Chapter 526: Can You Not Get Married?

Chapter 526: Chapter 349: Can You Not Get Married?

“Oh, fine, so I’m not as good as her. Why don’t you just go make her your daughter?” Gu Muxue retorted resentfully.

“Muxue, is that any way to talk to your mother?” Zhao Lizhen said coldly.

Gu Muxue pouted and mumbled, “I’m sorry, Mom, but you shouldn’t have gone through my closet.”

“I was in the wrong, too. Muxue is a big girl now and needs her own space.”

…

Xue Rui, listening from inside the closet, was so moved he could have cried. ‘If I ever dared talk to my mom like that,’ he thought, ‘we’d definitely be shopping for a new closet today…’

CLICK! The sound of the bedroom door closing.

He was in a real bind. Xue Rui didn’t dare peek out of the closet, unsure if anyone was still in the room…

Xue Rui quickly checked to make sure his phone was on silent…

Then, he sent her a message: [Muxue, what do we do now?]

Gu Muxue: [Don’t you dare touch my underwear!]

Xue Rui was speechless. ‘Why is she focused on something so weird?’

Xue Rui: [What’s so interesting about your underwear?]

As he typed, Xue Rui put the pair of underwear with the cartoon print back where he’d found it…

It wasn’t his fault; the darn thing had fallen on his head when he first got in.

‘The clothes started it, not me. I definitely wasn’t trying to feel it up…’

Suddenly, he got a message from Lin Ruoxi: [Are you hungry? I’ll bring you something to eat in a little while.]

The corners of Xue Rui’s lips turned up slightly. ‘She’s always the thoughtful one.’

Xue Rui: [Xixi, what’s the plan?]

Lin Ruoxi: [Muxue and I are figuring it out. Just hang tight for a bit.]

Xue Rui silently put his phone away. For the first time in his two lifetimes, he knew what it felt like to be truly helpless.

‘My fate is completely in the hands of two women!’

In the living room, Gu Muxue and Lin Ruoxi were huddled together on the sofa closest to the bedroom, whispering in each other’s ears.

“Muxue, once your aunt and uncle are asleep, I’ll sneak him out,” Lin Ruoxi whispered.

Gu Muxue was torn. It was the safest plan, but her mother was an extremely light sleeper. If she heard someone leaving in the middle of the night, she’d get a bad impression of Lin Ruoxi, and Muxue didn’t want that to happen.

“Let him sleep in your room. We’ll find a chance for him to leave tomorrow,” Gu Muxue whispered.

Her parents would never enter Lin Ruoxi’s room, making it the safest place in the house.

Lin Ruoxi whispered back, “Let him stay in your room. Mine doesn’t have an attached bathroom…”

Gu Muxue’s heart began to pound. ‘Me and Xue Rui, sleeping in the same room?’

“What are you talking about!” Gu Muxue instinctively tightened her grip on Lin Ruoxi’s arm.

Gu Qingshan and Zhao Lizhen exchanged a curious look. Zhao Lizhen whispered, “It seems Muxue is fine. She’s just made a new friend. Look how close the two of them are.”

Gu Qingshan was confused. ‘So his daughter isn’t coming home just because she likes her freedom?’

He thought back to his own youth, remembering times he’d stayed out all night with Xie Jianfeng…

“Mom, Dad, did you come all the way to Chang’an just to see me?” Gu Muxue asked.

Gu Qingshan averted his gaze. “We were just in the area. Your mother and I are meeting up with some old college friends.”

Zhao Lizhen shot Gu Qingshan a look, then said gently, “Your dad was the one who insisted we come see you since you haven’t been home in a month. The college friends story was just an excuse.”

“Honey, can’t you spare me a little dignity?” Gu Qingshan whispered.

“Why do you need to save face in front of your daughter?” Zhao Lizhen retorted.

Gu Qingshan resignedly lit a cigarette. ‘There’s still a guest here…’ he thought.

Playing along, Lin Ruoxi helpfully produced an ashtray from under the coffee table, then turned and headed to the kitchen to make food for Xue Rui.

“Uncle, Auntie, are you hungry? I’m about to make a late-night snack,” Lin Ruoxi asked.

Gu Qingshan shook his head. “No, thank you. We’re not hungry.”

Gu Muxue wanted to help in the kitchen, but the situation wouldn’t allow it. She had to keep a constant eye on her parents to make sure Xue Rui wasn’t discovered.

Zhao Lizhen asked, “Muxue, are you planning to go out with your friend tomorrow?”

She respected her daughter’s decision and wanted to plan accordingly.

Gu Muxue thought for a moment, then walked over and gently took Gu Qingshan’s arm. “I see my friends every day. The holiday is for spending time with my mom and dad, of course.”

Gu Qingshan quickly stubbed out his cigarette, his heart swelling with warmth. Where else could he find such a wonderful daughter?

The thought that Gu Muxue would one day get married felt like a knife to his heart.

Gu Qingshan said gently, “Muxue, your dad wants to discuss something with you…”

Gu Muxue nestled against him. “Okay, what is it?”

“What if you just… don’t get married?” Gu Qingshan asked tentatively. He figured since his little girl was all grown up, it was time to discuss certain things in advance.

Gu Muxue was stunned. ‘What does he mean by that?’

Zhao Lizhen chuckled. “What your dad means is, we should find a son-in-law who will marry into our family.”

Gu Muxue’s face instantly flushed beet red. She’d been hearing talk like this from relatives ever since she was a little girl—that she would be the one to have her husband marry into the family.

She had always treated it as a joke, but now her father was bringing it up for real…

She knew the reason, of course. She was an only child, and her family was very wealthy.

Her parents were afraid she would be mistreated, so having a husband marry into the family was the best solution.

‘But would Xue Rui agree to that?’

‘It’s a very difficult thing for a man to accept…’

Seeing her daughter’s face flushed with embarrassment, Zhao Lizhen pulled Gu Qingshan’s arm. “It’s too early to be talking about this.”

“I’m just afraid it’ll be too late if we wait,” Gu Qingshan whispered.

Xue Rui already had his daughter wrapped around his little finger, and now that she was away at university, she was far beyond his reach. Every night, he’d lie awake wondering where Gu Muxue was…

Xue Rui’s influence over Gu Muxue was growing stronger by the day. Soon, would his own words as her father hold any weight at all?

…

After returning to her room, Gu Muxue quickly bolted the door and leaned against it, her heart racing.

‘Tonight, Xue Rui is actually going to sleep in here with me…’