Aunt Zhao replied in a low voice, “I’ve already told Xiao Gu. He said he’ll be back soon, twenty minutes.”
Alright then. Ji Ruan sighed—he’d wait twenty more minutes before going to sleep.
He took a few steps toward the living room just as Fang Lan looked up. Their eyes met. She wore delicate makeup, her eyeliner lifting sharply as she smiled, and she immediately got up to greet him.
“Xiao Ruan! It’s been so long!” Fang Lan grabbed Ji Ruan’s hand like a truly affectionate elder. “Oh my, look at you—still as good-looking as ever… Come, come, sit down!”
Before Ji Ruan could get a word in, Fang Lan had already pulled him over and pressed him down onto the sofa.
She held his hand and scrutinized his face closely, then patted the back of his hand. “You look like you’ve lost some weight. Is the food not to your taste? Or are you not used to living here?”
Being stared at like this made Ji Ruan’s scalp tingle. He wasn’t at all used to this kind of exaggerated enthusiasm. He pulled his hand back. “I-I'm fine, just had a cold recently, so I haven't been eating much.”
The warmth in her grip suddenly vanished. Fang Lan’s smile faltered for a split second, but she quickly recovered, rubbing her hands together as if nothing had happened. She spoke with concern, “You still need to take care of yourself. A cold may not be serious, but it can be such a bother when you’re sick!”
“Yes, you’re right.” Aunt Zhao handed Ji Ruan a cup of warm water. He took a sip, but his throat still felt itchy, so he turned his head and coughed twice.
Fang Lan pushed a paper bag on the coffee table toward him and said on her own accord, “Xiao Ruan, look, I made these snacks myself. They’re delicious—Xiuli and Qiming love them!”
“This bird’s nest here is especially good,” she continued with a beaming smile as she took it out. “Top-quality bird’s nest! I specifically asked a friend to set it aside for me. You won’t find this kind of quality on the market! And this tea—”
“Mom,” Fang Qiming interrupted impatiently, “why are you fawning over him? He’s the junior here, and you’re the elder.”
“Qiming, don’t talk nonsense!” Fang Lan shot him a look before turning back to Ji Ruan. “Xiao Ruan, don’t mind him. That’s just his temper.”
“I…” Fang Qiming ruffled his hair irritably. Under Fang Lan’s stern gaze, he ultimately held back whatever he wanted to say, crossed one leg over the other, and started playing on his phone.
Fang Lan’s voice was sharp, and Fang Qiming was loud. Ji Ruan had already been feeling unwell, but their bickering made his headache worse. His temples throbbed.
He closed his eyes briefly and spoke softly, “Aunt Fang, if you have something to say, why not just get to the point?”
“Oh dear, what could I possibly want?” Fang Lan waved a hand dismissively. Her thin eyebrows scrunched together in the middle, making her look incredibly sincere. “I just wanted to come and apologize.”
“Apologize?” Ji Ruan took another sip of water.
“Yes.” Fang Lan put on a remorseful expression. “Xiuli didn’t handle things well before and ended up hurting you. His words weren’t kind either. The more I thought about it, the more I felt guilty. So here I am, bringing Qiming along to make amends.”
Half a year had already passed, and now she suddenly wanted to apologize?
Besides, back then, Gu Xiuyi had only used that incident as an excuse to send Gu Xiuli abroad, just to get him out of sight and out of mind. Fang Lan should have been well aware of that. She should’ve been furious about it—so why was she apologizing now?
Was she trying to fool a child?
Ji Ruan pressed his temples, his face a little pale. “Aunt Fang, I’m not feeling well. If you don’t want to say it, I’ll head upstairs first.”
After saying that, he didn’t wait for her response and stood up directly.
“Ah, Xiao Ruan!” Seeing that he was really about to leave, Fang Lan immediately grabbed his wrist. Ji Ruan, unsteady from the force, fell straight back onto the sofa, momentarily dazed.
Fang Lan raised a finger. “Well… there is something, just a little favor I wanted to ask…”
Ji Ruan adjusted his slightly askew hearing aid, exhaled softly, and remained silent, only frowning at Fang Lan.
