Side Story 14: The Rebirth of Xie Hongchu, Xie Xinghe, and Xie Xingrong—Part 2
Xie Xinghe’s realization
Xie Xinghe never thought that he would get another chance at life after his tragic fall from grace in his previous existence. Yet, here he was—once again a small child, living in a strangely different version of his childhood. In this life, he had been well cared for, far from the harsh memories of his former existence.
The day he woke up, realizing that Lin Chuxia, his once detested and neglectful mother, was now a caring figure, something clicked in his mind. This wasn’t just a strange dream or a hallucination brought on by his tragic end. He had truly been reborn.
But the woman he now called “Mom” was nothing like the cold and abusive person he had once known. In fact, she was warm, attentive, and treated him, his older brother, Xie Hongchu, and younger brother, Xie Xingrong, with genuine love and affection.
“Something’s off,” he thought as he meticulously observed her. The life they were living now was far more comfortable than it had ever been in his past. This isn’t the life we had.
Xie Xinghe had always been a calculated individual. He had learned that to survive in his previous life, he needed to play his cards right. But now the rules had changed. In this seemingly peaceful life, he found himself questioning whether he needed to fight the same battles.
“Erzai, are you alright?” Lin Chuxia’s voice snapped him out of his deep thoughts.
“Yes, Mom,” Xie Xinghe replied automatically, his young voice betraying none of the intense thoughts swirling in his mind.
As time passed, Xie Xinghe began to accept his new reality. He had a second chance—one where he wasn’t forced to bear the weight of his family’s burdens alone. Here, they had a father, Xie Jingming, who hadn’t died, and a mother who nurtured them. He didn’t need to protect his siblings in the same way he had before, but his instincts as their protector remained strong.
Even though Xie Xinghe was determined to grow up and outshine his previous self, there was still one challenge he wasn’t prepared for—the absurd antics of his older brother Xie Hongchu and younger brother Xie Xingrong.
# Xie Hongchu’s Embarrassing Middle-School Syndrome
If Xie Xinghe thought he had matured enough to tackle this new life rationally, Xie Hongchu’s behavior was enough to make him reconsider. Ever since their father, Xie Jingming, returned, Xie Hongchu seemed determined to turn their lives into some kind of heroic saga.
One afternoon, while playing with some neighborhood kids, Xie Hongchu, who was no longer the cold, stoic leader from his past life, stood before a group of children, defending their right to play in the park.
“Three… Thirty years of River North… Thirty years of River South…!” Xie Hongchu began, faltering as he tried to remember the rest of the quote from some dramatic story he’d heard.
From the sidelines, Xie Xinghe cringed. Is this my older brother? Seriously? He felt the heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment. He had never seen his brother act so ridiculously.
Before Xie Hongchu could stumble over his words any longer, Xie Hongchu suddenly puffed out his small chest and shouted with dramatic flair, “Do not underestimate the poor and young!”
The neighborhood kids stared at him, wide-eyed and confused.
From behind, Xie Xinghe’s face turned bright red. Is this really happening? Is this the same brother I knew from my past life?
Watching his older brother’s antics, Xie Xinghe began to realize that in this life, things were incredibly different. Maybe too different. He might have his hands full just keeping his siblings from embarrassing themselves.
That night, as Lin Chuxia told them another story before bed, Xie Xinghe pondered over his new life. It was peaceful, far from the political maneuvering he had known before. His brothers, though occasionally foolish, were happy. There was no need to worry about survival here. But should I really let my guard down?
Even as Lin Chuxia told them stories about the revolutionary heroes and their sacrifices for the nation, Xie Xinghe couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming—something he needed to be prepared for.
Yet, despite his cautious nature, Xie Xinghe started to enjoy his second life. He decided to take things slow and let himself be the protective brother without the weight of the world on his shoulders. Maybe this life, with all its quirks and embarrassing moments, wasn’t so bad after all.
Part 3: Xie Xingrong’s Awakening
Meanwhile, the youngest of the brothers, Xie Xingrong, who had also been reborn, was still coming to terms with the strange occurrences in his new life. One moment, he was an emotionless adult living in the shadow of his family, and the next, he found himself a carefree child, being pampered by the warmest family he had ever known.
However, something even stranger happened to Xie Xingrong. Unlike his brothers, who had retained their memories and personalities, Xie Xingrong found himself being tugged in and out of consciousness by some other force. One day, as he sat on Lin Chuxia’s lap, munching on candy, he felt a sharp tug on his consciousness, as though he were floating out of his body.
“Who’s there?” he asked, confused.
There, standing before him, was a slightly older version of himself.
“I am you,” said the figure, who introduced himself as Xie Xingrong, the version from the future.
The younger Xie Xingrong blinks. “You’re me? From the future?”
“Yes,” replied the older Xie Xingrong, cool and distant. “I’m a scientist. A brilliant one.”
The younger Xie Xingrong’s eyes lit up. “Wow! That’s so cool! I want to be a scientist too!”
The older Xie Xingrong was taken aback. He hadn’t expected this kind of reaction. He had expected to influence his younger self in more subtle ways. But seeing the admiration in the eyes of the child, he couldn’t help but feel something stir in his chest.
Though he didn’t quite know how, young Xie Xingrong could see and hear his future self, and for some reason, this only made the child even more excited.
“You’ll help me, right? You’ll teach me how to be as smart as you!” Xie Xingrong exclaimed with wide, hopeful eyes.
The older Xie Xingrong hesitated. He hadn’t planned to play the role of a mentor, but something about his younger self’s eagerness moved him. He nodded.
“Alright, I’ll teach you everything I know. But remember, science is about discipline, focus, and—”
But before he could finish his sentence, young Xie Xingrong ran off to tell his brothers, leaving the older version standing there, shaking his head.
As the days passed, the brothers grew closer, with young Xie Xingrong constantly chatting with his future self. The older Xie Xingrong found himself both annoyed and oddly charmed by his younger counterpart’s infectious enthusiasm.
Though the future version of Xie Xingrong couldn’t influence much in this strange new world, he found solace in knowing that his younger self would grow up in a loving home, surrounded by family.
Perhaps, in this life, they would all find the happiness that had eluded them in the past.
