the way,” he raised the cup and pointed at Ji Ruan, asking: “Do you have a white shirt?”

A white shirt?

Ji Ruan’s closet was filled entirely with T-shirts; he couldn’t afford nice shirts.

Ji Ruan honestly shook his head: “No, why do you ask?”

Gu Xiuyi pressed his lips together, setting down the cup: “Let’s go get a few.”

Not to mention that they needed white shirts for the wedding photos, just Ji Ruan’s current outfit would definitely lead Gu Xiuyi to be thought of as a pervert trying to abduct a child if they went straight to the civil affairs bureau.

Ji Ruan was taken to a store that Gu Xiuyi often frequented.

Upon entering, they were directly led to the VIP lounge, where rows of clothes and pants were presented to them. In addition to white shirts, there were also plenty of casual styles; Ji Ruan just needed to sit on a small sofa sipping coffee and eating cake, casually choosing what he liked.

But he didn’t actually have a strong preference for what to wear. Dazzled by the dazzling array of clothing, he felt a little dizzy and didn’t want to move, while Gu Xiuyi silently chose several outfits for Ji Ruan up and down.

In the end, Ji Ruan picked a shirt himself.

It was a very simple design, just a small ink bamboo embroidered on the cuffs; it looked understated and inconspicuous, yet the stitches were close together, refined, and elegant—clearly made by a skilled Han embroidery master, and probably a master at that.

Ji Ruan’s family had been doing Han embroidery for generations; even his great-grandfather was a bearer of the intangible cultural heritage of Han embroidery. He had learned a lot from his grandfather, and had he not died young, he might have inherited this craft.

Ji Ruan didn’t even realize he had been staring at this piece of clothing for a long time.

“This is a work by Master Cheng Yunxiu,” the manager said softly beside Ji Ruan, “Our brand aims to promote classic traditional culture. These embroidery patterns are all drawn by Master Cheng and her disciples, each pattern is one of a kind. Master Cheng also hopes that the fateful person can wear it.”

Ji Ruan looked up at Gu Xiuyi.

He had soft eyes, like the spring water, and like the gentle breeze that moves wind chimes.

Gu Xiuyi met his gaze for a very brief moment, before turning expressionlessly to the manager: “Buy it.”

Until Song Ling followed behind them with a large bag of items, the shop staff were still giggling behind the manager.

“Who would have thought that the CEO really would get married, and at such a young age too.”

“By the way, do these diamond five-hundred years old men prefer younger partners? Is the trend of old men marrying young wives popular in their circle?”

“I really wish I could have a boyfriend like that, who doesn’t say a word but buys whatever I point at.”

·

When Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi arrived at the civil affairs bureau wearing white shirts, it was precisely before the lunch break. Those who came to collect their marriage certificates in the morning had already completed their paperwork, while those for the afternoon had yet to arrive, making them the only couple present.

The staff were stunned for a moment upon seeing the two.

Gu Xiuyi was indeed a prominent figure in the capital; anyone who pays attention to the news would not be unaware of him.

From the morning when Ji Ruan appeared at the company, to being taken by Gu Xiuyi to buy clothes, they had been photographed and posted online.

Some revealed that Gu Xiuyi was getting married, with the partner being a never-before-seen young master from a wealthy family; it was a business marriage.

Others claimed that Gu Xiuyi had just been practicing monastic life for too long, supporting a young and beautiful university student.

And there were still some who believed their love was genuine.

All kinds of opinions erupted.

Until they appeared at the civil affairs bureau, irrespective of the motives, they had at least directly confirmed the marriage rumor, which created a ripple effect.

Ji Ruan was the first to break the silence, smiling softly beside Gu Xiuyi: “Good afternoon.”

His voice was clear and soft.

The staff at the civil affairs bureau quickly regained their composure in less than a second.

“Good afternoon. You two are here to get your marriage certificate, right?” spoke a middle-aged woman, around forty, who seemed to be their team leader.

Gu Xiuyi nodded: “Yes, what procedures do we need to follow?”

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff, who had been standing in a row at the corner, quietly gasped, looking at each other.

The group leader smiled gracefully: “Please follow me.”

She led the two to a round table in the waiting area, signaling a colleague to bring over some forms and placing them in front of the two.

