Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

With a dull thud, Xue Rui reached out and caught the incoming rock. The sound of it hitting his palm was drowned out by the blaring horn.

"Hiss..." Xue Rui grimaced, the impact sending a stinging pain through his palm.

"What’s wrong?" Gu Muxue, startled by the sudden blare of the horn, turned to see Xue Rui’s pained expression.

Fighting through the pain, Xue Rui said, "It’s nothing. Just a hand cramp."

"I think I just saw Ergou run by," a little boy said.

The driver, who had just opened his door, saw that Xue Rui had caught the rock and breathed a sudden sigh of relief. He shot Xue Rui a grateful look. If it weren’t for him, the driver would have been derelict in his duty for letting Gu Muxue get hurt in the village.

Xue Rui stared at the now-empty corner. The boy, Ergou, had bolted the instant he threw the rock and had vanished without a trace.

’Is human nature fundamentally good or fundamentally evil?’

Xue Rui couldn’t be bothered to ponder the question. All he knew was that the kid was asking for a beating.

He had already pegged the boy as the village’s "king of the kids." In the countryside, boys who earned that title were usually aggressive troublemakers.

But he hadn’t expected this kid to be not just vicious, but rotten to the core—scaring Gu Muxue for no reason, then throwing a rock into a crowd. Who knew who he was even trying to hit?

But that wasn’t important now. The most important thing was to make sure that kid got what was coming to him.

Xue Rui walked over to the Audi. As the driver watched, he pressed the rock into the hood with his palm and dragged it, leaving a long white scratch...

The driver stared, stunned. ’What is Xue Rui doing?’

"Sir, that kid scratched your car with the rock. Let’s go to his house and settle things," Xue Rui said calmly, casually tossing the rock onto the ground.

The driver understood in an instant. ’Ah, so that’s what he’s up to.’

He smiled and nodded, thinking to himself, ’This kid is really something else.’

If they just went to complain about the thrown rock, they wouldn’t get far. With no visible injuries and the culprit being just a child, they would look petty and unforgiving. You couldn’t make a big scene out of it. It would be like swallowing a dead fly—not lethal, just sickening.

A scratched car, however, definitely required compensation. Once money was involved, the parents would most likely make sure the child "learned a lesson."

And since Xue Rui refused to just let it slide, he had come up with this excuse to confront the family.

"He scratched the car?" Gu Muxue asked, surprised. ’No wonder the driver suddenly blared the horn.’

"That’s right. A kid just threw a rock and scratched the car. I think it was that boy they call Ergou," the driver said, glancing at Xue Rui and playing along perfectly.

Gu Muxue hesitated. She had never dealt with an incident like this before; the adults in her family always handled these things.

"Ergou’s gonna get it now," a child who had been bullied by him said with unconcealed glee. ’Ergou made a huge mess. His dad is definitely going to beat him,’ he thought, filled with anticipation...

"Heh, come on. Show me to his house," Xue Rui said with a grin.

Gu Muxue was startled. ’A beating? Why would he get a beating? Where did that idea even come from?’

"Who’s going to hit Ergou?" Gu Muxue asked, confused.

Xue Rui just smiled, offering no explanation. ’She grew up in such a loving home,’ he thought. ’Of course she wouldn’t understand how things are in a typical poor family.’

A group of gawking children led the way, with Xue Rui and Gu Muxue following behind.

In front of a one-story house, the children stood at the courtyard gate and yelled Ergou’s name.

"What is it? What do you want me for?" Ergou asked, feigning composure.

’In truth, he was panicking. He had taken off right after throwing the rock and had no idea what it hit. Were these people here to make him pay?’

"The rock you just threw hit the car," the driver said, stepping forward calmly. "Go get your parents."

When Ergou saw the man in the suit standing at his gate, his heart sank.

’Thinking back, a car horn *had* blared right after he threw the rock. Did he actually hit the car?’

"I didn’t do it!" Ergou argued, his expression unnatural as his eyelids twitched with nerves.

The other kids, however, started to jeer. "The grown-up saw you! I saw you run by, Ergou! And look, his face is all red! He’s obviously guilty."

"Who is it?" A rough-looking man with a flushed face emerged from the house.

