That night, Ji Ruan, feeling frustrated, sent Mr. Gu a five-hundred-character text composition. However, when Mr. Gu woke up at 5:30 a.m. the next day, he found a single character response:
[. ]
The little unfortunate Ji Ruan became so angry that he lost his appetite for the entire day, only managing to eat an extra plate of cherries.
In the following days, Mr. Gu returned to work, and Ji Ruan spent his days alone. He indulged himself completely, spending most of his time lying in bed. It wasn't because he suddenly became lazy, but rather because crying had drained him of all energy.
They say that crying can be cathartic, but after shedding his tears, Ji Ruan felt empty inside. It took him a good two days to recover, finally regaining his energy on the third day.
The cycle of laziness and social anxiety seemed to be intermittent. Initially, staying home felt liberating, but after a while, boredom set in.
That day, as Ji Ruan lazed on his bed, eating cherries and contemplating whether to ask Han Xiaolin out to play, his phone rang.
"Hello?" Ji Ruan quickly answered.
"Hey, bro!" Han Xiaolin's distinctive voice came through. "Let's go out and have some fun!"
With a lot of noise in the background, Ji Ruan grabbed the ear of his teddy bear and asked, "Are you joking? Where are you?"
"We're on our graduation team-building trip!" Han Xiaolin exclaimed. "There's a party at the video game city in the central square. Are you coming?"
"Sure!" Ji Ruan got up and opened his closet. "Wait for me, I'll be there soon."
"Okay, I just got here, and no one else has arrived yet. Take your time getting ready."
"Alright."
After hanging up, Ji Ruan casually changed into a t-shirt and shorts and headed to the kitchen to find Aunt Zhao.
Aunt Zhao, who had years of experience, melted immediately upon seeing the furry head peeking out from the wall. Ji Ruan blinked his big round eyes at her.
Overwhelmed by Ji Ruan's cuteness, Aunt Zhao waved repeatedly. "Why are you hiding there, Ruan Ruan? Come here!"
Ji Ruan squeezed out his dimples and ran over to hug Aunt Zhao's arm. She coyly asked, "Zhao Ma... do you know when Mr. Gu came back?"
Aunt Zhao, overwhelmed by the presence of the adorable little friend, pinched Ji Ruan's face and playfully replied, "Oh, who knows? He's been working non-stop, so we don't even know if he'll be back this week."
"I see..." Ji Ruan rolled her eyes. "Well, Zhao Ma, I want to go out and play."
Aunt Zhao burst into laughter. "So that's what you wanted to talk about! If you want to play, go ahead. Where are you going? Be careful!"
Ji Ruan looked serious. "Our graduation team building is at the central square. I heard there's a video game city there. It's quite close."
Aunt Zhao pondered for a moment. "Hmm... I vaguely remember a gathering of young people in that area... Anyway, go on and have fun. Shall I call Uncle Zhang—"
"No need," Ji Ruan interrupted, picking up her phone and heading towards the door. "I'll just take a taxi. It's not too far. Oh, by the way, Zhao Ma, I won't be back for dinner. We'll eat out later."
"Alright, alright," Aunt Zhao smiled and waved her hand. "Go on, don't keep your classmates waiting."
Ji Ruan was about to put on his shoes, but then he dashed back with a smile and gave Aunt Zhao a bear hug before leaving, leaving behind a fluffy head and a waving goodbye:
"Goodbye, Zhao Ma!"
Aunt Zhao, overwhelmed by the hug, was left feeling dizzy with joy. After watching Ji Ruan leave, she couldn't help but smile. She tidied up and prepared to take a nap.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gu returned home at that very moment.
Half an hour after Ji Ruan left, Gu Xiuyi, who had been away for three days, finally opened the door to the villa.
However, the room felt different from its usual lively atmosphere. There was no sound of Aunt Zhao's cheerful laughter, and Ji Ruan's infectious laughter was noticeably absent. The room was strangely quiet, reminiscent of the cold and empty days before Ji Ruan's arrival.
Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Gu Xiuyi walked around the room, searching for any signs of Ji Ruan's presence. He started with Ji Ruan's room, knocking on the door, but received no response. Worried that Ji Ruan might not have heard, he pushed the door open slightly but found the room empty.
Gu Xiuyi stepped inside, checking the bathroom and the cloakroom, confirming that Ji Ruan was indeed not there. He proceeded to search every floor of the entire villa, even venturing to the backyard swimming pool, but there was no trace of Ji Ruan to be found.
Feeling a sense of urgency, Gu Xiuyi reached for his phone, intending to call Ji Ruan for answers. However, he hesitated when his finger hovered over the dial key. Uncertain of what to say, he put his phone away and found himself drawn back to Ji Ruan's room.
"Hey, Xiao Gu!" Aunt Zhao's voice suddenly echoed from somewhere. "What brings you back?"
Gu Xiuyi withdrew his phone and scanned the area, then he glanced over the railing and spotted Aunt Zhao on the first floor. She had changed into her pajamas, holding a towel as if she had just taken a shower and was about to rest.
"It's nothing." Gu Xiuyi cleared his throat and descended the stairs. "The project in Lingzhou is finished, so I decided to take a few days off."
"Oh, this is rare. How many years has it been? It's unusual to see you on vacation," Aunt Zhao remarked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
Gu Xiuyi sidestepped the topic of vacation and gestured toward Ji Ruan's room. "Where is everyone?"
Aunt Zhao couldn't help but smile when Ji Ruan was mentioned. "He went out to play with his classmates."
"Playing?" Gu Xiuyi made his way to the kitchen counter. "Where did he go, and how long will he be out?"
Aunt Zhao wiped her damp hair with the towel and explained, "They went for a graduation team building. A large group of classmates gathered at the video game city. They will be playing for quite some time. Ji Ruan won't be back for dinner."
