Chapter 568 - 365: The "Obedient Version" of Gu Muxue (2)

Gu Muxue wanted to balance their three-way relationship, creating a dynamic where they could all coexist as true equals rather than one person having to compromise for another.

But Xue Rui didn’t agree with her thinking. Lin Ruoxi’s personality was difficult to change. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried to give Lin Ruoxi a secure place in the family, but the girl would only grow anxious and insecure, constantly afraid of being abandoned by him.

Giving was Lin Ruoxi’s way of expressing affection; it was also the habit she had relied on to find her place in the world for so many years.

The power of a habit is a terrifying thing. Only the even greater power of time can change it.

As long as Xue Rui constantly showed Lin Ruoxi acceptance and forgiveness, one day she would understand that even if she did absolutely nothing, no one would ever make her leave.

"Ruoxi, sit next to him," Gu Muxue called out hastily as she saw Lin Ruoxi about to walk into her room.

Hearing the slight panic in Gu Muxue’s voice, the corners of Xue Rui’s lips curled into a smirk.

’Gu Muxue really cares about Lin Ruoxi’s feelings!’

’That makes things much easier...’

Lin Ruoxi stopped in her tracks. She slowly sat down in the seat beside Xue Rui, then looked up at Gu Muxue.

Gu Muxue smiled and nodded, preparing to pass the soup to Lin Ruoxi.

"Xixi, I’m not the only one who’s kissed you, am I?" Xue Rui asked, his tone accusatory.

With a panicked expression, Lin Ruoxi shook her head repeatedly. "It was Muxue... She asked me for your first kiss."

Xue Rui smiled. The girl had chosen to tattle on her instantly.

"So, have you ever wondered why?" Xue Rui asked, turning to look at Gu Muxue.

"Xiaorui, you... you shut up," Gu Muxue stammered, nervously chewing on her chopsticks.

Gu Muxue was terrified that Xue Rui would expose her secret. These feelings were too complicated, and she hadn’t even been able to face them herself.

Lin Ruoxi murmured, "Umm, I don’t know. I just felt it was a little strange..."

"I don’t know either. Why don’t we take a guess?" Xue Rui said, trying to hold back his laughter.

’Tch. You just want this seat, don’t you? Fine, it’s yours,’ Gu Muxue thought to herself. She slowly stood up and moved to the seat to the right of the head of the table.

Xue Rui was forcing her to give up her seat, and his methods were incredibly sly.

She knew that Xue Rui was the one best suited for this seat. In a family, you couldn’t have two opinionated leaders; otherwise, there would be no end to the arguments.

But... she couldn’t help but feel a little resentful.

Gu Muxue had wanted Xue Rui to ask her for it, but he had instead used an unexpected method to force her into "obedient submission."

"So, our seats are settled, then?" Xue Rui asked with a smile.

"Mhm," Gu Muxue replied reluctantly.

Xue Rui had her right where he wanted her.

Xue Rui got up and sat at the head of the table. Seeing Gu Muxue’s meekly submissive appearance, he grew bold and placed his hand on her head.

Gu Muxue’s neck went rigid. ’When has anyone ever touched my head like this?’

’Not even my parents have ever done this! It’s like he’s petting an animal!’

’Gu Muxue having some other kind of feelings for Lin Ruoxi isn’t a bad thing for me at all,’ Xue Rui mused. ’Because of this, she’ll listen to me obediently.’

Actually, it wasn’t the first time he’d been on the receiving end of such treatment. It usually happened when Gu Muxue had a guilty conscience, either from accidentally injuring him or causing him to catch a cold and run a fever...

All in all, Xue Rui was quite satisfied that he could now so easily get this "well-behaved version" of Gu Muxue.

’Xixi, this is all thanks to you,’ Xue Rui thought gratefully. Lin Ruoxi was practically his lucky star.

When Lin Ruoxi saw Xue Rui stroking Gu Muxue’s head, she lowered her own and offered it to him as well.

Xue Rui smiled and reached out with his left hand, freely ruffling Lin Ruoxi’s hair. Gu Muxue, on the other hand, had lowered her head reluctantly; the tense muscles in her neck clearly betrayed her resentment and defiance.

"Hss—"

Xue Rui instinctively sucked in a breath. Under the table, Gu Muxue had pinched the flesh on his thigh, and she was only grabbing a thin layer of skin!

"Let’s hurry and eat. The food’s getting cold," Xue Rui said, quickly pulling his hands back.

’I knew it wouldn’t be that easy to get away with petting Gu Muxue!’

Gu Muxue reached up to smooth out her hair, frowning as she shot Xue Rui a glare. She had been bottling up her anger all day.

Lin Ruoxi, on the other hand, looked a little disappointed. She picked up some shredded potatoes for Xue Rui. "Rui, you should try this. Muxue made it."

"Oh, really?" Xue Rui looked at the uniformly cut potato slivers in surprise. Gu Muxue, the girl who used to burn cookies, could now make such a difficult dish?

Stir-fried potato slivers were considered a difficult dish for a novice cook. If you didn’t control the heat well, they’d easily burn, but the dish in front of him was beautifully colored.

Xue Rui took a bite and said in astonishment, "You actually cut these by hand, not with a mandoline."

"Huh? You can tell just by the taste?" Gu Muxue was just as surprised. She was positive Xue Rui hadn’t been in the kitchen today.

"There’s a real science to it. A mandoline applies pressure on all sides, which scrapes out the potato’s moisture and starch, making the texture a bit dry and mealy. Potatoes cut with a knife are much crispier. And Muxue, your cuts are even more uniform than what a mandoline could do..."

Xue Rui broke it down for Gu Muxue methodically, praising her as he went.

"Ruoxi prepped all the ingredients. When I got up, the potato slivers were already soaking in a bowl. I just stir-fried them," Gu Muxue mumbled with a pout.

The corner of Xue Rui’s mouth twitched. He’d just been laying on the flattery, and he’d completely missed the mark...

’Then again, how could a beginner’s knife skills be this good?’

He had really been careless! Now he had to salvage the situation, and fast.

"That’s still incredible. The most crucial part of this dish is the vinegar. Adding it to the side of the wok is all about timing—put it in too early, and the potatoes won’t be crisp; too late, and they’ll stick to the pan..."

"A little more or a little less, and you wouldn’t get this flavor. Even a master chef with over a decade of experience couldn’t necessarily do it better than you. Homestyle cooking is the ultimate test of skill precisely because it uses simple seasonings..."