Fang Lan cleared her throat and smoothed down the fur collar of her coat. Under the bright lights of the living room, the gemstone ring on her finger shimmered. “You see, the New Year is coming soon…”
Her expression turned pleading. “I wanted to ask if you could help speak to Xiuyi and see if he’d let Xiaoli come home for the New Year?”
Ji Ruan raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.
Fang Lan continued, “He’s matured a lot in the past few months abroad. If he comes back, he definitely won’t cause any trouble. We’re all family, after all. Could you talk to Xiuyi for me?”
Ji Ruan pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Fang Qiming let out a cold snort. “She’s talking to you—are you deaf?”
Fang Lan quickly tugged at his sleeve. He glanced at her, yanked his hand away impatiently, but ultimately held his tongue.
“Xiao Ruan…” Fang Lan touched the tip of her nose, looking as if she was about to burst into tears. “Can’t you help Auntie just this once? No matter what, Xiaoli is my son. As a mother, is it too much to ask to see my child for the New Year?”
Ji Ruan picked up the tissue box and placed it in front of her, his tone calm. “Don’t you know how to video call?”
“Hey! What kind of attitude is that?!” Fang Qiming flared up again.
Ji Ruan’s headache worsened the moment he heard his voice. He cast a glance at him. “Can you keep it down?”
Fang Qiming’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Wuuu…” Fang Lan had already started sobbing into a tissue. “How did my life turn out this way? I went through so much to give birth to my son, and now he can’t even come home for the New Year…”
Fang Qiming immediately sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Mom, don’t cry.”
Ji Ruan couldn’t hold back an eye roll and quietly moved away. He checked the time—it had already been over twenty minutes.
But Gu Xiuyi still wasn’t back!
The endless crying made Ji Ruan feel even worse. He pressed his temples hard. Why did this family’s problems always have to involve him?
“Xiao Ruan… Xiuyi doesn’t like me. He won’t listen to me no matter what I say. Can’t you just be kind and help Auntie out?” Fang Lan cried while reaching for Ji Ruan’s hand again, acting as if she had suffered some enormous grievance but was still enduring it humbly.
Exhausted to the extreme, Ji Ruan had no energy left to keep up any pretense. Leaning back against the sofa, he said coolly, “Then you’re asking the wrong person. I don’t have any influence over Gu Xiuyi either.”
With that, he no longer wanted to deal with the situation. He propped his forehead up with one hand and closed his eyes, letting Fang Lan cry all she wanted.
Fang Qiming tried to console her for a while, but seeing that she wouldn’t stop, his temper flared. He jabbed a finger toward Ji Ruan’s face.
“Ji Ruan! Don’t be so ungrateful! My mom has begged you—if you know what’s good for you, you’d better call Gu Xiuyi right now and tell him to bring Xiuli back! What’s with that arrogance, huh? You’re just a cripple!”
Ji Ruan’s lips curled slightly. The movement was so small it was almost imperceptible, but that only made it seem more mocking, striking right at Fang Qiming’s fragile ego.
With a loud thud, Fang Qiming slammed his phone onto the coffee table. “Are you fucking deaf?!”
Ji Ruan’s eyelids twitched slightly. Slowly, he opened his eyes, his expression lazy, but under the bright living room lights, his gaze was strikingly sharp.
He pointed to his ear. “I am deaf. Of course, I can’t hear what you’re saying.”
Fang Qiming had always been foul-mouthed, calling him a cripple again and again. Ji Ruan wasn’t the type to easily forget such things.
Fang Qiming was completely enraged now. He shot to his feet, grabbed Ji Ruan by the collar, and raised his other fist high. The force of his movement knocked a glass off the edge of the table—it fell to the ground with a sharp crash, shattering into pieces.
Everything happened too fast. Ji Ruan barely had time to register the sound of glass breaking before he felt a gust of wind sweep past his face. Instinctively, he shut his eyes and turned his head away.
