The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

56

Chapter 56
Ji Ruan first visited Cheng Zizhang's studio.
Pushing the door open, he immediately saw Cheng Yunxiu waiting inside. She was dressed in a light blue qipao, her long hair coiled up behind her, standing amidst an array of Han embroidery, emanating an air of gentle intellectuality.
She seemed to have just brewed some tea. Hearing the door, she turned and warmly approached, "Ah, Little Ruan, come in quickly! I'm so glad you're here."
"How are you? Are you feeling alright now?" Cheng Yunxiu asked with a smile.
Taking the cup of tea, Ji Ruan squinted his eyes and replied, "I'm fine now. Walking normally isn't an issue, though I can't engage in any strenuous activities."
"That's good. No need for any rigorous activity here anyway," Cheng Yunxiu led Ji Ruan further in, gesturing for Cheng Zizhang to settle their things.
She took Ji Ruan directly to her personal workspace.
Just like in the photos, it was simple yet cozy. By the window stood a small lounging sofa. When Ji Ruan sat and leaned back, he had a clear view of the cascading tree shadows outside, with butterflies flitting around the flowers.
Taking breaks here after working would undoubtedly be incredibly relaxing.
Standing up and leaning against the windowsill, Ji Ruan looked back at Cheng Yunxiu, "Thank you, ma'am. I truly love it here... and thank you, senior sister."
As he spoke, his eyes gleamed with astonishment. Glimmers of golden sunlight caught his eyelids, portraying an innocent charm.
Cheng Yunxiu also couldn't resist moving closer to the window, curious about the scene that had captivated him.
Cheng Zizhang leaned against the doorway without entering, "I knew you'd like a place like this."
Ji Ruan tilted his head quizzically, "What do you mean?"
"Oh, my goodness, she originally wanted to make it for you in that vintage style," Cheng Zizhang explained, "But I thought you'd definitely prefer something warm and cute. We even argued about it. In the end, we went with my suggestion."
Ji Ruan laughed, "Both would've been great."
He then approached a small cabinet, where an entire wall was filled with shelves displaying various silk threads, all shimmering with a resilient glow under natural light.
For a moment, Ji Ruan was entranced.
Seeing Ji Ruan's expression, Cheng Yunxiu pondered a bit and suggested, "Since we're free this afternoon, how about we embroider something for fun?"
"Oh, that sounds excellent," Cheng Zizhang chimed in excitedly, "Let's use the same basic pattern but embroider according to our own styles. In the end, let's see how different they can be. They might not even look like the same thing!"
This kind of game was intriguing. Ji Ruan used to play it with his mother and sister. Although they all used the same pattern, the end results were always distinct, reflecting individual personalities and thought processes.
"Sounds good!"
Ji Ruan responded with a smile. The May weather was unusually warm, so feeling a bit overheated in his double layers, he took off his jacket and casually laid it on the table before heading to the large workspace outside with Cheng Zizhang and her mother.
Along with the jacket, his cell phone was also left on the small table.
·
Western Villa.
"Beep!"
The sound of a door opening was heard, followed by it being shut gently but firmly.
Gu Xiuyi casually set down a small cake on the dining table and, removing his blazer, headed upstairs.
The villa was eerily silent, with an unsettling emptiness pervading it.
Glancing at his wristwatch, Gu Xiuyi noted that it was just past a quarter past four in the afternoon. Today, Aunt Zhao had taken the day off, so he had returned home a bit early.
At this time, Ji Ruan would usually have finished his nap. He would either be lounging in bed watching TV and munching on cherries or engrossed in highlighting key points for his exams.
But the silence was too profound.
The entire villa felt devoid of life, which was highly unusual. Even if Ji Ruan watched TV on mute, it wouldn't feel this desolate.
If Ji Ruan were studying, it would be even more unusual. Every time he tried to memorize something, he would read it out loud, murmuring the words while nodding his head.
Gu Xiuyi once teased him, saying he resembled an ancient scholar's pupil, who'd sway their head back and forth as they recited classical texts.
Gu Xiuyi paused briefly before briskly heading upstairs.
The door to Ji Ruan's room stood wide open, with the gauzy curtain drawn halfway, its edges fluttering gently in the breeze.
The TV was off. On the bedside table, a "lucky cat" figurine held up a paw, which appeared as though it had been broken in half, grinning vacantly. The candy jar that was usually placed prominently on the desk was gone.