Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

It was past three in the afternoon, and the sun was still high in the sky.

The students all breathed a sigh of relief.

The day of the rumored Apocalypse was not only the winter solstice but also a Friday.

Xue Rui left the classroom early, as usual.

Just as he was about to leave, Qiu Mengze said quietly, "Xue Rui, I..."

"Get lost!" Xue Rui cursed under his breath and walked right out of the classroom.

’Even when I give Qiu Mengze an opportunity, he’s useless.’

’Last time I told Qiu Mengze to walk Qin Tong home, but he couldn’t even get his own act together.’

’So many people used the "Apocalypse" as an excuse to confess their feelings today, and I even gave Qiu Mengze a little encouragement.’

’In the end, Qiu Mengze didn’t have the guts to go.’

’I can’t be bothered with this stuff. I’d rather go home and have some more dumplings. The ones in the cafeteria are disgusting.’

As he crawled out of the doggy door, he saw Chen Shen’s familiar face again.

"Uncle Chen." Xue Rui greeted him and was about to leave.

"Hey, don’t go." Chen Shen took a plastic container out of the trunk. "Tingting specially made these dumplings for you."

Xue Rui took the container. It was incredibly heavy.

His eye twitched. ’Who could possibly eat all this?’

"She didn’t know what fillings you like, so in here there’s chive, lamb, beef..." Chen Shen reeled off a long list of names, like a waiter announcing a menu.

"I’ve been reaping the benefits thanks to you," Chen Shen said, rubbing his stomach.

Chen Tingting had been making dumplings for half a month now.

At first, she was bad at it, so he had to eat noodle-flake soup.

Later, she got better, and he had to eat dumpling-lump soup...

It was only in the last two days that he’d finally gotten to eat proper dumplings. His stomach had been much happier.

Before she met Xue Rui, his daughter never set foot in the kitchen. She was used to having everything served to her.

It was different now. She was so diligent and caring, it was like she was a completely different person. Her grades had even improved a little.

The main thing was that she didn’t give up on things after five minutes anymore. She had real perseverance now.

Although he felt a little bittersweet about it, Chen Tingting becoming a better person was ultimately a good thing, and he really had Xue Rui to thank for it.

Besides, he liked the kid, Xue Rui. He even helped his squad meet their quotas...

"Uncle Chen, you didn’t sell me out, did you?"

Xue Rui asked curiously, his eyes scanning the surroundings, afraid that Chen Tingting might suddenly pop out and cling to him.

"No," Chen Shen said, waving his hand.

"Huh?" Xue Rui was a little confused. ’Then why would Chen Tingting have Uncle Chen deliver them?’

"She already knew you come out this way," Chen Shen said with a smile, patting Xue Rui’s shoulder.

"I’m heading back, Uncle Chen." Hearing this, Xue Rui hastily started walking away.

After taking a few steps, Xue Rui paused and turned back. "Uncle Chen, thank Tingting for me."

The moment he said it, he regretted it, lightly smacking himself on the mouth.

’Why’d I have to run my mouth? Aren’t things messy enough already?’ Xue Rui sighed internally.

He had softened for a moment just now, remembering the last time he saw Chen Tingting with her hands covered in bandages...

’She’s a sincere girl, but unfortunately, she’s too boy-crazy. I’m not into that.’

’If Xue Yao were that kind of clingy sister, I could accept it.’

’Too bad Chen Tingting isn’t my actual sister. She’s just after my body.’

"Uncle Chen, tell her not to do this anymore," Xue Rui added.

Chen Tingting popped out from the back seat of the police car, grinning. "That’s not for you to decide!"

The hairs on Xue Rui’s arms stood on end. ’Chen Tingting was hiding in the car this whole time?’

He turned and ran, glancing back every few steps, terrified that Chen Tingting would follow him.

"Dad, did you see that? He kept looking back. He must have been touched," Chen Tingting said, nodding in satisfaction.

Chen Shen gave an awkward laugh, thinking to himself, ’Whatever you say, dear.’

Xue Rui rushed back to Lin Ruoxi’s house in a panic and shoved the container into the fridge.

"What’s the rush? Is there a dog nipping at your heels?" the old lady muttered, pouring Xue Rui a glass of warm water.

Xue Rui picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp. "Something like that."

"In a couple of years, you should take Xixi with you," the old lady said, looking at Xue Rui.

"Grandma, why are you saying such depressing things again?" Xue Rui said with a grim expression.

