Rebirth from the Ashes

An abrupt pain struck the back of Shen Xi’s hand too, and she nearly dropped her beverage to the ground. Li Yuan managed to quickly prop her back up.

“Are you okay?” Li Yuan gazed at her worriedly.

Shen Xi shook her head while drawing in a sharp gasp at Fu Qingxuan’s bleeding hand. As if sharing the pain, she uttered, “It hurts just to watch.”

With Fu Qingxuan heaving at the same time, the duo appeared identical in both reflex and reaction. He turned to look at Li Yuan and Shen Xi before wheeling himself out of there.

“Let me bandage that up before you go,” Jin Yu cried.

“It’s fine.” Fu Qingxuan’s tone was cold. Without looking back at anyone at all, he forged ahead with his wheelchair.

The stumped Jin Yu looked at Shen Xi, hoping she could say something to bring him around.

Getting the message, Shen Xi cleared her throat. “I’ll dress your wound. There’s rust on the hammer. You should get a tetanus shot at the hospital too.”

“It won’t kill me.” Fu Qingxuan’s blasé voice bore clear signs of bitterness. He seemed to have a problem with something, and it was apparent as he looked daggers at Li Yuan when he wheeled past.

Jin Yu held his tongue despite the urge to talk. In the end, he sighed as the young man stubbornly took his leave before turning to Shen Xi. “Xixi, you should check on him.”

It was normal for a young man, fresh in the game of love, not to be in his right mind as his crush fell for someone else. Nevertheless, it was best for him to let go and come out of it sooner rather than later.

“I’ll go and take a look.” Grabbing a piece of pancake and a cup of bubble tea, Shen Xi left the courtyard.

Li Yuan gazed at the empty porch next door. Behind those narrow and deep eyes shimmered a chilling glow.

“The young man likes Xixi?” Jin Yu was undecided whether this was the case.

“He’s her cousin.” Li Yuan’s voice carried a biting frigidity. With that, he took off.

Jin Yu watched his receding figure with furrowed brows. Catching a whiff of the tension in the air, he shook his head and sighed. Youngsters these days.

However, he was surprised to find Young Master Qingxuan to be Xixi’s cousin.

Although Jin Yu had questions, he probably would not get an answer. The jealousy from both parties was reeking through the walls.

Next door, Shen Xi took out a first-aid kit and looked at Fu Qingxuan. “Give me your hand.”

Fu Qingxuan inquired, “Is Li Yuanyour crush?”

Instead of giving a reply, Shen Xi reached out to grab him by the arm but was put off as the young man shook her off. “I’m leaving if you’re going to continue with this behavior.”

Seeing red, Fu Qingxuan’s eyes began to well up. His voice was raspy. “Leave then. Leave right now and go to him. It’s my business even if I die!”

Shen Xi curled his lips as rage started arising. Look at what he was saying. Why did he make her out to be a heartbreaker? Having no intentions to get into it with him, she stared him in the eye and answered the first question. “Yes, I like him.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell your parents?” Fu Qingxuan snuffled at her outright statement. Although he knew he had no right over her nor should he get riled up, Fu Qingxuan could not control himself from getting angry, worried, and scared.

He was mad, because of all the people she could have liked, why did it have to be Li Yuan?

Fu Qingxuan worried Li Yuan might not be good to her and could take advantage of her. Someone like Li Yuan had no heart.

He was afraid Li Yuan might not have many years ahead of him due to his health. It would be sad if she was left all alone.

“Would you?” Shen Xi did not believe him.

Hitting the boiling point, Fu Qingxuan yelled, “How would you know I won’t, Meanie! Are you a mind reader? Do you know what kind of person Li Yuan is? What are you going to do if he dies?”

Shen Xi had no idea he had so many concerns. So this was weighing on his mind. “Young Master Qingxuan, don’t go around wishing death upon people now.”

Fu Qingxuan’s voice grew solemn. “I’ve seen his medical report. It’s not good.”

“He’ll get better.” It was unclear whether Shen Xi was telling him or herself, but each word delivered certainty.

Fu Qingxuan gazed at her without another word. He made up his mind that he neither had the right nor authority to stop her when this was what her heart wanted.

While dressing Fu Qingxuan’s wound, Shen Xi asked, “Do you want to go to the hospital for a tetanus shot?”

Fu Qingxuan’s mind was elsewhere. “Who is that next-door Uncle Jin Yu to Li Yuan?”

Shen Xi replied, “A friend.”

She was not in the position to talk about Uncle Jin Yu to outsiders. Uncle Jin Yu was like a teacher and father figure to Li Yuan. Uncle Jin Yu might owe Li Yuan his life, but it was Uncle Jin Yu who offered counsel to Li Yuan during the latter’s darkest moments.

Fu Qingxuan followed up with another question. “What happened to his face?”

Since Fu Qingxuan was a doctor, Shen Xi knew he would pick up on it today if he did not already yesterday. “He had reconstructive surgery.”

Fu Qingxuan acknowledged before adding. “Burns, I presume?”

Shen Xi nodded. “Yes.”

Fu Qingxuan did not continue the conversation since it was not proper to pry into other people’s personal affairs. Still, the man’s face entered his mind now and then. If his suspicions were right, Uncle Jin Yu’s burns were so bad he needed major surgery from head to toe.

The doctor who performed surgery on his face was no ordinary person either, to have reconstructed a face so flawlessly to a layperson’s eye.

Shen Xi had never seen Young Master Qingxuan so quiet and deep in thought. It was unlike him. “Young Master, I’m having lunch with our neighbors. Are you going to come with me?”

Fu Qingxuan snapped out of his thoughts quickly enough to scoff and firmly refuse. “No way I’m going!”

“That’s a shame. Uncle Jin Yu is a great cook.” Having packed up the first-aid kit, Shen Xi got up and left.

Fu Qingxuan frowned. Jin Yu shared a resemblance to Dad, knowing his way around carpentry and home-cooked meals. He immediately wanted to slap the unrealistic thoughts out of his head. Many people knew how to cook and handle woodwork.

Moreover, Jin Yu merely repaired a cat tree and hammered his hand along the way. That unskilled handicraft did not put him on par with Dad.

Most importantly, he was chummy with Li Yuan. All things aside, anyone on good terms with Li Yuan was no angel!

After putting away the first-aid kit, Shen Xi informed Fu Qingxuan before she went next door.

Fu Qingxuan gritted his teeth as Shen Xi gleefully flew away like a happy bird. He gave the neighbor’s house a dirty look.

Half an hour later, Fu Qingxuan was found spitefully staring at the wall in the courtyard and trying to eavesdrop. Unable to take it anymore, he gave Shen Xi a call and spoke in a calm voice, “Shen Xi, Mrs. Shen is back.”

Shen Xi was playing chess with Jin Yu when she received the call. Without a moment’s notice, she leaped and dashed off as though cops were on her tail.