At the dinner table, Ji Ruan finally had the opportunity to meet Fang Qiming, Gu Xiuyi's elder brother who was not related by blood, and Gu Zhaoxu, his ill-tempered father. Both of them wore discontented expressions.
Gu Zhaoxu, due to his higher status in the family, occupied the main seat, while Fang Qiming sat at the farthest corner, even farther away than Ji Ruan.
Despite the tense atmosphere, Fang Lan remained lively, filling the table with her enthusiastic laughter.
"Xiu Yi, you're finally here. Eat more, these are your favorite dishes," she said cheerfully.
"Yes, older brother," echoed Gu Chuli. "Mom woke up early to prepare them. After a busy day, you should try them."
Gu Xiuyi placed a piece of sweet and sour spareribs in Ji Ruan's bowl, without sparing a glance at Fang Lan, and casually remarked, "Thank you, Aunt Fang."
Gu Zhaoxu let out a cold snort. "The more you live, the more disrespectful you become. The elders have worked tirelessly for your sake all day, and you can only give such a perfunctory thanks?"
Gu Xiuyi remained silent, offering Gu Zhaoxu a large piece of elbow meat. "Dad, you must be hungry. Let's eat."
Unfortunately, Gu Zhaoxu's nerves were struck by that statement, causing his voice to suddenly rise. "What do you mean?! Are you suggesting that I shouldn't educate you and that you can compensate with food?!"
Ji Ruan was taken aback.
This Gu family certainly had an intricate way of thinking.
Even more puzzling was that Gu Xiuyi merely wore a slight smile on his lips, without uttering a word in response.
Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow at Gu Xiuyi, quietly asking if he actually meant what he said.
Gu Xiuyi tapped the table. "Eat your food."
Caught in the midst of his anger, Gu Zhaoxu witnessed the opponent's refusal to engage and shrugged off the retort. He was left alone, unable to move, and with his neck turning red.
Fang Qiming furiously interjected, "Gu Xiuyi, you've gone too far. Have you ever seen anyone treat their elders in such a manner?"
"Do you have the right to speak?" Gu Xiuyi leisurely poured himself a glass of red wine and held it in his hand nonchalantly.
"Gu Xiuyi!" Gu Zhaoxu pointed at him and scolded, "Your behavior is outrageous!"
"Oh, Old Gu, calm down. Don't get angry," Fang Lan quickly jumped in to mediate. "Xiuyi has finally come back. Why are you arguing again?"
"You spoil him too much! You treat him well, but have you ever seen him reciprocate the love?" Gu Zhaoxu fumed.
"I don't need reciprocation," Fang Lan eagerly responded, putting on a virtuous and generous front. "It's all voluntary. I just want our family to be harmonious. This is Xiao Ruan's first time visiting our house, so why are we arguing? Let's just chat, Old Gu. Calm down..."
After Fang Lan spent a long time comforting Gu Zhaoxu and rubbing his chest, he finally found his composure. He leaned back in his chair and forcedly stated to Gu Xiuyi, "Your brother will be graduating from college soon. You should arrange a job for him in the company."
However, Gu Xiuyi acted as if a shield had been activated, showing no signs of wavering. After hearing the demand, he only responded indifferently, "This matter requires further discussion."
"What's there to discuss? He is from the Gu family and he's your younger brother! It's only natural to help him secure a position in the company!"
"Crack!" Gu Xiuyi placed the goblet back on the table and looked Gu Zhaoxu squarely in the eye. "As I said, we need to discuss it."
In truth, Gu Xiuyi possessed a strikingly sharp and indifferent appearance. His facial features were too defined and lacked softness, making it difficult for him to exude warmth. Thus, when his usual politeness and gentleness vanished, his eyes filled with arrogance appeared even more dominant.
Observing Gu Xiuyi in this state, Gu Zhaoxu seemed momentarily dazed, shaking his head while covering his forehead.
"Dad, please stop," Gu Chuli said anxiously. "I'm fine."
He looked at Gu Xiuyi apologetically. "Brother, please don't mind. Dad is just overly concerned about me. In all honesty, I don't feel capable enough to work at the company at the moment. Let's not discuss this, alright?"
"Exactly," Fang Lan smoothly intervened. "Let's just focus on eating. Everyone, please enjoy your meal."
Gu Chuli eagerly served Gu Xiuyi food. "If you don't eat more, the food will get cold. It's all Mom's wishes."
"Ahem..." Ji Ruan suddenly coughed twice.
Gu Xiuyi immediately turned to him, leaning closer and whispering, "What's wrong?"
Ji Ruan covered their mouth, slightly frowning, and pointed to the spicy chicken in the bowl. "It's a bit too spicy and salty..."
"It's alright." Gu Xiuyi obediently handed him a glass of water. "You won't eat anything salty."
Unnoticed by Gu Chuli, his hand holding the chopsticks hung in the air momentarily, then withdrew awkwardly, and finally sat back in embarrassment.
