Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 80: Violent third party

It was only the third photo, yet it contained such terrifying content.

What then could be on those photos I hadn’t finished looking at?

A massive wave of panic suddenly washed over her.

Xu Si moved to sit on the soft bed, slowly covering her eyes, feeling the violent pounding and sour ache in her chest.

The moon reached its zenith and began to set, the night wind died down, and all became silent, but sleep still eluded her.

She stared into the dense night, drank several glasses of cool water, and tossed and turned until dawn.

Xu Si didn’t consider herself a kind person; she rarely felt compassion for anyone.

But she couldn’t help thinking about how the young boy used to depend on her so much. How desolate he must have felt when he first arrived, waiting for her appearance, only for her to never show up.

To her surprise, a real pang of pain began to throb in her heart.

This feeling persisted until the sky began to pale.

She decided to forgo sleep, got out of bed, slipped into her soft slippers, and threw on a white fluffy coat. She planned to check on the Berry Wine that had been steeping overnight, hoping it would soothe her mind enough to try sleeping again.

「On the vast balcony.」

Three transparent, matte glass jars stood neatly aligned. Their purple-red liquid was vaguely visible, and the scent was still rich and fragrant, indistinguishable from what Xu Si remembered.

Xu Si squatted, pressing on the jar lids, trying to seal them more tightly.

"’I might have added too much sugar,’ she murmured after fiddling with the jars for a long time. ’I wonder if his tastes have changed. Does Pei Zhen still like sweet things?’"

"’Not particularly fond of them, but I don’t dislike them either,’ a mesmerizing voice spoke from behind her, its exact distance indiscernible.

Xu Si froze. Though she maintained a calm exterior, her heart felt as if it had imploded with shock.

Someone appearing suddenly behind her at this hour was indeed frightening.

"’Up so early?’ the man spoke again after a moment. ’Didn’t you sleep all night? Insomnia?’"

"..."

Her breath hitched.

Xu Si turned around.

Her gaze swept across the hall.

The man stood on the steps of the floating staircase, descending unhurriedly. He wore a high-collared black sweater, and his skin looked as if it had been brushed with a white filter. Despite waking at the same early hour, his face showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, his gray eyes seemed even brighter, and his every move as he descended possessed an almost unreal, bewitching beauty.

"’Pei Zhen?’ Xu Si was so surprised she looked at him twice. ’You didn’t sleep either?’"

Pei Zhen strolled leisurely to the seating area beside her and sat down, uttering a soft ’Mm’ in response.

"’I came to watch the sunrise. Care to join me?’"

Xu Si’s lips parted slightly. She was about to say she was sleep-deprived and needed to rest, but seeing his now-quiet eyes, the words died on her lips.

Opportunities like this are rare. I should keep him company.

With this thought, Xu Si sat down beside him. Her fingers supported her luminous, moon-like face as she gazed at the white light in the distance.

The sky was on the verge of dawn but not yet bright. The sun would still take some time to rise from the sea. Half the sky remained dim, as if light had segmented it into two different worlds.

A few bird calls occasionally broke the silence. Beyond that, there were no other sounds.

Just as she thought the tranquil atmosphere would continue, the man suddenly spoke.

"’Why didn’t you sleep?’"

Xu Si’s tone was as ethereal as smoke. "’I was reminiscing about the past. What about you? Why didn’t you sleep?’"

"’I slept for three hours. I don’t need much sleep.’"

"’Are you still human?’"

Xu Si’s half-closed eyes suddenly widened. That was strange; humans needed sleep.

As soon as she finished speaking, the man chuckled softly.

Suddenly, her hand hanging by her side was grasped by his larger, cooler one. The touch was familiar: a smooth palm, fingertips carrying a hint of penetrating chill.

Pei Zhen’s refined voice sounded, "’I won’t be dying anytime soon.’"

Xu Si’s gaze sharpened.

The man returned to the previous topic. "’What past are you recalling? Was I in that past?’"

It seemed this was his way of jumbling her thoughts, so his hand wouldn’t withdraw.

Xu Si sat upright. Facing such a hazy morning, she didn’t feel much like telling lies.

"’It’s all about your past. Honestly, when I saw your photo, my heart ached. Even though you said you don’t blame me, I feel I should apologize for not keeping my promise.’"

"’Just for that? Losing sleep over this... doesn’t it seem a bit unworthy?’"

"’Yes, just for that.’ Xu Si continued calmly, though with some hesitation, ’Maybe you no longer see me as your Little Aunt, but I truly care for you as if you were my own dear nephew. So, I can’t help but wonder what you were thinking back then, how upset you must have been.’"

Pei Zhen chuckled, then chuckled again.

After a long pause, he finally said in a low voice, "’At that time, I just felt abandoned by the whole world.’"

Such a desolate tone, yet he could still laugh.

Xu Si turned her head to look at Pei Zhen’s sharply defined features, saying nothing.

But her expression was caught by the corner of Pei Zhen’s eye.

He possessed a pair of sharp eyes, capable of piercing through any facade to see into a person’s heart.

He said, "’You’re wondering why I can still laugh?’"

Xu Si was momentarily startled.

He lowered his gaze to meet Xu Si’s, his eyes slightly wide. A laugh rumbled from his throat, tinged with a subtle, possessive quality.

"’Just having you by my side makes me feel deliriously happy. Xu Si, the love I speak of is not a lie.’"

That day, the sun did not rise. It remained completely shrouded in mist.

Xu Si stared at his beautiful face, dazed.

Her lips were tenderly kissed. His actions were slow, as if asking for permission.

She clearly had the chance to push him away, yet it felt as if she were frozen, unable to move, her mind fixated on one thing.

The man’s kiss was light, stopping after a mere taste.

He left a few deep, enigmatic words in her ear, like questions he answered himself:

"’You’re wondering what else I know?’"

"’I also know that today’s sun won’t rise in the Underground City.’"

"’And I know, you’ve always wanted to escape.’"

He’d hit a nerve again. A shiver ran down Xu Si’s spine.

He had always known. Even though she had been quiet for so long and hadn’t mentioned leaving again.

"’Why? Is it because of the mixed-race man who came to pick you up that day? Would you like someone like that?’"

"’If that were the case,’ Xu Si swallowed, looking at him, ’would you let me go for moral reasons?’"

"’...’ The man’s eyes drooped sadly.

He slowly grasped her fragile, white wrist. "’No,’ he said, his voice soft, yet the final word lilted upwards sharply. ’But if it truly pains you, I can kill him. I’m willing to be cast as the violent third party.’"

There was no room for negotiation. Xu Si’s heart clenched violently. She gasped, the suffocating sensation making her vision blur.

But she was never a lamb to be passively slaughtered.

She curved her lips into a smile and suddenly kissed him, seizing the chance to retaliate. Then, she bit down on his lower lip, her pearly teeth exerting enough force to draw blood.

The man’s grip indeed loosened; he paused.

Xu Si shoved him away.

Her fingertips trembled as she wiped the fresh blood from the corner of her lips. "’That’s your punishment for guessing wildly,’ she said softly. ’I don’t like any mixed-race man. I’m going back to sleep.’"

With that, she returned to her room, her pace unhurried.

Yet, her slightly flustered steps still revealed that, having initiated a kiss for the first time, she was not entirely calm.

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