The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Old Zhang only accompanied Ji Ruan to the entrance of the company building. Greeting Ji Ruan was a tall, poised secretary.
Gu Xiuyi
CEO
The secretary, reminiscent of characters from novels, was elegant and beautiful. Upon seeing Ji Ruan, she greeted him with a delightful smile, "Hello, Mr. Ji. It's our first meeting. I'm Mr. Gu's secretary; you can call me Xiao Ya."
Ji Ruan, just stepping out of the car and squinting against the sunlight, raised a hand to shield his eyes and smiled at Xiao Ya, "Hello, but you don't need to call me 'Mr. Ji'. Just 'Ji Ruan' is fine."
After the secretarial team had selected a potential spouse for Gu Xiuyi, it was always Song Ling who interacted with the candidates. This was Xiao Ya's first time meeting Ji Ruan in person, and he looked much younger than in the photos, making the formal address seem out of place.
Nonetheless, Xiao Ya cheerfully replied, without acknowledging his preference, "We just follow how Assistant Song addresses you. 'Mr.' sounds more polite."
Ji Ruan pondered for a moment, "But Assistant Song now calls me 'Xiao Ruan'."
"Really?" Xiao Ya paused, distinctly recalling that just a few days ago, Song Ling, while on the phone, was still professionally addressing him as "Mr. Ji". When did it become 'Xiao Ruan'?
Nevertheless, the title wasn't a major issue. Whatever the young mistress preferred to be addressed as, they would oblige.
Xiao Ya exchanged a brief greeting with Uncle Zhang and led Ji Ruan into the company.
As they walked, numerous employees passed by. Many approached to greet Xiao Ya, but their eyes were firmly fixed on Ji Ruan.
Hushed whispers filled the air, but Ji Ruan couldn't quite catch what was being said.
Gu Xiuyi had been transparent about getting married, but the specifics of the agreement weren't widely known. Most only realized that their boss, who had been single for nearly 30 years, suddenly found someone special.
About a month ago, when the secretarial team began their covert screening process, there was already a buzz within the company.
"Is that the young mistress? She looks so young. Is she even of age?"
"How can she not be, if they're getting married? Sure, the boss might be intense when working overtime, but he wouldn't go that far!"
"But why the sudden decision to get married? Didn't the boss once say, 'Marriage is an ominous affair akin to visiting a grave, coming to work is more auspicious'?"
"Are you out of your mind? There's no way Gu Xiuyi would say something like that!"
"Seriously! When he was younger, he did voice his opinions. It's only in recent years, after he really took power, that he became the 'mute tyrant CEO'!"
"Hahaha, stop kidding! I joined the company after you, don't try to fool me."
"Why would I lie to you? Every long-term employee has a bootleg employee manual with many of Gu's classic quotes from his college days. I'll send it to you via cloud storage!"
And so today, with the appearance of Ji Ruan in the flesh, no one could suppress their inherent desire for gossip. They all wanted to know who this person was, who had captivated their boss and made him so eager to 'jump into the marriage graveyard'.
Xiao Ya, concerned that Ji Ruan, a freshly-matured young man, would be overwhelmed by the reception, quickly led him to a private elevator.
But Ji Ruan seemed utterly oblivious to the surrounding whispers and gazes. Or perhaps he noticed but didn't care, not sparing anyone a glance.
People like Xiao Ya, striving in these grandiose office buildings, had to constantly stand tall and maintain their composure to retain their presence on this smokeless battlefield.
Yet Ji Ruan, possibly appearing naïve without calculation or perhaps clever enough to seem oblivious, dressed in a T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers, walked at a leisurely pace with an utterly relaxed demeanor. Occasionally, he'd glance at his phone to exchange texts with friends, revealing a faint smile.
Such relaxation and innate confidence was something none of those present could ever attain. He truly resembled an adored and innocent young master.
"Is he some young master from a well-known family? Does anyone recognize him?"
"Certainly not from the circle of rich young heirs. He's never been seen before."
"Could it be a business alliance through marriage? Hasn't the conglomerate been close to Lingzhou lately?"
"The chairman of Lingzhou only has one daughter."
"Oh..."
The elevator doors closed, cutting off the conversation. Only then did Xiao Ya quietly exhale in relief.
On the top floor, where they were heading, the number of occupants was less than a tenth of the other floors. Enveloped in a solemn silence, no one else seemed shocked by Ji Ruan's arrival.
As Xiao Ya led Ji Ruan towards Gu Xiuyi's office, she finally felt at ease enough to provide a brief overview of the surroundings.
Ji Ruan noticed that as she spoke, her expression grew increasingly relaxed, her features radiating joy. It was a sustained good mood. He couldn't help but be influenced by it, listening to her words in tranquility.
Seeing Ji Ruan smile, Xiao Ya paused to ask, "What is it?"
Ji Ruan shook his head, admitting with ease, "I just felt you must have some good news recently."