In response to the information, Beijing will usher within the hottest summer season in practically 50 years beginning this month.   

The outdated home does not have air con and is being baked by the scorching solar like a steaming sizzling pot, making even the air really feel skinny.  

Ji Ruan was woke up by the vibration of his cellphone, however he opened his eyes with out desiring to reply the decision. He simply stared blankly on the ceiling.

Nothing had modified.

The room is cramped and slim, not even 5 sq. meters. The partitions are yellowed and peeling, and a calendar from an unknown 12 months is caught on the picket door. The sides are worn and discolored, and the warmth has precipitated the glue to return off, making one nook droop down limply.

Ji Ruan lay on the mattress, with the floor beneath his again so sizzling that it felt prefer it was going to catch hearth. The sticky dampness throughout his physique made him admit that he had certainly worn a ebook.  

It was an old style, melodramatic and abusive novel, the place a poor little submissive character, who shared the identical identify as him, was pressured to marry the dominant companion as per the settlement and suffered bodily and psychological abuse numerous instances.

He could not bear in mind the title of the novel, however he knew that the little shou protagonist, who suffered rather a lot, shared the identical identify as him, and the gong protagonist he married was surnamed Gu, named Gu Xiuyi

Within the final two years of Jiran’s life, he was bedridden resulting from a severe sickness, and nearly utterly lower off from all communication with the surface world. His solely pleasure was listening to his cousin telling him varied dog-blooded novels. 

One of many foremost characters within the novel had the identical identify and surname as him. His cousin even joked that his identify seemed like that of the shou protagonist in conventional dog-blooded novels, the place the domineering gong CEO is all the time named Gu and the weak submissive shou character should have the surname Ruan.  

At the moment, Jiran nonetheless had some power left and he raised himself up and gave her a slap on the again of her head. His cousin held her head and cursed him for transmigrating right into a novel 

Unexpectedly, these phrases grew to become true.   

After Ji Ruan died, he actually transmigrated.

Though he solely lived for a brief 20 years, Ji Ruan had a privileged upbringing and by no means lived in such a dilapidated small home earlier than, nor had he ever skilled waking up feeling as sizzling as in a sauna throughout summer season.

The excessive temperature was suffocating and it made Ji Ruan’s mind decelerate. His cellphone saved vibrating on the pillow subsequent to him, and he mechanically reached out to seize it.

——Secretary Tune.

Gu Xiuyi’s most succesful assistant, in his reminiscence, was all the time the one who talked to the lawyer and the unique proprietor when signing the wedding settlement. The protagonist, Mr. Gu, by no means confirmed up. 

The cellphone was a really outdated mannequin, which had in all probability been damaged a number of instances. The touchscreen was extraordinarily unresponsive, and it took Ji Ruan a number of makes an attempt to hold up the decision.

The opposite aspect acquired the sign, and some WeChat messages popped up instantly.

[Mr. Ji, have you packed up? I’m on my way to pick you up.]

[Will arrive in about 20 minutes. 

Ji Ruan stared at the screen for two seconds before realizing that he was being picked up to go to Gu Xiuyi’s house. 

Although Ji Ruan could possess the memories of the original body, not all of them were accessible. They only became activated when he came into contact with related plot points. It was as if the world in the book was also lazy and didn’t bother to fill in the gaps that Ji Ruan couldn’t see.

He and Gu Xiuyi had a contractual marriage, which meant that after being taken to Gu Xiuyi’s home, he would soon be getting his marriage certificate with this man whom he had never met before.

Ji Ruan’s fingertips trembled slightly as he held onto his phone. 

In the end, he quickly picked up the sealed agreement at the foot of the bed and flipped through it. Even though Ji Ruan had come from a wealthy family, when he saw the string of zeros following the number he would receive when the agreement expired, his eyes widened involuntarily.  

After a moment, Ji Ruan calmly typed a message.  

[I’m all packed up, thank you.]

Assistant Tune replied with a giant smiley face. 

