Chapter 283 - 259: Lin Ruoxi’s Right (Part 2)

’You are not the fish; how can you know the fish’s joy?’ The line suddenly popped into Yu Minlan’s head.

’Right. Just like how she found playing in the sand to be quite boring, but Lin Ruoxi was having the time of her life...’

Xue Rui found where Lin Ruoxi had left her bag and, out of habit, pulled a plastic bag from the lass’s purse to sit on.

The lass was the type who couldn’t bear to waste anything; she seemed to think everything had its use, even hoarding a few plastic bags. It was perfect for sitting on.

He unlocked his phone and sent the photo he’d just taken of himself pinching the lass’s cheek to Qiu Mengze.

Qiu Mengze: Fuck.

’How could Xue Rui bear to pinch such a pretty face?’ He really wanted to yell, ’Get your filthy hands off her!’

His own boast about holding hands felt so low-class in comparison. But that wasn’t the main reason he was texting.

Qiu Mengze asked the question that was plaguing him: Is it that Qin Tong doesn’t want other guys to see me with her?

Xue Rui was surprised. ’This guy clearly knows what’s up, so why is he asking me?’

Xue Rui: Yep. You’re probably just her backup plan. She’s still weighing her options.

Qiu Mengze: I already know, you don’t have to be so blunt about it.

Xue Rui: I’m trying to slap some sense into you.

Qiu Mengze: It’s the Qixi Festival, and she’s spending it with me!

Xue Rui replied dismissively: Fine, I admit you’re a cut above the other backup plans.

Qiu Mengze: Why aren’t you posting anything on your socials? Feeling guilty, you bastard?

Xue Rui silently closed the chat with Qiu Mengze and opened his Qzone to scroll through the feed.

’Right. It’s the Qixi Festival, and every damn person with a partner is showing them off.’

’It’s one thing to show off when you have one partner, but how are you supposed to do it with two? Isn’t that just courting death?’

He suddenly noticed that Gu Muxue had tagged him in a post on Qzone.

Xue Rui’s heart leaped into his throat. With a slightly trembling finger, he tapped open the notification. Gu Muxue had posted a photo of a bouquet of pink roses—the very one he had sent her...

The caption was simple, just "Happy Qixi Festival."

And underneath, a swarm of classmates had left the same uniform reply: "Wishing you 99."

Xue Rui thought for a moment. ’It must be a pun on ’a long, long time.’’

’The lass had made their relationship official to everyone. And him? He didn’t even dare open his own Qzone!’

’Thankfully, he never liked posting this kind of stuff on social media anyway, so now he had an excuse to go dark.’

He glanced at Lin Ruoxi playing in the distance and suddenly felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles...

The only good news was that Lin Ruoxi never used social media. Even if she was friends with Gu Muxue, she’d never see the post.

Just then, a message arrived from his "creditor": Xiaorui, why aren’t you replying to my messages?

Xue Rui: I have been.

Creditor: [Angry] Not that one.

Resigned, Xue Rui could only go to Qzone, like the lass’s post, and reply with a "99."

’This was Gu Muxue’s gift to him: a public declaration of their relationship across all social media, warding off all other men...’

He’d just seen Hong Zihan reply "99" to Gu Muxue’s post, too. Xue Rui figured the guy must have been gritting his teeth hard enough to shatter them.

’Logically, he should make a similar post himself, but he didn’t dare!’

’The lass didn’t care about other people’s social media, but she would definitely check his...’

’Post it so only she can see it?’

’That was too much work. Better to just not post at all. The lass might complain a bit, but he could make it up to her in other ways. It would all work out.’

Suddenly, Xue Rui noticed a call coming in on Lin Ruoxi’s phone. It was from his aunt, Xue Xiaying.

"Hello, Auntie," Xue Rui answered.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Xue Xiaying said irritably, "I’m calling to tell Lin Ruoxi about the acceptance letters. I left both of your letters at my place. When you get back, remember to have Lin Ruoxi come pick them up."

Xue Rui breathed a long sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t calling to question him. "Okay, Auntie. Hey, let’s chat for a bit..."

"You bastard! Director Wang already told me everything! Don’t you dare call me ’Auntie’ ever again! I don’t have a two-timing scoundrel for a nephew!" Xue Xiaying yelled before hanging up.

Xue Rui stared at his phone, troubled. The one social circle Gu Muxue and Lin Ruoxi had in common was his own family.

For now, it was manageable. His family just thought he was being young and foolish. But sooner or later, they were bound to expose his two-timing ways.

Xue Rui stared blankly at the azure sky. ’Running away may be shameful, but it’s useful,’ he thought. He’d just have to take things one day at a time.

...

After playing for a little while, Lin Ruoxi decided it was boring without Xue Rui. Things quickly lost their appeal.

Seeing the lass walking over with her bucket, Xue Rui made a space for her.

"Your acceptance letter is at my family’s place. I’ll bring it with me when school starts," Xue Rui said.

"Mm, okay," Lin Ruoxi nodded, pulling a bottle of water from her bag and handing it to Xue Rui.

She stared directly into Xue Rui’s eyes, swallowing nervously.

Xue Rui’s heart skipped a beat. ’The lass must be wrestling with something difficult again.’

"What’s wrong?" Xue Rui asked with a smile, taking a sip of the water before handing it to Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi took a sip without a moment’s hesitation, then summoned her courage and said, "Xiaorui."

Hearing her clear voice say the name made his heart tremble. ’She’d been struggling this whole time just to call me by my nickname?’

"C-Can I call you that?" Lin Ruoxi asked in a small voice, looking at Xue Rui timidly, as if afraid he would say no.

’But... that’s a girlfriend’s right, isn’t it?’

Xue Rui took a deep breath. When Lin Ruoxi said it, it really did sound different from when anyone else did.

Xue Rui smiled. "Of course you can."

The lass’s face immediately broke into a smile. She pulled another plastic bag from her purse, sat down next to Xue Rui, and the two of them quietly gazed at the distant ocean.