Chapter 101: Zhao Xin's Choice

On the way, Lin Xia mulled over many things, and upon arriving at the hotel, she felt utterly exhausted. It wasn’t just her body—it was her heart, weary from turmoil. Returning to her room, Chen Qing was nowhere to be found. After a quick shower and making a call to her, Lin Xia lay face down on the bed and slipped into a deep sleep.

She expected the sleep to be restless, but quite the opposite—it was profound, dreamless.

Meanwhile, Xu Yichen stared intently at the glass of red wine in his hand, his gaze fierce and merciless. His short, tousled hair partially veiled his eyelids, and he lounged lazily in his chair. Though casual in demeanor, an aura of sinister charm radiated from him.

Such a temperament was hardly fitting for a fifteen-year-old boy.

Here, he no longer needed to suppress himself; his aura fully unleashed, brimming with malevolence. With eyes closed, his fingers tapped lightly on the table—one tap, two taps, three. Scattered across the tabletop were printed sheets, the topmost bearing the unmistakable face of Xie Xitong.

Silent Shadow Zero stood before him like a wooden stake—so still that one would scarcely notice his presence unless they deliberately looked.

Suddenly, Xu Yichen’s eyes snapped open, as if something had fallen away. He snorted coldly.

“Go. Arrange an accident. Make it look natural—no one can suspect foul play. That girl... must die.”

Shadow Zero responded curtly, without hesitation, as if the life of a human were nothing to them.

“Make it look natural. Remember, no signs of tampering.”

“My master, rest assured.”

Xu Yichen nodded slightly. “Go handle it.”

“Yes.”

Shadow Zero turned and left.

Staring at Xie Xitong’s photo, Xu Yichen’s exquisite phoenix-like eyes burned with murderous intent—an intensity even Shadow Zero had never witnessed. Xie Xitong had killed him; he didn’t care. But she had also slain the woman he treasured above all else, the woman he loved like life itself: Liu Ziqing.

In both his previous life and this one, she was the only woman he had ever loved.

This grudge, this hatred—how could he not exact revenge?

Now, bloodthirsty and cold, his presence emanated an aura of death and darkness, devoid of the cold detachment he displayed in daylight. He seemed like an avenger returned from hell.

At present, Liu Ziqing did not recognize him; none of this had yet transpired. So he would cut off all threats at the root. In this lifetime, he vowed to protect her completely—not as in the last life when, helpless and restrained despite all his power and wealth, he watched the woman he loved die before his very eyes.

Xie Xitong, you are doomed.

Meanwhile, Lin Xia, sleeping soundly, furrowed her brow slightly before drifting back into slumber.

Since encountering Xu Yichen, a sense of unease had settled over Lin Xia. She frequently called Xie Xitong, urging her to be cautious while out and about. Although Xie Xitong found Lin Xia’s persistent calls somewhat odd, their long-standing habit of chatting on the phone meant she gave it little thought.

The next two days passed without incident.

Lin Xia relaxed slightly, unaware of the tangled past between the four of them, mistakenly believing Xu Yichen had abandoned any thoughts of vengeance. After all, Liu Ziqing stood in between, and even if Xu Yichen was ruthless, he would show some restraint.

What she did not know was just how extreme and twisted Xie Xitong had been in their previous life.

After training one day, Lin Xia called Xie Xitong again, telling her she was done with her tasks and that they could enjoy themselves freely in B City for a while.

Xie Xitong was delighted. They arranged a time over the phone, and Lin Xia hung up.

Since they were to spend time together, staying at a hotel was out of the question. Xie Chunhua insisted that Lin Xia stay at her house, which Lin Xia considered carefully. After all, she was still a middle school student—still a child in many ways. Staying at a classmate’s or relative’s home for a while was normal.

Moreover, everything on this side was settled—it would be just a few days before returning to Rongcheng.

After some thought, Lin Xia agreed to Xie Chunhua’s request and planned to take a taxi to their home the next day.

Just after hanging up, an unknown number called. Lin Xia was puzzled; the caller ID showed it was from Rongcheng.

