Chapter 471 - 328: Who’s Prettier, Me or Gu Muxue?

"You’re actually setting Old Mrs. Wang up?" Xue Rui clutched his stomach and laughed. "Wanna bet her face is going to be a mile long in a bit?"

"I don’t believe it. Grandma is very thrifty."

"How about we make a bet?" Xue Rui said with interest.

"Bet what?" Lin Ruoxi asked, a little excited. This was the first time Xue Rui had ever wanted to make a bet with her.

’But what could she possibly wager? What could she lose to Xue Rui?’

’Everything she had already belonged to him.’

Lin Ruoxi’s question rendered Xue Rui speechless. ’The girl’s so excited. What can I say to keep her from being disappointed?’

"If you lose, you’re not allowed in my room tonight," Xue Rui said shamelessly.

’He was the one getting the better deal, yet here he was, threatening her with it?’

’Looks like I’m heading down the path of a kept man with no turning back...’

Lin Ruoxi pouted. "Hmph. In that case, I can’t lose."

...

The two of them drove to the nursing home’s entrance. The back seat was piled high with snack gift boxes, along with a few boxes of health supplements—the kind of "idiot tax" products you’d see advertised on TV.

Naturally, Lin Ruoxi had bought the snacks, and Xue Rui had bought the supplements.

"You take yours, I’ll take mine," Xue Rui said confidently.

Lin Ruoxi unbuckled Xue Rui’s seatbelt for him and, full of confidence, planted a firm kiss on his face. "I won’t lose! I’m still sleeping with you tonight."

With that, she went around to the trunk and scooped up all the bags of snacks into one hand. The handles strained against her palm, turning it pale. She then gestured for Xue Rui to take her free hand and walk in with her.

Xue Rui sighed, took three of the gift boxes from Lin Ruoxi’s hand, and, holding her other hand, walked through the nursing home’s main gate.

"Hey, it’s Old Mrs. Wang’s granddaughter."

"And her grandson-in-law, too."

"Look at all those gifts. So thoughtful of them..."

Many of the elderly residents greeted the couple as they arrived. The two of them were regulars at the nursing home.

Xue Rui glanced around the courtyard. It was the same familiar faces, no different from the elders you’d see sunning themselves at a village entrance. Each was in their own little "territory," like NPCs on a fixed respawn timer...

Xue Rui didn’t ask about the ones he couldn’t see. After all, an NPC of that age could log off permanently at any moment.

"Where’s Grandpa Huo?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

Xue Rui shot her a sharp look and whispered, "It’s a holiday. Don’t go asking after people, you might talk them into their graves."

"Old Huo’s son picked him up for the holiday."

Xue Rui smiled and nodded. "We’re here to pick up Old Mrs. Wang, too."

"How come I don’t see Grandpa Liang with you?" Lin Ruoxi asked, just as she always did.

"Old Liang is gone. Stroke," Old Li sighed.

’Xue Rui’s heart dropped. Lin Ruoxi had asked, and sure enough, something bad had happened. Is the poor girl going to blame herself?’

Lin Ruoxi hung her head. She knew what "gone" meant. ’I really did talk him into his grave...’

’Xue Rui had a point. She made a mental note of it.’

"Alright, Mrs. Wang just got back to her room. Go on, you two."

"Alrighty."

Xue Rui squeezed Lin Ruoxi’s hand. "It’s not your fault. What are you pouting for? Let me see you smile."

"Mm-hmm." Lin Ruoxi pursed her lips, then broke into a sweet smile for Xue Rui.

"Grandma! We’re back!" Lin Ruoxi called out from the doorway.

The old lady didn’t even turn her head, grumbling, "So you came back yesterday but only thought to visit me today?"

Xue Rui’s lip twitched. ’This old lady is so petty.’

"Grandma, Xue Rui and I bought you some things. Don’t be mad anymore," Lin Ruoxi called out sweetly.

Old Mrs. Wang kept her back to the two of them, a smile playing on her lips. ’What’s there to be unhappy about?’

This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival was the best she’d ever had. Xue Rui’s parents had sent her gifts, people from the bank had come to visit, and even Village Chief Hua had dropped by to give her two boxes of mooncakes.

All the other old folks at the nursing home were green with envy. They couldn’t stop praising how successful her family was, which gave her vanity a huge boost.

Before, who would have ever paid attention to someone like her? Now that Xue Rui was in the picture, everything was different.

Still, she wasn’t about to give Xue Rui the satisfaction of a smile. By the time she turned around, she had her expression under perfect control, fighting to keep her lips from curling upwards.

However, the moment she saw the gifts in her granddaughter’s hands, her face fell.

Xue Rui stifled a laugh and whispered in Lin Ruoxi’s ear, "See? I told you her face would be a mile long."

Lin Ruoxi blinked, stunned. ’How did he guess?’

"Grandma, are you and Xue Rui in on this together?" Lin Ruoxi said with a pout.

"Xixi, you’re the one in on it with him, aren’t you?" Old Mrs. Wang snorted.

She couldn’t eat any of it.

’Dried squid? Could she even bite through that?’

"Hey now, Old Mrs. Wang, don’t go making baseless accusations. Your granddaughter *carefully selected* all of this!"

Xue Rui put heavy emphasis on the two words "carefully selected."