Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

Xue Rui had fantasized more than once about what life would be like with Lin Ruoxi in the future.

However, his impression of Lin Ruoxi at that time was that she was timid and submissive, and dared not speak out when she was wronged, and had a submissive appearance.

In Xue Rui's mind, Lin Ruoxi was the kind of girl who would cower in a corner and cry afterward.

Then he would coax her with sweet words, earning Lin Ruoxi a sweet smile, and then she would gently scold him, "You bad boy~"...

But this only exists in Xue Rui's imagination; reality is quite the opposite.

Now, Lin Ruoxi's soft hands roamed over his back, slowly sliding down his spine and waist through his sweater, as if testing his limits step by step.

Xue Rui was in a dilemma because he didn't have a logically consistent "punishment system" for Lin Ruoxi.

To be precise, he didn't know what kind of "punishment" could intimidate Lin Ruoxi.

The silent treatment might scare Lin Ruoxi, but it's too hurtful, so Xue Rui is unwilling to use it.

Other punishments, however, are often a reward for Lin Ruoxi.

After figuring things out, Xue Rui neither rejected nor cooperated with Lin Ruoxi's lewd behavior. He simply sat cross-legged on the floor, looking like a monk in meditation.

Xue Rui was practicing his self-control to remain unmoved by beauty, lest he be blinded by her charms and fall into Lin Ruoxi's arms.

Xue Rui thought that as long as he didn't give Lin Ruoxi any positive feedback, the phenomenon of her trying to climb on his body would naturally disappear.

Instead of trying to change others, start with yourself.

Lin Ruoxi stopped what she was doing, her large almond-shaped eyes filled with confusion. Xue Rui's muscles were tense, as if he were very nervous.

But what is Xue Rui so nervous about?

Lin Ruoxi hunched her shoulders, tilted her head, and looked behind Xue Rui, then at the locked door.

“No one’s coming, relax a bit,” Lin Ruoxi said, hugging Xue Rui.

Hearing soft, sweet voices, Xue Rui kept his eyes tightly shut, afraid of losing his composure.

For a moment, Xue Rui felt like Tang Sanzang from the Women's Kingdom, undergoing a test from the Queen.

Lin Ruoxi pouted, but Xue Rui seemed to be ignoring her.

She didn't know what she had done wrong.

"Can you please talk to me?" Lin Ruoxi gently massaged Xue Rui's shoulders to relax his tense muscles.

"I'm not ignoring you."

Xue Rui kept adjusting his breathing, trying to pull himself out of the enchanting atmosphere.

"Then open your eyes and look at me!" Lin Ruoxi pleaded.

However, when these words reached Xue Rui's ears, they became: "If you open your eyes and look at me, I don't believe your eyes are empty."

Xue Rui greatly admired Tang Sanzang. What kind of willpower did he have to resist the invitation from the Queen of the Women's Kingdom?
"A true man should have lofty ambitions, not be tempted by the pleasures of a gentle life," Xue Rui said in a deep voice.

Lin Ruoxi's pupils dilated violently; she vaguely understood what Xue Rui was saying.

She felt a pang of heartache; she felt she couldn't change.

"Are you... tired of it?" Lin Ruoxi's voice trembled slightly.

Lin Ruoxi knew very well that she was clingy; everyone around her described her that way. But she really couldn't control herself. When she couldn't see Xue Rui, she would feel flustered, anxious, and insecure...

Xue Rui felt a chill run down his spine. What kind of deadly question was this?
If he answers that he's not tired of looking at it, Lin Ruoxi is sure to pounce on him; if he answers that he is, Lin Ruoxi will cry in front of him in a heartbeat.

"Xi Xi, I'm practicing my composure to remain unmoved by temptation," Xue Rui said gently, choosing a compromise.

After thinking it over, Xue Rui added, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder."

The subtext of Xue Rui's words was: You'll become even more beautiful if you stay away from her.

However, Lin Ruoxi has always been straightforward, and her relationship with Xue Rui is no exception.

How could Lin Ruoxi possibly understand the underlying meaning in Xue Rui's words?
Lin Ruoxi didn't want to believe that Xue Rui told her to stay away. Xue Rui had already hidden her in the closet, so why would he suddenly say something like that?
Therefore, the key point must be in the first half of the sentence.

Lin Ruoxi thought Xue Rui was playing a game with her.

Xue Rui is the defending champion, while she is the attacking champion.

So, Lin Ruoxi hugged Xue Rui tightly, closed her eyes and pressed her face against him, trying to pry open Xue Rui's teeth little by little.

Xue Rui's heart pounded violently, and his breathing became rapid.

Damn it, even Tang Sanzang didn't go through this ordeal back then, did he?

Xue Rui endured for a long time before finally letting go of his clenched teeth.

Lin Ruoxi chuckled softly, then realized she had sneaked into Xue Rui's house. She quickly covered her mouth, looked around nervously, and whispered, "No...no more playing, okay? Yao Yao is still at home."

