The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

43

Chapter 43
The room was dimly lit, the intertwining shadows painting a quiet scene, broken only by the clinking of ice in Li Sui'an's glass.
Ji Ruan sat beside him, resting his chin in his hand, gazing at Duan Zeiping, who was deep in slumber across from them.
Old Duan's tolerance for alcohol wasn't too bad: after getting drunk, shedding a few tears, he'd fall asleep, occasionally murmuring Lin Qing's name, feigning sobs without any tears.
"Is he..." Ji Ruan began, hesitating, "Heartbroken?"
Li Sui'an leisurely sipped his drink, "Isn't it obvious? He's been howling all night. I had thought of inviting you earlier to witness the spectacle, but by the time you arrived, he had calmed down."
"Spectacle?" Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow, catching onto one particular word, "Earlier?"
"What do you think Mr. Gu was here for?" Li Sui'an laughed, "Old Duan has had several get-togethers and he never attended any, but he chose tonight. I suspect he wanted to witness what heartbreak looks like for a man in his thirties-to ensure he doesn't end up the same way, hahaha-"
Ji Ruan's eyebrows knitted together, and the corners of his mouth twitched, revealing a faint smile. After a pause, he said, "You could've told me directly, you know?"
"Of course, I'd mention the spectacle you'd want to see," Li Sui'an remarked, "The moment I mentioned Mr. Gu was drunk, you rushed over, didn't you?"
His eyes danced over Ji Ruan's face, "Trying to gather some embarrassing moments, are you?"
"..." Ji Ruan, taken aback that Li Sui'an had read him so easily, awkwardly scratched the tip of his nose.
Clearing his throat, he stammered, "Well, you mustn't tell him, okay..."
His voice was soft, his eyes wide. Illuminated by the bar's shifting lights, they sparkled, making it hard for one to resist their allure.
It was as if he had been oppressed by Gu Xiuyi for too long, unable to find a proper way to retaliate, resorting to capturing embarrassing moments as a rather naive method to relieve his stress.
Li Sui'an had seen such a look in Song Ling's eyes as well.
"Sigh," Li Sui'an exhaled deeply, a hint of sympathy in his eyes, "Do I seem like the kind of person who'd spill the beans? Relax..."
His gaze drifted as if reminiscing, "Besides, Mr. Gu is probably over the moon right now. So elated he might just..."
"Huh?" Ji Ruan was puzzled, "Elated about what-"
"Qingqing!" Duan Zeiping suddenly twitched on the table, shouting Lin Qing's name, startling Ji Ruan.
"Oh, damn!" Li Sui'an was startled, not so much by the sudden shout, but because Duan Zeiping's movement nearly knocked over the nearby bottle. He quickly reached out to steady it.
Even though the floor was carpeted, those bottles could shatter if they fell on a chair or hit the table's edge. If Ji Ruan got hurt, Gu Xiuyi would be furious.
Imagining the expression that might cross Gu Xiuyi's face sent shivers down Li Sui'an's spine. Without hesitation, he cleared away any breakables within half a meter's reach of Duan Zeiping.
He also poured a glass of plain water for Ji Ruan, not adding any ice, knowing full well the preciousness of Gu's beloved health.
"You must be thirsty, have some."
Ji Ruan murmured his thanks and took the glass. He was feeling a bit chilly and wasn't keen on cold water, so he idly traced the rim of the glass, pondering over what Li Sui'an had said.
However, Li Sui'an seemed to move on quickly from his previous statement, glancing at the inebriated man and sighing, "See? This is what happens when you have your first love in your thirties."
"First love?" That was a twist Ji Ruan hadn't anticipated.
"To be so wealthy yet single for over thirty years is unbelievable," Li Sui'an tsked, "It serves as a reminder: it's best to fall in love early. Otherwise, pouring suppressed emotions from so many years onto someone all at once can be risky."
"Finding the right person is one in a million," he tapped the table, "Most people get their hearts and pockets robbed."
"-However, in this aspect, Mr. Gu is far luckier than him," Li Sui'an whispered after taking a sip from his drink.
Ji Ruan's eyes crinkled in amusement, Gu Xiuyi's first love?
Gu Xiuyi was also in his thirties. Would his first love be any better than Duan Zeiping's?
Lost in thought, Ji Ruan's curiosity led him down a path of musings until a sudden realization crashed into him.
His face paled abruptly.
This revelation, like a bolt of lightning, shattered the slight daydream he was indulging in.
He suddenly realized that, while imagining Gu Xiuyi in the throes of first love, the person he visualized alongside Gu was himself.
The thought was terrifying.
The temperature of Ji Ruan's fingertips seemed to drop.
He should always remember that this was a tragic tale from the past. No matter how Gu Xiuyi treated him now, the unpredictable future was laden with uncertainties beyond comprehension.