Chapter 509 - 343: Sharing Half Is Also Fine

A warm sensation bloomed on Gu Muxue’s fingertip, the panic and stinging pain from the cut vanishing without a trace.

"Wh-what are you doing? It’s dirty," Gu Muxue said awkwardly.

She usually heard Lin Ruoxi’s steady CHOP-CHOP-CHOP from the kitchen and figured she could do it too. But the moment she tried to speed up, she’d cut her finger.

Lin Ruoxi’s almond-shaped eyes widened slightly. She remembered how particular Gu Muxue was about cleanliness.

Lin Ruoxi quickly pulled the finger from her mouth, a panicked look on her face.

"I’m sorry, I did it out of habit. I’ll go get some iodine and a Band-Aid right now."

Gu Muxue watched Lin Ruoxi’s retreating back and muttered, "I meant my *finger* was dirty..."

’Lin Ruoxi wasn’t disgusted by her dirty finger, so how could she possibly be disgusted by Lin Ruoxi?’

Gu Muxue paused to think. ’If it had been anyone else, would she have felt the same lack of disgust?’

But just the thought of it... it seemed that with anyone other than Xue Rui, the idea would have given her goosebumps...

’So, without her even realizing it, Lin Ruoxi had already become someone special to her.’

Lin Ruoxi carefully disinfected and bandaged Gu Muxue’s finger. Once she was done, she said softly, "L-Let me do it. You don’t have to apologize. I deserved to be hit."

’She had helped Xue Rui deceive Gu Muxue; she was the one who had done wrong. Yet Gu Muxue had never said a single word of blame, and had even given Xue Rui up to her...’

’Staying by Gu Muxue’s side now was partly to care for her as a patient, but it was also a way to atone for her own and Xue Rui’s sins.’

"Does it hurt?" Lin Ruoxi asked.

Gu Muxue shook her head. "When I hit you earlier, did it hurt?"

"I’m fine," Lin Ruoxi said in a clear voice. "If taking a few more hits from you would help you get better faster, then I wouldn’t mind at all."

’Dr. He said that depression is often triggered by psychological issues, and that venting could help with her condition.’

After a long hesitation, Gu Muxue said tentatively, "Teach me how to chop."

"Okay." Lin Ruoxi went into the kitchen, washed the cleaver that had been dropped, and handed it to Gu Muxue, ready to guide her.

When Gu Muxue was standing in front of the cutting board, Lin Ruoxi came up from behind and gently wrapped her arms around her, guiding her hands to teach her how to chop.

She was a little taller than Gu Muxue, so the position was perfect.

"Brace your knuckles against the blade. That way, you won’t cut your fingers," Lin Ruoxi said in a low voice.

But Gu Muxue was left-handed, so her grip was the reverse of what Lin Ruoxi was used to. Holding Gu Muxue’s left hand, Lin Ruoxi guided her to chop, bit by bit, as if she herself were a novice in the kitchen...

’This position...’ Gu Muxue thought.

’It wasn’t that she hadn’t imagined Xue Rui doing something just like this—standing behind her, his arms around her, teaching her to cook.’

’But the first person to actually hold her this way was... Lin Ruoxi?’

Feeling the soft warmth against her back, her heart began to race. "Why are you chopping so slowly?" she said in a low voice.

Gu Muxue was purely trying to find fault, afraid that Lin Ruoxi would notice something was off about her.

Lin Ruoxi suddenly put down the cleaver and grabbed Gu Muxue’s shoulders with both hands.

Gu Muxue pursed her lips. ’She’d been constantly finding fault with Lin Ruoxi. Was she finally angry?’

’That was fine, too. She still felt terribly guilty about hitting her earlier...’

However, Lin Ruoxi simply asked, her face filled with worry, "Your heart is beating really fast. Should we go to the hospital and get it checked out?"

Gu Muxue’s face flushed, and she stammered, "I’m fine. It’s... it’s a side effect of the medication."

"A side effect?" Lin Ruoxi paused to think. ’It’s not listed on the medication’s instructions,’ she mused, then said to herself, "I’ll call Dr. He and ask."

Gu Muxue frantically grabbed Lin Ruoxi’s hand. "Don’t ask! Y-You’re not allowed to ask."

Gu Muxue was both mortified and vexed. ’That psychiatrist is terrifyingly perceptive; it’s like he can see right into your soul...’

She didn’t even know what she was afraid of him figuring out, but in her panic, she grabbed Lin Ruoxi’s hand and bit down.

"Hiss—" Lin Ruoxi instinctively took a step back, having no idea how she had managed to make Gu Muxue angry again.

Gu Muxue just stood there, stunned. The moment she bit down, she was lost, with no idea what had just come over her...

For a long time now, Gu Muxue had been giving Lin Ruoxi the cold shoulder, hoping to drive her away as quickly as possible. But ever since that moment she saw Lin Ruoxi take off the head of that bear costume, something seemed to have subtly shifted.

Lin Ruoxi looked at the row of teeth marks on her hand and apologized over and over. "I’m sorry."

"Just go. I’ll call you when the food’s ready," Gu Muxue said, turning her back to her.

’Lin Ruoxi had taken a beating for no reason today, and she felt awful about it. She would do all the things Lin Ruoxi usually did for her. It would be her way of apologizing...’

Over half an hour later, Gu Muxue emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron. She would occasionally cook at home when the mood struck, but it was usually after the housekeeper had already prepped all the ingredients. She would just swoop into the kitchen to play "master chef" for a bit and earn a round of praise from her family.

But her "cooking" usually just involved stir-frying, which only took a few minutes from pan to plate. She’d never imagined that washing, trimming, and chopping vegetables could be so much trouble. To think Lin Ruoxi did this for her every day... She couldn’t fathom how much time and energy it must have taken.

A wave of guilt washed over her.

"Try some. It’s not as good as yours," Gu Muxue said, handing Lin Ruoxi a pair of chopsticks. She knew her cooking was mediocre at best.

Lin Ruoxi piled a large helping of food into her bowl. "It’s delicious," she said as she ate. "Anything you make is delicious."

But she was distracted. She really, really missed Xue Rui. She hadn’t seen him in a week, and she wanted to go back and see him this weekend.

"I... After this, I’ll help prep the vegetables for tomorrow. I’d like to go home for a bit," Lin Ruoxi said timidly, afraid Gu Muxue would say no.

Gu Muxue said flatly, "You’re not leaving."