Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love
Chapter 39: How much do you love him?

Chapter 39: How much do you love him?

He cursed bitterly, covering his head, and spewed a few obscenities before pushing away his bodyguard. "Are you stupid? Call a car! I need to go to the hospital."

A black car came and then left, taking away Xie Ming, who was on the brink of fainting from excessive blood loss.

Yet none of the onlookers felt Xu Si was humiliating him; Xu Si spoke only the truth.

A young master who made his fortune as a profiteer simply couldn’t compare to an heir whose family built their wealth through industry. It was his muddled thinking and audacious lust that had led him to provoke Xu Si, a woman known for her ferocity.

The night breeze rustled through the loquat leaves.

Wen Jiaojiao’s mother, Wen Lan, stepped out. She looked at the bloodstains on the ground, smiled, and called a servant over.

"Clean it up."

Wen Jiaojiao’s maternal grandfather said that for the sake of the younger generation’s friendship, there was no longer a need to invite the young master of the Xie Family over.

「...」

The sports car drove up to the intersection.

There weren’t many people on the streets at this hour, just a few motorcycles zooming past.

A burst of honking sounded.

Xu Si, with her sharp eyes, spotted a tall youth standing upright beside a black car not far away. He held a thermos cup, and his ash-grey eyes seemed to carry a hint of a smile as they gazed at her, his entire body exposed to the dry night wind.

Warm, handsome.

Xu Si told the driver to stop, opened the door, and walked briskly towards him. Standing by his side, she was utterly unaware that her previously stern expression had vanished, replaced by a gentle and bright one.

She reached out to brush her hair back, her mood lifting significantly. "Let’s go. Auntie can go home with you now."

Pei Zhen first glanced at her hand, which bore abrasions from exertion, her cuff stained with dark red wine.

He seemed to understand something and pulled a band-aid from his pocket. "Hold on a second."

"Hmm? What are you doing?" Xu Si watched his movements.

"Auntie, you’re injured. Didn’t you realize?"

The youth smiled helplessly and half-squatted, his black windbreaker draping on the ground. He reverently extended the back of his hand, gently placing hers upon it for support. Then, with his other hand, he meticulously applied a flesh-colored band-aid over the reddened wound. Still not satisfied, he pressed the adhesive sides with his slender fingertips, ensuring it was securely attached.

A naturally mild yet clear voice filled the air.

"There, all better. Does it hurt?"

"Ah, it doesn’t hurt."

Xu Si watched his exquisitely gentle movements, her fingers twitching slightly. She was moved and felt she had been too harsh earlier, her voice softening.

"Azhen, were you very upset just now?"

Pei Zhen shook his head with a smile.

"Auntie was protecting me, so I’m happy."

So he understood everything.

That’s why he refused to leave.

Xu Si gazed intently at him. "Azhen, Auntie is happy to protect you. But remember, you’re still young and don’t need to face the outside world; Auntie can handle it. I want you to live without worries. So, let’s go. Come home with Auntie."

The youth’s eyelashes cast shadows in the dim light. After a moment, he stood up and opened the car door, his eyes smiling warmly.

Auntie is so fickle.

Just yesterday she said he had grown up.

Xu Si saw him staring blankly. "What are you thinking about?"

He smiled faintly. "Thinking about going home with Auntie."

The night was too deep, and Xu Si’s heartbeat skipped another beat.

She wanted to say something but then thought better of it.

Returning to the Xu Mansion, Xu Si lay on the soft, comfortable bed, her thoughts scattering, her mind flooded with the image of the youth earlier that day, pulling her into his embrace and yanking Xie Ming’s hand away.

His expression and actions, along with his stern brows and eyes, all made her think of another him.

A him from a strange and unknown future, one she hadn’t interacted with much.

How had she offended him in her past life?

She couldn’t quite remember.

But it was probably similar to the situation with Xie Ming: encountering a man at a party who perfectly matched her aesthetic...

Thinking back now, Xu Si found it all very complicated.

A sense of guilt rose within her.

