Reborn Episode 12 Recap
> Reborn Recap
Downstairs, Qiao Qingyu picked up a little bird that was nearly frozen stiff. The weather was so cold, and she felt this little bird must be just as homeless as she was. So she brought it along to Ming Sheng’s home. Ming Sheng handed Qiao Qingyu a warm towel. After a hot shower, her cold improved significantly. Finally having a quiet and warm place to stay, Qiao Qingyu was deeply grateful to Ming Sheng.
She said that once she earned some money from part-time jobs, she would definitely repay him—including the transportation and lodging costs. Ming Sheng told her not to worry at all; he often had the urge to roam alone, and now with a companion, things actually felt a bit livelier. When they were bored, Ming Sheng would play the piano for Qiao Qingyu. With the comfort of music, both of their moods improved.
Meanwhile, Qiao Qingyu’s parents were still searching for their daughter everywhere. They called her classmates and contacted everyone they could think of, but no one knew her whereabouts. With no other choice, Qiao Qingyu’s mother, Li Fanghao, reported her missing to the police. Not long after, the police called back to say they had recovered the body of a young woman, about twenty years old, from the river. Li Fanghao was terrified and began to tremble uncontrollably.
Although her daughter wasn’t yet twenty, the fear that the drowned woman might be her own child shook her deeply. Her eldest daughter was already gone—she couldn’t bear the thought of losing her second daughter too. That night, Ming Sheng let Qiao Qingyu sleep on the bed while he took the floor. The two began chatting to pass the time.
Ming Sheng recounted the first time they met—it had been five or six years ago, when Qiao Qingyu was still a little elementary school student. Ming Sheng had once followed his father to Qiao Qingyu’s hometown. He was about to play the piano in a music room when a little girl suddenly walked onto the stage. Thinking no one was around, she started practicing in secret.
It was the first time Ming Sheng had seen someone attempt the “Little Swan,” but she looked more like a chubby duck. Yet the seriousness with which that little girl practiced left a lasting impression on him. That’s why, years later, he recognized Qiao Qingyu the moment he saw her. So, the bond between Qiao Qingyu and Ming Sheng had started many years ago. Under Ming Sheng’s attentive care, Qiao Qingyu’s cold quickly improved.
During this time, Ming Sheng’s father overheard a nurse say she had seen Ming Sheng. He had assumed his son was still in France. Hearing that he was back but hadn’t said a word made him uneasy. When no one answered his calls, he drove straight to the house. Although Ming Sheng quickly hid Qiao Qingyu in the bathroom, his observant father noticed an extra pair of girls’ shoes by the door.
Coupled with the look on Ming Sheng’s face, it wasn’t hard for his father to figure things out. He subtly reminded his son that growing up means taking responsibility. In the bathroom, Qiao Qingyu overheard Ming Sheng’s father and felt a bit sorry for causing Ming Sheng trouble. But Ming Sheng assured her there was no need to feel that way. Back then, their classmate Wang Mumu lived next door to him.
He often heard her father go into drunken rages. After drinking, her father would beat Mumu and her mother. Whenever things got too bad, Ming Sheng would step out and pull Mumu’s father away. After closing the door, Ming Sheng told Qiao Qingyu that Mumu’s father had once been a successful businessman but went downhill after a failed venture. For the past few years, he’d never recovered and frequently vented his frustrations on his family while drunk.
Ming Sheng said his father believed that, at this rate, Mumu’s father wouldn’t last more than three or five years. Qiao Qingyu couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Mumu’s father—why did he always drink? But when she thought of how Mumu and her mother were constantly being beaten, it felt so unfair. One time, when Ming Sheng went out to buy food, Mumu’s father started another drunken rampage.
Qiao Qingyu heard Mumu shouting Ming Sheng’s name at the door—it was clear she was being bullied again. Since Mumu had helped her before, Qiao Qingyu didn’t hesitate. She opened the door and pulled Mumu inside. When Mumu saw Qiao Qingyu at Ming Sheng’s home, she was startled. But after hearing Qiao Qingyu’s explanation, she understood. While chatting alone, Mumu told Qiao Qingyu that Ming Sheng was different from them.
His father was a dean, and his mother a famous French singer. His future was sure to be bright—like the moon in the sky. But children like them, who had no one to rely on, were like blades of grass. Even if Ming Sheng chose to fight alongside them through hardship, that couldn’t compare to the support his parents could offer him with just a helping hand. Mumu’s words left Qiao Qingyu deeply moved.