After placing down his cellphone, Ji Ruan set free a sigh and lowered his head. His skinny T-shirt had grow to be damp and wrinkled after an evening of sweating. He pulled on the collar in disgust and obtained as much as stroll to the toilet. 

As quickly because the sound of the bathe began, the toilet door was opened once more after simply two seconds. Nervously, Ji Ruan stepped out barefoot, leaving a row of damp footprints on the tiled flooring.

He took off a small black object from his proper ear, completely becoming the contour of his ear.  

After wrapping the small object in two napkins, Ji Ruan pressed on it and put it again behind his ear. He concentrated for just a few seconds, and his barely tense shoulders relaxed. He then took the small object off and positioned it on the desk earlier than coming into the toilet.

He’s hearing-impaired.  

One among his ears has listening to loss, and the opposite one can barely hear something, so he has to depend on the cochlear implant he acquired when he was a baby to barely get by.

The cochlear implant is partly implanted below the pores and skin behind the ear and partly an exterior gadget worn on the ear. When worn, it permits the particular person to listen to, however when eliminated, it is like being deaf.

This kind of delicate and costly gadget can’t be bumped or get moist. When Ji Ruan took over this physique, he was not used to it and went to take a bathe with the gadget on 

And the reflex of his physique informed Ji Ruan that this little factor was very valuable. As quickly because the water touched it, his coronary heart tightened and he shortly bounced away, nearly slipping and scaring himself.

The new water poured down, enveloping Ji Ruan from head to toe. He closed his eyes and wiped his face, silently remembering that he could not fall or get caught within the rain sooner or later. He needed to shield his little ear, as he might solely hear due to this inconspicuous little factor.

Assistant Tune stated he would arrive in 20 minutes, so Ji Ruan did not waste any time and shortly showered and got here out.

In a world with out cochlear implants, there was silence. Even the sound of the hair dryer was muffled and his ears felt like they had been blocked by a stone, not utterly sealed however with just a few gaps that distorted any sound he heard, however it was higher than nothing.  

The utterly unfamiliar feeling made Ji Ruan’s again tingle, and he sped up the hair drying. When his fingertips touched the pores and skin behind his ear, it felt like an electrical shock.

Ji Ruan stood there in a daze, his chest rose and fell barely, and after some time, he raised his hand to the touch the pores and skin behind his proper ear once more.  

A tough, barely raised round contour was clearly felt below his fingertips.

–It was the implanted synthetic cochlear.

The unique physique’s hair was lengthy, reaching the guidelines of the ears, and normally even coated the small black exterior gadget. So, he appeared no completely different from odd folks to the bare eye.  

Ji Ruan didn’t anticipate it to be so apparent when he touched it. 

A wierd element was fused into his flesh, rooted in his bone and blood. It was not till this second that Ji Ruan actually felt that this was a brand new physique, and he had come to a different world.

Ji Ruan put down the hair dryer and wiped the mirror along with his hand. The mist-covered floor out of the blue grew to become clear, reflecting the face of an adolescent.

It was precisely the identical as Ji Ruan’s unique look.

To be exact, it was precisely the identical as Ji Ruan when he was eighteen years outdated.

He was identified with a terminal sickness when he was eighteen years outdated. His situation deteriorated quickly, and by the point he was twenty years outdated and on the verge of demise, his household had not let him look within the mirror for a very long time.  

Ji Ruan might guess that he should have appeared very unhealthy at the moment, mendacity in mattress with tubes throughout his physique, lifeless and withered. 

However now, the youth within the mirror, though skinny and malnourished, had full cheeks and vibrant eyes, which was probably the most vivid model of Ji Ruan. 

Ji Ruan’s eyes had been burning, though he was transmigrated right into a ebook, it appeared as if destiny had given him a second probability at life. 

Ji Ruan returned to his small room and noticed a suitcase standing subsequent to the desk. The unique physique had packed up the issues he was going to take, and there was solely a bit in whole.  

