LDMDS Chapter 11

At the dining table, Ji Ruan finally met Fang Qiming, the elder brother with no blood relation mentioned by Gu Xiuyi, and his bad-tempered father, Gu Zhaoxu.

Both of them looked quite grim. According to the family hierarchy, Gu Zhaoxu sat at the head of the table, while Fang Qiming was placed at the farthest corner, even farther than Ji Ruan.

Fang Lan was still the most diligent one, her sweet laughter filling the table.

"Xiuyi, it's not easy to have you home, eat more. These are all your favorites."

"Yes, brother," Gu Xiuli echoed, "Mom got up early to prepare these and has been busy all day. You should try them."

Gu Xiuyi placed a piece of sweet and sour ribs into Ji Ruan's bowl, without looking at Fang Lan, and casually said, "Thank you, Aunt Fang."

Gu Zhaoxu snorted coldly, "You're getting more and more disrespectful. Your elder has been busy for you all day, and you thank them so perfunctorily?"

Gu Xiuyi didn't respond, instead, he placed a large piece of braised pork in Gu Zhaoxu's bowl, "Dad, you must be hungry too. Let's eat."

This remark somehow struck a nerve in Gu Zhaoxu, who suddenly raised his voice, "What do you mean by that?! Are you saying I shouldn't educate you and want to shut me up with meat?!"

Ji Ruan was shocked.

The thought processes of the Gu family were indeed peculiar.

What was even more peculiar was that Gu Xiuyi just smiled slightly without rebutting.

Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow at Gu Xiuyi. What he wanted to ask him was, “is that really what you meant?”

Gu Xiuyi tapped the table, "Just eat."

Gu Zhaoxu, caught in the middle of his anger, saw that Gu Xiuyi neither argued back nor continued the conversation, which left him stuck in an awkward position. His face and neck turned red with frustration.

Fang Qiming said unhappily, "Gu Xiuyi, you’ve gone too far. Is this how you treat your elders?"

"Do you have any right to speak?"

Gu Xiuyi leisurely poured himself some red wine and swirled it in his hand.

"Gu Xiuyi!" Gu Zhaoxu pointed and scolded, "You are too out of line!"

"Oh, Old Gu, let it go, Old Gu, don’t get angry," Fang Lan timely intervened, "Xiuyi hardly ever comes home, why are you two arguing again?"

"You always indulge him! Do you think he appreciates your kindness?!"

"Oh, I don't need that," Fang Lan urgently interjected, looking virtuous and magnanimous, "It's all voluntary on my part. I just want our family to be good. This is Ji Ruan's first time at our home, what does it look like to argue? Calm down, Old Gu..."

After Fang Lan consoled him for a while, Gu Zhaoxu finally found an excuse to calm down. He leaned back in his chair and sternly said to Gu Xiuyi, "Your brother is about to graduate from university. You need to arrange a position for him in the company."

Gu Xiuyi, seemingly indifferent, replied calmly, "This matter still needs discussion."

"What’s there to discuss? He’s a Gu family member and your brother! It’s only natural for him to help you manage the company!"

"Bang!" Gu Xiuyi placed the wine glass back on the table, and looked at Gu Zhaoxu, "I said it needs discussion."

Gu Xiuyi's appearance was exceptionally sharp and indifferent, with facial lines too sleek and lacking in softness, making it difficult for him to appear personable. Thus, when his usual courteous demeanor disappeared, his overwhelming arrogance became particularly domineering.

Gu Zhaoxu looked at Gu Xiuyi who looked so domineering and fell in a trance in a while. He covered his forehead in a daze and swayed slightly.

"Dad, don't say anymore," Gu Xiuli said anxiously, "I'm fine."

He looked at Gu Xiuyi apologetically, "Brother, don't mind him, Dad is just too worried about me. Actually, I also feel that my abilities are not enough to join the company right now. Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"Yes, yes," Fang Lan said empathetically, trying to ease the situation, "Let's eat first, everyone, let's eat."

Gu Xiuli eagerly served Gu Xiuyi some food, "If we don't eat soon, the food will get cold. It's all prepared with Mom's heart and effort."

"Cough, cough..." Ji Ruan suddenly coughed twice.

Gu Xiuyi immediately turned his head and leaned closer, asking softly in his ear, "What's wrong?"

Ji Ruan covered his mouth, frowning slightly, and pointed to the spicy chicken in his bowl, "It's a bit spicy, and also a bit salty..."

"It's okay," Gu Xiuyi patted his back and handed him a glass of water, "If it's salty, don't eat it."

Gu Xiuli received no response, his hand holding the chopsticks suspended in mid-air, then awkwardly withdrew it, and finally sat back down in embarrassment.

