Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

With a "thump," the video cut off.

"Haha, so Mu Xue has someone she's afraid of too." Xue Rui chuckled to himself, finding it rare to see the little girl make a fool of herself.

Overjoyed, Xue Rui leaned back in his chair, facing a dilemma.

Gu Muxue's decision to go home for the Chinese New Year is certainly good news for him, but for Lin Ruoxi...

Gu Muxue's words make a lot of sense. If the little girl knew that Xiaoni was coming back, she would definitely be very disappointed.

He could appease Lin Ruoxi himself, and at worst he could just say that he was the one who brought Gu Muxue back. But that would put the blame on him. The little girl might not hold a grudge against him, but it was hard to say whether she would secretly cry.

"Who's going to take the blame for this?" Xue Rui scratched his head, unable to find anyone to blame for him.

The yard was quiet, with Big Yellow strolling around with its tail held high, as if it considered this its own territory.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Big Yellow, come here."

Xue Rui called out to him twice, and Da Huang obediently ran over and sniffed Xue Rui's fingers.

"Dahuang, do you have any ideas?" Xue Rui was bored and decided to tease the cat and pet the dog.

Suddenly, Xue Rui realized that Xiao Bu had disappeared. He craned his neck and searched around the yard, and soon found a fluffy little bundle of cloth.

At this moment, Xiao Bu was tilting his head and circling around the wood-fired stove, constantly poking his head into the stove and then pulling it back in every now and then.

The little guy's head went in and out, and each time the fur on his face would get a little charred, but he still kept going in with great enthusiasm.

"Holy crap!" Xue Rui instinctively stood up, rushed over, and lifted Xiao Bu by the neck to examine him closely.

The once ethereal Xiao Bu now had some of her facial hair singed, making her feel hard to the touch. Her disheveled appearance made her look like a dirty rag.

What does "curiosity killed the cat" mean?

Xue Rui has learned a lot today.

If the little girl saw this, she would probably be both angry and amused, right?
"Huh?" A bad idea suddenly flashed through Xue Rui's mind.

Xue Rui first found a piece of charcoal under the stove, crushed it in his palm, and then wiped his hands clean with Xiao Bu's face, turning the Ragdoll cat's brown and white face into a black one.

"Xi Xi, come quick! Something terrible has happened!" Xue Rui shouted in the courtyard.

Within seconds, Lin Ruoxi hurriedly came out from behind the house and walked to Xue Rui's side.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ruoxi asked curiously.

Xue Rui, with a serious expression, handed the dusty, covered-up Xiao Bu from behind his back to Lin Ruoxi: "Xiao Bu has crawled into the stove."

"Ah?" Lin Ruoxi was flustered and took the small cloth to carefully examine the injury.

Xue Rui had already seen it and knew that Xiao Bu was not injured, only that some of his fur was singed.

"Phew~" Lin Ruoxi breathed a sigh of relief and comforted him, "Rui, don't worry, it's just a little bit of hair that's been burned off. It will recover in a while."

After saying that, Lin Ruoxi stroked Xiao Bu's head and said, "Why are you so naughty? You just got out and you're already crawling into the furnace."

"Of course I know that, but Xiao Bu is Mu Xue's pet that grew up with her. She even called Xiao Bu 'daughter' during the video call just now..."

Xue Rui repeatedly hinted at Xiao Bu's importance to Gu Muxue.

Lin Ruoxi was taken aback for a moment, then said guiltily, "Mu Xue isn't coming back for the New Year. I'll trim Xiao Bu's fur later, and it'll be almost back to normal after the New Year."

Xue Rui muttered to himself, "Mu Xue saw Xiao Bu when she was video chatting with me just now. She said expressionlessly that she would be back in a few days..."

I remember she told me before she left, "Please take good care of Xiaobu." I forgot to tell you.

Xue Rui paused, glanced thoughtfully at Lin Ruoxi, and then sighed repeatedly, "Sigh, Mu Xue is such a vengeful person."

