Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

"Child, why are you covering Mu Xue's ears?" The old lady pointed at Xue Rui's hand.

Xue Rui gently rubbed Gu Muxue's ear and casually made up a story:

"Grandma, Mu Xue's ears are frozen. She asked me to rub them for her. You can just tell her directly, and I'll relay it to her."

"Oh dear, how can that be the same? I'm counting on Mu Xue for this."

……

Gu Muxue kept her eyes tightly closed, her forehead pressed against Xue Rui's chest. Her grandmother's voice sounded like it was coming from underwater, muffled and unclear, but she could hear Xue Rui's voice clearly.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here for you..."

Xue Rui's voice kept echoing in Gu Muxue's mind.

Xue Rui will shield her from the wind and rain.

Just like... wherever Xue Rui is, that's her home.

Thinking of this, she slowly opened her eyes and slipped out of Xue Rui's arms.

Since it's her and Xue Rui's home, Xue Rui can't be the only one supporting it; that would be too much of a burden for him.

"Grandma, where is my brother?" Gu Muxue asked calmly; she was no longer afraid of anything.

"Mu Xue?" Xue Rui looked surprised.

"Don't worry, I'm fine."

Gu Muxue naturally took Xue Rui's hand, gave him a gentle smile, and her eyes were full of tenderness.

Xue Rui was momentarily dazed; Gu Muxue was actually looking at him with that kind of gaze.

Seeing Xue Rui in a daze, Gu Muxue squeezed Xue Rui's hand.

Xue Rui flipped his hand over and intertwined his fingers with Gu Muxue's.

"Well... how should I put it..."

Grandma felt a little guilty and avoided looking Gu Muxue in the eye. She continued to press, "Tell me first whether you want it or not."

Gu Muxue looked blankly at Xue Rui with a questioning gaze.

Xue Rui was shocked. Could this thing really be put back in?
If it exists, it exists; if it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist. What does it mean to say whether you want it or not?

But if you think about it carefully, this sounds somewhat familiar;

Just like how parents often tease their eldest child before deciding to have a second child.

Once you've decided whether you want a boy or a girl, you'll ask your older child: "Do you want a younger brother/sister?"
If there's no specific purpose, they might tease the older child by saying, "Do you want a younger brother or sister?"

Of course, it was just a casual question; the child had no say in the matter.

But Gu Muxue is different. Gu Muxue is already nineteen years old and has absolute right to participate in important family matters.

Xue Rui's pupils dilated violently; he had discerned it.

The old lady is urging him to have another child, to have a second child with Mr. Gu.

The strategy is to besiege the enemy's stronghold and strike at their reinforcements, starting with Gu Qingshan's closest associates, and Gu Muxue is the most important one.

Xue Rui's lips twitched incessantly.

The good news is: there are no illegitimate children.

The bad news is: they're even worse than illegitimate children!

Gu Muxue is already nineteen this year. When Lao Gu's second child is born, the age gap between the siblings will be at least twenty years...

The old saying goes that there's a generation gap every three years; at twenty, it's like the Mariana Trench...

Is this because they want a younger brother?

Didn't this give birth to a son for Gu Muxue?
"Grandma, do you want Uncle Gu to have a second child?" Xue Rui asked with a wry smile.

No wonder they asked Gu Muxue for her opinion.

Grandma looked pleasantly surprised, thinking to herself that Gu Muxue's boyfriend was quite clever, getting it right away.

Gu Muxue's body visibly trembled. Although her grandmother did not answer directly, judging from her reaction, Xue Rui had guessed correctly.

"Grandma, are you serious?"

The news was so shocking that Gu Muxue asked again.

"Haven't you always envied others who had siblings? Your dad can't have any more because of his work. I've inquired, and now that the country has opened up the two-child policy, and your parents aren't that old, it's the perfect time to have another one..."

Grandma kept nagging.

"Grandma, what's the use of asking me?" Gu Muxue asked helplessly.

She envies others who have siblings because they have playmates and are not lonely, but how old is she this year?

Moreover, why specifically ask for a younger brother by name?
Is it possible to choose whether you have a boy or a girl?

What if it's a girl?

A chill ran down her spine, causing Gu Muxue to shiver involuntarily.

"I'm doing this for your parents' own good. Look, you're already in college and have found a boyfriend. You'll be getting married in a few years. How lonely will your parents be then?"

With more children in the family, your parents will have more people to help you when they get old...

Grandma kept telling me about the advantages of having a younger brother.

Gu Muxue narrowed her eyes slightly. She had heard these words when she was a child, but she didn't expect to hear them again this year...

She didn't understand it when she was a child, but now she knows the reason very well.

Grandparents have traditional views and believe that there must be a boy in the family to inherit the family business.

