This chapter is sponsored by NightInTheGale! Thank you for the Ko-fi~
Li Suian had been practicing medicine for over a decade, and including the cases he had seen from his undergraduate to his doctoral studies, Ji Ruan's condition, where the tuning sound made him nauseous, was one of the few he could count on one hand.
He almost sprang from his chair, calling out urgently, "Lily, Lily! Quick! A vomit bag!"
Lily had never seen anything like this before either, and in a flurry, she rummaged through a drawer, found a vomit bag, and ran to give it to Ji Ruan.
Unexpectedly, although Ji Ruan appeared delicate and fragile, he had a strong willpower. Clutching the vomit bag, he stubbornly resisted vomiting in front of others.
His face turned pale and blue as he trembled, believing that any discomfort would pass if he endured it long enough.
But this was not something he could simply endure. Eventually, even Li Suian couldn't bear to watch anymore and softly said, "Child, just vomit..."
Lily also reached out cautiously and patted Ji Ruan lightly on the back.
This gentle touch was like the final straw, and Ji Ruan's back instantly stiffened. Then, clutching the vomit bag, he threw up with a loud "Wah."
Almost simultaneously, both Lily and Li Suian breathed a sigh of relief.
Actually, Ji Ruan hadn't eaten much all along, and he barely touched his breakfast because he hadn't slept well, so naturally, there wasn't much to vomit out. Most of the time, he was just dry heaving from the discomfort. When he couldn't vomit anymore, he curled up in the chair, panting.
His stomach was in pain, and his mind was foggy. In his daze, he seemed to be back in the days of severe illness, when he would eat and vomit and eat again due to the severe reactions to the medication.
The treatment in the late stages of a terminal illness was excruciating, more like being tormented in hell rather than struggling to live in the human world.
Even just recalling it slightly made Ji Ruan shiver uncontrollably in fear.
He didn't know how much time had passed when a large hand covered Ji Ruan's back, and the warmth slowly seeped through the sweat-drenched fabric, pulling Ji Ruan back to reality from his nightmare.
He slightly turned his head to see Gu Xiuyi squatting beside him, still maintaining a polite distance of a dozen centimeters. Gu Xiuyi took a napkin from Lily and handed it to Ji Ruan:
"It's okay now, wipe it?"
Ji Ruan's fingers were stiff, and his reactions were slow. He felt he should have heard Gu Xiuyi's words, but for some reason, he couldn't respond.
Gu Xiuyi's lips pressed into a slight line, his dark pupils reflecting only Ji Ruan's image without any mixed emotions.
He waited quietly for a moment, then lowered his eyes and paused. When he looked at Ji Ruan again, the corners of his mouth lifted in a curve that might or might not be considered comforting.
But at least, it did make him appear somewhat more approachable.
"It's okay," he said.
Ji Ruan blinked blankly, feeling the soft tissue covering the skin around his eyes. He could vaguely sense the warmth of Gu Xiuyi's fingertips.
It was only then that he realized he had vomited so much that it brought tears to his eyes.
Gu Xiuyi's movement of wiping away his tears was as brisk as his usual mannerisms, without any lingering gentleness or comforting words. Naturally, this prevented Ji Ruan from feeling overly intimate or uncomfortable.
After confirming that there were no more tear stains on Ji Ruan's face, he stood up, folded the tissue that had Ji Ruan's tears on it, and threw it into the trash. He then said to Lily, "Take him to the restroom to freshen up."
Lily had been stunned for a while. It took her two seconds to snap out of it. She stepped forward to help Ji Ruan up and led him out.
After the door closed, the consultation room fell silent for a moment. Unlike Song Ling and the others who were tense, Gu Xiuyi remained calm and composed. He pulled out a chair and sat down.
Li Suian also sat back at the examination table, pulling out a tissue to start wiping his sweat again.
Gu Xiuyi took the water handed over by Song Ling, held the handle of the white porcelain cup with one hand, and took a small sip. He then asked, "Is his reaction normal?"
Li Suian drank two big gulps of water, finally calming down. He leaned back against the chair: "It's normal. Dizziness during the tuning process is normal, and if the reaction is intense, vomiting is also possible. But—"
Gu Xiuyi looked up.
