Chapter 59 Published
Arthur.
He did not give his real name.
Ji Ruan seemed to smile, or just moved the corners of his mouth casually.
The natural light of the afternoon mixed with the shadows of the trees shone on his face, making him look pale and tired, but there was a strange beauty in him that quietly caught the attention of those around him.
"Okay, Mr. Bai," he closed his notebook, "If it's a custom piece, what specific requirements do you have?"
"As for the request, it's nothing special," Arthur leaned back on the sofa, "but it's a gift for an old man's 80th birthday after all, so I hope the workmanship is more refined."
Ji Ruan opened his notebook and took notes, then nodded for him to continue.
"I value this work very much. The old man is the grandfather of my best friend. I haven't seen him for so many years and this is a gift to me. You can understand me, right?" He raised his eyebrows.
Ji Ruan smiled: "Of course."
Arthur crossed his legs and played with his fingers, as if recalling something: "We knew each other a long time ago. We lived close to each other when we were young. I often went to his house to play. He didn't have many friends, so he was very happy every time he saw me."
"In fact, he is not a good kid in the eyes of his teachers and classmates. He has a strange and arrogant personality and lacks human touch. Many elders say that he needs to be polished." He smiled: "But I like him like this. What's the good of becoming a product produced on an assembly line like everyone else? Geniuses are different from others."
Ji Ruan's hand holding the pen gradually stopped, and he found that these words did not seem to be within the scope of consideration for custom works.
Arthur was unaware and continued, "It was just that I moved away from him for a while, and he was very sad at the time, crying and asking me not to leave."
He smiled and seemed a little embarrassed: "What can I do? This is my father's job change, and I can only follow him. So I told him that it's okay, we will definitely meet again."
Arthur was dressed in white, with sunlight coming in from the window, making him look a little naive. He looked at Ji Ruan with soft and direct eyes.
"I did what I said. We went to the same high school again. He had grown up and became handsome and charming. He also had one or two new friends. However, he was less human and seemed to be unconfident with anyone."
"——Of course we are still very close. Sometimes his other two friends are jealous."
Hearing this, Ji Ruan had a complicated expression. It was true that Gu Xiuyi was not very human, but did Li Suian and Song Ling know that he was jealous?
Arthur obviously didn't care about Ji Ruan's expression, and continued with an inexplicable triumphant attitude: "But unfortunately, after graduating from high school, I went abroad to study, and then settled abroad. I haven't seen you for many years."
He glanced at Ji Ruan, with a faint smile on his face: "I don't know what kind of people are around him now, and what kind of friends he has made. But I think that after today, we should still be the best of friends, what do you think?"
Ji Ruan looked back with a calm gaze.
From the first moment he saw Bai Yue, his heart felt a dull pain, as if countless tiny needles were repeatedly torturing his fragile organ, as if the will of the world was imposed on him.
Even though Ji Ruan didn't think Bai Yue was difficult to deal with and had never considered him an opponent, this physiological rejection still followed him like a shadow, and became more and more torturous the longer Bai Yue stayed by his side.
But Ji Ruan didn't show any emotion on his face. He didn't answer the other party's question, but smiled and said, "Mr. Bai must be an artist, right?"
His lips were pale and his voice was a little weak, which were signs that he was weak and in poor health. However, he sat in a very casual and relaxed posture, smiling with an extremely fragile and contemptuous attitude.
Arthur raised his eyebrows slightly. "Yes, can you see that?"
"Yes." Ji Ruan closed the notebook, put it on the table, and rubbed his wrist gently: "Artists generally have divergent thinking and can extend a lot of unexpected content from a small point."
He said in a friendly tone: "From this point of view, Mr. Bai is a great artist."
What I meant was, after talking for so long, there wasn't a single useful word, so I'm not going to remember anything, and my hands are sore from holding the notebook.
Of course Arthur could hear the impatience behind Ji Ruan's polite words, and his smile faded a lot.
He looked at Ji Ruan's hands, which were as white and transparent as glass, extending from the wrist to the fingertips, with almost no blood visible. One could imagine that the health of the owner of these hands was indeed in very poor condition.
If it weren't for the wedding ring on his ring finger that added a touch of humanity, it really didn't look like a hand that a real person could have.
Arthur looked away from the wedding ring and raised his lips: "Thank you, you are so interesting."
Cheng Zizhang came over with a tray, placed a cup of tea in front of each of them, and said with a smile, "Come on, sir, you've been talking for so long, have some tea."
Ji Ruan was the first to pick up the teacup and take a sip.
Arthur paused for a moment before ending this one-sided tit-for-tat. He held the teacup to his nose and sniffed it, exclaiming, "This tea smells so good."
He smiled and looked at Cheng Zizhang: "As expected, our domestic tea is the most delicious. I have been abroad for so long that I almost forgot what real good tea tastes like."
Cheng Zizhang smiled and said, "As long as you like it."
Arthur took a sip, squinted his eyes in enjoyment, and asked, "If it's convenient, can you tell me where you bought it? My friend also likes to drink tea, I want to bring some to him, he will definitely praise it."
