CH 6

Lao Zhang only dropped Ji Ruan off at the entrance of the company, and a tall and elegant secretary came to pick him up 

The secretary of Gu Xiuyi's office looks just like a character in a novel, beautiful and graceful. When she saw Ji Ruan, she smiled brightly and said, "Hello, Mr. Ji. It's our first meeting. I am Mr. Gu's secretary. You can call me Xiao Ya."

Ji Ruan had just gotten out of the car and was blinded by the sunlight. He raised his hand to cover his forehead and smiled at Xiao Ya, "Hello, but don't call me Mr. Ji, just call me Ji Ruan."

Since the secretary team had picked out the candidate for Gu Xiuyi's marriage, it had always been Song Ling who was in contact with Ji Ruan. Xiao Ya had only seen Ji Ruan in person for the first time, and he looked much younger than in the photo, so calling him "Mr." did feel a bit strange.

But Xiao Ya still smiled cheerfully and didn't respond to Ji Ruan's words, she just said, "We all call you Mr. Ji because that's what Assistant Song calls you. It sounds more polite."

Ji Ruan didn't think too much about it, "But Assistant Song calls me Xiao Ruan now."

"Huh?" Xiao Ya was surprised. She clearly remembered that a few days ago when Song Ling was on the phone, he still addressed Ji Ruan very professionally as "Mr. Ji." How did it suddenly change to Xiao Ruan? 

But the title itself wasn't a very important matter, they could call him whatever the young lady liked. 

Xiao Ya then greeted Uncle Zhang and led Ji Ruan into the company. 

Xiao Ya then greeted Old Zhang and led Ji Ruan into the company. Along the way, people were coming and going, and many of them came over to greet Xiao Ya one after another, but their eyes were fixed on Ji Ruan.

People around were whispering something, but Ji Ruan couldn't hear clearly.

Gu Xiuyi had no intention of hiding his marriage, but the details of the contract were not widely known. Most people only knew that their boss, who had been single for nearly 30 years, suddenly found a partner. 

About a month ago, when the secretarial team secretly screened candidates, the company had already started to stir. 

"Is that the young lady? He's so young, is he an adult?" 

"Can you get married if you're not an adult? Although the boss is not a people person when working overtime, he is not that cruel!"

"But how did he suddenly want to get married? Didn't the boss say before that 'getting married is like going to a funeral, it's an ominous thing, it's better to come to work'?"

"Are you crazy? How could Gu Xiuyi say something like that!" 

"Really! He used to have a big mouth when he was young, but he became a silent boss after he gained real power in the last few years!"

Hahaha, come on, don't fool me. I joined the company later than you."

"Why would I lie to you? Every old employee has a manual with quotes from President Gu's college days. I can send it to you on my cloud drive!"

So today, Ji Ruan, the company's boss, appeared, and no one could contain their gossiping thoughts. Everyone wanted to know who the person was that could change their boss's mind and even jump into the marriage graveyard.

Xiao Ya was originally worried that Ji Ruan, who had just turned 18, would not adapt to this situation and hurriedly led him to the private elevator.

But Ji Ruan seemed to be completely unaware of the discussions and gazes around him, or maybe he noticed but didn't care, and didn't even give a glance. 

People like Xiao Ya, who worked hard in this tall and magnificent office building, had to stand up straight every day to maintain their momentum in this non-smoking battlefield. 

But Ji Ruan seemed so innocent and careless, or maybe he was just so smart that he seemed dull. He appeared here wearing a T-shirt, shorts, and canvas shoes, walking in a completely relaxed and natural posture, occasionally lowering his head to look at his phone and send messages to his friends, with a shallow smile on his face.

This kind of relaxation and unfounded confidence is something that no one present could ever have. He really looked like a pampered young lady. 

"Who is this young master from which family? Does anyone know him?"

"Well, he's not from the rich kid circle, he hasn't appeared before."

"Could it be a business alliance? Isn't the group getting closer to Lingzhou lately?"

"Lingzhou's chairman only has one daughter, you know."

"Ah..." 

The elevator doors closed, and the sound of conversation was shut out. Xiao Ya let out a sigh of relief.

