Chapter 322 - 273: Finding Lin Ruoxi’s Flaw (Part 2)

"Lin Ruoxi is at the nursing home?" Xie Jianfeng said.

Xue Rui didn’t answer. He figured it was better to let his dad see for himself.

Bringing her home would be too formal. His mom would be thrilled, of course, but it would be too much of a hassle. Meeting somewhere else was better.

"That’s right," Xue Rui said.

Xie Jianfeng pursed his lips, mulling it over.

He had to admit, he was impressed by the girl. It wasn’t just that she was beautiful; she was also a top student—she’d even helped his son get into Qingbei...

He knew where the girl lived, but he’d never once gone to see her.

Since Xue Rui had brought him here for a look, he was determined to see just what kind of magic Lin Ruoxi possessed to make his wife give her a whole house.

"Dad, she’s a bit timid. Don’t scare her," Xue Rui said.

"I’m just going to take a look. Do I look like I’m going to eat someone?" Xie Jianfeng snapped, completely dismissing his son’s words.

"I’m just saying. Call it a fair warning," Xue Rui said.

The two of them arrived at the nursing home. Xue Rui carried a bag of fruit, milk, and other gifts, while his dad swaggered ahead of him, a small leather clutch tucked under his arm.

However, they had barely registered and taken a few steps inside before they spotted Lin Ruoxi in the courtyard, hanging up laundry.

The young woman was dressed simply in a pair of white sneakers and tight-fitting jeans. A gold necklace gleamed on her slender neck;

Her striking looks drew the eyes of many of the elderly residents, who would occasionally lean in and whisper to each other.

Xie Jianfeng watched for a moment. ’No wonder my son is so smitten,’ he thought. ’This girl is just as beautiful as Gu Muxue, and her figure is even better.’

"Looks aren’t everything, Xiaorui," Xie Jianfeng began.

Xue Rui’s brow twitched. ’Says the man with so much culture. My dad probably picked that line up online recently.’

"Her soul is one in a million," Xue Rui added.

"Hm?" Xie Jianfeng frowned. He hadn’t even finished his sentence, so how did Xue Rui know the second half of the saying?

"She’s involved in my startup," Xue Rui said honestly. "In fact, some projects were launched with her at the very center of them."

Xie Jianfeng sucked in a sharp breath. ’So she’s not just a pretty face. She’s quite capable for someone so young.’

"Why is she here?" Xie Jianfeng asked.

Xue Rui was speechless for a moment. "Mom’s such a chatterbox. She didn’t tell you?"

Xie Jianfeng cleared his throat. "She did, but it went in one ear and out the other."

"Her grandmother is here," Xue Rui said quietly. "She’s her only living relative."

’What a dutiful girl,’ Xie Jianfeng mused. ’She just got back yesterday, and here she is at the nursing home, busying herself...’

’Kids her age are usually just having fun. For her to be able to settle down and do laundry for her grandmother is truly rare.’

Suddenly, Lin Ruoxi’s gaze shifted. When she saw Xue Rui, her eyes instantly lit up, crinkling as she smiled. "Rui, you’re here!"

Xie Jianfeng was momentarily stunned. ’The light in the girl’s eyes, that smile... it’s so incredibly heartwarming...’

’But wait, I’m standing right in front. Why did she call out to Xue Rui behind me first?’

Just as he was thinking this, Lin Ruoxi’s gaze fell upon him. A flash of panic crossed her face. "S... Sir, hello."

’Lin Ruoxi’s heart hammered. Why was Xue Rui’s father here?’

’Did Xue Rui bring him?’

’But I haven’t prepared anything! I don’t know what his father is like, but... well, anyone related to Xue Rui must be a good person, just like him.’

However, just as she was thinking this, she realized Xie Jianfeng hadn’t responded to her greeting. Instead, he was whispering something to Xue Rui.

"Does she have a stutter?"

"I told you she was shy," Xue Rui said, noticing that the young woman had started fidgeting with her fingers again.

’Last night she was all set to say hi to my dad, but now that he’s actually here, she’s chickening out?’

’Well, that’s just how she is.’

’Forget Lin Ruoxi; any adult would be nervous meeting their partner’s parents. Who wouldn’t be?’

"Oh, in that case, I’ll go have a chat with her grandmother," Xie Jianfeng said. He took the bag of gifts from Xue Rui and asked him to point the way.

’To really understand someone, you can’t just take one person’s word for it. He felt his wife saw the girl through rose-colored glasses, painting far too perfect a picture.’

’Of course, he couldn’t completely trust Lin Ruoxi’s own family, either. He’d have to ask some of the other elderly residents for their opinion.’

"Hello, Lin Ruoxi. I’m Xue Rui’s father," Xie Jianfeng said.

"Da... uh... Sir, I recognize you," Lin Ruoxi murmured, her head instinctively ducking a little.

’Xue Rui’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Did she really just slip up again?’

’When people get nervous, their minds tend to repeat the last thing they heard...’

’This reminded him of that time he’d tricked her into calling Ren Jun ’Uncle’...’

"I was just passing by, so I thought I’d come see you and your grandmother," Xie Jianfeng said. "You go hang out with Xiaorui for a bit." With that, he walked over to the old woman sitting by the door.

’He felt like he must have been hearing things. He could have sworn he’d heard a "Dad," and it made his heart skip a beat, leaving him with an indescribable feeling...’

Xue Rui watched his father’s retreating back. He had a pretty good idea of what his dad was up to.

Ever since Gu Muxue’s showdown with both their families, Xie Jianfeng had started taking an interest in his son’s love life. He probably wanted to get a better sense of Lin Ruoxi’s character and background, so he was going to do some digging.

But that was exactly what he wanted.

It wasn’t that he was trying to get his family to accept him two-timing. He was just afraid they would start interfering in the wrong way.