TLDMDTBS Chapter 77
by VolareAfter Ji Ruan’s hair recovered completely, it was already the next semester.
As a brand-new sophomore, Ji Ruan had completely lost the freedom of living on campus, being picked up and dropped off at school every day by Gu Xiuyi, who also provided a love backpack filled with a water bottle, wet wipes, and candies.
It often gave Ji Ruan the illusion that Gu Xiuyi was not his lover but a parent, and that he was not attending university but kindergarten.
To accompany Ji Ruan for a good National Day holiday, Gu Xiuyi worked overtime to finish his tasks, and on that day, he had the driver pick Ji Ruan up to go home.
When Gu Xiuyi got home, it was already past eight in the evening. He greeted Zhao Ayi, took off his suit jacket to wash his hands, and then went upstairs to find Ji Ruan.
The ceiling light in Ji Ruan’s room was on, and the door was slightly ajar, with warm, soft light spilling out from the crack.
Gu Xiuyi pushed the door open and saw Ji Ruan sitting cross-legged on the bed, a small plate of cherries on the table in front of him, popping them into his mouth one by one.
He seemed a bit distracted, the television on the wall was running with no sound, and his gaze was blankly fixed on the jumping advertisement images, even his action of eating the cherries was emotionless and mechanical.
“Ji Ruan?” Gu Xiuyi walked over, sitting at the edge of the bed, and touched Ji Ruan’s ear, which had the external device: “What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Ji Ruan’s expression was sluggish, he leaned over and rested in Gu Xiuyi’s embrace without saying a word.
Gu Xiuyi wrapped his arms around his waist, effortlessly lifting him to sit on his lap, and cautiously asked, “Not feeling well? Or did something happen?”
Ji Ruan rested the back of his head against Gu Xiuyi’s arm, and as he tilted his face up, the ends of his hair fell backward slightly. His hair was well cared for, soft, black, and shiny, barely longer than his earlobes, looking gentle and adorable.
“Did you drive back by yourself today?” He didn’t look at Gu Xiuyi, his fingers tracing the edge of the other’s shirt collar.
Gu Xiuyi caught Ji Ruan’s hand, feeling his normal body temperature, and he kissed the tips of Ji Ruan’s fingers: “Yeah, how did you guess?”
“It’s not a guess,” Ji Ruan shook his head: “I saw you on the balcony while waiting for you to come back.”
Ji Ruan was waiting for his return?
Ji Ruan missed him?!
Gu Xiuyi felt excited.
In almost an instant, he pictured Ji Ruan peering eagerly over the balcony, looking down at the yard below, that small, cute silhouette making him want to clutch his heart.
“I’m sorry, baby, I’ll come back early from now on,” he lowered his head to kiss Ji Ruan’s cheek.
“Wait,” Ji Ruan blocked his lips, “Let’s discuss the main matter first.”
“……”
Gu Xiuyi was interrupted mid-kiss, and his throat rolled heavily twice. He took a deep breath, easing the forced separation a little: “What is it?”
“You say…” Ji Ruan opened his mouth but sighed lightly: “What do you think about me also getting a driver’s license?”
He looked at Gu Xiuyi anxiously.
Gu Xiuyi replied to him with a puzzled expression.
Though getting a driver’s license is a perfectly normal matter for anyone, from what he knew about Ji Ruan, he didn’t seem like the kind of boy who loved various cars; instead, he had little interest in them.
Compared to struggling to drive, he preferred to curl up in the back seat and nap all the way.
What made him suddenly change his mind?
Gu Xiuyi furrowed his brows, carefully considering Ji Ruan’s intentions: “What suddenly made you want to learn to drive?”
Was it because he didn’t pick him up today that he was upset? Or did he no longer want to be picked up and dropped off, wanting to be independent?
Gu Xiuyi felt a small tightening in his heart, and for a moment, it became complicated. He hoped Ji Ruan could get better and live freely as he wished.
But he couldn’t help but admit that there was a despicable part of him wishing that Ji Ruan would rely on him for life, forever cuddled in his embrace, being a pampered baby.
And driving could be dangerous; what if he bumped into something? Ji Ruan had panda blood.