Less than one-tenth of the people on the top floor of the building were working, and a solemn silence pervaded the area. No one was surprised by Ji Ruan's arrival.

Xiao Ya led Ji Ruan to Gu Xiuyi's office, and finally relaxed enough to give a brief introduction of the surroundings.

As she spoke, Ji Ruan noticed her expression becoming more and more relaxed, and a sense of joy emanating from her. He was infected by her mood and quietly listened to her.

When Xiao Ya saw Ji Ruan smiling, she stopped and asked, "What's up?"

Ji Ruan shook his head and said frankly, "I just feel like something good happened to you recently."

There was something magical about him that made it difficult for people to be guarded against him.

"That's true," Xiao Ya couldn't help but grin, and whispered to him, "At the end of the month, our entire secretary team will receive a bonus!"

"Really? Congratulations!" Ji Ruan said with a hint of joy.  

"It's nothing," Xiao Ya looked at Ji Ruan as if he was a lucky star for money, "It's all thanks to you."

Ji Ruan was slightly taken aback, "What did I do?"

Xiao Ya suddenly stopped talking and just smiled, opened the door and said to Ji Ruan, "Nothing, come on in. The boss is still in a meeting, so you'll have to wait for him for a bit."

She led Ji Ruan to the sofa and asked in a soft voice, "Do you want sweet milk or pure milk?"

Ji Ruan: "..." 

Ji Ruan thought to himself, why do these young ladies always assume he likes milk?

He pursed his lips and smiled slightly, "Can I have a glass of ice water?"

It was really hot outside!  

____________________________

After the meeting, Gu Xiuyi returned to his office to find only a few ice cubes left in the glass of ice water on his desk. Drops of water slid down the cup and left a small puddle on the metal surface.

Ji Ruan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, hands resting on the glass, completely focused on something outside.

"Ji Ruan?" 

...... 

The child didn't respond. 

Gu Xiuyi took a few steps forward and gently tapped Ji Ruan's shoulder. As expected, Ji Ruan was startled and flinched, hitting himself against the glass wall.

Gu Xiuyi: "..." 

He found that although Ji Ruan looked calmer than ordinary children and his courage was not small, he was easily frightened by some things that suddenly appeared. 

Gu Xiuyi realized that although Ji Ruan seemed more composed than other children, he was easily scared by sudden occurrences. Even if Gu Xiuyi tapped him lightly on the shoulder without any malice, Ji Ruan would still jump like a startled rabbit.

Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi locked eyes for a few seconds, and then Ji Ruan turned on the cochlear implant: "...I didn't even know you came in." 

Ji Ruan's cheeks turned slightly red from the sun, and his eyelashes looked long and trembled in the sunlight.

Gu Xiuyi stared at the pretty face for a while, then lifted Ji Ruan's hair on his right ear and looked at the small external device: "Why did you turn it off again? Didn't Li Sui'an say to wear it more often to get used to it?"

Ji Ruan answered vaguely: "I'm used to it. I used to turn it off all the time."

Gu Xiuyi didn't say anything, but he looked at Ji Ruan steadily for a moment before suddenly asking, "Is it uncomfortable to wear?" 

Ji Ruan shook his head. 

Ji Ruan touched his ears and said, "It's just that it's much clearer than my previous one, and I'm not used to it." 

Gu Xiuyi turned to the desk and grabbed an unused cup to fill with water. He said calmly, "Then wear it. So you won't miss anything, and I won't scare you by tapping you."

Ji Ruan followed quietly and retorted in a low voice, "Not always." 

Gu Xiuyi lifted his eyelids and glanced at him: "Hmm." 

"Oh, by the way," he lifted his water cup and pointed at Ji Ruan, asking, "Do you have a white shirt?"

A white shirt? 

Ji Ruan's wardrobe was filled with T-shirts, and he couldn't afford to buy nice shirts.

Ji Ruan shook his head honestly, "No, why?" 

Gu Xiuyi pursed his lips and put down his cup, "Let's go, let's buy some first."

