CH 5

Tomorrow and tomorrow again, there will be so many tomorrows. 

Mr. Gu always talks about tomorrow, but it's never the real tomorrow.  

After returning home, Ji Ruan went straight to bed and woke up in the evening to find the sky painted with light clouds. Only Aunt Zhao was busy in the kitchen of the villa. She had stewed a pot of pork rib soup, and Ji Ruan could smell the rich fragrance even without lifting the lid.  

Xiao An was dozing off by the stairs in the basement but perked up when he saw Ji Ruan and shook his fluffy tail, wanting to pounce on him. However, he stopped short just before colliding with Ji Ruan, and instead rubbed his sticky head against Ji Ruan's leg. Xiao An didn't act like a typical Maine Coon cat, but more like a silly big dog.  

"Why are you suddenly so well-behaved today?" Ji Ruan was surprised and laughed, reaching out to pet the cat.

The floor-to-ceiling window behind them was filled with the sunset and the green trees outside, framing a beautiful picture. The Maine Coon cat's light-colored and soft fur was glowing with golden light, and the young man's fair fingers seamlessly blended into the scene.  

Aunt Zhao was setting the table and saw this scene, so she quietly took a photo. "Before Mr. Gu left, he taught Xiao An a lesson, and now it's so well-behaved," she said with a smile.

"Really?" Ji Ruan walked over to the counter and helped Aunt Zhao with the dishes. "How did he train him? Mr. Gu is amazing."

"Oh, don't even mention it. Mr. Gu really knows how to train cats. I didn't even understand what he did, but after a few times, Xiao An was obedient," Aunt Zhao spoke quickly with a high-pitched tone. She was a middle-aged woman who was always happy doing anything. 

Ji Ruan didn't really care about what Gu Xiuyi did, but every time he was with Aunt Zhao, he felt like her happiness infected the air, making everything full of vitality. He liked being with this kind of elder.  

Whenever Ji Ruan showed interest in what Aunt Zhao was saying, she would talk more excitedly.  

Like now, with a bright smile on Ji Ruan's face and his praise of "Mr. Gu is amazing," Zhao Auntie burst into a radiant laugh as if she had achieved something great.  

"That's right. Xiao Gu only taught him harshly because he saw all the bruises on your body from that stupid cat. In the past, he couldn't bear to do so."

Ji Ruan carried the dish and walked to the dining room with Aunt Zhao.  

"But Xiao An has always loved to pounce on people since he was young. When he was small, we could let him be, but now that he's grown so big, we should take good care of him. Otherwise, when we take him out for a walk, people will think I'm walking a dog," Aunt Zhao said, making Ji Ruan laugh.

Ji Ruan was amused by Aunt Zhao's words. He opened a chair and sat down, pulled out the chopsticks, and handed them to Aunt Zhao. 

When Gu Xiuyi wasn't at home, they all ate together.  

"Oh," Ji Ruan suddenly realized something and asked, "Has Mr. Gu left yet?"

"Yes, he's gone to work again... Oh! Look at me," Aunt Zhao slapped her forehead, "I was so busy talking to you that I forgot the important thing. Mr. Gu asked me to tell you that he's going on a business trip tomorrow, and when he'll be back depends on when you guys can get the certificate." 

"I see..." Ji Ruan nodded. 

It turns out that Mr. Gu's tomorrow refers to the day when he is free.  

____________________________

In the following two days, Ji Ruan's life consisted of eating and sleeping, playing with Xiao An when he had nothing else to do, and even buying a pot of hanging ivy on the way back from grocery shopping with Aunt Zhao.  

Although nothing much happened, he managed to improve his complexion. 

On the third day of Gu Xiuyi's business trip, Ji Ruan received a WeChat message during breakfast from a person named Han Xiaolin. 

Ji Ruan was puzzled for a second when he saw the message, but then a spark flashed through his mind and a face with a pointed chin, single eyelid, and big white teeth appeared in his mind.  

Then all the memories about this person were activated.

