Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start

Chapter 229: Chapter 227: It’s All Your Fault for Snatching Up All the Chores

The three of them stood by the roadside, nibbling on apricots, as Qiu Mengze recounted what happened during the test.

"You wouldn’t believe it. Someone just hit a pole, and the whole back end of the car got caved in..." Qiu Mengze said.

"Lin Ruoxi and I are heading out of town later. You should schedule your Subject 4 test with the driving school yourself, don’t wait for us," Xue Rui said.

"Everyone I brought for the Subject 2 test passed today." Coach Li was grinning from ear to ear. He handed each of them a bottle of water.

"Thanks." Qiu Mengze was pleasantly surprised. Usually, he was the one buying Coach Li water; he never expected the coach to return the favor.

"Take a break," Coach Li said with a smile.

It wasn’t just about the commission. The instructors often competed over who had the highest pass rate. Having all his students pass today felt like winning "one more bottle" eight times in a row from drink caps—the drinks themselves were secondary; it was the thrill of winning that he enjoyed.

Besides, he had just won five hundred yuan on a scratch-off ticket. He felt like his luck was through the roof today.

"It’s all thanks to your hard work, Coach," Xue Rui said with a laugh.

Coach Li waved his hand. "That woman who failed the Subject 3 test four times passed, too. She’s waiting for you at the entrance to the DMV."

Xue Rui froze. "Didn’t you tell her I didn’t do anything?"

"I did, but she said that whether you did anything or not, she feels her passing is inextricably linked to you," Coach Li laughed.

Many people were like that. And Xue Rui couldn’t say he had done *nothing*. He had told the woman to relax and take the test, letting her believe she had someone with an ’in’ looking out for her. That was what allowed her to perform at her true level instead of failing every time due to nerves.

"What’s she waiting for me for? I have things to do," Xue Rui said.

Coach Li swallowed the water in his mouth. "She runs a small restaurant near the airport. Aren’t you heading to the airport later? It’s hard to get a taxi from the testing center, and you’re going the same way. Her husband’s waiting with the car."

Xue Rui nodded. "Thanks."

’Coach Li must have arranged all this,’ he thought. ’How else would she know about my plans? All in all, this is a good thing for me.’

"Alright, it’s about time. You can go take your Subject 3 test now," Coach Li said, glancing at his watch.

The group chatted as they walked, the atmosphere completely devoid of tension.

"Xue Rui, I hear phones and computers are cheap in Shencheng. When are you coming back? Bring a set back for me," Qiu Mengze said.

His college entrance exam scores were about to be released, and he had been planning this for a long time.

"Just message me on QQ then," Xue Rui said with a wave.

Since their Subject 2 test times weren’t the same, he and the little lass took the Subject 3 test together, passing smoothly.

The return point for the Subject 3 test cars was right at the DMV entrance. As he got out, he saw the woman taking his and Lin Ruoxi’s backpacks from Coach Li.

’Now I have no choice.’ Their bags had already been taken by the woman—and loaded into a cargo van, no less.

Lin Ruoxi asked, "Are we allowed to get into a stranger’s van?"

Xue Rui had told her not to get in a stranger’s car, but neither she nor Xue Rui knew this woman.

Xue Rui smiled. "That depends on the person. We might not know her, but she knows Coach Li well. In a small city, it’s normal for people to help each other out if they’re heading the same way."

The little lass mumbled and nodded.

"Xue Rui, thank you so much!" The woman spotted him and greeted him eagerly, pulling open the van door and gesturing for him and Lin Ruoxi to get in.

A simple-looking man beside her offered him a cigarette. "We really owe you one, little brother. My wife always fails because of nerves. The last four attempts meant eight times on the road, but today she passed in one go."

He’d lost count of how many times he had tried to comfort his wife and tell her to relax for the test. But the more she failed, the worse her mental state got, to the point where she started looking for questionable solutions...

Her passing in one try today was a direct result of Xue Rui’s earlier deception.

Lin Ruoxi stared blankly at their interaction. She had been worried that the person Xue Rui deceived would be angry when they found out.

She never expected the "victim" of the deception to be not only not angry, but actually grateful to Xue Rui.

"Is this your girlfriend? She’s so pretty," the woman said with a smile.

The little lass’s face flushed. She knew the woman had misunderstood...

But, deep down, she was really happy. She liked hearing it.

No one dwelled on the topic, just taking their silence as a tacit confirmation.

The van slowly started moving. A gentle breeze brushed against their faces, and in the distance were lush green mountains, a sight that was enough to clear one’s mind.

A song requested on the radio was playing inside the van...

The moment the intro began, Xue Rui immediately recognized it as a classic old song, "Poisonous Perfume."

The woman was in a great mood, humming along to the rhythm from the passenger seat.

Xue Rui hummed a few lines, his fingers tapping against the window. Though he didn’t claim to be an artist, he knew how to appreciate art, especially the kind of popular art that appealed to everyone.

’This song probably won’t be outdated even twenty or thirty years from now,’ he thought. ’The rhythm is just too good.’

The little lass watched Xue Rui with a smile.

She had never left this small city, not even to visit other districts or counties.

In the past, when her teachers wanted her to go to the provincial capital for competitions, she always refused.

She was afraid of strangers and unfamiliar places.

But now, she was about to travel to the other side of the country, a place countless times farther than the provincial capital, yet she didn’t feel the slightest bit of worry or fear.

