That night, Ji Ruan couldn't sleep.
He had always thought he had accepted his current self with hearing impairment quite well. Many times, he would voluntarily take off his cochlear implant to enjoy the silence.
But when silence became a necessity, he felt a bit panicked.
Without the cochlear implant in his right ear, he could barely hear anything. His left ear could still pick up some sounds, but in the dead of night, these sounds turned abstract and fragmented, like ghosts whispering, disturbing Ji Ruan to the point of sleeplessness.
He used to sleep well without the cochlear implant, so Ji Ruan couldn't understand why simply being unable to reach the small black external device could make him so uneasy.
Perhaps for people with hearing impairments, any hearing aid is akin to an addictive substance.
The next day, Ji Ruan got up very early. While washing up, he saw in the mirror that his eyes were dark and sunken, like a frostbitten eggplant, devoid of any vitality.
Overnight, his collarbone and ribs, which had been pounced on by the cat, were bruised, sore, and painful. His back also hurt, but he couldn't see it himself, so he didn't know whether it was blue or purple.
Ji Ruan sighed inwardly. He didn't have many clothes, and after searching for a long time, he could only find a small round-neck T-shirt to put on, barely covering his collarbone.
It might be due to his constitution that any discomfort would easily show on his face. Even the slightest unease would make his complexion look extremely poor.
Like now, Ji Ruan knew he didn't have any major issues, but he looked like a desperate employee who had been exploited by a 996 work schedule for an entire month.
Ji Ruan stared at the mirror for a while. Finally, he fetched a basin of hot water, dampened a towel, and scrubbed his face vigorously. At least the steam made his cheeks look a bit more rosy.
It seemed like someone had entered the room. Afraid he might not hear someone knocking due to his poor hearing, Ji Ruan had left the door open today. He put down the towel and walked out of the bathroom, just in time to see Gu Xiuyi and Assistant Song.
Gu Xiuyi was already well-dressed, wearing a white shirt and a dark gray suit, looking neat, elegant, and graceful.
Ji Ruan’s bangs were wet, with a few strands sticking to his forehead. He casually brushed them aside and walked towards the two men at the door, giving a symbolic smile. “Good morning.”
Assistant Song immediately returned a proper smile. “Good morning, Mr. Ji.”
Gu Xiuyi didn’t speak. His gaze lingered on Ji Ruan’s face for a moment before moving to his hair. The kid’s hair was a mess from waking up early, with a few strands still wet on his forehead, looking quite disheveled.
Gu Xiuyi’s lips pressed tightly together as he tried to endure for a moment, but ultimately he couldn’t help it. He stepped closer and smoothed down Ji Ruan’s stray hairs.
As he did so, he spoke seriously, “Even if you’re not in the best state, you should always maintain your best appearance in front of others.”
He was so close that every word clearly reached Ji Ruan’s left ear. Even though it wasn’t entirely clear, it was at least understandable.
His tone was like a leader inspecting during an early morning meeting.
Having never worked before, Ji Ruan found this treatment both absurd and speechless.
But Assistant Song behind Gu Xiuyi was nodding repeatedly in agreement, with an earnest expression that made Ji Ruan suspect that if he had a notebook, he would immediately jot it down and repeatedly memorize the classic quotes from President Gu.
Has he been exploited to the point of losing their minds?
Ji Ruan didn’t say more. He returned to the bathroom to continue washing up and tidying himself. Once he was ready, he packed his documents into his bag and went downstairs with Gu Xiuyi.
The two walked side by side without speaking. After hesitating for a moment, Ji Ruan said, “My cochlear implant…”
Gu Xiuyi was walking on Ji Ruan’s right side. Hearing this, he was about to respond but then paused. He took a step back, moved to Ji Ruan’s left side, and said, “We’re going to the hospital now to get you a new external device.”
Ji Ruan was surprised by this answer and opened his eyes slightly. “What about getting the certificate?”
Gu Xiuyi took out his phone and swiped it a few times, saying, “I asked the doctor, it won’t take long to get the new external device. We can still make it to the Civil Affairs Bureau afterward.”
Communicating was indeed somewhat inconvenient for them at the moment.
After all, Ji Ruan could barely hear. Using the phone to send messages was inconvenient, but to speak, Gu Xiuyi would have to be very close to him.
Even though they had just exchanged a couple of sentences, Ji Ruan's ears tingled from Gu Xiuyi's breath. If he raised his head slightly, he could see every line at the corners of Gu Xiuyi's mouth clearly.
