Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

"Three, two~~"

Xue Rui drew out his voice.

Ever since the little girl learned to act cute and spoiled, Xue Rui came up with a new way to counter her – using a countdown to create a sense of urgency for Lin Ruoxi.

Whenever Lin Ruoxi gets nervous, her brain will temporarily stop thinking; this is one of Lin Ruoxi's few weaknesses.

As expected, Lin Ruoxi froze on the spot, her expression one of shock and panic, her hands clenched together nervously.

Lin Ruoxi didn't know what would happen when Xue Rui counted to "zero," but she figured it probably wouldn't be anything good. She was afraid Xue Rui would get angry, afraid he would be unhappy...

So when Xue Rui's lips changed again, Lin Ruoxi nervously welled up with tears in her eyes and frantically pulled out her keys from her pocket.

"Good girl." Xue Rui rubbed Lin Ruoxi's head, took the key, and walked towards the music room.

Lin Ruoxi followed closely behind him, keeping a distance of just a few steps, almost touching his back, which made Xue Rui feel a little uneasy.

However, Xue Rui didn't think much of it, and smoothly inserted the key, then gently turned it.

The moment the "click" sound of unlocking rang out, Xue Rui was suddenly hugged from behind by Lin Ruoxi, her small hands tightly wrapped around his stomach, while Lin Ruoxi's head pressed against his back.

"Xi Xi?" Xue Rui asked softly.

Xue Rui suddenly remembered that Lin Ruoxi now seemed like a little girl just entering puberty, with her own little secrets.

His current behavior is no different from that of parents who forcibly break into their children's rooms.

He was shouting something like: "I've raised you for nothing! What can't we see among our family?"
As someone who has been through it all, Xue Rui naturally knows the importance of independent space, which is a necessary condition for Lin Ruoxi's independent personality.

The child is growing up and it's time for him to have his own room.

"Since you don't want me to see it, then I won't."

Xue Rui gently pried open Lin Ruoxi's hand, placed the key in her palm, then turned around and gently kissed her forehead.
"Xixi, I believe in you."

Lin Ruoxi gently stroked the key; the disordered teeth marks were like the hardships she and Xue Rui had overcome along the way...

My fingertips slowly slid to the key handle, and the smooth, warm touch soothed my previous unease.

Xue Rui trusted her so much, yet she had a secret she was hiding from him...

Lin Ruoxi's vision blurred, and she choked out, "It's...it's because I was disobedient."

Xue Rui's heart skipped a beat when he saw this. The little girl was crying and apologizing to him, which made Xue Rui very uneasy.

"It's okay to make mistakes, the important thing is to know your mistakes and correct them," Xue Rui patiently advised.

The little girl is a perfectionist; she knows she's wrong, admits her mistakes, but won't correct them, which is really a headache.

Xue Rui thought that he should take advantage of Lin Ruoxi's mistake today to teach her a good lesson.

"So, what did you do?" Xue Rui pressed.

"I...I bullied someone again." Lin Ruoxi didn't dare to look Xue Rui in the eye.

Xue Rui's expression was initially puzzled, then he suppressed a laugh until he could no longer hold it in and burst into laughter: "Hahaha..."

Xi Xi, you think you can bully others?

You're such a pushover that anyone can bully you. Who do you think you can mess with?
"Wang!"

When Da Huang saw Lin Ruoxi crying, he instinctively barked at Xue Rui.

However, the next second, a pink slipper flew over and hit Big Yellow squarely on the forehead...

Xue Rui looked at Da Huang, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Big Yellow, are you here to sabotage me?

"In the music room, there lies...incriminating evidence of my crimes."

Lin Ruoxi gripped the doorknob and took a long breath.

Seeing Lin Ruoxi's serious expression, Xue Rui's heart jumped into his throat.

Evidence?

The term "evidence" is generally only used in criminal cases.

Just how much trouble did this little girl cause?
As the door slowly opened with a creak, Xue Rui rushed into the room first.

No matter what mistakes Lin Ruoxi made, he was prepared to cover for her.

The moment Xue Rui stepped into the room, he felt something furry under his feet, as if some animal had brushed against him, and he instinctively took a step back.

There was a white cinnamon dog with its big ears resting on Xue Rui's feet.

With a "click," light flooded the room, and Xue Rui finally saw the scene inside the music room:
The floor was covered with fluffy plush toys, leaving almost no room to step.

Put the Pleasant Goat toys in one pile, the Cinnamon Dog toys in another, the Little Bear toys in yet another…

Looks like Lin Ruoxi has emptied someone's claw machine again...

Xue Rui experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in just a few minutes, leaving him with very mixed feelings.

Lin Ruoxi is like that; she always manages to create some minor but troublesome situations that put people in a difficult position.

"If you won't let me play the claw machine, I... I'll disobey you. If you're angry, just hit me a couple of times," Lin Ruoxi said, her head down.

The first time she tried to win a prize at a claw machine, she piled up all the plush toys in the mall into a small mountain, which eventually prompted the manager to intervene and say, "Don't make things difficult for them."

