Chapter 257: Chapter 249: A Special Relationship Means No Need to Repay
Gu Muxue’s hand went rigid as she gently rested it on Xue Rui’s arm.
Xue Rui was inwardly surprised. The young lady was actually making a move on him—a first in recorded history.
Since such a golden opportunity had presented itself, Xue Rui wasn’t about to be polite. He leaned in closer against her.
’Too bad. Her underwear is too thick, and the nerves in my elbow aren’t sensitive enough. I can’t feel it clearly.’
But then, she slowly released his arm. Before pulling away completely, her little claws secretly gave him a pinch. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, as if in warning.
’This is so hard,’ Xue Rui thought. ’Unlike other girls, she doesn’t spoil me rotten. The moment I cross the line, I get punished.’
Gu Muxue glanced around. Xue Rui’s actions had been too bold; she was afraid people would notice them acting strangely.
But no strange looks came her way. A few guys glanced at her occasionally, just like they always did.
And, of course, a few envious gazes were shot in Xue Rui’s direction.
’I guess once you’re out of high school, people aren’t so sensitive about these things. Lots of couples in the honeymoon phase are very touchy-feely.’
"Happy now?" Gu Muxue tilted her head, nudging Xue Rui’s shoulder with it.
Xue Rui smiled. "Very."
"You’re so easy," Gu Muxue mumbled, a smile hidden in her alluring eyes.
She knew she was beautiful, of course. Any guy by her side, like Xue Rui, was bound to feel a little smug.
’It’s perfectly normal for a boy his age.’
"Oh, my ’ambitions’ are much bigger than that," Xue Rui whispered into her ear.
Gu Muxue’s face flushed red. That guy never knew when to stop taking advantage. "Jerk," she cursed in a low voice. "Don’t say that again."
Qiu Mengze scratched his head. ’How am I supposed to learn from that? Gu Muxue was the one who initiated it...’
’But whatever.’ He was already thrilled just to have gotten Qin Tong to come out with him.
The group slowly made their way into the mall. Qiu Mengze walked ahead to lead the way, while Qin Tong hung back a bit, occasionally exchanging a few words with Gu Muxue.
"Gu Muxue, where did you buy your hat?" Qin Tong asked.
Xue Rui glanced over. It was a light-colored, woven straw bucket hat. It looked a bit like the kind of hat a farmer would wear in the fields, but the weave was much more delicate and soft.
’The young lady never dressed according to current trends,’ he mused. ’She just wore whatever she liked.’
Xue Rui thought she had great taste in clothes, always with a hint of indie sophistication.
Gu Muxue was preoccupied, internally debating how she should confess her feelings. "I just picked it up on a trip," she said absentmindedly.
"Oh, okay." Qin Tong gave an awkward smile. She had never seen that style in Hedong; she had just been making small talk.
When they reached the corner by the second-floor escalators, Qiu Mengze pulled Xue Rui a few steps ahead. "Can you find out for me where Muxue bought her hat? I think Qin Tong really likes it. I want to get one for her."
Xue Rui frowned. ’This kid just doesn’t get it. With a girl as stunning and wealthy as her, whatever she wears becomes an instant advertisement.’
’A lot of girls are just trying to follow the lead of the rich and powerful. If Gu Muxue wears a different hat tomorrow, are you going to buy that one too?’
"Dumbass, just take a picture of it and find the same style on Taobao with free shipping, you know?" Xue Rui offered a solution.
Qiu Mengze gave him a thumbs-up in admiration and handed his phone to Xue Rui. "You take the picture for me. I’m too embarrassed."
Xue Rui shot Qiu Mengze a look of disdain. Then, he reached over, plucked the hat from the young lady’s head, and plopped it onto his own. "Let me borrow this."
Gu Muxue didn’t try to snatch her hat back, simply reaching up to smooth her hair.
"From now on, don’t wander around the first floor," Xue Rui said.
Qiu Mengze nodded. ’Xue Rui really knows his stuff.’ He and Qin Tong had just done a lap of the first floor, which was all jewelry stores, watch boutiques, and designer bag shops. Even the cheapest watches started in the four-figure range. He’d been genuinely shocked.
"Any other advice? What are you planning to get for Muxue to eat?" Qiu Mengze pressed, hoping for more pointers.
"I was just planning to take her to the food court in the basement," Xue Rui said.
Qiu Mengze was taken aback. "The basement? Isn’t that just cheap food that fills you up for a dozen yuan or so? Won’t you lose face treating a girl to that?"
Xue Rui sighed. ’Since when did the sincerity of pursuing a girl get tied to how much money you spend?’ He said, "Liu Bei won over Zhuge Liang after three visits, and he didn’t spend a single penny. Is she more of a big shot than Zhuge Kongming?"
Qiu Mengze’s expression turned weird. ’When the hell did Liu Bei *pursue* Zhuge Liang?’
Then, he recalled the historical tale of the "Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage."
’Well...’
’On second thought,’ he realized, ’while this kid Xue Rui has also been pursuing Gu Muxue for a long time, not only has he not spent a dime, he’s even pocketed a damn ton of kickbacks.’
Xue Rui knew Qiu Mengze wasn’t actually an idiot. He had to have known that Qin Tong’s willingness to come out was linked to the fancy Western restaurant he’d promised.
But boys in the throes of a new crush were just that foolish, perfectly willing to be led by the nose and spend all their money just to make the girl happy.
Take the founding father of all simps, for example—King You of Zhou, who lit the warning beacons and tricked his own vassals, all to get a smile from his favorite concubine.
The price he paid was catastrophic. If even a king could be so foolish, what hope was there for a young guy who’d never even been in a relationship?
Seeing that Qiu Mengze looked like he was about to argue, Xue Rui muttered, "Quit your yapping and give me back the money for the driver’s license."
Qiu Mengze froze for a second, then hurriedly counted out a wad of cash from his pocket and gave it to Xue Rui. He still owed Lin Ruoxi over a thousand yuan.
Qin Tong watched the two of them exchange money with a puzzled look on her face, but she didn’t ask any questions.
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