Gu Ran looked at the repost and reply from the user named "Ji Shiyu" and finally understood why Ding Ze hadn't contacted her in the first twenty minutes.
But now Ding Ze had messaged her, sending a meme: [So the housekeeper at your place has been President Ji all along? My world is shattered.jpg]
[That one I saw during our video calls before]
Gu Ran slowly typed back: [...Is that not allowed?]
Ding Ze: [Dying on the spot.jpg]
Gu Ran didn't know where Ding Ze dug up so many hilarious memes every day. After a moment of silence, she was about to exit their chat, thinking his "dying on the spot.jpg" would be the end of it. Suddenly, Ding Ze sent a back-from-the-dead.jpg, along with a message:
[Thanks, I'm shipping it.]
[Auntie's knowing smile.jpg]
Gu Ran: [?]
She returned to the Weibo interface. After the account verified as the CEO of Xinbo, Ji Shiyu, made the repost, everyone was initially stunned.
What did Ji Shiyu mean it was him?
The housekeeper at Gu Ran's place, earning twenty yuan an hour, working night shifts specifically to move heavy things—that was him?
Although everyone knew Ji Shiyu, as a man who didn't know his place, was currently pursuing Gu Ran, when he jumped out claiming to be Gu Ran's housekeeper, no one believed it at first.
Impossible! A proper CEO abandoning his job to be a housekeeper? Do you think we're fools, that easy to trick? It must be an excuse to get Gu Ran out of hot water!
Someone dug up the video from the "Our Little Cabin" variety show where Gu Ran called her housekeeper auntie. The voice was clearly that of a middle-aged woman.
Then Ji Shiyu posted another formal Weibo. The content was a document. This time the text was more official, explaining that to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings at the time, he had specifically asked the actual auntie from his home to answer the phone. Coming forward to clarify today was also to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and misinterpretations. He and Miss Gu Ran had always maintained a good employer-employee cooperative relationship, with no exploitation or oppression whatsoever.
To highlight the authenticity and formality of the document, the official seals of Xinbo and a law firm were stamped at the bottom right.
Combined with Ji Shiyu's earlier post, "It's me. I'm willing. Got a problem?"
Everyone: [...]
Fine, that's just too damn fine.
So, after all that fuss, it's just the script of the man who doesn't know his place walking the path of "chasing his wife to the crematorium" and willingly becoming a housekeeper for love.
[Good lord, I would never have guessed in a million years that Gu Ran's housekeeper was this guy]
[The CEO is really serious and hardworking in his pursuit of love (lights a cigarette]
[Hahaha no wonder he can only work at night, because he has to be a CEO during the day (serious face]
[Those accusing Gu Ran of exploiting her housekeeper should give it a rest. Leaving aside the fact that a housekeeper can quit anytime and Gu Ran isn't forcing her to work, it's obvious in this case that someone is eagerly volunteering for the job]
[Forget twenty yuan an hour, I bet he'd be willing to pay twenty yuan for the privilege (serious face +1]
[No wonder Gu Ran said she leaves all the heavy lifting for the housekeeper to do 2333333]
[I think some people with a holier-than-thou attitude should just stop. Pointing fingers and acting all righteous about things they don't like before even understanding the whole story? Gu Ran wasn't planning to engage at first; it was only when those people insulted her fans that she couldn't help but clap back]
[+1, Actually, even if it really were an auntie, it would be fine as long as both parties agree and have no issues. What if the auntie gets twenty yuan an hour but a twenty-thousand-yuan bonus at month's end? What if the auntie lives in the same complex and just wants to earn some extra cash at night? Don't judge people before you know the whole story. Directly insulting someone is even worse.]
The momentum of the accusations seemed to die down a bit after Ji Shiyu's official statement, but it was quickly replaced by another kind of voice.
So what if it's Ji Shiyu? A man and a woman alone together every night, and you say you're just there to be a housekeeper? Do you think we're naive three-year-olds?
[This job probably includes sleeping services, right?]
Someone left a sarcastic comment.
However, this claim was quickly debunked when a media outlet released a compilation of surveillance footage from the parking garage of Gu Ran's residential complex.
According to the images and the date/time stamps in the top left corner, a certain person arrived at the same time every night, stayed for less than an hour, and then left, without fail, rain or shine. He had never stayed overnight.
Melon-eating onlookers: "..."
Who wouldn't call this dedication after seeing it?
So hardworking, so diligent.
Little Fish (Yu) fans were also stunned to learn that Ji Shiyu was the housekeeper and had never stayed over.
The cause and effect of the incident weren't hard to understand, judging by the level of some people being killjoys today. Back then, when Gu Ran lost a game and had to make a call, if a contact saved as "Housekeeper" was answered by a young man's voice, who knows how much wild speculation it would have sparked.
So, to avoid unnecessary trouble at the time, Ji Shiyu had the actual auntie from his home answer the phone. Gu Ran also didn't want extra complications and didn't object much—better to avoid trouble. Who could have guessed that one day, because of a couple of sentences in an interview, someone with an agenda would seize on it and make a big deal out of it, forcing Ji Shiyu to come forward now and clarify that the person was actually him.
Why does this suddenly give us a slightly better impression of that man who doesn't know his place?
The Fish fans immediately snapped out of this dangerous line of thought: No! Can't have a good impression! His current suffering is payment for past debts. Ran Ran, keep him on the hook!
Also stunned were the growing number of "One Hundred Years Couple" shippers.
When they found out the controversial housekeeper was actually Ji Shiyu, they were almost all overjoyed. A housekeeper working late at night surely meant some hanky-panky. They thought the hundred years were almost up and the happy ending was in sight, only to discover Ji Shiyu received standard housekeeper treatment—not even allowed to stay an extra hour, let alone spend the night or any hanky-panky.
"..."
So, they still have to wait a hundred years.
Many teary-eyed "One Hundred Years Couple" shippers appeared under Gu Ran's Weibo posts:
[The housekeeper is working so hard. Can he get some perks?]
[Wuwuwu I just want to see a happy ending in my lifetime. I'm begging you, Ran Ran.]
[Hey, Ran Ran, about the housekeeper... it's not impossible, just a small suggestion. Could this housekeeper maybe... live in? Could you upgrade his position, Ran Ran? Pitiful.JPG]
...
Gu Ran looked at the comments under her Weibo and fell silent.
The doorbell rang.
Gu Ran went to open the door.
It was Ji Shiyu.
He was a bit late today because he was handling all these matters.
Gu Ran thought of the statements and explanations. She lowered her head and said, "Thank you."
Ji Shiyu: "It's all settled now."
He reached out and gently hugged Gu Ran, ruffling the fluffy hair at the back of her head. Finally, he asked softly, "Ran Ran, come home with me, okay?"
Gu Ran sniffled, her eyes slightly stinging.
A voice in her heart told her to go with him, that she liked him.
But she was conflicted. She wanted to love him, but if loving him meant having to return to the Southern Mansion, she didn't want to go back to that cage.
She breathed against his chest, inhaling his familiar scent.
After a moment, Gu Ran gently pushed Ji Shiyu away, looked up, and met his gaze.
The tip of her nose was slightly red, and she said with a hint of a nasal tone, "But I don't want to go back."
Gu Ran lowered her eyes again, her dark lashes casting shadows, and asked in a very small voice, "Could you come here instead, to live here?"
She hesitated before speaking, "...I could add a bed for you."