Xue Rui scratched his head, feeling a sense of frustration. He really had no way to deal with Lin Ruoxi.

"Xixi, you must be sent by God to punish me."

Xue Rui felt both love and anger towards Lin Ruoxi. He loved her sincere heart, but was angry that the young girl had no sense of propriety at all.

He gently pinched Lin Ruoxi's cheek.

Having spent a long time alone with Lin Ruoxi, Xue Rui discovered many problems. Looking back on the past, Xue Rui realized that neither he nor Lin Ruoxi could live without Gu Muxue.

Lin Ruoxi lowered her head. She knew she had made a mistake. She couldn't solve Xue Rui's problem, but she still raised it anyway.

Lin Ruoxi lowered her head and said weakly, "Bear with it...bear with it for now, wait until tonight."

"Xi Xi, that's not what I meant," Xue Rui hurriedly explained.

Being with Lin Ruoxi not only keeps you from going hungry, but you often eat until you're stuffed.

Besides, Gu Muxue will be here tomorrow. He won't miss a meal or two, so there's no need for him to eat secretly.

"Hmm, if you're feeling down, you should let it out, didn't you say that?" Lin Ruoxi said crisply.

"Forehead……"

Oh no, the boomerang I used to fool that little girl has now hit me instead.

"Yes, you're right," Xue Rui nodded, at least he needed to make his own logic consistent.

……

At eight o'clock in the evening, the sky was pitch black, and Xue Rui's room was also dark, with only a laptop emitting a faint light.

Starting in the afternoon, Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi stayed in the room, playing some two-player games such as Fire and Ice.

The bed was empty. Lin Ruoxi and Xue Rui were lying on the floor with a laptop in front of them, each wearing an earphone and watching TV.

Xue Rui smiled and patted Lin Ruoxi's head. Because of her "guilty conscience," Lin Ruoxi was unusually quiet all afternoon, not running around looking for work, and was unusually quiet.

Suddenly, Lin Ruoxi took off her headphones and listened quietly for a while. She heard a lot of people chatting on the first floor.

She murmured to herself, "Why hasn't Mom come back?"

"She plays mahjong, she does it every year," Xue Rui explained casually.

Xue Rui shook the bag of potato chips and whispered, "Do you want some?"

Lin Ruoxi swallowed hard as she looked at the potato chips. She was hungry, but eating potato chips would make her thirsty, and thirst would mean drinking water, and drinking water would mean going to the bathroom…

No, no, I can't eat this.

Before Lin Ruoxi could shake her head in refusal, Xue Rui took the potato chips back and said with a grin, "I was just teasing you. I wasn't planning on giving you any anyway."

Lin Ruoxi pouted and said softly, "I...I didn't want to eat it in the first place."

Her tone carried a hint of grievance.

Xue Rui suddenly felt a little guilty, but he couldn't help wanting to tease Lin Ruoxi.

Watching the little bully get angry but helpless gives me a strange sense of satisfaction.

Suddenly, Xue Xiaying's voice came from downstairs: "Xiao Rui, Yao Yao is coming down for dinner."

Xue Rui hesitated for a moment, then got up and turned on the room light. He wanted to ask Lin Ruoxi what she wanted to eat; he couldn't let the little girl go hungry all night.

However, when he turned around again, Lin Ruoxi had already lain down in the closet, the door mostly closed, leaving only her big, bright eyes blinking at him.

"Go quickly, I'll hide it well." Xue Rui gave a wry smile and prepared to go downstairs to get some food for the little girl.

Hmm... it would be best to find another basin.

……

Xue Rui walked down to the first floor and brushed past Xue Yao.

Holding a steamed bun in her hand, Xue Yao ran upstairs in a few steps, then turned back and shouted downstairs:
"Grandma, I've eaten a lot of snacks, so I'm not very hungry."

"Yaoyao, look how thin you are! You can't eat that stuff every day, it's not nutritious!" Grandma shouted.

"Xiao Rui, sit down and eat," Grandma said, frowning.

Xue Rui chuckled awkwardly. He had originally planned to grab some food and run away, but now it wouldn't be so easy for him to escape.

He casually placed his car keys on the table.

Xue Jianfeng put away the keys and casually asked, "Xiao Rui, is Xi Xi home yet?"

"We're home." Xue Rui's expression remained unchanged.

Grandma said with a kind face, "Your daughter-in-law is good. She is sensible and capable, and especially has a simple family relationship. After marrying into our family, she will be one of us."

Xue Rui's brows twitched uncontrollably. Although it was true, it didn't sound pleasant at all.

"Mom, say less and make me some tea to help me sober up," Xue Jianfeng interrupted the old lady.

"All you do is drink."

Grandma glared at her, muttered something, and left.

Xue Jianfeng looked around; the elderly couple weren't nearby. He set aside his concerns and asked:
"Xiao Rui, Xi Xi left today, so will Mu Xue come tomorrow?"

“Okay, I’ll come tomorrow morning.” Xue Rui nodded.