“Do you know?” Ji Ruan sat up from his embrace, leaning his lower back against the table’s edge: “I’m actually the only one in our dormitory without a driver’s license!”
His eyes widened, and his tone was exceptionally serious, as if stating a great matter.
Gu Xiuyi was taken aback for a moment but felt relieved in his heart.
The thoughts of youth were always simple. Ji Ruan had never been as complicated as Gu Xiuyi. He just wanted a driver’s license because his classmates all had it while he did not.
Gu Xiuyi reached out to hold Ji Ruan’s slim waist, pulling him closer, the thin cotton loungewear wrinkling, stacking loosely around his waist.
He leaned back slightly, expertly supporting Ji Ruan’s entire lower back with his hand, the pad of his ring finger sinking into the small of Ji Ruan’s back.
“I haven’t been living on campus anymore. Besides Han Xiaolin, I’ve had less contact with my previous roommates.”
Ji Ruan leaned back into Gu Xiuyi’s arms, chattering: “I just learned during dinner today that they all somehow got their driver’s licenses during the summer! I was still bald at that time…”
He began to sound increasingly wistful: “Time really waits for no one, you know? I feel like I haven’t rested long, but when I went back, everything had changed; they’re all licensed drivers now.”
Gu Xiuyi kissed Ji Ruan’s eyelids, rubbing his earlobe. During this period of rest, Ji Ruan had been well-cared for; his skin was translucent and snow-white, his lips a faint pink, exuding the vitality of youth.
He couldn’t help but caress the couple of extra pounds that Ji Ruan had gained at his waist, as if he were touching a treasure, lowering his gaze to scheme about their upcoming good days:
“We’re licensed drivers too; no need to envy others.”
Ji Ruan seemed a bit slow to respond, staring blankly for a moment, and then his earlobes blushed as he poked Gu Xiuyi’s chest hard: “Not the same; can a marriage license be compared?!”
What a good-for-nothing person!
Gu Xiuyi chuckled softly, kissing Ji Ruan’s puffy lips: “Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore; learn it; our baby can learn whatever he wants.”
“Really?”
“Of course; getting a C2 license is easy nowadays.”
Ji Ruan’s eyes turned as he pondered: “C2… is automatic, right?”
“Yes,” Gu Xiuyi answered: “If all goes well, it should only take about a month.”
“But I want to learn manual,” Ji Ruan said seriously: “Isn’t it said that if you learn manual, you can drive both types, while automatic only allows you to drive automatic?”
“But we don’t have a manual car at home, baby.”
Ji Ruan’s expression turned blank for a second: “Is, is that so?”
Gu Xiuyi nodded, continuing to persuade: “Besides, driving a manual and engaging the clutch is very troublesome; automatic is much more convenient.”
Ji Ruan’s delicate brows furrowed as he lowered his head, contemplating seriously: “Hmm… which one did you learn?”
Gu Xiuyi choked a bit. Of course, he had learned manual, but: “Baby, it was many years ago since I got my license, and a lot has changed since then.”
“So you also learned manual,” Ji Ruan insisted: “Then I want a C1 license too! My roommates all have it, you have it too, I have to be like you all.”
He glanced at Gu Xiuyi, whose face remained taut, not revealing what he was thinking.
He hooked Gu Xiuyi’s finger, leaning over to peck the corner of his lips, tilting his head and blinking: “Is that not okay?”
“……”
Gu Xiuyi felt his heart about to explode.
His hand resting on his lap unconsciously clenched tightly, his back stiffening: “…It’s okay.”
Ji Ruan immediately broke into a radiant smile: “You’re so nice!”
He took a cherry and playfully brought it to Gu Xiuyi’s lips: “Ah—”
Gu Xiuyi swallowed hard, his breath hot, gripping Ji Ruan’s wrist: “This one isn’t sweet; let’s swap for another.”
“You haven’t even tried how do you know?” Ji Ruan replied seriously: “This entire plate is really sweet; I’ve eaten half and none were bad.”
Gu Xiuyi slid his hand up Ji Ruan’s wrist, taking the cherry from his fingertips and putting it back into the glass plate, then lowered his head to capture Ji Ruan’s lip bead: “Try this one.”
