Chapter 557 361: A Real Man Can Bend and Stretch

"Don't you know how thick-skinned he is? You'll be at a disadvantage if you keep indulging him like this," Gu Muxue said in a low voice.

'Lin Ruoxi is always worrying too much,' Gu Muxue thought. 'With how thick-skinned Xue Rui is, could he really be bullied by me?'

'Even though I locked Xue Rui out, I have a feeling I'll be the one losing out in the end. I've never been able to get the upper hand with him, not since we were kids. Instead, I've just fallen deeper and deeper...'

"It's... it's not a disadvantage," Lin Ruoxi said, shaking her head again and again.

Gu Muxue sighed in exasperation. "You even agreed to Xue Rui having two girlfriends, and you still say you're not at a disadvantage."

Lin Ruoxi said meekly, "But... so are you."

Gu Muxue had been about to give Lin Ruoxi a lecture, but that single sentence made her swallow the words she'd been preparing.

"I'm not like you. He listens to me," Gu Muxue said, pouting.

'Although the outcome is a far cry from what I'd imagined, my objective has been met. From now on, whenever I'm in a bad mood, I can just bully Xue Rui a bit.'

She snuck another glance at Lin Ruoxi and reached out to gently pat her head. 'And now I have one more person who'll listen to me.'

'Hmm... I guess I'm not losing out on that much after all.'

Lin Ruoxi flinched, pulling her head back and shuffling a little farther away.

Gu Muxue's hand met empty air, pausing awkwardly. So it wouldn't be weird, she smoothly changed its trajectory, picked up Xiaobu from the sofa, and gave the cat a gentle scratch on the head.

"He's still at the door... There are mosquitoes outside," Lin Ruoxi said quietly.

Lin Ruoxi didn't like being patted on the head by others; she only wanted Xue Rui to do it.

Gu Muxue crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Fine, go open the door."

"Okay!" Getting the confirmation she wanted, Lin Ruoxi hurried to the door. As she opened it, she bent down and took out a pair of men's slippers.

Meanwhile, Xue Rui was in the hallway, staring at the security camera and muttering, "This thing isn't connected to the internet, is it?"

'Whatever. So what if it is?'

'Ms. Zhao's open-mindedness was something Old Gu could never match. Even knowing he had hidden in her daughter's room all night, she had merely stated the facts calmly without threatening him in the slightest.'

'And what did Gu Qingshan do without a shred of evidence?'

'Just because he was worried, he demanded a video call from me every single day?'

'What kind of person does that?'

Xue Rui was mentally calculating the time, thinking he should take the initiative and give Old Gu a call just to annoy him...

Suddenly, the door before him opened softly. Lin Ruoxi was crouched at his feet like a little puppy.

Lin Ruoxi tilted her head up to look at Xue Rui and said with a smile, "Lift your foot."

Xue Rui smiled and habitually stuck out his foot. 'This girl just loves being clingy with these little things.'

Gu Muxue, sitting on the sofa, stared with wide, round eyes.

Lin Ruoxi was crouched on the floor, taking off Xue Rui's shoes and socks, and then putting the slippers on for him...

Lin Ruoxi would prepare slippers for her too, and even when she just laid them out neatly, Gu Muxue often felt embarrassed and told her to stop.

'But how could Xue Rui accept it so matter-of-factly?'

"Xiaorui, are your legs broken?" Gu Muxue snapped.

Xue Rui gave a sly chuckle. He didn't want to get tangled up arguing with Gu Muxue about it. After all, Lin Ruoxi would never change, and Gu Muxue would just have to get used to it eventually.

He changed the subject. "Muxue, did Aunt Zhao have anything she wanted to tell me?"

Gu Muxue froze. On the way to the airport, her mother had given her a lot of advice, some of which was about Xue Rui...

She subtly picked up a throw pillow and used it to cover her shoulder bag. Inside was a box of condoms. Her mother had told her to protect herself, and that if the time came, she had to make sure Xue Rui used one...

At the time, she'd only been stunned for a second before taking them. Her mother had educated her about these things since she was little, making the conversation feel as natural as a school lesson.

'Gu Muxue knew her mother meant well. Staying in the same city as Xue Rui for four years... she would most likely have to face this situation eventually.'

'But did I really have to face it now?'

'Her cheeks burned just thinking about it!'

"She did. She told me to stay away from you," Gu Muxue said, her cheeks puffed out. Of course, she couldn't tell him the truth; that would be tantamount to giving him encouragement.

She had covered for all of Xue Rui's transgressions, and the more she thought about it now, the more aggrieved she felt.

Yet she was also afraid that if she ever truly spoke her mind, she would lose Xue Rui for good.

Xue Rui was skeptical. 'This mother-in-law of mine is truly an enigma,' he thought. 'Sometimes she knocks me down a peg, other times she encourages me.'

'I can never be sure what she'd say to Gu Muxue. But in the end, it doesn't matter what she said. It won't affect me...'

Just then, Lin Ruoxi finished tidying up and asked Gu Muxue in her soft voice, "Where... where is he sleeping tonight?"

'This is Gu Muxue's house,' she thought. 'Everything has to go by her.'

Gu Muxue stammered, "Who let him in? Kick him out. He can sleep wherever he wants."

"Um, but you just told me to let him in," Lin Ruoxi said without hesitation.

"Ruoxi!" Gu Muxue's face was bright red. Lin Ruoxi was always calling her out.

Xue Rui watched Gu Muxue gripping the sofa for dear life. He pulled a can out of a nearby plastic bag and opened it. "Here, Xiaobu. I came to bring you some canned food."

He'd bought the canned cat food before the National Day holiday, mainly to give Gu Muxue an excuse and save her from embarrassment.

Gu Muxue had never, from start to finish, agreed to let him come over. So, theoretically, he was just here to play with Xiaobu.

"Then you can sleep with Xiaobu." Gu Muxue pointed to the cat bed in the living room, then grabbed her bag and moved to a separate armchair.

Xue Rui looked at the cat bed, which was covered in fur and was really just a round, soft cushion. He sighed and plopped down right in it.