Chapter 6

Lao Zhang only sent Ji Ruan to the downstairs of the company, and a tall secretary came to pick Ji Ruan up.

The secretary in Gu Xiuyi's office also looked exactly like someone out of a novel, beautiful and generous. When she saw Ji Ruan, she smiled very pleasingly: "Hello, Mr. Ji, nice to meet you. I'm Mr. Gu's secretary. You can just call me Xiaoya."

Ji Ruan had just gotten out of the car and was blinded by the sunlight. He raised his hand to cover his forehead and smiled at Xiaoya: "Hello, but don't call me Mr. Ji, just call me Ji Ruan."

After their secretarial team selected a marriage candidate for Gu Xiuyi, it was Song Ling who had been in contact. It was the first time Xiaoya met Ji Ruan in person. He was much younger than he looked in the photo, so it did seem a bit awkward to call him "Sir".

But Xiaoya still smiled cheerfully, and did not respond to Ji Ruan's words, but only said: "We all followed the call of Special Assistant Song, sir, it sounds more polite."

Ji Ruan didn't think much about it: "But Special Assistant Song now calls me Xiao Ruan."

"Ah?" Xiaoya was stunned. She clearly remembered that a few days ago when Song Ling was holding the phone, he was still very professional and called him "Mr. Ji". How come he suddenly became Xiao Ruan?

But the title itself is not a very important thing. They can just call the young lady whatever she likes to hear.

Xiaoya then greeted Uncle Zhang and led Ji Ruan into the company.

People were coming and going along the way, and many of them came one after another to greet Xiaoya, but their eyes were fixed on Ji Ruan.

Some people around were whispering something, but Ji Ruan couldn't hear it clearly.

Gu Xiuyi had no intention of hiding the fact that he was getting married, but the matter of the contract was not widely spread. Most people only knew that their boss, who had been single for nearly 30 years, suddenly found a partner.

About a month ago, when the secretariat team was secretly screening candidates, the company had already begun to stir.

"Is that the young lady? She's so young. Is she an adult?"

"Can you get married under the age of majority? Even though the boss is not a good person when working overtime, he shouldn't be punished that badly!"

"But why are you getting married all of a sudden? Didn't the boss say before, 'Getting married is like going to a grave, it's an ominous thing, it's better to go to work'?"

"Are you crazy? How could Gu Xiuyi say such a thing?"

"Really! He had a mouth when he was young, but he became a dumb boss after he really took power a few years ago!"

"Hahahaha, shit, I joined the company late, so don't lie to me."

"Why would I lie to you? Every old employee has a fake employee handbook, which contains many classic quotes from Mr. Gu when he was in college. I'll send it to you on my cloud drive!"

So today, when Ji Ruan himself showed up, no one could suppress their curiosity. They all wanted to know who the person was who made their boss change his mind and even jumped into the marriage graveyard.

Xiaoya was originally worried that Ji Ruan, a child who had just become an adult, would not be able to adapt to such a scene, so she quickened her pace and took him to the special elevator.

But Ji Ruan seemed to be completely unaware of the discussions and gazes around him, or maybe he noticed it but didn't care, and didn't even glance at them.

People like Xiaoya who work in tall and magnificent office buildings need to straighten their backs very hard every day so as not to lose their momentum in the battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder.

But Ji Ruan seemed so naive that he didn't think anything of it, or maybe he was so smart that he seemed dull. He appeared here in a T-shirt, shorts and canvas shoes, but he walked slowly in an absolutely relaxed and natural posture, occasionally looking down at his phone and texting with friends, revealing a faint smile.

This kind of relaxation and unprovoked confidence is something that no one present will ever have. She really is like a spoiled and innocent little lady.

"Whose young master is this? Does anyone know him?"

"Anyway, he is not one of those rich young men. He has never appeared before."

"Could it be a business marriage? Hasn't the group been getting close to Lingzhou recently?"

"Chairman Lingzhou has only one daughter, okay."

"ah……"

The elevator door closed, blocking out the sound of conversation, and Xiaoya breathed a sigh of relief.

