The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

68

Chapter 68
The hands were firm, sliding from his shoulders to his waist, pulling him close.
"Ji Ruan?"
In his panic, Ji Ruan looked back, only to see Gu Xiuyi's anxious expression.
Relief washed over him, though his frantic heartbeat took a moment to subside, still threatening to leap from his throat.
With a tinge of redness in his eyes, Ji Ruan heavily thumped Gu Xiuyi's shoulder, exclaiming, "You scared the life out of me!"
Gu Xiuyi hastily pulled him into an embrace, gently stroking his back. "What happened? Why are you so startled?"
Ji Ruan's shoulders trembled slightly, evidently deeply shaken.
Gu Xiuyi was perplexed. He had merely embraced Ji Ruan's shoulders as he always did. Why was Ji Ruan so frightened today?
"Did something happen?" he whispered.
The lights in the hall brightened. After the much-anticipated entrance of Gu Changyun, the banquet hall returned to its initial, brightly lit state.
While Gu Changyun's influence had waned, leaving only a shell behind, Gu Xiuyi remained the center of attention wherever he went.
With so many eyes on them, Ji Ruan hesitated to linger in Gu Xiuyi's embrace and took a deep breath before pulling away slightly. "...It's nothing."
"-Our young master, Fang, has brought a Nightlight Pearl from the Eastern Sea!" The emcee exclaimed excitedly. "Look at its round, large, clear, and lustrous appearance, truly a treasure!"
Ji Ruan, along with the crowd, turned to see Fang Qiming kneeling with a small box, presenting it to Gu Changyun. He spoke with reverence and eagerness, "Legend says the Nightlight Pearl glows in the dark, its luminescence enduring for years. Wishing you a life as vast as the Eastern Sea and as enduring as the Southern Mountains!"
Gu Changyun was clearly pleased, smiling benevolently, "Young Fang is very thoughtful."
Li Yuan, standing beside Ji Ruan, whispered, "Is there really such a thing as a Nightlight Pearl in the world? Does it truly glow at night?"
"It's just an ordinary mineral," Ji Ruan chuckled, his voice sounding a bit weak. "Hardly a priceless gem."
"More than that," Li Sui'an interjected, "If it indeed glows in total darkness, who knows how much radioactive material it might contain? Hoping for longevity while being around it might be a challenge-Old Gu, your older brother seems very considerate."
Ignoring Li Sui'an's sarcasm, Gu Xiuyi drew Ji Ruan to a nearby sofa and sat down, holding his cold fingertips. "Feeling a bit tired?"
"No..." Ji Ruan met Gu Xiuyi's worried gaze, hesitated, then swallowed his instinctual denial.
He sighed, admitting, "I thought I saw Lin Qing earlier, but I must've been mistaken."
Gu Xiuyi frowned, not dismissing Ji Ruan's words as mere illusion. After pondering a moment, he said, "He isn't on the guest list... I'll have Song Ling check again."
Saying this, he took out his phone and sent a quick message.
Ji Ruan chuckled, "It's really okay."
But Gu Xiuyi was serious, "Even if he isn't on the list, many guests brought companions today. It's possible someone sneaked in. Checking would set your mind at ease."
In reality, Ji Ruan had only mentioned it in passing, intending to brush it off as a mere trick of the eye. He hadn't expected Gu Xiuyi to take it so seriously and investigate.
Though he found the reaction a tad excessive, he had to admit that this side of Gu Xiuyi provided him with a sense of security.
Gu Xiuyi gently squeezed Ji Ruan's fingers, "It's alright. If you don't want to stay, we can leave."
At the moment, all eyes were on the stage. Both Gu Zhaoxu and Fang Lan stepped up to present their gifts, with snippets of conversation from Li Yuan and Li Sui'an occasionally drifting over.
"They're treating him like royalty. One would think he's celebrating a grand birthday..."
"That's a celebration reserved for emperors. By today's standards, it should be our dear Gu..."
"Come on, Mr. Gu isn't so flamboyant. Remember his 30th? He wore that simple shirt gift so often it's practically worn out..."
"You don't get it. His wife embroidered the cherry tree on the cuff by hand. He's probably so proud, he'd wear it even if he were crowned emperor..."
"Stop it! You're going to make me die of laughter. Remember, we live in a socialist country. Watch your words..."
Noting that no one was paying them any attention, Ji Ruan softly nuzzled Gu Xiuyi's shoulder, "Alright, once Song brings over the embroidery, you can take me back to our room."
The embroidery was his work. Once he handed it to Bai Yue, his duties for the day would be fulfilled, and he could rest easy.
Holding Ji Ruan close, Gu Xiuyi never contested these minor points, "Alright, as you wish."
Gu Xili had gone up on stage, looking impeccably dignified alongside Bai Yue.
Gu Changyun affectionately took Bai Yue's hand, "Little Bai, when did you return? I've missed you."