Chapter 306 - 267: I... I’ll Be Responsible for You (Part 2)

Looking at her dazed expression and goofy grin, Xue Rui was certain that no matter what had happened before, the girl was definitely happy now.

...

A night passed. Xue Rui groggily opened his eyes to find Lin Ruoxi lying in his arms, blinking up at him with wide eyes.

"You’re awake," Lin Ruoxi said, leaning in to give Xue Rui a kiss.

Xue Rui’s mind was still fuzzy. Last night had felt so surreal that he was starting to wonder if it had all been a dream.

But feeling the girl’s smooth shoulders, he knew he had to face reality.

He reached out and tickled her. "Why are you lazing in bed too?"

She squirmed under his tickling, ducking her head beneath the blankets. Her muffled voice emerged, "Mmm, because there’s nothing to do."

The girl had the red duvet pulled over her head like a bridal veil, revealing only a pair of large, limpid eyes. She looked at Xue Rui inquisitively and said softly, "Rui, do you... do you still want to?"

’Last night, Xue Rui was just taking care of me. I feel like I didn’t satisfy him, and I want to make it up to him.’

Xue Rui sucked in a sharp breath. ’I just woke up, and this is the first thing she asks me?’

He glanced at the weather outside the train. It looked to be around ten in the morning.

"Are you still sore?" Xue Rui shook his head and asked in a low voice.

’It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but he was worried about whether her body could handle it.’

"Mmm, I... I’m fine," Lin Ruoxi said, blushing. Then she hugged Xue Rui again.

Xue Rui pinched her cheek, smiling wryly to himself.

’Just as I thought. After our first time, she’s become even clingier.’

"I asked Grandma about it before," Lin Ruoxi said, lying next to Xue Rui. "She told me I shouldn’t."

"And what did you say?" Xue Rui asked with a smile.

He couldn’t help but be amused by Lin Ruoxi. ’Who asks their family for permission before doing something like this?’

’What parent of a daughter would ever agree to that?’

"Mmm, but I didn’t listen to her. Because I’m a grown-up now," Lin Ruoxi said, tilting her head.

Xue Rui burst out laughing.

’He had originally planned to go to the nursing home and gloat a little after they got back to Hedong. That old woman’s tongue was just too sharp...’

’But now, he’d given up on that idea.’

’Because this girl right here was enough to drive the old woman half-mad...’

’Today’s Lin Ruoxi was just too adorable, even more so than before, acting just like a child.’

’Yeah, this is how it is with lovers. The woman starts acting more and more childish, and it was especially pronounced in Lin Ruoxi. And yet here she was, insisting she was a grown-up.’

The stark contrast made it impossible for Xue Rui to stop laughing.

"Rui, are you... are you laughing at me? I’m... I’m older than you, you know," Lin Ruoxi said, tilting her head.

’She had a feeling Xue Rui was making fun of her, but she had no proof.’

"Mmm, that you are." Xue Rui smirked, his hand starting to wander of its own accord.

Lin Ruoxi paid no mind to Xue Rui’s restless hand. ’As long as he likes it, it’s fine.’

"Rui, back when I first met you, you said I might as well just give myself to you. Did you already... back then...?" Lin Ruoxi asked, sifting through their memories.

’Even though she and Xue Rui both remembered it, she felt that recalling it from this new perspective gave it a different flavor.’

’She realized that now that she was his girlfriend, she no longer had to worry about running out of things to talk about, because she and Xue Rui shared so, so many memories.’

Xue Rui’s expression froze. ’Is Lin Ruoxi asking why I fell for her?’

’I can’t just say I was just lusting after her body from the start, can I?’

’That would sound way too shallow!’

’Uh... well, even though that’s what he was thinking at first, their feelings for each other had grown bit by bit over the past two years they’d spent together. Everything that had happened now was a natural culmination.’

’So, of course he wasn’t going to admit it!’

He sighed, turning the tables on her. "Sigh, I’m sullied. You’ve taken my first time. Tell me, what are you going to do about it?"

Lin Ruoxi immediately panicked. ’Xue Rui is upset.’

