Chapter 536 - 353: Am I Worthy?

Chang’an Restaurant was quite famous, and Xue Rui had been there a few times. It was known for its authentic local cuisine.

During the National Day holiday, an endless stream of people came to dine at Chang’an Restaurant, most of whom were tourists.

Xue Rui held Gu Muxue’s hand as they followed behind the elders, while Lin Ruoxi obediently trailed after Xue Rui, carrying his bag. Such a beautiful woman naturally drew a few extra glances from the other diners, as if the sight alone could improve their appetites.

"Muxue, I promise I’ll stop smoking," Xue Rui said, raising a few fingers to the sky.

"No drinking, either!" Gu Muxue added fiercely.

"You got it," Xue Rui replied, nodding repeatedly.

’He didn’t actually smoke more than a few cigarettes a year. The girl wouldn’t snatch them away from him, but she’d give him those pitiful, pleading eyes, and he could never hold out for long.’

’If she added a few threats into the mix, he wouldn’t be able to touch a single cigarette or a drop of alcohol...’

’Still, if he could have one on each arm in the future, then this little sacrifice would be well worth it.’

"Hmph, that’s more like it." Gu Muxue’s lips curved up slightly.

...

Guo Ziyang shook off his momentary disappointment. He noticed that everyone ahead of him, from the elders to Xue Rui, was in a pair. Only he and Lin Ruoxi were alone.

"Lin Ruoxi, many famous historical figures have eaten here," Guo Ziyang said, taking a large stride forward to walk beside her.

’She’s so tall...’ Guo Ziyang thought, startled. He realized he actually had to look up to meet her eyes.

’Still, he felt that he and Lin Ruoxi were a good match. After all, a man of his stature was destined to have a tall, beautiful woman by his side.’

Lin Ruoxi shot Guo Ziyang a cold glance, then took several quick steps to move closer to Xue Rui.

The corner of Guo Ziyang’s eye twitched. ’It seems like Lin Ruoxi is avoiding me...’

After they entered the private room, Guo Wei pulled Gu Qingshan to a seat and said jokingly, "I’m afraid I’ve been a poor host today, making a leader like you wait at the door for so long. The food’s already been ordered."

"It’s my fault for not calling ahead," Gu Qingshan said with a laugh. "It can’t be easy to book a room here, can it?"

"It’s no trouble. Nothing is more important than having a meal with my leader." Guo Wei poured Gu Qingshan a cup of tea. "So many years have passed, but you don’t seem to age at all. Still as handsome as ever."

"Old Guo, stop with the flattery," Gu Qingshan chided with a laugh.

Guo Ziyang felt this was his moment to shine. He spoke up, "Uncle Gu, my dad is with the Culture and Tourism Bureau. Booking a restaurant is nothing for him."

’Countless people came to their home bearing gifts. Thanks to his dad, their relatives had opened shops in tourist areas and made a fortune. They were always incredibly respectful toward him, and this was his greatest source of pride.’

Xue Rui buried his face in his hands. ’If you’re going to brag, do it subtly,’ he thought. ’Don’t drag your old man into it. Can’t you see his face is already dark with anger?’

"Ziyang, your Uncle Gu helped our family a lot in the past. I’ve told you this before, don’t you remember at all?" Guo Wei said, his face grim.

"Old Guo, why are you bringing this up with the kid?" Gu Qingshan sighed.

Guo Ziyang looked completely stunned. ’How was he supposed to remember every bit of family history?’ he thought. ’But the more he looked at Gu Qingshan, the more familiar he seemed...’

Xue Rui quickly tried to smooth things over. "Uncle Guo, you’re with the Culture and Tourism Bureau? Chang’an is a major tourist city, so even the leadership must have to work overtime during the National Day holiday, right? Did you skip out on work?"

Xue Rui chose to steer the conversation toward work. For one, it wasn’t completely off-topic, and for another, it indirectly highlighted how seriously Guo Wei was taking this meeting.

Guo Wei’s expression softened considerably. He gave a faint smile and said, "I took a few days off."

"Uncle Gu, Uncle Guo is a true friend. I wonder if I’ll have a friend as good as him in twenty years," Xue Rui remarked with genuine emotion.

Guo Wei couldn’t help but give Xue Rui another look. ’This young man really knows how to talk,’ he thought.

"Sit down."

Gu Qingshan nodded with a smile and gestured for Xue Rui to sit next to him.

"Xiaolin," Xue Rui said, giving Lin Ruoxi a meaningful look.

Lin Ruoxi quickly took two packs of He Tian Xia cigarettes from the bag. She skillfully unwrapped them and placed them neatly in front of the two elders. "Hello, Uncles. My name is Lin Ruoxi, Boss Xue’s secretary and driver."

After she had done all this, she discreetly tossed a pack of cigarettes to Guo Ziyang.

’Lin Ruoxi had noticed that when Gu Muxue crushed the cigarette pack, Guo Ziyang had the strongest reaction. Besides, Xue Rui never bought hard-pack Chunghwa cigarettes...’

’She felt bad about it, so now she was giving Guo Ziyang a new pack to make up for it.’

Guo Ziyang’s eyes instantly widened. He pointed at himself in disbelief.

"To make up for the other one..." Lin Ruoxi explained in a low voice.

When Guo Ziyang saw Lin Ruoxi nod, his mind went blank. ’This must be what it feels like to fall in love!’

’Getting a pack of cigarettes secretly from a beautiful woman felt even better than finding money on the street!’

"I’m sorry," Lin Ruoxi added, but Guo Ziyang didn’t seem to hear her...

Gu Qingshan glanced at Xue Rui. ’He’d been curious about Lin Ruoxi for a while now. She was just too beautiful, with a bearing that even rivaled that of his own daughter—a daughter whose education had cost him a fortune.’

’For Xue Rui to hire such a beautiful secretary... surely he had other intentions, right?’

’But then again, he had just seen how deftly Lin Ruoxi pulled the foil from the cigarette pack. She looked like she had done it a thousand times before...’

What Gu Qingshan didn’t know was that Xue Rui had made Lin Ruoxi practice on a whole carton beforehand. His car was probably full of opened packs of cigarettes right now.

Guo Wei lit a cigarette, glanced at his son, and then turned away, his face a mask of utter disgust.

’At his young, hot-blooded age, Xue Rui possessed incredible self-control. He remained unmoved by her beauty, ordering Lin Ruoxi around like any other secretary and not even bothering to give her a second glance.’

’But his own son?’

’In front of everyone, he was gawking at another man’s secretary, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets. How utterly shameless!’

Guo Wei coughed twice. "COUGH, COUGH! Xue Rui, you’re still in college, aren’t you? What do you need a secretary for?"