Because she was going with Xue Rui to see places she’d never been, she was, on the contrary... quite looking forward to it.

"Why aren’t you joining in?" Xue Rui chuckled.

The little lass had a soft, sweet voice and was usually quiet. ’Would she sound good if she sang?’

At that moment, he was suddenly very curious.

Lin Ruoxi froze. ’Is Xue Rui asking me to hum along?’

As it turned out, the little lass just mumbled off-key, unable to keep up with the rhythm.

Xue Rui laughed. The lass didn’t seem to have much of an artistic streak. Her drawings were ugly—she could turn a dragon into a four-legged lizard—and she couldn’t sing in rhythm either.

"Hmm, I’ll try to learn in the future," Lin Ruoxi said seriously.

"Go on and learn then. There’s no end to learning," Xue Rui said, pinching the little lass’s cheek.

The airport was in the suburbs, and the couple’s small restaurant—a noodle shop that also sold flatbreads—was located nearby.

The man got out of the van and pulled up the rolling shutter door. "What do you want to eat? You won’t be able to get this once you leave the province."

Xue Rui sighed. "You’re right. You can’t find the taste of Hedong anywhere else."

Even in a place like Chang’an, which also boasted a wide variety of noodle dishes, nothing felt as familiar as the taste of home.

The man shot him a surprised glance. That sigh held the same sentiment as those returning home after a long time; it didn’t seem feigned. He never would have expected it from such a young-looking boy...

"Then eat up, and I’ll pack some for you to take," the woman said with a smile, already moving to fire up the stove and pack some food for Xue Rui.

Lin Ruoxi spoke up, "You can have it even when we’re away. I can make it all for you."

Xue Rui froze for a moment. He had never considered that.

He knew how to cook, but noodle-making was on another level of difficulty. Many local professional chefs couldn’t retain local customers without at least a decade of experience, let alone him trying to do it himself.

But Lin Ruoxi was different. She had grown up and cooked in this place her whole life.

Before, he was alone. But now, as long as he had the little lass with him, wasn’t that the same as bringing the food of his hometown with him?

He reached out and patted Lin Ruoxi’s head. "You’re right."

"You know how to cook, young lady?" the woman asked in surprise.

Fewer and fewer girls were willing to cook these days, let alone make traditional noodle dishes.

Especially one as beautiful as Lin Ruoxi. The woman had subconsciously assumed this was a girl who had never had to lift a finger.

But looking closely now, Lin Ruoxi was carrying two bags, while Xue Rui was empty-handed...

"Who usually does the cooking at home?" the woman asked with a smile.

"I do," Lin Ruoxi said softly.

"Who does the laundry."

"I do."

The woman pointed at Xue Rui and laughed. "Then what does he do?"

"Hmm... he plays on the computer," Lin Ruoxi said.

Xue Rui’s eye twitched. He could picture it now: a lazy good-for-nothing, lying around without moving a muscle...

’Is that me?’

Xue Rui put on a sullen face on purpose. "It’s all your fault for hogging all the chores."

The woman was taken aback. ’Xue Rui is so shameless,’ she thought. ’How can he say something like that with a straight face?’

Lin Ruoxi was also taken aback for a second, but then she smiled and said, "Hmm, it’s all my fault."

Xue Rui sighed inwardly. ’The little lass isn’t so easy to fool anymore. She understands when I’m joking.’

The little lass’s words just now had held a hint of indulgence.

"So who will do the cooking from now on?" the woman asked playfully.

Lin Ruoxi said decisively, "I will."

"How is it still you?"

...

Xue Rui leaned back in his chair, propping up his face as he watched Lin Ruoxi. The little lass wouldn’t listen to him when it came to things like this.

Acknowledge the mistake, admit the mistake, and never correct the mistake.

The woman found their relationship dynamic strange. It seemed like everything revolved around the boy’s priorities.

Xue Rui couldn’t refuse the couple’s enthusiastic invitation and ended up having a meal at their little restaurant.

"Come again when you’re back!" the woman said with a smile and a wave.

The two of them walked into the airport.

The little lass looked around the grand terminal with curiosity. She had done her homework beforehand, knowing what she could and couldn’t bring, and Xue Rui had already had her mail her things ahead.

Moreover, they went through the VIP security lane where there was no one else around. The VIP lounge was also mostly empty, with only a few people sitting around playing on their phones.

"It’s so deserted," Lin Ruoxi said.

’Hedong is a small city, and it’s not a holiday,’ Xue Rui thought. ’The chances of running into someone who bought a business class ticket are just too low.’

The VIP lounge also offered meals and plenty of small snacks.

A staff member even enthusiastically served them tea and asked if they wanted anything to eat.

"But... we just ate." The little lass patted her slightly full tummy, feeling like the money had been wasted.

Xue Rui sat on the sofa playing on his phone, letting the little lass explore as she pleased.

Just a moment ago, she was doting on him, saying she would do all the chores in the future. Now she was like a curious child, wandering all around the VIP lounge.

He was currently contacting Yu Minlan to have her get ready to pick them up from the airport.

When it was time to board, a staff member escorted them to board early, guided them to their seats, and helped them change into slippers...

Throughout the entire process, the little lass barely came into contact with any other passengers, and the service staff were all extremely professional.

The little lass was shy around strangers; she needed this kind of treatment.

After a moment of contemplation, Lin Ruoxi said, "I understand now."

"What do you understand?"