Chapter 303 - 266: I Command You, Eat Me (2)

’It might not be the only reason, but it still lets me stay close to Xue Rui.’

Xue Rui tickled a sensitive spot on her waist. "So you were only telling me half the story. You call that liking trains? Fess up."

’Lin Ruoxi’s little intentions might as well have been written all over her face,’ he thought.

"Ngh, that tickles."

She convulsed with laughter from his tickling, squirming in his arms. But she never tried to tickle him back, only obediently baring her stomach for him to scratch...

Just like how Da Huang would bare his belly and let Lin Ruoxi play with him...

"Going to admit it?" Xue Rui continued his tickle assault, getting in a few extra touches here and there.

Lin Ruoxi laughed and said, "I... I admit it. The train is slow, so I get to spend more time with you."

’Rui is so smart,’ she thought. ’There’s no hiding my intentions from him.’

’Being with her is so easy,’ Xue Rui thought. ’She never hides things from me, and even if she did, it would only be out of consideration for my feelings.’

When Xue Rui’s "paws" finally stopped, Lin Ruoxi straightened her hair a little before leaning back into his embrace.

She pointed to her chest and said in a soft, shy voice, "Rui... you... every time you tickle me, you touch here..."

Xue Rui gulped. ’She’s not stupid after all,’ he thought. ’She actually noticed.’

He felt a sudden, inexplicable nervousness. It was one thing when it went unsaid, but having her point it out felt like being caught red-handed...

He was the one in the wrong!

But why was she saying something like this?

’Is she trying to throw a little fit? Make me apologize so she can get her hands on tomorrow’s "decision-making power," too?’

After all, they’d be on the train for a full 24 hours. It was only normal for her to be a little greedy.

But this was also what he hoped to see. If she didn’t act out a little, he might sometimes overlook her feelings.

"Rui, don’t do that anymore," Lin Ruoxi said in a small voice.

Xue Rui was stunned. ’This is the first time she’s ever turned me down,’ he thought, marveling that Lin Ruoxi had grown up and learned a sense of self-respect.

He was a bit surprised. ’Has the difficulty level gone up for her route?’

"D-Do you like it?" Lin Ruoxi stammered.

Xue Rui’s eyes shot wide open. ’She’s asking if I like it?’

’What is she trying to do?’

But he answered decisively, "I do."

’Who could deny that?’

Hearing Xue Rui’s answer, she sat up straight, reached her hands behind her, and slowly felt for the buttons on her clothes...

"You can be more direct. I... I don’t mind." Lin Ruoxi’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. ’My face feels so hot right now...’ she thought.

’But if I can’t even do this, what’s going to happen tonight?’

Xue Rui’s breathing grew ragged. ’This girl is so bold!’ he thought. ’I say I like it and she immediately starts undoing her buttons?’

However, just as she was about to undo the button, a knock came from the compartment door.

"Hello, would you like to order any dinner?" the attendant’s voice called out.

She’d been turned away when she knocked earlier, but she figured that since the couple seemed to have trouble with their legs, it was better to ask one last time.

Lin Ruoxi panicked instantly. She subconsciously tried to get up from the bed, but accidentally bumped her head on the upper bunk, her eyes squeezing shut from the pain.

Xue Rui called out, "No, thank you, we’re fine."

Xue Rui smiled. The slightest disturbance was enough to scare her silly. Lin Ruoxi obviously had a guilty conscience.

Xue Rui pulled Lin Ruoxi back into his arms, gently rubbing the spot where she had bumped her head with the palm of his hand.

"Aren’t we having dinner?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

Xue Rui sighed softly. "We’ve been snacking all day, from morning till night. Who has any room left for dinner?"

Whenever she didn’t know what to do, he would just feed her snacks. Now his stomach was completely full.

"But, we’ll get hungry later..." she said in her soft, pleading voice, pulling a bento box she had prepared ahead of time out of her bag.

She loved it when Xue Rui ate her cooking.

Xue Rui sighed. ’If I spent every day with Lin Ruoxi, I’d end up gaining at least fifty pounds.’

Xue Rui set the food container aside and said earnestly, "How can we get hungry if we go to sleep early?"

He was saying this on purpose. The red bedsheets she had prepared were too obvious—she clearly had something planned for him tonight. But he insisted he wanted to go to sleep early, just to see how she would react.

Her expression was blank. ’Is Rui really going to sleep?’

’But... I’m not going to let him.’

Lin Ruoxi tilted her head. "Then... let’s watch some TV, and then we’ll go to sleep."

Xue Rui mulled over the implication of her "we." ’She’s not even trying to hide it,’ he thought.

The atmosphere turned a bit awkward. Neither of them spoke for a long while, just quietly watching the laptop screen.

At nine-thirty, Lin Ruoxi glanced at the time. She got a toothbrush and toothpaste ready for Xue Rui, took him to wash up and use the restroom, and completed all the bedtime preparations.

Xue Rui couldn’t help but get excited. Although Lin Ruoxi hadn’t said anything, they both knew exactly what was on each other’s minds.

After they returned from the washroom, Lin Ruoxi stared at the laptop screen, watching the minutes and seconds tick by.

At ten o’clock, the main lights in the car went out, and the sound of a broadcast announcement came over the speakers...

Inside the compartment, the only illumination came from the laptop screen, casting a soft glow on her beautiful face.

Xue Rui glanced at the opposite bunk, which was piled high with miscellaneous items. Lin Ruoxi showed no intention of clearing it off, obviously planning to squeeze into one bed with him.

Suddenly, with a SNAP, Lin Ruoxi closed the laptop screen. She reached out, pulled the window curtain shut, and the room was instantly plunged into darkness.