She could understand the older generation's views, but this feeling of not treating people like human beings made her very uncomfortable.

If she had a younger brother, her grandparents would definitely be biased.

Perhaps her parents didn't have a second child because they were afraid it would affect her development...

"Grandma, you don't need to worry about that. Xiao Rui will help me share the burden," Gu Muxue said with a smile.

Ultimately, she still found it hard to accept.

"As the saying goes, a son-in-law is half a son. From now on, Mu Xue's parents will be my parents, and I will take care of them with all my heart," Xue Rui chimed in.

"That sounds nice, but they're being hypocritical after getting the benefit."

Grandma rolled her eyes at Xue Rui, thinking to herself that she only had one daughter, Gu Muxue, and when she got married, it would be like giving everything to Xue Rui for free.

From Xue Rui's perspective, he certainly wouldn't want to see another man appear in the Gu family, as this would maximize his own interests.

"Grandma!" Gu Muxue was very unhappy when she heard her grandmother slander Xue Rui.

She grabbed Xue Rui and started to walk out: "Anyway, I can't control it. You can go and talk to my parents."

The old lady panicked immediately. She quickly got up to stop Gu Muxue and whispered:

"Grandma is only doing this for our family's good. Why are you only listening to an outsider?"

If they have a second child, Gu Muxue will be the one who suffers the most. Now that Gu Muxue is an adult, as long as Gu Muxue agrees, Gu Qingshan will also soften his stance.

“Your parents haven’t had children all these years because they were afraid of affecting you. Now that you’re grown up, it’s time for you to think about them.”

“Your parents are so good to you, they will never let you down in the future, so you should also think about your grandparents.”

Xue Rui heard everything clearly, but he didn't say a word from beginning to end. After all, he was an outsider and the biggest beneficiary, and silence was the best virtue.

Gu Muxue's expression was conflicted. She took a deep breath and said, "Grandma, Xiao Rui is not an outsider. Besides, whether they want him or not is their business. I have no right to interfere."

"Xiao Rui, let's go," Gu Muxue said angrily.

Xue Rui smiled awkwardly at the old lady: "Grandma, Mu Xue is calling me out."

"Tch." The old lady rolled her eyes, her expression full of disdain.

Xue Rui had only walked a few steps when he felt uneasy.

The old lady's eyes were so contemptuous.

It's clearly saying: a gigolo who lives off a woman.

How could Xue Rui tolerate this?
He slammed the door shut and called out, "Mu Xue, wait for me. I need to talk to Grandma alone for a bit." The old lady looked puzzled, wondering what this young man could possibly say.
"Grandma, do you think I'm a freeloader?" Xue Rui asked with a serious expression.

"You said that yourself, I didn't think that way."

The old lady's expression remained unchanged, but she was wondering to herself, what exactly is this kid trying to say?
Should I say something to defend myself?

After a moment of silence, Xue Rui said with a grin:

"If you're going to be a kept man, you should be a kept man. Our children will take Mu Xue's surname, and you might even have great-grandchildren then."

"Huh?" The old lady was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped.

She thought Xue Rui was going to show off some kind of masculinity...

Who would have thought it would be this kind of trash?
"Is that really what you think?" The old lady was taken aback.

"I don't care whose surname the child takes."

Xue Rui spoke casually, as if he were recounting a trivial matter.

"You mean what you say? You're not lying to an old lady like me, are you?" The old lady looked suspicious.

"What's wrong with lying? I'll write you a guarantee if you don't agree," Xue Rui said casually.

As long as the old folks are kept happy, Old Gu's side is no problem at all.

In the eyes of these people, he made a “huge sacrifice” and should naturally receive a “huge benefit” in return.

Well, that will make dealing with the issue of having two relationships much easier in the future.

"Child, your family isn't poor." The old lady looked very surprised.

She knew Xue Jianfeng; he was a good catch and would never allow his son to marry into his family.

"Do you have any brothers?" the old lady asked, her tone uncertain.

Xue Jianfeng had never brought his child to their home before, and she was unsure what to do, but she vaguely remembered that he hadn't.

"No, I only have one younger sister." Xue Rui shook his head.

"Would your father agree?" The old lady became more and more guilty as she spoke.

Just a moment ago she felt that Xue Rui had gotten the better deal, but now that the tables had turned, she felt a little embarrassed.

"I've been disobedient since I was little, and he can't control me," Xue Rui chuckled.

"In this way, let Mu Xue have a few more children, one of whom will take your surname, so that the Xue family line will not end."

"How hard must Mu Xue have worked? Never mind..."

The old lady frowned: "You child, you have to think about your elders."

"Oh, then let my sister find a son-in-law to live with her family."

Old lady: "You..."

