Chapter 570: A Small Trick for Two-Timing

“Actually, Ruoxi is very sensitive and takes things to heart. Her personality is even a bit extreme, so you can’t make certain jokes around her…”

Xue Rui stood to the side, watching Gu Muxue wash the dishes. Ever since she’d come into the kitchen, he had nothing left to do but listen to her ramble on.

Gu Muxue had only been living with Lin Ruoxi for less than a month, but she already had a pretty good grasp of her personality.

She held a sponge in her hand, washing a dish. As she watched the clear water wash away the greasy foam, the corners of her eyes crinkled into a smile at Xue Rui’s reflection in the plate.

Gu Muxue placed the clean plates neatly on the rack and asked without turning around, “Xiaorui, did you hear what I just said?”

“What did you just say, Muxue?” Xue Rui feigned ignorance.

‘Gu Muxue had backed down at the dinner table. And just now, when I leaned in to kiss her, she was clearly resistant but endured it silently. Even her pinch was weak, not nearly as feisty as she used to be.’

Xue Rui was well aware this wasn’t all due to his charm; it was also because Lin Ruoxi would be “inspecting” his body.

“Hm?” Gu Muxue turned to look at Xue Rui.

“Didn’t hear you,” Xue Rui said, cleaning out his ear. ‘Hello? Aren’t I supposed to be your boyfriend?’

‘How come you can’t go three sentences without bringing up Lin Ruoxi?’

‘If those two ever form a united front, I’ll come home to find myself stuck at a table with Da Huang.’

Xue Rui could never accept such an outcome.

Hearing this, Gu Muxue’s lovely eyes narrowed. She took off her gloves, reached out to pinch the flesh at Xue Rui’s waist, and bared her sharp little canines in a threat. “Xiaorui, did you hear me or not?”

Xue Rui was certain Gu Muxue wouldn’t dare to actually pinch hard or bite him. He ruffled her hair and said, “Come on, say something nice and maybe I’ll remember.”

Gu Muxue just smiled. She placed her hand back on Xue Rui’s waist, and all five of her fingers dug in at once.

“HSSS—”

Xue Rui twisted away in pain. ‘She always has to one-up me,’ he thought. This move was painful but wouldn’t cause any real injury. Crucially, it wouldn’t leave behind any “incriminating” evidence.

‘That way, Lin Ruoxi would never find out, and she could still take out her frustrations on him from time to time.’

Gu Muxue’s lips were now curved in a triumphant smile, as if she were waiting for him to meekly surrender.

“Muxue, if you keep this up, I’ll…”

Gu Muxue cut him off with a laugh. “Going to call the cops again, are you? Perfect. I have a question for Officer Friendly, too. I wonder if a certain someone who’s two-timing needs to be given a stern talking-to?”

“Muxue, you’re taking this too far.” Xue Rui took a deep breath.

Gu Muxue drawled, “So, what are you going to do about it?”

Xue Rui flashed Gu Muxue a knowing smile, then turned and shouted toward the living room in an aggrieved voice, “Xixi, Muxue’s bullying me!”

“You!” Gu Muxue’s smile vanished. She snatched her hand away from Xue Rui as if she’d been shocked, then grabbed a nearby cloth and began wiping the stovetop, pretending nothing had happened.

Lin Ruoxi jolted at the sound of his voice. She trotted over to the kitchen, slid open the ajar door, and eyed Gu Muxue warily.

Gu Muxue didn’t dare meet Lin Ruoxi’s gaze. She shot Xue Rui a resentful glare, then lowered her head and continued wiping the stovetop.

‘Always running to tattle. Are you a child?’

‘But… she really didn’t want to get into a fight with Lin Ruoxi.’

Lin Ruoxi entered the kitchen and first looked Xue Rui all over. Then, she instinctively grabbed his arm to inspect it—this was the spot Gu Muxue liked to pinch most.

After confirming his arm was uninjured, Lin Ruoxi lifted his shirt to check underneath, but she didn’t find anything unusual there either.

But Lin Ruoxi was convinced Xue Rui wouldn’t lie. She stood before Gu Muxue and, after a moment of internal struggle, stammered, “Muxue… y-you’re not allowed to hit him.”

Xue Rui was stunned. ‘This little girl has some nerve,’ he thought. ‘Daring to use a commanding tone with Gu Muxue?’

‘Even I wouldn’t dare do that!’

“There was a mosquito on his back just now. I hit him by accident when I swatted it. I didn’t mean to,” Gu Muxue said, fabricating an excuse to brush the incident aside.

“Xixi…” Xue Rui began, about to object, but he met Gu Muxue’s icy gaze and swallowed his words.

Lin Ruoxi said seriously, “Muxue, we already wiped the stove after we finished cooking. Also, you haven’t looked me in the eye once since I came in. You’re lying.”

Gu Muxue looked up in surprise. She hadn’t expected Lin Ruoxi to have this in her.

‘So why don’t you ever use those skills on Xue Rui?’

“I’m not lying.” Gu Muxue met Lin Ruoxi’s gaze, her own firm and unwavering.

‘Lin Ruoxi might be able to analyze body language, but I’ve had professional training in deportment,’ Gu Muxue thought. ‘Fooling her won’t be difficult.’

“I’ve lived here for a long time, and I’ve never seen a mosquito in the kitchen. Not even in the hallway or the elevator,” Lin Ruoxi muttered under her breath.

Gu Muxue stared blankly. ‘So you know there aren’t any mosquitoes in the building?’

‘Then why were you in such a panic yesterday when Xue Rui was yelling about a “mosquito bite” at the door?’

Xue Rui stood off to the side, munching on a cucumber and enjoying the show. He had called Lin Ruoxi over on purpose, mostly to test Gu Muxue’s limits.

Now, it seemed the situation was not what he had expected; although Gu Muxue usually held a slight edge over Lin Ruoxi, when a real conflict arose, it was Gu Muxue who backed down first.

The kitchen fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Lin Ruoxi’s muttering hung in the air like an accusation: If there are no mosquitoes here, what were you swatting?

“I remember now! There really was a mosquito,” Xue Rui said, a look of sudden realization on his face. He gently nudged Lin Ruoxi’s arm. “You’re mistaken.”

“Oh, is that right? I’m sorry, Muxue.” Lin Ruoxi immediately bowed her head and apologized. ‘If Xue Rui said there was a mosquito, then there must have been one.’