A blue doll was buckled on the deal with of the suitcase. Ji Ruan glanced at it. It was the mascot of Peking College, and the suitcase was additionally printed with the varsity emblem. 

The character set of the unique physique he transmigrated into was a poor and tenacious boy who was glorious at learning and was admitted to Peking College’s Chinese language Division with a scholarship. 

Ji Ruan had additionally been accepted into the identical college in his world however was unable to attend resulting from sickness. 

He sat down on the suitcase and rested his head on his arms, looking the small window on the towering bushes exterior. The outdated neighborhood was surrounded by massive and robust bushes that had been coated in lush inexperienced leaves that had been scorched by the blazing solar. Though the cicadas ought to have been chirping loudly, the sound that reached his ears was considerably distorted. 

It is a very outdated neighborhood. Over time, the bushes have grown thick and robust, with luxuriant branches and leaves. The inexperienced leaves are baked to wilt by the scorching solar. The cicadas ought to be loud, however they’re distorted once they attain his ears.  

Ji Ruan closed his eyes and pressed his brow in opposition to his hand.

It did not matter that his listening to was unhealthy, a minimum of he was alive.   

This time, he needed to dwell a bit extra relaxed and happier… 

Ji Ruan thought aimlessly, however after solely sitting for a short time, he felt the tiles beneath him begin to warmth up.

It was too sizzling exterior. 

He felt suffocated, dizzy, and remembered a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi water from the drawer. He grabbed a straw and drank it  

Simply as he took a sip, his cellphone began to vibrate and there gave the impression to be knocking on the door. Ji Ruan obtained up and opened the door to see the acquainted face of Assistant Tune from his reminiscence.  

They normally wore fits within the workplace, and in the present day was no exception. Nevertheless, maybe as a result of it was too sizzling climbing stairs, Assistant Tune had taken off his jacket and his shirt collar was damp with sweat, and his brow was coated with it.  

Ji Ruan hesitated for a second, then handed him two tissues, saying, “I haven’t got an elevator. You need to have labored arduous climbing up right here.” 

Tune Ling was well-educated. Listening to this, he solely took the tissue and stated with a smile, “That is my job.” 

On such a sizzling day, after all, Ji Ruan wouldn’t invite him to drink tea in his stove-like room. He nodded at Assistant Tune and went again to his room to get his suitcase immediately. 

Tune Ling stared at Ji Ruan’s again. The younger man was carrying an outdated T-shirt and shorts. He lived in a desolate home. He hadn’t had a superb life since he was a baby, however his pores and skin was nonetheless truthful. 

Tune Ling observed the younger man’s handsome posture. He did not attempt to straighten his again, nor did he appear as timid and cautious as the information stated. As a substitute, he had a form of pure rest that was incompatible along with his dilapidated home.  

Tune Ling inexplicably felt that his boss had picked up a white radish from the mud, washed it clear, and located it to be a chunk of mutton-fat jade. 

The automotive stopped downstairs, and as quickly as Ji Ruan obtained in and was blown by the air con, he obtained goosebumps throughout his physique. However a minimum of he lastly cooled down, and even his headache from the warmth had subsided.  

The high-end black automotive carrying Ji Ruan drove out of the run-down residential space, shuttling by means of the metal and concrete metropolis, and eventually entered a villa space within the west of town. 

There’s a world of distinction between this neighborhood and the one the place the unique physique lived. Surrounded by inexperienced bushes and with a street freed from mud, standalone villas stand tall and spaced far aside from one another, making certain adequate privateness.

The automotive drove all the way in which to the innermost half earlier than stopping. It is a newly developed rich space, with every villa constructed in line with its personal distinctive type. The looks of the one in entrance of them is especially distinctive.  

–It has no sharp edges  

As a substitute, the sharp corners required for regular buildings are changed by easy curves. The general shade scheme is grey and white, and a grey staircase extends from the open-air balcony on the left aspect of the second flooring, easily curving into the yard. 

Within the reflection of the inexperienced forest, the complete villa appears like a chunk of iridescent grey moonstone.  