The number of people working on the top floor of the building was less than one-tenth of that on the first floor. There was a solemn silence and no one showed any surprise at Ji Ruan's arrival.

Xiaoya took Ji Ruan to Gu Xiuyi's office, where she could finally relax and give a brief introduction to the surrounding environment.

Ji Ruan watched her expression become more and more relaxed as she spoke, with joy revealed between her brows. It was a sustained good mood, and he couldn't help but be infected and listened to her quietly.

Xiaoya saw Ji Ruan smiling, so she stopped and asked, "What's wrong?"

Ji Ruan shook his head and said frankly: "I just think you must have something happy recently."

He has a magical affinity that makes it difficult for people to be wary of him.

"That's true," Xiaoya smiled and whispered to him, "At the end of the month, our entire secretarial team will get bonuses!"

"Really? Congratulations." Ji Ruan said with a slightly happy smile.

"No way," Xiaoya looked at Ji Ruan as if he was looking at a lucky star, "It's all thanks to you."

Ji Ruan was slightly startled: "What's wrong with me?"

Xiaoya suddenly shut up, just smiled to hide her feelings, opened the door and said to Ji Ruan: "Nothing, come in quickly, the boss is still in a meeting, so you can wait for him for a while."

She led Ji Ruan to sit on the sofa, bent over and asked softly, "Would you like sweet milk or pure milk?"

Ji Ruan: “…”

Why do these young ladies all assume that he likes to drink milk?

Ji Ruan pursed her lips and smiled slightly: "Can you give me a glass of ice water?"

The weather is really hot!

·

After the meeting, Gu Xiuyi returned to the office. He had drunk all the ice water on the table, leaving only a few ice cubes that had not completely melted. The water droplets on the wall of the cup slid down to the metal table, leaving a small stain.

Ji Ruan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his hands on the glass, concentrating intently, not knowing what he was looking at below.

"Ji Ruan?"

…

The child didn't respond.

Gu Xiuyi took a few steps forward and patted Ji Ruan's shoulder gently. As expected, he was frightened again. He let out a light cry and dodged, with his shoulder against the glass wall.

Gu Xiuyi: “…”

He found that although Ji Ruan looked calmer and courageous than other children, he was easily frightened by things that suddenly appeared.

Even if Gu Xiuyi didn't mean that and the force of the pat on his shoulder was very light, he would still suddenly turn into a rabbit that bounced away.

Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi looked at each other for a few seconds, then turned on the cochlear implant: "...I didn't even know you came in."

His cheeks were a little red from the sun, and his eyelashes looked very long and trembled in the sunlight.

Gu Xiuyi stared at the pretty face, then lifted the hair beside his right ear and glanced at the small external device: "Why did it turn off again? Didn't Li Suian say that I should wear it more to get used to it?"

Ji Ruan answered vaguely: "I'm used to it. I always kept it closed before."

Gu Xiuyi didn't say anything. He looked at him for a while and suddenly asked, "Is it uncomfortable to wear?"

Not really.

Ji Ruan touched his ear and said, "It's much clearer than the one I had before. I'm not used to it."

Gu Xiuyi turned around and went to the table to get an unused cup to fill with water, and said calmly: "Then wear it, so that you won't be unable to hear me when I call you, and you won't be scared when I slap you."

Ji Ruan followed and whispered back, "Not always."

Gu Xiuyi raised his eyelids and glanced at him: "Yeah."

"By the way," he pointed at Ji Ruan while holding up the water cup and asked, "Do you have a white shirt?"

White shirt?

Ji Ruan's wardrobe is filled with T-shirts and he can't afford to buy nice shirts.

Ji Ruan shook his head honestly: "No, why?"

Gu Xiuyi pursed his lips and put down the cup: "Let's go and buy a few things first."

Not to mention that one has to wear a white shirt when taking wedding photos, if Ji Ruan went directly to the Civil Affairs Bureau in this outfit, Gu Xiuyi would definitely be mistaken for a pervert who abducted children by passers-by.

Ji Ruan was taken to a store that Gu Xiuyi often visited.

