Chapter 410: Chapter 409: Don’t Laugh at Me

Xue Yue never would have imagined that Ding Ruzhi would have her sights set on Little Chen.

It wasn’t that Xue Yue looked down on her own relative; she just felt the two of them were from completely different worlds. In the end, she simply thought they weren’t a good match.

But now Ding Ruzhi had come right to her and made her intentions clear. All Xue Yue could do was offer an awkward smile in response.

Ding Ruzhi blushed and said, "Sister Xue, please don’t laugh at me."

Xue Yue’s lips twitched. "I’m not laughing at you, I’m just surprised. You’ve only met him once, haven’t you? And now you’re saying you’re into him. Can I ask what you like about him? You two barely know each other."

Ding Ruzhi blurted out, "He’s so handsome!"

Xue Yue’s eyebrow twitched, and she burst out laughing.

"That’s it?"

Ding Ruzhi nodded. "Isn’t that enough?"

Xue Yue asked doubtfully, "Don’t you want to find someone who can support you?"

Ding Ruzhi nodded. "Is He Zichen poor? Isn’t he the general manager of a hotel?"

Xue Yue told her, "He is the general manager of the hotel, but he was only recently appointed. I don’t think he can support you at the moment. Besides, do you even know what kind of person he is? I think you should slow down. If you want to get to know him, I can introduce you two, but I’m just He Zichen’s aunt. I can’t make his decisions for him."

After a moment of silence, Ding Ruzhi nodded. "Okay."

Then she asked Xue Yue, "So, what do you think? Will he be into me?"

Xue Yue studied her seriously for a few moments. "I don’t know. You can try."

"But let me say this upfront: if he’s not interested in you, you can’t go doing anything foolish."

Ding Ruzhi laughed. "Sister Xue, what kind of person do you take me for? I have self-control."

Xue Yue still looked at her doubtfully.

On another day off, Xue Yue had He Lang invite Little Chen over for dinner, and she brought Ding Ruzhi home as well.

It was Ding Ruzhi’s first time visiting Xue Yue’s home, and she arrived carrying quite a few things.

Xue Yue said helplessly, "Why did you buy so much? We’re not short of anything here."

Ding Ruzhi said, surveying the room, "Well, I have to show some courtesy. It is my first time visiting, after all."

Not seeing He Zichen in the house, she asked, "Um... he isn’t here yet?"

It took Xue Yue a moment to realize who she meant. "Who? Oh, Little Chen. Not yet. My husband went to pick him up."

Ding Ruzhi breathed a sigh of relief, then asked Xue Yue, "How do I look today? Don’t I look ladylike?"

Ding Ruzhi was wearing a pale yellow dress, her straight hair worn down and pinned back with a red barrette.

"Very ladylike."

Xue Yue told her, "You don’t have to put on a ladylike act. Just be yourself when you meet him."

Ding Ruzhi agreed verbally, but she thought, ’Men usually like gentle women. I’d better restrain myself a little.’

Mr. He wasn’t home today; he had taken the two children to the supermarket. This was something Xue Yue had arranged on purpose, worried that Ding Ruzhi might feel awkward.

Xue Yue said to Ding Ruzhi, "I have some meat stewing in the kitchen. Make yourself comfortable in here for a bit."

"I’ll go see, too."

Not wanting to sit around, Ding Ruzhi followed Xue Yue into the kitchen.

As soon as she entered, she was greeted by a delicious aroma.

After glancing at the dishes Xue Yue was preparing, she said in disbelief, "Sister Xue, you can cook?"

Xue Yue nodded. "You can see that, can’t you?"

Ding Ruzhi sniffed the air. "I just find it hard to believe. Sister Xue, you’re beautiful, amazing at your job, and you know how to cook. You can hold your own in the living room and in the kitchen. I’m so envious of you."

Xue Yue smiled but didn’t deny it.

Watching Xue Yue’s deft movements, Ding Ruzhi remembered that she’d never even boiled noodles before, and a fresh wave of insecurity washed over her.

"Sister Xue, do you think I’m a complete failure? I can’t do anything."

Xue Yue said, "Everyone has things they’re good at and things they’re not. You know how to dress well, and you’re good at makeup. Those are your strengths."

Ding Ruzhi pouted. "How can you call those strengths? It’s just something I mess around with when I have nothing better to do."

Xue Yue laughed. "Makeup is a skill. Not everyone can just slap some on in their spare time and look good. To be honest, I’ve always felt your current job isn’t the right fit for you. You should open a makeup shop, sell some skincare products, and do makeup for people. That would be a great path for you."

Ding Ruzhi was astonished. "You can make money doing makeup? Sister Xue, you’re not pulling my leg, are you? Who pays someone else to do their makeup for no special reason?"

"Why would it be impossible? People’s standard of living is improving, and they’re pursuing a better quality of life. I’ve seen so many different kinds of skincare products on the market. All women love beauty. Some young women who don’t know how to do makeup themselves would definitely hire someone, especially for a special event or for their wedding. There’s a real need for it."

Suddenly, Ding Ruzhi felt that Xue Yue might have a point.

But she immediately followed it with a sigh.

"My mom would never agree. She doesn’t like private business owners. She just wants to hold on to their stable, ’iron rice bowl’ jobs for life."

Xue Yue turned to look at her. "If your mother doesn’t like private business owners, would she approve of you dating one?"

Ding Ruzhi bit her lip, her eyes downcast. "I haven’t told her," she said softly. "I know she would definitely object."

Xue Yue frowned. "Then why did you ask me to introduce you to our Little Chen? Are you crazy? Or do you just want to mess around?"

Ding Ruzhi quickly waved her hands in denial. "No, Sister Xue, that’s not it! I’m serious. I really like him. If I don’t follow my heart and give this a shot, I’ll never be able to let it go."

Xue Yue was actually quite angry. If she had known Ding Ruzhi’s family would be against it, she never would have considered introducing her to Little Chen.

Ding Ruzhi’s family was well-off, so she could afford to experiment, but she hadn’t considered Little Chen’s feelings. What if Little Chen ended up liking her, only for her family to disapprove? Wouldn’t that break his heart?

Seeing that Xue Yue was unhappy, Ding Ruzhi quickly grabbed her arm and wheedled, "Sister Xue, I’m being sincere! If we really have a chance, I’ll defy my family’s wishes to be with him. Really! I’m a woman of my word."

Xue Yue gave Ding Ruzhi a look and tried to reason with her. "You don’t understand. A marriage without your parents’ blessing is an incredibly difficult road. Little Ding, take it from someone who’s been there: you can’t base a marriage on looks alone. Compatibility is what’s important. It’s like buying shoes—high heels are gorgeous, but they hurt your feet."

Ding Ruzhi mumbled, "But I wear high heels even if my feet hurt. I think looking pretty is what matters most."

Xue Yue was truly at a loss for words. She just couldn’t understand the way Ding Ruzhi’s mind worked. So she said no more.

Seeing that Xue Yue was now ignoring her and focusing on cooking, Ding Ruzhi stood awkwardly to the side and watched.

The sound of a motorcycle broke the silence.

"Yue’er, we’re back."