“There’s an out of doors swimming pool on the again,” Tune Ling adopted Ji Ruan’s gaze and stated, “If you happen to go down from there on the second flooring, it’s going to be a lot nearer.” 

Beneath the scorching solar, Ji Ruan stood for some time and his cheeks grew to become pink, and his lips dried up.  

Tune Ling held a black umbrella and quickened his tempo, main Ji Ruan throughout the well-manicured garden in direction of the within. 

Truly, they might have entered by means of the aspect door into the underground storage and brought the built-in elevator up, thus avoiding the solar. 

However Gu Xiu Yi particularly instructed them to let Ji Ruan enter by means of the entrance door.  

As his assistant, Tune Ling didn’t perceive. This was only a marriage of comfort with none emotional foundation, why ought to they nonetheless comply with the marriage ceremony from eight hundred years in the past and make the little spouse, whom they haven’t even met, undergo the entrance door and endure below the solar.  

However Basic Supervisor Gu all the time preferred to compete over these particulars 

The inside type of the villa is totally in line with the surface, with a constant minimalist and funky tone, with none extra ornament.  

On the entrance, there’s a girl in her fifties with a form and mild look. Tune Ling launched her, “That is Aunt Zhao, who has been caring for Mr. Gu and is now answerable for your every day life.” 

Everybody round Gu XiuYi is aware of how you can behave correctly, and Aunt Zhao smiles and greets, “Mr. Ji.” 

This physique is simply eighteen years outdated. Even when Ji Ruan died again then, he was solely twenty. Being politely known as “Mr.” by his elders made Ji Ruan a bit uncomfortable.   

He touched his nostril and smiled, saying, “Good day, Aunt Zhao. You possibly can simply name me Xiao Ruan.”  

Aunt Zhao did not refuse and smiled, saying, “Oh, proper, that is Mr. Gu’s cat, named Xiao An.” 

As she spoke, she rubbed the pinnacle of the big Maine Coon cat sitting subsequent to her leg. It was an enormous shallow silver-colored cat, whose squatting top was nearly as much as Aunt Zhao’s knee. At first look, Ji Ruan nearly mistook it for a medium-sized canine. 

Xiao An appeared fierce and noble. Beneath Aunt Zhao’s steering, it solely symbolically rubbed in opposition to Ji Ruan’s small legs earlier than strolling away leisurely.  

Aunt Zhao smiled and glanced on the huge cat earlier than taking Ji Ruan upstairs to see the room.  

To be trustworthy, Gu Xiuyi didn’t shortchange his marriage companion. His room was very spacious, with loads of pure mild, and outfitted with a dressing room and toilet. If simply contemplating the dressing room, the realm exceeded Ji Ruan’s total small home. 

It had additionally been specifically embellished in a totally completely different type from the remainder of the villa – very cartoonish. Ji Ruan appeared round and could not assist however smile.  

There have been two massive teddy bear dolls on the mattress, a khaki plush carpet on the ground, and even foolish cartoon bears printed on the material curtains. On the desk was a Q-version fortune cat that did not look too intelligent.  

Seeing that Ji Ruan wasn’t saying something, Tune Ling felt a bit embarrassed.  

On the time, Gu Xiuyi solely instructed him to brighten the room to be a bit cozy, however when he gave directions to the ornament firm, he added a sentence: the room’s proprietor is younger, so the colours ought to be energetic.  

He did not anticipate that the tip outcome can be so just like a baby’s room.  

Tune Ling coughed and easily shifted the blame to the boss, saying, “Mr. Gu hopes that you will be snug residing right here, so he particularly requested for the room to have a heat type.”  

Ji Ruan’s slender fingers performed with the fortune cat’s paw, not understanding what he was pondering. A shallow smile appeared on the nook of his lips as he stated, “Thanks, I actually prefer it.” 

____________________________

Three days later, within the automotive.  

The person within the again seat rested his eyes, his tall determine hid within the shadows.  