Not to mention that they needed to wear white shirts for their wedding photos, with Ji Ruan's current outfit, if they went directly to the Civil Affairs Bureau, Gu Xiuyi would definitely be mistaken for a child abductor by passers-by.

Ji Ruan was taken to a shop that Gu Xiuyi often frequented. 

As soon as they entered, they were led into the VIP lounge. Rows of clothes and pants were pushed in front of them by the store clerks. In addition to white shirts, there were also many styles of casual wear. Ji Ruan only needed to sit on the small sofa and drink coffee and eat cake while casually choosing what he liked.  

But he actually didn't have a strong demand for what to wear. He was dizzy and didn't want to move among the dazzling array of clothing, so Gu Xiuyi picked out several sets for him without saying a word. 

In the end, Ji Ruan picked out a shirt himself.

It was a very simple style, with black bamboo embroidered on the cuff. It looked low-key and unobtrusive, but the stitches were dense, delicate, and elegant. It was the work of a very experienced Chinese embroidery master, probably even a grand master.

Ji Ruan's family had been doing Chinese embroidery for generations. Starting with his great-grandfather, they were all inheritors of the intangible cultural heritage of Chinese embroidery. He also learned from his grandfather for many years. If he had not died so young, he would probably have inherited this craft in the future.

Ji Ruan didn't realize that he had been staring at this shirt for a long time.

"This is the work of Teacher Cheng Yunxiu," the manager said softly next to Ji Ruan. "Our brand aims to promote classic traditional culture, and these embroidered patterns are all drawn and embroidered by Teacher Cheng and her disciples. There is only one of each pattern, and Teacher Cheng hopes that someone who is destined to wear it will be able to do so."

Ji Ruan looked up at Gu Xiuyi. 

He had very soft eyes, like spring water, and also like the gentle wind that blew wind chimes. 

Gu Xiuyi and he only made brief eye contact before he looked expressionlessly at the manager and said, "Buy it." 

Until Song Ling was carrying big and small bags following the two of them far away, the store clerks were still hiding behind the manager and laughing.

"I didn't expect President Gu to really get married, and he's so young."

"Speaking of which, don't these diamond bachelor types like younger partners? Is it popular in their circle to have an older husband and a younger wife?"

"I really want a boyfriend like this, who doesn't speak but just buys whatever I point at."

____________________________

When Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau wearing white shirts, it was just before lunchtime. Those who came to register in the morning had already finished, and those who were coming in the afternoon had not yet arrived. They were the only couple there.

The staff was momentarily surprised when they saw the two of them.  

Gu Xiuyi was a well-known figure in Jing City, and it was almost impossible not to know him if one paid attention to the news. 

From the moment Ji Ruan appeared at the company in the morning to when Gu Xiuyi took him to buy clothes, they were photographed and posted online.

Some people leaked that Gu Xiuyi was getting married, and the partner was an unknown young heir from a wealthy family, which was a business alliance.

Some people even claimed that Gu Xiuyi, who had been a monk for a long time, had taken on a young and beautiful university student as his sugar baby.

Others believed that they were truly in love. There were all sorts of rumors going around. 

It wasn't until they appeared at the Civil Affairs Bureau that at least the marriage rumors were directly confirmed, no matter what the reason. This caused a stir.

Ji Ruan broke the silence and stood next to Gu Xiuyi, smiling softly, "Good afternoon." 

His voice was clear and gentle.

The staff at the Civil Affairs Bureau immediately regained their professionalism upon seeing them.

"Good afternoon, are you here to register?" The person speaking was a middle-aged woman of about forty, who looked like their team leader.

Gu Xiuyi nodded, "Yes, what procedures do we need to go through?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff members standing in the corner all gasped quietly, looking at each other in surprise.

The team leader smiled politely and said, "Please follow me."

She led the two of them to the round table in the rest area and asked her colleagues to bring over a few forms, which were placed in front of them. 

"Hello, sir, I am Xiao Zhang, the marriage registration clerk. It's my pleasure to serve you. Here are two 'Declaration of Application for Marriage Registration' forms. Please fill them out separately and submit your household registration and relevant documents to us for review and processing."

