The Little Deaf Man Decided to be Spoiled

12

Chapter 12
"Brother, no, no, I didn't, I didn't do anything." Gu Xili, frightened by that piercing gaze, clumsily tried to explain while trailing behind Gu Xiuyi.
Without hesitation, Gu Xiuyi strode past the scattered shards to Ji Ruan's side. Ji Ruan looked up at him briefly, then quickly turned his face away, his glistening eyes releasing a few more tears.
What a touching tear-jerker of a scene.
Gu Xiuyi's gaze was captivated by Ji Ruan's dewy eyes and the faintly reddened tip of her nose. It took him two seconds of blank thought before he crouched down to check the injury on Ji Ruan's ankle.
It wasn't severe, just a shallow cut. But perhaps due to Ji Ruan's delicate skin, a few drops of blood still oozed out, precariously clinging to the wound, taking their time to coagulate.
"Brother..." Gu Xilǐ whispered from behind, trying to explain, "Believe me..."
"Fetch the first-aid kit," Gu Xiuyi commanded in a deep tone.
"What?" Gu Xilǐ seemed puzzled, pointing at himself, "Me?"
"Who else?" Gu Xiuyi, resting his arm on his knee, looked back at him, "And grab a broom on your way, clean up this mess."
Gu Xilǐ stepped back in disbelief, his eyes wide, "You're asking me to do a servant's job?!"
Ji Ruan, running low on tears and unable to cry further, leaned against the piano lid, covering her face with her hand, and stealthily peeked through a slit to watch the drama unfold.
Gu Xiuyi stood up, his face stern, "What do you mean by 'servant'? Aren't they human too? Is there something they can do that you can't?"
He casually pointed at the mess on the floor, "Clean it up. Leave not a single speck behind."
"Brother!" Gu Xilǐ tried to retort, looking as if he was about to cry. But a chilling glance from Gu Xiuyi silenced him, forcing him to swallow his words.
To them, Gu Xiuyi's towering presence was imposing. Just standing there, his intense aura was enough to instill fear.
Gu Xilǐ clenched his fists, bit his lip, and hurried out.
By the time Fang Lan realized something was amiss and rushed over, the music room was brightly lit. Ji Ruan leaned against the piano, being comforted by Gu Xiuyi, while her son was tearfully sweeping the floor with a broom.
This scene was as if slapping Fang Lan's face. She snatched the broom from her son's hand and, forcing a smile, approached Gu Xiuyi, "Xiuyi, what are you doing?"
Busy comforting Ji Ruan, Gu Xiuyi responded without looking up, "Oh, nothing. Xilǐ made a mistake, and I'm just punishing him."
"He!" Fang Lan took a deep breath, "What mistake did he make?"
Gu Xiuyi gave her a cold glance, "He injured my child's leg."
Fang Lan's gaze immediately shifted downward, settling on Ji Ruan's fair little leg. There, on the ankle, was a white band-aid.
Such a tiny spot!
It looks like a wound that, if left any longer, would heal on its own!
Fang Lan's temples throbbed with frustration.
"Mom! I didn't do it!" Gu Xilǐ pleaded desperately, tears in his voice, gripping Fang Lan's arm, "He broke the frame himself! I just wanted to apologize and make amends. But he! He blamed me without knowing the facts and even threw things around!"
"Enough!" Fang Lan jerked her arm free, trying to maintain her composed demeanor, "Xiuyi, you heard him. Xilǐ says he's been wronged. You must believe your own brother!"
"Is that so..." Gu Xiuyi mused, nodding slightly. He lifted Ji Ruan's chin, "Is what he said true?"
Ji Ruan didn't reply. His swollen eyes seemed to hesitate for a moment, as if surprised by the sudden question. Several seconds passed before he finally lowered his gaze, disappointment evident, biting his lip to hold back tears.
Gu Xiuyi immediately embraced Ji Ruan, rubbing his head gently and whispering, "It's alright, don't cry. I understand."
He glanced over at the mother-son duo, "As you can see, Xilǐ wasn't falsely accused."
"Big Brother!" Gu Xilǐ's emotions spiraled out of control, "Why do you just believe everything he says? He... he didn't even say anything! I'm your blood brother!"
"Enough, Xilǐ!" Fang Lan gripped Gu Xilǐ tightly, clinging to her last shred of rationality, "Xiuyi... alright, let's assume Xilǐ did something wrong. I'll apologize on his behalf, okay? But you can't punish him like this..."
Gu Xiuyi raised an eyebrow, "How did I punish him?"
Tears welled in Fang Lan's eyes, her voice filled with indignation, "You can't make him do servant's chores! He's the second young master of the Gu family!"
Gu Xiuyi sighed with a touch of exasperation, "Fang Lan, you're clinging too tightly to outdated feudal beliefs. In this day and age, why do you still differentiate between 'servants'? No wonder Xilǐ is so naive with your upbringing."
Fang Lan, previously infuriated, paused to process Gu Xiuyi's words, a new realization dawning, "What... are you implying?"
Gu Xiuyi smiled, "Isn't Xilǐ about to graduate from university? How about sending him abroad for further studies?"
"That's out of the question!" Fang Lan blurted, her façade shattering, "He's supposed to join the family business after graduation!"