The aroma of grilled food wafted from the kitchen. Aunt Chen’s expression was calm as she prepared dinner, but the slight tremble in her hand holding the spatula betrayed her inner unrest.
After placing the finished dinner into insulated containers, Aunt Chen picked up a scented candle and walked out of the kitchen.
The lights in the living room were on, but the room was empty. Both Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan were upstairs.
Recalling Xu Yirong’s words, Aunt Chen glanced hesitantly at the empty staircase.
Lin Yanyan’s room was on the second floor. Aunt Chen, not bothering to put on slippers, quietly ascended the stairs. All the doors on the second floor were open, except for Lin Yanyan’s.
Aunt Chen carefully held her breath, walked to the door, and gently turned the handle. The door wasn’t locked.
It opened just a crack.
Inside, the room was dimly lit. Aunt Chen squinted, trying to see clearly. On the bed was a small lump under the covers. Lin Yanyan was lying on her side, facing away, her long black hair spread across the pillow.
After confirming that Lin Yanyan was there, Aunt Chen quietly closed the door again.
With Lin Yanyan sleeping in her room, where was Lin Ran?
Pondering this, Aunt Chen made her way to the stairs and headed toward the third floor. She hadn’t gone far when she stopped. The gym on the third floor was close to the staircase and had a transparent design.
From the stairs, Aunt Chen could see Lin Ran running on the treadmill.
Though she only saw his back, she was certain it was him.
Aunt Chen turned and went downstairs.
Following Xu Yirong’s instructions, she lit the scented candle, then went to the kitchen to turn on the gas stove. After completing everything, Aunt Chen didn’t dare linger. She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the Chengnan Garden estate.
Once she was far enough away, Aunt Chen took out another phone that Xu Yirong had given her and made a call.
Xu Yirong answered quickly, her voice betraying a sense of urgency. “How did it go?”
Aunt Chen lowered her voice. “Madam, I’ve confirmed everything. Lin Ran and Yanyan are both at home, and I followed your instructions to the letter. Madam, nothing bad will happen to them, right?”
There was a brief pause before Xu Yirong’s soft voice came through. “Don’t worry, Aunt Chen. I’ve arranged for someone to keep an eye on things. Nothing too serious will happen.”
Aunt Chen hung up and glanced one last time at Chengnan Garden before quickening her pace and leaving.
Across the street.
Lin Huang sat in the driver’s seat, watching the middle-aged woman hurriedly leave. He sneered, “She’s leaving in quite a rush. I’ll call them and tell them to get ready.”
Lin Ran didn’t respond. He simply turned his head to gaze at the villa.
Sheng Qingxi was sitting beside him, her hand tightly held in Lin Ran’s grasp.
The two of them were sitting in the back seat. Lin Yanyan had already been sent back to the car dealership.
Lin Ran didn’t want her to know about these humiliating and absurd events.
After finishing his call, Lin Huang lit a cigarette and bit down on it, feeling restless. But with two kids in the car, he didn’t light it, just holding it for comfort. He mumbled, “I’ve looked into it. That villa is worth at least ten million. Xu Yirong will be lucky if she doesn’t spend the next decade locked up in there. I don’t know how things will blow up once Grandpa and your dad find out. Her life is as good as over.”
Lin Ran smiled and patted Lin Huang’s shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”
Lin Huang glared at him through the rearview mirror. “What are you thanking me for? I’m your brother.”
Time passed, minute by minute.
When Lin Ran and the others saw the security guards running out in a panic, they knew that other residents had already made calls. The villa district was in turmoil, with many people fleeing their homes.
Some were carrying water buckets, others were on the phone.
Everyone’s faces were filled with fear.
In the chaos, no one noticed two people slipping out of the backyard of the burning villa, nor did anyone notice someone using the pretense of helping to lock both the front and side gates of Lin Ran’s villa.
Sheng Qingxi pursed her lips and whispered, “Lin Ran, your car…”
Hearing this, Lin Ran couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out and flicked her forehead gently. “I’m not worried about those precious cars, so why are you? I’ve already hidden the treasure you gave me.”
Lin Ran hadn’t touched any of the custom or limited-edition cars in the garage, nor did he take Lin Yanyan’s beloved dolls. Other than that one photo, everything was exactly the same as in his previous life.
The fire spread quickly.
From inside the car, Sheng Qingxi could see the thick black smoke rising from within. The pitch-black sky turned terrifying, with the leaping flames growing larger and the crowd becoming increasingly panicked.
It wasn’t long before the fire trucks arrived.
Sheng Qingxi watched in silence as everything unfolded before her.
She had lived through all of this before. She knew exactly when the No. 290 bus would arrive, what the people gathered around the villa would talk about, when the fire would be put out, and what the villa would look like in the end.
Everything that had happened in her previous life flashed before her eyes.
Lin Ran, too, seemed lost in thought.
He remembered Sheng Qingxi’s hoarse voice from the garage, screaming his name. That voice echoed again in his ears. It turned out that on this night, she had also shouted his name in front of the villa.
Lin Ran turned to look at Sheng Qingxi. Her eyes reflected the dancing flames from across the way, as if there were fire burning within them.
He raised his hand, reaching behind Sheng Qingxi’s shoulders to cover her eyes, pressing her gently into his chest with a slight force.
“Don’t look.”
Lin Ran’s voice was low.
The chaotic scene before her vanished abruptly, replaced by the warmth of Lin Ran’s large hand over her eyes.
Sheng Qingxi buried her face against his shoulder. His familiar scent, aged and slightly invasive, seeped into her senses. She inhaled softly.
He was her Lin Ran.