He was probably Ji Ruan's only friend in this world. In the later part of the original book's plot, when he and Gu Xiuyi were having a difficult time, it was this friend who helped them survive.  

A true friend in times of trouble.  

[Hey bro!! Come out and play! Take a look at my admission notice!!] 

[Front image.jpg] 

[Back image.jpg] 

[Unboxing video.mp4] 

[I can't believe I really got accepted into Peking University. We're alumni now!]

[Come out and play! Let me show off the acceptance letter in person! Hurry up!! See you at our old spot!!]

Ji Ruan chuckled at the string of messages and felt a strange sense of familiarity with the sender. It was as if they were a long-time friend, rather than just an NPC in a book.  

Even the mention of "our old spot" in the message made him think of a small noodle shop outside the gate of No.14 Middle School. 

Neither the school nor the shop existed in his original world, but they had become clear memories in his mind. 

Ji Ruan put down his phone and looked at Aunt Zhao who was picking vegetables. He couldn't contain his smile and said, "Aunt Zhao, I'm going out for a bit later."

Aunty Zhao's face lit up at the sight of Ji Ruan's curved eyes, "Oh? Where are you going?" 

"I'm meeting a friend," Ji Ruan took a bite of his bun.

The last time Aunt Zhao had gone out to play with a friend was thirty or forty years ago. At her age, hearing the word "friend" was like watching TV, and no matter how she looked at Ji Ruan, she felt a softness in her heart. She laughed and said, "Let Uncle Zhang send you. It's too hot outside." 

Uncle Zhang was an old driver who had worked at Gu XiuYi's company for his whole life. He was going to retire in a couple of years, and with the recent addition of a grandson, Gu XiuYi sent him to Ji Ruan's place as a casual errand, so that he could stay at home most of the time, enjoying his retirement and playing with his grandchild.

When Ji Ruan got into the car, he could feel the happiness of Uncle Zhang's growing family on his beaming face.

In his past life, Ji Ruan had only seen the gray walls and beds of the hospital during the best years of his life. But since he arrived here, he had seen so many colorful little worlds in just a few days.  

Ji Ruan leaned against the car window, and his heart was slightly hot as if a new vitality was surging. 

No.14 Middle School was a national key school, a prestigious school with a small campus built in a bustling urban area, and the noodle shop across the street had also been rooted there for decades. 

When Ji Ruan arrived, his friend Han Xiaolin wasn't there yet. He sent a message saying he had encountered a fool from the science class who wanted to challenge him to a fight, and they were currently battling it out at the cyber cafe next door, so he would be ten minutes late. 

Ji Ruan laughed at the colorful language and found a small table for himself, ordering a bowl of cold rice cakes.

When Han Xiaolin arrived, Ji Ruan had just finished half of his rice cakes. The boy in front of him looked just like his memory, with thin arms and legs, and not very tall, but full of vitality. 

"Hey, you started eating without me," Han Xiaolin sat down across from Ji Ruan and looked him up and down. Suddenly he said, "Huh?" and reached out to tug at Ji Ruan's hair. "Have you been taking care of your hair recently?"

"What care? I'm not a girl," Ji Ruan leaned back.

"But your hair has improved a lot. It used to be so dry and now it's more resilient!" Han Xiaolin was surprised and looked at Ji Ruan more carefully. He exclaimed several times, "No, how come your complexion has improved too? What good news are you hiding?" 

"Just something happened." Ji Ruan held his chin and stirred the rice cakes with a spoon.

Unlike Han Xiaolin's excited manner, Ji Ruan was always slow and deliberate in everything he did, including his speech. His voice was slightly hoarse and he dragged out his words as if the air around him was cooler than elsewhere.

"It's hard to say whether it's good news or not." 

"What do you mean?" Han Xiaolin's brain didn't turn very fast, so he couldn't understand Ji Ruan's ambiguous words.

He looked at Han Xiaolin and said, "I'm getting married."

"....." 

