Chapter 466 - 327: If There Is No Future

Lin Ruoxi’s mind was in a daze the entire time. She lowered her head, staring blankly at Xue Rui in the photo.

"Sister Ruoxi? Say yes, quickly," Xue Yao prompted.

She hadn’t interacted much with Lin Ruoxi, but she’d heard her mom praise Lin Ruoxi plenty of times. Besides, the way Lin Ruoxi looked at her brother was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

’If I were Lin Ruoxi’s little sister, that would be pretty nice,’ she thought. ’It’s even closer than being a sister-in-law...’

"Xixi?" Ren Qunfang said with a smile.

Lin Ruoxi treated herself like an outsider, always bustling about the house. It was as if being diligent gave her a greater sense of security.

She wanted to give Lin Ruoxi an identity that would allow her to be willful, to not have to constantly try to please everyone. That was too exhausting.

"W-Why?" Lin Ruoxi asked in a small voice, her head bowed.

"This way, you can live here openly and justifiably. Besides, you don’t have anyone at home, do you?" Ren Qunfang said earnestly.

Lin Ruoxi calmed down and thought it over. ’Is Aunt Ren trying to give me a proper status to live here?’

’But I already have one—Xue Rui’s girlfriend.’

"I..."

Before Lin Ruoxi could speak, Ren Qunfang cut her off. "It’s not stable. What young couple in the throes of passion doesn’t make grand promises, only to have a messy breakup in the end...?"

Xue Yao listened intently to the lesson, nodding repeatedly. "You’re right, Mom. Dating is for the dogs."

"That’s enough out of you," Ren Qunfang said with a frown.

"Sister Ruoxi, don’t get the wrong idea. I was saying my brother’s the dog," Xue Yao quickly added.

Lin Ruoxi’s face turned pale and she bit her lip tightly. She had never considered this. She had always thought she and Xue Rui would be forever...

’That’s right,’ she thought. ’I’ve had it too easy these past two years. I’ve completely forgotten my old habits.’

’I need to be fully prepared and expect the worst...’

But she was unwilling to even think about it, because doing so would mean doubting Xue Rui’s words.

Xue Rui had said he loved her very much and would never leave her.

’And I believe him...’

But the reality was that classmates around her were constantly breaking up. Even Gu Muxue no longer associated with Xue Rui.

Xue Rui’s mother’s words had suddenly filled her with worry.

’Will Xue Rui leave me?’

"He... he hasn’t agreed," Lin Ruoxi said softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Xue Yao said casually, "Our family makes decisions by voting."

"Mom, how many votes do we have on our side now?"

Ren Qunfang gave a faint smile. "Your dad and I both agree. With you, that makes it three to one."

Lin Ruoxi shook her head. "No, it only counts if Rui agrees."

Ren Qunfang and Xue Yao exchanged a look, disbelief in each other’s eyes. ’Xue Rui has veto power?’

"Then we’ll talk to him tomorrow. Go get some rest for now." Ren Qunfang gave a wry smile. ’This girl is so stubborn.’

"Okay..." Lin Ruoxi placed the photo in her hand back where it was.

"Keep it. This one’s for you," Ren Qunfang said with a smile. Lin Ruoxi had been staring blankly at it for a long time.

Lin Ruoxi was given the room next to Xue Yao’s. Looking at the cozy furnishings and the small family photo in her hand, she thought the ten-year-old Xue Rui in the picture, likely taken during elementary school, was adorable.

After hearing what Ren Qunfang had said, she suddenly felt so uneasy. She really wanted to hug Xue Rui...

She took out her phone and sent Xue Rui a message: Are you asleep?

After waiting blankly in her room for ten minutes with no reply from Xue Rui, Lin Ruoxi decided she would sneak into his room to sleep tonight...

"Finally done with work!" Xue Xiaying said, rubbing her neck as she walked out of her room to get a drink of water.

She spotted Lin Ruoxi tiptoeing past Xue Yao’s room and sneaking furtively to Xue Rui’s door.

"..."

’Whatever,’ she thought. ’They’re both adults. It must be consensual.’

’Hmm... maybe not.’

’But so what if Xue Rui doesn’t agree? It’s not like he’s the one losing out.’

So, she pretended she hadn’t seen anything.

「Meanwhile, inside Xue Rui’s room.」

Lin Ruoxi quietly circled around to Xue Rui’s side. She glanced at the air conditioner, picked up the remote to aim the airflow upward, and then gently covered Xue Rui with the blanket. She lay beside him, watching him for a long time.

In that moment, it felt as if she had gone back two years.

But things were different now. At least, her mindset was.

Back then, she was afraid of Xue Rui suddenly waking up, afraid he would scold her.

She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. She could even reach out and touch his face.

PFFT! Lin Ruoxi squished Xue Rui’s lips into an "o" shape. She couldn’t help but giggle, then lightly kissed his lips.

Seeing Xue Rui put her at ease, and she felt her earlier worries had been unnecessary.

But as she smiled, she somehow started to cry.

’I’ve never been this happy before,’ she thought. ’These should be happy tears, right?’

She wiped her tears with a tissue, carefully climbed into Xue Rui’s bed, and hugged him in her arms as she drifted off to a deep sleep.

...

The next morning, the cuckoo’s call, common on a morning after rain, created a cheerful atmosphere.

As usual, Ren Qunfang went to wake everyone for breakfast. The room closest to hers was the one she had arranged for Lin Ruoxi last night.

She reached out and knocked on the door. "Xixi, time to get up."

’Lin Ruoxi is sleeping in?’

’I didn’t expect this, but it’s also what I was hoping to see.’

She had woken up early today, afraid she would find Lin Ruoxi in the kitchen making breakfast, waiting on the whole family.

’Maybe my words from last night worked? Has Lin Ruoxi started to think of this place as her own home?’

’This is a good thing...’

Ren Qunfang only called out softly a few times before leaving. She wanted to let Lin Ruoxi sleep in a little longer.

Then she walked to Xue Yao’s door and began pounding on it. "Get up! Time to eat! What time were you up playing games last night?"

"Mom! Stop knocking!"