Chapter 531: I'll Give Him to You as a Gift

Chapter 531: Chapter 351: I’ll Give Him to You as a Gift

The next morning, Lin Ruoxi came to Gu Muxue’s room before dawn.

“Boss?”

“Boss, time to get up,” Lin Ruoxi called out, lying on the floor.

Gu Muxue rubbed her drowsy eyes and yawned. Lin Ruoxi had a spare key to her room; she was often woken up this way.

Gu Muxue glanced at the time on her phone. It was only five in the morning. She closed her eyes and murmured, “Ruoxi, what are you doing up so early?”

“Um, you told me to come get him early,” Lin Ruoxi answered quietly.

Gu Muxue was instantly wide awake. She suddenly remembered Xue Rui was still in her room. She propped herself up and leaned over the edge of the bed to look.

Lin Ruoxi was lying on her side next to Xue Rui, their faces nearly touching. She was quietly calling him “Boss.”

“He’s sleeping like a log. You think you can wake him up like that?” Gu Muxue asked in a low voice.

“I can’t wake him,” Lin Ruoxi said, slowly shaking her head. She looked gently at Xue Rui and whispered, “I’ll just wake him up slowly. You sleep a little longer.”

Right now, Xue Rui was working very hard to feign sleep. The noise from Lin Ruoxi entering the room had startled him awake. He held his breath, not daring to move, afraid he’d be discovered…

Normally, never mind the faint sound of a door opening—not even Spring Festival firecrackers could wake Xue Rui.

But Xue Rui hadn’t forgotten his current predicament. It was hard to sleep soundly with so much on his mind…

As for why he was feigning sleep?

For one, there was nothing to do if he got up. For another…

He also wanted to take this chance to probe the relationship between Lin Ruoxi and Gu Muxue. He’d sensed something was off last night, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was.

He reached out, instinctively wrapping his arm around Lin Ruoxi. Lin Ruoxi, in turn, gently hugged him back…

Xue Rui felt a thrill of excitement. ‘Hugging Lin Ruoxi right in front of Gu Muxue?’

‘Last night, when Lin Ruoxi kissed me, that girl just looked away, slightly embarrassed. Will she jump up and beat me for this?’

“Muxue, you… why did you make him sleep on the floor?” Lin Ruoxi asked timidly.

‘Even if she didn’t want him staying with her, she should have told me. He could have just slept at my place.’

Gu Muxue felt a pang of guilt. She explained in a low voice, “I made that bed on the floor for myself. He’s the one who insisted on sleeping there…”

Lin Ruoxi cared too much about Xue Rui, and Gu Muxue didn’t want to get into a fight with her, so she pinned the blame on him.

‘In any case, that was pretty much what happened. I had intended to sleep in the narrow crevice myself, to keep him from taking advantage of me, but in the end, I couldn’t help but kick him off the bed…’

Xue Rui’s heart jolted. ‘So I wasn’t wrong. Gu Muxue really cares about what Lin Ruoxi thinks of her, maybe even more than what she thinks of me?’

An idea struck Xue Rui. Still hugging Lin Ruoxi, he murmured, “Muxue, you’ve put on weight…”

Gu Muxue frowned. ‘What is he talking about?’

‘But with Lin Ruoxi here, I can’t lose my temper…’

Hearing Xue Rui stir, Lin Ruoxi smiled faintly. She snuggled closer, rubbing her head against his cheek, and said softly, “Boss, it’s Xiaolin.”

Xue Rui stifled a laugh. ‘This girl really gets into character quickly, huh?’

“Oww… My back is killing me from sleeping on this floor,” Xue Rui said, writhing in mock pain.

A panicked look flashed in Lin Ruoxi’s eyes. She quickly slid her arms under his armpits, about to lift him up. “Get up, quick. You can sleep in my bed.”

Gu Muxue pouted and muttered under her breath, “Serves you right.”

“My stomach hurts a little too. Muxue kicked me really hard last night,” Xue Rui added mournfully.

Xue Rui had chosen to tattle to Lin Ruoxi. If there was one thing that could make her angry, it was someone bullying him.

After just a few words from Xue Rui, he could clearly feel Lin Ruoxi’s breathing quicken.

Lin Ruoxi bit her lip hard. Gu Muxue was sick, so she couldn’t get angry at her. But her heart truly ached for him.

“Muxue, even if you don’t want him here, you shouldn’t hit him…”

“Boss, why don’t I sleep with you from now on?” Lin Ruoxi said gently.

Xue Rui’s mouth twitched. ‘I don’t think I dare agree to that…’

Gu Muxue’s eyes widened in shock. ‘Did Xue Rui just blurt out what happened last night in his groggy state?’

‘How will Ruoxi see me from now on?’

She hurriedly explained, “Ruoxi, it’s not what you think…”

But actions speak louder than words. When Lin Ruoxi had found Xue Rui, he was, in fact, sleeping on the floor.

“He’s so stupid. Doesn’t even know he could have just snuck back up in the middle of the night. I… I wouldn’t have said anything,” Gu Muxue mumbled under her breath.

Xue Rui’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Wait, I get to hear these kinds of private thoughts for free?’

Lin Ruoxi frowned. She felt that Gu Muxue was always being so indirect.

‘If you’re willing, you’re willing. If you’re not, you’re not.’

‘Kicking Xue Rui off the bed, then saying you’d let him sneak back up in the middle of the night?’

‘So is that a yes or a no?’

“Muxue, how would he know if you don’t tell him?” Lin Ruoxi asked quietly.

Gu Muxue blushed. “Xiaorui knows. Ask him if you don’t believe me.”

Gu Muxue sighed internally. ‘There are some things between a man and a woman that don’t need to be spelled out, but Ruoxi is so single-minded. It’s like she wants me to lay all my secrets bare in front of Xue Rui.’

Lin Ruoxi turned her gaze to Xue Rui. Xue Rui glanced at Gu Muxue, then shook his head decisively. “I don’t know. How am I supposed to know if you don’t tell me?”

Gu Muxue’s eyes flew wide. ‘He’s still playing dumb?’

“You bastard!”

Gu Muxue’s body trembled with anger, but she couldn’t hit Xue Rui right now…

Xue Rui quickly made a hushing gesture. “Shh, keep your voice down.”

Gu Muxue’s chest heaved violently. ‘He’s really going to be the death of me!’

‘The next time we’re alone, I’m definitely going to let him have it…’