"How should I put it? I've seen people vomit, but they're usually very young children, hearing sound for the first time in their lives and getting scared. As for Ji Ruan... let's just say he does seem to have a particularly sensitive constitution."
Gu Xiuyi lowered his hand, the bottom of the porcelain cup lightly resting on his crossed knees: "Is it a major issue? Does he need to be hospitalized?"
"Well," Li Suian covered his mouth and chuckled, "No, no one needs to be hospitalized just for getting a tune-up. A good night's sleep at home will do."
"Still, your kid does have a pretty weak constitution," Li Suian remarked while shaking his water cup, "I wonder how he was raised."
"Our boss raised him," Song Ling's calm voice echoed in the empty consultation room.
Clang—
Li Suian spilled his water again.
"What?" Ignoring the mess, he braced himself on the table and asked, his soul demanding an answer, "You... aren’t you two in a contractual marriage?!"
Li Suian's face showed a mix of emotions. The sight of Ji Ruan, with his eighteen-year-old charm, made countless thoughts flash through his mind, uncontrollably edging towards the boundaries of criminal law.
Gu Xiuyi glanced at Song Ling, raised his hand to smooth the water-splashed sleeve, and silently moved his chair back: "I sponsored him."
"Shit."
Li Suian leaned back into his chair, gritting his teeth as he pointed at Song Ling, "That mouth of yours!"
Song Ling coughed and avoided eye contact: "It's not me, Dr. Li. Your imagination is just too wild."
Li Suian rolled his eyes, loosened his tie, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded towards Gu Xiuyi: "What about you? Do you really like that kid?"
Gu Xiuyi met his gaze, showing no emotion: "Why would I?"
It seemed as if he truly had no feelings for Ji Ruan, making it impossible for him to react to such absurd speculation.
"You were just so gentle comforting him!"
Gu Xiuyi tapped the back of Song Ling's chair: "Gentle?"
Song Ling furrowed his brow and thought for a moment: "Not really..."
Gu Xiuyi turned to Li Suian and said seriously: "He's my partner for the next three years. According to the contract, I won't mistreat him."
"It's not about mistreatment." Li Suian felt like he was onto something but couldn't quite figure it out. After pondering for a while, he could only attribute it to a man's sixth sense.
He slapped the table: "I just splashed a bit of water on your sleeve and you acted like you saw a plague. He vomited on you and you wiped his face!"
"Is it his fault that he's sick?"
Gu Xiuyi genuinely seemed puzzled: "And he's eighteen, how old are you?"
"You—" Li Suian was caught off guard, choked on his words and almost couldn't breathe.
He clung to the table, staring hard at Gu Xiuyi's face, finding no trace of emotion, and couldn't help but doubt himself.
"So," he hesitated, "you really have no interest in that kid? He's so good-looking!"
"......"
Gu Xiuyi sat upright, the pressure around him suggesting he no longer wanted to speak.
Li Suian slumped into his chair, gazing at the ceiling with a long sigh, "That makes things even worse—"
"Old Gu, let’s not even talk about your character and whether you’re a scum or not. Just look at your assets. In the entire capital, there are hardly any eligible bachelors who can match you. You’re surrounded by people all the time, right? You’re well aware of this, aren’t you?"
Gu Xiuyi looked up, "What are you trying to say?"
"You support that kid through school, feed him, marry him, take him to see the doctor, and treat him with tender affection. He’s eighteen, a youthful age when romantic feelings begin to stir—"
Li Suian sat up, propping his elbows on the table, "How do you know he won’t develop a fledgling attachment to you?"
Gu Xiuyi’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly. Then he turned his head slightly, as if contemplating something.
"...So what? Regardless of how he feels, the contract must proceed. I didn't force him to marry me."
Li Suian stood up, leaning on the table, "But what if he truly falls for you? What if he becomes infatuated and devotes himself to you, and in the end, even rebels? Wouldn’t that just be another mess?"
"...."
Gu Xiuyi remained silent, but for the first time, his expression seemed to show genuine emotion.
He lightly tapped the white porcelain cup, as if finding Li Suian’s words intriguing.
The examination room suddenly became very quiet. Song Ling kept his eyes and nose to himself, not saying a word, while Li Suian couldn't decipher Gu Xiuyi’s expression.
