Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

“Or rather, you…” Gu Muxue paused for a moment, then looked into Lin Ruoxi’s eyes and smiled slightly: “Where do you think I want to go?”

"Well…"

Faced with Gu Muxue's question, Lin Ruoxi gripped the steering wheel and fell into thought.

Lin Ruoxi guessed that Gu Muxue wanted to find Xue Rui, but if she revealed it, it would harm her own interests.

Lin Ruoxi felt she had made a mistake; she shouldn't have asked that question.

Lin Ruoxi bit her lip, wondering how Xue Rui would teach her in this situation.
"Um, I... I think you want to go to your grandparents' house." Lin Ruoxi's voice trembled, and she didn't dare to look Gu Muxue in the eye.

Xue Rui once said that for many things that are difficult to bring to the forefront, pretending to be ignorant is the best option.

Avoiding problems doesn't solve the root cause, but it can solve the immediate problem; it's a shameful but useful skill.

Lin Ruoxi tried hard to recall Xue Rui's "earnest teachings," but the words "moral kidnapping" suddenly flashed through her mind.

Before Gu Muxue could speak, Lin Ruoxi added, "Grandpa and Grandma are getting old, they must miss you a lot, so we'll definitely go back for the New Year."

Gu Muxue's peach blossom eyes, which had been hiding a smile, suddenly widened in a daze, and her slightly upturned lips gradually closed.

She had intended to tease Lin Ruoxi, but Lin Ruoxi's answer was completely unexpected.

Gu Muxue could hardly believe that these two sentences would come out of Lin Ruoxi's mouth.

Xiao Rui, you've corrupted Lin Ruoxi.

Gu Muxue smiled bitterly to herself. Her mother was right. No matter how slow-witted and generous a person is usually, they will become sensitive and cunning when it comes to core interests.

Yesterday, Zhao Lizhen taught Gu Muxue a lot of things, mostly methods of manipulating human nature.

Gu Muxue didn't want to use those schemes on Lin Ruoxi.

In her memory, Lin Ruoxi will always be the good friend who gave her hugs and care when she was at her most vulnerable.

She also hinted to her mother more than once that Lin Ruoxi had helped her a lot.

But her mother did not accept her explanation and continued to make arrangements for Lin Ruoxi in her own way.

In her mother's mind, there was no such thing as friendship, only the bond of blood ties.

"Ruoxi, but my grandparents went on a trip to the south and won't be coming back to Hedong this year. I don't have many familiar relatives either," Gu Muxue said, feigning regret.

Gu Muxue completely shut down any possible answers Lin Ruoxi could think of.

She wanted to see what Lin Ruoxi would say to her in order to be alone with Xue Rui.

"You..." Lin Ruoxi's rosy lips instantly lost their color, and her lips trembled slightly.

Gu Muxue's purpose was obvious: to come back and spend the New Year with Xue Rui.

But if she were Gu Muxue, she would most likely do the same thing.

Therefore, she has no right to accuse Gu Muxue of going back on her word.

"I…"

"Ruoxi, don't be nervous. Just say what you think, and I'll follow your arrangements." Gu Muxue said, turning her head away, her right hand clenched white in the corner.

Gu Muxue's eyes were red; she both hoped Lin Ruoxi would say it and was afraid that Lin Ruoxi would actually say it.

With what she has, it wouldn't be difficult for her to drive Lin Ruoxi away.

As long as Lin Ruoxi leaves his life, he won't feel secretly jealous, and his conversations with Xue Rui won't be interrupted because of Lin Ruoxi. They can continue their conversations from the previous night instead of the night before...

Sometimes Xue Rui would get carried away with his conversation, which would infuriate her.

But for some reason, whenever Gu Muxue thought about Lin Ruoxi leaving, the days when Lin Ruoxi stayed by her side day and night during the first month of school would always come to mind.

The girl she wanted to get rid of, but couldn't get rid of no matter what she did.

The soft whispers of "You must get better soon" echoed in my ears.

Gu Muxue took a deep breath to calm herself down and composed her voice.

"Ruoxi, go ahead and tell me."

Gu Muxue instinctively covered her mouth, her voice still trembling slightly, afraid of betraying her inner thoughts.

Ruoxi, it's better if you're a little harsh on me.

Otherwise, how could I bring myself to hurt you?
"I'll take you to his house."

Lin Ruoxi wiped her face haphazardly and said calmly.

Mu Xue giving it to me is for my own good, but it's also perfectly reasonable for her not to.

Lin Ruoxi felt she had no right to lose her temper.

In an instant, two lines of clear tears slid down Gu Muxue's cheeks.

She didn't know if this was the answer she wanted.

A sense of relief and peace of mind lingered in my heart, but along with it came a sense of loss and helplessness.

"Why...why?" Gu Muxue choked up and said the short sentence several times.

