Chapter 510 - 343: Sharing Half Is Also Okay (Part 2)

She wasn’t finished with what she’d made Lin Ruoxi do. An apology couldn’t just be left half-finished.

It didn’t matter if Lin Ruoxi cared; *she* cared a great deal now.

"But..." Lin Ruoxi looked at Gu Muxue, her eyes pleading.

Gu Muxue shook her head. "No buts. After dinner, you’ll take a bath."

"Mmm, okay." Lin Ruoxi didn’t dare to argue. Gu Muxue was as assertive as ever.

After dinner, Gu Muxue went to the bathroom and drew a bath for Lin Ruoxi. She tossed a towel and Lin Ruoxi’s toiletries beside the tub.

Whenever she took a bath, Lin Ruoxi would always "happen to pass by" and peek in, which used to make her feel incredibly self-conscious. Over time, however, she’d grown accustomed to it. Now, she wanted Lin Ruoxi to experience that same discomfort of being stared at while completely naked.

It was just like how, after busying herself in the kitchen for so long, she had finally gotten a taste of how difficult Lin Ruoxi’s daily routine was.

"Take your clothes off," Gu Muxue said coldly.

"Oh." Lin Ruoxi barely hesitated before taking off her clothes and stepping under the showerhead. She was already thinking about finishing up as quickly as possible so she could find a way to go see Xue Rui...

"You... you’re not the least bit uncomfortable with me watching?" Gu Muxue asked, a look of confusion on her face. Lin Ruoxi’s reaction was far too placid.

"Mmm, but aren’t there more people at a public bathhouse?" Lin Ruoxi asked, tilting her head. Xue Rui had taken her to a bathhouse once, and there were far more women there.

Gu Muxue pouted and pointed to the bathtub in the corner. "Go wash in there."

Somehow, the thought of a crowd of girls surrounding and staring at Lin Ruoxi’s figure...

She suddenly felt a pang of discomfort.

Lin Ruoxi shook her head. "A bath wastes too much water. That’s enough for a dozen showers."

Gu Muxue’s face flushed with anger. "Are you calling me wasteful?"

"No, that’s not what I meant." Lin Ruoxi waved her hands in a flurry and explained, "I’ll use it after you’re done."

A flash of panic crossed Gu Muxue’s eyes. ’Does she... does Lin Ruoxi use my bathwater after I’m done every day?’

’No way. Who would...’

’No, wait. That sounds exactly like something Lin Ruoxi would do.’

"You! You do that every day?" Gu Muxue looked at her in disbelief.

"You take a bath every day... The water is still clean, and it’s a waste to just drain it. Can’t I use it?" Lin Ruoxi said quietly.

Gu Muxue let out a long sigh. She turned her face away, and with a rustle of fabric, she slipped out of her clothes. "Let’s just get in together. It’s a two-person tub, anyway."

With that, she slid into the water herself, burying half her face and blowing a stream of bubbles to feign nonchalance.

When Lin Ruoxi slid into the tub, she turned her head to look at Gu Muxue, which only made Gu Muxue bury her face even deeper in the water.

Lin Ruoxi reached out and gently pulled Gu Muxue up a bit. "Lying down like that puts pressure on your heart. Didn’t you just say your medication has side effects?"

Gu Muxue’s entire body went rigid. ’Lin Ruoxi always has no sense of personal boundaries...’

Lin Ruoxi picked up the body wash, lathered some in her hands, and blew a big bubble that floated on the water’s surface. Her almond-shaped eyes curved as she smiled.

She had only recently discovered the joy of playing with bubbles during a bath.

"I want to buy a big bathtub for Xue Rui, too, so we can take baths together." Lin Ruoxi giggled happily at the thought.

"You’re not allowed!" Gu Muxue blurted out instinctively.

Lin Ruoxi jumped, startled. She asked in a small voice, "But... didn’t you say you forgave me?"

Gu Muxue pouted. "You’re the one who took your punishment. I forgave *you*. I never said I forgave him."

In truth, she hadn’t been that angry since she’d finished beating the teddy bear. That, combined with Lin Ruoxi’s constant companionship lately, left her unable to put a name to her own feelings.

She suddenly realized that this kind of life... was actually pretty nice.

Xue Rui would listen to her, and Lin Ruoxi would be by her side.

"I miss him," Lin Ruoxi’s voice choked, her eyes instantly turning red. "I want to go back and see him."

She didn’t know how to get Gu Muxue to forgive Xue Rui, but her heart was in turmoil. All she wanted was to fall asleep in Xue Rui’s arms.

Gu Muxue panicked for a moment. Lin Ruoxi always seemed so strong on the outside, as if she had everything under control. Her studies, her work, her life—all perfectly organized...

But the moment Xue Rui was mentioned, she would suddenly transform into a clingy, helpless little girl.

"Is he really that great? Worth... all this?" Gu Muxue asked quietly.

"He’s wonderful. The best person in the world. Otherwise, why are you always secretly rereading your old chat history? Don’t you think so, too?" Lin Ruoxi said, looking straight at Gu Muxue.

"I... I don’t! I was just dredging up the past," Gu Muxue said, unable to meet Lin Ruoxi’s gaze.

’While Xue Rui liked her, he also had Lin Ruoxi by his side—a girl who loved him so deeply.’

’If she were in Xue Rui’s shoes, could she have refused Lin Ruoxi?’

’The answer was obvious. She couldn’t.’

’But was that right?’

She didn’t know. But what she did know was that she no longer wanted to send Lin Ruoxi away.

Come to think of it, her emotions had been a rollercoaster today, but that dazed, zombie-like numbness she used to feel was gone. It was as if she were coming back to life.

’It was like... she was slowly getting better.’

’Lin Ruoxi was only staying with her to help her overcome her depression. If she got better, Lin Ruoxi would leave...’

’If Lin Ruoxi left, where would she go?’

’Back to school to attend classes with her roommates? Live by herself?’

’Or... go back to Xue Rui?’

No matter the option, Gu Muxue found it impossible to choose.

She just wanted her life to continue on like this.

’I’m sorry, Lin Ruoxi. I don’t know what to choose right now. Just let me be greedy for a little while longer,’ Gu Muxue thought.

Lin Ruoxi noticed Gu Muxue’s body sliding down into the water again. She put an arm behind Gu Muxue’s back, helping her lie back more securely.