The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

72

Chapter 72
Ji Ruan's eyes were large and luminous, his soft eyelashes fluttering, reminiscent of the most adorable sprite from a fairy kingdom.
Meeting those clear and earnest eyes, Gu Xiuyi began to doubt, for the first time, his capability in handling situations.
He paused for a moment before dialing Song Ling's number:
"Ask Bai Yue if there's a letter he hasn't handed over."
That simple query took Song Ling several minutes to resolve.
During this time, Auntie Zhao came over to deliver a meal, a vegetable and pork rib porridge that was thick and tenderly cooked, with an irresistible aroma. Just as Gu Xiuyi was engrossed in feeding Ji Ruan, Song Ling called back. Gu tossed his phone onto the small table and activated the speaker function.
The background noise from Song Ling's end was chaotic, with voices intermixed with profanities pouring into the call. Gu Xiuyi frowned, "Move away from the noise and then speak."
"Ah, alright, it is too loud here." Song Ling said, opening his car door to sit inside. The environment immediately became quieter. Taking a relieved breath, he said, "Bai Yue is quite occupied right now, the loan sharks are keeping an eye on him, limiting his contact with outsiders. They let me speak to him for a bit only because of your influence."
Song Ling paused for two seconds, "... Hello? Gu, can you hear me?"
Gu Xiuyi, who was busy rubbing Ji Ruan's stomach, responded absent-mindedly, "Go on."
Ji Ruan hadn't eaten all day. He had even thrown up in the morning. Now, after a few sips of porridge, he felt a bit uneasy, leaning on Gu Xiuyi and whimpering.
Song Ling noted the strange sounds from the other end but didn't dwell on it, "I didn't get any letter. Judging by Bai Yue's expression, he didn't seem to be lying. He genuinely wasn't aware of any such matter. Perhaps there's been a mix-up somewhere?"
Gu Xiuyi and Ji Ruan exchanged glances.
Ji Ruan's lips were still a bit pale. His weak hand rested on Gu Xiuyi's forearm as he furrowed his brow in thought, "But I distinctly heard it..."
"I know," Gu Xiuyi affirmed, trusting Ji Ruan completely. He asked Song Ling, "What exactly did he say?"
Song Ling: "Um... do you want a verbatim recount?"
"Speak."
"Alrighty!" Taking his cue, Song Ling cleared his throat, dramatically shifting his tone:
"Are you out of your mind? For years, I haven't even bothered to write a letter. Why the hell would I write to you?!"
"Ji Ruan! Were you even listening to me?! Were you sleepwalking or something?!"
With intense emotion, Song Ling effectively portrayed Bai Yue's rage under the pressure from the loan sharks. Then, he immediately reverted to his normal tone, mastering the switch:
"That's exactly what he said."
Ji Ruan: "..."
Gu Xiuyi: "..."
Ji Ruan chuckled awkwardly, "Song, your acting is quite impressive. Way better than the lead actor in the drama series I recently watched."
"Really?" Song Ling said with a mix of joy and surprise. "To be honest, back when I was studying, I always felt I had a knack for acting. If Gu Xu hadn't told me about his struggles in the business world and how he needed someone trustworthy, and then played the pity card, I might've been moved and decided to help him. Who knows, I might have been the lead actor in that drama you watched the other day! And by the way-"
"Song Ling," Gu Xu interrupted coldly. "Lying to children can land you in jail."
Song Ling: "..."
Without waiting for a reply, Gu Xu hung up the call, effortlessly silencing the long-held and untold dream of Song Ling becoming an actor amidst the fragile electronic hum of the call.
He withdrew his hand and gently massaged Ji Ruan's stomach with his warm palm, drawing the conversation back, "No letter, darling."
As Ji Ruan's stomach adjusted, he straightened up and cautiously took a sip of porridge, musing, "...Why did that happen?"
Gu Xu gently pressed on Ji Ruan's shoulder, letting him lean comfortably against him, taking the spoon from Ji Ruan's hand to continue feeding him, "It must've been a slip of the tongue. Bai Yue showed some signs of delusional behavior, he might've been mentally unstable then."
Ji Ruan swallowed a mouthful of porridge, "Is that so..."
Gu Xu leaned in and kissed his shimmering lips, "Yes, don't worry about him."
Ji Ruan pondered for a moment. He was still inclined to believe what he had heard. Even though his hearing wasn't the best, surely he wouldn't have misheard something as clear as a letter?
But Gu Xu had a point. Why should he waste time and energy on someone irrelevant? It's just not worth it.
Realizing this, a smile returned to Ji Ruan's face as he playfully pecked at his own head, "Mm-hmm!"
Let "Bai Yue's Letter" remain an enigmatic mystery.
Gu Xu cupped Ji Ruan's face, fingers gently sliding to touch the skin behind his ear, "There's something else I need to tell you."