Rebirth from the Ashes

How did the boys discover that she was down in the dumps? Yuan Yu was able to detect as she did not hide her feelings, but she believed she put on a convincing show for Li Yuan.

“Who else?” The expression on Li Yuan’s face changed.

“My brother, Yuan Yu.” Shen Xi deeply sighed as her tone took a downturn. “Brother, Fu Qingli met me today.”

Alarms were raised in Li Yuan’s voice. “Did he mess with you again? It seems like he did not take Uncle Jin Yu’s advice seriously.”

Did Fu Qingli think Li Yuan was going to stand by for the times he picked on his fair lady?

“No.” As Li Yuan strolled into the living room, Shen Xi sat up straight and looked him in the eye. “Brother, I have to tell you something.”

Li Yuan had never seen his fair lady carrying such a straight face. With his heart sinking to the pit of his stomach, he braced himself for what was to come.

“Fu Qingli said that I’m Fu Qingxi.” Shen Xi curled his lips and smiled, but the smile bore a vague hint of bitterness and self-deprecation.

She was Fu Qingxi, the long-lost daughter of the Fu family. She should be happy, but the memories of the injustice she suffered as the daughter of the Su family in her previous and present life weighed down on her.

Her previous life was not supposed to be tragic. She was not the Su family’s daughter, yet she desperately tried to woo them and ended with an agonizing fate.

Shen Xi knew she should not blame the Fu family as they never stopped looking for her. Alas, as fate would have it, they brushed past each other in life. Still, the bit of resentment within her was getting the best of her, pulling and tugging at her nerves.

Li Yuan’s gentle eyes flickered in surprise, albeit the bitterness laced in her voice was gut-wrenching. He paused for a moment before saying, “Is he sure?”

Fu Qingli would never do or say anything he was not certain of. It must be it since he said so.

“He walked through the door and kicked Fu Qingxuan.” Fixating on Li Yuan, Shen Xi took a deep breath. “My leg hurt too.”

There was no need for a reason or a DNA test. The telepathy between twins was proof itself. It was simple to the point of absurdity.

Now she understood why she never felt a connection with Su Mushi even though she would feel pain out of nowhere. It was not with Su Mushi but with Fu Qingxuan.

It was the same case this morning. No one else was sick while she and Fu Qingxuan caught a cold together. Lil’ Ye even teased that they were like twins. It so happened they actually were.

Li Yuan was speechless. “…”

Sighing, Shen Xi made it look like she was not bothered. “He took a strand of my hair. The DNA result should be out in two days.”

Mockery and fury stirred in Li Yuan’s eyes. “So he won’t accept you as a family without the DNA test?”

Shen Xi understood that he was mad and sorry for her sake. “Brother, don’t be angry. I’m not done. Hear me out. It’s a question of whether I want to accept them as family, not you. Tell me, do you want to beat Fu Qingli up because I want to. The way he talked calls for a beating.”

Li Yuan nodded while growling through clenched teeth. “I’ll beat him up the next time I see him.”

He would not know without the girl telling him. It could only mean that the Fu family was unaware of it either. Otherwise, Mr. Jin Yu would come to him.

“Brother, tell me the truth. The people at the temple were after me, right? I was the target and not you.” Shen Xi looked him dead in the eyes.

It struck Li Yuan then, and his eyes screamed murder. “It’s the Fu family. They’re after you because you’re Fu Qingxi. Someone figured out your identity before Fu Qingli or perhaps they knew it long before that. The assassins must have something to do with Mr. Jin Yu’s disappearance.”

“Yes. That’s what Fu Qingli said too.” Shen Xi knew he would catch on in a jiffy. “I think he had a lead. Where is your investigation at? You can exchange information with him.”

Shen Xi was at a dead end. Since that day, Li Yuan had Xuan Yuan follow her around for her safety. With a bodyguard by her side, those who wanted her life had no chance to come close.

Li Yuan got the message, picking up on the reason Fu Qingli did not accept her back into the family right away. His expression remained stiff. “I’ll have a good talk with him.”

He picked up on a few crumbs, but based on the girl’s claim, Fu Qingli might have a worthier trail to look at. Li Yuan could take one for the team and put up with Fu Qingli just to apprehend the person out for his fair lady’s life once and for all.

“Brother, don’t let anyone know about this yet. Let’s wait until the culprit is behind bars.” This was the reason for Shen Xi’s promise to Fu Qingli. Besides, she was baffled as to how to face the reality of returning to the embrace of the Fu family with her mind all over the place.

She could use the week to straighten out her thoughts and accept reality. She was fine if Fu Qingli wanted more time. What difference did one or two days make?

“Sure.” Gazing at the girl’s exhausted face, Li Yuan wanted nothing more than to fly there and stay by her side.

It must be hard for her to take stock of the sudden turn of events. She must be struggling, upset, and at a loss.

His fair lady may seem strong on the surface, but she was a softie at heart, especially toward her friends and family. She cherished her relationships and cared for the Fu family, excluding Fu Qingli, of course. Shen Xi must be wondering how to face them.

That day, Shen Xi disconnected the video call and lay in bed, tossing and turning. She was unable to fall asleep as flashbacks haunted her mind. Sometimes, she was caught in the memories of her experience at Su’s residence while other times her mind was bounced between the Shen couple and the Fu family.

In the end, her mental picture froze on a man’s gorgeously vivid face and tender eyes that made her heart go wild. Finding solace, she clung to her blanket and fell into a deep slumber.

Amid grogginess, she could feel someone drawing near. With footsteps echoing in the room, she abruptly opened her sharp eyes and darted a chilling stare at the door.

Someone tiptoed in as though afraid to wake her.. Catching a glimpse of the person’s long legs, her nerves ease as she sank back under the covers like a slug.