Rebirth: Start to Save the Treasure Girl

In the days that followed, Xue Rui stayed at home every day. Firstly, his mother wouldn't let him leave, and secondly, his mother hadn't been discharged from the hospital yet, so Lin Ruoxi occasionally needed to go over to take care of her.

During this period, Xue Rui did nothing but sleep and eat all day. He would lie on the sofa whenever he had nothing to do, fight with his mother for the remote control to watch TV, and play games on his laptop next to Xue Yao while she did her homework. He was so annoying that he was disliked by everyone.

Xue Rui's goal was simple: to make his mother get tired of him as soon as possible, so that she would kick him out of the house.

However, the more you try to do something, the less likely you are to achieve your goal.

More than ten days passed without Ren Qunfang losing her temper once, while Xue Yao was quite angry.

Early in the morning, Xue Yao and Ren Qunfang had just returned from their exercise, while Xue Rui had already eaten and was lying on the sofa watching TV while applying a face mask. He casually pointed towards the dining table:
"Xixi made breakfast, it's still warm."

"I understand." Ren Qunfang nodded and led Xue Yao to wash her hands and eat.

After sitting down at the table, Xue Yao glanced speechlessly at Xue Rui's leftover rice bowl, then winked at her mother, hinting that her mother should say something to her brother.

However, her eyes were dry from blinking, and her mother still didn't understand what she meant, so she pointed in Xue Rui's direction: "Mom, come and see my brother."

Xue Yao kept glancing in Xue Rui's direction, signaling to her mother to quickly drag her older brother up and give him a beating.

My brother hasn't been beaten or scolded in a long time.

This made Xue Yao very unhappy.

"Hasn't he always been like that?" Ren Qunfang didn't take it seriously and continued eating with her head down.

Since Xue Rui came back, the house has become much livelier. Every night, he and Xue Yao bicker and argue, while she and Lin Ruoxi watch with smiles on their faces, feeling incredibly fulfilled.

Compared to Xue Rui at school and Xue Yao engrossed in playing games, Ren Qunfang preferred this kind of life, and selectively ignored some of Xue Rui's minor flaws.

"But I'm like that all the time, why are you criticizing me?" Xue Yao muttered angrily, "I'll be like that from now on too."

In an instant, the image of a "female hooligan" flashed through Ren Qunfang's mind, and she felt her blood rush to her head.

“You’re a girl, how can you learn from him?” Ren Qunfang scolded instinctively.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, Xue Yao's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she chewed more and more slowly, with tears about to fall into her bowl.

"Yaoyao, Mommy was wrong."

Ren Qunfang apologized in a low voice, and at the same time, she found the answer.

Why does Xue Yao lack the temperament of a girl?
She always suspected that it was her parenting that was the problem, that she had spoiled Xue Yao.

But now it seems that it wasn't entirely my fault.

In families with multiple children, the younger siblings always cling to the eldest child from a young age, and they imitate whatever the eldest does.

As the eldest son, Xue Rui was a "role model" for Xue Yao, and his words and actions would inevitably influence her.

"Yaoyao, don't cry. I'll go talk to him."

At this moment, Xue Rui was humming a little tune, and the battery cover of the remote control in his hand was being pushed and closed, making a "click-click" noise.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of chopsticks being put down behind him, and the clicking sound in his hand also slowed down.

"How strange, I have a bad feeling about this."

Xue Rui muttered to himself, dismissing it as his imagination, and turned the TV volume up, hoping his mother would scold him and make him leave the house.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when a broom handle landed on my leg with a "smack".

Xue Rui subconsciously put his leg down, feeling both startled and pleasantly surprised.

Are you finally starting to find me annoying?

Now I have an excuse to leave.

"Look at you, you're not learning anything good every day, you're even leading Yao Yao astray."

Ren Qunfang shouted loudly, then glanced in Xue Yao's direction, signaling Xue Rui to cooperate.

"Ah~"

Xue Rui let out a scream, as if the network latency was as high as several thousand pings.

"How old am I? Why are you still treating me like a child?" Xue Yao cried even harder.

Ren Qunfang turned around, her expression somewhat blank.

Was it not hit hard enough?
Xue Rui realized the seriousness of the situation, and he gave his mother a fawning smile: "Mom, if you find me annoying, I'll leave right away."

However, the moment the words left her mouth, Ren Qunfang, who hadn't been particularly angry before, suddenly showed a flash of fury in her eyes, and her hand gripping the broom turned white.

"You've turned your home into a hotel? You come and go as you please."

The moment the words fell, Xue Rui's scream rang out, accompanied by Xue Yao's silvery laughter.

"Yaoyao, can't stand to see your brother doing well?" Xue Rui complained as he ran away.

