Chapter 60 Published
Ji Ruan's cheeks and lips were pale, and the curve of her drooping eyelashes looked very aggrieved, which made Gu Xiuyi's heart wrenched.
"What happened? Tell me slowly, okay?"
Ji Ruan looked at the screen, with a hint of worry between his brows, and was reluctant to speak.
Gu Xiuyi was getting anxious waiting, but he didn't dare to urge him loudly, so he could only slow down his voice: "Well? Baby, can you tell me?"
"I..." Ji Ruan bit her lip and lowered her eyes for a while: "I got a heat stroke today."
Not this.
Gu Xiuyi only took one look and knew that what was really making Ji Ruan uncomfortable was not heatstroke.
But obviously Ji Ruan didn't want to bring it up now, or he didn't know how to start.
Gu Xiuyi thought for a moment, but didn't ask directly. He followed his words and said, "How did you get heatstroke? Are you feeling very uncomfortable?"
Ji Ruan covered herself with the quilt and looked at me with her big watery eyes: "I went to the studio. It was too hot when I came back in the afternoon. I got a little sunburned."
It looks like something was posted in the studio.
Gu Xiuyi smiled soothingly: "Well, it should be a bit of a headache. Have you taken the medicine? Is it better now?"
His voice was low and soft, and it lingered in his ears with great soothing power. Ji Ruan's mind, which had been tired after a whole day, seemed to have found a home, and he couldn't help but relax a little.
"I have a headache and feel like vomiting," Ji Ruan said slowly under Gu Xiuyi's guidance, "but I couldn't find any medicine, so I just gave myself some salt water..."
He curled his lips and said, "But it's not that painful now. Han Xiaolin is also helping me buy Huoxiang Zhengqi. He will be back soon."
The sky blue air-conditioning quilt was soft and fluffy, and would cover most of her face if she moved a little. Ji Ruan reached out from inside and pulled it, her snow-white fingertips resting on the blue quilt, her black hair falling softly, looking so well-behaved.
Gu Xiuyi wanted to reach through the screen and hug him.
"Good boy," Gu Xiuyi said softly, "Then baby, tell me what happened in the studio, okay?"
Ji Ruan's eyes flashed.
Gu Xiuyi found a seat and sat down, coaxing her patiently: "Be good, don't be afraid, just speak slowly..."
He observed Ji Ruan's demeanor and said in an absolutely serious tone: "Just say it in a comfortable way. I believe every word you say."
Sincerity, gentleness and patience are always the most powerful weapons.
For a moment, Ji Ruan seemed to have gained the courage and wanted to tell everything.
After lying in bed and looking at the phone for a long time, Ji Ruan's eyes became swollen and painful. He propped himself up on the bed, sat against the wall with his legs bent and his chin resting on his knees.
He stared at the screen, and under Gu Xiuyi's gentle gaze, he sighed softly: "Today, a very difficult guest came to the studio."
Gu Xiuyi nodded and responded patiently: "Well, then what?"
"His best friend's grandfather will be turning 80 next month, and he wants to customize a piece of Han embroidery for him as a birthday gift."
Ji Ruan met Gu Xiuyi's eyes and narrated calmly: "He said that he and that friend had known each other since childhood, and he was the best and most important person to that friend. Although he had been abroad for a long time before returning, he believed that he was still the most special person in that friend's heart."
There was a subtle change in Gu Xiuyi's expression, and Ji Ruan thought he had probably guessed it.
"In short, the guest said a lot of seemingly meaningless words," Ji Ruan paused and continued, "but he seemed very confident--"
"He said his last name was Bai."
That should be enough.
There is no need to say more at this point.
From Gu Xiuyi's perspective, although Ji Ruan had heard of Bai Yue, he never knew what he looked like. Although Bai Yue was trying to annoy him with his words today, he had never mentioned Gu Xiuyi's name, and didn't even give his real name.
If Ji Ruan spoke too confidently at this time, it would always seem a bit strange. He didn't want to bother explaining things that no one would believe, such as traveling through books and sending dreams.
Just be brief and state the facts.
It was obvious that Gu Xiuyi understood everything.
His brows were furrowed, his thin lips were pressed into a straight line and slightly pressed down, and his eyes were as bright and clear as a knife. Ji Ruan knew very well that this was the expression he would have when he was very serious.