It was as if, in some intangible way, she had truly flirted with her own nephew, even though that had been in a past life.

Xu Si felt somewhat suffocated. She put on her slippers and walked into the hallway for some air.

But she noticed that Pei Zhen’s light was still on at this hour; he hadn’t gone to bed yet.

Standing in the hallway, Xu Si knocked on his door.

"Azhen, are you awake?"

Soon, a gentle, youthful voice answered, "Auntie, just a moment, I’ll open the door."

Xu Si raised an eyebrow, panic flickering in her eyes for a second. Her voice turned cool and distant. "No need to open the door. I just wanted to check on you. Go to bed early. I’m heading back to my room."

Pei Zhen sat at his desk, pausing his task of organizing his journal, and let out a light chuckle.

"Alright."

Hearing the sound of footsteps retreating, he sat under the solitary moonlight, his gaze slightly lowered. He flipped open the journal again. After a pause, he took up the black fountain pen and completed the English sentence at the end of the lengthy entry.

It translated to: "Some feelings are only suited to the dark; once exposed to light, they easily disintegrate into ashes and smoke."

He placed the fountain pen back on its stand and turned to gaze at the courtyard, musing silently.

Auntie seemed not to have looked through him to see another person for a long time.

He’d thought it was Xie Ming, but today it didn’t seem to be.

That person is well-hidden.

So well-hidden that he still hadn’t found them.

Another voice in his mind raised a question.

—Was it Auntie’s former lover? How much must she have loved that person to save me like this?

After leaving Pei Zhen’s room, Xu Si didn’t go back to her own room as she claimed. Instead, she went straight to the study to look over company documents, attempting to calm her inner turmoil with the distraction of work.

The more Pei Zhen grew up, the closer he seemed to become to the terrible version of him she remembered.

The feeling was subtle.

Because the Pei Zhen of the future, aside from his appearance, had a personality entirely different from the current Pei Zhen.

He was someone consumed by desires and frighteningly obsessive.

Despite being deeply fascinated by that sort of disdainful arrogance, she also wished, as much as possible, to prevent Pei Zhen from having the chance to become that person.

Because only those whose lives were sufficiently damaged would become so crazed—crazed to the point of instilling fear in others.

「...」

The farce with Xie Ming ended with the smashing of a wine bottle.

Xu Si was always ready for his retaliation.

But it never came.

It was said that Xie Ming’s father gave him a severe scolding and sent several Guest-Greeting Pines to the Xu Mansion as congratulatory gifts for the new mall’s opening.

But everyone knew these were apologies wrapped in a more palatable guise.

Xu Si accepted the gifts and didn’t forget to send back a copy of the Tao Te Ching. Once word of this spread within their social circle, Xie Ming became a laughingstock for a long time.

The grand opening of the Chengpin Mall, under the Xu Corporation, took place in March. There were extensive firecracker celebrations, and they even invited a prestigious lion dance troupe—a rarity in that era—as well as film and television stars. It was a bustling and lively event.

Thanks to the promotional strategy Xu Si crafted, spending 188 yuan entered customers into a raffle. The prize pool included the latest model cars, audio systems, karaoke equipment, and other devices. The smallest prize was two tubes of toothpaste, drawing residents from half the city to come and see.

When Xu Si arrived, the mall was crammed with people clutching their raffle tickets. Unable to enter, she could only walk around the perimeter of the shopping center.

As she walked around, she noticed an abandoned factory nearby, directly adjoining the back of the mall.

It was strange.

While the exterior of the factory looked worn and deserted, people were living inside.

Xu Si was just about to approach and ask when suddenly the factory gates opened.

A truck slowly backed out. A worker, dressed in dusty, unremarkable clothing, was directing it.

But as the worker lifted an arm, an aggressive, ghost-faced tattoo was revealed on it.

Xu Si’s pupils contracted sharply.

And at that exact moment, the man turned his head.

She took a deep breath, maintaining a deliberately calm expression. She met his gaze briefly before leaving with Anshi, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Confused, Anshi asked softly, "Miss, what’s wrong with that person?"

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