Xue Rui never expected that the first beating he would receive when he got home would be because of Xue Yao.

"Yaoyao, that's enough for you," Ren Qunfang said breathlessly.

Xue Yao pouted, thinking to herself that they hadn't watched enough of the fight yet.

So she took a deep breath, grinned, and shouted, "I want to be like my brother and find two boyfriends!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the huge living room fell into a deathly silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Xue Rui nervously swallowed and looked at his mother cautiously.

His sister is such a troublemaker; she keeps stirring things up and even says things like that…

"Yaoyao, because you're a girl, your mother has never hit you." Ren Qunfang slowly exhaled, then said with a smile:
“Since you say you want to learn from your brother, Mom will of course treat you equally, just like you treat your brother.”

Once the suggestion to assign equal blame to both sides was made, the smile shifted from Xue Yao's face to Xue Rui's.

Watching her mother slowly approach, Xue Yao's heart leaped into her throat. She looked at Xue Rui with pleading eyes and said softly, "Brother~"

Xue Rui gave a cold laugh. "So now you want to rekindle your sibling bond?"
What were you doing earlier?
"Last Chinese New Year, Yao Yao went to an internet cafe with a group of young people with brightly colored hair."

Xue Rui took out his phone and started scrolling through his chat history with Yu Minlan, where he found Xue Yao's photo: "Mom, don't worry, I have someone following her."

"Shut up!" Xue Yao shouted urgently.

Xue Rui omitted the beginning and the end, making it sound as if she was the one who secretly went to the internet cafe, while Xue Rui was the good kid who sent someone to watch over her.

"Mom, it was my brother who asked me to go, that day..."

"Yaoyao, how could your brother take you to an internet cafe? Don't throw all sorts of accusations at your brother."

Ren Qunfang coldly interrupted Xue Yao.

"Brother, say something!"

Xue Yao was so anxious she was about to cry. It seemed like nothing she said would make a difference; only Xue Rui, the person involved, could explain.

Xue Rui blinked innocently, then pointed to his mouth, meaning: You told me to shut up, so I can't speak now.

Thus, Xue Rui witnessed the rare sight of his mother chasing Xue Yao with a broom.

After watching for a while, Xue Rui felt extremely comfortable.

Xue Rui only slowly spoke up when Xue Yao was on the verge of tears, saying, "I think I remember now. It was Mu Xue who sent Yao Yao that day, and I had Xiao Yu go with her."

"Hmph! I'm not talking to you anymore," Xue Yao said, sounding aggrieved.

"Oh dear, I bought a whole bunch of graphics cards before, I was thinking of getting you a new computer." Xue Rui sighed, then slowly shook his head, his meaning couldn't be clearer.

"Hmph! I don't care." Xue Yao turned her head away and continued to sulk.

“I want to go watch the League of Legends World Championship this year, but it’s not fun going alone, and Xixi and Muxue don’t like games…” Xue Rui offered another way out. “Brother, do you want an apple?” Xue Yao handed over an apple, her eyes pleading.

"Stop trying to seduce Yao Yao." Ren Qunfang poked Xue Rui's head: "I think her liking for games is definitely related to you."

"Mom, it's what I like," Xue Yao retorted.

Ren Qunfang's gaze softened; these two siblings were quite harmonious.

“You’re a senior in high school now, your main task is to study. After you finish the college entrance exam next year, I’ll take you there.” Xue Rui took a bite of his apple.

"Oh, then you can eat it next year."

Xue Yao snatched the apple back without hesitation and started taking big bites of it.

Xue Rui stared at his empty hands, his lips twitching uncontrollably.

This sibling relationship seems a bit too realistic.

Suddenly, Xue Rui's phone rang; it was Lin Ruoxi calling.

"Rui, Grandma has been discharged from the hospital. I...I'll pick you up later?" Lin Ruoxi tentatively inquired.

"Where are you? I'll come over myself."

"Well, then you can wait for me at the nursing home."

"Ok."

Xue Rui hung up the phone, his expression turning serious.

Although he didn't say it to Lin Ruoxi outright, the two had a tacit understanding.

When the old lady is discharged from the hospital, that will be the time for him and Lin Ruoxi to return to Chang'an.

Orange Computing was on the eve of its launch. Xue Rui and Lin Ruoxi actually had a lot on their plate, and this time they took advantage of being home to steal a moment of leisure.

"Mom, I'm going back to Chang'an. I should leave today." Xue Rui said earnestly.

"Xiao Rui, aren't you on summer vacation?" Ren Qunfang asked with displeasure.

"You have no idea how many professors have contacted me lately. If I don't go back soon, they'll be coming to my house looking for me." Xue Rui's tone was filled with undisguised smugness.

