LDMDS Chapter 15

Gu Xiuyi was right—Ji Ruan's throat wasn't just failing him; his entire body was shutting down.

That night, Ji Ruan slept very restlessly. Although he was exhausted from the day's activities and quickly fell asleep when he went to bed, he didn't sleep well. He felt vaguely uncomfortable throughout the night and suddenly woke up in the middle of it.

When he woke up, everything was dark. He couldn't see the streetlights outside the window or the small nightlight on his desk. He had taken off his external hearing aid before bed and now experienced a faint ringing in his ears.

Ji Ruan was immersed in this suffocating sensation of sensory deprivation for a few seconds before a sharp, twisting pain in his stomach jolted him back to reality. The darkness in front of his eyes cleared, and the ringing in his ears intensified.

The severe burning sensation in his stomach made Ji Ruan shudder. He instinctively clutched his upper abdomen and curled up. His stomach felt icy, as if weighed down by a heavy block of ice.

He was sweating profusely; his pajamas were soaked, his hair was wet, and his vision became blurred by the sweat dripping into his eyelashes.

Ji Ruan's consciousness didn't fully awaken. He lay there gasping for air, feeling the pain in a daze.

The next moment, the intense stomach pain surged up again, as if his chest and abdomen were blocked. Ji Ruan instinctively crawled out of bed and stumbled mechanically to the bathroom.

As soon as he reached the sink, he vomited.

His vision blurred, and he couldn't gauge how long he had been vomiting. He only knew that the sharp stomach pain gradually turned into a dense prickling sensation, soaking his collar and back with cold sweat.

Eventually, he probably vomited until his stomach acid came up, making his chest and throat burn intensely. Ji Ruan washed his face, choking and collapsing to the floor, feeling dizzy and hearing a buzzing in his ears.

The extreme pain cleared Ji Ruan's mind.

His fingertips tingled as he leaned against the wall, taking a long time to stand up, only to bend over again from the stomach pain.

Gu Xiuyi's room was next door, while Aunt Zhao lived on the first floor. Ji Ruan felt dizzy and overwhelmed with pain just from walking from his room to the next one. He had never felt so resentful of the size of his home as he did that night.

The doorknob to Gu Xiuyi's room was icy. Ji Ruan knocked twice, but there was no response. His stomach was still in pain, constantly twisting without a moment's rest. He had to lean against the door for support before knocking harder.

"Click—"

The door opened from the inside. Ji Ruan lost his support and fell straight in, only to be caught firmly by someone.

His vision blurred, his ears buzzed, and his senses were off balance. Only his sense of smell still worked, allowing him to catch the familiar scent of Gu Xiuyi.

Gu Xiuyi hadn't expected to catch such a sweaty, pale, and trembling Ji Ruan when he was woken up in the middle of the night.

He patted Ji Ruan's sweaty face, wanting to speak but realizing that Ji Ruan wasn't wearing his hearing aid. Leaning closer to Ji Ruan's left ear, he said, "Ji Ruan?"

"Ji Ruan, where does it hurt?"

Ji Ruan couldn't hear anything due to the pain. The air conditioning in Gu Xiuyi's room was set very low, and the cool breeze made Ji Ruan's stomach twitch even more, causing him to shudder and let out a pained gasp.

Seeing Ji Ruan clutching his stomach with white knuckles, Gu Xiuyi immediately guessed that it was probably gastroenteritis.

Ji Ruan's entire body was cold. Gu Xiuyi grabbed a coat to wrap around Ji Ruan and carried him towards the garage. After taking a few steps, he turned back to Ji Ruan's room to retrieve the small external hearing aid.

By the time Gu Xiuyi placed Ji Ruan in the passenger seat, Ji Ruan was too weak to muster any strength. He was sweating so much that he couldn't wear the hearing aid, but Gu Xiuyi kept trying to talk to him.

Each time a muffled sound came from beside his ear, Ji Ruan would respond with an "hmm," letting Gu Xiuyi know he hadn't passed out.

At one point, the pain became unbearable. Ji Ruan curled up in the passenger seat, biting his lip until it bled, filling his mouth with the taste of blood.