Xue Rui kept agreeing with her, and in the end, she even accepted the movie tickets from them, which Xue Rui called "protection money."

From then on, whenever they passed by claw machines or ring toss game stalls, Xue Rui would specifically remind her not to bully the people.

So the pile of dolls in the room is her "evidence of guilt".

In fact, Xue Rui didn't let Lin Ruoxi play the claw machine because he was afraid that "Lin Ruoxi would bully others," but because he was afraid that Lin Ruoxi would be bullied.

With Lin Ruoxi's ruthless methods, she could easily disrupt the game's balance with just a few moves.

When Xue Rui was around, things were fine. Xue Rui could communicate with the shop owners and even ask for some benefits, since this was a skill in itself.

But what about when Xue Rui isn't around?

Lin Ruoxi speaks in a soft, gentle voice, and looks like she's easy to bully.

If you run into an unscrupulous merchant, things won't be fun.

This is the core reason why Xue Rui issued the "claw machine ban" to Lin Ruoxi.

"Tell me about it."

Xue Rui wanted to be angry, but he had no reason to.

It's impossible for him not to be angry at all, after all, he had been teased by Lin Ruoxi.

Moreover, Xue Rui was also very curious as to why Lin Ruoxi, who was always obedient and had to watch his expression even when playing the ring toss game, would secretly empty someone else's claw machine.

Lin Ruoxi looked down at Xue Rui. She felt that this position was not good, so she knelt at Xue Rui's feet, lowered her head, and honestly confessed the "process of the crime".

"Well, in the afternoon, Mu Xue said she wanted to try her luck at the claw machine..."

Lin Ruoxi and Gu Muxue were strolling around the mall when they saw a claw machine. Gu Muxue said she wanted to grab a few plush toys to play with and then give one to Xue Rui to show off when they got back.

However, the claw machine's program is pre-set, and Gu Muxue's skills are poor, so she missed the "guaranteed hook" several times.

In the end, I spent almost a hundred yuan to win a doll the size of my palm.

Lin Ruoxi couldn't swallow this insult, because in her opinion, Gu Muxue's money was also Xue Rui's money, and it shouldn't be swallowed up by the claw machine like this.

So, Lin Ruoxi, wanting to make sure Xue Rui didn't suffer a loss, decided to grab a few more dolls to "balance the odds".

Once you start, you can't stop...

"So, you just emptied the claw machine?" Xue Rui suppressed a laugh.

However, with Gu Muxue present, Lin Ruoxi wouldn't be bullied, so Xue Rui was relieved.

Since it was a large shopping mall, the manager would usually step in to mediate, preventing things from getting too out of hand, so Xue Rui didn't take it to heart.

"Hehe..." Lin Ruoxi chuckled with delight.

Xue Rui wasn't angry at all; in fact, his tone was praising her for doing the right thing.

She moved forward slightly, raised her head, rested her cheek on Xue Rui's knee, looked up at him, blinked her eyes, hoping that Xue Rui would pat her head again.

"Xi Xi, you're so clumsy. You always manage to make things look like you're hiding something. Couldn't you just hide this thing in the basement? That way I wouldn't even know," Xue Rui teased. Lin Ruoxi swallowed nervously when she heard the word "basement," her eyes darting around nervously.

Xue Rui noticed Lin Ruoxi's change and his eyes narrowed instantly.

Things don't seem to be that simple...

Lin Ruoxi has a childlike mentality and cannot be judged by an adult's mind.

When he made a big mistake as a child, he would always choose to admit to a small mistake to cover it up.

What are they trying to cover up about what happened in the music room today?

"Xi Xi, confess honestly, or you'll be treated leniently." Xue Rui pinched Lin Ruoxi's cheek.

"The basement is crammed full too," Lin Ruoxi muttered softly.

"You..." Xue Rui's pupils dilated in shock.

The basement is crammed full?
You looted Wanda Plaza completely?

"How did you move it back?" Xue Rui couldn't help but ask.

Lin Ruoxi's eyes darted away. She bit her lip and said weakly, "Not today, I... I've been saving it up for more than half a year."

"Hiss~" Xue Rui almost couldn't catch his breath.

So you've been hiding a whole bunch of dolls at home all along?

But he was unaware of it?

"I...it was my fault..."

Lin Ruoxi felt that she was too disappointing.

Every time I pass by a claw machine, I always see some very simple claw machines that you can take away several items by just inserting one or two coins.

Those dolls seemed to be waving and shouting at me: Take me home!

One day, Lin Ruoxi passed by and couldn't resist, so she picked up a coin and dropped it in...

But once this kind of thing starts, it creates the "broken window effect".

After getting a taste of success, Lin Ruoxi would "pass by" every now and then, bringing a few dolls home each time.

But she was afraid of being discovered by Xue Rui, so she would hide in the basement before going upstairs.

"Later, I accumulated more and more, and I didn't know what to do with it. I gave it to all the kids in the neighborhood, but now they're all too embarrassed to take it in..."

