Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

Xue Rui arrived next to the doghole and cautiously stuck his head out to look around.

"You can’t trust your gut."

Xue Rui sighed. He was just about to head back to the classroom to find Lin Ruoxi.

But then, Lin Ruoxi suddenly popped up from below his line of sight.

"What are you doing hiding here?" Xue Rui jumped, startled. Lin Ruoxi had actually been waiting for him here.

Lin Ruoxi really was bold. It was pitch-black beside the doghole, and she was crouched silently in a corner by the wall.

Lin Ruoxi kept her head down. She had startled Xue Rui, but she didn’t dare apologize. ’If he scolds me, it’ll be over soon,’ she thought.

However, Xue Rui didn’t scold her. He just hunched his shoulders and shivered from the cold.

It was an involuntary reflex, a reaction to the biting cold that he couldn’t control.

"Are you cold?" Lin Ruoxi quickly unwound her scarf and, raising her hands, looped it round and round Xue Rui’s neck until it muffled his face.

The faint, unique scent on Lin Ruoxi’s scarf made Xue Rui feel warmer almost instantly.

"You’re a genius," Xue Rui said. He didn’t refuse her gesture, instead offering a compliment.

Ever since winter had set in, Lin Ruoxi had been wearing thick layers of clothing. She wore so many under her school uniform that she looked as plump as a penguin. He wondered if her grandma was the one who made her dress that way.

"Thank you."

The corners of Lin Ruoxi’s mouth lifted unconsciously. Xue Rui rarely complimented her, and calling her a "genius" was the same as calling her smart.

"Why are you thanking me?"

Xue Rui found it bizarre. The girl wraps her scarf around his neck, and then she’s the one thanking him.

"You... you told me to say ’thank you’ when someone compliments me," Lin Ruoxi said quietly.

Xue Rui let out a stifled laugh. ’This girl is hopeless,’ he thought. That advice was for compliments from strangers.

"You don’t have to thank me in the future," Xue Rui instructed her. "Don’t you know? People who are really close rarely say thank you to each other."

"Mm..." Lin Ruoxi nodded. She thought what Xue Rui said made sense. The students at school who were really close never seemed to use the word "thank you" with each other.

She took Xue Rui’s words to heart.

’That’s one less thing I’m allowed to say,’ she thought.

’But... Xue Rui said we’re really close...’

She couldn’t quite put her finger on the feeling in her heart. It was partly happiness, and a deep sense of peace...

It was already almost ten o’clock at night, and the temperature outside was dropping steadily.

Xue Rui deliberately walked through patches of untouched snow. Head bowed, Lin Ruoxi followed behind, carefully placing her feet into the footprints he left behind.

His strides were long, so she stretched her own to match. When he occasionally took a small hop to avoid a rock, she would follow with a light, soundless leap of her own.

It was so quiet that Xue Rui could only hear the crunch of his own footsteps in the snow. It felt as if he were walking completely alone.

He turned to look back and saw Lin Ruoxi standing stock-still, her gaze meeting his.

He suddenly realized that in the snow they had just crossed, there was only a single set of footprints.

’They say ghosts don’t leave footprints when they walk...’

Xue Rui glanced down for her shadow. But Lin Ruoxi was standing in a shadowed area; she had no visible shadow at all...

GULP. Xue Rui swallowed hard.

The street was deserted. Due to the slippery ground, there were no cars in sight either. He suddenly felt a chill creep up his spine.

He was reminded of a few classic ghost stories...

...like the one about the mountain expedition that was hit by an avalanche. One survivor claims everyone else died.

But then the others return, saying only one person died and that they are all perfectly fine...

’Who are you supposed to believe?’

A thought suddenly struck Xue Rui. Was this Lin Ruoxi, the one by the doghole, the real Lin Ruoxi?

Why, as if compelled by some unseen force, had he come looking for her at the doghole?

’What if... the real Lin Ruoxi is still in the classroom waiting for me?’

The passing thought made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

But after a brief moment of terror, Xue Rui thought, ’I’ve already died once. What’s there to be afraid of a ghost for?’

’Besides,’ he mused, ’if female ghosts are this pretty, it’s not a bad way to go.’

But when he looked closer... he saw that Lin Ruoxi was stepping in his footprints.

Realizing the cause, Xue Rui sighed helplessly. ’People just love to scare themselves.’

"Come here!" Xue Rui pinched Lin Ruoxi’s little cheek and pulled her forward.

"Ow... that hurts," Lin Ruoxi winced, taking a few steps forward.

She could sense that Xue Rui was a little angry, but she didn’t know why.

Xue Rui could suddenly understand where Qiu Mengze was coming from. Lin Ruoxi did everything so quietly; sometimes it was genuinely a little scary...

"Hold on." Xue Rui gently raised his arm, inviting Lin Ruoxi to link hers with his.

He had been walking on the snow because it provided more friction, making it harder to slip.

But up ahead, the snow gave way to slush that had been packed down by countless cars.

After nightfall, this watery slush had frozen into a slick sheet of ice. It was dangerous to walk on; one careless step could easily lead to a fall.

He figured it would be safer if they held onto each other. If Lin Ruoxi slipped, he could catch her.

Lin Ruoxi’s eyes widened slightly. She had seen this many times on the street; it was a gesture only couples shared.

She didn’t hesitate, though. She gently looped her arm through Xue Rui’s, a small smile gracing her lips.

Xue Rui found that whenever he was with Lin Ruoxi, there was rarely much to say.

He just found her too quiet, lacking the liveliness typical of a girl her age.

If he were walking this stretch with Gu Muxue, she would probably be trying to start a snowball fight or dragging him along to slide on the ice.

Still, Xue Rui thought this was nice in its own way. It might be a little plain, but there was a certain beauty in simplicity.

