The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

41

Chapter 41
After that day, Lin Qing lay low for quite some time. At least Ji Ruan hadn't heard any news about him.
Their social circles were different anyway. Had it not been for Gu Xiuyi taking him to the villa, or had he not met Cheng Zizhang, he probably would never have known of Lin Qing's existence.
Ji Ruan attended classes as usual, occasionally hung out with friends, and was often taken out for meals by Gu Xiuyi. Life returned to its tranquil routine.
Until one laid-back Friday afternoon. With no classes for the entire dormitory, he, Han Xiaolin, and Qin Shan huddled in their room watching a horror film.
Ji Ruan wasn't fond of these jump-scare movies. Given a choice, he'd pick a heartwarming romantic animation to enjoy on such a splendid afternoon.
But he had no say in it; he lost a dice game and had to cater to the preferences of his two straightforward roommates.
Just at the climactic moment when a ghostly figure crawled out of the elevator, Li Yu burst through the dormitory door.
Thud!
Ji Ruan was so startled that he nearly jumped out of his chair.
Han Xiaolin and his companion were equally terrified. After a moment's shock, they rushed over to hold Li Yu and pummeled him.
"What the hell are you doing?! Couldn't you open the door properly? Huh?!"
"You almost gave me a heart attack! If something happened to me, could you compensate for the loss of a rising star in the financial world?!"
Li Yu desperately broke free from their chokeholds, holding up his phone with shining eyes, bearing some major news - exclusive information for the art students.
"Lin Qing took a leave of absence."
He swiftly dragged a chair and sat in front of Ji Ruan, casually pausing the video. "Did you know? Lin Qing actually took a break from school!"
"What?!" Han Xiaolin and his friend were also shocked, hurrying over, "What happened?"
Ji Ruan was seated closest to the iPad. The paused video showed a haunting scene: a female ghost with blood streaming from her eyes, moving closer to the surveillance camera. At a glance, Ji Ruan could see the ghost's chilling face.
He swallowed, with a look of disdain stretched out his hand to turn off the screen, then looked at Li Yu: "Go on, what happened?"
Li Yu was clearly out of breath from running. Sweat covered his neck. He fanned himself, accepting and wiping with the tissue Ji Ruan handed him, "Lin Qing was pretty well-known in our department."
Qin Shan scoffed, "What's so special about him?"
Han Xiaolin: "Him?"
"Yes, indeed him," Li Yu said, throwing the used tissue into the trash bin and settling back in his seat.
"Isn't he fairly good-looking? Some girls in our department like him. Plus, he's the disciple of Master Cheng, always presenting himself in this otherworldly manner. I heard he even got himself a wealthy boyfriend recently, but I'm not sure who. Have you guys heard about it?"
Han Xiaolin snorted, "Where would I have heard that from? I'm neither close to him nor am I wealthy... What about you, Ji Ruan?"
Ji Ruan did know something. However, his version didn't involve a boyfriend. He only knew that Duan Zeping pursued Lin Qing for over a year without success.
Surprisingly, the rumors circulating in the art institute had a different version. Had Duan finally been recognized as the official boyfriend? Could this count as one less worry for him?
Ji Ruan rubbed his earlobe but decided not to share this piece of information, instead asking Li Yu, "And then?"
"Wasn't he expelled from his master's teachings recently?" Li Yu asked earnestly, "The incident caused quite a stir."
"Yes, yes, I heard about it too, and it was amusing to say the least," Han Xiaolin remarked with a gossipy tone.
Li Yu scanned their faces and continued, "After that, he couldn't handle it. The things he did were tantamount to theft, his character was tainted, and the image he once held so high completely crumbled. He now appears as ugly as he once pretended to be noble."
"Anyone expelled by Master Cheng can't really make it in their circle anymore. The live broadcast from that event was uploaded online and people are mocking it. Our entire department knows him now. He's infamous, in a bad way though."
Ji Ruan nodded pensively, "So, that led to his leave of absence?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Li Yu gestured expansively, "That must be the reason. Someone like him can't handle all the gossip. He's probably laying low for a while, especially when he's currently treated like a pariah."
Han Xiaolin laughed, "He's not planning to wait until a few batches graduate before he returns, is he?"
Qin Shan moved his chair back to his desk, saying, "What's the use of hiding now? The internet and campus gossip have long memories. It won't matter how many batches graduate."
Having heard enough, Ji Ruan began to pack up, casually asking, "Do you know where he went?"
"I'm not sure," Li Yu shrugged, "He didn't inform anyone as far as I know. He probably went back to his hometown..."
"Oh," Ji Ruan nodded, putting the candy jar into his bag without further inquiry.
"Hey, Ji Ruan, are you heading home now?" Han Xiaolin suddenly asked, noticing his movements.