Chapter 424 - 311: Your Lipstick Is So Pretty (Part 2)

By separating her identity from her role as a student and from love, and forcing her to face the harsh realities of society, she would realize she has no future with Xue Rui. The gap in their social status is simply too wide.

This tactic usually worked on girls attracted by money, but was Lin Ruoxi one of them?

She didn’t think so. Besides, bringing up family would only touch on Lin Ruoxi’s painful past.

"Right. She’s been a victim of domestic abuse since she was a child, and she doesn’t have many friends," Xue Rui said.

"And I... I went over everything again last night. It’s possible my involvement caused her to develop a strong emotional dependency..."

Gu Muxue turned her head, her movements a bit stiff. Her beautiful eyes were wide with astonishment.

She understood. With Lin Ruoxi’s college entrance exam scores, she could have gained immeasurable fame and fortune. Yet she had chosen the most low-key path, unhesitatingly shying away from the media’s cameras.

If Lin Ruoxi truly cared about fame and fortune, she would have seized the opportunity to build hype long ago...

’The whole "fake boyfriend and girlfriend" thing? That was Xue Rui’s idea.’

’But how could Lin Ruoxi not take it seriously?’

’So, in Lin Ruoxi’s heart, Xue Rui *is* her real boyfriend. There’s no question of it being an act.’

’Xiaorui, how could you leave me with such a huge mess?’

Xue Rui watched Gu Muxue clench her jaw and instinctively pulled his hand back.

It wasn’t that he was afraid of being bitten, but Lin Ruoxi was still watching from the back gate. If he got bitten every day, she would eventually have a breakdown, and there was no telling if she’d come looking for Gu Muxue to "settle the score."

"You know, some things... The current situation doesn’t necessarily have to change," Xue Rui said, seizing the moment.

Gu Muxue clenched her fists. ’What does he mean by that?’

She thought about it. Xue Rui had never said he wanted to revoke Lin Ruoxi’s status as his "girlfriend."

Between his earlier setup and what he was saying now, it almost felt like he was implying *she* was the one going too far.

"Lin Ruoxi needs someone to take care of her, and I can do it. I don’t need your help," Gu Muxue huffed.

’Just what is this ambiguous relationship all about?’

"Muxue, I knew you were as kind as you are beautiful," Xue Rui praised with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes.

It was just as he’d guessed; she really was compassionate. ’But how had he gotten himself kicked out of the equation?’

His plan was to get Lin Ruoxi and Gu Muxue to become best friends...

But Gu Muxue’s eyes were sharp, as if she could see right through him. She wasn’t nearly as easy to handle as Lin Ruoxi.

Gu Muxue took a deep breath. She finally understood, and a sudden ache spread through her chest. She wanted to ask Xue Rui what he was truly thinking.

"Xiaorui, what are your real feelings for—"

Just then, Li Ruihao came running over with a large box. "Boss, what was that project you told me about yesterday? Is this it?"

"Yes, yes, this is your next assignment." Xue Rui quickly scurried over to Li Ruihao and patted him on the back.

This was the lifeline he had arranged in advance, a temporary escape from a "life-or-death" question.

Only when a whistle blew on the field again did Xue Rui let out a long sigh of relief and start seriously discussing the project with Li Ruihao.

He was very familiar with the city of Chang’an, but when it came to the campus scene, he was far behind Li Ruihao.

Li Ruihao was a senior who had spent over three years navigating the various University Cities. He was even a department head in the student union, so he knew the ins and outs of dealing with students like the back of his hand.

"I’ve got a project for you." Xue Rui patted a shared power bank station he’d had brought over from the warehouse that morning.

"It needs an internet connection. You scan a code to rent a power bank..."

The machine was simple to use, and it came with an instruction manual. Li Ruihao quickly figured it out completely.

After thinking for a moment, Li Ruihao spoke up. "Boss, we can integrate this into the All-Purpose Campus app. It would improve the app’s functionality and increase user stickiness. I’m really impressed."

Xue Rui gave Li Ruihao a surprised look. ’This guy really has a brain.’

Of course, his goal wasn’t that simple. More users meant better-looking data, which meant he could "draw a bigger pie." When the time came to seek separate financing, he’d be able to bluff his way to more money.

Moreover, offering student discounts would encourage students to complete a real-name verification of their student status. This would, in turn, increase the underlying value of All-Purpose Campus. It was a multi-win situation.

"You’ll get a commission for every station you install, plus an additional cut of the subsequent revenue. I’m giving you the dealership rights. Let’s see what you can do," Xue Rui said with a smile.

He couldn’t do it alone, of course. Every school had its own administration and was a semi-closed consumer ecosystem. For an outside team to get a foothold in the schools was either too difficult or too expensive. It was much easier to hire students, and most importantly, they were relatively cheap.