"You?" Xue Yao curled her lip, not believing it at all.

Although I haven't been to university, I know that professors must be highly respected people. How could they possibly bother my good-for-nothing older brother?

"Yaoyao, you'll see if I was just bragging once you get to college."

Xue Rui did not refute, but simply gave a kind smile.

When Xue Yao was mentioned, Xue Rui suddenly had a flash of inspiration and added:
"Mom, I'm going back now for Yao Yao's own good. I want to build up my network so that I can find someone to take care of her no matter where she goes to college."

"Go ahead, go ahead, remember to come home when you have time."

Ren Qunfang nodded with satisfaction. Xue Rui always thought of his family; he really did have the air of an elder brother.

……

At the entrance of the People's Hospital.

Lin Ruoxi packed the trunk full of bags and packages, which were filled with gifts.

Some were gifts from banks, some from nursing homes...

Regardless of who sent it, Lin Ruoxi insisted on bringing it back to Chang'an for Xue Rui to eat.

As the car door closed, Grandma's complaining voice came from the back seat: "Xixi, why are you arranging my discharge so early? Are you upset that I'm spending Xue Rui's money?"

"Grandma, you...you could have been discharged a long time ago." Lin Ruoxi didn't dare to look her grandmother in the eye.

Lin Ruoxi knew her grandmother was helping her, but she had already had it all to herself for more than ten days, and she was already very, very content.

Gu Muxue is still waiting in Chang'an. If Gu Muxue takes Xue Rui away for more than ten days, he will be extremely anxious.

Therefore, Lin Ruoxi believes that Gu Muxue must miss Xue Rui very much right now, and she wants to bring Xue Rui back.

"You..." The old lady sighed helplessly, then touched the handful of medicine in her hand and smiled bitterly, "I've really become a walking medicine cabinet."

After the thrombolysis procedure, she took many more pills than usual, saying she would continue taking them.

Before long, the two arrived at the nursing home.

Xue Rui was already waiting at the nursing home, playing Go with the elderly residents.

Xue Rui didn't understand Go, so he simply used his phone to play against the old man using a computer. However, Xue Rui didn't hide anything, and the old man didn't ask any questions. He just watched Xue Rui glance at the phone and then slowly placed his stones.

The old man wanted someone to play chess with him to pass the time, while Xue Rui was curious whether the old man could beat the AI.

Therefore, neither of them dared to break the unspoken understanding.

Lin Ruoxi, supporting her grandmother's arm, slowly walked into the nursing home. As soon as they entered, a caregiver followed them, but Lin Ruoxi still chose to support herself.

The moment Lin Ruoxi saw Xue Rui, she said, "Grandma, let the caregiver take you home."

The old lady was speechless. She called out to Xue Rui, "Xue Rui, come and help me up."

Upon hearing this, Xue Rui turned around and saw Lin Ruoxi pouting and the old lady with a displeased expression.

"Alright, Xixi, you play chess with Grandpa." Xue Rui put down the chess pieces and ran over in a flash.

The old lady rarely ordered him around. Every time she said that, it meant she had something to tell him, so Xue Rui chose to send Lin Ruoxi away.

Lin Ruoxi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded obediently and sat down in front of the chessboard.

The game was halfway through, and Xue Rui and the old man were almost tied.

"Young lady, I can't beat you at chess, but do you know how to play Go?" the old man said with a smile.

Because he comes from the chess association, although it is a Chinese chess association, he also plays some Go.

The girl in front of him had given him a lot of trouble, so this time he wanted to try a different game and find a sense of superiority.

After all, one can't keep losing, right?
Winning just once has become an obsession for the old man.

"I've written Go programs before, so I know a little bit," Lin Ruoxi said casually as she placed her stone.

She needs to win quickly so she can bring Xue Rui back.

At this moment, Xue Rui helped the old lady slowly up the steps, saying, "Be careful."

The old lady nodded appreciatively. Whenever something important happened, Xue Rui would become reliable and dependable.

But in Xue Rui's eyes, what is a big deal and what is a small deal?

Back in her room, the old lady looked at the single bed and the large color TV, and felt inexplicably empty and lonely.

I don't know how much longer I can stay here, or when I'll be able to leave.
Perhaps next time I go out, I won't walk...

The old lady had been seriously ill, and her face looked increasingly haggard.

She always felt that her days were numbered and that there were some things she needed to remind Xue Rui of, because there were many things that Lin Ruoxi would not say.

“Before, I only thought about dying sooner so as to reduce the burden on Xixi.”

"But now I want to live a little longer. As long as I live, her heart will at least have a place to belong."

"I always feel like my time is running out."

The old lady's topic was very heavy. (End of Chapter)