Xue Rui stepped forward, catching a whiff of alcohol. "Your kid scratched the car parked out front."

The man saw the driver and recognized him at once—it was the Gu Family’s driver.

"Ah, let me take a look," the man said, all smiles and deference. As he passed Ergou, he kicked him. "Causing trouble for me again."

Gu Muxue’s brow furrowed instantly. ’What kind of father is this? He hasn’t even seen the evidence and he’s already kicking his own son?’

She suddenly understood what they all had meant by "getting a beating."

’Ergou must be a real terror on a normal day,’ Xue Rui thought. ’His dad is way too practiced at this.’

The big man walked over to the Audi, his eyes immediately falling on the white scratch. He glanced at the four-ring logo, then at the vanity plate with four nines, and the alcohol seemed to evaporate from his system.

"You brat! I’ll beat you to death today!" The man grabbed a stick from the roadside, pushed past everyone, and started hitting Ergou with it.

Xue Rui quickly put out a hand to stop him. "You can’t hit a child!"

Of course, he was just making a show of it. Ergou wasn’t getting out of this beating.

"No! Spare the rod and you’ll spoil the child! He’s asking for a thrashing!" The man struck hard, the stick thudding against the boy’s thick clothing. It was more for show, all thunder and no lightning.

Seeing that neither of their expressions changed, the man gritted his teeth and swung the stick at Ergou’s legs. The sound of the blow made it clear it had landed squarely. Still, the man held back his full strength; it was a solid peach-wood stick and could have done serious damage.

"Dad, I was wrong!" Ergou wailed, tears and snot streaming down his face.

"Stop hitting him!" Gu Muxue cried out, horrified. ’How could anyone beat a child like that?’

’It’s all a show for our benefit,’ Xue Rui thought. ’He’s hoping it’ll reduce the amount he has to pay.’

But he didn’t join Gu Muxue in her protest. Instead, he sighed and said, "Gu Muxue, he threw firecrackers at you, and you’re still speaking up for him? You’re too kind."

Gu Muxue frowned. ’What’s gotten into Xue Rui? Why is he suddenly using my full name?’

The man’s heart skipped a beat. ’The girl’s surname is Gu? My brat went and provoked a girl from the Gu Family?’

He unleashed a furious torrent of kicks and stomps on the boy.

Xue Rui decided that was enough. He felt much better now. He exchanged a look with the driver, then stepped in to pull the man away. "Alright, alright, that’s enough. Don’t beat your kid during the New Year."

The man furiously threw the stick to the ground. ’Well, that’s the procedure taken care of,’ he thought. ’Next up is negotiating the compensation.’

"Look, we didn’t earn much this year. I don’t know if this five hundred yuan is enough..." the man stammered, hastily pulling a wad of cash from his pocket, which included several fifty-yuan notes.

The driver glanced at the money and waved his hand dismissively. "He’s just a kid, and we’re all from the same village. Elder Gu wouldn’t accept the money. Let’s just forget it this time."

Gu Muxue didn’t understand the exchange, but she thought the man was terrifying for being so brutal with his son. ’It’s a good thing Xue Rui stopped him,’ she thought.

"Please thank Elder Gu for me," the man said, his face plastered with a fawning smile.

Xue Rui saw Ergou’s defiant look and thought, ’This damn kid is so stubborn. He’s the type who never learns from a beating. It went in one ear and out the other.’

"Ergou, come over here. I want to have a word with you," Xue Rui said, beckoning.

Ergou stood his ground, glaring fiercely at Xue Rui. It wasn’t until his father kicked him again that he reluctantly shuffled forward.

Xue Rui leaned down, whispering into Ergou’s ear in a voice only the two of them could hear, "What’s the point of acting so tough? You think bullying other kids makes you strong? If I want to teach you a lesson, I don’t even have to lift a finger."

"The truth is, your rock didn’t hit a thing. I made that scratch myself."

’Xue Rui could tell Ergou was used to getting beaten; physical pain clearly didn’t teach him anything. So, he decided it was time for a psychological critical hit.’

Ergou’s pupils dilated in shock. He had never imagined this could be the truth. When he first saw the mark, he had wondered about it. ’Shouldn’t a rock just leave a small chip?’ he’d thought. ’Why was there such a long scratch?’