“Hello?”

“Is this Xia Xia? It’s Qianqian.”

“Oh, Qianqian! Why are you calling me now?” Lin Xia sat cross-legged on the sofa, idly twirling her hair. “How’s your summer? Did you run back home alone? By the way, whose phone are you using? I almost didn’t pick up because it’s an unfamiliar number.”

“Hehe,” came two chuckles from the other end, then Zhao Qian’s voice. “It’s my cousin Xin’s phone. She just got it, and since it’s new, I borrowed it to play around. You know, nothing much to do, so I called each of you.”

Lin Xia rolled her eyes internally. Zhao Qian had wanted a phone for a long time, but her mother had denied her request, citing her young age.

They chatted for a while, then Zhao Qian said, “I heard Tong Tong met a ridiculously handsome guy in B City—handsomer than her own brother! You know how proud she is; she never pays attention to other boys. So both Xiaoxiao and I are curious. I’m calling to ask if you’ve seen him? They say he’s super good-looking. I want to see for myself.”

Lin Xia’s heart skipped a beat. Handsome? Could it be Xu Yichen? Had he already started making moves?

“You know,” Zhao Qian continued, laughing slyly, “my cousin’s curious about that handsome guy too. She even wants some photos sent over.” She lowered her voice mischievously. “You know, my cousin has high standards—she usually dismisses most boys, except Chen Zimo, whom she holds in higher regard. But she’s showing interest in this rumored guy. Now I’m even more curious.”

Indeed, Lin Xia didn’t know the future, but that didn’t mean others were unaware.

She felt foolish—how could she have forgotten about Zhao Xin, another reborn soul?

Judging from Zhao Xin’s attitude toward Liu Ziqing and her behavior around Chen Zimo, she must know something, or perhaps she was involved all along.

Otherwise, with her cunning nature, how could she harbor such hostility toward Liu Ziqing?

Even if Liu Ziqing was a rival in love, Zhao Xin could have easily eliminated such a naive competitor by various means.

With this realization and the current call, Lin Xia suddenly understood.

This call was likely instigated by Zhao Xin, urging Zhao Qian to gather information—to find out if the handsome guy was indeed Xu Yichen.

So, Lin Xia described his appearance in detail, being a writer by nature. Her depiction was precise and thorough, barely missing a point.

She also shared rumors about Xu Yichen she had heard from Jin Ye, portraying them as gossip.

“You know, there really is such an outstanding boy in the world. Not only is he the heir of a high-ranking official and a wealthy family, but he also earned all his fortune with his own bare hands. That’s way more impressive than your cousin winning 5.6 million in the lottery.” After recounting everything, Lin Xia concluded, “B City is abuzz with talk about Young Master Xu Yichen. Some say he’s a prodigy, a born ruler; others joke that it was a blow to his head from Li San Shao that unlocked his genius.”

“Now people here joke, ‘Do you want your head cracked open? Maybe you’ll be as smart as Young Master Xu!’”

Zhao Qian was incredulous. “There really is such an amazing boy? We’re so narrow-minded. I thought you and my cousin were already impressive, but compared to this Xu, it’s like night and day! This news is explosive—I have to tell Xiaoxiao. Tell me more about Xu Yichen.”

Unintentionally, Lin Xia had already learned Zhao Xin was eavesdropping nearby. One deliberately hinting, the other eager to know—they talked freely.

“…By the way,” Lin Xia feigned confusion, “when Tong Tong and I were shopping, we ran into Xu Yichen. At first, he seemed fine, but once he saw me and Tong Tong, his expression darkened instantly, as if ready to kill. It scared me badly. I even wondered if in my past life I owed him money or killed his family. You should have seen his look—shop assistants and shoppers around were too afraid to speak.”

Zhao Qian doubted it. “No way. Even if he’s powerful, he’s just fifteen. You must have watched too many TV dramas.”

“I didn’t believe it either—thought such presence only existed in novels. But after seeing him, I’m convinced. You wouldn’t think someone so young could have such an aura.”

