The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

71

Chapter 71
The patient room was enveloped in an eerie silence, with the steady beeps of the monitor piercing through the air like a shrill whistle.
Bai Yue's first observation upon pushing open the door was the room's over-the-top decor.
The space was awash in varying shades of soft pink - the walls, curtains, furniture, and carpet. Every visible sharp edge was smoothly rounded off, and even the bed linens were crafted from delicate pale pink silk.
Did this room resemble a patient's quarters in any way?
Had they mistaken him for a princess?!
The figure on the bed lay still with eyes closed, sinking into the plush mattress. So thin, the light covers on him hardly showed any movement. Attached to an oxygen mask and monitor, his exposed fingers appeared even paler than before.
Bai Yue had always struggled to understand why Gu Xiu Yi would be enamored with someone who seemed perpetually on the brink of illness, but lately, he felt he'd begun to comprehend.
Ji Ruan, in reality, wasn't asleep. Perhaps due to a fever, his head felt woozy, and whether his eyes were open or shut, the world seemed to endlessly spin.
The window was ajar, and a sudden gust of wind blew in. Ji Ruan furrowed his brow and slowly opened his eyes, only to be startled by the sight of Bai Yue standing at the foot of his bed.
Without his external hearing device, Ji Ruan hadn't caught the sound of Bai Yue entering. If not for the breeze stirring the curtains upon the door's opening, he might've remained oblivious to Bai Yue silently observing him.
This realization sent shivers down Ji Ruan's spine.
Bai Yue held a bouquet and also carried a brown paper bag. At a glance, he seemed no different from the usual hospital visitors, but there was an inexplicable, unsettling aura about him.
The curtains were half-drawn, with sunlight slicing the room into stark contrasts of light and shadow. Bai Yue stood in the dim section, head slightly bowed, his expression inscrutable.
The entire scene felt eerily cinematic, causing Ji Ruan's heart to race, as though he'd stepped into a horror movie.
But wasn't this supposed to be a melodramatic tearjerker?!
Right, a sudden thought struck Ji Ruan - Bai Yue probably wanted to torment him once more.
Realizing this, Ji Ruan felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He sunk deeper into the bed thinking, as long as it's not a ghost, he could muster enough energy to ring for assistance and have Bai Yue removed.
The instant Ji Ruan opened his eyes, they met Bai Yue's. He clearly saw a flicker of fear in Ji Ruan's eyes, which brought him a twisted sense of pleasure.
Any vulnerability Ji Ruan showed before him seemed to oddly gratify Bai Yue's twisted psyche.
Yet before he could capitalize on the situation, Ji Ruan's eyes suddenly closed, and he lay back down, acting as if Bai Yue was mere air.
Bai Yue: "...???"
For a moment, confusion clouded Bai Yue's face, which was quickly overtaken by mounting rage.
"Do you think playing dead will let you escape?"
There was no response from the figure on the bed.
With gritted teeth, Bai Yue assured, "Rest easy, I won't harm you. I came merely to tell you something - aren't you curious why Xiu Yi chose you as his marriage partner in the first place?"
He leaned closer, "Out of so many, why did he specifically choose you?"
Bai Yue believed he had played a psychological card. If Ji Ruan truly loved Gu Xiu Yi, this revelation would undoubtedly torment him.
Ji Ruan remained motionless. Bai Yue assumed he was feigning composure.
With a soft chuckle, Bai Yue disclosed, "It's because you reminded him of me. You were brought to his side solely due to this resemblance. Even if Xiu Yi no longer loves me, do you genuinely believe you've won?"
Bai Yue raised his chin in triumph, awaiting the moment Ji Ruan's face would display shock and pain.
Gathering strength, Ji Ruan tried to reach for the bell. Upon opening his eyes, he saw Bai Yue's odd, almost eerily amused stare.
He knew Bai Yue had been murmuring something but from his distance, and with Bai Yue's dramatic intonation, Ji Ruan had trouble comprehending, feeling only that Bai Yue seemed to be increasingly exhilarated.
His expression eerily resembled that of Lin Qing's when he was unhinged. Ji Ruan felt a PTSD-like reaction, fearing Bai Yue might lose control like Lin Qing and wanted him gone.
Ji Ruan hurriedly tried to prop himself up to ring the bell, but his movement was obstructed by the oxygen mask.
Frowning, he attempted to remove the mask. However, with the IV on the back of his hand and connected to monitoring wires, coupled with his dizziness, he ended up entangled. Overwhelmed, he involuntarily rolled his eyes back and slumped.
"What's with that look?" Bai Yue, not seeing the reaction he expected, stared incredulously, "You don't believe me?"
His voice was louder this time. Ji Ruan seemed to catch something about belief.
Above Ji Ruan's tiny head, a large question mark metaphorically appeared.
A letter? What letter? Someone surnamed Bai is sending him a letter?