CH 17

Freshmen were required to gather at the playground for a meeting after reporting to their respective department sites. Gu Xiuyi led Ji Ruan along the way, attracting many surprised glances. 

Having grown accustomed to various types of gazes, Gu Xiuyi wondered if Ji Ruan would feel uncomfortable. He lowered his head to observe Ji Ruan's face and asked, "Does it bother you?" 

Ji Ruan was not particularly bothered by the stares of others; rather, he disliked being surrounded at close range, as it tended to make him feel dizzy. 

Within the college's gift bag was a folding fan, a creation that embodied campus culture. It bore the school motto, with a blue tassel hanging from its handle. Ji Ruan opened it and lightly fanned himself while looking at Gu Xiuyi. "I felt a little dizzy just now." 

Gu Xiuyi's expression grew serious. "Do you want to go home first?" 

"No, thank you," Ji Ruan smiled and shook his head. "I'm fine now. It was just a momentary feeling." 

Gu Xiuyi pursed his thin lips but didn't press Ji Ruan any further. 

They stood together in the playground for a while until Han Xiaolin rushed over, taking Ji Ruan's arm and ensuring his safe handover to a close friend. Then, Gu Xiuyi made his way to the stands listed as the family area. 

As Han Xiaolin watched Gu Xiuyi walk away, he put his arm around Ji Ruan's shoulder and asked with widened eyes, "What just happened?" 

Ji Ruan wiped the sweat from the tip of his nose. "What do you mean?" 

"That!" Han Xiaolin took out his phone and opened Weibo, his eyebrows raised with excitement. "Why did you throw yourself into Mr. Gu's arms?! And why were you holding hands? You even walked such a long distance while holding hands!" 

Ji Ruan quickly peered over to take a look and within seconds, the news had already spread. 

[Recent photo exposure! Today, the chairman of Gu Group accompanied his wife to attend his alma mater's celebration. Surprisingly, his wife is a freshman at a prestigious university, and their displays of affection were so intimate!] 

The accompanying picture showed Gu Xiuyi hugging Ji Ruan at the entrance of the multi-purpose hall, the two of them strolling hand in hand to the playground, and Gu Xiuyi looking down at Ji Ruan while they spoke. These were all original photos taken directly from a mobile phone. 

Surprisingly, they truly did look like a newlywed couple. 

"What is this?!" Ji Ruan frowned, swiftly turning off the screen and shoving the phone back into Han Xiaolin's hands, as if looking at it for a second longer would burn his face. 

"What kind of headline is this? It's utter nonsense! The media is shameless!" Ji Ruan stammered in embarrassment, never imagining that such ancient gossip-style headlines still existed in today's media. 

Han Xiaolin took back his phone and snatched the fan from Ji Ruan's hand to fan himself. "Although the wording is a bit sensational, I must admit, the pictures do speak for themselves~" 

He raised an eyebrow at Ji Ruan. "Unless, you, the person involved, want to personally tell me the real situation?" 

Ji Ruan's mind was filled with images of the headline and the photo of them hugging, making him feel shy and embarrassed, his ears turning red. "It's all nonsense! I felt a little dizzy because there were so many people, so he helped me. That's all!" 

Han Xiaolin didn't believe a word of it, wearing a mischievous half-smile. "Oh?" 

The stands were just as crowded as the audience, with many parents accompanying their children. 

Sitting beside Gu Xiuyi was a plump middle-aged man with a perpetual smile on his face. He was equipped with a DSLR camera and would wave to the crowd from time to time, appearing to be a doting father who didn't want to miss capturing any of his child's special moments. 

As their eyes met, Gu Xiuyi politely nodded his head. 

The middle-aged man was quite friendly. He scrutinized Gu Xiuyi from head to toe, concluding that he didn't look like a father, so he speculated that Gu Xiuyi must be an older brother or an uncle. With that assumption, he immediately placed his hand on Gu Xiuyi's shoulder and asked, "Brother, are you here to accompany your child for registration?" 

Gu Xiuyi hadn't been mistaken for a younger brother in many years, so he nodded politely. "Yes, just like you." 

"Oh, that won't work!" The plump man chuckled, gesturing towards the sea of heads in the audience. "My child is over there, standing next to the national flag. With a round head and round face, he looks exactly like me!" 

Gu Xiuyi glanced in that direction, but he didn't recognize anyone, and his expression remained unchanged. "You have quite the talented family." 

