The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

13

Chapter 13:
That night, an indignant Ji Ruan sent Gu Zong a long 500-word text message, composed entirely of "You're the real unlucky one!" repeated, with added exclamation marks.
And at 5:30 am the following day, Ji Ruan received a reply right when Gu Zong woke up -
[。]
It angered Ji Ruan so much that he lost his appetite for the entire day, only managing to eat an extra plate of cherries.
In the following days, Gu Zong went back to work and was hardly seen, day or night.
At first, Ji Ruan indulged himself, lying in bed doing nothing. It wasn't sudden laziness, but rather the emotional scene had drained him greatly.
They say tears can detoxify, but after his outburst, Ji Ruan felt emptied. He felt lethargic for two full days and only truly recovered on the third.
Human laziness and social anxiety seem to come in phases. Initially, lazing around at home feels great, but it becomes monotonous after a while.
One day, after having lunch and lying bored on his bed munching on cherries, Ji Ruan was contemplating inviting Han XiaoLin out when his phone conveniently rang.
"Hello?" Ji Ruan hurriedly answered.
"Hey bro!" Han XiaoLin's signature voice rang out, "Up for some fun?"
There was a lot of noise in the background. Ji Ruan, clutching the ear of his stuffed bear, asked, "Where's the fun at?"
"It's our graduation get-together! Tons of people!" Han XiaoLin's voice was loud and clear, "We're at the Central Plaza Arcade. There's a party tonight too. You in?"
"Absolutely." Ji Ruan stood up and opened his wardrobe, "Wait for me. I'm heading out now."
"Sure thing, I just arrived myself. Everyone's still gathering. Take your time getting ready," Han XiaoLin replied.
"Alright."
After hanging up, Ji Ruan quickly changed into a T-shirt and shorts, then slipped into the kitchen to find Aunt Zhao.
Aunt Zhao, who had just finished washing the dishes, looked up to see a fluffy little head peeking out from behind a wall. Ji Ruan blinked his big round eyes at her.
The elderly Aunt Zhao, with years of experience under her belt, was instantly charmed by the sight. She waved him over, "Why are you hiding there, RuanRuan? Come here!"
Ji Ruan, dimples appearing on his cheeks, ran over and hugged her arm, playfully whining, "Aunt Zhao, do you happen to know when Mr. Gu will return?"
Being embraced by the soft-skinned young lad, Aunt Zhao was almost dizzy with delight. She pinched his cheek, "Ah, that's hard to say. He's always working. Not sure if he'll be back this week at all."
"I see..." Ji Ruan pondered for a moment, "Aunt Zhao, I want to go out and have some fun."
Aunt Zhao burst out laughing, "Oh, so that's what this is about! You cheeky boy! Sure, go have fun. Just remember to stay safe!"
Ji Ruan replied earnestly, "It's our graduation get-together at the Central Plaza. You know, where the arcade is? It's pretty close."
Aunt Zhao recalled, "Oh, I remember. It's mostly youngsters hanging out there... Alright then, let me call Zhang Uncle to-"
"No need," Ji Ruan said, grabbing his phone and heading towards the entrance, "I'll just take a cab. It's not far. Oh, and Aunt Zhao, I won't be back for dinner. We might hang out late."
Aunt Zhao waved him off cheerily, "Alright then, off you go! Don't keep your friends waiting."
Ji Ruan was about to put on his shoes when he gleefully ran back to give Aunt Zhao a bear hug. He then dashed out, leaving behind the sight of his fluffy head and waving silhouette.
"Bye Aunt Zhao!"
Aunt Zhao, giddy from the unexpected hug, could not suppress her smiles. She watched Ji Ruan leave, and, still chuckling, went about tidying up and preparing for her afternoon nap.
It was precisely at this moment that Mr. Gu returned.
Half an hour after Ji Ruan left, after three days away, Gu Xiuyi finally opened the doors to the villa once more.
However, the atmosphere within was different from usual. There was no resounding laughter from Aunt Zhao, nor could he see Ji Ruan's joyously crinkled face. It was eerily silent.
It felt as if he'd been transported back to the time before Ji Ruan's arrival, to those chilly days of solitude.
Gu Xiuyi, suppressing the unsettling feeling in his chest, made his rounds through the house.
He first approached Ji Ruan's room. When knocking yielded no response, fearing Ji Ruan might have his hearing aids off and didn't hear him, he slightly pushed the door open. Empty.
Gu Xiuyi entered, checking both the bathroom and the cloakroom. Ji Ruan was definitely not there.
He then proceeded to scan every floor of the villa, not even sparing the backyard swimming pool. Yet, not a trace of Ji Ruan.
Pulling out his phone, he contemplated calling Ji Ruan. However, as his finger hovered over the dial button, he hesitated, uncertain about what to say. In a whimsical turn, he found himself back at Ji Ruan's door.