"Really..." Gu Xiuyi filled a glass with water, pouring it slowly, before suddenly recalling something and asking, "Hasn't he been feeling unwell these past few days? Why did he suddenly go out today?"
"He's feeling better," Aunt Zhao recollected. "He wasn't very energetic due to a mild illness, but today he seemed better. I allowed him to go out and play. After all, Ruan Ruan just graduated from high school. It's normal for him to enjoy some leisure time. It's better than being bored at home all day, don't you think?"
Gu Xiuyi felt conflicted but hid it behind a smile. "Yes, you're right. Rest well, Zhao Ma. I'll take a shower and nap."
"Alright... Take care," Aunt Zhao replied, still in a daze, as she left the room. Gu Xiuyi, on the other hand, remained standing, holding the glass of water.
Hugged...acting like a baby?
Mr. Gu took a sip from the glass, mulling over the thoughts that came rushing in.
Still, acting spoiled?
President Gu let out a dry chuckle.
Shaking his head to clear his mind of Ji Ruan's image, he focused on enjoying his vacation wholeheartedly.
At two o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Gu took a nap.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Mr. Gu woke up.
At three thirty, Mr. Gu watched TV.
At three-fifty, the TV failed to capture his interest.
He found himself wandering into Ji Ruan's room.
Due to a mistake in the decorating process, Ji Ruan's room ended up with a cartoonish theme reminiscent of a children's room. Ji Ruan seemed to be thriving in this environment, cherishing the accidental charm it held.
On the small wooden table, there sat a lucky cat with its claws removed. Though it appeared a bit unsightly, Ji Ruan seemed to enjoy eating cherries with this peculiar item.
Gu Xiuyi observed his bare paws while involuntarily twitching the corners of his lips. It was all well and good.
Spread out on the desk were several A4 papers that Ji Ruan used for doodling when he grew bored. Some of them featured Aunt Zhao, who possessed a talent for painting.
Gu Xiuyi quickly glanced over them, relieved to not find any portraits of himself... a fortunate outcome.
The balcony housed the grass Ji Ruan had brought home to nurture, which had since flourished into a lush, vibrant green... a pleasant sight indeed.
Before departing, Gu Xiuyi encountered the enormous teddy bear, once again, a favorite of Ji Ruan's that he would frequently embrace and cuddle.
Curiosity prompted Gu Xiuyi to reach out and pinch the bear's belly. It felt ordinary enough. However, he couldn't help but wonder why Ji Ruan often pressed his face against it.
By five o'clock in the evening, Mr. Gu navigated his way through the entire villa in rapid three-step intervals, finally reaching dinnertime.
Following dinner, Mr. Gu resumed his TV-watching endeavors.
After scrolling through all the available channels in a mere ten minutes, Gu Xiuyi flung the remote control onto the coffee table, sank back into the sofa, and fixed his gaze upon the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Having lived for nearly thirty years, this was the first time Gu Xiuyi experienced such an absurd, overwhelmingly absurd sensation.
How could someone detest working but wholeheartedly cherish vacation time?
What was the purpose behind such a monotonous vacation?
How could Ji Ruan manage to stay at home for half a month and revel in it?
These were perplexing questions only Ji Ruan himself could answer. But the person capable of resolving Gu Xiuyi's lifelong doubts was currently gallivanting around and enjoying himself without even bothering to make a phone call.
In the evening, Gu Xiuyi assumed Ji Ruan's usual spot and accompanied Aunt Zhao in watching a rural ethics drama.
Both Aunt Zhao and Xiao An thoroughly enjoyed the show, but for some reason, Gu Xiuyi found it incomprehensible.
Why did the eldest brother of a particular family fancy the sister-in-law of another family?
Why did everyone in the village seem to dislike this sister-in-law?
And why did she always weep while cradling a baby?
Ji Ruan would likely understand the nuances. Gu Xiuyi resolved to ask him about it when an opportunity arose.
As the wall clock approached midnight, Gu Xiuyi glanced at it and casually inquired, "Why hasn't Ji Ruan returned? It's getting late."
Aunt Zhao grew anxious as well, about to rise and retrieve her phone, but a sudden change of thought prompted her to look at Gu Xiuyi and change the subject: "Why don't you give him a call?"
"Me?" Upon hearing those words, the corners of Gu Xiuyi's mouth slightly lifted, a reaction he promptly suppressed.
He raised his hand, pinching his chin, and retrieved his cell phone, speaking in a composed tone. "Then allow me to ask you something."
The phone rang for what felt like an eternity. Gu Xiuyi and Aunt Zhao sat together in silence, waiting patiently until the call was on the verge of automatically disconnecting.
Gu Xiuyi activated the speakerphone, but before he could utter a word, an ear-splitting noise erupted from the other end.
Drums, clamor, melody, rhythm—all intermingled with roaring cheers. Gu Xiuyi's forehead wrinkled immediately.
"Where are you?"
Ji Ruan's fragile voice seemed feeble amid the overpowering waves of sound, yet he shouted vehemently, "Awesome—awesome! Let's go, baby! Rock on!"
Gu Xiuyi: "..."
Aunt Zhao widened her eyes in horror. The image of the video game city in her mind did not match the scene unfolding before her...
Gu Xiuyi's lips pressed tightly together, his expression turning icy cold. He enunciated each word with deliberate pauses, "Are you at a disco?"
-----
Author's Note:
Mr. Gu: I took time off for my wife, yet she went to a disco, leaving me all alone in this desolate house.
Ruan Ruan: Ye—Pai—Ye—Ye—Pai—Ye! Come on, baby, let's rock!
Mr. Gu: ...No, I must apprehend him.
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