As soon as he entered the door, he was led directly into the VIP lounge. Rows of clothes and pants were pushed in front of him by the clerk. In addition to white shirts, there were also many everyday casual styles. Ji Ruan only needed to sit on the small sofa, drink coffee and eat cake, and pick whatever he liked.

But he actually didn't have a strong demand for what to wear. He felt dizzy and didn't want to move among the dazzling clothes. Gu Xiuyi picked out several sets for Ji Ruan without saying a word.

In the end, Ji Ruan chose a shirt for himself.

It is a very simple style, with only an ink bamboo embroidered on the cuff. It looks low-key and inconspicuous, but in fact the stitches are dense, delicate and elegant. It is the work of a very experienced Han embroidery master, who must be a master.

Ji Ruan’s family has been doing Han embroidery for generations. His great-grandfather has been the inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Han embroidery. He also learned from his grandfather for many years. If he had not died young, he would probably have inherited this mantle in the future.

Ji Ruan didn't realize that he had been staring at the dress for a long time.

"This is the work of Cheng Yunxiu," the manager said softly beside Ji Ruan, "Our brand aims to promote classic traditional culture. These embroidery patterns were personally drawn and embroidered by Cheng Yunxiu and her disciples. There is only one of each embroidery pattern. Cheng Yunxiu also said that she hopes that the right person can wear it."

Ji Ruan looked up at Gu Xiuyi.

He has a pair of very soft eyes, like spring water and the breeze blowing wind chimes.

Gu Xiuyi stared at him for a short moment, then looked at the manager expressionlessly: "Buy it."

Even until Song Ling followed the two men away carrying large and small bags, the shop assistants were still hiding behind the manager and laughing.

"I didn't expect Mr. Gu to actually get married, and at such a young age."

"By the way, do these wealthy bachelors like young girls? Is it popular in their circle for old men to have young wives?"

"I also want to have a boyfriend like this, who doesn't say anything but buys whatever I point to."

·

When Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau wearing white shirts, it was just before lunch. Those who came to get their certificates in the morning had already finished, and those who came to get their certificates in the afternoon had not arrived yet, so they happened to be the only couple at the scene.

The staff were stunned for a moment when they saw the two of them.

Gu Xiuyi is indeed a well-known figure in Beijing. As long as you pay attention to the news, it is basically impossible not to know him.

From the moment Ji Ruan appeared at the company in the morning to the moment she was taken by Gu Xiuyi to buy clothes, everything along the way was photographed and posted online.

Someone broke the news that Gu Xiuyi was getting married, and his partner was a young master from a wealthy family who had never shown his face. This was a business marriage.

Some people also revealed that Gu Xiuyi had been practicing as a monk for a long time and had a mistress named a young and beautiful college student.

Others believe they are true love.

There were many different opinions at the time.

Until they showed up at the Civil Affairs Bureau, no matter what the reason was, it at least directly confirmed the marriage rumors, which caused a huge uproar.

Ji Ruan was the first to break the silence, standing beside Gu Xiuyi and smiling softly: "Good afternoon."

The voice is clear and soft.

The staff at the Civil Affairs Bureau immediately regained their professionalism in less than a second.

"Good afternoon, are you two here to get your marriage certificate?" The speaker was a middle-aged woman in her forties, who seemed to be their team leader.

Gu Xiuyi nodded: "Yes, what procedures do I need to go through?"

As soon as the words fell, the employees standing in a row in the corner all took a breath quietly, looking at each other.

The team leader smiled politely and said, "Please follow me."

She took the two of them to sit at a round table in the lounge area, and asked her colleagues to bring over a few lists and placed them in front of the two of them.

"Hello, sir. I am Xiao Zhang, the marriage registrar. I am happy to serve you. Here are two copies of the "Declaration for Application for Marriage Registration". Please fill them out respectively and then hand over your household registration booklet and related documents to us for review and processing."

Ji Ruan thanked him and took the statement, and Gu Xiuyi handed the certificate to the team leader.