"Hah, heartfelt effort, huh?" Fang Qiming sneered, "Does he care? Let's not talk about it, how much has Mom sacrificed for him? He likes men, and Mom went through so much effort to introduce him to the only son of the Ji family, and he didn't even look at him. Instead, he turned around and married some—"

Ji Ruan's face instantly turned cold.

"Qiming!" Fang Lan said sharply, "How can you talk like that?"

Gu Xiuli also frowned, "Brother, you can't say that. Who Brother marries is his own business."

"Is he wrong?" Gu Zhaoxu sneered, "What's wrong with the Ji family's young master? He's well-educated and elegant. Look at who he married, a frail and petty cripple!"

"Gu Zhaoxu!" Gu Xiuyi threw down his chopsticks, for the first time showing an expression of anger, "Watch your words."

"What, what did you call me?" Gu Zhaoxu slammed the table twice, "I'm your father! You want me to watch my words?! You unfilial son!"

Gu Xiuyi looked at him with extreme coldness, "Because I call you dad, you really think you have authority?"

"You... what are you all doing..." Fang Lan seemed unable to bear it any longer and burst into tears. "Stop arguing!"

She ran a few steps to Ji Ruan's side, squatted down, and held Ji Ruan's hand, tears streaming down her face. "Xiao Ruan, please don't mind them. They have bad tempers and speak harshly. It's Auntie's fault, Auntie apologizes to you. Please don't be angry, okay?"

Ji Ruan raised his eyebrows in surprise.

He hadn't said he was angry!

He hadn't said a word!

Why is this family so shameless, insulting you and then morally coercing you into not being angry?

Ji Ruan took a deep breath, then tilted his head to look down at Fang Lan with a tear-streaked face.

He smiled softly, his eyes incredibly clear:

"What did you say? I didn't hear."

He was just a deaf and disabled person, of course, he couldn't hear anything.

"…"

Fang Lan's tears hung on her face as if frozen, unable to speak for a moment.

Gu Xiuyi stood up, pulled Ji Ruan's wrist from Fang Lan's hand, and took him behind himself. His voice was as cold as ice. "There's nothing more to say. Let's go home."

Ignoring everyone's gaze, he led Ji Ruan out of the dining room, through a corridor lined with landscape paintings, and into the piano room on the west side of the first floor.

The piano room was spacious and empty, with only a black grand piano in the middle. The curved walls were full of storage shelves, scattered with some crafts.

Gu Xiuyi closed the door, helped Ji Ruan sit on the piano bench, and squatted in front of him with some apology. "Are you angry?"

Ji Ruan lowered his head slightly, like a sulking child. "They called me disabled."

Feeling wronged and pitiful.

"No..." Gu Xiuyi's lips were a bit dry, and he gently pinched Ji Ruan's earbone. "You're not."

Ji Ruan still didn't want to pay attention to him.

Gu Xiuyi sighed, thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "How about this, I need to go upstairs to get some documents. You'll be here alone for a while."

Ji Ruan looked up, a bit puzzled.

Gu Xiuyi curved his lips. "Someone will definitely come to trouble you. Just do whatever you want. I'll be back in five minutes to back you up."

Ji Ruan's brow moved imperceptibly as he understood Gu Xiuyi's meaning.

The piano room was unlit. Ji Ruan observed Gu Xiuyi's eyebrows in the changing light outside the window. After a while, he chuckled softly and kicked Gu Xiuyi's calf:

"Be back on time."

"I will."

·

After Gu Xiuyi left, Ji Ruan let out a long breath and silently calmed his emotions.

Just as Gu Xiuyi said, it didn't take long for the door to open again.

Gu Xiuli poked his head in and carefully shuffled inside, turning on the light as he did so.

Ji Ruan rested his elbow on the piano lid, propped his chin up, and silently watched the newcomer.

"Xiao Ruan, are you okay?" Gu Xiuli placed a glass of orange juice next to Ji Ruan's hand, looking very apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect a simple meal to turn out like this."

Ji Ruan glanced at the fragrant orange juice, not intending to drink it. "Aunt Fang already apologized earlier."

Gu Xiuli's eyes brightened. "So, you're not angry anymore?"

Ji Ruan curled his lips, neither confirming nor denying.

Gu Xiuli seemed to believe it and patted his chest in relief, his tone becoming lighter. "I knew you were the kindest."

Ji Ruan let out a light "Ah." "You figured that out?"

"Yes," Gu Xiuli smiled shyly. "Actually, I like you a lot. I had a good feeling about you from the first glance, but I didn't realize it at the time. Now I've figured it out."

