Chapter 285 - 260: Hello, Lin Ruoxi, I am Gu Muxue

The group arrived at a cosmetics counter in the mall. Xue Rui thought Lin Ruoxi could use some makeup to enhance her look. Plus, he had already bought some for Gu Muxue, so he couldn’t possibly leave Lin Ruoxi out.

"Hello, this is a new face mask we just got in..."

The sales associate rattled off the benefits of the new face mask to Lin Ruoxi.

"One... eighteen hundred!" Lin Ruoxi was taken aback.

"The collagen tightens your skin. It’s expensive for a reason..."

Lin Ruoxi tilted her head. "Um, but skin can’t absorb large protein molecules."

"I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you correctly. What was that about large proteins?"

Lin Ruoxi’s mouth fell slightly open. She suddenly had no desire to speak to the sales associate anymore.

Xue Rui chuckled. ’This girl is too earnest,’ he thought. ’Arguing science with a sales associate.’

Lin Ruoxi walked over to Xue Rui and whispered, "Everything here is so expensive. This could buy groceries for a long time. And what they’re saying is all wrong. Are they trying to scam people...?"

Xue Rui waved his hand dismissively. "You’re a little rich girl. If you like it, buy it. It’s not about being scammed or not."

The girl pouted. "I don’t want it. The ten-dollar stuff... has the same ingredients."

Xue Rui pinched Lin Ruoxi’s nose. ’This girl is always such a penny-pincher,’ he thought.

But there was nothing to be done about it. She was a STEM girl, after all. It was hard to fool her with overpriced products that preyed on scientific ignorance.

"Um, Sister Yu, you shouldn’t bother with these either. They’re all useless," Lin Ruoxi whispered.

Yu Minlan blinked. "Women who use high-end skincare all have great skin. It must be useful."

"They’re not," Lin Ruoxi said, shaking her head.

"Ruoxi, who can compare to you?" Yu Minlan sighed. She believed Lin Ruoxi was a natural beauty who didn’t need any of these products to begin with.

"Um, what I meant was... eating and sleeping are more effective. They eat well..."

Xue Rui stepped forward and put an arm around the girl’s shoulders. "Yu Minlan," he said softly, "you have the cause and effect mixed up. People who can afford high-end skincare aren’t struggling to get by. They live comfortable lives, which is why their skin is naturally good. It’s not that the products made their skin better."

He reached out and pinched the girl’s cheek. ’She actually understands a lot,’ he thought. ’She just has trouble expressing it sometimes.’

Yu Minlan swallowed hard. ’This pair really knows how to bring a person down...’ she thought.

’The logic made sense, but she still couldn’t help wanting to buy something...’

"Go buy some with Yu Minlan," Xue Rui said.

’The girl was already stunning without makeup, but a little enhancement would be even better.’

"Okay." Lin Ruoxi nodded. ’She didn’t really like this stuff, but if it was something Xue Rui wanted her to wear, she was willing to learn.’

Xue Rui found a place to sit and rest while Yu Minlan dragged Lin Ruoxi off to try various cosmetics.

Just as Xue Rui was chatting with Gu Muxue, Lin Ruoxi quietly approached and stood before him.

A shadow fell over him, and Xue Rui noticed the light dim. He subconsciously blanked his phone screen and slowly looked up. His eyes met a splash of vivid red.

Xue Rui drew in a sharp breath. The Lin Ruoxi before him was like a completely different person. Fiery red lips in an impossibly vibrant shade, eyeliner flicked up at the corners... she was sexy, with a hint of aloofness.

Xue Rui subconsciously wiped his palms on his pants. Lin Ruoxi’s sudden transformation was surprisingly intimidating, making him feel as if he were about to be judged...

However, the feeling lasted only an instant. The moment their eyes met, her gaze softened with affection.

Xue Rui sighed in relief. ’For a second there, I really thought she was going to question me about Gu Muxue...’

Yu Minlan asked with a smile, "So? This style suits her, doesn’t it?"

The sales associate said with genuine admiration, "You look absolutely gorgeous. Not everyone can pull off Dior 999."

Xue Rui was a little surprised. ’A true red is hard for most people to pull off, but it looked completely natural on Lin Ruoxi.’

’She was tall and slender, with delicate features and a reserved demeanor. With just a little makeup, she could easily pass for an aloof goddess.’

’If she added some luxury accessories, she’d be even more intimidating...’

’That way, any guy who wanted to hit on her would have to think twice and wonder if he was even in her league. It’s a kind of protective coloration, I guess.’

Lin Ruoxi asked in a soft, shy voice, "Rui, do... do you like it?"

She nervously clutched the hem of her shirt. ’She’d worn lipstick once before, but back then, she and Xue Rui were just classmates. Now they were a couple, and for some reason, his opinion on this mattered a great deal.’

Xue Rui’s heart skipped a beat. ’Of course he liked this mature version of Lin Ruoxi. Mature on the outside, innocent on the inside... The contrast was strangely exciting...’

’Too bad she’s still so clueless, though.’

’She even keeps her eyes open when they kiss, which makes him feel like he’s corrupting an innocent.’

Xue Rui smiled. "I love it. I love you no matter what you look like."

’He should definitely say something nice,’ Xue Rui thought. ’That way, she might switch up her style for him more often in the future. What a treat that would be.’

Lin Ruoxi’s hands clenched even tighter, and her chest rose and fell. She didn’t know what was wrong with her, but when she heard Xue Rui say he liked it, she felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to kiss him.

Lin Ruoxi leaned down, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and revealing the delicate line of her jaw to Xue Rui...

Xue Rui’s heart lurched. ’So many people are watching!’ he thought. On top of that, with her looking down on him from above, he couldn’t help but blush.

’Lin Ruoxi was different from Gu Muxue. Gu Muxue was always shy when they were together, hiding from others just to whisper something in his ear. But when Lin Ruoxi was with him, she only had eyes for him, completely oblivious to the world around them.’