Rebirth from the Ashes

Shen Xi paused in motion and asked, “Is Fu Qingli onto something?”

Li Yuan shook her head while his voice carried a chilling undertone. “We’re not making much progress so we’re switching leads.”

The mastermind was indeed once behind the disappearance of his fair lady and Mr. Jin Yu. Their execution was squeaky clean and left no trace. Otherwise, Fu Qingli, despite his incompetency, would have found something by now.

Nevertheless, he could deduce based on recent investigations that the perpetrator was coldblooded and would stop at nothing. His fair lady’s sudden appearance seemed to be unexpected in the perpetrator’s plans.

They wanted her dead back then but somehow, the culprit was unsuccessful, so his fair lady ran free. The recent event was the perpetrator’s doing again.

The mastermind must not have known much sooner than Fu Qingli did about Shen Xi. Hence, they were trying to get to Shen Xi before Fu Qingli found her. Dead men told no tales, after all.

Shen Xi said nothing as she fell into deep thought. The perpetrator must be deep undercover if Li Yuan and Fu Qingli could not get to them. To be able to prey on her and Uncle Jin Yu, she suspected that they must be lurking around the Fu family.

Li Yuan studied the girl’s solemn face and read her mind. “I think you’ve figured out who this person is. It has to be someone who can get close to you and Uncle Jin Yu, which means they’re someone close to the Fu family.”

The Fu family was a huge household. Although immediate family members were scarce, there were way too many extended members who were vying to get ahead and take power. It could be any one of them.

“Yes.” Shen Xi nodded. It was without a doubt.

Surely, if she and Li Yuan could think of it, Fu Qingli must have thought the same.

That mastermind had to be caught. It would become a bigger problem if the perpetrator was not arrested and went deeper into hiding.

While the pair were in conversation about whoever was behind it, the computer screen displayed the sudden chaos that befell the set. A woman was screaming.

Shen Xi looked over and saw Su Mushi’s menacing and murderous expression as he said something to Su Ruowan. He approached Su Ruowan and pulled her away by the hair.

In tears, Su Ruowan pleaded for him to let go and begged the people around to save her from Su Mushi. However, it only prompted Su Mushi to clamp tighter to her hair and drag her forward.

Sitting on the sidelines, the intrigued onlookers did not come forth to stop him.

Li Yuan viewed the monitor and asked, “Do you want to go over?”

Shaking her head, Shen Xi observed the screen in contempt. After Su Ruowan was hauled out of view, she offhandedly said, “No.”

Su Mushi was not a nice guy. It was unlike Su Mushi to leave Su Ruowan alone after his beloved sister had forsaken them while the family was drowning in debt. He might just beat her to death. Shen Xi was going to let them tear into each other.

On set, the cast and staff members watched Su Mushi drag Su Ruowan away before exchanging glances and whispering among themselves.

It was their family affair. No one wanted to poke their nose and get themselves into the mess.

Su Ruowan was a heartless ingrate to disassociate herself from the Su family on the same day the family bankrupted. Anyone who was abandoned by those dearest to them during their hardest, let alone the Su family, would not be able to take the betrayal sitting down.

The Su family might be wicked, but they were still the family who raised Su Ruowan. Although Li Jingran and Su Yi let the whole world down, they always did right by her. It was scary to think Su Ruowan was ruthless by nature.

With Su Ruowan’s cries for help soon fading into the background, calm returned to the set.

Hu Zheng instructed the crew to get ready as though the earlier scene had never happened.

Su Mushi forcibly yanked Su Ruowan all the way out, turning a blind ear to her crying pleas. Once they reached a quiet place, he hurled her to the ground, but his hand still held tightly to her hair and was unafraid to rip her scalp off as he stared her down. “Su Ruowan, why are you doing this? When did we ever do you wrong?”

Su Ruowan stopped all the yelling. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she was forced to look up to him. She groaned in agony as the pain set in, albeit her head became clearer. She tried to find the words. “Mushi, I only did it for the good of the family.”

Beyond livid, Su Mushi laughed and tugged her hair to make her stand up. Gazing at her blue and purple face, he growled through clenched teeth, “For the good of the family?”

She had not lost her silver tongue to talk her way out of it. Did she think he and the family would still believe her?

“I did it for our family.” Su Ruowan gave him a hurtful look while she ran scenarios of chopping Su Mushi to bits and cussed Shen Xi for her inability to destroy the Su family in her mind. Between wails, Su Ruowan explained, “I only did it to remain in showbiz so I can pay off the family’s debt and repay Mom and Dad for raising me.

“Mushi, I’m not ungrateful. Think about it. Who else can bring home the money if I’m tied with you? What will happen to you, Mom, Dad, Muxuan, and Muyan? We’d be done for.”

She recalled that fallen businesses would have their valuables seized by the courts. The bank accounts would be frozen while identification cards were sealed from any access. Travel would not be possible either.

Su Mushi was penniless, and his identification card was also frozen. How was he able to come all the way here?

“Do you think I would believe you?” Su Mushi yanked her hair with one hand and strangled her neck with the other. As madness and resentment ran rampant in his eyes, he choked her with all his might.

Su Ruowan appeared to have resigned to her fate as she closed her eyes and let him have his way. She could not resist because she needed Su Mushi to believe her. Otherwise, she was dead meat.

She trusted her acting should be able to fool a brainless nincompoop like Su Mushi. He would not try anything on her.

“B*tch! You’re a heartless b*tch! I was good to you! I really thought of you as my own sister!” Su Mushi hysterically yelled, acting out all his emotions.

He was hovering at the edge of insanity as he got her in a death grip with bloodshot eyes.. The only thing in his mind was the shuddering thrill from killing her and watching her struggle and cry.