This was not the polite distance expected in an arranged marriage.
Ji Ruan quietly accepted Gu Xiuyi's decision and smiled as if relieved. "Thank you."
Only then did Gu Xiuyi look up from his phone and glance at Ji Ruan.
He was tall and very close to Ji Ruan. The hallway was dimly lit, and the glow from his phone's screen highlighted his already sharp jawline, making his cold and stern features even more pronounced.
Ji Ruan couldn't understand the expression on his face.
Gu Xiuyi only looked at Ji Ruan for a brief moment before putting down his phone and averting his eyes. He said calmly, "I told you not to be so polite. It was my cat that was too rowdy and hurt you. I should be the one apologizing."
Hurt him?
Ji Ruan was momentarily confused, then looked down and realized his collar was slightly askew, revealing a small bruise.
So that was what Gu Xiuyi was looking at?
Without waiting for Ji Ruan to respond, Gu Xiuyi had already walked away. Ji Ruan watched his back for a while, then stopped thinking about it. He stood where he was, calmly adjusted his collar, and followed him downstairs.
·
One hour later, in a private hospital lounge.
Ji Ruan had finished his routine check-up and was sitting on a sofa with Song Ling, waiting. A nurse knelt beside Ji Ruan and asked softly, "Would you like a glass of milk?"
The pretty girl spoke softly and sweetly, with a smile on her face. For a moment, Ji Ruan thought he had walked into a pediatric ward by mistake.
Song Ling laughed from the side and teased, "Lily, be normal, he's an adult."
The nurse called Lily shot him a glance, "You think I can't tell? Stop nagging." Then she turned to Ji Ruan with a smile, "Want some milk?"
Ji Ruan smiled and shook his head gently, "No, just water for me."
"Water, got it. I'll go get it for you, just a moment~" Lily stood up, glancing back repeatedly as she moved toward the water dispenser.
Song Ling waved his arm to shoo her away, "Alright, that's enough, stop staring at him." Then he turned to Ji Ruan, "Don't mind her, the young girls here just like good-looking guys like you."
Unlike Gu Xiuyi, Song Ling wasn't standing as close, but he deliberately slowed his speech and enunciated clearly, so Ji Ruan could mostly understand. Ji Ruan smiled in response, casually looking around and asked, "Do you all know each other?"
In Ji Ruan's mind, a hospital was merely a place for treatment, and he used to harbor deep resentment towards it during his severe illness.
But today, upon arriving here, Song Ling seemed very familiar with everything, and all the passing nurses greeted him. Gu Xiuyi was also nearby, chatting with a doctor in a white coat.
Following Ji Ruan's gaze, Song Ling laughed, "Yes, that's the doctor who will be checking your ear later, Li Suian, a friend of our boss."
Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow slightly, indeed, it seemed the typical CEO package includes a doctor friend. Finding this amusing, he chuckled to himself, "Really a friend..."
Song Ling caught this but misunderstood Ji Ruan's thoughts, thinking he was curious, and quickly explained:
"Yes, actually, the whole hospital is under our group. In recent years, the old man—oh, that's Mr. Gu's grandfather—has had health issues and his hearing deteriorated, so Dr. Li has been treating him. Mr. Gu is very filial, always running to the hospital and personally taking care of him, so over time, they became familiar..."
Once Song Ling started talking, he couldn't stop, and the more Ji Ruan listened, the more it felt off, as if Song Ling was selling something, with Gu Xiuyi as the main product.
This strange feeling made Ji Ruan frown slightly, and he tried to interrupt, "Assistant Song..."
"Yes?"
Ji Ruan gave a forced smile, "You don't need to tell me so many details."
"Really?" Song Ling's eyes widened in surprise, "The boss said the same thing!"
Ji Ruan didn't understand, "Why did he say that..."
"—Ji Ruan," Gu Xiuyi's voice came from behind, interrupting Song Ling who was about to respond.
Ji Ruan turned around and saw Gu Xiuyi approaching with a doctor in a white coat. He gently pushed himself off the sofa and stood up.
"Let me introduce you," Gu Xiuyi stood in the middle, "Li Suian, your attending physician. Ji Ruan, my spouse."
The contract clearly stated that this marriage was to be public. Dr. Li obviously knew about it and showed no surprise. He warmly said to Ji Ruan, "Congratulations! You are indeed very beautiful, a perfect match, truly a couple made in heaven!"