Lin Ruoxi stared blankly; Xue Rui's words were packed with information...

The news of Gu Muxue's return, and the responsibility that suddenly fell on his shoulders.

"I..." Lin Ruoxi's throat tightened, and she suddenly didn't know what to do.

Xue Rui's constant hints and emphasis made Lin Ruoxi ignore the shattered dream of "spending the New Year alone with Xue Rui" and instead keep thinking about how to make Gu Muxue less angry.

In reality, Gu Muxue never said anything about asking Lin Ruoxi to take good care of Xiaobu; it was all made up by Xue Rui on the spot.

Will Gu Muxue really be angry when she sees Xiaobu "burnt"?
The answer is no. Most likely, they'll be so angry they'll laugh it off and then move on.

However, Xue Rui's constant hints made Lin Ruoxi very nervous.

It's like a primary school student who didn't do their winter break homework and is being questioned by their teacher.

Lin Ruoxi's face was deathly pale, and her lips had lost all color.

Xue Rui felt the time was right. He draped his coat over Lin Ruoxi, gently put his arm around her shoulder, and whispered:
“Xixi, don’t be afraid. I’ll just say that I caused Xiaobu to be like this, and I’ll take the blame for you.”

"No...it's my responsibility." Lin Ruoxi shook her head repeatedly with red eyes, but her heart was warm. Xue Rui was really too good to her.

Lin Ruoxi didn't want Xue Rui to take the blame for her. At worst, she would just let Gu Muxue scold or beat her to vent her anger.

Xue Rui sighed: "Silly girl, why are you so stubborn? She's the most forgiving of me; she'll forgive me quickly if I do something wrong."

Lin Ruoxi thought back and realized that it seemed to be true. Even though Xue Rui had deceived Gu Muxue so many times, Gu Muxue would still forgive Xue Rui.

"Can…"

"No buts, listen to me!" Xue Rui's tone was firm, leaving no room for Lin Ruoxi to refuse.

"Mmm." Lin Ruoxi nodded softly and kissed Xue Rui on the cheek: "I... I'll make it up to you."

"Okay, I've got it." Xue Rui smiled with satisfaction.

Sure enough, with just a little trickery, Lin Ruoxi's attention was diverted, and she stopped caring about Gu Muxue's return.

When Gu Muxue returns, he'll have her act out a scene with him, making the little girl even more grateful.

Xue Rui felt that even if he sold the little girl, she would still lick his fingers and count the money for him.

"Alright, stop crying." Xue Rui reached out and wiped away Lin Ruoxi's tears.

However, because Xue Rui's hands had just touched the charcoal, several dark finger marks were left on Lin Ruoxi's face. Compared to the little cloth in Lin Ruoxi's arms, it looked like a large little kitten.

"Wang!"

When Da Huang saw that Lin Ruoxi's face had been smeared with black, he instinctively cried out.

Xue Rui frowned. Da Huang was the only "eyewitness," but Da Huang couldn't speak.

Seeing that Xue Rui was unhappy, Lin Ruoxi gently kicked Da Huang: "Don't make a sound."

"Woo~" Big Yellow instantly folded its ears, wagged its tail with a fawning expression, and made a "woof woof" sound.

Xue Rui smiled at Da Huang and wiped his hands on Da Huang's head.

"Hmm, I'll go boil some water and give Xiaobu a bath."

After Lin Ruoxi left, Da Huang's expression changed immediately, and he bared his teeth and growled at Xue Rui.

Xue Rui immediately withdrew his hand and muttered to himself:
"Is this dog some kind of spirit?"

……

The twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month.

Xue Rui stood in the alley, stretching and yawning. He had been lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) for the past few days and was almost atrophied from all the rest.

Xue Rui, who had stayed at her grandmother's house for three whole days, finally escaped the "clutches" of evil.

