Chapter 477 331: Who Asked You?

Lin Ruoxi's nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes.

'A woman's tears really are a killer move!' Xue Rui's mind was a tangled mess.

"Xixi, I was wrong. I was just teasing you," Xue Rui said softly. He apologized to Lin Ruoxi out of pure instinct.

But the moment he apologized, he remembered that Lin Ruoxi wouldn't accept it.

'So why was I apologizing?'

He was suddenly reminded of a famous saying: the moment a woman sheds a tear, the man is in the wrong.

'It was part of a man's basic programming, a manifestation of the will to survive…'

Lin Ruoxi sniffled, wrapping her arms gently around Xue Rui's neck. "You didn't do anything wrong. I was the one who misspoke."

Xue Rui hesitated for a moment before saying with feigned confidence, "Right, you misspoke. What's all this talk of 'dying'? It's bad luck. Quick, say 'ptooey' with me a few times."

"Okay!" Lin Ruoxi smiled sweetly at Xue Rui. Then, she turned her head to the side and, mimicking his superstitious ways, chanted, "PTOOEY, PTOOEY, PTOOEY!"

Xue Rui shook his head and voiced his thoughts. "You're too calculating. What kind of girl spoils a guy like this? You must have an ulterior motive."

"If you spoil me rotten, no one else will want me, so I'll have to stay with you forever."

Lin Ruoxi blinked, smiling as she said, "Well, that's exactly what I'm thinking."

"Sigh… How could you possibly live without me?" he lamented, stroking Lin Ruoxi's head.

'Chatting with this girl was always interesting; he often said the opposite of what he meant.'

"Mm-hm, you're right," Lin Ruoxi said earnestly.

Xue Rui's heart gave a sudden lurch. He cupped her face in his hands, looked into her eyes, and said, "What did you just say?"

Her flat, emotionless tone sent a chill through him.

"Did I… did I say the wrong thing again?" Lin Ruoxi asked weakly, glancing at Xue Rui. 'I seem to be making mistakes all the time.'

"Explain yourself," Xue Rui said, his expression serious.

"If you were to…" When Lin Ruoxi thought of the word "die," she remembered Xue Rui saying it was bad luck. 'So how should I put it?'

'The elders in the village usually say "passed on" or "left"...'

Lin Ruoxi corrected herself. "If you were gone, I would…"

However, before she could finish, Xue Rui clamped a hand over her mouth, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words.

"Don't say it!" Xue Rui swallowed hard. The pressure from Lin Ruoxi was immense.

'It was as if she was threatening to die if he ever abandoned her.'

'Gu Muxue was right. Lin Ruoxi really did need a psychologist.'

Lin Ruoxi noticed Xue Rui's hand had started to tremble again. She stuck out her tongue and gently licked his palm.

Feeling the sensation on his palm, Xue Rui suddenly felt like he was teasing Da Huang. He ran a knuckle down Lin Ruoxi's delicate nose. "Are you part dog or something?"

"Mm, I was born in the year of the Dog, and you were born in the year of the Pig," Lin Ruoxi said flatly. She watched students walking in groups toward the academic buildings. 'It must be almost time for class.'

She was conflicted. 'Where am I going to sleep tonight?'

'She'd bought an apartment not far from campus. Should she take Xue Rui home with her?'

'According to her plan, she was supposed to increase her value in Xue Rui's eyes, not just be some girl who eats and sleeps with him…'

'But the thought of being without Xue Rui made her feel so dejected. Growth requires sacrifice.'

'Changing her major meant she could no longer attend classes with Xue Rui. That was a big enough sacrifice, wasn't it? So, could they at least be together at night?'

'Lin Ruoxi wanted to grow, but she didn't want to make any sacrifices.'

"Let's get out," Lin Ruoxi said brightly. "I want to vote for you for class monitor before I switch my major."

"Okay," Xue Rui said with a smile and a nod.

They got out of the car and saw Qian Huabiao approaching, holding a girl's hand. The pair stopped at the corner.

'Playboys sure work fast,' Xue Rui thought with a sigh. 'He got a girlfriend over the Mid-Autumn Festival break.'

"I've got something to do later tonight, so let me walk you back to your dorm," Qian Huabiao said, taking off his jacket and draping it gently over the girl's shoulders. "It's turning to autumn. Don't catch a chill."

'Not a bad move,' Xue Rui thought. 'If she's interested, she'll take the jacket, giving him an excuse to see her again.'

"Mm-hm." The girl pursed her lips and slipped the oversized jacket on.

Qian Huabiao had already spotted the conspicuous Land Rover and noticed Xue Rui in the passenger seat chatting with Lin Ruoxi, which was why he chose this spot to say goodbye to the girl.

Now, he waved to Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi in the distance.

Just then, the other three guys from dorm room 622 happened to walk out of the cafeteria, carrying several cups of lemonade.

"Old Xue! Old Biao! We got you guys drinks!" Cai Huazhou called out.

"Didn't go back home for the Mid-Autumn Festival?" Xue Rui asked with a smile, taking a drink. The group ambled slowly toward their classroom.

"Nah, my hometown's too far. The festival break is only three or four days, and the round trip by bus or train takes over 70 hours. What's the point?" Cai Huazhou said, shaking his head. "I regret applying to a school so far away."

"Old Zhao's home is far away too. How about you, Xuelun?" Qian Huabiao asked.

Zhang Xuelun handed out cigarettes to the others. "I just got here a few days ago. No point in going back. The round-trip ticket costs enough to buy two cartons of smokes."

"Fair enough." Xue Rui nodded, not pressing the issue.

'In truth, he already knew everyone's circumstances; he was just making small talk.'

Lin Ruoxi noticed that Qian Huabiao was looking particularly smug, as if he was dying for someone to ask why *he* hadn't gone home.

However, no one took the bait.

"My home isn't far, and it's not like I'm short on cash," Qian Huabiao said resentfully. 'Wasn't his hint obvious enough?'

Xue Rui shot back coldly, "Who asked?"

The others exchanged strange looks before chiming in after Xue Rui, "Yeah, who asked?"

'They were all roommates, after all. Of course they knew what he was like.'

'With Qian Huabiao's boastful personality, he was obviously just waiting for someone to ask him about it!'