Xue Xiaying looked around warily; the atmosphere seemed rather tense.

But wouldn't anyone feel the same way?

"Have you thought about how you're going to explain this to your grandparents?"

Xue Jianfeng tapped his fingers on the table repeatedly, clearly agitated. He noticed that Xue Rui was grinning and didn't seem to care at all.

"Stop it, don't tell me it's like this after I woke up from a nap."

Xue Rui smiled and flattered, "Dad, I brought two girlfriends back. Doesn't that make you look capable?"

Xue Xiaying rolled her eyes. Xue Rui's skin was truly shameless.

"That's because you're capable; don't drag me into it."

Xue Jianfeng leaned back. His son was too clever; he tried to drag him down with just a few words.

"Like father, like son," Xue Rui praised.

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! Your mom was my first love."

Xue Jianfeng quickly distanced himself from the situation.

"Look how anxious you are, I didn't say anything to you!"

Xue Xiaying covered her mouth. Xue Rui's robber logic was simply unsolvable; he could make people's heads ache with just a few words.

"I think you're asking for a beating. Have you forgotten that Lin Ruoxi is gone?"

As he spoke, Xue Jianfeng began to unbuckle his belt.

"Oh no!" Xue Rui thought to himself, "This is bad."

He had spent too much time with Lin Ruoxi in the afternoon, so he subconsciously thought that Lin Ruoxi was still there.

In reality, Lin Ruoxi "has already left," and his two-timing will only be condemned by his grandparents, who might even shout "Good riddance!"

Xue Rui suddenly realized something: before Gu Muxue arrived, no one was there to support him.

"Auntie, stop him! Grandma, my dad is starting to act crazy while drunk. You have to stop him."

Xue Rui shouted into the kitchen, disrupting the situation, and then ran away.

Back in his room, Xue Rui leaned against the door, patting his chest with lingering fear.

The cabinet door opened gently, and Lin Ruoxi peeked out, asking anxiously, "What's wrong?"

"My dad wants to hit me," Xue Rui explained.

Lin Ruoxi's expression was conflicted; she dared not look Xue Rui in the eye.

She had promised to protect Xue Rui, but she had already left in name only. If she suddenly reappeared now...

We made a promise, but I didn't keep it.

If I really left, that would be one thing, but I'm clearly here.

"I...I can't protect you." Lin Ruoxi's tears fell to the ground.

Xue Rui locked the door from the inside and sat in front of the cabinet to comfort Lin Ruoxi: "It's okay, I won't go out. Everything will be fine when Mu Xue comes tomorrow..."

To put it bluntly, his father had been drinking and was in a bad mood.

Once Gu Muxue has come once, the conflict will be resolved.

"Ah."

Lin Ruoxi nodded. When she heard Gu Muxue's name, a reliable figure appeared in her mind.

Gu Muxue is smarter than her. She can only stop Uncle Xue in the middle, while Gu Muxue is the one who can resolve the fundamental conflict.

Lin Ruoxi wiped away her tears and took out a half-eaten steamed bun from the cupboard: "You just went out and came back. Are you hungry?"

Xue Rui's eyes widened instantly. He touched the steamed bun; it was still warm, with a large slice of beef sandwiched in the middle.

"Yaoyao gave it to me," Lin Ruoxi said softly.

"Take it and eat it."

Xue Rui returned the steamed bun, thinking to himself that although his silly little sister seemed unreliable, she actually knew how to care for people.

Lin Ruoxi opened WeChat on her phone, and Xue Rui curiously leaned closer, wanting to see who Lin Ruoxi was chatting with.

Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoxi opened Xue Yao's chat window.

Without entering any text, the transfer process started directly.

"Why should I transfer money to her?" Xue Rui asked, puzzled.

"Hmm, Yao Yao said the steamed buns cost fifty yuan." Lin Ruoxi pressed the payment password, and a transfer dialog box successfully popped up on the screen.

Xue Rui snatched the phone from Lin Ruoxi's hand, a dark cloud gathering between his brows.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ruoxi looked blank, while Xue Rui seemed very angry.

“I… know it’s expensive, but I feel it’s worth it to give it to my own family…” Lin Ruoxi explained softly.

"Xixi, don't worry about it, this has nothing to do with you."

Xue Rui stared intently at the screen.

Yao Yao, you dare to make money off anyone?

And that little girl is really something; you treat her like family, but she might not feel the same way.

Xue Rui was waiting for Xue Yao to collect the money so he could immediately go out and teach her a lesson.

After waiting for two minutes, Lin Ruoxi nervously held the steamed bun, not daring to take a single bite.

Xue Rui only smiled with relief when the message "Transfer has been refunded" popped up on the screen.

Xue Yao: [Sister-in-law, I was just teasing you. Don't take it seriously. Just let me know if you're hungry or thirsty.]

Xue Rui replied with a smile: 【Thank you.】

Xue Yao: [You're welcome. Remember to have my brother pay the bill later.] (End of Chapter)