One second… two seconds…
The punch he expected never landed. Instead, what came was a low grunt of pain from Fang Qiming.
Fang Qiming's wrist twisted painfully as he turned his head in a distorted posture, only to see Song Ling—the ever-present lackey by Gu Xiuyi’s side.
Their eyes met. Song Ling curved his lips politely. “Young Master Fang, my apologies.”
Fang Qiming’s pupils trembled. He saw the slight smile at the corner of Song Ling’s mouth vanish in an instant. The next second, his vision went black as he was flipped over and slammed onto the floor. His back crashed against the hard, carpetless ground, sending a jolt of pain through his entire body, rattling his internal organs.
"Qiming—!" Fang Lan’s sharp scream rang out.
A spoiled rich kid who indulged in drinking and pleasure all day—how could he possibly be a match for Song Ling, a judo champion?
Ji Ruan was completely stunned, sitting stiffly in place, his heart pounding wildly.
Suddenly, someone touched his face. A moment later, warmth enveloped him as Gu Xiuyi pulled him into his arms. Ji Ruan froze for a second, then, almost instinctively, curled into Gu Xiuyi’s embrace, where he was held tightly.
Gu Xiuyi shielded Ji Ruan as he moved him away from the shattered glass on the floor. He gently held Ji Ruan’s wrist, carefully checking him from head to toe for any injuries.
Ji Ruan, still shaken, took a few quick breaths before tugging at Gu Xiuyi, who was crouching in front of him. "I'm fine…"
It was winter—long sleeves and pants made it unlikely he’d been scratched.
But Gu Xiuyi ignored him, meticulously inspecting every bit of exposed skin. Only after confirming there were no injuries did he gently pull Ji Ruan into his arms, removing his external hearing aid and tucking it into his coat pocket.
He leaned down, whispering softly into his ear, “Were you scared?”
Ji Ruan was scared.
They had all gone through nine years of compulsory education—he truly hadn’t expected Fang Qiming to dare throw a punch in Gu Xiuyi’s own home.
“…Mm,” Ji Ruan responded faintly, his voice trembling.
Gu Xiuyi pressed his palm against the side of Ji Ruan’s neck and felt his pulse racing beneath his cold, pale skin. Ji Ruan had always been easily startled—even a slight noise from Gu Xiuyi could sometimes make him jump, let alone a scene like this.
Just thinking about it made Gu Xiuyi’s suppressed anger surge.
He took a deep breath and covered Ji Ruan’s ears. “Be good, don’t be afraid. We don’t need to listen to them.”
Fang Qiming was still lying on the floor, struggling to get up. Fang Lan, utterly terrified, rushed to his side, crying uncontrollably. “Xiuyi, what are you doing?! Qiming is your brother in name, at the very least! How can you just attack him like that?!”
Gu Xiuyi carefully shielded Ji Ruan and didn’t even look up. “He tried to punch Ji Ruan. Didn’t you see?”
“I… cough cough!” Fang Lan choked on her tears, covering her mouth.
Song Ling stood with his hands neatly folded in front of him, his usual careless demeanor gone. Now, he held himself with the utmost respect befitting a personal assistant as he politely reminded her, “Apologies, madam, but I was the one who acted against Young Master Fang.”
“What difference does that make?!”
Fang Lan was both furious and heartbroken. “Qiming is just hot-tempered—you know that! Besides… besides, he didn’t actually hit him, did he?!”
Gu Xiuyi chuckled, as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke. “That’s a funny way of thinking. If he had hit Ji Ruan, do you think he’d still be lying there so peacefully?”
He wrapped Ji Ruan securely in his embrace, his hand gently patting his back in a soothing manner, as if comforting a child.
Then, he turned to Fang Lan, smiling.
But the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
Instead, it sent a bone-deep chill down the spine.
"I have this kind of temper too. Didn’t you know?"
“You… you…” Fang Lan’s pupils shrank in fear for a moment before she covered her face and started sobbing miserably again.
“Gu Xiuyi… y-you’re going too far!”
