Chapter 302 - 266: I Command You, Eat Me

Lin Ruoxi whispered those two simple words for a long, long time.

Xue Rui’s eyes were vacant. He pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her face.

He had only been joking, but Lin Ruoxi’s seriousness left him at a loss.

It was like a card game—he’d only played his lowest card, and she had immediately dropped the winning hand, completely throwing him off his rhythm...

Because the word "love" contained emotions that were too deep, too heavy;

He could tell Lin Ruoxi and Gu Muxue he "liked" them without any burden, but he had never said "love" to anyone...

’And who has said it to me?’

’Come to think of it, the only person who had ever said it to my face before was Chen Tingting. She’d written it on a slip of paper hidden in a dumpling during the Winter Solstice festival, but I never took it seriously...’

After all, the word "love" cheapens when overused. It’s like all those players, who can toss out a "Baby, I love you" so easily.

But eventually, no one takes those words seriously anymore...

But her quiet murmur was different. Every word struck him deep in the heart. No matter how many times she said it, the sentiment wouldn’t be diluted in the slightest; instead, it would only grow richer and more profound.

...

Xue Rui was now leaning against the wall by the bed’s headboard. The young woman was draped over him, her head resting gently on his chest.

"I..."

Xue Rui wanted to tell Lin Ruoxi "I love you too," but the words just wouldn’t come out.

’It was Lin Ruoxi’s first time saying it, yet it felt so heavy, so real...’

’But his situation was different. She knew his love was divided in two. If you put it on a scale to be weighed, his love would seem light and flimsy. It would definitely be the side that shot high into the air.’

Lin Ruoxi glanced up, stealing a peek at Xue Rui...

’What is he going to say?’ She was filled with anticipation, but even more so with nervousness. She was afraid he was still angry...

She hugged Xue Rui even tighter, pressing her ear flat against his chest to listen quietly to his rapid, forceful heartbeat.

The corners of her lips curved up slightly. ’His heart is beating so fast,’ she thought. ’That says it all, doesn’t it?’

She popped the last of the chocolate into her mouth. It tasted exactly the same as the piece Xue Rui had given her two years ago. As it melted, her mind was whisked back two years, to a classroom in No. 2 High School. She remembered secretly licking her palm clean under her desk...

Xue Rui took a deep breath, his chest rising slightly. Her head rose and fell in time with his breathing...

’Lin Ruoxi’s love was completely without reservation. I have nothing of equal value to offer in return.’

But then a thought struck him. ’Why am I so hung up on everything being equal?’

’In this relationship, I’m the one being adored. So, no matter what I say, it’ll be the right answer. I don’t need to look for some perfect response!’

’I’m not the one being weighed on the scales. I’m the one holding them.’

For some reason, a song lyric flashed through his mind: *It’s not easy to find someone who loves you, so why not cherish them properly...*

’Well, now I’m really in that situation. I can’t just repeat the mistakes of the past.’

So, Xue Rui pinched the young woman’s cheek and chose a tactful answer: "I know you love me very much, and I’ll be sure to treasure you."

The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself.

’But,’ he thought, ’she’d definitely stop me.’ So he refrained.

The result was just as he’d predicted. The young woman gave a happy "Mhm!" and snuggled cheerfully into his arms.

’She was so, so happy. He said he would treasure her!’

"Phew..." Xue Rui let out a long sigh of relief.

’What was I even agonizing over?’

’Even with such a cop-out answer, she was still wriggling with happiness...’

He thought, ’If I’d actually said "I love you," what would have happened then?’

’Would Lin Ruoxi’s clever little brain have short-circuited?’

After that little interlude, the two of them started watching the cartoon Lin Ruoxi had prepared. Xue Rui lay sprawled out on the narrow single bed, and she was curled up in front of him, leaning gently against his chest.

They stayed in that position, their heads turned to the side to watch the laptop screen. From time to time, Lin Ruoxi would feed him a piece of a snack, worried he might get his hands dirty.

Xue Rui thought she was being ridiculous, treating him like an invalid. He reached out, picked up the last potato chip, and gently brought it to Lin Ruoxi’s lips.

Her eyes seemed to go into a trance for a moment. ’Is he going to feed me?’

Her eyes crinkled into crescents as she opened her mouth and ate the chip he offered, letting out a crisp CRUNCH...

However, before Xue Rui could pull his hand back, he felt a sudden warmth on his fingertips. She had licked the chip crumbs clean off his fingers.

Xue Rui’s heart felt like it was being scratched by a kitten. ’This girl knows exactly what she’s doing!’ he thought. ’How am I supposed to resist this?’

He couldn’t help it; his mind unconsciously drifted to improper places, and then, the inevitable awkwardness occurred...

She felt the change in Xue Rui’s body behind her. Her cheeks turned as red as ripe tomatoes, and her small, white-socked feet tensed, the balls of her feet subconsciously digging into the red bedsheet.

’Xue Rui... he wants me.’

"Rui... I... I really like trains. Can we always take the train for long trips from now on?" Lin Ruoxi said, having never felt so blissful in her life.

’He was right here beside me, with no one to interrupt us, both of us focused on the same thing. It felt even cozier than when he used to stay in my bedroom for evening self-study back in high school.’

’Back then, she’d been a little afraid of him, and just as afraid of her grandmother checking in on her...’

’But things were different now. She was all grown up. Her grandma wouldn’t be meddling anymore, and she finally had the title of "girlfriend"...’