Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 114: Shore Mouth and Black Velvet Rose

Pei Zhen’s voice was a bit hoarse.

His silver-white hair was slightly damp. The velvet bathrobe enveloped Xu Si’s body. One of his slender hands rested on her slender waist, the other cupped her head. He embraced her in a way that was intimate and provided a sense of security, yet without any hint of superiority; on the contrary, he humbly rested his chin on her shoulder. He depended on her, yet he provided her with absolute safety.

Red gashes from stepping on the broken telephone handset marked Xu Si’s bare toes. An unsettling chill that wouldn’t fade lingered in the depths of her eyes. Her voice was falsely gentle as she said, "Sorry, I found a room to make a call and ended up falling asleep. Did you wait for me long?"

Night had fallen. The Xu Mansion was dark; no servants had lit the lamps.

Their proximity was too intimate.

She couldn’t make out the contours of the person beside her, only hearing an almost inaudible sigh near her ear—a soothing sound, like the deep sea humming, "Didn’t wait long."

Pei Zhen indeed hadn’t waited long.

After he emerged from the bathroom, Xu Si was nowhere to be found. Only the TV screen, displaying drifting snowflakes, emitted static. Though everything before him was brightly lit, the colors of all the items suddenly seemed so dreary.

He feared Xu Si had been kidnapped. But all his men were outside; how could someone have broken in?

He also feared Xu Si might have left voluntarily. Just like before, giving him promises that would make him ecstatic, only for them to turn out to be excuses to buy time and schemes to escape. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Thinking of these things, his body seemed to lose all vitality and emotion, his rationality quietly crumbling in the darkness.

With his eyes closed, he succumbed to the darkness, walking like a zombie through every corridor of Xu Mansion.

He finally returned to the second floor and, in the study that had been empty, sensed her presence.

Dragging his sluggish feet, he finally stopped, only when he pulled her into his embrace.

"Xu Si, I’ve been looking for you; I never just waited in one place."

Xu Si’s eyelashes quivered. The sting beneath her feet and the coldness of the wooden floor made her feel as if she were standing on a slab of floating ice, surrounded by damp, cold air.

Only this embrace was warm at the moment. She actually wanted to keep holding him like this, unwilling to let go. But there were some questions she still wanted to ask.

"Azhen, why are your hands shaking?"

Pei Zhen’s soft, quiet murmur sounded by her ear. "Of course, it’s because I’m afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Xu Si couldn’t think of anything Pei Zhen would be afraid of.

"Afraid of dying."

"There’s no one here who could make you die."

Pei Zhen didn’t reply immediately. Instead, he lifted his delicate chin, his eyelids half-raised. Beneath his lashes, those smoky-grey eyes stared deeply at her. His tone, low and unclear, rolled in the thick, ink-like darkness of the night as he bit out the reluctant words, "There is."

A perfect smile touched his lips, yet his eyes held no trace of mirth.

"My shore is very low. If you leave me for too long, death will submerge me."

...

Those words cut to the bone.

The storm that had just ceased outside the window was chased away by the moon, only to find a new battleground directly in Xu Si’s heart.

Xu Si’s breathing hitched for a moment. Her previously still heart gradually resurfaced, uncontrollably clamoring, chastising him for his absurdity.

In this world, so full of self-interest, could someone truly love another so desperately, to the point they couldn’t bear to be apart?

She didn’t believe it; she even disdained the idea.

Yet she couldn’t help but lift her gaze to his eyes, trying to peer through the supposed windows to his soul for any trace of deceit.

Under the hazy moonlight, those ash-grey eyes didn’t waver, allowing her to probe with unrestrained skepticism.

They were utterly transparent, filled entirely with devotion, sorrow, and immense panic!!

In that second, the feeling of being loved descended completely.

Xu Si’s pupils constricted. Her gaze darted away as her heart began to pound erratically. Blood-red fingernails dug into her flesh, the pain numbing the shock of the moment.

Pale mist drifted from the courtyard into the villa.

Pei Zhen ignored her evasion. He slowly squatted down, his cool fingertips touching the bright red scratches on her foot. At an angle she couldn’t see, his alluring eyes, cold enough to bleed, widened.

"So, who made you unhappy?"

Xu Si snapped back to full consciousness. Her body broke out in a cold sweat as she recoiled as if shocked, a deeper sting piercing the soles of her feet.

It took several seconds before she could collect her ragged breathing. Then, calmly yet hesitantly, she answered his question, "I did it myself. As you can see, I’m not a perfect person; I can’t stay calm all the time."

"Heh." Pei Zhen chuckled, his eyes hiding mist-shrouded thin ice. "I never thought anyone was perfect. I know what kind of person you are better than anyone else."

As if unable to tolerate Xu Si’s self-deprecating analysis, he took her slender arm, placed it over his shoulder, then easily lifted her with one hand and carried her to a room with a window ledge.

He kissed the back of her hand and whispered in a voice only she could hear, slowly articulating each word, "Don’t use the tactics you employ on others on me. Do you need me to see through you? I see you clearly. Even if it’s all an act, I’m pleased."

Xu Si was stunned. He actually knew how she had rejected Jarvis! Before she could recover, she was carefully placed on a soft sofa.

She faced a large arched window, her view filled only by a serene, dark, miniature forest.

Pei Zhen went downstairs and returned with a first-aid kit.

Dipping a cotton swab into a bottle of disinfectant alcohol, he began to treat her wounds.

His movements were brisk and efficient, without any wasted motion.

Xu Si winced. It wasn’t painful, just awkward.

His hands holding her foot, the wisps of warmth tickled her.

Xu Si subconsciously tried to pull her foot back.

But his hand held it steady. His expression was relaxed as he pressed down gently with two fingers, his voice low and deep, "Does it hurt? Don’t move. I’ll be gentle."

How terrifying, Xu Si thought. With just that short phrase, I actually followed his wishes and stopped fidgeting.

The bitter scent of antiseptic filled her nostrils, mixed with the man’s unique, cool fragrance.

She was about to say something more.

Pei Zhen looked up, cutting her off. His deep and bewitchingly handsome features were hidden in the dense, dark mist as he whispered to her, "What a pity. This holiday only has ten minutes left."

Xu Si paused again, frowning slightly. She knew she had delayed things today and hadn’t been able to share that peach-blossom-filled pastry with him.

So it still wasn’t perfect.

Pei Zhen tilted his head slightly, a bewitching, teasing smile on his face. "I haven’t given you your gift yet."

Xu Si’s red lips parted slightly. "N—"

Suddenly, a deafening sound filled her ears.

The dark sky outside the window suddenly erupted with countless beams of light. Spectacular fireworks shot up from the forest, trailing bright and shadowy tails as they fell, melted, and vanished.

They were like handcrafted stars, illuminating so much...

Xu Si lowered her eyes. As far as she could see, there was a vast expanse of blooming black velvet purebred roses.