"I know my own body."

"Where does it hurt? I’ll take you to the hospital," Xue Rui asked.

"They say when a person can finally relax, it means their time is up..."

"Can you snatch someone back from King Yama? I’m getting weaker by the day. In a couple of years, I’ll need constant care. I don’t want Xixi to be stuck with me..."

The old lady rambled on for a long time until Xue Rui, looking annoyed, cut her off. "It’s not my decision to make. You have to ask her."

’Of course, I don’t want to be saddled with a burden, but no matter what, the old lady is Lin Ruoxi’s only living relative.’

’I don’t want to use my special place in Lin Ruoxi’s heart to just abandon her grandmother to die.’

"You’re a good boy," the old lady said, a kind smile on her face.

She had been around Xue Rui for a few months and had found that, aside from being a bit lazy and a bit of a scoundrel, he was a good person in all other respects.

Especially since her granddaughter was so beautiful, and Xue Rui had never even made a move on her, rarely even trying to take advantage.

Xue Rui grinned. "Since you think so highly of me, can I move in? I’ll share a room with Xixi. I’ll take the top bunk, she can have the bottom."

"Hey! How can you be so shameless?" the old lady said, her face darkening.

She had just paid him one compliment, and he was already pushing his luck.

"You said I could take her in two years. What’s wrong with getting a little taste beforehand?" Xue Rui said righteously.

The old lady scolded, "Absolutely not! Xixi is still so young!"

"She’s not that young. It’s about time for her to get new underwear again..." Xue Rui remarked.

"You little scoundrel!"

"WOOF!" Da Huang, sensing the tense atmosphere, stood by the old lady’s side to back her up.

"What are you barking for?" Xue Rui gave it a light kick.

Da Huang pretended to be serious, grabbing Xue Rui’s pant leg and tugging at it, but not using any real force.

"Let go! If you rip them, your master will have to sew them back up."

...

When Lin Ruoxi opened the door, she found the house in chaos. Her grandma was arguing with Xue Rui again, and Da Huang was barking wildly.

"Grandma~" Lin Ruoxi whined, drawing out the word.

The old lady sighed. ’A daughter is bound to leave the nest. It’s so obvious whose side she’s on.’

Lin Ruoxi didn’t even know what the argument was about, yet the first person she called out was her grandmother.

Xue Rui shot the old lady a triumphant smile and a wink.

"Stop barking." Lin Ruoxi nudged Da Huang with her foot.

Da Huang wagged its tail and rubbed against Lin Ruoxi’s leg, trying to curry favor.

"You shameless simp."

Xue Rui kicked it too, and Da Huang’s expression instantly changed...

Lin Ruoxi was carrying a large bag filled with meat and vegetables. Xue Rui didn’t know what to say.

’There are going to be way too many dumplings today...’

"Why did you buy so much?"

Xue Rui asked as he took the bag. The meat alone weighed a good five or six pounds.

In their household, there were only four mouths to feed, including Da Huang’s. There was no way they could eat that much.

"I wanted to make some for Auntie, too," Lin Ruoxi said quietly.

"No need. She doesn’t like dumplings," Xue Rui refused flatly.

’My family is in the restaurant business. Does my mom really need these dumplings?’

’Later, I have to bring back the frozen dumplings from Chen Tingting. If I show up with one batch of freshly made ones and one batch of frozen ones, it’s bound to raise suspicion.’

"Oh, alright then..."

Lin Ruoxi nodded and went into the kitchen to start kneading the dough and mixing the filling.

Meanwhile, Xue Rui lay in Lin Ruoxi’s bed, playing a match-three game he developed himself on his iPad...

After a while, Xue Rui went out for a look and found the old lady and Lin Ruoxi making dumplings.

He pulled up a chair, picked up a dumpling wrapper, and started to make one...

One pinch, and the filling burst out.

He tried again with another wrapper. It was still ugly...

’I have no talent for this,’ Xue Rui decided.

Lin Ruoxi gently took Xue Rui’s hand, placed a dumpling wrapper in the crook of his thumb and forefinger, added the right amount of filling, then guided his hands to give it a gentle squeeze. A perfectly formed dumpling appeared.

"Did you wash your hands?" the old lady asked.

Xue Rui paused for a second. "I don’t think so."

"Xixi, throw out the one he made."

"It’s fine," Lin Ruoxi said in a small voice.

The old lady stood up, about to throw Xue Rui’s dumpling away.