Time quietly passed. It seemed Gu Xiuyi had savored the entire conversation again before he spoke, lightly and leisurely:
"I’m not that charming, and besides—"
He looked at Li Suian, a slight curve forming at the corner of his lips, "Do you think he has any room to resist?"
Li Suian met his gaze, suddenly feeling a chill, like an ice droplet falling into a deep pool, sending ripples of cold throughout his body.
He suddenly understood what Gu Xiuyi meant by saying that Ji Ruan was the most suitable marriage partner.
He knew Gu Xiuyi needed a spouse because of family matters. When he first saw Ji Ruan, he thought Gu Xiuyi had chosen someone docile and non-troublesome in line with his personality.
Now, it seemed that Ji Ruan’s frailty was exactly what Gu Xiuyi desired.
Ji Ruan had no parents, no relatives, and a thin social network. Everything about him could be controlled by Gu Xiuyi. Even if he tried his best, he couldn’t make any waves.
No room for resistance, and no capability for it either.
Gu Xiuyi had despicably chosen a fragile little creature, one he could completely control without any effort.
If Ji Ruan ever developed feelings that Gu Xiuyi didn’t want him to have, would anyone notice if he disappeared one day?
Li Suian felt a chill run down his spine at his own thoughts, "...You’re really ruthless, Gu."
Gu Xiuyi shook his head slightly, "Don’t always think in the worst direction. In reality, three years later, he’ll take the money and leave, and I’ll get what I want. It’s simple."
Li Suian knew very well that although Gu Xiuyi was cold-hearted and indifferent, his demeanor was always polite and refined, thanks to his perfect manners.
If you maintain a distant relationship with him, you'll feel comfortable and never embarrassed. But if you hope to get any warmth from him, that's the beginning of a tragedy."
"I think that kid is still pretty innocent," Li Suian said to Gu Xiuyi with the conscience of a doctor. "Not to flatter you, but with your looks and money, if you're a little nicer to others, how many eighteen- or nineteen-year-olds could resist?"
"I perform a good deed every day, and today that good deed is for you. If you have no intentions, don't provoke him. Stop all those back-patting and face-touching gestures, and you might just stay safe."
...
It was almost noon. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, and the large floor-to-ceiling windows in the corridor outside the door let in a lot of sunlight, illuminating Ji Ruan's snow-white neck.
Lily stood with Ji Ruan outside the door. They were separated by a wall, but she could hear every word of Gu Xiuyi's conversation.
She looked at Ji Ruan with a hint of pity.
The young man stood with his hands down, head slightly lowered, his back thin, shoulders and neck graceful. After washing his face, his bangs were slightly wet, and his cheeks were as pale as paper, even the trembling arc of his eyelashes seemed incredibly fragile.
Seeing him like this made Lily, a girl, feel a strong urge to protect him, making her even more furious with the person speaking inside.
When she first arrived, seeing Mr. Gu being polite and gentlemanly to everyone, she thought he was a refined gentleman. But it turned out he was just as the rumors said, a heartless person.
Even if his marriage to Ji Ruan was just an arrangement, he shouldn't describe Ji Ruan in such a dismissive tone, as if he were an object to be casually manipulated!
Lily supported Ji Ruan, unable to bear bringing him inside.
Ji Ruan didn't understand why the nurse suddenly stopped pulling him along.
Although the hospital was fully air-conditioned, the large glass windows at the back let in a lot of sunlight, making it quite warm. Ji Ruan, feeling dizzy from the heat, couldn't help but ask Lily, "Aren't we going in?"
Lily's large, watery eyes kept staring at him. Hearing his question, she bit her lip hesitantly and asked, "Are you... okay?"
Ji Ruan was hot and dizzy, with a buzzing in his ears, barely able to hear anything. He could only make out from her lip movements that Lily seemed concerned about him.
He was fine now, but if he stayed in the sun any longer, he might not be.
Ji Ruan forced a smile, shook his head to reassure Lily.
To Lily, his smile looked like someone trying to appear strong despite being hurt.
She instantly felt even more protective of him, and her resentment towards the person speaking inside grew stronger.
Indeed, men are no good!