"Heh, look at how much care he receives," Fang Qiming sneered. "Do you think he appreciates it? Forget about this, how much did Mom sacrifice for him? He's into men, and Mom even went out of her way to arrange a marriage with the Ji family. But he didn't even spare a glance and married someone else—"
Ji Ruan's face instantly turned cold.
"Qiming!" Fang Lan snapped. "Watch your words!"
Gu Chuli frowned as well. "Brother, that's not right. The elder brother has the right to marry whomever he wants."
"Did he say anything wrong?" Gu Zhaoxu sneered. "What's wrong with the Ji family's young master? He's educated and polite. Look at who he married. He's sickly, petty, and disabled!"
"Gu Zhaoxu!" Gu Xiuyi threw down his chopsticks and displayed anger for the first time. "Be careful how you speak."
"Who do you think you are?" Gu Zhaoxu slammed the table twice. "I'm your father! You're telling me to be careful?! You ungrateful child!"
Gu Xiuyi stared at him coldly. "I'll call you Dad, but do you truly believe you hold any weight?"
"You... how dare you..." Fang Lan, unable to tolerate it any longer, burst into tears. "Stop arguing!"
She hurried over to Ji Ruan's side, squatted down, and held their hand, speaking tearfully. "Xiao Ruan, please don't pay any mind to them. They have their tempers, and they are not speaking properly. Auntie apologizes to you. Please, don't be angry, okay?"
Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He hasn't even said he's angry yet!
He hasn't uttered a single word!
How shameless is this family, forcibly trying to hold him morally hostage after insulting him, and not allowing him to express anger?
Ji Ruan took a deep breath, then turned to look at Fang Lan, whose face was soaked in tears.
He smiled softly, his eyes clear as can be.
"What did you say? I didn't catch that."
After all, he's just a disabled deaf man who can't hear anything.
1
"..." Fang Lan's tears seemed to freeze on her face, rendering her speechless for a moment.
Gu Xiuyi stood up abruptly, taking Ji Ruan's wrist out of Fang Lan's grasp, and positioned himself in front as a shield. His voice turned as cold as ice. "There's nothing more to say. Let's go home."
Ignoring the gazes of everyone in the room, he led Ji Ruan out of the dining area, passed through the corridor adorned with landscape paintings, each one more breathtaking than the last, and entered the piano room on the west side of the first floor.
The piano room was a vast and silent void, its only occupant a solitary black grand piano, its lid closed like a mournful eye. The walls were lined with curving shelves of polished wood, each bearing a different handicraft: a hand-painted ceramic vase, a delicate silver figurine, a patchwork quilt.
Gu Xiuyi closed the door, helped Ji Ruan onto the piano bench, and squatted in front of them. He apologized, "Are you angry?"
Ji Ruan lowered their head slightly, appearing like an upset child. "They said I'm disabled."
Feeling wronged and pitiful.
"No..." The corners of Gu Xiuyi's lips felt dry. He gently pinched Ji Ruan's cheekbones. "You're not."
Ji Ruan still didn't feel like talking to him.
Gu Xiuyi let out a sigh, pausing for a moment before saying, "Well, I'm going upstairs to get the documents now, and you'll stay here alone for a while."
Ji Ruan looked up, a little puzzled.
A smile formed on Gu Xiuyi's lips. "Someone will likely come to bother you. Feel free to handle it however you want, and I'll be back in five minutes to support you."
Ji Ruan's eyebrows twitched slightly, understanding what Gu Xiuyi meant.
The lights in the piano room were not turned on, and Ji Ruan watched Gu Xiuyi's silhouette against the darkening sky outside the window. After a moment, he smiled softly and playfully kicked Gu Xiuyi's calf.
"Be on time," Ji Ruan said.
"Absolutely," Gu Xiuyi replied.
After Gu Xiuyi left, Ji Ruan let out a long breath, calmly composing themselves.
Just as Gu Xiuyi had predicted, within moments, the door opened once again.
Gu Chuli cautiously poked his head in, tiptoeing in. He even switched on the lights in the piano room.
Ji Ruan rested their elbows on the piano cover, supporting their chin, and stared at the visitor without uttering a word.
"Xiao Ruan, are you alright?" Gu Chuli placed a glass of orange juice in Ji Ruan's hand, a guilty expression on his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect a pleasant meal to turn out like this."
Ji Ruan glanced at the tempting orange juice but showed no intention of drinking it. "You've already apologized, Aunt Fang said so."
A glimmer of hope shone in Gu Chuli's eyes. "Do you mean... you're not angry?"
Ji Ruan's lips curled, withholding their response.
But Gu Chuli seemed to believe it to be true. He patted his chest in relief, his tone becoming more relaxed. "I knew you were kind-hearted."
Ji Ruan let out a soft "ah." "You could tell?"
"Yes," Gu Chuli shyly smiled. "Honestly, I like you. I've liked you from the moment I laid my eyes on you. I just didn't realize it at the time, but I've come to understand it now."