"No...don't cry, okay? I've enjoyed this long enough. I've had him all to myself for over ten days. It's perfectly normal for you to come back and spend the New Year with him."

Lin Ruoxi's face was streaked with tears. She didn't know why Gu Muxue was crying so sadly, but seeing Gu Muxue's heartbroken appearance made Lin Ruoxi feel just as sad.

She pulled out a few tissues and gently wiped away Gu Muxue's tears: "It's my fault. I was too petty and hesitated for so long. I shouldn't have treated my good friend like this."

"Ruoxi, you're too cunning. You clearly don't think that's what you're really thinking, so why are you saying this?" Gu Muxue pushed Lin Ruoxi's hand away, her attitude very firm.

From yesterday until now, the words my mother has repeated most often are, "Don't be sentimental," "Indecisiveness will only hurt you," and "Women who seem pitiful are the best at pretending."

Knowing something is one thing, being able to do it is another.

It's always the same; she can never bring herself to be cruel to Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi was stunned for a moment. Gu Muxue was a very smart girl, and nothing could escape her eyes.

After hesitating for a long time, Lin Ruoxi gently lifted Gu Muxue's chin with her hand and softly wiped the corner of Gu Muxue's eyes.

“I…we’re good friends,” Lin Ruoxi said softly.

Gu Muxue did not resist. She looked into Lin Ruoxi's eyes and said, "Do you really think we are friends?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Ruoxi guiltily looked away.

These past two days, Xue Jianfeng has been talking to her:
Friends can be one beautiful and one ugly, but they can never be two pretty girls.

Friends may have many disagreements, but they will never have conflicts of interest...

Lin Ruoxi agreed with this statement. There were almost no conflicts between her and Gu Muxue, only disputes over interests.

Therefore, she and Gu Muxue are not friends.

But Lin Ruoxi felt indebted to Gu Muxue, as she had taken advantage of Gu Muxue in many ways, both at work and in life.

Gu Muxue managed her interpersonal relationships with university professors, and stood up for her when she was bullied by Chen Tingting...

“Not friends.” Lin Ruoxi slowly shook her head.

Gu Muxue felt a sharp pain in her heart. They had spent so much time together, and now she denied it so easily with just a few words.

Gu Muxue felt an indescribable pang of sorrow in her heart.

That's good, then I won't feel too guilty.

"Ruoxi..." Gu Muxue couldn't bring herself to say it. "But I think it's better than friends. You're the girl Rui likes, and I like everything he likes." Lin Ruoxi said with a smile, her eyes full of admiration for Gu Muxue.

Although Lin Ruoxi did not agree with the identity of "friend", she disagreed even more with the identity of "enemy".

In that case, all three of them would be very sad and heartbroken. Lin Ruoxi hopes that everyone around her is happy, as long as she makes more concessions.

"I like everything he likes."

These words echoed in Gu Muxue's mind like a curse.

When she heard Lin Ruoxi deny their friendship, she thought Lin Ruoxi was about to show her her fangs, but she only got a "love me, love my dog" answer.

Gu Muxue had been subjected to a full day of high-pressure education, and her already fragile nerves were constantly being provoked by Lin Ruoxi. At this moment, she could no longer suppress her emotions.

She pulled Lin Ruoxi, who was leaning forward, closer to her and bit down hard on Lin Ruoxi's shoulder to vent her pent-up frustration.

"Well!"

Lin Ruoxi frowned. She didn't push Gu Muxue away, but gently put her arm around Gu Muxue's shoulder and patted her back lightly with one hand, as if comforting a wronged child.

Lin Ruoxi noticed that Gu Muxue seemed to have changed a lot since she came back this time; she could tell that Gu Muxue was hiding a lot of things in her heart.

"Rui always says you're the strongest girl, you never ask him for help, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't..."

Lin Ruoxi felt a warm touch on her cheek. Gu Muxue seemed to be crying again. She gently rubbed her cheek against it and said, "But you're so tired. Tell me about it, okay?"

Gu Muxue shook her head slightly.

I can't say it, and you can't bear it either...

After a long while, Gu Muxue slowly released her mouth, turned her head to tidy her hair, and glared at Lin Ruoxi warily.

Lin Ruoxi rubbed her shoulders and asked weakly, "Mu Xue, why...why are you looking at me like that?"

Gu Muxue pouted: "Are you planning to sell me off while Xiao Rui is away so you can have Xiao Rui all to yourself?"

Lin Ruoxi's eyes widened suddenly; Gu Muxue's idea was terrifying!

"I...I..." Lin Ruoxi was about to explain something when she noticed a sly smile hidden in the corner of Gu Muxue's eyes.

Judging from Gu Muxue's usual personality, she probably bit her but was too embarrassed to apologize, so she chose to make a joke.

Lin Ruoxi felt much relieved and thought about how she should respond to this joke.
"Yes, that's what I think," Lin Ruoxi said earnestly.

