Chapter 433 - 315: Two Choices

Xue Rui’s mood was heavy after leaving Jiao University. It wasn’t because he was upset that Gu Muxue had found out about him and Lin Ruoxi; he was more worried about Gu Muxue’s health.

Having been worked to death in his previous life, he had made it a point to take Lin Ruoxi for at least two full physicals each year, shouldering a guardian’s responsibility to ensure she grew up healthy.

He’d never had to worry about Gu Muxue. After all, she was the apple of her family’s eye; there were plenty of people who cared about her more than he did.

As for himself, he had used his free time to study the basics of traditional Chinese medicine. He knew many of the body’s organs were affected by emotions—for instance, even watching a mukbang online could disrupt the digestive system and lead to stomach ailments...

Now that he had made her so angry, he couldn’t help but recall the time he and the younger girl had disappeared. Gu Muxue had been so worried she couldn’t even eat.

This was the main reason he’d bribed Gu Muxue’s roommate. He just wanted to know if she was eating properly, hoping she wouldn’t fall ill from the anger he’d caused.

...

That afternoon, Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi were sitting in a car outside the sports field of the University of Posts and Telecommunications. Both wore grim expressions.

Lin Ruoxi had taken Xue Rui out to eat and even bought him an ice cream at the school gate.

Xue Rui resignedly patted the younger girl’s head. After taking a bite, he handed the ice cream back to her. "You eat it. I still have things to do."

Gao Shufen had just sent him a message. She said Gu Muxue was lying on her bed, her back to the room. On the desk below her bunk, there was an unopened food container.

Gao Shufen: Xue Rui, what in the world did you do to Muxue? She won’t say a word, no matter how much we ask. Someone climbed up to get a peek, and her pillow is soaked.

Xue Rui: It’s all my fault. Thanks.

There were no photos, but the description alone was enough for Xue Rui to imagine the girl’s despair and helplessness.

’But what could I do?’ The carefree young woman beside him was still licking the ice cream he’d just taken a bite from.

With his heart in his throat, he sent Gu Muxue a message: Muxue, please eat. It’s not worth ruining your health over a bastard like me.

The moment he hit send, Xue Rui’s heart pounded. He was terrified he’d see the red exclamation mark.

’Good. She hasn’t blocked me. Not yet.’

Then, for just a moment, he saw the words "...is typing" appear on the screen.

Xue Rui waited for a long time, but no message came.

Xue Rui: Muxue, if you don’t eat, I’ll run over to your dorm and feed you myself. [Grin]

Creditor: Don’t. Or I’ll make sure you can never find me.

When Xue Rui read those words, it felt like a knife to the heart. He was reminded of how he’d felt in his past life when Gu Muxue disappeared.

The feeling was unbearable. He couldn’t let it happen again.

Creditor: Xiaorui, you need to eat properly. Don’t use your own health to threaten me. I don’t actually hate you.

Xue Rui’s nose tingled, and his eyes welled up unexpectedly. ’To think that the person who understood him best in the world right now wasn’t his parents, nor Lin Ruoxi who was with him day and night, but Gu Muxue—the very person whose heart he had just shattered.’

Xue Rui: Okay.

Creditor: I’m tired. I want to get some sleep.

After sending the message, Gu Muxue shoved her phone under her pillow. Below, her roommates were whispering about the funny things that had happened during military training that afternoon.

’Classmates, friends, a boyfriend, and a communal life she had never experienced before.’

’This was the life I always longed for. If today’s events hadn’t happened, wouldn’t I be down there with my classmates now, laughing and chatting?’

She didn’t hate Xue Rui. And she didn’t hate Lin Ruoxi.

When Xue Rui had been acting so meek and subservient before, she had wondered if he was having an affair.

As for Xue Rui’s "transgression," while she was furious on the surface, it wasn’t actually that hard for her to accept. She’d seen far too many people in high society; this sort of thing wasn’t even worth gossiping about.

’That’s just human nature. You might resist temptation once, but you can’t resist it a hundred times.’

For someone Xue Rui’s age, with so many resources at his disposal, an affair was a matter of high probability, if not inevitability.

What she wasn’t giving him, Xue Rui was likely to get from somewhere else behind her back.

It wasn’t that she didn’t allow Xue Rui to make mistakes. But he only got one. The same type of mistake would absolutely not be permitted a second time.

If it had been a girl after his money, things would be simple. She would just have to deal with the problem, give Xue Rui a stern talking-to, and he would become more and more obedient in her presence...

’The problem now is, what to do about Lin Ruoxi? Has Xue Rui actually fallen for her?’

Xue Rui hadn’t said so directly, but she could tell he wouldn’t send Lin Ruoxi away.

’Both he and I know Lin Ruoxi’s situation perfectly well. So what is Xue Rui trying to do?’

’Make me be the bad guy?’

’Or... is he asking me to accept Lin Ruoxi’s existence?’

’After all, Xue Rui had never lied to Lin Ruoxi, and his feelings for me are real. Lin Ruoxi even took the initiative to tell me that Xue Rui really likes me...’

’I’m just so resentful. The future I’ve been looking forward to was right within my grasp. Why did something like this have to happen?’

The party was in a few days. She had promised Xue Rui she would give him a solution.

Now there were only two choices: either Lin Ruoxi leaves, or she backs out.

The former was far more complicated than the latter. ’Can I really handle Lin Ruoxi?’

Of course, she still wanted to confirm Xue Rui’s stance one more time.

’I can’t get the truth just by asking. I need to see what he’ll choose subconsciously.’

"Xiaorui... who came first, me or her?" Gu Muxue murmured.

...

On the sports field of the University of Posts and Telecommunications, military training was still underway.

Lin Ruoxi licked the ice cream Xue Rui had bitten into, staring blankly at the students in their training exercises.