Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

And yet, the peerless beauty’s gaze was fixed on the face of a complete nobody.

The photo was a perfect illustration of a swan fawning over a toad.

Xue Rui felt that if this picture were posted online, it would probably be cropped to pieces in no time.

Of course, no one would have the heart to crop out the swan. He would be the only one getting cut out.

The swan would be used as a profile picture by countless people...

Xue Rui felt an inexplicable blow to his ego. He handed the phone back to Lin Ruoxi. "It’s cold. Let’s head back."

"We didn’t get the cake..."

"Give it to the police officer on duty. We have too many snacks at home to finish."

Lin Ruoxi did as Xue Rui said, re-wrapped the cake, and gave it to the police officer on duty.

"Have some cake, Officer." Lin Ruoxi said as she passed the cake through the small window.

The young police officer was about to refuse, but then he looked out at the empty street and suddenly recalled his mentor’s words from earlier that day. "Thank you. Happy New Year."

’It’s just a cake from a kid’s birthday celebration. It’s not like it’s illegal or anything...’

"I think I’m starting to get it."

As they were walking back, Lin Ruoxi tilted her head, thinking back on the things that had happened recently when she was alone.

"Um, right. Someone asked about the game again today."

’She felt she had to report everything to Xue Rui, no matter what.’

"We don’t talk about work during the New Year. Ignore him," Xue Rui said, his face dark.

Xue Rui had prepared the Match-3 game’s Spring Festival event a month in advance, and the Android version had already been released.

Gamers get bored when visiting relatives during the Spring Festival, so they always have the impulse to spend money. He would then release a timely limited-time 50% off offer...

Xue Rui was confident that the revenue during the Spring Festival would surely set a new record.

’Besides, where did this workaholic come from? Still grinding away during the Spring Festival, and even dragging Lin Ruoxi’s attention to work.’

’It really killed the mood.’

"Anyone who sends messages at this hour has something wrong with their head," Xue Rui added.

"Mm..."

Lin Ruoxi lowered her head and opened her phone. Since Xue Rui said there was something wrong with the person’s head...

She thought for a moment, then typed a single word—"Idiot"—and sent it. Xue Rui had also told her not to engage with the person, so she went ahead and blocked their email address as well.

「On the other side of the screen.」

A scruffy, unshaven man was squatting in front of his computer. The cold, white light from the monitor made his face look even more haggard. He saw an email with the subject line "Idiot" pop up in the bottom-right corner...

The man’s brow furrowed. He had been in this industry for many years and had never encountered a developer with this kind of attitude.

He sighed and wrote a long, eloquent, and sincere reply.

The man hesitated for a long time before clicking the send button.

But then, a message appeared on the screen: the recipient had rejected the email...

"Fuck!"

...

After returning to Lin Ruoxi’s home and washing up, Xue Rui unceremoniously plopped into her bed.

He was used to sleeping in this spot. He wouldn’t be able to sleep if he moved.

’As he closed his eyes, he had a nagging feeling he’d forgotten to do something.’

He opened his phone and saw a New Year’s greeting from Gu Muxue.

Xue Rui typed out a reply with one hand on the physical keyboard: "Muxue, Happy New Year!"

’New Year’s greetings were like that. The words didn’t have to be fancy. Just adding the person’s name was enough to prove it wasn’t a mass text.’

Scrolling down, he saw that Chen Shen had also sent him a text. He thought it was a mass text, but it started with his name, so he opened it to have a look.

[Xue Rui, Happy New Year. May you wake up to sunshine and a smile every morning...]

’Why is Chen Shen’s text so weird?’ Xue Rui wondered.

Until he scrolled to the last few words: "Love, Chen Tingting."

He almost spat out a mouthful of blood. ’So that’s where the trap was.’

’Was this written to hit the character limit? Why was the lead-up so long?’

’He’d already blocked Chen Tingting’s number, but he couldn’t just block Chen Shen’s too...’

Xue Rui turned off his phone and reached for the pull cord by the window, ready to turn off the lights and go to sleep.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a pair of eyes flashing in the crack of the door.

Xue Rui jumped in fright. He walked out to the living room and saw Lin Ruoxi cleaning the table.

"’Was I seeing things?’ Xue Rui shook his head."

Ever since Chen Tingting had transferred to No. 2 High, Xue Rui always felt like a pair of eyes was watching him from behind.

’It’s so damn creepy!’

Back in the room, Xue Rui casually swung the door shut, not caring if it closed properly.

’He knew his place perfectly well. *He* was the biggest threat in this house, so why would he lock the door?’

’It’s not like Lin Ruoxi could do anything to him, right?’

Lying in bed, Xue Rui thought about having to face a whole bunch of relatives over the next few days, and a headache instantly came on.

’He had to put on an act for his relatives until the sixth day of the New Year, and right after that, it would be time to prepare for school to start.’

Every time he was about to fall asleep, someone outside would set off fireworks, and an explosion would jolt him awake.

"Of all the nights..."

Xue Rui pulled the covers over his head. ’Maybe banning fireworks has its perks after all,’ he thought. ’There are always some idiots with nothing better to do who set them off all night long.’

Lin Ruoxi sat on the living room sofa for a while, then opened her phone to check the time.

’Xue Rui turned off the lights half an hour ago. He must be asleep.’

Sometimes, because of the weather, Xue Rui would stay the night in her bed. Every time, she could spend a little while by his side.

At this thought, a joyful smile appeared on Lin Ruoxi’s face. Once again, she tiptoed into the room.

’She didn’t know what was wrong with her, either. She just wanted to wait until Xue Rui was asleep to secretly watch him, to smell his scent...’

After doing these things, she would always sleep very well.

However, what she didn’t know was that because it was so noisy outside, Xue Rui hadn’t fallen asleep tonight.

CLICK. The bedroom door was opened by Lin Ruoxi.

Xue Rui heard the sound of the door opening and figured he just hadn’t closed it properly.

Once a bed gets warm in the winter, it’s like it’s been coated with Super Glue, sticking you firmly inside. Unless you’re about to burst, no one is willing to get out.

’If the door’s open, it’s open,’ Xue Rui thought.

CLICK.

The door closed again on its own.

A jolt went through Xue Rui.

’Fuck, is this place haunted? How did the door close by itself?’

Even at his age, Xue Rui felt a little unnerved. But right now, his hands, feet, and even his head were all under the covers, and a powerful sense of security enveloped him.

’Besides, he was convinced that people only scare themselves. It must have just been the wind.’

But this feeling—creating a tense atmosphere for himself while hiding in his "safe fortress"—was just like being a kid again.

’He was actually, inexplicably, starting to enjoy this feeling a little...’

The covers were like a Barrier. As long as your hands and feet didn’t stick out, you were safe.

Just as Xue Rui was amusing himself while hiding under the covers, Lin Ruoxi walked up to his side and skillfully turned on a small night-light.

The dim light illuminated only a small area around them.

In Lin Ruoxi’s field of vision, there was only a bulging lump under the blanket, which was still squirming slightly.

She noticed Xue Rui had covered his entire head with the blanket. She shook her head slightly and sighed.

"Why are you sleeping with your head covered again?"