Han Xiaolin sat frozen in place for a few seconds, then began to frantically touch his face, scratch his head, and tug at his ears and cheeks. Finally, he propped himself up on the table with a complicated expression.

"What, what's going on? When did you fall in love? How did you get married?!" 

"Do you understand, Ji Ruan? Don't be fooled!"

"--No, who is the person?!" 

The old TV in the small shop was on, and Ji Ruan saw a familiar figure inside. He pointed casually with his spoon, "Him."

Han Xiaolin turned around abruptly.

The local news is playing, and the female host's emotionless broadcast voice echoes in the store—— 

The local news was playing, and the female host's emotionless voice echoed in the shop: "Yesterday, Mr. Gu Xiuyi, the current chairman of the Gu Group, attended the Lingzhou new product launch event and rapidly expanded his new business territory. He said..."

The shop had no air conditioning, so the owner had set up a big fan blowing in front of them.

Han Xiaolin turned back in the strong wind and said incredulously, "Ji Ruan, are you crazy?!"

____________________________

Gu Group Headquarters. 

Gu Xiuyi returned to his office and found the sunlight shining in through the floor-to-ceiling windows too dazzling, so he pressed the remote control to slowly close the automatic curtains. The view outside the window, the panoramic view of the river and the ancient buildings, was never a scenery he enjoyed watching.

He poured himself a glass of water and sat on the sofa looking a bit tired. Finally done with work, Gu Xiuyi could finally relax for a moment and had time to plan his marriage. However, he was uncertain about Ji Ruan. 

He was supposed to have obtained the marriage certificate three days ago and announced the news publicly during this press conference. But he changed his plans that day. 

It was the first time Gu Xiuyi had ever given up his plans for someone else. He thought about Ji Ruan's weak and pitiful face. Anyone would have felt sympathetic towards someone with such looks. However, this emotion was not good for Gu Xiuyi. If he let his sympathy make him lower his expectations and change his plans for Ji Ruan, then the ensuing troubles were obvious.

After calming down, reason told Gu Xiuyi that he needed to think carefully about whether or not he really wanted to marry Ji Ruan.

He even thought about letting Song Ling find another candidate for him. 

However, this thought was quickly dismissed.

His secretary team was very professional, and Ji Ruan, who was carefully selected from thousands of candidates, was outstanding in terms of personality and education. Even the fact that he came from a family with no parents or friends was a stroke of genius. There was no one more suitable than him.

Or, from a superficial perspective, after seeing Ji Ruan's face, anyone else would seem dull and uninteresting.

The empty office was dark and gloomy, and the glass water cup slowly turned in his long hands. 

While Gu Xiuyi was away on business, Aunt Zhao sent him many photos of Ji Ruan. None of them had good angles or compositions, but they were all very beautiful.

According to Aunt Zhao, Ji Ruan had also grown a plant in his room, which he placed on his small balcony. Gu Xiuyi had seen the photos and it was growing well, with lush green leaves.  

The plant was growing well, and Xiao An also liked him... 

In fact, what did that little bit of sympathy amount to? It was just a passing thought. Maybe he wasn't used to someone like Ji Ruan, but over time he would get used to it. It wasn't a big deal, why worry so much?

When Song Ling arrived at the office, the curtains had been opened again, and the whole room was filled with bright light. Gu Xiuyi sat at his desk reading documents and didn't even lift his head. "Go pick up Ji Ruan, and bring his ID." 

"Aunt Zhao just messaged me, saying that he went out," Song Ling said.

Gu Xiuyi raised his head: "Where did he go?"

“......I didn't ask.” 

Gu Xiuyi played with the pen in his hand. "Let Lao Zhang pick him up. You go get his ID."

Song Ling asked, "Are you going to take him to get the certificate? But we have a meeting later."

Gu Xiuyi's eyes flickered as if he had forgotten about it. He thought for a moment and still insisted, "Bring him over and wait here for a while."

Song Ling didn't argue anymore and nodded, "Okay, I'll go do it right away."

"—Song Ling." 

