Chapter 46
As dusk settled, the sun-kissed horizon gradually dimmed, with the deep blue sky sporadically illuminated by twinkling stars.
On the second floor of the guesthouse, the curtains of a flower-adorned balcony were drawn, with a faint warm glow emanating from within.
"You're staying here?!" The boy's voice rang out with a hint of astonishment.
After taking a shower, Ji Ruan sat on the bed. To his surprise, not only did Mr. Gu stay after having a meal here, but during Ji Ruan's shower, he even had Song Ling bring over his luggage, looking as if he planned to settle in for good.
However, Gu Xiuyi himself seemed perfectly at ease. He ran his fingers over a vine ornament on the headboard, nodding subtly, as if finding a place to stay here was the most natural thing in the world.
He glanced around Ji Ruan's small room. Though not spacious, it was immaculately clean. Its wooden structure exuded an elegant and rustic charm, and the various ornaments were quite exquisite, lending it a character vastly different from the monotonous hotel suites.
Ji Ruan tugged at the fluttering hem of Gu Xiuyi's clothes, "Shouldn't you be at a hotel? The suite you're used to, its bathroom alone is bigger than my entire room. Why squeeze in here with me?"
Gu Xiuyi turned to face him. Ji Ruan was sitting cross-legged at the edge of the bed, having to tilt his head back slightly to meet Gu's gaze.
His bedspread and duvet cover were a uniform dark green, like splattered ink spread out behind him. In the corner, a tree-branch shaped mood light flickered intermittently.
From Gu Xiuyi's perspective, Ji Ruan resembled a little sprite residing in a forest.
Gu Xiuyi sat down on the bed, not addressing the question, and reached out to Ji Ruan's lower back.
Ji Ruan quickly evaded, "What are you doing?"
Gu Xiuyi met Ji Ruan's wary eyes without flinching and pulled him closer, "Stay still. Your back's been hurting, hasn't it?"
Ji Ruan's struggle paused for a moment, "How did you know?"
Gu Xiuyi's expression remained unchanged as his gaze settled on Ji Ruan's face, "You'd see it too if you looked in a mirror."
"......"
At a loss for words, Ji Ruan realized just how exhausted and sore he was. With Gu's remark, he could imagine how haggard he must have looked.
Taking advantage of Ji Ruan's distraction, Gu Xiuyi pulled him closer, gently patting his lower back, "Relax. Let me massage it for you, or you'll cramp up tonight."
Gu's hand was warm, merely placing it on his back was comforting. And given that Gu's massage skills seemed to improve exponentially, it took mere seconds before Ji Ruan was completely at ease.
Ji Ruan had to admit he had a penchant for immediate gratification, finding it hard to resist anything that brought him comfort.
Even if such comforts might have hidden intentions or dangers, he'd rather indulge in the moment. After all, the future is uncertain, but we always live in the present.
A steady warmth radiated from his back, slowly enveloping him. The warmth from Gu Xiuyi felt like an elusive dream-gentle, unquestionable, and subtly pervasive.
Rationality nudged Ji Ruan, hinting he might have forgotten something, but his senses quickly slackened, instinctively leaning towards the warmth.
With his palm supporting Ji Ruan's lower back, Gu Xiuyi could feel the unnatural tension in the muscles there. "How long have you been standing? Why are you so stiff?"
Ji Ruan, already lulled into a gentle daze, answered with half-lidded, hazy eyes as if intoxicated, "Hmm... most of the day..."
A shadow passed over Gu Xiuyi's expression.
Suddenly, Ji Ruan furrowed his brows, the fingers clutching Gu Xiuyi's clothes curling inwards, letting out an involuntary soft moan.
Gu Xiuyi paused, "Am I pressing too hard?"
Ji Ruan nodded, rubbing his face against Gu Xiuyi's shoulder impatiently, "Softer."
Through his daze, Ji Ruan sensed a brief hesitation in Gu Xiuyi's breath before his response, a tone that seemed amused, "...Alright."
Ji Ruan's eyelids began to droop, but he suddenly blinked them open again. Despite his heavy drowsiness, a persistent thought clung to his mind:
"...Shouldn't you be heading back to your hotel?"
Gu Xiuyi gently lifted him, causing Ji Ruan to feel even dizzier with the cradling motion. He frowned and tugged at Gu Xiuyi's finger, "Stop moving."
"I can't go back to the hotel, Ji Ruan," Gu Xiuyi whispered in his ear.
"Think about it. Aren't we married? You're wearing my ring. We should be living together. And with all the media at tomorrow's event, it won't look good if we're apart."
Ji Ruan, still in his dazed state, murmured, "But... sharing a bed might not be...appropriate."
"It's not like we haven't shared one before."
"But the bed is small this time..."
"It's okay. We have two blankets."