Ji Ruan thanked her and took the declaration forms, while Gu Xiuyi handed over their documents to the team leader.

At this moment, Song Ling came in from outside with Xiao Ya. He had several delicately packaged boxes of chocolates in his hands, which he presented to the team leader.

"On this auspicious day, Mr. Gu is giving everyone some candy to celebrate. May you all have lots of happiness and good fortune. I hope you won't mind."

The registration office for marriages was never short of candy from newlyweds. Usually, the registration clerks accepted them as a gesture of goodwill, so as not to spoil the newlyweds' happy day.

The team leader didn't hesitate this time and smiled as she accepted the chocolates. "Then we'll graciously accept your gift. You two can take your time filling out the declaration forms. I'll go check on the progress of your document review."

She carried the chocolates into the office and placed them in front of her colleagues. "The newlyweds brought us some candy. We'll all share it later."

"This package looks a bit high-end." 

"These packages look quite high-end," said a colleague as they opened one of the boxes and quickly searched on Baidu. After a dozen or so seconds, they gasped, "These are handcrafted in Italy and cost two or three thousand yuan per box. They gave us seven or eight boxes? This is the first time I've ever received wedding candy worth over ten thousand yuan."

The team leader reviewed the documents, and upon hearing this, slowly turned her head. After a brief moment of eye contact among the group, they silently agreed to share a box.

There was no one else in the break area. Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi sat side by side quietly filling out the forms.

Ji Ruan's handwriting was as elegant and refined as he was, while Gu Xiuyi's handwriting was undoubtedly excellent, with a powerful and majestic stroke.

"Cough..." The air conditioning was set much colder than Ji Ruan was used to, and he was sensitive to changes in temperature. After a while without drinking water, his throat became hoarse. He covered his mouth and coughed.

Gu Xiuyi paused his pen, but didn't look up. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Ji Ruan remained focused on filling out the forms, reading each line carefully. 

However, the quiet break area was interrupted by Ji Ruan's occasional coughs.

"Clatter-"  

Gu Xiuyi put down his pen and went to the water dispenser to get a cup of water. He brought it back and placed it next to Ji Ruan. "Drink some if you're uncomfortable." 

Ji Ruan had a habit of ignoring many things when he was very focused, so he didn't even realize he had been coughing for a long time until Gu Xiuyi spoke up.

But it was always better to have someone offer to help than to have to do everything oneself. Ji Ruan picked up the paper cup and smiled, revealing two dimples. "Thank you, Mr. Gu."

Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan's dimples, not understanding why he was being so charming. "What are you smiling about? Hurry up and write."

Ji Ruan: "..." 

After filling out the declaration form, the team leader confirmed that everything was in order and led the two of them into the photography room.

Before taking the photos, Xiao Ya insisted on applying some lipstick on Ji Ruan, saying that the color of his face didn't look good and he needed to look good in the wedding photos. 

Ji Ruan sat with his mouth slightly open, allowing Xiao Ya to apply the lipstick while Gu Xiuyi stood by the side drinking water and watching.

Even Ji Ruan's lips were attractive, with a perfect thickness and a small pearl on his upper lip that he would gently dab with a tissue after wiping his mouth.

After applying the lipstick, his lips looked just like cherries, which Ji Ruan loved to eat.

However, in Gu Xiuyi's somewhat straight male aesthetic, he felt that this mouth would look more beautiful with nothing on it, just its natural light pink color.

The team leader was waiting on the side, and a colleague walked over and whispered quietly, "What's up with Mr. Gu? He's just looking and not saying anything even though he's almost finished drinking a large cup of water." 

The team leader gave him a warning look and put a finger to her lips, indicating him to be quiet.

Inside the photography room was a wooden oath platform covered in flowers and with the national emblem printed on it, with a large red backdrop behind it.

It wasn't until Ji Ruan stood in front of the oath platform that he finally felt the reality of getting married. He suddenly became nervous and a bit incredulous.

The person next to him was a man with whom he had no emotional foundation, yet they stood on the solemn oath platform, blessed by everyone, because of a piece of paper.

