Chapter 605 - 381: Why is Your Face So Red?

Lin Ruoxi stood behind Xue Rui, her arms resting gently on his shoulders. She lightly caressed his cheek, wiping away the lipstick stain.

Xue Rui smiled, taking Lin Ruoxi’s slender hand in his and planting a light kiss on the back of it. "Have a seat, my little secretary."

’This little one was getting smarter and smarter. She wasn’t as naive and easy to fool as before, but she was still willing to play along with his games.’

Cheng Nian subconsciously edged a little farther away. The couple’s intimate display needed no explanation; their relationship was obvious.

"Chief, I’m still here. Could you two tone it down a bit?"

Cheng Nian wore an awkward expression. She’d gone from being an interviewer to a third wheel.

Hearing this, Lin Ruoxi quickly pulled away from Xue Rui and sat down obediently to his right.

Xue Rui said nonchalantly, "If you can’t even stand to watch this, what are you going to do when a client puts an arm around you for a toast in the future?"

’Cheng Nian was filled with regret. She never should have brought up workplace scenarios. Now her heart felt inexplicably heavy, her mind conjuring up an image of some greasy old man trying to take advantage of her. But she just couldn’t reconcile that image with Xue Rui’s bright, clean-cut appearance...’

"Are all bosses out there as unscrupulous as you?" Cheng Nian asked.

Lin Ruoxi pouted and retorted, "Rui is a good person."

Xue Rui was unconcerned with others’ opinions. He poked Lin Ruoxi’s cheek. "You’re absolutely right. She just doesn’t know what she’s missing."

"Let’s just continue the interviews." Cheng Nian was getting a headache. ’Lin Ruoxi is way too gullible.’

"Next, please come in," Xue Rui called out toward the door.

For the rest of the interviews, Xue Rui didn’t interfere with Cheng Nian at all. After all, she was the one doing the actual work. His only job was to sell her on the dream.

The round of interviews soon ended, and Xue Rui had the freshman applicants restore the classroom to its original state.

He noticed that Cheng Nian had tossed the female students’ applications to one side, as if she didn’t plan on even glancing at them. It had been much the same during the interviews—her attitude toward the female candidates was rather dismissive.

He flipped through the application forms. "We’ve already got so many guys. Let’s pick some female students for the second round."

Cheng Nian complained, "What do we need girls for? They’re completely useless."

"Aren’t you a woman? Why are you discriminating?" Xue Rui raised an eyebrow. ’Isn’t this just another Sun Xiaoran?’

"I’ve been fed up with Sun Xiaoran for a while now, always insisting on that fifty-fifty quota. Most of the department’s work is manual labor, but I’ve never seen any of *them* move a table, chair, or piece of equipment. The prettier they are, the lazier they are. Some people just love useless vases..."

Cheng Nian grumbled on, her eyes scanning the classroom, but she couldn’t see Lin Ruoxi anywhere.

Xue Rui couldn’t help but laugh. A woman’s prejudice against another woman is truly the worst.

He said with a smile, "I don’t think you’re right. There are girls who are both beautiful and hardworking."

"Are you complimenting me?" Cheng Nian straightened a stack of forms, thinking, ’So Xue Rui can say something decent after all.’

"Look," Xue Rui said, pointing to Lin Ruoxi, who was just walking in through the door.

Cheng Nian froze for a second. She saw that Lin Ruoxi had returned with a broom and a dustpan.

"Lin Ruoxi, you..." Cheng Nian stared, her eyes wide. Ever since she learned Lin Ruoxi was Xue Rui’s girlfriend, she had dismissed her as nothing more than his pretty vase.

But reality had just slapped her in the face—twice.

Lin Ruoxi bent down and started sweeping up the trash. She would occasionally peek into the desk drawers, pulling out greasy plastic bags—the kind left behind by some lazy college student who ate breakfast in class and forgot to clean up.

Xue Rui watched, mesmerized. ’This little one is always so earnest about everything she does.’

Having just mentally slandered Lin Ruoxi, Cheng Nian suddenly felt a pang of guilt.

"You’re not just going to leave, are you?" Xue Rui asked with a wide grin.

"No, I’m not," Cheng Nian said honestly. She walked over to help Lin Ruoxi clean, then glanced back at Xue Rui, motioning for him to bring over the trash can.

"Mm, we’ll be done soon. Rui, you should wait outside. It’s really dusty in here," Lin Ruoxi said, wiping the sweat from her temples.

Xue Rui fished the car keys out of Lin Ruoxi’s pocket. "I’ll be waiting outside."

’There were some things he couldn’t change her mind about. He could stop her from cleaning, sure, but then the matter would just weigh on her mind...’

Cheng Nian gritted her teeth at Xue Rui’s retreating back. "He’s got some nerve."

"Mm, Xue Rui worked really hard today. He needs to rest now," Lin Ruoxi murmured to herself.

"Uh... alright then," Cheng Nian said sheepishly. It was hard to get angry in the face of Lin Ruoxi’s gentle nature.

Xue Rui waited outside for a bit. When the two girls came out from washing their hands in the restroom, he handed them each a bottle of water. "You must be hot. Have a drink."

Lin Ruoxi looked down at her still-damp hands, then blinked expectantly at Xue Rui and opened her mouth slightly.

Xue Rui let out a mischievous chuckle, twisted the cap off, and started pouring the water into her mouth.

Lin Ruoxi was very docile by nature. If this had been the mischievous Gu Muxue, she would have already snatched the bottle and splashed water all over him.

When Xue Rui raised the bottle a little higher, Lin Ruoxi’s eyes widened, and she quickly drank faster. When he lowered it again, the corners of her eyes crinkled into a smile.

Xue Rui felt like he’d just discovered a new switch for this little one.

Watching this scene, Cheng Nian felt a sudden pang of envy. She used the hem of her shirt to get a grip on her own bottle cap, twisted it open, and took a large gulp. "I’m leaving. It doesn’t matter if you show up for the second round or not."

...

That afternoon, Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi went to their classes as usual. Since Lin Ruoxi was already well-known among the faculty, she was able to get approval to waive her attendance requirements without any trouble.