Rebirth: Saving the Lovely Girl from the Start
Chapter 230 - 228: Losing Oneself in the Calls of ’Handsome
Lin Ruoxi stared blankly out the porthole at the ground below.
Xue Rui curiously followed her gaze. Just then, the economy class passengers began to line up and board.
’I really should get out more,’ Xue Rui thought. ’In a small city like Hedong, there are no skyscrapers and the service industry is lacking. The rich and the poor end up looking pretty much the same.’
But now, the lass had been escorted onto the plane ahead of everyone else, taking a completely different path from those just stepping aboard.
When she had just said, "I get it," Xue Rui guessed she had understood the power of money.
"We spend more money so they can spend less," Lin Ruoxi said.
Xue Rui had told her before that as long as she spent a little more, she would be helping many people who couldn’t afford to eat.
’A plane ticket isn’t cheap these days. I don’t think the service is worth this much. We must be helping to spread out the cost for the economy class passengers...’
Xue Rui shot Lin Ruoxi a helpless look. "That’s what you got out of this?"
’This girl is still the same, always thinking of others. You’re worth tens of millions now, can’t you just enjoy yourself for once?’
"Yeah. We arrive at the same time as the economy passengers. The only difference is our seats are a bit comfier and the food is a bit better," Lin Ruoxi said earnestly.
"Alright, fine," Xue Rui said, leaning back. The lass had no idea how to enjoy herself.
Lin Ruoxi gazed softly at Xue Rui. She felt that business class was inferior to economy. When they passed by the economy section, she had seen the seats. They were packed tightly together, close enough to lean against Xue Rui.
But business class wasn’t like that. A wide armrest separated her from Xue Rui, and she didn’t like this seat...
"Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is about to take off. Please double-check that your seatbelts are fastened and that all electronic devices..." The familiar announcement came over the speakers. Xue Rui paid it no mind, simply slumping into his chair and staring boredly at the screen in front of him.
He had been to Shencheng before, but only for a short time. He wasn’t very familiar with the city.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ruoxi suddenly reached out and took his phone from the small table.
Xue Rui’s heart skipped a beat. ’What is the lass up to?’
’Is she going to check my phone?’
’I can’t let her do that! It’s full of chat logs with Gu Muxue, and there are even a bunch of photos of her stored on it!’
’The main problem is, my phone’s password might as well not exist. It’s six zeros...’
’I type it in so many times every day, the lass must know it.’
His eyes instinctively followed Lin Ruoxi’s hand.
As it turned out, the lass just checked his phone’s network status, which made him sigh in relief.
The plane began to move slowly, then started accelerating down the runway. Lin Ruoxi looked around curiously. As the plane’s speed increased, so did the noise and vibration. The feeling of being pushed back into her seat grew stronger, and the lass sat tensely in her seat, her neck perfectly still.
The moment the plane left the ground, a distinct feeling of weightlessness made the lass’s eyes go blank for a second.
Then, Xue Rui watched as the lass licked her lips and performed a textbook swallow, as if trying to relieve the discomfort from the ear pressure.
Lin Ruoxi tilted her head to look at Xue Rui, wondering why he wasn’t reacting at all.
Xue Rui thought back to the past. He used to be able to scare Lin Ruoxi just by riding an elevator with her. ’Her reactions were so much fun, weren’t they?’
Now, she wasn’t even nervous on a plane. He could only sigh helplessly. It was all thanks to the mobile internet; the lass knew too much common sense now. She wasn’t so easy to fool anymore.
The changing view outside the porthole captured the lass’s attention: a bird’s-eye view of the entire city, the golden wheat fields, the mountains and rivers...
"That’s our village," the lass said, pointing out the window.
After the plane gradually stabilized, the view outside was an azure sky and thick layers of clouds. The lass’s eyes were wide, and she would occasionally duck her head to look up, as if trying to see how close the sky really was.
Xue Rui couldn’t help but smile. Actually, the lass was still pretty interesting now.
A few minutes later, a flight attendant came to lay out tablecloths for them and serve each a meal.
"Miss, we just ate. We’ll just have the fruit, please," Lin Ruoxi said.
The flight attendant was slightly taken aback. Such a request was quite rare. Most people would at least try the food, even if they weren’t hungry, or snap a photo.
She removed the meals as requested, leaving only the dessert and fruit. "This fruit platter includes red grapes from the Northwest..."
Xue Rui smiled and nodded. "Thank you, no need for an introduction."
The lass looked at the desserts that had been served, her brow furrowing slightly.
Her stomach was already full. She had eaten some free snacks in the waiting lounge and really couldn’t eat anymore.
So, she pulled a plastic bag out of her purse and packed the desserts away.
Xue Rui chuckled. Lin Ruoxi was treating business class like she was packing leftovers from a village banquet.
The lass tilted her head and smiled back at Xue Rui.
This was a direct flight to Shencheng, with a flight time of only two hours. The two of them sat quietly during the journey, just as they usually did. Xue Rui would occasionally reach over to pinch the lass’s cheek.
Sometimes, when he couldn’t quite reach, the lass would even lean toward him, making it easier for him to pat her head.
"Sister Yu Minlan said she’s been in Shencheng for a while now. She said she’d take me to the beach," Lin Ruoxi said.
"Mhm, then just have fun for the next couple of days," Xue Rui said.
In truth, he was mainly going to Shencheng because he had some electronic devices that needed to be mass-produced. The main project was the shared power banks; as for the other things, those were just gadgets Lin Ruoxi had designed for fun.