Now he understood. Xue Rui had framed him. But no one would believe him if he told them. He’d probably just get another beating from his dad for his trouble...

A storm of emotions churned within Ergou: indignation, shock, fear...

Ergou’s young mind was dealt a devastating blow by the adult’s dark machinations. A wave of powerlessness washed over him. He wanted to hit Xue Rui, but his limbs felt heavy and useless.

’Xue Rui was terrifying. When his own dad was beating him, Xue Rui had been the first one to step in and stop it. His act had been so convincing...’

Ergou didn’t know what was wrong with him. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Xue Rui’s eyes and instinctively took a step back.

"We’ve all had our say. What about you?" Xue Rui asked with a smile.

Ergou glanced at Xue Rui. To him, that smile looked like a gaping abyss that would swallow a person whole, bones and all.

His throat tightened. Trembling, he turned to Gu Muxue, lowered his head, and said, "I’m sorry, Sister."

Pleased with Ergou’s attitude, Xue Rui gave his shoulder a satisfied pat.

However, the instant his hand touched Ergou’s shoulder, the boy flinched violently.

"See, Muxue? He knows he was wrong," Xue Rui said softly.

"Something doesn’t feel right..." Gu Muxue couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Ergou’s sudden change of heart hadn’t come from the beating, but seemed to happen right after Xue Rui whispered something to him.

’Still,’ she thought, ’a child who can admit when they’re wrong is a good child.’

"It’s okay," she said. "I won’t hold a grudge."

...

While Gu Muxue was chatting with the other children, Xue Rui walked over to the driver and handed him a roll of cash. "Sir, for the repairs."

"There’s no need," the driver said, quickly refusing. "You were a huge help today. The best outcome is that Miss Gu Muxue wasn’t hurt. This is just one more scratch on the hood."

Xue Rui didn’t insist. By the time they arrived back at the Gu Family’s gate, it was nearly dinnertime. Xue Jianfeng was just about to drive back to their village, so Xue Rui hopped in the car.

Gu Qingshan stood at the gate to see them off. After they were gone, he wiped Gu Muxue’s cheek. "You’re as grimy as a little kitten. Go wash up for dinner."

"Old Gu, these pop-its are so much fun!" Gu Muxue said, pulling a handful from her pocket. She threw one down by Gu Qingshan’s feet and then darted inside the house.

’Today had been so much fun,’ she thought. ’In just one visit, Xue Rui had managed to get all the village kids in line.’

Gu Qingshan jumped at the sudden POP, then gritted his teeth. "He’s turning our Xue’er into a little rascal!"

With that, he followed Gu Muxue inside.

"My dear Xue’er, how did you get so filthy?" Elder Gu chuckled from the courtyard.

"Grandpa, all the kids in the village called me Sister Muxue today!" she announced with a laugh, skipping back into the house.

The old man was surprised. His granddaughter was usually sullen when she visited for the holiday. ’Why is she so happy this year?’ He decided to go ask the driver what happened.

When he reached the gate, he noticed a new scratch on the hood. "Well now, Xiaoli," the old man teased, "aren’t you always bragging about what a great driver you are? Claiming you wouldn’t even hit a stray pebble? Looks like I’ve caught you."

"Even the best of us slip up sometimes," the driver, Xiaoli, said with an awkward laugh, deciding to keep Xue Rui’s secret.

"You weren’t the one who did it, were you?" Elder Gu could tell instantly there was more to the story.

Xiaoli met Elder Gu’s piercing gaze and felt as if the old man could see right through him. He sighed. ’I knew I couldn’t hide it from him.’

He thought for a moment. The Gu Family and the Xue Family were unusually close, so telling him probably wouldn’t hurt. Besides, Elder Gu hated being kept in the dark more than anything.

"This morning, Miss Muxue was playing with Boss Xue’s son, and..."

After listening to the whole story, Elder Gu waved his hand. "Alright, that’s enough. You come in and eat with us."

"Rest assured, sir. Nothing like this will happen a second time," the driver said respectfully.

Elder Gu clasped his hands behind his back, gazed into the distance, and chuckled to himself. "That father and son... neither of them ever lets themselves be taken advantage of..."