·
After the National Day holiday, Gu Xiuyi enrolled Ji Ruan in driving school.
Following Ji Ruan’s wishes, he enrolled in a C1 manual driving course with a gold medal coach for one-on-one instruction.
Thanks to Ji Ruan’s excellent memorization skills in the Chinese department, he quickly passed the first test and eagerly began his practice for the second.
On the first day of practice at the venue, Gu Xiuyi specifically took off two hours earlier to return and listen to Ji Ruan share his learning experience.
When he walked in, Ji Ruan had just arrived home, holding a cup of water by the dining table, his sports jacket draped over the chair back, wearing only a cotton T-shirt.
These days, the late summer heat was intense, and the air conditioner was on in the house, so Gu Xiuyi didn’t rush Ji Ruan to put his jacket back on.
Gu Xiuyi washed his hands at the sink, pinching Ji Ruan’s cheek with his damp fingers: “How was your practice today?”
For some inexplicable reason, Ji Ruan was quite motivated regarding getting his driver’s license. After class, he barely had a couple bites of lunch before being taken to the practice field by his coach.
At this moment, his cheeks were still flushed, and he beamed: “Really good; the coach praised me for being smart.”
Gu Xiuyi smiled and planted a kiss on his face, drying his hands as he led him to the sofa.
“Who said that coaches are all strict? I watched videos before, and everyone said they were scolded daily, but it’s not like that! Our coach is really gentle!”
Ji Ruan obediently settled onto Gu Xiuyi’s lap, gleefully showcasing his own intelligence.
Gu Xiuyi couldn’t hide the smile in his eyes as he patted Ji Ruan’s waist, positioning them face-to-face so he could closely observe the playful expressions on Ji Ruan’s face.
“Then tell me what you learned.”
He initially thought Ji Ruan would be home later from practice; he didn’t expect Ji Ruan to already be back when he arrived; it had only been about two hours of practice.
Ji Ruan’s eyes sparkled, dimples deepening on both cheeks, excitedly saying: “Turning on the signal, shifting gears! And pressing the clutch!”
So proud, so excited.
So in just two hours of practice, he was just sitting in the driver’s seat, staring at the steering wheel and not moving an inch?
No wonder he was being praised.
Because up to now, he had only seen the coach’s gentle facade.
Gu Xiuyi was so enchanted that he was rendered speechless, burying his face in the crook of Ji Ruan’s neck, chuckling softly, his shoulders shaking.
Ji Ruan seemed a bit displeased, pushing him: “What are you laughing at? I’m completely following the coach’s instructions; I’m practicing how to shift gears and signal without looking down, and I remember it quite well.”
Gu Xiuyi held Ji Ruan’s chin, biting at his cheek: “I’m not laughing; you’re just too cute.”
Ji Ruan rubbed his face and shot him a disdainful glare: “I know, but don’t use your mouth.”
On the sofa, there was a file bag that Gu Xiuyi had brought back from the company, but it seemed to have Ji Ruan’s name on it.
“What is that?” Ji Ruan asked.
Gu Xiuyi reached for it and handed it to Ji Ruan: “It’s something very important; you can look for yourself.”
Ji Ruan, unsure, opened the file bag and pulled out the first sheet of paper, the title plainly stating their marriage agreement.
“What does this mean?”
If Gu Xiuyi hadn’t brought this back, he might have almost forgotten. Now that he was suddenly reminded, the fact of their contractual marriage resurfaced, making Ji Ruan feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Life had been too blissful lately; time seemed to have slowed down, so much that Ji Ruan almost forgot there was still this agreement between him and Gu Xiuyi, that after it expired, their marital relationship would automatically end.
By calculation, there was just over a year left.
Ji Ruan lowered his eyelashes, not making any effort to hide his emotions, happiness and disappointment both evident on his face.
Gu Xiuyi’s hand rested on his lower back, offering a comforting strength: “Keep reading.”
Ji Ruan bit his lip, pulling the whole file out. As he read line by line, he gradually discovered that this was new and different from the previous one.
When he reached a certain point, his eyes suddenly widened.
“Agreement term, indefinite…” Ji Ruan murmured.