Ji Ruan nodded, pretending to listen attentively.
Gu Chuli took a seat opposite them. "You remind me of someone I know, not in terms of appearance, but in the feeling..."
Ji Ruan's heart skipped a beat, sensing what he was about to reveal.
In the next moment, Gu Chuli hurriedly fetched a photo frame from the storage shelf and innocently showed it to Ji Ruan. "That's him, doesn't he resemble you?"
Ji Ruan looked at the photo with an impassive expression.
Three people were captured in the photo, but their faces were turned away, so nothing could be discerned.
Gu Chuli cradled the photo carefully, pointing to one of the figures. "This is him, his name is Bai Yue. He's a very kind person. He helped me when I was bullied as a child. By the way, he grew up with his elder brother, and their relationship is excellent. Seeing you reminds me of that same kindness."
Ah, it's the standard equipment of the second lead - Bai Yueguang.
However, in the original novel, this supposed kind-hearted "White Moonlight" nearly tortured the protagonist halfway through the story.
Ji Ruan wasn't certain if he was being dragged into that storyline, but he felt a sense of disgust.
Seeing Ji Ruan's lack of response, Gu Chuli continued speaking to himself, seemingly unaware. "This photo was taken when the three of us were together. We had a great time during our childhood. Brother Bai Yue is truly the most important friend to my elder brother. However, he went abroad later and rarely returned. We miss him dearly. My brother was devastated when he left..."
Ji Ruan didn't want to hear anymore. He closed their eyes, rubbing his forehead with his knuckles, and softly said, "So, are you here to make me uncomfortable?"
Ji Ruan didn't care what Bai Yueguang would be like upon his return. If he was upset now, he would leave.
Gu Chuli's affectionate reminiscing came to a halt, frozen by Ji Ruan's directness. He hadn't anticipated Ji Ruan's response. "What? No, Xiao Ruan, why would you think that...?"
Ji Ruan opened their eyes, tapping their fingernails slowly on the piano cover. "You assume that, because you like that person and believe him to be kind, I must also be kind and gentle. Do I not have my own identity? Must you compare me to someone else?"
"You also mentioned that he's Gu Xiuyi's closest friend. When he went abroad, Gu Xiuyi missed him and was heartbroken. That doesn't sound like a friendship, does it sound like a romantic relationship?"
"And you said that I resemble him. You're making baseless assumptions by using a picture of someone's body and the back of their head. If you want to suggest that I have a doppelgänger, just say it directly. Isn't it just being roundabout? What am I to you?"
Gu Chuli was taken aback by Ji Ruan's words, taking several seconds to respond. "No, that's not what I meant, Xiao Ruan, please don't misunderstand!"
He seemed completely at a loss, his eyes becoming teary. "I genuinely didn't mean that. I thought you were kind and wanted to be friends. I didn't realize you would be so upset when I mentioned Brother Bai Yue..."
"Stop," Ji Ruan crossed their legs and smiled faintly. "Who is your friend? Gu Xiuyi and I are legally married. Considering your age, you should address me as your sister-in-law—"
"Oh..." He suddenly nodded. "Or brother-in-law is also acceptable, but it doesn't sound quite right."
Gu Chuli widened his eyes and was speechless for a while. Eventually, tears started to well up. "You misunderstood... I truly didn't mean to upset you..."
Ji Ruan paid no attention to his impending tears. He grabbed the photo frame and weighed it in his hands, tilting his head playfully.
"But I think you already have."
After saying that, he let go, and the glass photo frame fell to the ground with a sharp crack, shattering into countless pieces.
Tiny shards scattered across Ji Ruan's ankles, causing them to furrow their brows.
"What are you doing!" Gu Chuli suppressed his impending tears and involuntarily shouted, "You shouldn't hurt yourself out of anger—"
His voice suddenly ceased, and disbelief filled his eyes as he looked at Ji Ruan.
Ji Ruan sat on the piano stool, leaning against the piano for support. Their head was slightly tilted, tears streaming down their cheeks, eyelashes soaked in droplets, and their nose turning red as if they had experienced great injustice.
Crying more intensely than their mother!
Gu Chuli stood there frozen, unable to move.
One second, two seconds... Footsteps approached the door!
Sounds so close, right outside!
"Crack—"
The door swung open.
Gu Xiuyi stood at the doorway, holding a familiar brown paper bag in his hand.
His gaze swept across the shattered glass on the floor, moved to Ji Ruan's wet eyelashes, and lingered for a while on Ji Ruan's ankle which was oozing blood.
"Big... big brother..." Gu Chuli's trembling voice sounded.
Gu Xiuyi finally shifted his gaze to him slowly, trembling. "What have you done?"
-----
Author's Note:
Ruan Ruan: Pretending to cry after scolding someone? Who wouldn't?
Mr. Gu: A bit of cooperation would be appreciated.jpg