Lin Xia carefully chose her words. “It’s as if he’s not the same age as us, like he’s lived through countless emotional storms. He’s like a book, so out of place among people our age. When you see him, you can’t help but hold your breath because he has that kind of charm. In front of him, you feel insignificant.”

“That’s an exaggeration—you must have read too many novels,” Zhao Qian insisted. “No matter what, he’s only fifteen. Could he really have experienced all that? He’s probably just pretending. Don’t believe it.”

Lin Xia chuckled. “Maybe. But if he is pretending, that’s even scarier. There were many adults around, and none dared to speak.”

They talked about Xu Yichen for a long time before Zhao Qian said, “Alright, it’s late. I have to call Xiaoxiao. You should rest.”

“Okay, got it. Bye.”

“Bye.”

After hanging up, Zhao Qian smiled at Zhao Xin, who sat silently nearby.

“Cousin, do you think she’s exaggerating? Who’s that perfect? Fifteen years old, making billions in the stock market with his own hands—not millions, but billions! If making money were that easy, wouldn’t everyone be billionaires? Xu Yichen must be on the Forbes list. The headline could be ‘The Youngest Billionaire in the World.’”

After saying so much, she noticed her cousin sitting still on the bed, expressionless.

“Cousin? Cousin!”

Zhao Xin snapped out of her daze as Zhao Qian waved her hand before her eyes. She struggled to steady herself.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhao Qian asked curiously, “It should be me asking you. You look odd.”

“Nothing. Maybe I’m just tired from moving today,” Zhao Xin replied. “By the way, what did you just say?”

“I said Xia Xia is exaggerating. If Xu Yichen is that amazing, why isn’t he on Forbes?” Zhao Qian ignored her and continued playing with her phone. “I’m going to tell Xiaoxiao this news. You go take a shower first—I’ll join you later.”

At that moment, Zhao Xin had no mind to listen. She nodded vaguely, hugged her pajamas, and entered the bathroom.

Locking the door behind her, Zhao Xin lifted her shirt, revealing a faint red heart-shaped birthmark on her chest. She pressed her hand over it and concentrated, entering the space.

The scene shifted instantly: blue skies, white clouds, green waters, and a thatched cottage appeared. The fruits and vegetables in the field were thriving, with another harvest ready.

Zhao Xin had no mood to manage the ripe produce. She paced in front of the house, wrestling with her thoughts.

What to do? How could he be the Xu Yichen of the past life—the one whose beloved was taken by Chen Zimo and who was killed by Xie Xitong?

Having heard so much, if she still didn’t realize he had been reborn, she would be a fool.

He had made it so obvious.

She had been reborn after falling from a woodpile and injuring her brain, while Xu Yichen had been reborn after Li Shaoren had opened his skull.

From Lin Xia’s description, the Xu Yichen of the past life had apparently been killed in a collision caused by Xie Xitong.

Since she too had been manipulated and killed before returning to her childhood, it followed that rebirth was granted only to those who had died in their previous lives.

Or rather, the world they now inhabited was not the old timeline but a parallel dimension.

Who Xu Yichen was—the others might be unclear, but did she not know?

In their past lives, his methods to coerce Liu Ziqing into submission were the talk of B City. Their secret brothel was the primary source of such gossip.

Moreover, Zhao Xin was quite beautiful and catered to high-class clients. Due to her connection with Chen Zimo, she was more informed than most.

He had destroyed the family of the woman he loved to such an extreme extent.

So, what means would he use against Xie Xitong, the one who killed him? The answer was obvious.

At this moment, Zhao Xin realized she faced the greatest challenge and opportunity since her rebirth.

It was an opportunity to finally earn Chen Zimo’s genuine acceptance.

It was also a challenge—to stand alone against Xu Yichen and the vast power behind him.

Yet she might not lose.

Because she held an ace Xu Yichen did not possess.

Zhao Xin glanced around, feeling a bit more confident. With this space, as long as someone still breathed, she could save them.