Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

Chapter 242: Chapter 239: The Art of Splashing Cash (Part 2)

"Be a good girl, Xixi," Xue Rui said, turning off the hair dryer.

"Okay, I’ll be good." Lin Ruoxi closed her eyes. Two streams of clear tears trickled from the corners, but the edges of her lips couldn’t help but curl upward.

Watching the young woman smile through her tears, he felt a strange pang in his heart.

Yu Minlan thought to herself, ’Lin Ruoxi is such a pushover. The moment Xue Rui calls her by her nickname, she becomes incredibly obedient.’

After drying the young woman’s hair, Xue Rui wiped away her tears and played a little tickle game with her.

Of course, tickling was also a good excuse to get a little handsy, but the young woman never cared about things like that.

Only after he had cheered the young woman up did he return to his room’s balcony to call Gu Muxue.

Hearing the muffled sound of conversation coming from Xue Rui’s room, Yu Minlan thought, ’This is so obvious. He must be doing something shady in there.’

Lin Ruoxi asked in a small voice, "How do you pursue a guy? I’ve already tried all the methods I found online."

But Xue Rui hadn’t agreed, so they were still just good friends.

Yu Minlan was completely baffled. As far as she was concerned, Lin Ruoxi was already in a relationship!

Lin Ruoxi cooked for Xue Rui and tied his shoelaces, and Xue Rui dried her hair for her. How could such intimate acts not be considered dating?

Did it only count as a relationship when Xue Rui admitted it himself?

If he never admitted it, wouldn’t he just be stringing her along forever?

Lin Ruoxi glanced at Xue Rui’s door, then pulled a condom out from a hidden compartment in her bag. She carefully checked the expiration date. "There’s still a year..."

Yu Minlan gulped. ’Holding up a condom and saying there’s still a year?’

She couldn’t make heads or tails of it!

’Do Lin Ruoxi and Xue Rui have some kind of secret pact?’

"It expires in a little over a year," Lin Ruoxi said softly, her tone tinged with regret.

Yu Minlan covered her face. She had only recently found out that nothing had actually happened between the two of them. Lin Ruoxi’s condom had never even been used...

’But what does she mean by that? Is she saying she has to use the condom before it expires so it doesn’t go to waste?’

’Isn’t that a bit rash for such a life-changing event!’

’Shouldn’t they go through the proper steps first?’

’Right... a confession, holding hands, kissing, and only then, sleeping together.’

’Why is Lin Ruoxi acting like one of those horny guys, aiming straight for the final goal!’

But on second thought, maybe it really wasn’t a big deal for Lin Ruoxi. She was set on Xue Rui and only Xue Rui, so whether it happened sooner or later didn’t matter, right?

Besides, Lin Ruoxi hadn’t been indoctrinated with traditional views on love and marriage by her parents, so she didn’t see it as such a monumental thing.

’But the girl is the one who loses out in the end...’

’I wonder if Lin Ruoxi even realizes that.’

"I have to win Xue Rui over within a year," Lin Ruoxi said in a low voice.

Yu Minlan didn’t want to hear any more. In her mind, Lin Ruoxi had already won him over long ago.

Being with these two was just a constant assault of public displays of affection.

The next day, Yu Minlan drove Xue Rui to the airport, and Lin Ruoxi insisted on coming along.

"I’m off. Show me when there’s progress on the project." Xue Rui patted the young woman’s head, casually slung his shoulder bag over his shoulder, and strode away.

"Can you not go?" Suddenly, he felt a soft warmth against his back. The young woman was hugging him from behind, and his neck felt damp, as if from her tears.

Xue Rui sighed helplessly. They were only going to be apart for a little while, so why was she acting like this was a life-or-death separation?

Video calls were so common these days; they could talk every day.

Besides, the young woman was breaking her promise. She had just agreed to be good last night, and today she was already going back on her word.

"If I don’t go, are you going to support me?" Xue Rui gently patted Lin Ruoxi’s small hands, which were clasped tightly around his waist.

Yu Minlan walked over, patted Lin Ruoxi’s shoulder, and gently shook her head.

Lin Ruoxi slowly released her hands. She was just worried that Xue Rui wouldn’t eat or sleep well. He liked to sleep with his head under the covers in the winter and kick his blanket off in the summer...

Watching Xue Rui walk into the terminal, Lin Ruoxi’s gaze turned vacant, as if she had lost something precious.

"Ruoxi, sometimes being too clingy can make a guy feel annoyed," Yu Minlan said.