Tune Ling, the co-pilot, turned his head and glanced at him, understanding he wasn’t sleeping. He reported in a low voice, “Madam is aware of you are getting married and she or he’s getting impatient.” 

The dim mild exterior the window mirrored off the person’s chilly lips. Gu Xiuyi’s expression remained unchanged, and his fingers, resting on his thigh, did not pause their tapping for a second as he calmly replied, “When she might be affected person, then I will contemplate taking a look at her in a greater mild.” 

Tune Ling heard this and pursed his lips, not saying something extra.  

After a second, Gu Xiuyi’s deep voice got here from the again seat, “Ji Ruan, what do you consider him?” 

What do you consider him?

This query was too broad. 

Tune Ling nodded. Ji Ruan was one of many many underprivileged college students supported by Gu Xiuyi. He was deaf and weak, with each mother and father deceased, however he had glorious grades.  

Gu Xiuyi hated something that was troublesome and dragged on. Even the collection of his marriage companion was left to his subordinates to deal with, like deciding on workers, with resumes screened layer by layer, chilly and devoid of human contact. 

And Ji Ruan, who was glorious however frail, knew his roots and had no relations to fret about, was the right candidate. 

Tune Ling hesitated for a second and punctiliously thought of his phrases, “He is very quiet, speaks little, and hasn’t precipitated any bother within the three days since he arrived on the home. Earlier than meals, he’ll say thanks to Aunt Zhao and after ending, he’ll gently push his chair again and wipe his mouth from left to proper…” 

Gu Xiuyi frowned.  

Tune Ling paused and requested, “…Is one thing flawed?” 

Gu Xiuyi pressed his brow and stated, “Don’t fret concerning the particulars.”

He did not care concerning the small particulars like whether or not his future companion wiped their mouth from left to proper or proper to left. 

Tune Ling exclaimed “Ah!” and stated awkwardly, “Okay.” 

“The rest?” requested Gu Xiuyi, placing his hand down.

Tune Ling thought for a second and stated, “Oh, Mr. Ji modified his mattress yesterday morning. He stated he wasn’t sleeping effectively.” 

It was only a mattress, and Gu Xiuyi did not even give it some thought for a second. It wasn’t a giant deal. 

As anticipated, Gu Xiuyi closed his eyes once more, apparently not involved.  

Tune Ling appeared forward and requested, “We’re nearly there. Ought to I contact them first?” 

“No want, we are able to simply go in.” 

The villa had an open kitchen on the primary flooring. As quickly as Gu Xiuyi stepped out of the elevator, he smelled the faint aroma of mung bean soup. Aunt Zhao was about to start out cooking dinner. 

Xiao An was tall and appeared distant, however he was really very pleasant and rubbed in opposition to Gu Xiuyi’s trouser leg. 

Gu Xiuyi rubbed the cat’s head, took off his go well with jacket, and handed it to Aunt Zhao. He scanned the lounge along with his eyes and requested casually, “The place is he?” 

Aunt Zhao had been caring for Gu Xiuyi since he was ten years outdated, they usually had been shut. She understood who he meant and stated, “The child was napping in his room earlier. He is in all probability awake now.” 

Gu Xiuyi nodded; his face expressionless. He walked to the sink and washed his arms. “Is he straightforward to get together with?” 

She stated merely: “The kid could be very well-behaved. However he appears a bit weak these days. He in all probability obtained too sizzling just a few days in the past, and his urge for food hasn’t been good. He likes to eat fruit,”

Zhao Auntie stated, smiling. “However he nonetheless eats his meals very severely. He appears to actually like my cooking.” 

Aunt Zhao has good cooking abilities, and the happiest factor for her is that others just like the meals she makes.  

Gu Xiuyi additionally smiled and dried his arms. “I will go upstairs and see him.” 

“Oh, good.” 

Because the boss circled, Tune Ling shortly stuffed a chunk of apple lower by Aunt Zhao into his mouth and quietly adopted him.  