“Hello, sir, I am the marriage registration officer, Xiao Zhang. I’m happy to help you. These are two copies of the ‘Marriage Registration Application Statement.’ Please fill them out separately and hand over your household registration book and related documents for us to review and process.”

Ji Ruan thanked her, took the statement, and Gu Xiuyi handed over the documents to the group leader.

At that moment, Song Ling and Xiao Ya entered from outside, carrying several beautifully packaged boxes of chocolate, presenting them to the leader.

“On this joyful occasion, CEO Gu is giving everyone some wedding candy. May your blessings multiply; I hope you all won’t mind.”

The marriage registration office never lacked wedding candy from the newlyweds, and typically, they would accept it when given, not wanting to offend the newlyweds seeking support on their good day.

The group leader graciously accepted the chocolates, smiling: “Then we’ll graciously accept your kind gesture. You two can take your time filling out the forms; I’ll go check on the document review.”

She took the chocolates into her office and placed them in front of her colleagues: “Candy from the newlyweds; everyone can share some later.”

“This packaging looks a bit luxurious.”

A colleague opened a box and searched on Baidu, gasping after a few seconds: “Italian handmade, one box costs two to three thousand. Sending seven to eight boxes? I’ve never received wedding candy worth over ten thousand before.”

The group leader scrutinized the materials, heard this, slowly turned her head, and after a moment of silent understanding among everyone, they discreetly divided one box.

With no one else in the waiting area, Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi sat quietly side by side filling out the forms.

Ji Ruan’s writing was as delicate as he was, while Gu Xiuyi’s was undoubtedly excellent—strong and grand.

“Cough…” The air conditioning was much colder than Ji Ruan was used to. He had a sensitive respiratory system, and after a while without water, his throat went hoarse, covering his mouth to cough.

Gu Xiuyi paused, not looking up: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Ji Ruan focused on filling out the form, reading each line carefully.

But in the quiet waiting area, the sound of Ji Ruan coughing echoed.

“Pa-da—”

Gu Xiuyi put down his pen, stood up, and fetched a glass of water from the water dispenser, returning to place it beside Ji Ruan: “Drink some if you’re uncomfortable.”

Ji Ruan had a habit; when he got too focused, he would overlook many things. Only when Gu Xiuyi spoke unexpectedly did he realize he had been coughing for quite a while.

However, having someone to pour tea and get water was better than doing it himself. Ji Ruan took the paper cup with a smile, revealing two dimples: “Thank you, Mr. Gu.”

Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan’s dimples, not understanding romantic gestures: “What are you smiling for? Hurry up and write.”

Ji Ruan: “…”

After completing the statement, the group leader indicated that the materials were fine and took them into the photo room.

Before the photo session, Xiao Ya insisted on applying some lipstick on Ji Ruan, claiming that his lips lacked color and that a touch of lipstick would make him look better on camera; insisted he should look handsome for the wedding photos.

Ji Ruan sat there, slightly opening his mouth, allowing Xiao Ya to fuss over him, while Gu Xiuyi stood beside, drinking water and watching.

Even Ji Ruan’s lips were beautiful; they were moderately thick, and the upper lip had a small lip bead. Ji Ruan would always gently dab it with a tissue whenever he wiped his lips.

After applying lipstick, they resembled the cherries Ji Ruan loved to eat.

However, in Gu Xiuyi’s slightly thick-skinned aesthetic, he felt that Ji Ruan’s lips looked prettier without any makeup, just the naturally light pink.

The group leader waited nearby, and a colleague quietly leaned over to whisper: “Why do you think CEO Gu is able to finish a large glass of water without saying a word?”

The group leader glared at him and put her index finger to her lips: “Shh!”

Inside the photo room, there was a wooden pledge platform adorned with flowers and draped in a red backdrop featuring the national emblem.

It was only when they stood before the pledge platform that Ji Ruan finally felt the reality of getting married, suddenly feeling a bit nervous and a little dazed, unable to believe it.

The person next to him was someone with whom he had no emotional foundation, and they were standing on this solemn pledge platform, blessed by everyone, due to a simple contract.

Sweat began to form in Ji Ruan’s palms.