Ever since the lass built her first remote-controlled car, Xue Rui had discovered her fondness for all sorts of miscellaneous electronic gadgets.
He would give Lin Ruoxi some direction, and then he would pick out items with mass-production potential from her creations.
As for why Shencheng...
Shencheng had the most complete electronics industry chain in the world. He had merely browsed online for a bit, looking up which manufacturers had experience with OEM power banks, and was immediately flooded with professional managers trying to secure orders. He had added many of them on QQ and chatted extensively.
From this alone, he could feel the efficiency and fierce competition of a first-tier city...
「Two hours later.」
The two landed at Shencheng Airport and were once again guided by dedicated staff toward the VIP lounge.
Yu Minlan was already waiting in the Agricultural Bank’s VIP lounge at the airport.
"Boss Xue, little sister Ruoxi," Yu Minlan said with a smile, taking the backpack from Lin Ruoxi’s hands.
"Minlan, is this the important person you were talking about?" a girl in the VIP lounge asked with a smile.
Yu Minlan introduced her to Xue Rui. "Boss Xue, this is my senior from school."
"Mhm, hello," Xue Rui nodded politely, showing no intention of striking up a conversation with this senior.
"Senior, we’ll be going now," Yu Minlan said sheepishly.
The girl smiled helplessly. "Go on. Contact me if you need anything. I have, after all, been working in Shencheng for two years."
The group chatted as they walked toward the parking lot. Yu Minlan had also driven her car to Shencheng.
Ever since leaving Hedong, Lin Ruoxi had been looking up at everything around her, her curiosity piqued by it all.
Even the vast parking lot made the lass’s eyes widen slightly.
Xue Rui smiled. "Show her around and have some fun for the next couple of days."
After saying that, he connected his phone to the network and looked at the few messages he had received.
Qiu Mengze: Let me know when you land safely. I’ll wait for you to come back so we can take the Subject Four test together.
Xue Rui casually snapped a photo and sent it over: Arrived.
Similarly, there was an inquiry text from Xie Jianfeng.
...
That’s how it was back in his hometown. Whenever he traveled far, there was always a group of people worrying about him. Xue Rui replied to each of them one by one.
Suddenly, he received a video call from an old woman.
Xue Rui’s brow twitched. He pressed the answer button. "What are you doing? Don’t video call me for no reason."
He snapped before hanging up the call immediately.
A moment later, Lin Ruoxi’s phone started ringing.
Xue Rui pinched the bridge of his nose. ’When I get back, I’m definitely getting that old lady a senior-friendly phone.’
He and the lass sat in the back seat of the car. Yu Minlan started the engine thoughtfully and drove them to the house she had rented in advance.
She had thought for a long time but still couldn’t come up with any fun places in Shencheng.
The car slowly drove into a residential complex. ’The environment of the complex Yu Minlan picked is pretty nice,’ Xue Rui thought. ’There’s a lot of greenery.’
He had given his approval for this place beforehand; otherwise, Yu Minlan wouldn’t have been able to make a decision.
Yu Minlan looked around at the surroundings, an indescribable feeling welling up inside her.
Her car was considered pretty decent in Hedong, but in this complex, it was terribly out of place...
Fortunately, Shencheng was a very inclusive city; no one cared what kind of car you drove.
The rent here was also ridiculously expensive. A single apartment cost fifteen thousand a month.
If Xue Rui wasn’t footing the bill, she was afraid she would never have considered a place like this in her entire life.
The moment he got out of the car, Xue Rui felt a wave of muggy heat.
The heat in Shencheng wasn’t like the dry heat of Hedong; it was both humid and hot...
"Grandma, I’ve arrived. I’ll call you tonight," Lin Ruoxi said, hanging up the old woman’s call. She looked up at the ornamental trees in the complex, braving the scorching sun.
"Whoa, such big leaves," Lin Ruoxi said, staring up blankly.
Xue Rui also looked up. A single leaf was several meters long and probably weighed dozens of pounds. ’If one of those fell and hit you on the head, wouldn’t you get a huge lump?’
"Missy, that’s a royal palm," an old man nearby said with a laugh, his Mandarin very stiff.
"Oh, thank you," Lin Ruoxi said with a nod.
Yu Minlan introduced him. "This is the landlord, Uncle Wu."
"Handsome, what are you all doing here?" the old man asked with a smile.
Xue Rui smiled. "Just visiting."
"Then you’ve come to the wrong place. There’s nothing to do in Shencheng," the old man said, shaking his head repeatedly.
Yu Minlan also nodded slightly. She had been thinking about it the whole ride and couldn’t think of anything fun to do in Shencheng. She had been incredibly bored lately, just staying home in the air conditioning, watching TV.
Xue Rui chuckled. "What do you think traveling is?"
"Um, going to tourist spots and taking pictures?" Yu Minlan said.
"Too superficial," Xue Rui sighed.
Yu Minlan thought for a moment. "Eating, relaxing? Cultivating one’s character?"
The more Xue Rui listened, the more he shook his head, like a teacher who was very dissatisfied with a student’s answer.
Yu Minlan started to lose her confidence. ’Were my answers wrong?’
Still, she really admired Xue Rui. He always managed to come up with unique insights.
"Then what is it?" Yu Minlan asked humbly.
The old man’s curiosity was piqued as well, and he looked at Xue Rui with interest.
Xue Rui grinned. "It’s running from a place you’re sick of living in to a place someone else is sick of living in, and then losing yourself amidst a chorus of ’Handsome’."