The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

66

Chapter 66.
One week later, on the day of the Gu family patriarch's birthday celebration.
Ji Ruan was awakened by Gu Xiuyi early in the morning. Upon opening his eyes, a dim light illuminated the bedside, with the outside still seemingly dark and tree shadows faintly swaying.
Gu Xiuyi sat beside the bed, gently patting Ji Ruan's back.
"Wake up, darling. We need to head out," he whispered softly into Ji Ruan's ear, as if afraid of startling him.
Ji Ruan's consciousness began to return, but he felt paralyzed, limbs limp and weak.
Getting out of bed was always difficult for him, especially early in the morning.
"Ah..." Ji Ruan sighed, "What time is it...?"
Gu Xiuyi's eyes held a hint of guilt, "It takes a while to drive to the pier. I'm sorry, darling. How about we sleep a bit more in the car?"
It took Ji Ruan a few seconds to remember that the old man wanted to have his birthday feast on a cruise ship. Given his frail health and intolerance for sea waves, and his insistence on the most luxurious cruise, they had to choose the biggest river outside the city.
Everything seemed perfect, except the journey was a bit long.
Everyone knew the old man of the Gu family was not doing well. To have made it to his 80th birthday was an achievement in itself. In everyone's heart, this cruise feast probably represented his last wish, and no one would object.
Regardless of any internal conflicts within the Gu family, as the eldest grandson, Gu Xiuyi knew he had to put on a good front.
Realizing all this, Ji Ruan, unusually, didn't act spoilt towards Gu Xiuyi, and tried to sit up.
But while one can be mentally ready, the body might not always cooperate. For instance, just as Ji Ruan managed to prop himself up a bit, he was overpowered by low blood sugar and slumped onto Gu Xiuyi.
Gu Xiuyi quickly embraced him, deeply concerned, "It's okay, it's okay, take your time, darling."
While massaging Ji Ruan's temples, he whispered comforting words into his ear.
Aunt Zhao entered with a glass of sugar water, witnessing the scene and murmured, "It's really unfortunate..."
Poor Ji Ruan had always been in frail health. The traditional medicine doctor they visited a few days ago mentioned his low energy and vitality. It was no wonder waking up early after insufficient sleep affected him this much.
Gu Xiuyi took the glass and helped Ji Ruan take a few sips, observing his face closely. After a moment, he said to Aunt Zhao, "Could you bring me his clothes, please?"
"Huh? ...Alright," Aunt Zhao didn't quite understand but did as Gu Xiuyi asked.
Holding Ji Ruan gently, Gu Xiuyi whispered, "Sleep, darling. I won't disturb you anymore. Just rest, and I'll help you get dressed, okay?"
After a brief pause, the head on his shoulder gave a slight nod.
Gu Xiuyi bent down and kissed the top of Ji Ruan's head, "Such a good boy, thank you, darling."
Following that, Gu Xiuyi, with the deftness of someone dressing a doll, skillfully clothed Ji Ruan. After a quick freshening up, he gently lifted Ji Ruan into the car.
Ji Ruan faintly opened his eyes and, looking over Gu Xiuyi's shoulder, noticed the early light of dawn filtering through the car window.
Concerned about Ji Ruan's stomach discomfort, Gu Xiuyi took the opportunity, while Ji Ruan was relatively alert, to feed him a little something.
As the car smoothly entered the freeway, Ji Ruan nestled in Gu Xiuyi's embrace, drifting into a peaceful nap-surprisingly, it felt even more comfortable than sleeping at home.
However, he was roused before he could fall into a deep sleep. Outside the window, the sky was now brightly lit, with a luxurious cruise liner anchored not far from the pier.
Gu Xiuyi offered Ji Ruan some water, then wiped his face with a moist towel. Holding Ji Ruan's face, he waited until he was fully awake before assisting him out of the car.
Ji Ruan's cheeks were flushed from the wiping, his long lashes clumped together from moisture. Illuminated by the natural light, his skin appeared translucent, resembling a delicate sprout-arguably the most tender one in a vegetable patch.
Just as Ji Ruan was rubbing his eyes, Gu Xiuyi playfully pecked his lips.
"Why are you doing this again?" Ji Ruan shielded his mouth with the back of his hand, ensuring that Gu Xiuyi wouldn't continue his shameless antics.
Although no guests were present at the pier yet, it was still bustling with staff. Being openly affectionate in public, Ji Ruan felt more bashful than the audacious man in his thirties. He knew the meaning of the word 'embarrassment'.
Seeing Ji Ruan's ear tips turn crimson, Gu Xiuyi refrained from teasing further. Gently adjusting the hair behind Ji Ruan's ear to cover it, he wrapped an arm around him and led him forward.
"There you go. With your hair covering it, no one will notice your reddened ears, darling."
Despite the tone being intended to comfort, it carried a teasing undertone that earned Gu Xiuyi a few stern glances from Ji Ruan.
Perhaps Ji Ruan didn't realize that those with mesmerizing eyes, when displaying a mix of anger and playfulness, only became even more captivating to onlookers.
For instance, Gu Xiuyi felt an urge to kiss him several more times at that very moment.
But knowing that Ji Ruan's sense of modesty was as delicate as the thin film inside an eggshell, Gu Xiuyi restrained himself from pushing the boundaries.