When Gu Xiuyi chose to be tender, his gentleness was unparalleled. His deep voice, soft and coaxing, felt like a lullaby, weaving a beautiful fairy tale in Ji Ruan's ears.
Having had his back massaged by Gu Xiuyi, Ji Ruan had unknowingly melted into a puddle, and now his thoughts swirled like thick soup.
He blinked dreamily, his chin dropping a fraction, and under Gu Xiuyi's soothing ministrations, he was lulled to sleep.
After an indeterminable amount of time, Ji Ruan regained his hazy consciousness to find the room lights completely turned off, save for the ambient illumination from a vine-shaped bedside ornament.
This ornament, embedded with a tiny light bulb, was designed mainly for decorative purposes. Yet, Gu Xiuyi insisted on keeping it, allowing its shaky glow to diffuse along the room's edges.
Ji Ruan's moment of awakening coincided with Gu Xiuyi, fresh from a shower, slipping into bed.
Through his blurry vision, Ji Ruan observed the mattress dip and soon after, was enveloped by the scent of body wash and the unique warm aura that was distinctly Gu Xiuyi's.
Gu Xiuyi's fingers brushed past Ji Ruan's ear, adeptly removing the hearing aid and placing it on the bedside table, before switching off the tiny light.
Turning away from him, Ji Ruan listened to the distant sounds. Suddenly, Gu Xiuyi patted his head, the warmth of his breath wafting over Ji Ruan as he softly whispered, "Good night."
It felt as if Gu Xiuyi had truly learned some form of magic. Those two simple words lit a lamp within Ji Ruan's heart.
Lost in a daze, Ji Ruan only heard a soft "ding!" before his consciousness fully receded, not even managing to return Gu Xiuyi's goodnight.
·
The next morning, the spring weather was splendid.
The third-floor open terrace of the exhibition hall buzzed with activity. The auction proceeded orderly, and though the place was swarming with attendees, it didn't feel chaotic.
Donning a blue ID badge, Ji Ruan navigated the crowd with his professor. Every time he crossed paths with or locked eyes with Gu Xiuyi, he remained silent, even deliberately avoiding his gaze, his cheeks puffed out in an unmistakable "I'm mad, don't approach" demeanor.
Gu Xiuyi was torn between amusement and exasperation, insisting that he had done nothing wrong.
Everything had been fine until they went to bed. If he had to pin it on something, it would be the jest he made towards Ji Ruan that morning. The young man, thin-skinned yet begrudging, had taken it to heart.
As for the morning's events, in Gu Xiuyi's view, everything seemed normal - they simply ended up sharing one blanket instead of two, and Ji Ruan was the instigator.
But Ji Ruan couldn't come to terms with it.
Heaven only knows the shock and horror Ji Ruan felt upon waking up and seeing himself clutching Gu Xiuyi's arm as if embracing a large drumstick, with Gu Xiuyi using his pillow, and the sheets and covers sized for just one.
Moreover, at some point, Gu Xiuyi's pillow had found its way behind Ji Ruan's back. Based on Ji Ruan's limited theoretical knowledge, it all resembled the aftermath of... something intimate.
Ji Ruan practically sprung out of bed, his issues of low blood sugar and pressure miraculously cured in that instant.
For a brief moment, he even suspected something had transpired. Under Gu Xiuyi's bewildered gaze, Ji Ruan dashed into the bathroom to check his physical state and even resorted to searching online for post-intimate symptoms.
In a state of extreme tension, Ji Ruan verified the events of the night three times before accepting that he and Gu Xiuyi had indeed remained chaste throughout.
Had two spirited young men, alone in a room, truly slept in each other's arms the whole night without any advances?
Ji Ruan was somewhat impressed with himself.
No, he was even more impressed with Gu Xiuyi.
Once he confirmed their innocence, Ji Ruan's anxiety dissipated. His previously neglected hypoglycemia re-emerged, causing him to collapse, unable to get up.
Ultimately, it was Gu Xiuyi who carried him out, hydrating him with water, feeding him some sugar, and then letting him rest at the bedside, as was the routine, for a few minutes.
As his blood sugar levels gradually stabilized, and Ji Ruan eventually regained enough strength to attend to his morning routine, he found Gu Xiuyi already dressed impeccably.
Brushing his teeth by the washbasin, Ji Ruan noticed Gu Xiuyi next to him, adjusting his tie. With a straight posture and slender fingers, the wedding ring on his ring finger glistened.
Subconsciously, Ji Ruan glanced in the mirror and saw a matching, albeit slightly thinner, wedding band on his own finger.
The reflection felt oddly surreal. Ji Ruan quickly diverted his gaze, bent over, and spat out the nauseating toothpaste foam.
But Gu Xiuyi's psychological fortitude was truly unparalleled and beyond average comprehension.