Dr. Li's smile revealed eight teeth, as if he was genuinely blessing their new marriage.
Ji Ruan felt a bit dazed, not sure if Dr. Li genuinely believed they were in love or if he was just a smooth talker who could lie with a straight face.
But since Gu Xiuyi made no comment, Ji Ruan could only continue to fake a smile and lie with his eyes wide open, "Thank you, you really know how to talk."
Lily brought over water, giving everyone a cup. Dr. Li nudged Gu Xiuyi's elbow and teased loudly, "Are you preparing for the wedding? When are you getting the certificate?"
Ji Ruan lowered his head to drink water, thinking Dr. Li was talking to him, he blurted out, "Soon."
"Ah-choo!"
Lily choked.
"Splosh—"
Li Suian's water spilled all over the floor.
Ji Ruan was startled by the water splashing on the back of his hand. He bumped into Gu Xiuyi's arm, and Gu Xiuyi discreetly steadied him.
Li Suian didn't expect this little sister-in-law to be so bold, speaking softly yet exuding a strong aura of the main wife.
"This this this—so soon?"
Seeing the mess, Ji Ruan realized he had misspoken. It seemed Gu Xiuyi hadn't told this doctor friend about their impending certificate registration.
But now that the words were out, there was no turning back. Ji Ruan had to bite the bullet and continue, "Uh... we even brought the household registration booklets."
The two people mopping the floor were even more shocked.
Gu Xiuyi watched the entire process and stepped in at the right moment to end the conversation. He led Ji Ruan towards the examination table, saying, "It's not that fast. The original plan was to get the certificate yesterday."
Li Suian finished helping Lily clean up the water on the floor, washed his hands, straightened his white coat, and sat down, wiping his sweat. "Being swift and decisive, that's your style..."
He took a deep breath and looked at Ji Ruan. "Let's check your ears. Xiao Ruan, you don't know sign language, right?"
Ji Ruan nodded and after thinking for a moment, said, "I wasn't born deaf. I got sick when I was a child and didn't go to the hospital in time, which led to this. Later on, I quickly got a cochlear implant, so I can hear and didn't specifically learn sign language."
Gu Xiuyi, sitting next to Ji Ruan as a family member, heard the boy in front of him speak so much for the first time.
Previously, Ji Ruan only spoke a few words at a time, and there wasn't anything unusual about it. But when he spoke in long sentences without the aid of his hearing device, his speech became somewhat choppy.
Gu Xiuyi noticed that Ji Ruan lowered his eyelashes several times, as if he were testing the tone of the words, elongating the endings, which made him look even younger.
Li Suian nodded to show he understood and continued, "I checked earlier, and your internal cochlear implant is fine. We just need to fit a new external processor. When we turn it on and adjust the settings, you might feel dizzy or uncomfortable. If it gets too bad, we can pause and continue later, okay?"
Ji Ruan tilted his head slightly, watching Li Suian's lips, listening intently to every word. After confirming he understood, he nodded, "I understand."
Even though he was mentally prepared, Ji Ruan was still startled the moment the device was turned on.
The skin behind his ear was connected to a processor, which was then linked by wires to Li Suian's programmer. Li Suian did something, and suddenly, a surge of current swept across Ji Ruan's scalp. Instantly, goosebumps erupted on the back of his neck, and the hairs on his body stood on end.
Immediately after, a rustling sound began to echo in his ears, like the surging tide, stimulating his senses and making Ji Ruan dizzy.
Li Suian kept adjusting something, and the sound in Ji Ruan's ears continuously changed. Gradually, Ji Ruan felt like he was getting seasick, his headache accompanied by occasional waves of nausea.
He tried hard to suppress it, barely holding back the urge to vomit, but the headache and dizziness were unbearable. The mechanical sounds in his ears kept changing, becoming increasingly intense.
Gu Xiuyi watched Ji Ruan's face grow paler the more he listened. At first, he could still respond to the sounds under Li Suian's guidance, but eventually, his hands started to tremble.
Hesitating for a moment, Gu Xiuyi lowered his head and leaned in close to Ji Ruan's left ear. "What's wrong?"
Li Suian also noticed something was off and hurriedly asked, "Is it uncomfortable? Do you need to take a break?"
Ji Ruan used all his energy to resist the discomfort. As he glanced at Gu Xiuyi, a wave of nausea surged up again.
In a split second, Ji Ruan's body stiffened. He then forcefully tore off the processor from behind his ear, covered his mouth, and barely managed to hold back a dry heave.