Fang Qiming clutched his stomach as he struggled to sit up. He had just taken a few more kicks from Song Ling, making it difficult for him to even speak.
“Mom came here, humbling herself to beg Ji Ruan, just to see Xiaoli once for the New Year… And this thing you married—” He raised a trembling finger to point at Ji Ruan, his fingertips shaking from pain.
“This thing not only refused to help but also spoke so rudely, showing no respect for his elders at all. Where’s the slightest trace of being a junior in him? If I don’t teach him—ah!”
“Qiming, my son—!”
Fang Qiming doubled over in pain as Song Ling delivered another kick.
Gu Xiuyi held Ji Ruan securely, his gaze dark and heavy. “Who are you calling a thing?”
Fang Lan clung to Fang Qiming, wailing as if her heart was breaking. “I just want to see Xiaoli once—what’s wrong with that?! He’s my own son!”
Gu Xiuyi sneered. “I know. That’s why I’ve already arranged for you to go abroad and keep him company. Why are you in such a rush to come here first?”
“W-what?” Fang Lan’s tear-streaked face froze. “Go abroad? You’re sending me away too?! No… I can’t leave…” She murmured, “My home is here. Why should I leave? Xiaoli’s home is here too—he should come back!”
Ji Ruan was exhausted. On top of that, this farce had kept him from sleeping. Every noise outside made his scalp tingle. He rubbed his head against Gu Xiuyi’s shoulder, feeling uncomfortable.
Gu Xiuyi immediately lowered his head, gently patting Ji Ruan’s back in comfort.
He had had enough of Fang Lan’s noise. Without looking up, he gave an order, “Song Ling, see them out.”
“Understood.”
“—No! Xiuyi, you can’t do this to me…” Fang Lan shoved Song Ling’s arm aside, thumping her chest as she sobbed. “Tell me honestly—have I ever treated you badly all these years? Do you think being a stepmother is easy? And yet, you won’t even let me see my own son…”
Her voice was so shrill that even though Ji Ruan had taken off his external hearing aid, he could still hear most of it. The sharp pitch repeatedly stabbed at his fragile nerves, making his ears buzz.
Ji Ruan had more or less figured out what kind of person Gu Xiuyi’s stepmother was—not very smart, but extremely difficult to deal with. She was persistent to the point of being a nuisance. Song Ling had already tried several times to get her up, but she kept shoving him away.
Ji Ruan let out a long sigh in his heart and decided to end this quickly for Gu Xiuyi’s sake.
He adjusted his position in Gu Xiuyi’s arms, closed his eyes—
"Oh my god, Xiao Ruan!"
Aunt Zhao let out a piercing scream.
Gu Xiuyi suddenly felt his arms go heavy. Startled, he looked down at Ji Ruan—only to see him collapse weakly in his embrace. His eyes were tightly shut, his forehead was damp with cold sweat, and his face was deathly pale.
“Ji Ruan…?”
Ji Ruan had no strength left in his body. If not for Gu Xiuyi holding him up, he would have slipped to the ground. He felt as light as a cloud with no anchor in the sky, as weightless as water slipping through one's fingers.
Gu Xiuyi’s heart plummeted.
The once-noisy villa suddenly fell into dead silence.
Fang Lan sat frozen on the floor, tears still streaming down her face, but she didn’t dare make another sound. The abrupt shift in atmosphere, coupled with the surge of hostility radiating from Gu Xiuyi, made Fang Qiming hiccup involuntarily.
Without another word, Gu Xiuyi scooped Ji Ruan up in his arms, his gaze sweeping coldly over the two of them before he strode upstairs.
Even though Gu Xiuyi’s gaze didn’t linger on them for even a second, Fang Lan and Fang Qiming still shuddered involuntarily.
"Song Ling, throw them out."
His voice was low, yet it seemed to echo, each word chillingly clear.
The author has something to say:
Ruan Ruan: Finally, some peace and quiet. Everyone realizes I was faking, right?
President Gu: I sure as hell didn’t! I was scared out of my damn mind!
T/N: Ruan Ruan is so powerful hahahaha the fight came to and end so quickly