Chapter 279 - 258: The Deterrent Power of a Parent

Xue Rui was resting his head on the young woman’s shoulder, his expression a little vacant as he sank into thought. ’She’s probably realized her connection to Gu Muxue isn’t so simple...’

’Sigh. Lin Ruoxi is getting smarter and smarter. Is it time to spin her another story?’

’She’ll probably believe me.’

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly saw the young woman turn her head, her lips pressing right against his.

Xue Rui instinctively took a step back, startling even himself. ’My first reaction was to dodge?’

However, they were too close. Lin Ruoxi gave Xue Rui no chance to react. She turned, stood, and pressed forward in a single instant, and Xue Rui’s back gently hit the wall.

Now, their lips were pressed tightly together.

Xue Rui stood frozen to the spot. His pupils quaked, and his mind went blank for an instant. When he came to, he was still astonished. ’The young woman actually made the first move?’

The tips of their noses brushed together, their breaths mingling.

His breathing was heavy, and hers wasn’t much better. But he felt as if her breath had a sweet scent to it.

Xue Rui instinctively went to close his eyes and savor it, but the young woman kept her tear-filled eyes open, staring right at him.

He found it strange. ’Who kisses with their eyes open?’

They were too close, so close that they couldn’t make out each other’s features. They could only perceive the other’s emotions through the changes in their eyes.

Xue Rui noticed the sorrow and panic in the young woman’s eyes gradually fade away, replaced by a serene smile as clear as a pristine spring. But she was still crying as she smiled, and it made a sliver of guilt stir within him.

’That’s right. Her eyes hold only me, but mine hold two...’

’Can’t be helped. Guess that’s why heaven gave me two eyes.’

Lin Ruoxi’s heart was pounding. She hadn’t actually had the courage, but when Xue Rui had spoken into her ear just moments ago, she had desperately wanted to say something.

But she was clumsy with words; there were things she didn’t dare to say, questions she didn’t dare to ask.

She was afraid Xue Rui would reject her, so she decided to just try kissing him instead. A physical rejection was far easier to accept than a verbal one.

’Xue Rui didn’t pull away. Then again, it seemed like he had nowhere to run, since the wall was right behind him...’

’Thank goodness, he didn’t push me away...’

’Everyone online says your first kiss is important, but she didn’t feel that way. She had only ever planned on giving it to Xue Rui.’

’But this kiss feels a little different from how people describe it.’

Xue Rui blinked. ’Are we just going to dryly press our lips together like this?’ He blinked again, trying to signal for the young woman to close her eyes.

However, she didn’t seem to understand what he meant. She just blinked her own large, watery eyes back at him, her long lashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly.

Xue Rui sighed helplessly. ’This girl doesn’t understand the point of kissing. She just knows you’re supposed to kiss someone you like, so she did.’

’There’s no emotion, no atmosphere—we’re just simply pressed together.’

The two of them blinked at each other as if they were playing some kind of little game.

Suddenly, neither of them could help but laugh. The corners of their mouths curled up, their lips parted naturally, and the kiss turned into a hug as they leaned quietly against the wall.

"Why didn’t you close your eyes?" Xue Rui asked, nuzzling the young woman’s cheek.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to; it was just that she was too innocent. The intimacy of their hug was far warmer and more emotional than the kiss had been.

"I wanted to look at you," Lin Ruoxi murmured, snuggling deeper into his arms. She still preferred hugs.

"Most people close their eyes," Xue Rui said.

"Oh? And who are these ’most people’?" Lin Ruoxi asked in a soft voice.

Xue Rui’s heart suddenly clenched. ’Is this what they call a woman’s intuition?’

’But wait,’ he suddenly thought, ’this was my first kiss!’

And so, brimming with newfound confidence, Xue Rui said, "How would I know who ’most people’ are? This was my first kiss. You have to take responsibility for me."

"Mhm, I’ll take responsibility for you." Lin Ruoxi hugged Xue Rui tightly, nuzzling her head back and forth against his shoulder...

It was as if she was trying to leave her scent on him.

"Sigh, my first kiss is gone. I’m tainted now," Xue Rui said with a dramatic sigh.

The young woman immediately grew flustered. ’Everyone online says your first kiss is really important, and I just took Xue Rui’s...’

"I... I..." Lin Ruoxi stammered, not knowing how she could possibly compensate him.

Xue Rui chuckled at her reaction and patted the back of her head. "Alright, I’m just kidding."

"Mhm. Let’s eat. The food’s getting cold."

The young woman naturally took his hand and led him back to his seat.

"W-we kissed... so, are we... still good friends?" Lin Ruoxi asked quietly.

Xue Rui was a little surprised. ’So that was the reason for the kiss...’

"Of course," Xue Rui said.

A trace of disappointment appeared in her eyes as she let out a soft "mhm."

"A little more than good friends," Xue Rui added. "What do you think that is?"

Lin Ruoxi’s legs swung back and forth under the table, the corners of her eyes crinkling with happiness. She was truly, incredibly happy today.

Xue Rui had given her a gift for the Qixi Festival, and she had even taken his first kiss.

’A little more than good friends... that means girlfriend.’

Just a moment ago, Lin Ruoxi had been feeling uneasy about Xue Rui and Gu Muxue, but now, she had pushed it to the back of her mind. As long as Xue Rui was by her side, that was all that mattered.

"Um, you... you should make your phone calls inside from now on. It’s hot outside, and there are too many bugs," Lin Ruoxi said, ladling a bowl of soup for him.