’I took Xue Rui’s first time. I know a boy’s first time is really important, and since it was Xue Rui’s, it’s even more precious.’

’Xue Rui gave something so precious to me, and I don’t know how to repay him...’

Lin Ruoxi stammered, "I... I’ll take responsibility for you."

"Mmm, I’ll be waiting for you to make it up to me." Xue Rui smiled and pinched her cheek. ’This girl is so silly. Did she forget it was her first time, too?’

’Who would have thought? A grown man like me actually has the ability to use pillow talk to my advantage?’

’Of course, this only worked on Lin Ruoxi. Gu Muxue would never be fooled by him...’

He reached out and pulled the curtain open a crack. He didn’t know what time it was, nor where they were.

’Xue Rui never would have dreamed that his first time would be on a moving train...’

"Where did I lose my first time? Xiang Province?" he muttered, thinking, ’How damn weird.’

Xue Rui noticed Lin Ruoxi shake her head in his arms. He figured his memory was fuzzy, but Lin Ruoxi surely remembered the timetable.

He lowered his head to wait for her answer, only to hear Lin Ruoxi say earnestly, "You just said it. You lost your first time here, with me."

Xue Rui’s heart skipped a beat. ’This silly girl... sometimes the things she said sounded like she was deliberately trying to turn him on.’

"Then you’d better take good care of it," Xue Rui said with a laugh.

Lin Ruoxi lifted her head. "Rui, from... from now on, whatever you want me to do, you can just tell me."

An image of various cosplay outfits suddenly flashed through Xue Rui’s mind. ’Wow, this girl is something else!’ he thought.

"Why? Didn’t your grandma ever teach you? A young lady should be more reserved." Xue Rui felt that if this continued, he was going to be spoiled rotten. ’What kind of girl talks to a guy like this?’

’No matter what he wanted to do now, she would just go along with it...’

"Mmm, because you’re my boyfriend. That’s a boyfriend’s right, too," Lin Ruoxi said earnestly.

’As his girlfriend, she had many rights. But Xue Rui was her boyfriend, and he had just as many rights, too.’

Xue Rui didn’t say anything, just shifted to sit up a bit. The girl held the blanket up to keep him covered, leaving only their two heads peeking out. She rested her head just below his chin...

Their gazes were surprisingly in sync, both staring blankly at the endless fields passing by outside the window.

’Lin Ruoxi didn’t know what was wrong with her. She felt so lazy today and had no desire to get out of bed at all. She just wanted to stay nestled in Xue Rui’s arms...’

’She didn’t know what time it was, but she hadn’t even gotten breakfast for Xue Rui. She had overslept too, and missed the chance to buy any...’

Xue Rui was lost in thought. His words last night had exposed Lin Ruoxi’s little secret...

’Because their relationship had taken a step forward, the girl was in a very good mood now. It seemed like the perfect time to apologize.’

Xue Rui said seriously, "Xixi, you can order me around for one more day, because I did something wrong. Muxue, she..."

"Rui, you can’t do anything wrong," Lin Ruoxi interrupted, subconsciously defending him.

’The girl’s expression was dazed. She knew Xue Rui was talking about Gu Muxue.’

’Xue Rui was admitting he was at fault, but in her heart, Xue Rui could never do anything wrong.’

’Yu Minlan had told her that this mindset was wrong, but she didn’t want to fight over anything. Her desires were simple: as long as she could stay by Xue Rui’s side, that was all that mattered.’

’A while ago, she would get heartbroken just thinking about it. But now, for some reason, it didn’t hurt that much...’

’She had taken Xue Rui’s first kiss and his first time. Last night, he had even told her he loved her...’

’She and Xue Rui had bared everything to each other, and there were no more secrets between them. She felt that for the first time, her heart and Xue Rui’s were truly close.’

"Rui, will you... will you ever leave me?" Lin Ruoxi asked, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

Xue Rui noticed her action. It was a sign of insecurity.

He held up three fingers and said, word by word, "I swear I never will."

"Mmm, that’s enough, then."

Lin Ruoxi took a deep breath and asked in a clear voice, "Then, about Gu Muxue..."