"Sigh~ There's nothing I can do, I just like Mu Xue too much."

Xue Rui glanced outside the door and vaguely saw a figure leaning against the door. Gu Muxue was eavesdropping outside the door.

"Do you have paper, pen, and ink? I'll write a guarantee right now."

"Child, let it go..."

"No, how can we just let this go?" Xue Rui insisted on writing it down.

"Let's stop writing, Grandma believes in you."

……

Outside the door, Gu Muxue covered her mouth, trying hard to suppress her laughter.

She had just had a fight with her grandma, and thought the atmosphere at home would be awkward today, but Xue Rui made her grandma happy with just a few words.

A short while later, the old lady came out of the house.

"Mu Xue, you've found a good boy. He's so devoted." The old lady's eyes were full of satisfaction.

"Huh?" Gu Muxue was taken aback.

"What do you mean 'ah'? Come inside and play with him. I'll go cook and tell your grandfather while I'm at it." Grandma pushed Gu Muxue into the side room.

Inside the room, Xue Rui sat casually on the sofa, munching on an apple. He patted the seat next to him and said, "Don't just stand there, sit down."

Gu Muxue frowned. Xue Rui was good in every way, except that he was too much of a womanizer!
But Grandma actually praised Xue Rui for being devoted to one woman?

Indeed, to outsiders, if Xue Rui didn't love her enough, why would he make such a big sacrifice?
However, she firmly believed that Xue Rui loved her.

"Sit down, make yourself at home." Xue Rui pulled Gu Muxue to sit down.

"Hmm..." Gu Muxue nodded, feeling that something was off about what he said.

A few seconds later, Gu Muxue realized what was happening. She took a bite of Xue Rui's apple and mumbled indistinctly:
"Damn it! This is my home!"

……

In the living room, Gu Qingshan and his father sat facing each other, with two teacups in front of them.

"Qingshan, I won't pursue the matter since you weren't home for the New Year. But you should think carefully about the child's situation. The policy allows it now," the old man said earnestly.

"Okay, I'll go back and discuss it with Lizhen," Gu Qingshan said dismissively.

The old man sighed deeply, thinking that it was probably another lie.

"Dad, Mu Xue brought her boyfriend over. He's Jianfeng's son. I've told you about him before," Gu Qingshan said casually.

"Hmm," the old man responded with his eyes closed.

"Don't always look down on businessmen. They are an indispensable part of society and have contributed to development..."

Gu Qingshan knew his father all too well. He was rigid in character, had served in the army when he was young, and later went into politics. He had a strong sense of national responsibility and a natural condescension towards businessmen.

This is also one of the reasons for the discord in his family, because his wife is a capitalist and their values ​​are very different.

Therefore, he needed to lay the groundwork for Xue Rui first, otherwise, given his father's temperament, he would most likely not give Xue Rui a friendly look.

"I think you've gotten your money's worth and forgotten your roots," the old man sneered.

Gu Qingshan paused for a moment, then continued without defending himself, "Xiao Rui is different; he has a sense of social responsibility..."

"Merchants don't get up early for nothing. A sense of responsibility? That sounds nice, but it's just paving the way for themselves," the old man said with a sneer.

Gu Qingshan gave a wry smile. Why did he feel that the more he talked, the worse the old man's impression of Xue Rui became?

Oh well, anyway, the old man can't affect Gu Muxue. At worst, he'll just come to the house less often in the future.

The old lady listened for a few moments before breaking the silence with her words.

"What nonsense were you talking about?"

"Go away, if you don't understand, go do your square dancing." The old man waved his hand impatiently.

"Old man, let me tell you..."

The old lady sidled up to the old man and whispered for a while, recounting what had just happened.

The two men's expressions were so startled that Gu Qingshan couldn't help but feel a little curious. Did the old couple actually have something to hide from him?
The old man jumped to his feet, his eyes gleaming: "Really?"

"It can't be fake. That child even asked me to get paper and pen, but I didn't agree."

"Go, hurry up and cook for the children, and open another bottle of wine." The old man laughed, his face full of wrinkles.

"Dad, you're getting on in years, you should drink less," Gu Qingshan advised.

"Remember to take the top one." The old man ignored Gu Qingshan.

"The wine on top?" Gu Qingshan was somewhat surprised; this was the treatment his father's old comrade-in-arms received.

Could it be that we have a distinguished guest at home?
"Dad, are we having guests over today?" Gu Qingshan asked with a smile.

"Quickly call that kid from Jianfeng's family in," the old man said excitedly.

Gu Qingshan looked bewildered, thinking to himself, "I've been talking for so long, and you've been so indifferent. Why are you suddenly acting like this?"

"What are you standing there for? Go now."

"Oh..." (End of Chapter)