Being with Lin Ruoxi was relaxing. He never had to hide anything, nor did he have to constantly wonder what she was thinking.

He knew that while this girl might seem delicate and fragile, she was actually very strong on the inside and not overly sensitive.

What should have been a ten-minute walk took them a full half-hour because the roads were so slippery.

When they arrived at the entrance to Lin Ruoxi’s building, Xue Rui pulled out his phone. It was already almost ten-thirty; his dorm would be locking up soon.

"I’m heading back," Xue Rui said with a wave.

But Lin Ruoxi tugged on the corner of his shirt and asked weakly, "Aren’t you coming up?"

Lin Ruoxi thought the road back to school was too slippery. She was afraid he would fall, and there was no one else around...

’This girl has zero sense of self-preservation,’ Xue Rui thought.

On days when school ended early, he would sometimes go up for a little while. But it was so late today; if he went up, he definitely wouldn’t be coming back down.

’Isn’t that just asking for trouble?’

"If I come up, I’m not coming back down. I’ll be sleeping in your bed tonight," Xue Rui teased.

"Okay..." Lin Ruoxi nodded.

That was what she had been thinking all along.

"Huh?" Xue Rui looked stunned. ’Lin Ruoxi wants me to stay the night?’

Xue Rui looked into her eyes. He saw worry mixed with a hint of pleading, and his heart softened.

"Alright. If your grandma says no, I’ll leave," Xue Rui said.

He guessed she was just worried about him walking on the dangerous roads at night and wanted him to stay.

As they went upstairs, a gust of warm air greeted them from inside the apartment.

Da Huang was there as usual, rubbing against Lin Ruoxi’s legs at the doorway.

Xue Rui, meanwhile, plopped down onto the sofa.

Once he warmed up, a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

He took out his phone and sent a text to Yi Bing, letting him know he wouldn’t be back at the dorm that night.

He was just too tired. The moment the warmth of the apartment hit him, he didn’t want to go back out...

’Even if her grandma says I can’t stay, I’m not leaving,’ he thought. ’I’m crashing here tonight, no matter what.’

The grandmother was sitting on the sofa next to Xue Rui. Seeing the state he was in, she figured he must be frozen stiff.

"Grandma..." Lin Ruoxi began tentatively.

"It’s fine. You can stay here tonight."

The old woman said, then turned and went into her room.

She knew the roads outside were slippery and it wasn’t safe for Xue Rui to go back alone. Besides, she’d noticed his face was a bit flushed; he might be running a fever.

"Ma’am, aren’t you worried?" Xue Rui said with a grin. He felt the sudden shift from cold to warm was taking a toll; his face was starting to feel hot and his head was getting fuzzy.

"You’d have to have the energy first," the old woman replied with a laugh.

She didn’t bother telling Lin Ruoxi to sleep with her, because she knew it would be useless.

Her silly granddaughter would just sneak out in the middle of the night anyway...

Xue Rui was overcome with sleepiness. He had only just lain down, but his body already felt welded to the sofa, refusing to get up.

’Young people sure need their sleep,’ Xue Rui thought, his vision blurring as he flopped back down.

He’d had too much fun with Gu Muxue today. Now, all he wanted was to sink into a deep sleep.

Lin Ruoxi came out with a basin of water for him to wash his feet, only to find him already asleep on the sofa.

She went over to him and gave him a gentle shake. "Go... go sleep in my bed, okay?"

Xue Rui didn’t respond, merely burrowing his head deeper into the sofa cushion.

Lin Ruoxi moved to his side and touched his cheek.

’He’s burning up!’ Lin Ruoxi instantly grew tense.

"Grandma, I’m going out to buy some medicine," Lin Ruoxi called out, bundling herself up in layer after layer.

On her way downstairs, she mistakenly put on the wrong coat—she had grabbed Xue Rui’s.

When she returned, Lin Ruoxi wanted to carry Xue Rui to her bed, but he was simply too heavy for her to lift.

"Get up and sleep in the bed, okay?" Lin Ruoxi asked softly.

"Okay..." Xue Rui, drowsy and dazed, leaned on her shoulder and let her guide him.

Lin Ruoxi was in a bit of a daze herself. In his half-asleep state, Xue Rui was like a little kid, obediently doing whatever she asked.

She mixed the medicine for him, tested the temperature with her lips, and then brought the cup to his mouth.

"Drink this," Lin Ruoxi said, helping him sit up.

And Xue Rui obediently drank it all down.

"Do I have a fever?" Xue Rui’s head felt so heavy. He wasn’t sure if he was dreaming.

"Lie down," Lin Ruoxi said, gently laying him back down. She tucked the covers around him, then went to get a cool towel for his forehead.

She pulled up a chair and sat quietly beside him.

She balanced her laptop on her knees to pass the time, while Da Huang lay quietly at her feet.

Every so often, Lin Ruoxi would get up to change the towel on his forehead...

It was New Year’s Eve, and the internet was full of posts about the occasion.

She scrolled past a post saying that for two people to be together on New Year’s Eve symbolized walking together from one year into the next.

She glanced at the time on her laptop. It was already 11:50 PM.

The medicine had worked, and Xue Rui’s fever had broken.

She set her laptop aside and quietly leaned closer to Xue Rui. She didn’t really know how you were supposed to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

The minutes ticked by, and soon it was 11:59 PM on December 31, 2012.

Lin Ruoxi felt she couldn’t let this moment pass. Biting her lip, she gently wrapped her arms around the sleeping Xue Rui.

She held him until the date on her laptop ticked over to 2013...

A thrill of joy surged through Lin Ruoxi’s heart. Though it had only been for a couple of minutes, it felt as if she had held him for an entire year.