The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

33

Chapter 33
After dinner, Ji Ruan returned to his room, took a bath, and began to prepare the draft sketch.
At nine o'clock in the evening, there was a timely knock at the door. Without a doubt, it was Gu Xiuyi delivering milk.
The entire winter break was like this. Whenever Gu Xiuyi was at home, he invariably took over the duty of delivering milk from Aunt Zhao, always precisely at nine - not a minute earlier, not a second later.
Perhaps it was a regular quirk for someone as detail-oriented as him; the exact timing brought him exceptional comfort.
Unbeknownst to him, Ji Ruan too had become accustomed to this ritual. As nine approached, he would subconsciously await the sound of the door being knocked.
He walked over and opened the door, unsurprisingly finding Gu Xiuyi and the cup of milk he held.
Gu Xiuyi didn't hand over the milk to Ji Ruan but walked straight into the room instead.
Ji Ruan paused for a moment, closed the door and followed him in, "Didn't you have work today?"
Gu Xiuyi was always busy. Most of the time, he'd just deliver the milk to Ji Ruan, remind him to rest early, and then go to work in his study. Only on rare occasions would he stay to chat with Ji Ruan.
He looked back, "I've been on vacation since this afternoon."
"Oh..." Ji Ruan responded nonchalantly, "You sit, I need to use the restroom."
Gu Xiuyi nodded, watching as Ji Ruan hurried into the bathroom. When closing the door, Ji Ruan pressed his hand against the frosted glass, leaving a fleeting palm print - tiny and adorable.
A small smile crept onto Gu Xiuyi's face as he placed the milk on the desk, taking a moment to observe Ji Ruan's personal space.
Though the desk was cluttered, it was organized. The Maneki-Neko, or beckoning cat, that had lost a paw had accompanied Ji Ruan to university and back for the winter break. It now sat on the second shelf of the bookcase, waving its disabled paw with a goofy grin.
The candy jar Gu Xiuyi had given Ji Ruan had also made its way back, placed right next to the beckoning cat.
Ji Ruan's chair had also seen upgrades over the cold winter.
Originally plain, it now boasted a cushion, a backrest, a neck support, and a pale milky-white blanket that Ji Ruan seemed particularly fond of. Even the armrests had been covered in fluffy sleeves, ensuring they wouldn't feel cold to the touch.
From a distance, it hardly looked like a chair at all but rather a cozy little nest. One could easily imagine a tiny, purring kitten or a playful puppy snuggling inside all day.
- And, of course, Ji Ruan was no exception.
Gu Xiuyi was torn between laughter and exasperation.
The bathroom door opened, and Ji Ruan came out, wiping his hands. He settled back into his cozy nook-no, chair-and expertly spread the blanket over his legs. He looked up at Gu Xiuyi, "Is there something you wanted to say?"
Gu Xiuyi took a seat on the chair beside Ji Ruan. It was a stark, bare chair-virtually a wooden bench.
The stark contrast between the two chairs momentarily made Gu Xiuyi forget what he intended to say.
Ji Ruan seemed to notice the austere nature of Gu Xiuyi's seat. Scratching the tip of his nose, he handed over his cushion.
Gu Xiuyi accepted it without refusal. The cushion was pleasantly fragrant, smelling just like Ji Ruan. He couldn't fathom why Ji Ruan, a young man, smelled so delightful, even his belongings carried the scent.
Is this how all young men are?
Probably not, for when Song Ling and Li Sui'an were younger, they both carried the stench of sweat from basketball games.
"Mr. Gu?" Ji Ruan waved his pale palm in front of him, "What are you thinking about?"
Gu Xiuyi snapped back, nodding towards the desk, "What are you drawing?"
Ji Ruan touched the half-finished pattern, "This? It's for Zi Zhang's birthday-a Primula sieboldii."
He chuckled, "Its symbolic meaning is compassion-feels both fitting and not."
"Birthday flower, huh..." Gu Xiuyi's voice trailed, his expression unreadable. Ji Ruan, however, sensed a subtle change in his mood.
Before Ji Ruan could voice his concern, Gu Xiuyi covered the sketch with an A4 paper, taking Ji Ruan's slightly cold wrist, "Enough about others. Isn't your birthday coming up? Any plans?"
Ji Ruan didn't pull away from the warm grasp, smiling, "I've thought about it. There's an indoor amusement park at the Times International. I plan to go there with my roommate."
A subtle change crossed Gu Xiuyi's expression, "With your roommate, huh..."
Holding his phone in his right hand and with his left in Gu Xiuyi's grasp, Ji Ruan asked absentmindedly, "What's the date of your Gregorian calendar birthday?"
Preoccupied with thoughts, Gu Xiuyi hesitated to answer. Before he could, Ji Ruan continued, "How about I make a birthday flower for you as well?"
Gu Xiuyi looked up, taken aback, "...For me?"
"Yes," Ji Ruan said, a soft dimple appearing on his cheek, his demeanor effortless. "The one I gave you earlier wasn't of the best quality, and the tree was my preference. I should give you a better one... Come on, which day is it?"