Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 67: Forced thoughts of you

Pei Zhen had slept for a few hours on this soft bed, plagued by strange dreams. Xu Si was still exhausted. Knowing that Pei Zhen was all right, the nerve in her brain she mentally labeled ’concern’ relaxed considerably.

It was already afternoon.

The temperature was abnormally low. She didn’t know if it was due to the rainy weather or the air conditioning being turned up too high, but it consistently made her mood fluctuate.

Suddenly, the electronics in the resting area kept emitting a BEEP. It was the mobile phone that had fallen onto the couch last night.

Xu Si’s eyelashes trembled. She walked over in her slippers, glanced at the familiar number, and answered the phone.

The first voice that came through was Anshi’s. He said in a steady voice, "Miss, I have contacted someone who can get two invitations to the Underground City. It’s been confirmed that he’s your classmate from Germany. He said his name is Aier, and he’s on his way to the Underground City. He will go directly there to find you and will call you once he arrives. Please, Miss, ensure your safety at all costs. If he doesn’t arrive, I will think of another safe way to get you out."

There were too many classmates named Aier.

Xu Si felt heavy-hearted. Counting the days, she figured it would take several days to get from Germany to the Underground City.

In these few days, she wanted to figure out what exactly had happened. That shipwreck in the past—did he survive, or did he never board the ship in the first place? How did he get into the Underground City? And... that troublesome and elusive confession. In her world, everything could be priced. She needed to have a serious talk with Pei Zhen. Otherwise, even if she managed to escape back to Hong Kong Island unharmed, Pei Zhen, once he woke up, wouldn’t let her off the hook. She remembered that in her previous life, the powerful families not absorbed by the Triad Society were ultimately wiped out by other gangs, meeting even uglier fates. As a merchant, Xu Si naturally possessed greed. The future political landscape would only become more turbulent, with powerful families rising and falling at a rapid pace. In just a few short years, many of her old friends and acquaintances had already vanished from the upper echelons of Hong Kong Island. It’s good to have a powerful backer for protection. Now that she had the opportunity, she still wanted to obtain an Identity Card and also mend her kinship with Pei Zhen, achieving the best of both worlds.

Unfortunately, staying in the mansion, Xu Si waited for three days, but Pei Zhen never returned. His injuries were too severe, so it was understandable that he didn’t appear. Xu Si wanted to find him, but the servants wouldn’t disclose his location.

The reason they gave was sincere.

"Sister-in-law, the Boss said he doesn’t want you to see him injured, as it would affect his image. If you miss him, he will call you," the servant said.

After speaking, the servant also brought her a bouquet of black Roses, glistening with dewdrops. The sharp thorns hadn’t been removed and were instead wrapped with an exquisite ribbon. The fresh, captivating fragrance of the flowers could be smelled even from a distance.

Xu Si raised an eyebrow, gazing somberly at the thorny Roses. That shameful sense of transgression once again overwhelmed her.

He was seriously injured and still in the mood to flirt with and provoke her. Was his mental fortitude that strong, or was he just naturally thick-skinned?

That day, Xu Si waited a long time for his call but ended up receiving one from Aier instead. In this era, communication devices were generally not advanced. The voice coming through the transmission sounded distorted, making it hard to identify the speaker unless one was particularly familiar with them.

The person on the phone said in a foreign language, "Xu, I have an Identity Card here. How should I get it to you?"

Xu Si currently only knew the locations of the casinos and hotels. Meeting a man in a hotel seemed inappropriate. Holding the phone, she said, "Perhaps you know the Gambling City in the city center?"

The man spoke with a genteel tone, "Of course. If you’re safe now and don’t need my help, I will wait for you there."

After arranging a time, Xu Si had just hung up the phone when, the next second, a strange number immediately called in. The phone rang incessantly, this one with a thunderous tone that felt different from the previous calls. Her sixth sense told her this call was probably from Pei Zhen.

After hesitating for two seconds, Xu Si pressed the answer button and greeted warmly, "Hello?"

There was a moment of silence before a drifting laugh came from the phone—languid and lingering, as if wrapped in endless tenderness.

Cradling the phone, Xu Si swept her hair behind her ear. Her voice was slightly hoarse as she softened her tone, "What are you laughing about?"

The voice on the phone was unexpectedly pleasant. Its quality was so superior it seemed to have its own natural reverb, though it was more indistinct and leisurely than usual. "I heard from the servants that you were thinking of me?"

Xu Si paused, not responding, and instead changed the subject, "How are your injuries?"

If this had been before, she might have playfully admitted to thinking of him to gain some advantage, or even allowed herself to develop fondness and indulge in it. But after Pei Zhen’s identity was exposed, she was temporarily unable to face such a relationship. Even if he was interested in her, she couldn’t reciprocate those feelings.

"HISS... this is agonizing." Pei Zhen, wearing a gray robe, the gauze on his chest still blood-red, lay supine in a stark white room. Ignoring the Triad Society members standing in two rows, he held his phone and said with a feigned smile, "I heard you were thinking of me, so I even stopped the anesthesia just to stay lucid enough to call you. But not only were you not thinking of me, you were chatting with someone else. I called twice and couldn’t get through. Xu Si, were you thinking of someone else?"

Xu Si’s throat tightened.

She hadn’t expected such a coincidence. Suddenly, a thought struck her, bringing with it the feeling that a secret was about to be exposed. She took a deep breath and explained good-naturedly, "No, I wasn’t thinking of anyone else. You should focus on healing."

Pei Zhen couldn’t hold back and threw his head back, laughing heartily. His mind, however, was frighteningly sharp. "For you to even explain on his behalf... I’m actually a bit curious now. Who was that person who called you? They’re in the Underground City, aren’t they?"

Every syllable seemed to hammer at Xu Si’s heart. This man was truly terrifying; his guesses were incredibly accurate. Xu Si knew he was in a foul mood. He might actually hunt down Aier and torture him—even kill him. It was entirely possible here, where no rules could restrain Pei Zhen. She couldn’t drag someone else into this mess.

After a moment of silence, "Pei Zhen," Xu Si bit her lower lip, her voice suddenly tender and airy. "I miss you. Come back when your injuries are healed."

...

「In the hospital.」

Pei Zhen held the phone, his body rigid for a long moment. He didn’t even realize that the ferocity in his eyes had softened. After a long silence, a faint smile touched his lips. He simply said, "Okay," and hung up the phone.

Medical staff hurried in to administer anesthesia and change his bandages. Pei Zhen sat up, allowing their fingers to work on him.

The bald giant stepped forward. "Boss, the man who entered the city last night with two Identity Cards made a call and is now heading to Gambling City. Our men are already en route; they won’t give him a chance to meet Sister-in-law alive," he reported.

The gentle smile on Pei Zhen’s face slowly faded. Hidden by his silver hair was a massive ghost-face tattoo covering his back. His lips curled into a cold, inscrutable sneer.

He had known everything before making that call. He had never intended to let that person go. But she had said she missed him—even though this affection was clearly feigned, merely a tactic to placate him.

He raised his hand, a few strands of silver hair falling across his forehead. His eyes widened, his features completely swallowed by the darkness. When his straight lips held no trace of a smile, he looked utterly ruthless. "Have them wait. I want to see for myself how my dear aunt plans to leave me."

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