Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 79: You are the cruel one.

Xu Si wasn’t joking.

Four years.

For a young man who had never experienced social training, it was too long, too cruel.

Gu Jing had sent the exceptional young man Xu Si had so carefully nurtured to this place to be made to suffer. How could she still pretend to be kind and forgive everything on his behalf?

Her anger was immense. Her slender wrists, clasped tightly together, were the only way she could maintain a momentary calm.

She had intended to say something apologetic to Pei Zhen.

But as the words rose to her lips, they were gently swallowed back down, vanishing without a trace.

What could she say? The deed was done, leading to such terrible consequences. Everyone else was fine; only he bore the brunt alone. Any words would feel hypocritical.

The evening breeze persistently teased the window screen.

Xu Si tried to speak several times, her lips moving, her throat dry and hoarse, but in the end, she could only manage one sentence:

"Azhen, it was an accident..."

Pei Zhen’s finger rested on her lower lip. "Mmm, I know," he said slowly. "I heard that day." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

He didn’t wait for her to say more.

Pei Zhen’s fingertips carefully traced her lip, then glided across her cheek before retreating. He seemed pleased that she was no longer pretending, and his violent mood visibly calmed.

His voice, too, became alluring, the words drawn out.

"Now that I’ve had my say, it’s your turn. How did you find out about the X Organization?"

Clearly, compared to all that had transpired, Pei Zhen was more interested in the fact that she actually knew about the X Organization.

Xu Si’s gaze shifted, her merchant’s instincts surfacing, hoping to probe for information.

Pei Zhen laughed, his long fingers tapping on the nearby square table. "Don’t lie to me. I can tell."

Xu Si choked.

That’s what it’s like living under someone else’s roof.

She candidly revealed the truth, "I bought some gossip."

"What kind of gossip?"

"Gossip about the Underground City."

"Where did you buy it?" Pei Zhen asked leisurely, a smile in his voice. "Do you have money?"

It was the first time Xu Si had heard someone question her financial status. Finding it novel and amusing, she admitted generously, "No money. I helped someone on the street—I think he was a pickpocket—and traded my watch and chain. He told me there was gossip about a major figure in the Triad Society, said it was the one at the very top. I guessed it was probably you."

"So, what did you see?"

"I only saw two photos, about Hei Shi. Then the power went out."

Xu Si didn’t mention the Artificial Giant. It was obvious that this was likely a painful memory, and she knew it was unethical to pick at old wounds.

After listening, Pei Zhen let out a faint "Hmm," as if in relief, and his demeanor relaxed considerably. Resting his chin on his hand, he met her gaze.

He even seemed to be in the mood to tease her. "So eager to see my gossip? Why not give me the watch and chain and ask me directly? Wouldn’t that be better?"

He suddenly leaned in close, and Xu Si’s face flushed hot.

Her eyes had gradually adjusted to the darkness; at such a close distance, she could see clearly.

Especially those ash-gray eyes, so exquisite and bewitching they seemed otherworldly, blooming in the night.

Behind her was the back of the sofa; there was no retreat.

As if compelled by some unseen force, Xu Si lightly placed her fingers over his eyes, refusing to meet his gaze.

She easily mimicked his tone, "Are you short on money?"

With every blink, Pei Zhen’s dense eyelashes brushed her tender palm, provoking a fine, persistent tickle.

Truly a male Sea Monster. Even his eyelashes seemed to have a life of their own, brushing against her palm, a faint, warm, tingling sensation that was hard to ignore, utterly captivating.

The night continued.

He allowed her delicate hand to cover his eyes, facing her, his voice muffled.

"Not short."

"Then why do you want my jewelry?"

"I don’t know."

"You don’t know?"

"If you insist on a reason..." He paused. "When you left four years ago, I took nothing with me. This is just a little compensation for myself."

"I..."

Shame colored Xu Si’s eyes.

She was at a loss for words.

Having learned her lesson four years ago, she couldn’t make any more promises; vows always encountered unforeseen accidents, transforming into lies.

Life had taught her a lesson: The words you casually say, others might really take seriously.

Therefore, she could only reach out with her other hand and suddenly hug him, her body heat quietly seeping through the fabric, as if embracing the him of the past.

But she was completely unaware that she had once again fallen into a trap meticulously woven by the Devil.

The Devil, blindfolded, felt no sorrow. The sensation of warm, fragrant, supple White Jade in his arms brought a barely perceptible smile to his lips.

...

The blackout lasted for an hour and a half.

It was only when the servants investigating the top floor discovered that several rows of electrical wires had been cut. As for who possessed the capability to do such a thing, no one dared to say. They merely treated it as if nothing untoward had occurred and ordered workers to make urgent repairs.

Everything returned to normal before midnight.

The moment the power returned, the first sound was the BEEPING of electrical appliances.

Having been in darkness for so long, the sudden burst of light was intense.

Xu Si found it quite dazzling. She removed her hand from Pei Zhen’s eyes and quickly covered her own.

It took her many seconds to adjust before she shakily lifted her eyelids.

...?

The vast room was suddenly empty? Only the sound of her own breathing echoed ceaselessly in her ears.

If not for the lingering warmth and his scent still on her fingertips, she might have dismissed the strange blackout as a dream. She might have believed Pei Zhen had never come, and that their pleasant conversation had never happened.

"How could he leave so quickly? Without making a sound."

Xu Si raised an eyebrow and stood up.

Her gaze swept toward the sofa and noticed that the manila paper bag on it had also been taken.

Xu Si laughed in exasperation. "He said if I gave him the jewelry, he’d tell me the gossip. In the end, I’m out both my valuables and the information. Swindler!"

She returned to the corner of the sofa where she had curled up, fumbled under the cushion for a moment, and pulled out the photo she had wanted to see but hadn’t had the chance to.

Luckily, during the blackout, she had instinctively pulled the photo out and stuffed it beneath her.

She took a deep breath and slowly flipped the photo over.

Her expression immediately turned grave.

All around her, everything seemed to lose its color; the noisy night wind, the lingering fragrance in the air, the bright crystal chandeliers—all turned to grayscale.

Her eyes were forced to focus on the image in the photo.

A dim environment, a dense crowd, a decadent venue glittering as if sprinkled with gold.

The lens focused on the Octagonal Cage in the casino.

Pei Zhen was barely alive, supported by one arm. His clothes were shabby and torn. His muscular legs, rendered powerless, had buckled beneath him in a humiliating fall to the ground. His entire body was covered in wounds, and he was surrounded by still forms, whether dead or unconscious. His handsome face was obscured by injuries, his gray hair falling to cover his eyes.

And someone wearing a wide-brimmed fisherman’s hat stood behind him, pressing a white object against his spine, his actions unclear.

Xu Si stood rooted to the spot, her gaze intense, as if trying to burn a hole through the photo.

This was what he’d so casually called... boxing?

That day at the boxing ring, out of displeasure, she hadn’t actually seen what was happening on stage.

This was boxing. Or rather, fighting for his life...

On the back of the photo, there was also a line of annotation:

[Leader of the Triad Society. No one was optimistic about this youth, yet he, of all people, turned out to be the biggest dark horse, chosen by the X Organization.]

Xu Si pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and turned the photo face down in her hand, unable to bear looking at it any longer.

She didn’t know how Pei Zhen, an outsider, had risen to become the leader of the Triad Society, but she had been emotionally prepared for something like this.

No matter the place, to go from nothing to being revered by thousands, one had to endure many injuries—especially here in the Underground City.

Yet, when she truly glimpsed the evidence of the past, she still found it shockingly distressing.

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