Ji Ruan was a common man and didn't pay much attention to tea. However, the more he listened, the more he felt that the Gu Xiuyi that Bai Yue mentioned was not the same person he knew.
When did Gu Xiuyi start to like tea?
He had the impression that the fine celadon tea set in the cupboard of the villa was hardly ever used, and Aunt Zhao seldom made tea for Gu Xiuyi. Everyone in their company was just like Gu Xiuyi, relying on coffee every day to survive.
If I have to say, it’s probably that the old man, who is going to celebrate his 80th birthday next month, can’t get enough of all kinds of tea.
Cheng Zizhang didn't know Bai Yue and had no idea of the current situation. He just treated him as an ordinary guest and said modestly:
"That's not so exaggerated. This is the tea we picked ourselves. Because the teacher likes it, we go to the tea factory to pick it every spring. It's far inferior to those precious varieties sold outside - but if you like it, how about I pack some for you?"
Arthur was delighted. "That's great. Thank you for your kindness. But since I'm going to give it to a friend, it's not good to take it for free. Let me pay as usual."
"You're so polite," Cheng Zizhang put away the tray, "Wait a moment, I'll help you pack it."
Arthur nodded. "Thank you."
Seeing Cheng Zizhang walking away, Ji Ruan reminded him, "Okay, Mr. Bai, please describe the work you want to customize in detail."
He clasped his index fingers together and placed them on his thighs, his back leaning loosely against the sofa cushion, a lazy yet imposing posture.
Maybe he himself didn't realize that this expression was exactly the same as Gu Xiuyi's usual expression when he met guests.
Arthur looked back at Ji Ruan, staring at him for a while, and then his smile faded: "The old man's 80th birthday is a big day, I want a traditional Chinese character for 'Shou'."
He took a sip of tea, his face no longer showing any trace of friendliness. "It should be made of the finest silk and satin, embroidered with gold and silver threads. It should be grand, delicate, and luxurious. It would be best if it looks sparkling when illuminated by lights. It should be completed before the 10th of next month. Can you do that?"
Ji Ruan glanced at the date. There was still nearly a month left. "No problem."
"——Sir, your tea is packed." Cheng Zizhang stepped forward politely.
As if by magic, Arthur's face showed a gentle smile again, and he found Cheng Zizhang to pay the bill: "Thank you, I have finished talking, I have something else to do so I won't bother you anymore."
Ji Ruan did not try to keep him and symbolically saw him to the door.
Arthur walked a few steps and turned back, smiling brightly: "Thank you Ji Ruan, it's nice to chat with you today."
Ji Ruan's eyes were calm: "I don't seem to have told you my name."
“Really?” He was still smiling: “Sorry, I forgot. See you tomorrow. I’m looking forward to your work.”
·
After seeing Bai Yue off, Ji Ruan returned to his workshop with heavy steps.
It was only five o'clock in the afternoon, but he felt as if he had been working non-stop for three days and three nights, and was overcome by an unprecedented fatigue from deep within his heart.
Maybe I really need a rest.
He opened his bag and slowly began to pack his things. Suddenly he felt a strong palpitation and everything went dark before his eyes.
Crash——
The bag in his hand fell to the ground.
Water cups, keys, and tissues were scattered all over the floor.
Ji Ruan's face turned pale instantly, and he squatted down with his hands covering his chest. His heart was beating rapidly with waves of pain, making him sweat coldly.
Exactly the same.
It was exactly the same as the palpitations I felt every time I woke up from a nightmare.
Ji Ruan knew that it was probably not because there was really something wrong with his heart, but rather something that the world forced him to endure.
It seemed that he could not avoid some things from happening no matter what.
"Xiao Ruan? Xiao Ruan, what's wrong with you?"
The noise made just now seemed to have startled Cheng Zizhan. She ran over and saw Ji Ruan squatting on the ground with a pale face, scared out of his wits, and hurried to help him.
"Where do you feel uncomfortable?" Cheng Zizhang stuttered: "I, I, I, call an ambulance?"
Ji Ruan managed to recover a little, and smiled with a pale face: "It's okay, I... just have a little hypoglycemia."
Cheng Zizhang was a little suspicious and felt that something was not right, but looking at Ji Ruan's condition, dizziness, pale face and sweating, these were indeed symptoms of hypoglycemia.
She didn't have time to think too much, and quickly stood up: "Then I'll find you something to eat."
"No need." Ji Ruan pulled her sleeve and took out a cherry candy from the shoulder bag scattered on the ground: "I can eat this faster."
Seeing that he had a response, Cheng Zizhang did not force him to eat. After thinking for a while, he said, "Why don't you go back first? Your health is the most important thing. Come on, I'll drive you."
The teacher went out today for something, so there were only him and Cheng Zizhang in the entire studio.
Ji Ruan shook her head: "It's okay, Senior Sister, you stay here, someone needs to watch over us, I can just take a taxi."
Cheng Zizhang hesitated: "Is it okay?"
The sour and sweet cherry candy calmed Ji Ruan's restless heart to a great extent. He smiled and said, "It really doesn't matter."