...
Even after the tuning was done and they got into the car to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau, Ji Ruan still couldn't understand why Lily had looked at him with such pity and sympathy.
But he was too tired. He had not slept well the previous night and the aftermath of the tuning made him drowsy, leaving him no energy to think.
In the car, there were four people including the driver, but no one spoke.
Gu Xiuyi and Ji Ruan sat in the back seat. Gu Xiuyi casually flipped through some documents he needed to handle, and while doing so, he couldn't help but think of Ji Ruan.
To be fair, he didn't dislike Ji Ruan. In fact, he found him interesting. And it was because of this that he didn't want any unpleasantness to occur in the future.
Although Ji Ruan wasn't the type of person Li Suian described, who would easily fall for him, there were still some things that needed to be clarified face-to face.
Gu Xiuyi tapped the tip of his pen on the paper, not looking at Ji Ruan's expression, and calmly said, "We're about to get our marriage certificate. Let me emphasize the contents of the contract again."
"First, we are publicly getting married. Soon, everyone will know you are my legal partner, and you will need to accompany me to certain events."
"Second, during the contract period, you cannot have any ambiguous contact with anyone else, male or female. The same goes for me."
"Besides that, don't cause trouble, don't make a fuss, and don't develop any inappropriate thoughts."
...
Song Ling heard the commotion in the back seat and couldn't help but turn around. His boss was calmly emphasizing each clause of the contract to Ji Ruan.
Ji Ruan sat to one side, head lowered, his long eyelashes covering his eyes, making it impossible to discern his emotions. He looked thin and desolate.
Earlier, Lily had sent a message informing him that Ji Ruan had overheard the entire conversation between Gu Xiuyi and Li Suian at the door! He was so upset he almost cried!
And now, his boss was coldly laying out the rules, stabbing right at the heart of the matter!
Song Ling felt a pang of sympathy but didn't dare speak up. He could only carefully observe the situation from the front passenger seat, anxiously.
"Lastly, when the contract expires in three years, take the money and leave quietly. That would be the best outcome."
After stating the final term, Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan unhurriedly. The young man leaned against the car window, not responding immediately.
Gu Xiuyi didn't push him, patiently giving him time to react.
Ji Ruan only realized Gu Xiuyi seemed to be talking to him when he felt four pairs of eyes focused on him.
Before leaving the hospital, Li Suian had specifically instructed him not to turn off the new external device and to wear it to get used to it.
But this new device was much more expensive and sensitive than the previous one. Ji Ruan couldn't adapt to it right away and was exhausted. He had quietly turned it off after getting in the car.
He hadn't heard a word of what Gu Xiuyi said.
Sensing the serious atmosphere, Ji Ruan felt overwhelmed. Even thinking slightly made his temples throb, and he didn't want to use his brain at all.
Ji Ruan sighed, rubbed his brow, and quietly turned on his cochlear implant. He forced a smile at Gu Xiuyi.
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
His face was pale, his eyes weary, his red-rimmed eyes showing how tired he was, barely able to stay upright against the car window.
Watching from the front, Song Ling felt a surge of guilt on behalf of Gu Xiuyi.
That pitiful smile, the desolate look, the red eyes—he was clearly very upset but still pretending to be strong!
Song Ling anxiously looked at Gu Xiuyi. As expected, his usually emotionless boss seemed startled by Ji Ruan's appearance.
His jaw clenched tightly for a moment, then he turned to look out the window.
The atmosphere remained tense for a while.
Finally, a soft sigh came from the back seat. "Turn around, let's go home."
Ji Ruan didn't understand what was happening and sat up straighter. "What do you mean?"
Gu Xiuyi kept his eyes on the documents in his hands, not sparing Ji Ruan a glance. "You go home and rest."
Ji Ruan, bewildered by the sudden change of plans, couldn't think anymore. He stared blankly. "...What about getting the marriage certificate?"
"Tomorrow."
________________
The author has something to say:
Mr. Gu: Damage value +100 (Am I going too far? Is he crying...
Ruan Ruan: Received +0 (Ah... I want to sleep
【These reactions to the tuning therapy are all made up by me, don’t delve into it, don’t take it seriously, just separate the reality from the fictional characters~】