At this time, Song Ling came in with Xiaoya from outside, holding several boxes of exquisitely packaged chocolates in their hands, and gave them to the team leader.

"On this happy day, Mr. Gu is sending everyone some wedding candy. May you all be happy and blessed. I hope you don't mind."

The thing that is most in short supply at the marriage registry is wedding candies from newlyweds. Generally, the registrars will accept the candies given by them, as they do not want to disappoint the newlyweds’ wishes on such a good day.

The team leader was not polite this time and accepted the chocolate with a smile, "Then we will obey your orders. Please take your time to fill out the declaration. I will go and see how the documents are being reviewed."

She carried the chocolates into the office and placed them in front of her colleagues. "These are the newlyweds' wedding candies. Share some with everyone later."

“This packaging looks a bit high-end.”

A colleague opened a box and opened Baidu. Ten seconds later, he took a deep breath and said, "Purely handmade in Italy, two or three thousand per box, and seven or eight boxes for free? This is the first time I have received wedding candy worth tens of thousands of yuan."

The team leader was reviewing the information and slowly turned his head when he heard this. After everyone looked at each other for a moment, they tacitly divided a box.

There was no one else in the rest area. Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi sat side by side and filled out the form quietly.

Ji Ruan's handwriting is as elegant and refined as he is, while Gu Xiuyi's handwriting is undoubtedly very good, with strong strokes and a majestic style.

"Cough..." The air conditioning here was set much lower than what Ji Ruan was used to. His respiratory tract was sensitive, and his throat was hoarse after not drinking water for half a day. He covered his lips and coughed.

Gu Xiuyi paused for a moment without looking up: "What's wrong?"

"It's okay." Ji Ruan concentrated on filling out the form, reading each line carefully.

Only in the quiet rest area could the occasional sound of Ji Ruan's coughing be heard.

“Pah—”

Gu Xiuyi put down his pen, stood up, went to the water dispenser to get a glass of water, brought it back and put it next to Ji Ruan: "Drink something if you feel uncomfortable."

Ji Ruan had a problem. Once he was very focused, he would ignore a lot of things. It was not until Gu Xiuyi suddenly spoke to him that he realized that he had been coughing for a long time.

But it's better to have someone help serve tea than to do it yourself. Ji Ruan picked up the paper cup and smiled with two dimples: "Thank you, Mr. Gu."

Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan's dimples, not understanding the situation: "What are you laughing at? Write quickly."

Ji Ruan: “…”

After filling out the declaration, the team leader said there was no problem with the information and took the two people into the photo room.

Before taking the photo, Xiaoya rushed to put some lipstick on Ji Ruan, insisting that Ji Ruan's face was not red and that she would look good on camera only if she put on some lipstick so that she would look beautiful in the wedding photos.

Ji Ruan sat with his mouth slightly open, allowing Xiaoya to play with him, while Gu Xiuyi stood beside him drinking water and watching.

Ji Ruan's lips are also very beautiful. Her lips are of moderate thickness, and there is a small lip bead hanging on her upper lip. Every time Ji Ruan wipes her mouth, she will lightly tap it with a tissue.

After applying the lipstick, it looks very similar to Ji Ruan’s favorite cherries.

However, in Gu Xiuyi's slightly straight male aesthetic, he always feels that this pair of lips looks more beautiful in its original light pink color without any makeup.

The team leader was waiting on the side, and a colleague came over quietly and whispered, "What do you think of Mr. Gu? He almost finished a big glass of water, why is he just looking at me and not saying anything?"

The team leader glanced at him and raised his index finger to his lips: "Shh!"

In the photo room, there is a wooden oath-taking platform filled with flowers and printed with the national emblem, and behind the platform is a bright red backdrop.

It was not until he stood in front of the swearing-in platform that Ji Ruan finally felt the reality of getting married. He suddenly felt a little nervous, and a little dazed and couldn't believe it.

The person next to him was a man with whom he had no emotional basis, but because of a contract, they stood on the solemn swearing-in platform blessed by everyone.

Ji Ruan's palms were slightly sweaty.