Li Ruihao’s face lit up with excitement. Xue Rui was giving him a real responsibility. He patted his chest and guaranteed, "I’ll get the job done, no question!"

After chatting with Li Ruihao for a bit, Xue Rui figured it was about time to leave. If he didn’t go soon, Lin Ruoxi would start nagging him about lunch. He’d come back tomorrow after Gu Muxue had cooled off.

"I’ll give you the contract tomorrow. Call me if you have any questions. I’m heading out now." As he spoke, Xue Rui glanced toward the field. The students were still diligently going through their military training, but why was Gu Muxue’s spot empty?

He suddenly had a bad feeling.

Lin Ruoxi was just a short distance from the back gate, using her laptop. And Gu Muxue was gone?

He frantically rushed toward the back gate, his eyes scanning everywhere. He spotted Gu Muxue walking in Lin Ruoxi’s direction...

...

Lin Ruoxi had parked her car in a shady spot. With all the windows down, she was intently browsing through some documents.

Gu Muxue watched Lin Ruoxi’s profile from a distance. She couldn’t quite name the feeling in her heart. Xue Rui’s earlier words had implied he wasn’t going to reject Lin Ruoxi, and yet, he was always so good to her, too.

She was so upset with Xue Rui that her chest ached, so she’d had a classmate excuse her for a little while.

She had been planning to wash her face and cool down, only to find Lin Ruoxi right here at their school, near the back gate.

’Why is Lin Ruoxi here?’

She slowly approached and leaned down to look at Lin Ruoxi’s laptop screen. She was suddenly curious. Lin Ruoxi and Xue Rui went to the same university; what did they do all day?

The screen was filled with English academic papers, all packed with technical jargon. Even though she considered her own English to be quite good, she found it very difficult to read.

She studied Lin Ruoxi’s profile intently: sharp, flawless features and the elegant curve of a classic oval jawline. In terms of both looks and aura, she seemed much more mature than Gu Muxue herself.

There was no denying it: Lin Ruoxi was truly beautiful. Even Gu Muxue found herself wanting to look a little longer.

"Lin Ruoxi, what are you doing here?"

Gu Muxue noticed that Lin Ruoxi was so absorbed she hadn’t noticed her approach at all. So, she greeted her softly, as if they were old friends.

She knew that Lin Ruoxi was now Xue Rui’s girlfriend—at least, that’s how society saw it.

What made her even angrier was that Xue Rui seemed to think he was "helping" Lin Ruoxi, and even seemed to have an attitude of welcoming all comers.

But when faced with Lin Ruoxi, she chose to suppress her temper.

After all, the girl was truly pitiful. It was also possible she had been misguided by Xue Rui.

Lin Ruoxi turned her head in a daze, her heart pounding.

’Xue Rui said I wouldn’t get to meet his classmate Gu Muxue until the weekend! I just wanted to save a little gas, so I opened the windows. I wanted him to walk less in the sun, so I parked really close...’

’When the students were on break, I’d roll up the windows. When the training started again, I’d roll them down for some air.’

Lin Ruoxi knew she hadn’t followed Xue Rui’s instructions. He hadn’t given her permission to talk with his classmate Gu Muxue yet. ’He’s going to be unhappy.’

"H-Hello." Lin Ruoxi instinctively tried to stand up, but her head hit the roof of the car. She winced, shrinking back and clutching her head. "Oof..."

Gu Muxue’s eyes widened slightly. ’Why is she so nervous?’

’Is she scared I’m going to confront her?’

’She’s like a child who’s done something wrong, panicking and not knowing what to do.’

’That’s right. I told her before that I was Xue Rui’s girlfriend. So why did she still agree to his proposal?’

’Was it that she couldn’t bear to let him go? Or was it...’

"Your lipstick is very pretty. Did you come with Xiaorui?" Gu Muxue forced a polite smile.

"Um, I drove him here." Lin Ruoxi gently rubbed her head.

Noticing the beads of water still on Gu Muxue’s forehead, she got out of the car with a tissue and a bottle of mineral water. "Here, you can use this."

"I... I..." Lin Ruoxi didn’t know what to say to Gu Muxue. The only topic they had in common was Xue Rui.

But... she and Gu Muxue were both Xue Rui’s girlfriends.

"Thank you." Gu Muxue accepted the bottle of water, noticing that Lin Ruoxi had already twisted the cap open before handing it to her.

The impression Lin Ruoxi gave was one of gentle softness, like a clear spring that soothed the soul.

Xue Rui leaned against a wall, his forehead beaded with sweat. He was stuck. He couldn’t go over, but he couldn’t just stay put either...