Gu Muxue was surprised. Lin Ruoxi could joke now?
Lin Ruoxi fastened her seatbelt, started the car, and drove away without hesitation.

Gu Muxue's lips moved slightly. She hadn't even said where they were going yet, so why was Lin Ruoxi driving?

However, she was in a much better mood now and didn't bother to ask Lin Ruoxi what she wanted to do.

She opened the car window, and the dry, cold air rushed into the car, making her nose sting, but she still enjoyed taking a sniff, because it smelled like home.

Gu Muxue opened her handbag and saw the conspicuous medicine box. She glanced at the rearview mirror and casually tossed the medicine box out the window.

"Mu Xue, don't litter," Lin Ruoxi reminded her.

"Okay, I'll definitely do it next time."

……

The car drove quietly on the road. Gu Muxue took out her phone to check the map and found that the route the car was taking was exactly the same as the route to Xue Rui's house.

"Ruoxi, your birthday is the day after tomorrow. Are you really willing to give it to me?" Gu Muxue panicked immediately.

She was just joking, but Lin Ruoxi took it seriously.

"It doesn't matter whether I celebrate my birthday or not. You're in a bad mood right now and need to recharge with Rui," Lin Ruoxi said in a light tone.

"Didn't we just make up for it?" Gu Muxue smiled and looked at Lin Ruoxi's shoulder.

She completely forgot what her mother had told her yesterday; that was a shoulder she could lean on, and she couldn't bear to hurt the owner of that shoulder.

“I’ve heard him mention the fireworks show too. He even said he’d take me to see it last night,” Gu Muxue murmured to herself, pulling out the promotional poster Xue Rui had sent her.

She felt the timing was too coincidental; the second half of the show was almost midnight.

According to the time, it would be the early morning of New Year's Eve, which is Lin Ruoxi's birthday.

Is it possible that this fireworks show was actually held for Lin Ruoxi?
asshole!

They're so busy putting on a fireworks show for Lin Ruoxi that they don't even have time to pick me up.

No, make a note of it in your notebook.

Gu Muxue looked angry and sent Xue Rui several angry emojis on WeChat.

"Ruoxi, let's go to my grandparents' house. I don't want to go see him," Gu Muxue said, pouting.

"Mu Xue, just say what's on your mind. Keeping it bottled up will make you sick," Lin Ruoxi said helplessly.

She remembered that Aunt Zhao knew about the three of them, and Gu Muxue must have been scolded by her elders, suffering a bellyful of grievances with nowhere to vent.

If it were her, the person she most wanted to see would be Xue Rui.

"Thank you. Then you go home and spend the New Year with your grandma. I'll spend it with her." Gu Muxue agreed without hesitation.

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Ruoxi blinked rapidly, the car gradually slowed down, and her rosy lips drooped unconsciously, looking like she was about to cry from grievance.

Gu Muxue pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a terrible headache.

You're the one who wanted me to go, but you're not happy about it now that I've gone.

She's a natural punching bag.

If I did all the things my mother asked me to do, how heartbroken would Lin Ruoxi be?
"Drive to Grandpa's house first. Didn't you tell me to be filial?" Gu Muxue raised her voice slightly and placed her phone's navigation on the phone holder in the car.

"Okay, sure." Lin Ruoxi blinked quickly and set off in the direction indicated by the navigation.

A sudden push came from behind, and Gu Muxue instinctively gripped the seatbelt tighter.

On the way to Xue Rui's house, Lin Ruoxi kept her speed at around 40 km/h. But as soon as she mentioned going to Gu Muxue's grandfather's house, the speedometer needle visibly rose rapidly.

"Ruoxi, drive slower," Gu Muxue said, looking at the dashboard.

Today, Lin Ruoxi said she "likes" him. Gu Muxue felt that it depended on who she was comparing him to. Compared to Xue Rui, Lin Ruoxi's "like" was at least twice as much.

Because the current speed is 80...

Half of the "likes"

"Grandpa must miss you a lot," Lin Ruoxi said cheerfully, her eyes brimming with joy.

If Gu Muxue doesn't go to Xue Rui's house today, she can earn an extra day.

"Sima Zhao's intentions are obvious," Gu Muxue said through gritted teeth.

"Is it...is it that obvious?" Lin Ruoxi pouted, her voice weak.

Gu Muxue glared at Lin Ruoxi speechlessly. Just how obvious does it have to be?

Because of Lin Ruoxi's "differential treatment," the car stopped at the entrance of Gu Muxue's hometown village in just half an hour.

"Mu Xue, which alley do you live in? I'll walk you in, so I can come pick you up to watch the fireworks tomorrow," Lin Ruoxi said softly.

Gu Muxue glanced at Lin Ruoxi and said helplessly:

"Ruoxi, you can't go to my house. This is my mother's request..." (End of Chapter)