Chapter 546 357: Who's the One Being Disciplined?

Lin Ruoxi didn't dare to meet Xue Rui's gaze. She stole a quick glance at him before hurriedly turning away and burying her head in the bedsheets.

SLAM! Xue Rui slammed the bedroom door shut.

Lin Ruoxi jumped at the loud noise, subconsciously curling herself into a ball.

Xue Rui sighed. "Are you scared?"

'He truly hated that scumbag of a father Lin Ruoxi had. How could he have left her with such ingrained conditioning?'

'In her mind, making a mistake was synonymous with getting a beating.'

'Does she think a beating is the only way to turn the page?'

'No wonder she didn't hesitate when she hit Da Huang. It was like she became a different person.'

"I'm... I'm not scared. You can take it out on me however you want. Just... don't let anyone see. I don't want people to speak ill of you."

Lin Ruoxi's voice was soft and gentle, sounding much calmer than when she had been kneeling before him earlier.

Xue Rui leaned down and gently wrapped his arms around the curled-up Lin Ruoxi, softly stroking her hair.

'She was actually teaching him how to hit her without anyone finding out. Her practiced ease was heartbreaking.'

'If he actually hit her, what would make him any different from an animal?'

However, he felt Lin Ruoxi curl up even tighter in his arms as she started to sob quietly again.

"What's wrong?" Xue Rui asked softly.

Lin Ruoxi's voice was choked with sobs. "I'm... scared."

Lin Ruoxi believed she had made a terrible mistake and didn't deserve Xue Rui's tenderness. Only physical pain could give her a sense of security.

She was afraid that Xue Rui would hold this against her someday. She truly didn't know what else to do, so it was better to just let him vent his frustration.

"This is so infuriating! Lie still!" Xue Rui said coldly.

'He couldn't get through to her with words. She wouldn't listen to sweet talk right now. The only way was to use his actions to slowly "desensitize" her.'

'It was just like before—speaking to her gently to get her to stand up hadn't worked nearly as well as a cold command.'

'Xue Rui planned to cover her with a thick blanket, then give her a "beating" that was all bark and no bite.'

Xue Rui adjusted the waistband of his slacks, preparing to "get down to business" and play along with the young woman. But Lin Ruoxi suddenly began to unbutton her shirt, one button at a time, and slowly folded her clothes.

"What are you doing?" Xue Rui stared, stunned. 'This girl is so unpredictable.'

"This is the outfit you gave me today... I don't want to ruin it."

Lin Ruoxi folded her clothes neatly. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall from her shoulders down her back as she lay prone on the bed, her back to Xue Rui...

'No matter how many times he saw it, the sight of her slender, delicate waist, half-hidden beneath her silky black hair, still made his heart race...'

'Xue Rui swallowed hard. Was she inviting him to bed?'

Xue Rui couldn't be bothered to overthink it. He gave her a light pat, then, following her lead, folded his own clothes and set them aside...

Lin Ruoxi closed her eyes, tucking her hands under her stomach. 'As long as he doesn't hit my hands or my face,' she thought, 'no one will be able to tell.'

Suddenly, a familiar feeling came from behind her...

"Mm, you... you tricked me." Lin Ruoxi's face flushed red.

"I didn't trick you. If I don't 'punish' you, I won't know how to explain it to Muxue," Xue Rui said, nibbling on Lin Ruoxi's flushed earlobe.

Lin Ruoxi's hands subconsciously gripped the bedsheets. As her palms slowly clenched, soft wrinkles formed on the fiery red fabric, resembling two slowly blooming roses...

...

「The next morning」 Xue Rui was awoken by a tickle. The tip of his nose was so itchy he felt an irresistible urge to sneeze.

Xue Rui slowly cracked his eyes open to find Lin Ruoxi tickling his nose with a lock of her hair. The moment she saw him stir, she quickly lay back down, letting her long hair fall over her eyes.

Xue Rui reached out and brushed the hair from her eyes. Pinching the young woman's soft cheek, he asked, "Xixi, you were the one who told me to hit you. Are you getting your revenge now?"

With her cheek being pinched, one side of her neat teeth was exposed. Her voice came out airy and a little slurred. "No, it's already nine o'clock. I wanted to wake you up so we can go see the Terracotta Army."

Gu Muxue had already called both her and Xue Rui, but Xue Rui had been sleeping too soundly.

Xue Rui glanced through the curtains and saw the sky was already bright. 'I really slept in,' he thought.

'But he couldn't take all the blame,' Xue Rui thought. 'Lin Ruoxi was largely responsible, too.'

'He had, in fact, given her a "beating" last night. Of course, it wasn't just a simple beating—it was more like a bit of fun between lovers...'

'And he had to hit her for real, too, because he couldn't have fooled her otherwise...'

'As for where he hit her... it was a place he could hit hard without causing any real damage. And as her guardian, he figured he had the right to spank her bottom a few times.'

"If you try to pull this again, I'll spank your butt so hard it splits in two." Xue Rui let go of her cheek and booped her on the nose, making her instinctively shrink away.

Lin Ruoxi shot him a timid glance and mumbled under her breath, "It already... is..."

"Still talking back?" Xue Rui playfully patted her on the head.

'He found that teasing her like this was actually pretty fun. Last night, she had pouted while taking her "punishment," obediently letting him spank her even as tears welled up in her eyes.'

Now, every time he patted her on the head, she would squeeze her eyes shut, looking both obedient and timid.

'Of course, there was another change in her after her "beating"—she had become even clingier than before!'

"Your chin is digging into my stomach. Come here, lie in my arms."

Xue Rui pulled Lin Ruoxi up, trying to get her to change positions.

But the moment Lin Ruoxi started to turn over, she shivered and quickly adjusted her position, hugging a pillow and lying prone on the bed again.

"Ow..."

"And who was it that said it didn't hurt last night?" Xue Rui stifled a laugh. His own hand had been numb from all the spanking, and now she was too sore to even turn over.