The eldest brother grew even more delighted, slapping his thigh and exclaiming, "Not only are they good-looking, but these children who were admitted to Beijing University are the future pillars of our country! My little tiger scored 681 this year! 681! Hahaha, my ancestors in the grave must be thrilled. He's the only one like that!" 

He patted Gu Xiuyi's arm and asked, "What about your child? How did they do?" 

Gu Xiuyi subtly raised an eyebrow, covered his lips, and coughed. "The University recommended to him." 

"Oh!" The eldest brother was taken aback, quickly giving a thumbs up. "That's impressive! You must have provided great education at home!" 

"No, no," Gu Xiuyi modestly waved his hand. "He worked hard by himself." 

The elder brother continued to boast a bit before turning to take a photo of the audience. "Heyer Heyer! Dad is here! Hahaha—" 

Gu Xiuyi sat silently and observed for a while. He noticed that many parents in the stands had brought cameras, and the rest were taking pictures with their phones. Standing in the middle with his arms folded, he seemed out of place, like an outsider. 

After a brief hesitation, Gu Xiuyi took out his phone as usual, opened the camera, and aimed it toward Ji Ruan's location. He zoomed in using his fingers. 

Swish— 

Ji Ruan's smiling face appeared on the camera, albeit slightly blurry due to the excessive zoom. However, Ji Ruan's playful eyes and round dimples were still visible. 

Caught off guard, Gu Xiuyi was struck by an intense, unexpected feeling, causing his heart to race and thump against his chest, making his eardrums ache. 

Then, miraculously, a surge of heat gradually spread throughout his body, and his fingertips began to tingle for no apparent reason. 

Han Xiaolin seemed to have a knack for telling jokes, always managing to make Ji Ruan burst into laughter, causing his large eyes to be crescent-shaped. 

And Gu Xiuyi simply held the phone, gazing at it for a while. 

Inadvertently, following the rhythm of his racing heart, the screen was adjusted to an optimal level, and he gently pressed the camera button. 

- 

After the meeting, Han Xiaolin left first, and Gu Xiuyi found Ji Ruan waiting for him under the shade of a tree. 

Ji Ruan seemed to be in good spirits, but his complexion appeared slightly off, with flushed cheeks and pale lips. 

Gu Xiuyi offered some assistance. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" 

"No," Ji Ruan licked his lips, frowning. "It was just too hot earlier." 

He took out a small thermos flask from his bag, a gift from Aunt Zhao. It contained rock sugar pear water, meant to be consumed warm. It was good for nourishing the lungs and preventing hypoglycemia. 

Ji Ruan sat on the steps and took a few sips before slowly standing up with Gu Xiuyi's help. "Let's go home." 

When they arrived at the campus, they explored on foot, but when it came to leaving, Gu Xiuyi took Ji Ruan directly to the sightseeing bus. 

Once the cool breeze brushed against them, Ji Ruan's stuffy mind finally cleared up a bit. He turned to Gu Xiuyi and asked, "We're starting military training in a few days. Can I..." 

"You don't have to go," Gu Xiuyi interrupted as he scanned the QR code to pay their fare. The cost for two people was two yuan, and they could sit across from the school, from the playground to the main entrance. 

He turned off the screen and looked at Ji Ruan. "You're not suited for military training, so I took care of the formalities for you." 

"Really?!" Ji Ruan's eyes lit up like gemstones under the sunlight. 

Gu Xiuyi couldn't help but glance at him twice. "That makes you happy?" 

"Of course," Ji Ruan laughed, lowering his head to send a message to Han Xiaolin, informing him that he didn't need to participate in military training and would come to the dormitory a few days later. He then pocketed his phone with a satisfied smile. 

"Are you hungry?" Gu Xiuyi asked. 

"A bit..." Ji Ruan rubbed his belly, gazing at the leaves on the side of the road as he fell into deep thought. "I want to eat sweet and sour pork ribs..." 

Gu Xiuyi frowned and suppressed his smile, but the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. He knew that he was being amused by Ji Ruan's dimples, which were especially pronounced when he pursed his lips. 

"Tell Zhao Ma yourself," he said in a low voice. 

Ji Ruan nodded and lowered his head to send a message. As he typed, he couldn't help but smile, causing his dimples to become even more pronounced. 

Gu Xiuyi turned his head to hide his smile, but it was no use. The corners of his mouth were already upturned in a grin. 

----- 

The author's comment: 

Mr. Gu: If you're so happy during military training, then if I move back in to live with you, won't I have dimples from laughing? 

Ruan Ruan: I'm going to live in school, I'm so happy~