Just as he had taken a few steps, he was called back. Song Ling turned around, "What's wrong?" 

Gu Xiuyi's expression was calm, "Do you have Ji Ruan's WeChat?"

"Huh?" The topic changed too quickly, and Song Ling didn't react for a moment. He hesitated for two seconds, "Yes... of course."

Gu Xiuyi nodded and buried himself back into the files, "Pass it to me."

____________________________

Buzz...

Ji Ruan's phone received a friend request 

On the other end, Han Xiaolin was still stuck in the death loop of "Is Ji Ruan crazy or am I crazy?"

Ji Ruan exclaimed, "Oh!" and said leisurely, "He added me on WeChat." 

Han Xiaolin sneered, "Hmph, who? That CEO Gu of yours?"  

Ji Ruan nodded. 

Han Xiaolin rolled his eyes, "You only get WeChat after getting married? Do you usually have some kind of divine friendship with each other? Ji Ruan, are you okay?"

Ji Ruan's voice was still light and ethereal as he agreed to the friend request. "I said we have a contractual marriage."

So it turned out that Gu Xiuyi's profile picture was Xiao An, much smaller than he is now. Was it when he was just brought home? He looked like a Q-version little tiger.  

Han Xiaolin: "..." 

Han Xiaolin was anxious, "What kind of novels have you been reading lately, Ji Ruan? You can't be reckless just because you got into university! Shall we go home and read textbooks and get more exposure to socialism?"

Ji Ruan raised his head and revealed a round smile: "Why don't you believe it?" 

[Gu Xiuyi: Where are you?]

Ji Ruan lowered his head and typed on the keyboard. 

[Playing outside with classmates, near No. 14 Middle School.]  

It took a few minutes to reply. 

[Gu Xiuyi: Lao Zhang is nearby, he'll come to pick you up soon, we'll go get the marriage license.] 

Ji Ruan's hand trembled when he saw the words "marriage license," suddenly feeling a strong sensation - this time, they were really going to get married.

He rubbed his fingers and typed: [Aren't you on a business trip?] 

[Gu Xiuyi: I just came back.] 

"Ji Ruan..." Han Xiaolin had a worried look on his face, "It's not about whether I believe you or not, it's whether you need to go see a doctor, please be more sensible!" 

Ji Ruan remained calm and quiet, with a beautiful smile on his face, but he didn't respond to Han Xiaolin's repeated questions.

He raised his hand to call the boss over and ordered a bowl of beef noodles with extra meat and cilantro.

Han Xiaolin was shocked: "You're going to eat so much?"

"I ordered it for you, don't you like this place's beef noodles the most?" Ji Ruan smiled. 

Han Xiaolin was suddenly overwhelmed with joy, "Ah? Then, then, um, are you really treating me? Why?"

You should know that Ji Ruan was very stingy, and usually only treated him to a small amount of food, and never added extra meat!  

After paying the bill, Ji Ruan held his chin with an innocent and carefree look, "I'm going to get my marriage license later, you can eat slowly, I have to go first."  

Han Xiaolin's small eyes gradually widened to their limits, reflecting the image of a madman in his pupils.

The next second, he watched in disbelief as the lunatic got up, walked out of the small shop, and got into a top-of-the-line luxury car parked on the street corner.

It was as if he had changed his muddy shoes for a pair of gold-trimmed ones and walked up into the clouds.

Han Xiaolin finally believed...

He stood up unsteadily, buffeted by the strong wind from the powerful fan in the noodle shop.  

Han Xiaolin, an eighteen-year-old high school graduate from a poor family, had just received his university admission letter on the day he gained a friend who could become a member of a wealthy family.

This wealthy man, named Ji Ruan, even treated him to a bowl of beef noodles with extra meat and cilantro! 

At this moment, in Han Xiaolin's eyes, the exhaust fumes from the Mercedes-Benz car that had just left were all golden!

____________________________

The author has something to say: 

Ruan Ruan: What do you mean by a wealthy man treating someone to beef noodles? I'm spending my own money, okay!