Then he was engulfed by a giant whirlpool, vaguely reminiscent of the time when he was seriously ill, taking large doses of medication, sometimes experiencing even worse stomach pain than now.

That pain was the kind that made one acutely aware of the body being corroded by disease, a terrifying pain that consumed both body and spirit.

·

At five in the morning, Gu Xiuyi rushed through the chaos of the emergency room with a crying Ji Ruan in his arms, eventually getting him into a private room.

By then, Ji Ruan had lost consciousness. Gu Xiuyi thought he had passed out from the pain, but the doctor repeatedly assured him that Ji Ruan had just fallen asleep from exhaustion.

Gu Xiuyi sat by the bed, watching the nurse administer an IV to Ji Ruan. After confirming that Ji Ruan showed no signs of waking up, he went to the doctor's office.

"It's nothing serious," the doctor said nonchalantly, probably having seen this many times before. "Just acute gastroenteritis. A couple of days on an IV and he'll be fine to go home."

"But he bit his lip until it bled from the pain," Gu Xiuyi said grimly.

The doctor laughed. "Gastroenteritis is very painful. What did the kid eat?"

"Barbecue, ice beer… and ice cream," Gu Xiuyi said, his lips tightening.

"That's normal," the doctor said, unfazed. "It's graduation season and summer break. Kids might be overindulging. We see a wave like this every night in the ER, mostly young people around this age. A couple of days ago, someone drank so much they had a stomach bleed—that was scary…"

As Gu Xiuyi listened, his frown deepened. He truly felt the generation gap between himself and the young people today. He had never been this reckless when he graduated.

The doctor glanced at Gu Xiuyi's expression and smiled, shaking his head. "Don't worry. Your kid is pretty well-behaved. His condition is mainly due to a weak stomach. He just needs to avoid stimulating foods in the future."

Gu Xiuyi nodded, pulling a small smile. "I understand. Thank you, doctor."

As he was about to leave, a nurse came in with a report. The doctor looked at it and immediately called Gu Xiuyi back. "Wait a minute!"

Gu Xiuyi turned around.

The doctor looked at the report, then at Gu Xiuyi, and confirmed, "Ji Ruan, RH negative blood type A?"

Gu Xiuyi was taken aback.

He didn't know Ji Ruan's blood type but knew that RH-negative blood was extremely rare.

Gu Xiuyi closed the door and sat back down at the doctor's desk, looking serious. "Is there a problem?"

The doctor's demeanor became more serious. "Now there is."

He adjusted his glasses. "The patient has a rare blood type and poor blood coagulation."

Gu Xiuyi frowned.

"To put it simply," the doctor continued, pointing to the report, "his platelet count is low, which means wounds will heal slower than usual. This wouldn't be a big issue normally, but with a rare blood type, it's significant."

The doctor tapped the table for emphasis. "Family members must be careful to avoid injuries, especially large ones. If he gets hurt and we can't find matching blood, it could be very dangerous…"

·

Gu Xiuyi's frown didn't relax even after leaving the office. The hospital's fluorescent lights flickered, adding to his irritation.

He recalled how Ji Ruan had bruises from being pounced on by a cat that took forever to fade and a tiny ankle wound that healed very slowly. It was all related to his poor blood coagulation.

Gu Xiuyi returned to the room, glanced at the still-sleeping Ji Ruan, and called Aunt Zhao, quietly waiting until she arrived before returning to the villa without a word.

After breakfast and a shower, Gu Xiuyi changed his clothes, but his mind was still unsettled.

When he returned to the hospital room, Ji Ruan was awake, lying quietly in bed with an IV, gazing at the leaves outside the window.

He still looked pale and tired, with colorless lips and his uninjured hand resting weakly on his stomach, his fingers unnaturally thin.

After a brief conversation with Aunt Zhao, Gu Xiuyi sat down by the bed.

Ji Ruan's current appearance was a far cry from his lively, drunken self the previous night, reminding Gu Xiuyi of the first time they met when Ji Ruan had also been lying in bed looking ill.

Gu Xiuyi sat silently, unsure of what to say.

Ji Ruan couldn't speak either.

He felt truly uncomfortable; his stomach still ached, and his throat was sore.

Thinking back to arguing with Gu Xiuyi the previous night, the gastroenteritis, and the whole ordeal at the hospital, Ji Ruan just wanted to disappear from the world.

