TLDMDTBS Chapter 72

Chapter 72

On the other side, Li Sui’an hurriedly followed Gu Xiuyi into the elevator, his long legs almost giving the impression of a powerful four-wheel drive as he grasped his phone and shouted.

“Hello, is this the nurse’s station? Did anyone visit the VIP ward just now?”

“There was?! Stop them for me!”

“What, they’ve already gone in?!”

“They’ve been inside for a while?!!”

Ding!

The elevator doors opened, and Li Sui’an abruptly hung up the phone, striding out and pointing at the young nurse, who was still holding the receiver with a dumbfounded expression: “How are you doing your job?! Huh?! Anyone can just go in like this, do you even know this is a VIP room?!”

The nurse gazed down the corridor, where a group of tall and imposing men were striding through, accompanied by their towering bodyguards. Leading them was General Gu, his expression grave as if marching off to war.

The young girl gulped in fear, her legs trembling: “I… I… I…”

“What do you mean ‘I’!” Li Sui’an interrupted, “Did you not call General Gu to confirm when someone came? You just let them in like that, haven’t you received training?!”

The nurse was almost in tears: “B-but Mr. Han came before and didn’t call either…”

“Before… W-what Mr. Han?”

“Isn’t it Han Xiaolin?” The nurse stammered, “I looked at the register, he often comes to visit and always brings a bouquet, so I just let him in.”

The nurse felt genuinely wronged. Many people knew Ji Ruan had a friend named Han who visited occasionally and only needed to check in. Why was it that this time it had to be reported to General Gu, causing such a fuss?

Li Sui’an’s brain short-circuited for a moment, before he recalled that Ji Ruan did indeed have a friend named Han who had come to visit a few times bearing flowers.

He slammed the table: “Then does Han Xiaolin look like this?! He’s as thin as a monkey, how could you not recognize him?!”

Nurse: “I had never seen him before!”

This was her first time encountering “Han Xiaolin” on duty, as previous visits had always been handled by other colleagues. She never thought today’s visitor could be an impersonator, nor did she have the awareness to confirm through surveillance.

Li Sui’an was left speechless by the young girl’s flustered state, raising his finger: “Y-you…”

Beep—beep—

The urgent alarm interrupted Li Sui’an’s words.

Song Ling, who had been following Gu Xiuyi closely, noticed Gu Xiuyi’s back stiffen sharply.

Then he lifted his leg and kicked the door open forcefully. The door crashed against the wall with tremendous force, making the window sills across from it rattle.

Inside stood Bai Yue, terrified and at the foot of the bed, while Ji Ruan was not following Li Sui’an’s medical advice to stay in bed. Instead, he lay on the floor with a pale face, blood droplets forming on his hand.

Gu Xiuyi’s eyes darkened for a moment, his temples throbbing as if the blood was surging violently through his veins, desperate to burst forth.

He instinctively rushed forward to pick up Ji Ruan: “Didn’t I say not to get out of bed?!”

But Ji Ruan looked confused, his big eyes filled with bewilderment, brows furrowed delicately, completely at a loss after being startled.

Gu Xiuyi’s heart ached deeply. He could not imagine what Bai Yue had done to frighten Ji Ruan like this.

His chest heaved, arms stiffening, arching his back slightly like a startled bird.

After a moment, he steadied his breath and kissed Ji Ruan’s ear, a violent undercurrent of rage tempered into tenderness.

“It’s okay, don’t be afraid, I will definitely make you better.”

The bodyguard, a man who understood the importance of cherishing the fragile, was incensed upon seeing Ji Ruan in such a state. Without Gu Xiuyi’s orders, he stepped forward and grabbed Bai Yue by the collar, throwing him out.

A large contingent of medical staff hurried in behind, treating Ji Ruan’s hand injury and reapplying an oxygen mask. Li Sui’an remained behind to check his ears once more.

Bai Yue was thrown into an empty break room, where there was no internet or signal. He sat inside for a long time, his heart freezing cold, until Gu Xiuyi finally arrived.

Gu Xiuyi had long since regained his composure, his shirt and tie impeccably arranged, sitting down on the opposite sofa with Song Ling.

He did not speak immediately, instead quietly examining Bai Yue.

Bai Yue couldn’t decipher Gu Xiuyi’s expression, or rather, he showed no expression at all, making it impossible to gauge. Yet deep within his gaze seemed to hide unspeakable darkness and gloom, making Bai Yue’s scalp tingle.

“I…” he said bravely, “I really didn’t touch him, I didn’t intend to make a move…”

Gu Xiuyi gently played with the wedding ring on his ring finger, without responding. He instead accepted the materials Song Ling handed him and threw them in front of Bai Yue.

“But you were planning to use these to provoke him, right?”

Bai Yue’s fingers tightened suddenly, licking his lips in a fluster.

After a long pause, he slowly looked up, tears welling in his eyes: “…Aren’t these the facts?”

He stared intently into Gu Xiuyi’s eyes, fearful of missing even the slightest hint of hidden emotion.