"Ji Ruan," Gu Xiuyi said solemnly, enunciating each word clearly and concisely: "Don't believe it."
Ji Ruan was stunned.
"No matter what others look like or what they tell you, don't believe it." Gu Xiuyi said:
"Just remember, no one is more confident than you."
Ji Ruan thought that Gu Xiuyi would probably explain a little, but he didn't expect him to give a direct guarantee.
According to the plot of the novel, after learning that Bai Yue has returned, Gu Xiuyi will be caught in a dilemma like many traditional scumbag gongs, wavering and hesitating between him and Bai Yue.
It was precisely because of this concern that Ji Ruan went through quite a complicated struggle before saying those words.
As a result, Gu Xiuyi said something final out of the blue, leaving Ji Ruan at a loss for what to do for a moment.
"Well, you...I..." Ji Ruan stuttered for a long time and couldn't say anything useful.
Gu Xiuyi said seriously: "I understand what you mean. I will be back soon. Please wait for me for a while."
"...Okay." Ji Ruan pursed her lips and nodded.
His expression was unreadable, but his tone softened: "Then I'll wait for you a little longer."
Gu Xiuyi smiled a little this time, as if coaxing a child: "Our baby is so good. Thank you for telling me and not keeping it in your heart."
Gu Xiuyi's words were too corny, and even though Ji Ruan was being praised, she couldn't feel happy at all. She felt numb all over: "What's there to thank me for? The mouth is on my face for talking. Of course I won't hide it."
Bang!
The dormitory door was pushed open and Han Xiaolin rushed in.
"Ruan! Ji Ruan, are you in bed? I bought Huoxiang Zhengqi, come down and eat it quickly!"
Ji Ruan opened the curtain: "Okay, thank you! I'll be down right away."
After saying that, he shrank back and raised his phone: "Oh, forget it, my roommate is back, I should go downstairs to take medicine."
"Go ahead." Gu Xiuyi nodded, and suddenly remembered something: "——Wait."
Ji Ruan stopped: "What else?"
"You are the most important."
Ji Ruan's ears turned red immediately.
There was no one in the dormitory before, and he felt uncomfortable wearing headphones for a long time, so he simply turned on the loudspeaker. As soon as Gu Xiuyi said this, his deep and pleasant voice echoed throughout the room.
Ji Ruan paused when he heard the sound of Han Xiaolin opening his lunch box.
"I understand!" Ji Ruan's cheeks flushed, and she quickly poked the red icon on the screen. However, her hand shook and she didn't turn it off, so Gu Xiuyi let out another sentence.
"Baby, take your time getting out of bed—"
Beep!
Gu Xiuyi's last word was strangled by Ji Ruan's fingertips.
Finally hung up.
Ji Ruan straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, climbed out of bed, and saw Han Xiaolin shaking his head and making "tsk tsk tsk" sounds at the table.
Ji Ruan: “…”
"Are you having a seizure?"
Han Xiaolin looked up and met Ji Ruan's red face and eyes that pretended to be calm.
He had a complicated expression: "In broad daylight, you flirted in the dormitory without restraint, and there was a single gay sitting below! You said I'm not deaf or blind, it's hard for me to do this!"
"Han Xiaolin, are you sick?" Ji Ruan pulled his chair over and choked up, "How did I flirt with you?"
"What don't you have?!" Han Xiaolin turned the anger of being single for many years into strength and broke the chopsticks apart with a "snap": "You're still acting like a spoiled child to Mr. Gu!"
Ji Ruan's butt just touched the stool, and he almost couldn't sit still: "You should speak reasonably, okay? How did I act like a spoiled child?"
Han Xiaolin glanced at him, and suddenly pinched his voice to imitate Ji Ruan: "I know! - Isn't this just acting like a spoiled child?"
Ji Ruan: “…”
Ji Ruan felt that Han Xiaolin was simply unreasonable!
"Where's my Huoxiang Zhengqi?!" he said unhappily.
Han Xiaolin threw the medicine bag to him, lamenting that being single means you have no human rights.
Ji Ruan opened one and drank it all. It was so bitter that he almost vomited it out. His whole face wrinkled. He quickly stood up to find some cherry candy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Han Xiaolin also opened one and drank it.