Finally, Ji Ruan spoke first.

His voice was hoarse, and he spoke slowly, as if carefully considering each word: "I won't… drink again."

Ignoring the entire argument from the previous night.

Gu Xiuyi understood Ji Ruan's meaning immediately and calmly said, "You have a weak stomach, so avoid spicy and greasy food in the future."

Ignoring the fact that he almost lost his temper because he didn't win the argument last night.

The two of them exchanged a look, reaching an unspoken agreement, such as not mentioning last night again.

The doctor's words lingered in Gu Xiuyi's mind. After hesitating for a moment, he reminded Ji Ruan, "Your blood type is rare, and your blood clotting isn't very good. You need to be extra careful."

"What?"

Ji Ruan moved slightly, turning his head just a little, like a startled animal.

Gu Xiuyi didn't understand his reaction and asked hesitantly, "What's wrong?"

There was a "snap" in Ji Ruan's mind, triggering an old memory.

It was a very old memory: a hospital, surgery, a cochlear implant, RH-negative A blood type...

"It's... it's nothing..." Ji Ruan swallowed, forcing himself to calm down. "I have panda blood..."

Gu Xiuyi had unknowingly leaned forward, his fingers on the call bell, scrutinizing Ji Ruan's face. "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?"

"Really, it's nothing," Ji Ruan's eyelashes trembled as he licked his dry lips. "It's just... I don't have a problem with blood clotting, right..."

He looked at Gu Xiuyi, his delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, and pointed to his ear. "I had a cochlear implant, and the surgeon didn't mention any blood clotting issues back then..."

Ji Ruan's heart sank slowly. He knew his body had always been a bit frail, but he never thought it was this bad. Rare blood type combined with clotting issues—was this any better than having a terminal illness?

Maybe he could live longer, but would he have to live cautiously for the rest of his life?

"Ji Ruan," Gu Xiuyi placed his hand on Ji Ruan's shoulder with a comforting force. "Don't be nervous. I asked the doctor. Your clotting issues are related to your environment and physical condition. With proper medication and diet, the indicators might improve slowly."

"Really?" Ji Ruan clutched his stomach, the emotional turmoil causing him pain again.

Buzz, buzz—

The phone on the bedside table vibrated twice. Gu Xiuyi handed it to Ji Ruan, comforting him, "Just be careful, don't overthink it."

"Okay..."

Ji Ruan tried to calm himself, taking the phone. It was a message from Han Xiaolin, saying he was bringing something over.

Ji Ruan, hooked up to an IV, couldn't type well, so he sent a voice message: "I'm at the Second Affiliated Hospital. Is it convenient for you to come over?"

Half an hour later, Han Xiaolin rushed into the ward, immediately restraining himself when he saw Gu Xiuyi sitting nearby.

"Hello, Mr. Gu..."

Gu Xiuyi nodded amicably, not interrupting their conversation.

Han Xiaolin glanced cautiously at Gu Xiuyi, then sat by the bed and asked Ji Ruan in a low voice, "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," Ji Ruan's throat was dry, and he coughed, which hurt his stomach, making his face pale. "What did you bring for me?"

"Oh, this notification letter," Han Xiaolin took an envelope from his bag. "There's a new student orientation and campus open day at Beijing University on Saturday. We need to attend and check in."

Ji Ruan adjusted the bed to a more upright position, took the envelope, and opened it.

Han Xiaolin looked at Ji Ruan's weak state with concern. "Can you... make it?"

Ji Ruan nodded gently. "I can. I'll be discharged tomorrow or the day after."

"Also," Han Xiaolin said in a low voice, "the open day also invites family members. Most of the freshmen's parents will be there..."

Ji Ruan's hand holding the letter froze, realizing he had no parents.

"I'll go," Gu Xiuyi's voice interrupted.

Both of them looked over.

Gu Xiuyi handed Ji Ruan a cup of warm water and calmly said, "Many alumni will attend the open day. I received an invitation too."

---

Buy Me Coffee ☕

The author has something to say:

Ruan Ruan: Oh right, you're also an alumnus.

Mr. Gu: On Saturday, I'll be your guardian.