Chapter 499 339: We'll Live Together (Part 2)

"Um, I'll be living with Gu Muxue. I can also drive her," Lin Ruoxi said timidly.

"Hmm?" Yang Xing hummed, a questioning sound. 'Is she trying to take my job?'

However, his value was more than just being a driver, so he wasn't the least bit worried about losing his job.

"All right, let me see your ID."

"Uh, here."

Yang Xing briefly inspected Lin Ruoxi's ID. After confirming she was also from Hedong, he nodded in satisfaction, took a photo of the ID, and handed it back to her. Then he gave her a set of keys and a business card.

"We can skip the contract. Just get along, you two. Here's my contact information."

Lin Ruoxi glanced timidly at Gu Muxue. 'I have the key to Gu Muxue's home?'

Opening the door, Lin Ruoxi found that Gu Muxue's apartment was huge. It had to be over 230 square meters...

'Why would someone living alone buy such a huge place?'

'Was she planning for Xue Rui to move in too...?'

While Lin Ruoxi's thoughts were running wild, Yang Xing began inspecting the apartment's utilities and fixtures.

After confirming everything was in order, he called out to them, "Call me if you need anything. I live in this complex too. I'll bring Xiaobu over tomorrow. Remember to take good care of him."

The moment Yang Xing left, the smile on Gu Muxue's face vanished.

"That was just an act, so don't get the wrong idea." Gu Muxue held her hand out to Lin Ruoxi, palm up. She had no intention of letting Lin Ruoxi keep the key.

"B-But I'm serious," Lin Ruoxi said timidly, clutching the key tightly in her fist.

A person with depression shouldn't live alone. She could never agree to Gu Muxue's demand.

Gu Muxue said nothing, simply keeping her hand held out, palm up, her silence adding to the pressure on Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi bit her lip, then pulled a different key from her pocket and offered it. "This is the key to my place. I'll give you one too?"

"You... you can yell at me if you want. You can even hit me to let off steam. But I'm not leaving," Lin Ruoxi said, her head lowered.

Gu Muxue took a deep breath, abandoning the idea of getting the key back. "You're just as shameless as he is."

"Um... I'm going to buy groceries and make dinner. You should rest for a bit." Lin Ruoxi didn't know what else to do, so she decided to just fall back on her usual routine.

"I'm not eating. I'm going to bed," Gu Muxue said with a pout. She'd never imagined things would turn out like this.

After Lin Ruoxi left, Gu Muxue stared at the vast living room. She curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees and gazing blankly at a bag of medication on the coffee table. That familiar sense of loneliness and detachment washed over her again, making it so hard to breathe it was painful.

She counted out another dose of her medication and, after a moment's hesitation, swallowed it.

'I have no appetite. I already messaged my roommate that I'm not coming back to the dorm. Now what am I supposed to do?'

Lin Ruoxi's enthusiastic arrival was just so... troublesome.

'Since I can't make her leave, I'll just ignore her.'

...

A little over ten minutes later, Lin Ruoxi returned with a bag of groceries and seasonings. She found that Gu Muxue was no longer in the living room, but the lights were still on. 'Did she leave them on for me?'

Lin Ruoxi chose not to disturb Gu Muxue. Instead, she put on an apron and went to the kitchen to cook.

Before long, the aroma of cooking filled the air. Lin Ruoxi called out in a clear voice, "Dinner's ready!"

After waiting a long while with no response, Lin Ruoxi looked around the apartment. Only one bedroom door was locked...

Lin Ruoxi knocked gently on the door. "Gu Muxue, I made dinner."

The corners of her mouth turned down slightly. 'Gu Muxue doesn't want to talk to me...'

Lin Ruoxi went back to the sofa and carefully counted the pills in Gu Muxue's bag. After confirming that Gu Muxue had taken her dose, Lin Ruoxi quietly took out the key and unlocked Gu Muxue's bedroom door.

'I just want to see how she's doing.'

Hearing the key turn in the lock, Gu Muxue couldn't help but clench her jaw. 'How can someone be so rude?'

'Not only does she refuse to leave someone else's home, but she even secretly unlocks their bedroom door?'

'I'm pretending to be asleep just to avoid her. Can't she take a hint?'

The room was pitch-black, the curtains drawn tight. Only a faint sliver of light from the living room seeped in, barely illuminating a small patch of the bedroom.

Barefoot, Lin Ruoxi walked into the room. She placed the meal she had prepared on a small table, setting it down inside Gu Muxue's bedroom.

Before leaving, she glanced at the supposedly sleeping Gu Muxue and noticed her feet were sticking out from the covers. She bent down, straightened the blanket, and gently covered Gu Muxue's feet.

'Whether Gu Muxue wants to eat is her business. My wanting to take care of her is my business.' She didn't see any conflict between the two.

In truth, Lin Ruoxi was anxious. She felt like she had to be doing something, anything, to find some peace of mind.

After Lin Ruoxi closed the door and left, Gu Muxue smelled the steaming hot food, and her stomach betrayed her with a growl.

She hadn't eaten a proper meal in days. Her appetite had been terrible lately...

The food at school was one reason, but the fact that people were always watching her while she ate was another.

'Is my appetite better when I'm alone and it's quiet?'

She struggled to sit up and used her phone's flashlight to illuminate the room. A few simple, home-cooked dishes were still steaming, looking all the more enticing in the faint light. Gu Muxue was torn.

'If I eat, it's like giving her positive reinforcement. She'll just keep hanging around.'

'But if I don't eat... will she take the hint and leave?'

'Probably not...'

Gu Muxue picked up her chopsticks and sighed silently. She carefully placed a piece of food in her mouth, making sure not to make a sound...

'If I get sick from not eating, my parents will be heartbroken...'