"You got heatstroke too?" Ji Ruan sat back with a candy in his mouth, his face still wrinkled.
"Isn't this just a precaution for the hot weather?" Han Xiaolin finished drinking and took a bite of noodles to eat: "Besides, this Huoxiang Zhengqi stuff is good for appetite."
Ji Ruan looked like he had seen a ghost.
How could something so unpalatable be appetizing? No one would believe it.
Ten minutes later, Ji Ruan was hungry.
He believed Han Xiaolin's lies.
Ji Ruan felt unwell the whole day and had been eating very little to begin with. In the evening he finally bought a bowl of wontons, but he ate half and vomited the other half.
Now the effect of Huoxiang Zhengqi has taken effect. My headache and stomach pain are gone, but my hunger has risen.
But his pride as a human being made him feel embarrassed to snatch a bowl of noodles from Han Xiaolin.
Just as he was thinking about whether to go out to buy food, a packet of Shengjian was suddenly thrown on the table. Han Xiaolin said in a divine tone: "I told you long ago, that stuff is appetizing."
Ji Ruan stuffed a dumpling with Shengjian in his mouth and nodded silently. He felt that although Han Xiaolin was sometimes unreasonable, he was indeed a good friend.
A good friend with very rich life experience may even know that Huoxiang Zhengqi can stimulate appetite.
When Gu Xiuyi comes back, he will tell him about this great discovery!
·
That night, Ji Ruan did not have nightmares again.
Maybe it was because Gu Xiuyi's assurance gave him peace of mind, or maybe it was because the steamed buns in the cafeteria were so delicious, or maybe it was because he had recovered from the heatstroke and felt better, so he felt much better.
In short, I still have to thank Huoxiang Zhengqi.
The next day, Ji Ruan only had classes in the morning. After taking a nap in the afternoon to get enough rest, he went to the studio.
I passed by a cake shop on the way and went in to buy a cherry cake.
When Gu Xiuyi was around, he was responsible for all this, but now that he is on a business trip, Ji Ruan can only buy it for himself.
While waiting for the clerk to pack the items, I ran into someone I didn't want to see.
Bai Yue was wearing a light-colored shirt and greeted Ji Ruan with a smile: "What a coincidence, you are here to buy a cake too?"
Ji Ruan nodded: "It's not such a coincidence, my school is right next to it."
Bai Yue smiled and looked from Ji Ruan to the cake that was being packaged: "This cake is so cute, the cherry model is so realistic."
Ji Ruan thanked the clerk and took it from him, saying casually, "It tastes good too."
Bai Yue's portion was also quickly packed. He quickly caught up with Ji Ruan who had left first and walked side by side with him: "Are you going to the studio? How about we go together? It just so happens that I also want to talk to you about custom works."
Ji Ruan couldn't refuse this reason, so he let him go.
Bai Yue glanced at Ji Ruan's hand holding the cake, and his eyes stayed on the ring on his ring finger for a few seconds: "I can't believe you're married at such a young age."
Ji Ruan took two slow steps before slowly turning his head to look at Bai Yue.
Bai Yue couldn't tell what kind of look that was, confusion, impatience, or perhaps a hint of mockery?
Maybe both, maybe not.
But in short, when Bai Yue met those eyes, his steps paused briefly.
·
The temperature today was much lower than yesterday, but walking for a while under the sun in the afternoon still made Ji Ruan sweat a little.
After arriving at the studio, he put down his bag and washed his hands. He first took out a tissue and slowly wiped his forehead and neck. The skin on the side of his neck was covered with fine sweat, showing a crystal-clear luster.
He is so handsome that he doesn't look the least bit embarrassed even when he is sweating.
Bai Yue sat at the wooden table and watched Ji Ruan sit down opposite him. He took out a drawing from his bag, which had traces of pencil outlines on it.
He took a closer look and asked, "Is this my draft?"
Ji Ruan was leaning over the table with a pencil in his hand, and he seemed to have already started working. He replied calmly, "That's right."
"That's great." Bai Yue seemed not to notice Ji Ruan's indifference. He took out his phone and asked with a smile, "It's so beautiful. Can I take a picture of it?"
Ji Ruan finally raised his head and gave him a look, wondering, "What's so good about taking a photo of a few strokes I just drew?"
