Chapter 533: Xiaorui, Who Allowed You to Smoke?

Chapter 533: Chapter 352: Xiaorui, Who Allowed You to Smoke?

“Then give me half of that smart brain of yours. I might even surpass Einstein,” Xue Rui joked.

Lin Ruoxi said softly, “Um, I can’t give you that.”

“Xiaolin, you offer something and then take it back. Are you just making empty promises to your boss?” Xue Rui said with a straight face.

Lin Ruoxi shook her head and explained, “I… what I meant was that I’d give myself to you. That way, everything I have would be yours.”

Xue Rui smiled, satisfied. The girl’s answer was simply flawless. He patted her head. “Alright, let’s go, my external brain.”

“Okay!” Lin Ruoxi smiled sweetly and opened the car door for Xue Rui. “Get in, Boss.”

Xue Rui hummed a little tune the whole way there. He was in a particularly good mood today. He and Gu Muxue had made up yesterday, and today the three of them were even going out to eat together.

Although he still hadn’t figured out why everything was going so smoothly, he had a feeling it had something to do with Lin Ruoxi.

Following the location Gu Muxue had sent, Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi arrived at Chang’an Restaurant.

As he got out of the car, he glanced toward the entrance and saw that she was already at the restaurant’s doorway, waving at him.

As he got closer, Xue Rui saw that Gu Muxue looked especially pretty today. She wore a black knit dress with a beige necktie tied into a beautiful bow at her chest, making her already petite frame seem even smaller.

“Why are you wearing black?” Xue Rui asked with a smile.

As far as he could remember, Gu Muxue almost never wore black. Even in the dead of winter, she would wear a white down jacket.

Gu Muxue’s eyes lit up when she saw what Xue Rui was wearing. She had rarely seen him dressed so formally. The last time he’d worn a dress shirt was after getting caught in the rain, when he’d changed into her father’s.

Gu Muxue tilted her head, feigning annoyance. “I haven’t even asked you. Who are you all dressed up to see?”

“Shouldn’t I dress a little more formally when meeting the parents?” Xue Rui said in a low voice.

“You jerk, what are you saying?” Gu Muxue glanced around, then secretly gave his waist a light pinch.

The dynamic between her and Xue Rui would have to change now. If she left a mark on him, Lin Ruoxi would be sad and upset…

“Xiaorui, you look very sharp today.” The satisfaction in Zhao Lizhen’s eyes was obvious. She reached out and patted Xue Rui’s shoulder. “You’re so well-built.”

Gu Qingshan shot Xue Rui a glance and said grumpily, “Clean him up a bit and he almost looks respectable.”

He had been standing just a short distance away, yet Xue Rui had dared to whisper in his daughter’s ear right in front of him. A sour feeling churned in his gut…

“Hello, Uncle Gu,” Xue Rui said with a smile, pretending he hadn’t heard Gu Qingshan’s remark.

Then, he folded his arms, his eyes glancing back and forth between Gu Muxue and Zhao Lizhen. He shook his head and sighed dramatically.

“What are you looking at?” Zhao Lizhen asked with a laugh.

“Aunt Zhao, I saw you from way over there. You and Muxue look like sisters standing together. I almost couldn’t tell you apart,” Xue Rui said, laying it on thick.

Just then, a hearty laugh rang out from behind Xue Rui. “Haha, who’s this sweet-talking kid? You’ve already said everything I was going to say. What’s left for me?”

Xue Rui turned to look and saw a middle-aged man in his forties, followed by a young man and a woman.

“Old Guo, it’s been so many years,” Gu Qingshan said with a smile.

“Sorry I’m late. I’ll punish myself with three drinks later,” the middle-aged man said with a wry smile, ushering the group into the restaurant.

“My timing was bad. Your department is busiest during the holidays. Let’s have a smoke before we go in.” Gu Qingshan handed the man a cigarette, then called out to Gu Muxue,

“Muxue, this is your Uncle Guo Wei. He used to visit our home often for the New Year. Do you remember him?”

Gu Muxue just stared blankly; she had no memory of the man. Only after Xue Rui gave her a nudge did she quickly and obediently call out, “Hello, Uncle Guo.”

Guo Wei chuckled. “Is Muxue all grown up already? You were so little back then, it’s perfectly normal that you don’t remember me.”

With that, he called over the young man behind him. “Old Gu, this is my son, Guo Ziyang…”

…

While their parents were busy exchanging pleasantries, Guo Ziyang walked up to Gu Muxue and extended his hand.

“Hello, I’m Guo Ziyang. I’m a sophomore.”

Xue Rui glanced at the newcomer. He looked to be about their age, though he was a little chubby and dressed a bit maturely for his years.

However, Xue Rui had to admit Guo Ziyang was very confident. His family must have been wealthy and his parents of high social standing. Otherwise, most boys his age would keep a distance of at least a meter when faced with a girl of Gu Muxue’s caliber.

“Hello. Gu Muxue. Freshman.” Gu Muxue absentmindedly extended her hand, her eyes scanning around for Lin Ruoxi.

However, Xue Rui beat her to it, taking Guo Ziyang’s hand himself.

Guo Ziyang’s brow furrowed. It wasn’t a man’s hand he’d wanted to touch.

Xue Rui had noticed this guy checking out Muxue from the very beginning. Now was the time to declare his own status. He smiled and began, “Xue Rui. Muxue’s…”

Just then, all eyes fell on Xue Rui. Gu Qingshan casually added, “Xue Rui is the son of a friend of mine. It’s good for the young people to have things to talk about.”

Xue Rui turned and smiled at Gu Qingshan and the others, but didn’t bother explaining further.

Gu Qingshan had just casually dismissed his status as “prospective son-in-law,” treating him like some random playmate who’d been brought along. Xue Rui was not happy about this, but he didn’t press the issue.

After all, Gu Muxue was only a freshman. Perhaps Gu Qingshan was just worried about his daughter getting into a serious relationship too early.

Just then, Gu Muxue looked around and asked, “It’s almost time to eat. Where’s Ruoxi?”

Before Xue Rui could answer, Gu Muxue muttered to herself, “Oh, there she is.”