C2 Today in His Previous Life

Hsu Lirong was seething with anger. She quickly retrieved her phone from her purse and dialed Du Qingtian.

Moments later, she stepped out of the car, her expression tinged with peculiarity.

The driver, noticing her demeanor, inquired, "What did the lady say?"

"She mentioned that Yem Xi didn't answer her call. She instructed us to speak with her cordially and insisted that we must take her back today."

The driver mused that such urgency seemed excessive for merely picking someone up. Yet, catching a glimpse of Steward Hsu's stern look, he held his tongue.

Within the gates.

Yem Xi leaned against the wooden pillar of the corridor, overhearing the exchange outside. A chill smile played on her lips.

Today marked the sixtieth birthday of the Jiang family matriarch. In her past life, all the prominent families that had interacted with the Jiangs had been invited to the celebration.

Back then, she was rushed home, only to encounter Wen Ziquan, the heir of Yi City, in the garden that evening. She narrowly escaped being mistaken for Jiang Shuyao and assaulted by him.

Wen Ziquan had developed an interest in her after watching her violin performance at a competition, prompting his family to consider an engagement between him and Jiang Shuyao.

The Wen family's influence was vast, far outstripping the Jiangs, so naturally, they wouldn't dare offend them. They planned to use her as a shield for Jiang Shuyao.

Had it not been for a certain incident that tarnished her reputation, she feared she would have been forced to marry Wen Ziquan as a stand-in for Jiang Shuyao once she reached marriageable age.

Wen Ziquan, who attended university in Yi City, was indulged from a young age and acted with impunity. His bold escapades and deviant tendencies, compounded by his contraction of a certain disease, spelled out the unimaginable torment she would have faced as his wife.

And the puppeteer orchestrating these events...

As Yem Xi recalled the revolting faces from her memories, her eyes hardened with layers of frost.

The knocking resumed.

Having received Du Qingtian's directives, Hsu Lirong softened her approach, "Miss Yem Xi, I sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding earlier. Could you please open the door so I can explain?"

Yem Xi turned and entered her house, tuning out the clamor from outside. The home she resided in had been left to her by the grandparents who had adopted her. It wasn't a mansion by any means, but it was a labor of love from the elderly couple—simple yet elegant, bright, and cozy.

In her previous life, however, this very house had been reduced to ashes in a mysterious fire less than a month after she had returned to the Jiang family. Initially, she had believed it to be an accident, but a chance overhearing at the mental hospital where she was later confined revealed Jiang Shuyao hinting otherwise. It was no accident, a truth she learned too late, as Jiang Shuyao never finished her revelation and eventually met her own untimely end.

Cradling a white porcelain cup, Yem Xi sipped the perfectly warm jasmine tea, its delicate fragrance soothing her soul.

Ding Dong.

Her phone screen brightened with an incoming message.

Yem Xi gave it a cursory glance.

"Ms Xi, I've taken care of the task you assigned. When will you be arriving in Yi City?"

After a brief pause, Yem Xi replied, "Tomorrow."

Another message quickly followed: "May I come to see you then?"

Her slender fingers drummed on the wooden table as she pondered for a split second before responding, "We'll set a time."

Outside, Steward Hsu realized that Yem Xi was deliberately ignoring him. Coupled with the sweltering heat, his patience was wearing thin.

The driver, equally flustered and sweating profusely, asked, "Steward Hsu, what now?"

Visibly annoyed, Steward Hsu snapped, "What else? Climb over the wall and open the door. We must take her back today, no matter what!"

Little did they know, as the driver mustered all his strength to scale the red brick wall, a motorcycle suddenly zoomed out from the alley beside the courtyard. The helmeted rider, exuding a cool confidence, was none other than Yem Xi herself.