Ji Ruan's palms began to sweat

The photographer was still adjusting the camera, and most couples would be a little nervous when getting their certificate, so staff members would habitually joke around to ease the tension. However, Gu Xiuyi hardly showed any expressions, only occasionally responding out of politeness, while Ji Ruan's facial muscles were tense with nervousness.

Fortunately, both of them were genuinely good-looking, and no matter how stiff they were, they were pleasing to the eye.

The photographer had already adjusted the camera and asked the two of them to look at the lens. 

Ji Ruan and Gu Xiuyi stood shoulder to shoulder, with their arms tightly pressed together, feeling each other's body heat clearly. As the shutter sound went off, Ji Ruan grinned, looking a bit forced.

Even the photographer couldn't help but chuckle a little and comforted, "Relax a bit, Xiao Ji, you'll look even more beautiful when you smile without being nervous."

Ji Ruan nodded and took a deep breath before starting the photo shoot again. But after several takes, he still couldn't get into the right mood. In the lens, the two of them looked more like they were getting divorced than taking wedding photos.

The staff members on the side couldn't help but whisper, "What's up with Mr. Gu? Why doesn't he comfort him a little...?"

"Yeah, the child looks so nervous..."

After failing to take a good picture several times in a row, Ji Ruan became a bit discouraged. He rubbed his face hard, trying to relax his facial muscles.

His wrist was pulled, and Gu Xiuyi's voice sounded in his ear: "Are you scared?"  

But Ji Ruan turned his head away, unwilling to admit his nervousness. 

He had very white skin and short black hair that looked very soft. When he lowered his head, his long and dense eyelashes drooped slightly, casting a fine shadow on his lower eyelid, making for a very stunning appearance.

Gu Xiuyi reached out and placed his ten fingers on Ji Ruan's cheeks, whispering, "Purse your lips and show your dimples."

Ji Ruan suddenly looked up and stared at Gu Xiuyi with puffed cheeks.

He was already so nervous, and this person was asking him to show his dimples!

It's too much! 

Gu Xiuyi looked at Ji Ruan, and his bright, youthful eyes reflected his own image, but there was a lot of resentment in them. He knew that his words were not nice, but he really didn't know how to coax people.

After a brief standoff, Gu Xiuyi finally compromised with a light sigh: "Your dimples are really pretty. Can you smile?"

Ji Ruan looked at Gu Xiuyi's expression and could also sense that this was probably the greatest tenderness he could show.

He took a deep breath and did as Gu Xiuyi said, slowly pursing his lips. 

As Ji Ruan made his move, Gu Xiuyi's fingertips slowly sank into a small indentation. The sensation was quite wonderful, something he had never experienced in his entire life.

Gu Xiuyi's lips involuntarily curved into a slight arc, then gently touched Ji Ruan's chin and turned the boy's face to face him. The photographer understood and snapped a photo, capturing the moment. 

After the photo was taken, the certificate presenter handed them the oath and began the swearing-in process. It was a dark red protective case made of solid wood, and the wedding vows were held inside.

The certificate presenter said, "I am pleased to present you with your marriage certificate on this sacred day. Please answer my question solemnly: are you both entering into this marriage voluntarily?" 

The two of them looked at each other and said in unison, "Yes."

"Our country practices freedom of marriage, and both partners should be faithful and respect each other. Family members should respect and care for the elderly and the young, help each other, and work together to maintain equal and harmonious marital relationships. Can you both do this?"

"We can."

"Please face the solemn national emblem and read the 'Marriage Oath' together."

Gu Xiuyi opened the heavy wooden case and handed it to the two of them. Ji Ruan looked at him, paused for two seconds, and then followed his rhythm to read together:

"We voluntarily enter into a partnership, through thick and thin, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, we will face the challenges of life together, and be with each other for a lifetime!" 

Ji Ruan's voice was warm and gentle, while Gu Xiuyi's was deep and steady. During the solemn vows, to anyone else's eyes, they looked like a pair of genuinely in-love lovers.

Cheers of congratulations filled the room.

The registrar handed them their marriage certificate. 

"Wishing you both a happy marriage!"