Ji Ruan nodded, pretending he was listening attentively.

Gu Xiuli sat down opposite Ji Ruan: "You remind me of a brother I know. Not in looks, but in feeling..."

Ji Ruan's heart skipped a beat, sensing what he was about to say.

The next second, Gu Xiuli quickly went to the storage shelf and brought back a photo frame, showing it to Ji Ruan with an innocent expression: "It's him, doesn't he look similar?"

Ji Ruan looked at the photo with a blank expression.

Three people, two adults, and a child, but only their backs were visible, revealing nothing.

Gu Xiuli, however, held it like a treasure, pointing to one of them: "This brother, his name is Bai Yue. He was very kind. When I was bullied as a child, he always helped me. He grew up with my older brother, and they were very close, so when I saw you, I felt a sense of familiarity."

Here it comes, the standard trope of the domineering president—a white moonlight.

In the original book, this "white moonlight," described by others as kind, nearly tormented the protagonist to death later on.

Perhaps because he saw himself in the situation, Ji Ruan felt a bit nauseated.

Seeing Ji Ruan remain silent, Gu Xiuli continued on his own: "This photo was taken with the three of us. We really had a great time when we were kids. Brother Bai Yue was probably my older brother's most important friend. But later, he went abroad and rarely came back. We all missed him. My brother was very sad when he left..."

Ji Ruan didn't want to listen anymore. He closed his eyes, pressed his knuckles to his temples, and softly said, "So you're here to disgust me?"

He didn't care what Bai Yue would be like when he returned; he just wanted to retaliate immediately if he felt unhappy now.

Gu Xiuli's expression of deep reminiscence froze, seemingly not expecting Ji Ruan to be so blunt: "Of course not, Xiao Ruan, how could you think that..."

Ji Ruan opened his eyes, slowly tapping the piano lid with his nails: "You said you like that brother and think he is kind, so you find me kind and familiar too. Do I not have my own name, needing you to compare me to someone else?"

"You also said he was Gu Xiuyi's most important friend, and that Gu Xiuyi missed him when he went abroad and was heartbroken when he left. This is not a friend; this is a lover, isn't it?"

"Finally, you said I resemble him. With just a picture of a body and the back of a head, you can still talk nonsense. If you want to say I'm a stand-in, you could just say it directly. What's the point of going around in circles if not to disgust me?"

Gu Xiuli was stunned, taking several seconds to react: "No, it's not like that, Xiao Ruan, don't misunderstand!"

He seemed very helpless, his eyes reddening: "I really didn't mean it like that. I just thought you were familiar and wanted to be friends with you. I didn't know you would mind me mentioning Brother Bai Yue so much—"

"Stop," Ji Ruan crossed his legs and smiled slightly: "Who is your friend? I have a certificate with Gu Xiuyi. By seniority, you should call me sister-in-law—"

"Oh..." He suddenly pointed at his chin: "Or brother-in-law works too, but that doesn't sound very nice."

Gu Xiuli's eyes widened, speechless, finally filling with tears: "You misunderstood... really, I didn't mean to disgust you..."

Ji Ruan ignored his imminent tears, took the photo frame and weighed it in his hand, then tilted his head playfully:

"But I think you did."

With that, he suddenly let go, the glass photo frame crashing to the ground, shattering into pieces.

The small shards scratched Ji Ruan's ankle, causing him to frown slightly.

"What are you doing!" Gu Xiuli barely held back his tears, shouting in surprise: "Even if you're angry, you can't just smash things—"

His voice abruptly stopped, and then his expression turned incredulous as he looked at Ji Ruan.

Ji Ruan sat on the piano bench, leaning against the piano for support, his head slightly tilted, tears streaming down his face, his eyelashes wet, and his nose red, as if he had suffered a great grievance.

Better at crying than his own mother!

Gu Xiuli was frozen in place, unable to move.

One second, two seconds... footsteps sounded outside the door!

Very close, almost at the door!

"Click—"

The door opened.

Gu Xiuyi stood at the door, holding a familiar brown paper bag.

His eyes swept over the broken glass on the floor, then to Ji Ruan's wet eyelashes, and finally lingered on the bloodstains on Ji Ruan's ankle for a long time.

"Big... big brother..." Gu Xiuli's trembling voice sounded.

Gu Xiuyi finally turned his gaze slowly to him, chillingly: "What did you do?"

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The author has something to say:

Ruan Ruan: Isn’t it just scolding someone and pretending to cry? Who can’t do that?

President Gu: Perfect timing.jpg

T/N: Ruan Ruan played the uno reverse card ahahaha!