The photographer was still adjusting the camera. Most newlyweds would be a little nervous when getting their marriage certificate, and the staff would habitually make jokes to ease the atmosphere, but Gu Xiuyi never had any expression and would only respond occasionally out of politeness. Ji Ruan was so nervous that his facial muscles were stiff.

Fortunately, both of them are really good-looking, so no matter how stiff they are, they are still pleasing to the eye.

The photographer had already adjusted the camera and asked the two to look at the lens.

Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi stood side by side, their arms pressed tightly together, and they could clearly feel each other's body temperature. As the shutter sounded, Ji Ruan opened his mouth and smiled a somewhat forced smile.

Even the photographer couldn't help laughing when he saw it, and consoled her: "Xiao Ji, relax a little, don't be nervous, you will be more beautiful when you smile."

Ji Ruan nodded, took a deep breath and started shooting again, but after shooting several times he still couldn't get into the mood. The two people in the camera didn't look like they were taking wedding photos, but more like they were getting a divorce.

The staff on the side couldn't help but complain in a low voice: "What is Mr. Gu doing? Why doesn't he just coax her..."

"That's right, the kid looks so nervous..."

After failing to take photos several times in a row, Ji Ruan became a little discouraged and rubbed his face hard, trying to relax his facial muscles.

Someone grabbed my wrist, and Gu Xiuyi's voice rang in my ears: "Are you scared?"

But Ji Ruan turned his head away, unwilling to admit his panic.

He has very fair skin and short black hair that looks very soft. When he lowers his head, his eyelashes are long and thick, drooping slightly, casting fine shadows on his eye bags. He has a very stunning appearance.

Gu Xiuyi stretched out his hand, put his ten fingers on Ji Ruan's cheek, and whispered, "Pull your lips together to show your dimples."

Ji Ruan suddenly raised his head and stared at Gu Xiuyi with slightly puffed cheeks.

He was already so nervous, but this guy actually forced him to show his dimples!

That’s too much!

Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan. His reflection was all over the boy's bright eyes, but they were filled with a lot of indignation. He also knew that his words were not nice.

But he really doesn't know how to coax people.

Gu Xiuyi hesitated for a while, and finally sighed as if he had compromised:

"Your dimples are really pretty, smile?"

Looking at Mr. Gu's expression, Ji Ruan could feel that this was probably the greatest tenderness he could show.

He took a deep breath, took into account what Xiuyi said, and slowly pursed his lips.

Following Ji Ruan's movements, Gu Xiuyi's fingertips slowly sank into a small dimple. The touch was quite wonderful, something he had never felt before in his entire life.

The corners of Gu Xiuyi's lips curved uncontrollably, and then he gently touched Ji Ruan's chin to turn the boy's face to the front.

The photographer understood what he meant and with a click, the picture was frozen.

After taking the photo, the certificate issuer handed them the oath and began the oath process.

It was a dark red protective cover made of solid wood and very heavy, with the wedding vows stuck inside.

The certificate issuer: "I am very happy to issue you two marriage certificates on such a sacred day. Please answer my question solemnly: Are you getting married voluntarily?"

The two looked at the oath and said in unison, their voices intertwined: "Yes."

"Our country practices freedom of marriage. Partners should be faithful to each other and respect each other. Family members should respect the old and love the young, help each other, and jointly maintain equal, harmonious, and civilized marriage and family relationships. Can you do this?"

"able."

"Please face the solemn national emblem and recite the marriage vows together."

Gu Xiuyi opened the heavy wooden cover and passed it between the two of them. Ji Ruan glanced at him, paused for two seconds, and then read along with his rhythm:

"We are willing to become partners. No matter good times or bad, rich or poor, healthy or sick, young or old, we will stick together through thick and thin, share weal and woe, support each other, and love each other for life!"

Ji Ruan's voice was soft and shallow, while Gu Xiuyi's was deep and steady. Under the solemn oath, to everyone except themselves, they looked like a pair of lovers who truly loved each other.

There was applause of blessing in the room.

The clerk handed them the marriage certificate.

"Blessings to you two, happy wedding!"