The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

31

Chapter 31
The room was dimly lit, with only the desk lamp on. Ji Ruan's space felt rather muted.
Gu Xiuyi leaned against the headboard, the contours of his sharp face shadowed in the darkness, leaving just the hint of amusement in his eyes.
From outside the window, the faint glimmers of streetlights seeped in, igniting a soft, dancing halo in his eyes- unexpectedly endearing.
Their gazes met, and Ji Ruan paused momentarily, a peculiar warmth seeming to ripple from his fingertips, leaving one slightly disoriented.
Placing his hands on the back of the chair, he chuckled in slight confusion, "Has Mr. Gu expanded his business to acupressure massages?"
Gu Xiuyi's smile deepened, "Yes, I've been considering it. I'll give you a free trial coupon. Would this customer like to give it a try?"
Ji Ruan hesitated for just two seconds before rising and approaching Gu Xiuyi.
Though he couldn't precisely articulate why he felt a peculiar sensation when looking at Gu Xiuyi at this moment, he was certain he didn't resent this feeling.
The warmth that emanated from the tips of his fingers gradually enveloped his entire body. It seemed that the closer he got to Gu Xiuyi, the warmer the world became. Just as creatures are drawn to light and warmth, so was Ji Ruan.
He sat at the edge of the bed, using a stuffed bear as a cushion on Gu Xiuyi's body. Turning his back, he lay down, resting his face against the bear's belly: "Begin, but please be gentle."
"Okay."
Gu Xiuyi's fingertips rested on Ji Ruan's temples, transmitting a comforting warmth, prompting Ji Ruan to close his eyes in contentment.
"Could you move up a bit?"
"A bit more pressure, maybe?"
"...Never mind, keep it gentle, just like in the beginning."
After only a few requests made to the masseur, Ji Ruan's cheek was pinched. The masseur seemed to chuckle, saying, "You're quite demanding, aren't you?"
Ji Ruan rubbed the pinched area, burying his face into the bear's belly with a sneaky grin: "Isn't that just professional etiquette on your part? Besides, my head is quite precious. If you don't do a good job, I won't be spending here anymore."
Customers can indeed be quite demanding.
Gu Xiuyi chuckled, "Alright then."
Truth be told, Boss Gu probably has never personally attended to anyone; his technique was completely absent. Fortunately, his touch was light and warm. Even when stationary on Ji Ruan's forehead, it felt soothing, much like a warm compress.
Ji Ruan truly cherished his warmth.
At first, Gu Xiuyi was diligent in his role as a masseur, but it wasn't long before he became playful. Occasionally, Ji Ruan's cheek would be tickled, his earlobe pinched, and the contours of his ear scratched, which tickled immensely.
Ji Ruan grabbed Gu Xiuyi's hand, looking up at him, "Do you intend to give me a full-face massage?"
Hearing this, Gu Xiuyi laughed, "I could... if you wish."
Without hesitation, he reached out, eager to showcase his impressive massage skills.
Ji Ruan quickly sat up, "Never mind, I'm good."
While he was okay with a simple forehead massage, Ji Ruan found it strange when his face was touched. He couldn't quite describe it, but it left him feeling tingly inside.
He casually brushed back his disheveled hair, climbed down from the bed, and returned to his desk, "I'm ready to get back to studying. Mr. Gu, you should head back to sleep. Good night."
With a pen in hand, Ji Ruan seemed to instantly immerse himself in his studies, shutting out the world around him. Gu Xiuyi watched his upright silhouette, pausing for a moment, and then felt an overwhelming sense of being useful only momentarily and then discarded.
Rising from his spot, he walked over to the desk, arms folded, looking down at Ji Ruan, "That's it?"
Ji Ruan met his gaze, "What else is there?"
"...Perhaps a thank you?"
"Well, thank you. It was very relaxing."
"Anything more than that?"
Ji Ruan pursed his lips, appearing to contemplate deeply before looking into Gu Xiuyi's eyes with clarity, "I'll repay you with perfect scores on my tests."
"......"
As it turned out, while Gu the masseur's massage skills might have been lacking, it seemingly had positive effects on exams. Ji Ruan indeed secured several perfect scores.
But after the end-of-term exams in university, students immediately went on break. Since the exams wouldn't be returned, to fulfill his promise, Ji Ruan went out of his way to print his grade report and conspicuously plastered it on the door of the masseur's room for three whole days, demonstrating his profound gratitude and commendation.
In front of the door, Ji Ruan carefully smoothed out each corner of the grade report, looking up proudly at Gu Xiuyi, "How's that?"