Memories of their close proximity in bed that morning seemed to have no effect on him; he remained utterly composed throughout.
After tying his tie, and glancing at Ji Ruan in the mirror, whose freshly-washed face had damp eyelashes, Gu Xiuyi casually remarked in a tone as mundane as discussing breakfast,
"You slept so soundly at the villa, yet last night, you kept fidgeting..."
His comment seemed more like a musing to himself than a question to Ji Ruan.
Drying his face, Ji Ruan wanted to explain that the bed at the villa was expansive, unlike the present one.
The villa boasted a spacious king-size bed, so of course, any movement wouldn't matter. But the current bed, generously described as one and a half meters wide, was clearly the culprit, not him.
However, by the time he attempted to articulate this, Gu Xiuyi had already sauntered downstairs to fetch some steamed buns.
Ji Ruan's defenses went unspoken, swallowed along with the residue of toothpaste, and he resolved not to converse with Gu Xiuyi for at least three hours.
Thus, three hours later, Gu Xiuyi cornered Ji Ruan on the third floor of the exhibition hall.
Recently, the weather has been splendid, shining brightly for a whole week. It almost feels as if we're skipping spring and heading straight into summer. Even Ji Ruan, who is particularly cold-sensitive, has shed his sweater for a lightweight shirt.
The sun may be strong, but so is the wind. It blows the corners of Ji Ruan's shirt high up, clinging his cotton T-shirt tightly to his chest, while his blue work badge dances in the breeze.
Gu XiuYi grabbed the badge that was about to wrap around Ji Ruan's neck, flipping it to reveal the photo. Ji Ruan's image instantly met his eyes.
It must've been a photo taken at the beginning of the school year.
The Ji Ruan in the picture stands tall and straight, with a round face. His cheeks dimple from smiling, his expression reading "obedient and cute." It's a stark contrast to the pouting, sulky boy standing before him now.
Ji Ruan pulled the badge back, his voice muffled by the wind, "Don't look at my ID photo."
"Upset? ... It's very cute though," Gu XiuYi's eyes radiated sincerity.
Ji Ruan pursed his lips, meeting Gu XiuYi's gaze straightforwardly and mimicking his stoic demeanor, "No, I'm just shy."
A hint of surprise in Gu XiuYi's eyes, he stepped closer, more serious, "What about this morning? You were upset then, right?"
Truth be told, when Gu XiuYi made that comment, he wasn't trying to tease Ji Ruan; he was simply stating a fact.
Ji Ruan always slept in such a well-behaved manner at the villa. However, last night was somewhat torturous for Gu XiuYi. Looking at Ji Ruan's dripping chin after washing his face, he spontaneously made that remark.
But after he came back with the steamed buns and entered the auction on the third floor, Ji Ruan kept his lips sealed, making Gu XiuYi retrospectively realize his misstep.
"I'm sorry," Gu XiuYi offered a prepared cup of warm milk, inserting a straw and handing it to Ji Ruan, "But I truly teased you because I found you adorable."
Ji Ruan glanced at the milk, then took another look.
How did Gu XiuYi know he was this thirsty?
Checking the time, Ji Ruan noted it had been over three hours. He's not unreasonable; if Gu XiuYi was extending an olive branch, he wasn't about to reject it.
Clearing his throat, he accepted the peace offering in the form of the milk.
The sunlight was indeed strong, making it hard for Gu XiuYi to keep his eyes open. In its light, Ji Ruan seemed almost ethereal.
With his hands naturally folded across his chest, he asked, "With such lovely weather, what do you plan to do this afternoon?"
Sipping milk through his straw, Ji Ruan's cheeks puffing with every gulp, he replied pointing behind him, "Isn't there a famous pavilion up on the hill? I've heard on clear days you can see the North Tower from there. I'm thinking of checking it out."
Gu XiuYi had heard of this pavilion. Situated on the mountainside of Qingxi Mountain, on days of high visibility, one could see A City's iconic North Tower across the river.
Gu XiuYi nodded, "It's worth a visit. Who are you going with?"
Under the glaring sunlight, Ji Ruan squinted at him, "The teachers, and their apprentices. It's sort of a team-building activity."
"May I join?" Gu XiuYi inquired.
Ji Ruan was momentarily taken aback.
Gu XiuYi tugged Ji Ruan closer by his badge, "Is it not permissible?"
A hint of redness crept onto Ji Ruan's face as he tried to pull away.
However, his strength was no match for Gu XiuYi's. He couldn't break free unless Gu XiuYi allowed it.
It appeared Gu XiuYi was keen on receiving an answer.
Left with no choice, Ji Ruan met Gu XiuYi's deep black pupils, his cheeks burning:
"Well... others aren't bringing their family members..."