"I don't know why..."

Lin Ruoxi's voice grew softer and softer as she spoke.

“Xixi, you actually look a lot like your grandma…” Xue Rui pinched the bridge of his nose.

Children raised by their grandparents often have a tendency to take advantage of others.

She also has a hoarding habit. Like a hoarding mouse, Lin Ruoxi always likes to collect all kinds of handbags, exquisite boxes, and chocolate tins...

Lin Ruoxi always thought she would need these things in the future, but in reality she never used them and they just took up space.

“You… never mind~” Xue Rui shook his head helplessly; he didn’t intend to correct Lin Ruoxi.

If he had that ability, he would have corrected the bad habits of the elderly in his family long ago.

“Rui, I…I can change it.” Lin Ruoxi said urgently.

Xue Rui doesn't like his grandmother, but now he says she looks like her?

Lin Ruoxi is not afraid of being scolded or beaten;
She was most afraid of disappointing Xue Rui.

But today, Xue Rui doesn't seem to want to criticize her at all...

"No need to change it, it's not your problem." Xue Rui waved his hand.

The immense inertia brought about by long-term poverty has etched these habits of diligence and thrift into the little girl's very bones, a habit that will last a lifetime.

The light in Lin Ruoxi's eyes dimmed and gradually turned gray.

Xue Rui said there's no need to change; does that mean he's giving up on himself?

"I...I can..."

Lin Ruoxi hugged Xue Rui's legs tightly.

She knew she had many shortcomings, and she was also afraid of embarrassing Xue Rui.

She was a poor girl from the village, unlike Gu Muxue who was poised and elegant.

Lin Ruoxi's tears welled up and flowed like pearls from a broken string. First, one tear slid down from the corner of her eye, and before Xue Rui could wipe it away, it quickly became a string of tears that he couldn't wipe clean no matter how hard he tried.

The words in her ears became increasingly indistinct due to her sobs, gradually breaking into a soft whimper.

Xue Rui's heart was breaking. He gently cupped Lin Ruoxi's face and said, "Xixi, what I mean is, there's no need to change this little flaw. I don't mind."

After speaking, Lin Ruoxi paused noticeably, then leaned on Xue Rui's lap and took deep breaths, wiping away her tears haphazardly with her arm.

When she looked up again, Lin Ruoxi's eyes regained focus, clear and bright, yet with a hint of cautious probing.

"Really...really?" Lin Ruoxi asked weakly.

"It couldn't be more real." Xue Rui rubbed Lin Ruoxi's cheek.

This silly girl always cries her eyes out because of a few words he says.

Seeing that Lin Ruoxi didn't answer, Xue Rui tilted his head and looked at her with his head turned to the side.
Do you want me to write you a guarantee?

"No." Lin Ruoxi shook her head like a rattle drum.

"The recording?" Xue Rui scratched Lin Ruoxi's chin, trying to cheer her up.

Suddenly, Lin Ruoxi stood up and ran to the living room.

Xue Rui was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, "I was just joking, you're really recording this?"
Forget it... he's already said it, how could he lie to a child?
Just as Xue Rui cleared his throat, Lin Ruoxi returned, holding a wooden back scratcher.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Ruoxi had already placed the back scratcher on Xue Rui's leg, and then extended her palm.

"Xi Xi?" Xue Rui asked.

“I can’t control myself. I won’t learn my lesson unless I’m punished.” Lin Ruoxi raised her hand even higher.

Xue Rui frowned; the little girl had fallen ill again.

The little girl has a bit of a masochistic tendency; she only feels at ease when she's beaten.

Xue Rui tossed aside the back scratcher and said with a pained tone:
"Xixi, you've done a perfect job. You don't need to be so hard on yourself."

"Well, it's precisely because it's near perfect that it deserves to be beaten. If it were bad in every way, there would be no need to beat it at all," Lin Ruoxi said earnestly.

"Where did you get so many twisted arguments?" Xue Rui was amused by the little girl.

“I missed a punctuation mark on a primary school exam and only got 99 points. The teacher beat me up and said I shouldn’t have done that.”

"I asked the teacher why students who got 30 points didn't get punished, and the teacher said that punishing those who got 30 points was a waste of time..."

Xue Rui nodded, thinking to himself that it made perfect sense.

So he pinned Lin Ruoxi down in the pile of dolls, intending to give her a good beating to teach her a lesson.

"Ah~" Lin Ruoxi lay among the pile of dolls, looking up at Xue Rui's face. Her gaze softened, then gradually became unfocused, until it turned into a pool of spring water.

"Rui, if you... if you count to zero, how will you punish me?"

Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but ask.

Xue Rui said softly, "Xi Xi, aren't you good at math? How could you possibly count to zero? There's 0.01, 0.001..."

"I can keep counting, until you're happy, until you... um!"

Lin Ruoxi kissed her deeply, her eyes tightly closed, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Rui, from now on... I won't let you count to two."

Lin Ruoxi thought to herself. (End of Chapter)