“You once liked me…”

“So you subconsciously chose to marry someone similar to me. Though you might not love me now, you can’t deny that the person who first captured your heart was me.”

Tears streamed down his cheeks, bearing a strangely clear yet completely disordered expression as he gazed at Gu Xiuyi: “Did I do anything wrong by telling him the truth?”

Honestly speaking, Bai Yue wasn’t bad-looking; he had a fair face and well-defined features, with a slender yet straight back. Seeing him like this, with tears in his eyes, evoked a sense of sympathy.

At least most people would feel moved by the sight, regardless of whether they knew him.

But Gu Xiuyi appeared indifferent, unaffected by Bai Yue’s tears.

His mind was consumed with thoughts of how to explain the surgical procedure to Ji Ruan, who seemed to have an unusual fear and aversion to surgery.

Feeling irritated, Gu Xiuyi had no mood to engage in verbal sparring with Bai Yue, and spoke straightforwardly: “I think you’ve misunderstood.”

Bai Yue chuckled lightly: “What, do you want to deny it?”

Gu Xiuyi shook his head: “Although I certainly never liked you, and marrying Ji Ruan has nothing to do with you, I must tell you that Ji Ruan was not the partner I chose for marriage.”

Bai Yue was taken aback, then laughed as if he had heard something outrageous: “What do you mean by that, do you mean someone forced you to marry?”

Gu Xiuyi relaxed against the sofa, crossing his legs and interlocking his fingers, a posture that irked Bai Yue.

He clearly remembered when he first saw Ji Ruan in the studio; that person had the very same posture, looking at him with an indifferent gaze.

Gu Xiuyi said lightly: “You might find this hard to accept, but I have to tell you that my marriage partner was carefully selected by the secretary team according to specific requirements.”

“They believed Ji Ruan was young, excellent, without family concerns, and possessed great image and temperament. They proactively contacted him, sincerely inviting Ji Ruan to join me in a marital relationship.”

“Unfortunately, they didn’t know you.” Gu Xiuyi smiled slightly: “And I originally didn’t care who I would marry.”

As he spoke, a hint of tenderness flickered in his eyes: “Because he is Ji Ruan, things began to change and become different. All the variables stem from him, simply because he is Ji Ruan, unrelated to anyone else.”

“As for your erroneous belief that I like Ji Ruan because he resembles the you from ten years ago, I find that regretful. It seems to reflect a manifestation of delusions.”

He raised an eyebrow: “Regardless, I am very grateful to my secretary team. Once Ji Ruan’s health improves, we will invite them to sit at the main table during our wedding.”

“Do you have any questions?”

Bai Yue sat stiffly in place.

Gu Xiuyi’s words were calm yet extremely hurtful. He excelled at using the simplest words to stab and attack others, but for the past few days, his temper had softened around Ji Ruan, leading many to forget that this was his usual demeanor.

Bai Yue’s long-held fantasies were ruthlessly shattered, leaving him momentarily speechless and feeling as if his beliefs had crumbled and fallen apart.

Countless unspeakable emotions flashed across his face, eventually transmuting into confusion and collapse.

“Delusions?” In extreme disappointment, Bai Yue surprisingly laughed: “So you want to put me in a mental hospital too? Like how you dealt with Lin Qing, treating me like a beast?”

Gu Xiuyi pressed his thin lips together as if confused: “Of course not. Don’t you know? Your family has gone bankrupt.”

He was fully aware that discussing this with Bai Yue was undoubtedly a second blow, but he didn’t care; very few things in the world mattered to him.

“Not only bankrupt, but in deep debt as well. I heard your parents packed up and fled abroad early this morning. Those debts will probably fall on you.”

At that moment, Bai Yue looked truly miserable.

Gu Xiuyi paused slightly, offering a bit of comfort: “But it’s okay. The customs and airport received notices earlier to restrict exit. They can’t get away; your family will still have a chance to reunite in jail.”

Bai Yue’s face turned red, veins bulging on his forehead, as if a wave of blood was pressing against his heart, ready to burst forth at the slightest provocation.

Gu Xiuyi was not one to kick someone when they were down; he wouldn’t push too hard. He stood up, adjusting his collar, preparing to leave: “You should have a busy schedule today. Others are waiting to see you, so I won’t take up your precious time.”

Bai Yue’s eyelids twitched, and with the last of his rationality, he looked at Gu Xiuyi: “Who is waiting?”

He clearly hadn’t arranged to meet anyone today.

Gu Xiuyi frowned: “Don’t you know about your father’s loan shark debts?”

Bai Yue suddenly looked up, his expression one of indescribable dread.

Song Ling added quietly from the side: “He knows. It’s money he took upon himself to borrow, and now they’re at his doorstep.”

Gu Xiuyi understood and instructed Song Ling: “Then take him out. Don’t let those people cause a ruckus, disrupting Ji Ruan’s sleep.”

Song Ling stifled a laugh: “Got it, I’ll take care of it now.”

Gu Xiuyi nodded and pushed open the door, leaving with a decisive stride.

Just before turning a corner, he heard a “thud” from inside; it seemed Bai Yue had fainted.