Chapter 278 - 257: Lin Ruoxi’s Questioning

"Okay," Xue Rui nodded. He’d been so focused on his phone that he hadn’t noticed the little girl appear. He couldn’t help but feel a sudden chill in the August air of Shencheng.

In her past life, the lass had died from a fall. The sight of her sticking her head out the window just now had made his heart tremble.

At the dinner table, Xue Rui stared at a spread of dishes, but his mind was preoccupied. ’How much did she hear?’

’She couldn’t have heard everything, could she?’

He sucked in a sharp breath.

He thought for a moment. ’Even if she heard everything, it shouldn’t matter. I didn’t say anything remotely intimate, and I was wearing earbuds during the call, so she couldn’t have heard what Gu Muxue said.’

Yu Minlan tactfully closed the door before they began to eat. Xue Rui sat down next to Lin Ruoxi.

"Is the reception bad in here? I’ll connect you to the Wi-Fi," Lin Ruoxi said, reaching for Xue Rui’s phone on the table.

Xue Rui’s hands clenched. ’She’s actually taking my phone.’

She subconsciously tried to unlock it with six zeros, but a "Password Incorrect" message popped up. She obediently placed the phone back down next to Xue Rui.

Xue Rui sighed. ’I should just tell her the password,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, it’s not fair that I know hers but won’t let her see mine, is it?’

’If I trust her, she won’t go snooping.’

’Besides, if she really wanted to come after me, what good would a password do?’

"It’s my mom’s birthday," Xue Rui said, reaching for the phone.

But the girl suddenly pulled the phone back. With a few light taps of her fingers, she unlocked the screen.

Xue Rui was surprised. "You know my mom’s birthday?"

"I know everyone in your family’s birthdays. Aunt Ren showed me the original household registration book when she was handling the transfer paperwork," Lin Ruoxi said matter-of-factly.

Xue Rui sighed helplessly and changed the subject. "Well, let’s bring her a gift when we go back."

His mom adored Lin Ruoxi and was clearly biased in her favor. But that was only normal. ’Who could resist the allure of a hand-knitted sweater?’

Today was the Qixi Festival. He had sent gifts to Gu Muxue’s entire family, but not to his own mom. ’Sending her one on such a sensitive holiday would just be asking for a lecture, wouldn’t it?’

’It would be better to have the lass give it to her in person when she goes back. That would make Mom happy.’

"Just now... were you on a video call with your classmate, Gu Muxue?" Lin Ruoxi asked in a low voice, handing the phone back to Xue Rui.

Xue Rui’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t looked at anything on his phone, yet here she was, saying something like that. ’Did that have a hint of an accusation in it?’

However, before he could say a word, her tears began to stream down her face.

Xue Rui’s mind was a complete mess. ’Has she... finally started to understand?’

"I... I don’t know what’s wrong with me," Lin Ruoxi’s voice trembled.

She knew Xue Rui and Gu Muxue had a good relationship; they were good friends.

But Xue Rui was often on the phone with Gu Muxue. Sometimes, she would secretly listen in. Hearing him laughing and chatting with his classmate made her feel so useless.

Lately, it felt like so many people were constantly hinting that she was about to lose Xue Rui.

She didn’t want to leave. She had nowhere else to go.

She was happy when Xue Rui was by her side; she felt safe. Yu Minlan had even told her she wouldn’t lose him.

But Director Wang’s hints, combined with the information she found online, were slowly painting a picture for her, one from which she could draw her own conclusions...

The conflicting voices around her, combined with her own budding understanding of relationships, were constantly fraying her nerves. And to top it all off, Xue Rui’s phone call had to happen today, on the Qixi Festival.

She couldn’t stop her mind from racing. It was as if a crowd of people were shouting in her ears, and she couldn’t hold back the tears.

’But Xue Rui likes to see me smile.’

She tried to suppress her emotions, tried to force herself to be happy. But she had held these tears back for too long. Like a dam bursting, they couldn’t be stopped.

Xue Rui took a deep breath, stood up, and walked around behind her. He pulled a delicate chain from his pocket and gently fastened it around her neck.

The necklace was unadorned. It was the gift he and Yu Minlan had picked out yesterday afternoon. The girl lived a simple life, so simple jewelry suited her best.

He had planned to give it to her when they went out, but her mood had suddenly soured, forcing him to bring it out early.

"A Qixi Festival gift for you," Xue Rui murmured, leaning over her shoulder and reaching up to wipe away her tears.

Xue Rui’s voice echoed in Lin Ruoxi’s ear. In an instant, the clamor in her mind vanished, leaving only the sound of his words reverberating.

Lin Ruoxi turned her head. Her eyes, though still wet with tears, curved into crescents, brimming with joy.

Xue Rui said the necklace was a Qixi gift for her. ’But good friends don’t celebrate the Qixi Festival together.’

’Does this mean I have a reason to stay by his side now? A proper role?’

She gazed at Xue Rui’s face, her breathing growing ragged...

Lin Ruoxi bit her lip gently, as if steeling herself. Then, she leaned in.