Chapter 449 - 321: Tricked by Lin Ruoxi

Inside a Maybach speeding down the highway back to Hedong.

Gu Muxue was curled up listlessly in the back seat. Xiaobu was curled into a ball beside her. Gu Muxue hugged Xiaobu tightly, making the little creature struggle to escape.

"Are you going to leave me too?" Gu Muxue murmured.

She didn’t know where to go, or where she even could go. The moment Yang Xing heard she wanted to go home, he had started the car and gotten on the highway.

"Where could I go? I told your father we’d be home in another two hours," Yang Xing said jokingly, glancing at Gu Muxue in the rearview mirror.

But Gu Muxue didn’t respond, still looking utterly dejected.

No amount of coaxing from him worked. Gu Muxue was in the absolute depths of despair, and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what heinous crime Xue Rui had committed to make her this upset.

"What about that friend of yours? I think her name was Lin Ruoxi. She’s from Hedong, too," Yang Xing said. He’d remembered the girl, having seen her on the bulletin board in front of No. 2 High School. Her college entrance exam score was astounding, so he figured she must be a decent person.

At the mention of Lin Ruoxi’s name, Gu Muxue immediately turned her head away.

’Girls are so hard to figure out...’ Yang Xing thought to himself.

What he did know, however, was that Gu Muxue cared a lot about Xue Rui. So, he changed the subject and said indignantly, "I just gave him a shoulder throw. He’s probably still lying on the ground. It’ll take him at least a few days to recover."

In reality, because of Xue Rui, he hadn’t even had the chance to go into the KTV to get the red wine he’d ordered in advance...

’What a total loss!’

"Turn around. We’re not going back," Gu Muxue said, instinctively turning back toward him.

As soon as she said it, she saw Yang Xing break into a knowing smile and suddenly realized she’d been tricked.

Her concern had clouded her judgment. How could Yang Xing have possibly hurt Xue Rui?

Besides, even if Xue Rui really were hurt, in what capacity would she go see him?

"What’s the point of seeing him? Your father said he’s waiting for you at home," Yang Xing let out a long sigh of relief. Gu Muxue was finally talking.

"You should call him back. I just texted him a moment ago."

"Okay." Gu Muxue nodded, took out her phone, and pressed the power button.

The moment the screen lit up, her expression froze...

’I’ve taken Lin Ruoxi’s phone?’

...

Meanwhile, Xue Rui stared at the incoming call from Gu Qingshan, conflicted...

To answer or not to answer? That was the question.

The main thing was, he didn’t know if the girl had tattled to her family.

Xue Rui’s mind raced. Gu Qingshan hadn’t called him, and his own dad hadn’t mentioned getting an earful from Gu Qingshan. This meant Gu Muxue hadn’t tattled. She hadn’t even told her parents that they were having problems.

Gu Muxue didn’t want their relationship to cause a rift between the two families.

In other words, in the eyes of their elders, his image was still the same as before.

After hesitating for two seconds, he pressed the answer button.

Gu Qingshan’s gentle voice came from the other end of the line. "Missing your daddy already? It’s only been a few days and you’re already clamoring to come home."

Xue Rui thought that sounded odd. The first sentence almost sounded like a taunt.

But from the second half of the sentence, he gleaned a crucial piece of information—the girl was going back to Hedong.

He laughed and said, "Hello, Uncle Gu. Muxue left her phone with me. We’re about to arrive in Hedong now."

"Xiaorui, what are you coming back for?"

Gu Qingshan paused on the other end of the line. His voice instantly turned hostile, all its previous gentleness gone without a trace.

’It’s after ten o’clock at night. I call my daughter, and a man answers?’

’Why would she leave it with you?’

Fortunately, Yang Xing had sent him a text saying his daughter was on her way.

"Uncle Gu, listen to you. The whole point of studying in Chang’an was so it’d be convenient for Muxue and me to come home. My family’s in Hedong too. Am I not allowed to go back and visit?"

"Hmph. You did well on that point," Gu Qingshan’s tone softened considerably. He knew his daughter had gone to Chang’an for Xue Rui’s sake, and the only reason he hadn’t objected was because it was close.

She could even come home for a weekend, making it no different from studying locally. He had been so reluctant to see her go just a week ago, and now, only a few days later, she was already coming home...

"It’s too late tonight, so you head home first. I’m hanging up." Gu Qingshan hung up as soon as he finished speaking. In any case, Xue Rui was like a little shadow, always finding excuses to sneak over to his house. Some things didn’t need to be said over the phone.

Xue Rui finally relaxed. Gu Qingshan’s meaning was clear: he wanted him to come over tomorrow.

Lin Ruoxi had been listening from the side the whole time. ’Is Xue Rui leaving?’

’Xue Rui hasn’t even had a chance to properly look at our new home. Is he going back to Hedong to find Gu Muxue?’

’But it’s so late, and it’s pouring rain outside. It’s not safe to drive...’

She had secretly hidden the car keys, so now, as Xue Rui frantically searched the sofa, he wouldn’t be able to find them.

"Xixi, where are the car keys?" Xue Rui asked.

He had completely broken Gu Muxue’s heart today. He had lavished attention on Lin Ruoxi right in front of her, and when he was comforting Lin Ruoxi, his words had even carried a tone of blame toward Gu Muxue...

He thought the girl was too cunning, deliberately putting on a tough act while actually being gentle with Lin Ruoxi, which had made him biased from the start...

As he tossed the sofa cushions aside, a sense of helplessness washed over him. ’Can this situation even be salvaged?’

’When I saw Lin Ruoxi’s face covered in blood back then, I just couldn’t think straight.’

’There’s a reason for my special concern for Lin Ruoxi, but no one would believe it if I told them. Am I supposed to tell Gu Muxue, "I once saw Lin Ruoxi die right in front of me"?’

"Rui, why don’t you go take a shower first, okay?" Lin Ruoxi said, her head lowered.