Chapter 538: The Price of Two-Timing

Chapter 538: Chapter 354: The Price of Two-Timing

Xue Rui nodded and smiled at Gu Qingshan. To Xue Rui, everything about today felt off. A man with Gu Qingshan’s shrewdness would have definitely noticed the holes in the story he’d just told, but he hadn’t asked any follow-up questions about Lin Ruoxi. Instead, Xue Rui felt a surprising sense of concern from the older man.

Was Gu Qingshan being magnanimous?

Absolutely not.

Proud and aloof was more like it…

‘When someone with that kind of personality is suddenly nice to you, it’s either because they’ve done something wrong or they want a favor…’

For example, whenever that girl had hurt him in the past, she would secretly try to make it up to him.

And when she needed a favor, she’d be extra nice to him.

‘So, does Gu Qingshan feel like he owes me? Or does he want a favor?’

The thought startled Xue Rui. He would much rather believe Old Gu just wasn’t himself today.

Xue Rui looked at the glistening drumstick on his plate. The more he looked at it, the more pressure he felt.

So, he placed the drumstick onto Gu Muxue’s plate.

“Muxue, you’ve been studying so hard lately. Eat this, you need to keep your strength up.”

A slight smile touched the corners of Gu Muxue’s lips. She knew Xue Rui would give it to her.

‘But what did he mean by that?’

‘What have I been working so hard on?’

‘Xue Rui has been to my house. Knowing Lin Ruoxi as well as he does, he must know she’s the one who’s truly had a hard time. So this drumstick is meant for me to pass along to her.’

But she didn’t mind about one chicken drumstick. She had planned to give it to Lin Ruoxi anyway.

So, Gu Muxue picked up the drumstick with her chopsticks and placed it in Lin Ruoxi’s bowl.

Xue Rui silently sighed in relief. He had still been testing Gu Muxue, to see just how magnanimous the girl could be.

‘It seems she far exceeded my expectations.’

‘Gu Muxue’s willingness to give the drumstick to Lin Ruoxi proved she wasn’t just making empty promises. My dream of having one on each arm might actually come true…’

Everyone at the table watched as a single chicken drumstick passed through several hands before finally landing in Lin Ruoxi’s bowl. But Lin Ruoxi didn’t seem to have any intention of eating it. Instead, she picked it up and looked around the table.

Guo Ziyang’s heart began to race. He was right next to Lin Ruoxi!

‘Could it be…’

He subconsciously raised his bowl, ready to receive it.

Gu Muxue gently tugged on the corner of Lin Ruoxi’s sleeve and explained in a low voice, “Xiaorui gave it to you.”

Hearing this, Lin Ruoxi quickly pulled the drumstick back. ‘Xue Rui gave it to me; I can’t give it to someone else…’

Guo Ziyang awkwardly lowered his bowl. ‘Was I reading too much into things?’

Xue Rui smiled faintly. A chicken only has two legs, and with two families at dinner today, the elders wouldn’t be eating the drumsticks. The other one was always meant for Guo Ziyang.

As expected, Zhao Lizhen pulled off the other drumstick, placed it on the lazy Susan, and spun it in front of Guo Ziyang. “Ziyang, have a drumstick.”

But Xue Rui was certain of one thing: Guo Ziyang wouldn’t be eating that drumstick today.

Just as Guo Ziyang was about to take it, Guo Wei put down his chopsticks. “Ziyang, look how fat you’ve gotten! Eat less meat.”

As he spoke, Guo Wei glanced over at Gu Muxue.

Guo Ziyang swallowed hard. ‘How could I not understand what my dad meant?’

He pushed the small plate with the drumstick in front of Gu Muxue.

“I’m on a diet lately. Muxue, you have it,” Guo Ziyang said with a smile.

‘Truthfully, I wouldn’t have eaten it even if Dad hadn’t said anything. I’m the oldest “kid” here; it’s my duty to offer the drumstick from an elder to someone else.’

Gu Muxue nodded and smiled. “Thank you.”

Then, she placed the drumstick onto Xue Rui’s plate and said quietly, “I’m on a diet too.”

Xue Rui took a big bite and mumbled, “Well then, I’ll reluctantly take care of it.”

‘Eating a drumstick from Gu Qingshan was too stressful, but eating one from Guo Ziyang came with zero guilt.’

Guo Ziyang’s mouth twitched. ‘Does Xue Rui have no shame?’

‘There are two girls at the table, and he just digs in without even a token refusal?’

‘It’s because Gu Muxue gave it to him. But when will I ever meet a girl like that?’

‘Wait, no. I have met one. Lin Ruoxi.’

‘Just a moment ago, Lin Ruoxi was about to give me the drumstick. I just don’t know why she suddenly decided not to.’

“Go on and eat, Ruoxi,” Gu Muxue urged.

Lin Ruoxi looked up and scanned the table. All she saw were kind gazes. It had been a long time since she’d eaten a drumstick like this.

“Thank you,” Lin Ruoxi said, her eyes turning red.

“Ruoxi, what’s wrong?” Gu Muxue asked with quiet concern.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” Lin Ruoxi said, blinking rapidly to dry her eyes.

Gu Muxue stared blankly for a moment, then told Xue Rui about Lin Ruoxi’s strange reaction.

“Let’s eat first. I’ll tell you after dinner.”

Xue Rui’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart felt a pang. He lifted his own drumstick toward Lin Ruoxi, signaling for the girl to go ahead and eat hers.

Lin Ruoxi gave Xue Rui a sweet smile. ‘Xue Rui is still so good to me.’

…

Once everyone had more or less finished eating, Gu Qingshan and the other adults started chatting about old times in the private room.

“I’m full. Xiaorui, come with me to find the restroom.”

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Muxue pulled Xue Rui out of the room.

“Xiaorui, what’s going on with Ruoxi?” Gu Muxue demanded, frowning.

‘Now that I’ve accepted the situation with Lin Ruoxi and Xue Rui, there shouldn’t be any secrets between the three of us.’

‘What happened at the dinner table made me really uncomfortable. It felt like the two of them were keeping a secret from me.’

“Muxue, it might be hard for you to understand, but it’s just because of a chicken drumstick,” Xue Rui sighed.

‘It’s actually easy to touch Lin Ruoxi’s heart, but so few people understand her.’

“Because of a chicken drumstick?” Gu Muxue looked skeptical. She thought Xue Rui was lying to her.

‘Why would Lin Ruoxi get all teary-eyed over a chicken drumstick?’

“No matter what dinner party you go to, you’ll be given a drumstick. But Lin Ruoxi…”

Xue Rui tried to be as tactful as possible. With Gu Qingshan’s social standing, Gu Muxue would receive preferential treatment at any dinner party. But Lin Ruoxi?