"Don’t! Feed them to the dog." Xue Rui tossed the few malformed dumplings he’d made into Da Huang’s bowl.

Da Huang heard the noise in its bowl and thought it was dinner time. It came over, sniffed the contents, then shook its head and walked away.

"Stop right there. What’s that supposed to mean?"

...

In the end, Xue Rui ate a meal of hot dumpling wrappers at Lin Ruoxi’s house, while Da Huang crouched beside him, waiting for him to toss it the filling.

"Ungrateful mutt. It was biting me just a minute ago, and now it’s wagging its tail," Xue Rui said to Lin Ruoxi.

The naive Da Huang had no idea Xue Rui was tattling on it to Lin Ruoxi. It was happily eating away when it suddenly felt a hostile gaze.

"Da Huang, did you bite someone?"

Lin Ruoxi lifted her foot and pressed it down on Da Huang’s head.

"Wooo~" Da Huang let out a whimpering plea for mercy, its eyes constantly darting toward Xue Rui.

Xue Rui drank a mouthful of the dumpling broth, feeling much better.

"Hey! You can’t hit the child!" Xue Rui quickly pushed Lin Ruoxi’s leg away, giving it a squeeze in the process.

He shielded Da Huang behind him and tossed a few more bites of food into its bowl.

Da Huang stuck out its tongue to lick Xue Rui’s hand, giving him a grateful look.

"So gullible," Xue Rui said with a grin, ruffling the fur on Da Huang’s head.

He had done it on purpose.

Lin Ruoxi wasn’t overly attached to her pet—calling it her "doggie son" was out of the question. In this house, the hierarchy was clear.

Da Huang was a creature to be summoned and dismissed at will.

So, as long as he tattled, Da Huang would get punished.

Then, by providing shelter at just the right moment, he could make Da Huang listen to him.

Still, Xue Rui thought Lin Ruoxi’s way of raising a dog wasn’t so bad. Da Huang was clearly much more obedient and well-behaved than a pampered pet dog.

’And it was rare to see Lin Ruoxi get angry...’

"I’m heading home."

Xue Rui took the dumplings from the fridge.

’The problem is, how am I supposed to eat so many dumplings?’

’I’ll just take them home for my family to eat.’

When he got home, his mom was lying on the sofa with a face mask on.

"Have you eaten? If not, there are leftover dumplings in the kitchen."

Ren Qunfang glanced at Xue Rui and then asked, "What’s that you’re holding?"

That kind of container was usually for dumplings. ’Did Lin Ruoxi make these?’ she wondered.

"Oh, just some dumplings someone gave me," Xue Rui replied casually, opening the lid to show his mom.

He had already opened it at the door. On top of the neatly arranged dumplings, there was a note from Chen Tingting.

He hadn’t read the specific content, just glanced at it briefly. Chen Tingting’s name was in the bottom-right corner, complete with a little heart doodle, which he had immediately thrown away.

"She’s such a good girl," Ren Qunfang couldn’t help but smile.

"What kind of filling?" Ren Qunfang asked.

"All kinds," Xue Rui said with a smile, thinking, ’Mom guessed wrong. These aren’t from Lin Ruoxi.’

’But a misunderstanding is fine. I don’t want Mom to know there’s another girl involved with me.’

’It’s not like Mom would believe me even if I told her I don’t like Chen Tingting.’

’Two-timing is already bad enough. Three-timing? I’d run out of feet...’

Ren Qunfang opened the second layer of the container, and the smile on Xue Rui’s face instantly froze.

’There was a note on the second layer too!’

While his mom wasn’t looking, Xue Rui snatched the note, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"What was that noise?" Ren Qunfang asked, startled. Her face darkened. "Stay away from me."

"Oh." Xue Rui kept his eyes fixed on the dumpling container, praying, ’Please don’t open the next one. There might be another note in the layer below.’

But Ren Qunfang watched him like a hawk, not letting him get near the container at all.

As Ren Qunfang opened the third layer...

As expected, a note was revealed. Xue Rui’s heart sank.

Ren Qunfang picked up the note and murmured as she read, "This layer is beef filling."

As Ren Qunfang put the note down, Xue Rui suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

’Looks like the main message was on the first note. The rest just list the fillings.’

"Love you," Ren Qunfang read aloud.

"I love you too, Mom. Don’t be so mushy," Xue Rui said cheerfully.

But Ren Qunfang’s expression grew heavier. "Love, Chen Tingting."

"Who is Chen Tingting?"