…
It didn’t take more than an hour for news of the Chengnan Garden villa fire to spread throughout the city.
Lin Ran’s phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with calls and messages since word got out. He didn’t answer or reply to any of them, only posting two words in his WeChat Moments: “I’m fine.” Clearly, Xu Yirong wasn’t among his contacts.
Lin Youcheng received the news while attending a business gala.
His assistant, head bowed low, spoke in a trembling voice that he couldn’t control. “Sir, there’s been a report that the villa where Young Master and Miss are staying caught fire. I’ve already sent people over, and the fire trucks have arrived.”
When Lin Youcheng heard the first part of the sentence, he froze, unable to hold onto the wine glass in his hand.
With a loud crash, the glass hit the floor.
“What did you say? Where are Xiao Huo and Yanyan?”
Lin Youcheng struggled to maintain his composure, knowing he couldn’t lose control.
The assistant gritted his teeth. “The young master and miss returned to Chengnan Garden tonight. They’re already trying to make contact, and someone has gone to Guangnian Auto to confirm.”
Hearing that Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan had returned to Chengnan Garden, Lin Youcheng’s face changed drastically. Without another thought, he rushed out like a madman, crashing into a server holding a tray of drinks along the way. The glasses shattered across the floor with a series of sharp clinks.
—
At the Half-Mountain Villa.
Xu Yirong sat in front of the small Buddha shrine with her eyes closed, chanting the Heart Sutra softly.
This small shrine had been expanded by Lin Youcheng after He Wanqiu’s passing. During the month of her death anniversary, he would stay in the shrine every night, often for the entire night.
In the tranquil stillness of the shrine, a phone suddenly rang.
Xu Yirong’s hand, which was turning the prayer beads, paused. Her eyelids fluttered slightly before she picked up the phone after a moment.
“Assistant Song.”
“Madam, something has happened with the young master. The sir isn’t doing well.”
“Something happened? Where is he? I’ll be right there.”
After the call ended, silence once again filled the shrine.
Xu Yirong lowered the prayer beads. She knelt there for a long time, never daring to lift her head to meet the eyes of the Buddha.
—
Half an hour later.
Xu Yirong arrived at Chengnan Garden.
The fire had been brought under control and no longer spread, but the villa in front of her was beyond recognition.
At the entrance, Lin Youcheng was angrily arguing with the firemen. His once perfectly pressed suit was now a disheveled mess, and he was frantically trying to push past them, his agitation palpable.
Xu Yirong hurried to his side and grabbed his arm, her worry genuine. “Youcheng, where are Xiao Huo and Yanyan?”
At this moment, Lin Youcheng paid no attention to Xu Yirong. His face flushed red as he roared, “My son and daughter are still inside!”
The firefighter spoke calmly, trying to de-escalate the situation. “Sir, our team has already gone in for search and rescue, and ambulances are on the way. So far, no casualties have been found. As soon as we have any updates, I will notify you immediately.”
But Lin Youcheng couldn’t hear a word he was saying. He appeared as if he had lost all sense, like a crazed man. “Let me in!”
“Sir!”
“Youcheng!”
Assistant Song and Xu Yirong held him back as best they could. Lin Youcheng, red-eyed, began shouting towards the villa, calling out Lin Ran’s name, then Lin Yanyan’s. Both his beloved children were inside.
For the first time, Lin Youcheng regretted being so indulgent with his two children.
Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a voice suddenly called out from the side, “Dad.”
The boy’s voice was deeper, not as clear and crisp as usual.
Yet, with just this one simple word, Lin Youcheng, who had been in a frantic state, suddenly stopped.
It was as if someone had pressed the pause button.
Slowly, Lin Youcheng turned his head in the direction of Lin Ran’s voice.
There stood Lin Ran, not far away, looking at him with a complicated expression.
He was dressed in a simple white T-shirt and sweatpants, standing there clean and unharmed.
Lin Youcheng shook off his assistant and Xu Yirong, stumbling as he rushed toward Lin Ran.
Grabbing Lin Ran’s shoulders tightly, Lin Youcheng said nothing, only staring at his son. From head to toe, there wasn’t a scratch on him. He suddenly pulled Lin Ran into a tight embrace.
“You’re okay, thank goodness you’re okay.”
Lin Youcheng’s voice was slightly choked with emotion.
Lin Ran, clearly not used to his father’s embrace, didn’t push him away at this moment and allowed himself to be held.
“Xiao Huo, where’s Yanyan? Where’s your sister?”
Lin Youcheng let go of Lin Ran and asked hoarsely.
“She’s fine. Yanyan isn’t here,” Lin Ran answered softly.
Lin Youcheng wiped his face hard, murmuring repeatedly, “That’s good, that’s good.”
As the fire was finally extinguished, the chaotic scene gradually calmed.
The only person who remained pale was Xu Yirong. She couldn’t believe her eyes as she stared at Lin Ran standing before her. Her hands, clenched into fists, trembled uncontrollably. How could this be? How did things turn out like this?
Aunt Chen had told her that both Lin Ran and Lin Yanyan were inside the villa, and the doors were locked.
How was Lin Ran standing here now? He… wasn’t supposed to be here, he was supposed to be in the villa!
Xu Yirong stared at Lin Ran in panic, and just at that moment, the boy looked up and met her gaze. His eyes were colder than ever, a detached and indifferent look enveloping her.
Xu Yirong instinctively avoided his gaze.
A strange and unsettling thought began to creep into her mind—did this child somehow know what she had done?
“Xiao Huo, how did the fire start at home?”
Lin Youcheng’s puzzled voice broke the silence.
Xu Yirong’s heart clenched at his words, and she quickly raised her head, staring intently at Lin Ran.