Cheng Zizhang stared and thought for a moment, then compromised and said, "...Okay, then I'll take you out. I won't feel at ease until I see you get in the car."
Ji Ruan was helpless: "Okay."
·
The palpitations came and went quickly, and by the time I got to school, they had almost completely dissipated.
But Ji Ruan still felt deeply bored and tired.
He had no appetite, but in order to avoid hypoglycemia, he hesitated and went into the cafeteria to pack a bowl of wonton soup when he passed by.
Although it was still May, the evening sunlight was so strong that Ji Ruan could hardly open his eyes.
He was walking on the road carrying some wontons. The scorching sun stabbed his eyes directly, making him see flashes of white light from time to time. He had to raise one hand to block it.
It felt a little strange when I walked. My steps were heavy, but my body seemed light and swaying. The fingers holding the wontons were clearly being restrained, and I couldn't really feel the weight.
The cafeteria is not far from the dormitory, but Ji Ruan was covered in sweat when he returned to the dormitory. He was not a person who sweated easily, but today he seemed to have sweated out all the sweat he had sweated in the whole year.
He assessed his situation and did not eat the wontons immediately. He first boiled some hot water, brought it to a warm state, added salt and drank half a cup of it before opening the lid of the box and starting to eat dinner.
The wontons looked a bit lumpy. Ji Ruan ate a few but couldn't quite taste them. He felt dizzy the whole time.
It was not until he was halfway through his meal that he suddenly felt nauseous and went to the bathroom to vomit everything. Only then did Ji Ruan's slow brain gradually react - he seemed to have heatstroke.
After being exposed to the sun in the May evening for more than ten minutes, he suffered from heat stroke...
Ji Ruan gained a new understanding of his physical condition.
He sat on the toilet for a while, holding onto the sink, then went out to mix himself half a cup of light salt water. When he felt better, he took a quick shower, changed into dry clothes, turned on the air conditioner, and got into bed.
Buzz——
Han Xiaolin sent a message.
[How are you? I'm back from class. Should I bring you dinner?]
Ji Ruan was stunned for a moment, then he remembered that he said he was not feeling well in the morning and asked for leave from class. Han Xiaolin probably thought he had been resting in the dormitory all day.
He thought for a moment and replied: [No, please bring back a box of Huoxiang Zhengqi. I have a little heat stroke, but I just looked for it and it seems to be out of stock in the dormitory.]
[Han Xiaolin: ??? It’s May, can you get heatstroke in your bedroom, Your Highness?]
Ji Ruan: “…”
Ji Ruan knew he would say that.
[I went to the studio in the afternoon and it was too sunny when I came back.]
Han Xiaolin waited for a while before replying: [Okay, are you okay? How about I come back and take you to the infirmary?]
Ji Ruan carefully felt his current physical condition. After lying dryly on the bed, he felt much more comfortable. He was not dizzy as much, but he still had a slight headache and nausea, but it was not serious.
He typed weakly: [Forget it, I don’t want to move. It’s too hot outside. Huoxiang Zhengqi can basically handle it.]
[Han Xiaolin: ...Okay, go to bed and lie down for a few minutes. I'll be back soon!]
[Ji Ruan: Already lying down/Cat bows.jpg]
After putting away his phone, Ji Ruan's mind was in a mess. He wanted to take a nap, but he couldn't do it because of the messy thoughts and the vague headache.
Helpless, Ji Ruan had to close his eyes and rest.
After a few seconds, the phone vibrated again.
Ji Ruan frowned fiercely, why are there so many things going on today? !
He opened his eyes irritably, and suddenly stopped when he saw the screen.
——Gu Xiuyi called via video.
During the days when Gu Xiuyi was away on business, they video chatted every day. In the past, when Ji Ruan saw such a caller ID, he would just answer the call without any burden.
Today he paused for a long time.
It wasn't until the ringing was about to end that Ji Ruan slowly pressed the answer button.
Gu Xiuyi's smiling face appeared on the screen. When he saw the surroundings of Ji Ruan, his expression was startled: "Why did you go to bed so early?"
This was originally Ji Ruan's dinner time.
Ji Ruan felt complicated, with thousands of thoughts filling his mind, and he didn't know what to say for a moment.
But his reliance on Gu Xiuyi had almost become a habit, and his mouth moved before his brain could react:
"Gu Xiuyi..."
The sound is very soft and small.
Even though the signal from Gu Xiuyi was not very good, one could still hear the deep grievance and weakness in his voice.
Then the screen blurred, and Gu Xiuyi seemed to have moved to a place with sufficient signal and quieter environment, and the sound suddenly became clear.
"What's wrong, baby? Are you feeling unwell?"
Ji Ruan was in a state of confusion and panic the whole day. Although he had been dizzy and uncomfortable before, it left him no time to think.
Now that my mind was clearer, when I suddenly heard Gu Xiuyi's voice, the grievances that had been pent up throughout the day seemed to have suddenly found an outlet and rushed out.
Ji Ruan felt a sour nose and a dry throat. He pursed his lips hard and looked at Gu Xiuyi in the video:
"I'm so tired today..."
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