Gu Xiuyi selected a room for Ji Ruan with good lighting. The door was principally closed, however there was a dim pure mild scattered by means of the cracks.  

Gu Xiuyi peeked by means of the crack within the door and was about to knock symbolically when he out of the blue stopped, as if he had seen one thing. 

Curious, Tune Ling gathered up the braveness to strategy and see what was occurring. 

The mattress had certainly been modified. Ji Ruan was mendacity on it in short-sleeved pajamas, along with his proper hand consistently looking behind the pillow. 

Then, to his shock, Tune Ling noticed Ji Ruan pull out a small distant management and press it twice. The pinnacle of the mattress slowly rose, together with the picket desk on the foot of the mattress, which moved ahead and stopped on the applicable place. 

It was a hospital mattress designed for severely ailing sufferers to reduce their motion.

Ji Ruan turned on the TV however did not flip up the quantity, seemingly content material with simply studying the subtitles.

On the bedside desk was a bowl of juicy cherries and a fortunate cat that was initially used for adornment. Nevertheless, the fortunate cat’s paw had been eliminated and changed with a picket stick that appeared like a claw machine.  

A skinny rope was hooked up to the stick, and Ji Ruan solely wanted to maneuver his finger to manage the fortunate cat to seize a cherry from the glass plate and feed it precisely into his mouth.  

Tune Ling was amazed and appeared to Gu Xiuyi for steering.

Gu Xiuyi’s forehead furrowed tightly as if he might kill a mosquito along with his expression

Gu Xiuyi had all the time been a self-disciplined and hardworking particular person. Since Tune Ling grew to become his assistant, he had by no means woken up after 6 am. 

He might nearly make sure that this was the laziest sight his boss had ever seen. 

Gu Xiuyi turned his head with out expression, his eyes chilly and terrifying, as if silently questioning Tune Ling 

Tune Ling’s again felt chilly below the gaze however tried to keep up his composure. 

Ji Ruan was handpicked by their secretary crew and deemed probably the most appropriate marriage companion for Gu Xiuyi. He could not let his boss query his capability to work.  

Tune Ling gritted his tooth and glanced at Ji Ruan, who was repeatedly fed by the fortunate cat. He remained calm and stated, “Quiet. He does not even make a sound when watching TV. He is not inflicting any bother, and he does not trouble anybody when he needs to eat cherries.” 

Tune Ling nodded and stated, “He utterly suits your necessities for the wedding companion, boss.” 

Gu Xiuyi’s gaze swept over his assistant, and he took a deep breath earlier than pushing the door open. 

The younger man inside observed his arrival and shortly sat up, along with his legs hanging off the sting of the mattress. His watery eyes appeared up at Gu Xiuyi.  

He wore a unfastened, cream-colored pajama high that draped softly over his physique. 

TAs he modified his sitting place, the fortunate cat that Ji Ruan was feeding continued to throw cherries, and one hit his neck. He cried out in shock and reached out to catch it, however missed.  

The intense pink cherry slid over his white pores and skin, fell into his neckline at his slender collarbone, and the younger man scrambled to catch it. It slipped previous his shirt and landed on the bottom, rolling in direction of Gu Xiuyi’s toes.

Gu Xiuyi noticed the second of confusion within the younger man’s eyes, however they had been not as sluggish and lazy as when he was mendacity in mattress. 

He bent down to choose up the cherry, walked step-by-step to Ji Ruan’s aspect, and the younger man needed to tilt his head as much as meet his gaze.  

His hair was very mushy, and when he tilted his head, his brow was uncovered. His hair brushed in opposition to his pointed ears, and the pores and skin on his neck, which had been touched by the cherry, was white and delicate. 

Gu Xiuyi appeared on the cherry in his hand, put it again on the desk, and appeared into the younger man’s light-colored pupils. “Ji Ruan?” 

____________________________

The writer has one thing to say: 

Gu CEO: Ji Ruan, how is it? 

Everybody: Cute and well-behaved! 

Ruan Ruan: Ah?… faints >_<