Xue Rui tidied up his own bedroom, even changing the sheets and duvet cover, and replacing the photos with pictures of his mother when she was a child. Before leaving, he also locked the bedroom door.

"Xixi, come often when you have time." Grandma was carrying several large bags filled with handmade steamed buns and a bunch of garlic.

"Yes, Grandma, I'll miss you."

Lin Ruoxi, with a smile on her face, stuffed things into the trunk.

Grandma kept her promise and gave her a whole bunch of Xue Rui's toys from when he was little, including the rocking chair he used as a baby. "Old man, hurry up and help carry the sweet potatoes," Grandma urged.

"No need, no need, I can lift it."

Lin Ruoxi tossed the sack full of sweet potatoes into the trunk with a "heave-ho".

Grandpa's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets; that bag of sweet potatoes weighed a full fifty pounds...

"Xiao Rui, you've found a good wife!" Grandpa patted Xue Rui's shoulder with a smile in his eyes.

He observed for several days and found that Lin Ruoxi was not just diligent in the ordinary sense; she was very efficient at her work and could handle all kinds of farm work in the village with ease.

Everything from starting a fire to cook, chopping wood, heating the kang (a traditional heated brick bed), to even going down into the cellar to get sweet potatoes...

Lin Ruoxi can do any job that a man can do.

He and his wife thought they would have to take care of their grandson's wife during his visit, but who would have thought that their grandson would find such a girl, allowing him to have a few days of leisure.

"Grandpa, you have such an open mind. You should give my parents a good talking-to and tell them not to be so old-fashioned," Xue Rui chuckled.

Feudalism has its advantages; it's rare to find someone who supports him in having his cake and eat it too, so he has to seize the opportunity.

Grandpa took a puff of his cigarette and exhaled smoke from his nostrils: "No problem, Grandpa's got your back."

"Thank you, Grandpa." Xue Rui suppressed a laugh; he could already picture his father's bewildered expression.

Not to mention others, even he himself was startled at the time and subconsciously refuted his shameless behavior.

"Here, this is your New Year's money from your grandma." Grandpa took out two red envelopes and stuffed them into Xue Rui's coat.

Xue Rui didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the gift directly.

Every year it's the same. My grandmother would give him lucky money in advance in the twelfth lunar month, and then give him another red envelope in front of everyone when the whole family gathered for the New Year.

On the surface, each child received the same amount of money in their red envelope, and no matter how the children checked the accounts, the amount inside was always the same, making the grandparents seem very fair.

But only Xue Rui knew that he had received double the New Year's money.

"Granddaughter-in-law, drive carefully." Grandpa handed Lin Ruoxi a red envelope as well.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Lin Ruoxi quickly bent down and accepted the red envelope with both hands.

She really didn't want to leave. Here, Xue Rui would listen to her, and she could hear her grandparents calling her "granddaughter-in-law" every day.

Unfortunately, he had no relatives, and his grandmother would never call Xue Rui "grandson-in-law".

This made Lin Ruoxi feel a little disappointed.

Lin Ruoxi closed the trunk, then habitually walked to the passenger seat and opened the car door for Xue Rui.

Xue Rui swaggered into the car, rolled down the window, and called out, "Grandpa and Grandma, I'm leaving."

"Xixi, remember to come early on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year," Grandma called out.

Grandpa nudged Grandma and whispered, "Don't shout, it seems Xiao Rui is bringing another one over on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year."

"Oh? There's another one? Can Xiao Rui handle it?" Grandma asked in a low voice.

Xue Rui rolled up the car window, speechless. Who said the older generation was old-fashioned?
He would definitely be the first to lead the opposition.

Lin Ruoxi also heard her grandparents whispering, and she sighed slowly in her heart.

Yu Minlan and her grandmother both said they were cowardly, but she herself did not think she was cowardly.

She glanced at Xue Rui, smiled with satisfaction, and started the car, driving out of the village.