To be honest, the current draft doesn’t even have the most basic appearance.
Bai Yue was choked on the spot and smiled uncomfortably.
Ji Ruan didn't understand what was going on, and when he was about to look away, he suddenly stopped.
His eyes fell on Bai Yue's cell phone chain, his pupils suddenly constricted, and his expression became very ugly.
It was an ordinary black cloth product, two or three centimeters wide, the most common strap on the market that could be worn around the wrist.
But there were four numbers clearly printed on it - 1028.
It is also Gu Xiuyi’s mobile phone password.
Ji Ruan was not too familiar with this. Gu Xiuyi said that he had used this password for many years. Ji Ruan even remembered the expression on his face when he said this sentence clearly.
He didn't know what special meaning 1028 had.
But the fact now is that it happened to Bai Yue.
Bai Yue was very satisfied with Ji Ruan's expression. He gently ticked the tape and asked, "Are you looking at this?"
He laughed and said, "I ordered this myself. 1028 is the date when I am going abroad."
Ji Ruan's face turned even paler.
Bai Yue seemed to love Ji Ruan's expression to death. His venomous eyes were fixed on Ji Ruan's face, admiring him with great pleasure.
"I have been away from my motherland for too long. Remembering this date is also a way for me to miss my homeland."
He laughed as he spoke, as if sharing a heartfelt confession with a good friend: "Of course, more importantly, my friend was so sad that he got drunk on the day he left. You know, that's not something he would do with his personality—"
"So, this is also a very important anniversary for both of us, which is why I have been using it for so long and I am reluctant to change it. Now look at it, it is so old."
old?
Ji Ruanmei's heart moved, as if she suddenly thought of something.
"Can I take another look?" he asked.
Bai Yue thought he was still unwilling to give up, so he nodded generously: "Of course."
Ji Ruan took it and looked at it carefully. The belt was indeed very old, the numbers on it were faded, and the edges were worn out.
But rather than looking really old, it seems more like it was deliberately made to look old?
Ji Ruan's back relaxed slightly.
jingle--
The wind chimes at the door rang.
Then came Cheng Zizhang's surprised call: "Boss Gu is back?!"
"...Hahaha, please come in, please come in..."
"…Xiao Ruan is in there!"
His hands were empty, and Bai Yue quickly pulled away the phone chain.
Ji Ruan looked up and his eyes met Gu Xiuyi at the door.
Gu Xiuyi was wearing the simplest shirt and suit, without a tie, and with one button undone at his collar.
He must have been rushing over, as he looked exhausted, but his posture was still upright. When he passed by the window illuminated by the sunlight, there was a gentle look in his eyes.
"Ji Ruan?"
Gu Xiuyi took two steps at a time and came to Ji Ruan. Before he could feel happy, he saw Ji Ruan's pale face.
His eyes were stern, and he put the back of his hand on Ji Ruan's forehead: "Why do you look so bad, are you not feeling well?"
Ji Ruan shook his head and took his hand away.
He stared at Gu Xiuyi quietly for a moment, then slowly stood up and leaned into Gu Xiuyi's arms as if he was extremely tired.
Ji Ruan seldom made such intimate gestures in front of outsiders, and for a moment Gu Xiuyi's heart stopped for fear.
He gently stroked the back of Ji Ruan's neck, as if he was stroking a priceless jade: "Baby?"
Bai Yue clenched his fingers, forced a smile and stepped forward: "Xiuyi, long time no see--"
Crash——
The door beside him was pushed open. Bai Yue's eyes flashed and when he came back to his senses, all he saw was Gu Xiuyi's back as he carried Ji Ruan away.
"--haven't seen you for a long time."
When they met again after many years, the first words he said to Gu Xiuyi were actually heard only by him.
The wind chimes at the gate rang again.
Cheng Zizhang watched in confusion as Gu Xiuyi hurriedly carried Ji Ruan out as if he was carrying a treasure. Seeing that he could not catch up with him, she turned back.
The guest named Bai was standing at the door of Ji Ruan's workshop.
He was still smiling, but it looked like he was just smiling with a superficial look, which made people feel creepy for no reason.
Cheng Zizhang stepped forward nervously: "...Mr. Bai? Are you okay?"
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