Chapter 507 342: I Forgive You

Time flew by, and soon it was a Friday afternoon in late September.

The "Most Beautiful Campus Belle" event had been in its warm-up phase for quite some time. For the weekend, Xue Rui had Li Ruihao arrange a get-together, which really just meant booking out a small restaurant for the operations teams from each university to share their experiences.

Now that Lin Ruoxi wasn't so clingy, he was able to focus on his business. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to stand going to class every day.

Inside the restaurant, everyone was chatting and laughing.

However, their expressions varied. The attendees included students from prestigious universities as well as vocational colleges, creating what felt like an unspoken pecking order.

But to Xue Rui, it was all the same. 'When you're making money, does it matter whose money it is?'

Some had used the event to secure significant sponsorships, which they used for prizes in their own schools' activities. Others, however, had been treated by various merchants as if they were just looking for a handout, and ended up with only peanuts.

"You should go back and find a pretty female student, have her take some photos at the merchants' stores, and then write a detailed post explaining the pros and cons," Xue Rui explained, his words flowing easily.

Just then, a girl timidly raised her hand and asked, "Sir, why do we have to mention the cons?"

Xue Rui shook his head. "You only mention minor, insignificant cons. It makes the post feel more authentic. Over-the-top praise just turns people off. Take a look at Jiao University's recent ads—they're classic examples of soft advertising."

Xue Rui pulled up the ad Gu Muxue had made, shared it in the group chat, and began to explain patiently.

It detailed the taste of the signature dishes, provided "objective" evaluations on various aspects, and ended with a minor "con."

"The downside is that it gets too crowded on weekends, and the sign is a little hard to find."

After hearing the pros and cons, everyone nodded in agreement. "As expected of a top student from Jiao University. She thinks on a whole different level than us."

'Is being crowded really a downside? Doesn't that just prove business is booming?'

And as for the location, any college student who hears about it would go check it out as long as it wasn't too far.

'Gu Muxue's family has been in business for generations,' Xue Rui thought. 'This has nothing to do with her grades; it's a talent she's picked up by just being around it.'

"It's such a shame the lady boss didn't enter the campus belle contest," Li Ruihao said. "I'm sure she could have won the title for all of Chang'an City."

Xue Rui coughed twice. 'Too bad neither of my 'lady bosses' showed up.'

The girlie hadn't come to the get-together because of him, but the mascot costume and phone he'd ordered had arrived. He planned on heading over in the next day or two to cheer her up.

As for Lin Ruoxi, Xue Rui was completely baffled. She had come back for just one day last weekend. When she hugged him, she clung to him like a drowning person grabbing a life-saving straw. And yet, when he woke up the next morning, she was gone, with only breakfast left on the table…

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Xue Rui pulled out his phone and saw it was a call from Lin Ruoxi. He said to the others, "Take your time eating, I'm just going to the restroom."

Xue Rui stepped outside to answer the call. "Well?" he said coldly. "So you still remember me? I thought you'd forgotten all about me, having so much fun you wouldn't give ol' Rui a second thought."

He was deliberately pretending to be angry. The truth was, Xue Rui had something to discuss with Lin Ruoxi, but he figured he'd scare her a little first. It would make it easier to state his terms.

As expected, a nervous, guilty voice came through the phone. "I... I was wrong. I miss you every day."

Xue Rui said breezily, "Just saying you're sorry isn't enough. I'm going to need some compensation. So, where is Muxue right now?"

Lin Ruoxi mumbled from the other end of the line, "I can't tell you. I called to let you know that I'll be coming over later today. I think she got mad when I snuck off last time."

Xue Rui's brow twitched. 'So the lass came to see me last weekend, for just one night, and now the girlie is angry?'

"Uh, I took your mascot costume. I'll give Gu Muxue the award in your place," Lin Ruoxi said timidly.

Xue Rui sucked in a sharp breath. 'Her taking matters into her own hands would ruin his entire plan!'

"Where are you?" Xue Rui asked.

"When I get back tonight, you can... punish me however you want," Lin Ruoxi said before hurriedly hanging up the phone. She had stolen Xue Rui's mascot costume, disrupting his plans.

But she couldn't tell Xue Rui the truth; this was the only thing she could do.

Gu Muxue had only just started to seem a little happier recently. She was afraid that if Xue Rui suddenly showed up, Gu Muxue's emotions would spiral.

She had been living with Gu Muxue for some time now, and she knew that Gu Muxue really missed Xue Rui, but was also afraid to see him…

Now she was wearing the huge mascot costume, waiting by the man-made fountain for Gu Muxue to walk by.

Plenty of female students were pinching and prodding her, and some even came up to take a picture with her.

Lin Ruoxi realized something. 'Girls really do like cute things…'

After leaving the cafeteria, Gu Muxue subconsciously scanned the campus, looking for Lin Ruoxi.

She had grown accustomed to having Lin Ruoxi around.

She and Lin Ruoxi didn't have much in common. Most of the time, the two of them would just sit together in silence, each busy with her own thing.

But for some reason, once she got used to it, she found it gave her a sense of security…

Gu Muxue was well aware that if this kept up, she would become dependent on Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi probably hadn't thought that far ahead, but Gu Muxue knew herself all too well. No matter what, this couldn't go on.

It was the weekend again, and Lin Ruoxi would surely want to go back and spend time with Xue Rui. This was the perfect opportunity for her to make a scene and drive Lin Ruoxi away.

As she passed the man-made fountain, Gu Muxue saw a huge mascot costume wandering around campus.

The design was identical to the one Xue Rui had given her, right down to the blue bow tie on its chest…

She couldn't resist getting a closer look.

Lin Ruoxi waited quietly for Gu Muxue to draw near. The moment Gu Muxue was beside her, she extended a fuzzy arm, blocking her path. The bulky suit made the movement look endearingly clumsy.