It would be strange if other girls didn't like Xue Rui, such a good boy.

She was happy as long as Xue Rui was happy.

"Rui, what did Mu Xue say?" Lin Ruoxi asked timidly.

These past few days, because she "made a mistake," I haven't dared to contact Gu Muxue, and Xue Rui has been arranging the New Year's schedule.

"Oh, Mu Xue said she'll be back on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month. She'll be spending the New Year at her grandfather's house. You can come with me to my house for the New Year, but I plan to bring her to my maternal grandfather's house on the fifth day of the new year," Xue Rui said with a smile.

"Huh? Then why did she suddenly come back?" Lin Ruoxi asked in surprise.

She's figured it out these past few days: Gu Muxue won't come back just because Xiaobu was burned; there must be another reason, like regretting giving her the time.

However, Gu Muxue's arrangements left Lin Ruoxi completely baffled.

"Well..."

Xue Rui pondered for a moment, stroking his chin. He couldn't understand why the little girl had suddenly changed her mind. When he asked her, she didn't answer, only stammering that her grandparents were too lonely at home.

But weren't the elderly lonely for the first ten years or so?
Xue Rui was puzzled, but in any case, Gu Muxue was a woman of her word and would not break her promise, still giving Lin Ruoxi the opportunity to meet her parents.

Perhaps, it's also to maintain the relationship between the three of them.

"Hmm, I know, she must miss you," Lin Ruoxi said.

If she were in Gu Muxue's shoes, she couldn't even imagine how she would survive a month without Xue Rui.

Xue Rui suppressed a laugh and said, "Yes, you're absolutely right."

The little girl judged others by her own standards, assuming that the little girl was just like her.

Xue Rui sighed inwardly. The little girl was the most clingy girl he had ever met. She didn't know anything about being reserved. Even when her elders caught her "in bed," she never changed. She would stick to him whenever she got the chance.

Don't you find it cloying...

Couples in the throes of new love often experience this phase; Xue Rui has no idea what Lin Ruoxi will become in the future.

People talk about the seven-year itch, but maybe it will change in a few years...

Xue Rui clutched his chest, feeling a sudden emptiness in his heart at the thought that Lin Ruoxi would distance herself from him.

Will I feel disappointed?

While Lin Ruoxi relied on me, I also developed a kind of dependence on Lin Ruoxi.
Xue Rui was extremely surprised.

Humans are emotional beings, and this scumbag is no exception.

"Rui, my grandparents gave me New Year's money. Should I share some with Mu Xue?"

As Lin Ruoxi spoke, she pulled the car over to the side of the road and took out a red envelope from the car, handing it to Xue Rui.

"No need, Grandpa will give Mu Xue a share later." Xue Rui didn't even glance at it.

"Well, this is your New Year's money," Lin Ruoxi explained.

She originally planned to give the red envelope to Xue Rui on the first day of the Lunar New Year, but Gu Muxue was coming back, and Lin Ruoxi was afraid that something might go wrong, so she gave the red envelope to Xue Rui in advance.

Xue Rui took the red envelope with a murmur; it felt unusually heavy in his hand.

Upon opening the red envelope, I found a thick wad of banknotes inside.

"so much?"

Xue Rui skillfully folded a stack of banknotes and put his thumb behind his ear to Lin Ruoxi's lips.

Lin Ruoxi was only stunned for a moment before she quickly understood what Xue Rui meant. She stuck out her tongue and licked Xue Rui's fingers.

Xue Rui smiled with satisfaction and began counting money using the little girl's fingers that had been moistened.

"5200 yuan? How much money was in the red envelope you secretly slipped to Mu Xue?" Xue Rui asked.

"Five...five hundred dollars."

Lin Ruoxi's eyes darted away: "You...you shouldn't tell her, okay?"

Xue Rui stared at Lin Ruoxi in silence for a long time, realizing that this little girl could also play the game of "superficial fairness." (End of Chapter)