Gu Xiuyi had changed the three years to unlimited; was he sentencing him to a life imprisonment?
Ji Ruan felt both entertained and helpless as he shot Gu Xiuyi a reproachful glance, but then his mood inexplicably brightened a bit.
“Keep reading.” Gu Xiuyi pinched his earlobe, that smile in his eyes ambiguous.
Ji Ruan followed his words and read, scanning through, he unexpectedly noticed that the monetary amount had also changed; the expensive compensation he would receive when the agreement expired had disappeared, replaced by all of Gu’s assets.
——Gu Xiuyi had transformed all of his properties under his name into their joint property after marriage.
This was a genuine marriage agreement, indicating that if they divorced, half of the Gu properties would belong to Ji Ruan.
Gu Xiuyi had already signed his name at the end and stamped it, just waiting for Ji Ruan’s signature.
Ji Ruan’s hand trembled slightly; in an instant, he could not fathom just how enormous this amount was.
“You, don’t act impulsively,” he stammered: “This is half of your fortune! It’s something I could never use up in several lifetimes.”
“Not impulsive.” Gu Xiuyi answered calmly.
“This isn’t a joke; what if, what if in the future I don’t like you anymore and want to take your money?” Ji Ruan hurriedly added: “Or what if you don’t like me anymore and regret it?”
“There won’t be such a day.” Gu Xiuyi still smiled, but his gaze was resolute: “I could never stop loving you. What about you? Would you leave me?”
“I…”
Ji Ruan was at a loss for words.
“I certainly won’t…”
Love is mutual; he really liked Gu Xiuyi, and as long as Gu Xiuyi didn’t betray him or grow to dislike him, there was no reason for him to fall for someone else.
“Then that settles it,” Gu Xiuyi affectionately rubbed his nose: “After all, we’re tied together for life; then what difference does it make who owns the fortune? I won’t have children anyway, so if anything happens to me, you’ll inherit all my——”
“Don’t say that!” Ji Ruan quickly covered his mouth: “Pfft pfft pfft!”
Seeing the other person’s smiling eyes, he felt his ears heating up again and stubbornly said: “I wouldn’t want to inherit anything; what a big pressure! I wouldn’t be able to manage a company.”
After thinking for a moment, he asserted: “Right, your family has too much responsibility; I don’t want it.”
Gu Xiuyi held Ji Ruan’s hand, pulling him closer: “Think on the bright side, okay? For example, let me ask you, what’s your dream profession?”
Ji Ruan answered without hesitation: “A landlord!”
“That’s the spirit,” Gu Xiuyi said: “Just imagine yourself as a property owner; normally, I work, and you handle collecting rent at home. Everyone knows their roles and is happy, right?”
Ji Ruan froze for a moment, his eyes widening at Gu Xiuyi.
He actually thought this made so much sense, and felt so tempted…
Who wouldn’t want to be a landlord?
“Then, then you have to take good care of your health…” he said coyly, fiddling with Gu Xiuyi’s shirt: “I wish to be a landlord for a lifetime.”
Gu Xiuyi laughed, giving him a kiss: “Don’t worry, I can lift you no matter how old I get.”
Ji Ruan shyly rubbed his head against Gu Xiuyi’s shoulder.
Gu Xiuyi picked up the pen from the coffee table: “Sign here, baby.”
Ji Ruan nodded, blushing as he popped off the pen cap, and right below Gu Xiuyi, wrote his name, his script neat and tidy, a stark contrast to Gu Xiuyi’s flamboyant handwriting.
His heart raced fast, even more nervous than when he got married at the civil affairs bureau.
Perhaps it was because he was only completing a task back then and didn’t like Gu Xiuyi, thus he didn’t view marriage as something thrilling.
But now he had established the closest bond with Gu Xiuyi, everything related to him inexplicably stirred his heart.
The file bag contained a small seal, and Ji Ruan pressed his rosy pink thumbprint onto the pristine paper, where Gu Xiuyi’s was, his fingers a size larger than his own.
Ji Ruan looked at the two thumbprints side by side, laughing unconsciously.
Then, he was kissed by Gu Xiuyi, who held him at the back of his head.