The photographer was still adjusting the camera. Most couples tend to feel a bit nervous when collecting their marriage certificates; the staff would habitually make jokes to lighten the atmosphere. However, Gu Xiuyi always had little expression, only occasionally responding out of courtesy, while Ji Ruan’s facial muscles were tense from his nervousness.

Fortunately, both of them were genuinely good-looking; no matter how stiff they appeared, it was still pleasing to the eye.

The photographer had adjusted the camera, signaling the two to look at the lens.

Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi stood side by side, their arms pressed tightly against each other, feeling each other’s body temperature clearly. As the shutter clicked, Ji Ruan broke into a grin, but it seemed somewhat forced.

The photographer couldn’t help but chuckle and comfort: “Xiao Ji, relax a bit; don’t be nervous. Smiling will make you look prettier!”

Ji Ruan nodded, took a deep breath, and started again, but after several attempts, he still couldn’t get into the right state. In the shots, they looked less like a couple taking wedding photos and more like they were preparing for a divorce.

Nearby staff could no longer help but whisper: “What is CEO Gu doing? Why doesn’t he tease him a little…”

“Yeah, the young lad looks really nervous…”

After several failed attempts, Ji Ruan felt a bit discouraged, firmly rubbing his face, trying to loosen up his facial muscles.

His wrist got caught; Gu Xiuyi’s voice rang in his ear: “Are you very scared?”

But Ji Ruan turned his head away, unwilling to admit his anxiety.

His skin was very fair, with short black hair that looked soft. When he bowed his head, his long and thick eyelashes drooped slightly, casting fine shadows on his beautiful face, his appearance was truly stunning.

Gu Xiuyi reached out, gently placing his fingers on Ji Ruan’s cheek, whispering: “Purse your lips a bit and show your dimples.”

Ji Ruan abruptly looked up, his cheeks slightly puffed as he stared at Gu Xiuyi.

He was this nervous, yet this person actually wanted him to show his dimples!

How unfair!

Gu Xiuyi gazed at Ji Ruan, the bright eyes of the young man reflected his own, but they held a lot of indignation, and he knew his words didn’t sound nice.

But he genuinely didn’t know how to coax someone.

Gu Xiuyi hesitated for a moment, finally seeming to relent with a light sigh:

“Your dimples are really beautiful; would you smile a little?”

Seeing the expression on Gu Xiuyi’s face, Ji Ruan could feel that this might be the most gentle side he could show.

Taking a deep breath, he followed Gu Xiuyi’s suggestion and slowly pursed his lips.

As Ji Ruan moved, Gu Xiuyi’s fingertips sank into a small dimple, the touch was remarkably unique, something he had never experienced in his entire life.

Gu Xiuyi’s lips involuntarily curved into a slight arc, gently touching Ji Ruan’s chin to turn the young man’s face to the front.

The photographer understood, and the shutter clicked, the moment frozen.

After taking the photo, the registration officer handed them the pledge text and began the swearing-in process.

It was a sturdy, deep red wooden shell with a weighty feel, the marriage vows tucked inside.

The registrar said: “I am very pleased to issue your marriage certificate on such a sacred day. Please answer my question solemnly: Are you getting married of your own free will?”

The two looked at the vow, saying in unison, their voices intertwining: “Yes.”

“Our country implements marriage freedom, and both partners should be loyal and respectful to each other; family members should honor their elders, love the young, help each other, and jointly maintain a marriage family relationship based on equality, harmony, and civility. Can you do that?”

“We can.”

“Please face the solemn national emblem and read the ‘Marriage Vows’ together.”

Gu Xiuyi opened the thick wooden shell and handed it to the two. Ji Ruan glanced at him, paused for two seconds, and then followed his lead to read aloud:

“We willingly become partners; no matter in adversity or prosperity, rich or poor, healthy or ill, young or old, we will share both joy and hardship, support each other, love for a lifetime!”

Ji Ruan’s voice was soft and gentle, while Gu Xiuyi’s was deep and steady. Under the solemn vows, aside from themselves, anyone looking at them would see them as a deeply in love couple.

A round of applause for blessings echoed in the room.

The registrar handed them the marriage certificate.

“Congratulations to you both, and may you enjoy your marriage!”