Although, she figured that with Lin Ruoxi’s looks, no man should feel annoyed. But this was Xue Rui, and she could never figure out what he was thinking.

’Maybe the reason he hasn’t agreed to date her is because she’s too clingy? Is it putting a huge psychological burden on that scumbag Xue Rui?’

Just then, Xue Rui started a video call with Lin Ruoxi.

He said with a smile, "Is President Lin playing hooky from work?"

Lin Ruoxi smiled at the screen. "I’ll earn money to support you."

"Gotta go. I’ll call you tonight. We can see each other every day, so what’s there to cry about?" Xue Rui waved and hung up.

"Come on, Ruoxi, get in the car," Yu Minlan said, patting the passenger seat.

Lin Ruoxi kept looking back with every step she took. After getting in the car, she gazed reluctantly out the window.

The scenery in the suburbs was beautiful, and the radio was still playing songs in the car, but with Xue Rui not by her side, she found it all so boring...

By the time they got back to the factory, it was lunchtime. A young man was walking out of the main gate, carrying several bags.

"I’m leaving. My mom is pushing me to get married," the young man said, hugging the girl in front of him.

"Get lost," the girl said, kicking him.

Yu Minlan didn’t understand what was happening. She simply pulled the car over to the side and tilted her head, watching the scene unfold.

Yu Minlan watched, stunned. ’What in the world is going on?’

Lin Ruoxi didn’t get it either. The two of them stared blankly as the couple bickered and pulled at each other, completely unable to figure out their relationship.

One moment they were hugging and kissing, and the next, the guy was saying he was going home to get married, and then the girl ruthlessly kicked him?

Yu Minlan spoke up. "Hello, is he your boyfriend?"

"None of your damn business." The girl with wine-red hair shot them a contemptuous look and turned to leave.

However, Lin Ruoxi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, held up two red hundred-yuan bills between her fingers, and the girl immediately stopped in her tracks.

Yu Minlan’s eye twitched. ’Lin Ruoxi is such a fast learner,’ she thought. ’She hasn’t learned much else, but she’s certainly mastered the art of throwing money around.’

It had to be said, throwing money around really worked. The girl turned back immediately...

"For me?" the girl asked in surprise.

"I want to hear your story," Lin Ruoxi said. Xue Rui had once told her that one must pay for knowledge.

The girl glanced at Lin Ruoxi. She was stunningly beautiful.

She recognized this girl; rumors had been flying around the factory recently that she was a shareholder.

"Hello, boss. He’s my ex-boyfriend," the girl said with a smile, reaching out to take the money from Lin Ruoxi’s hand.

Lin Ruoxi was confused. ’He was her boyfriend just a minute ago, and now he’s her ex?’

"Why did you break up?" Yu Minlan asked.

"He’s going home to marry someone else. We’re definitely never going to see each other again, so why wouldn’t we break up?" the girl said nonchalantly.

Yu Minlan’s worldview was shattered once again, and Lin Ruoxi also looked dumbfounded.

So a couple is dating, one of them suddenly announces they’re marrying someone else, and then they just break up?

"I see," Lin Ruoxi murmured, slowly raising the car window.

The girl paid them no mind, simply standing by the roadside to check if the bills in her hand were real.

Yu Minlan gave an awkward laugh. She didn’t know how to explain this to Lin Ruoxi; it was her first time encountering a couple like this, too.

’Don’t tell me Lin Ruoxi now thinks Xue Rui is going back home to do the same thing, does she?’

"Ruoxi, let’s go inside," Yu Minlan said.

"Okay." Lin Ruoxi nodded slightly, still not having recovered from the shock.

Yu Minlan pinched the bridge of her nose. ’Lin Ruoxi still doesn’t understand the first thing about relationships,’ she thought. ’She just follows her heart and relies on Xue Rui. How could she run into a trashy couple like that?’

’Is this going to affect her view on love?’

At dinnertime, Lin Ruoxi saw the girl from the factory again. She was now eating with another guy, who was even feeding her.

Lin Ruoxi’s eyes went wide. She said to Yu Minlan, "Sister Yu, did she find a new boyfriend already?"

Yu Minlan glanced over and said in surprise, "It looks like it."

After getting her food, Lin Ruoxi carried her tray and sat down next to the girl.

Yu Minlan followed closely behind Lin Ruoxi, accompanied by a line manager. They were all afraid that something might happen to the beautiful major shareholder at the factory.

"Hello, boss." The girl gave an awkward smile. ’Why is she here again?’ she thought.

"Have you... had a lot of boyfriends?" Lin Ruoxi asked curiously.