The familiar scent of blood permeated the dark, damp corner.
Under the dim streetlamp, a young boy huddled.
Night unfurled its wings, cloaking all within in its black embrace, hiding all traces of light.
After beating up the boy, the attackers tossed aside their tennis rackets. Their eyes carried a certain satisfaction of revenge, a cold smile playing at their lips.
The leader of the group spat at the boy on the ground, "Lu Xiu, if I see you at school tomorrow, I swear I'll beat you up again! Because of your old man's car accident, my family lost a project worth nearly 60 million Yuan. These past days, my father has been gloomy, my days have become miserable, and you won't live comfortably either!"
Having made his point coldly, Yu Chao turned to leave. On his way, another boy, keen to curry favour, picked up his schoolbag for him and gave the beaten boy's leg a vicious kick.
The group of boys encircled their leader, Yu Chao, laughing as they walked away.
However, one of them was left rather unnerved. He queried, "Yu Chao, do you think Lu Xiu may retaliate against us?"
Yu Chao scoffed, "Dare he? With his quiet personality? Aside from speaking a bit more to An Yeran, from class three, he dares not say another word."
"Exactly, his father just passed away this morning. Who will back him up?"
Consoling himself with these words, the boy quickly cast any worries to the back of his mind.
When their laughter faded, and silence enveloped the small alley, the tiny figure in the corner was still shivering under the cover of night.
Blood stained the boy's delicate face, its pallor even more pronounced under the moon's gaze.
His lips were split and bleeding.
His head bowed, he bit down hard on his lower lip.
Tears welled in his eyes.
Where are you, sister…
Regrettably, the wind could not carry his plea away.
*
After an indeterminable period, the trembling boy finally stilled.
The howling wind intensified, bringing with it autumn's chill.
The boy slowly raised his head. His coffee-brown eyes suddenly glistened with an eerie expression. A crimson freedom from his split lip stained his pale skin.
Under the moonlight, the boy seemed frail and helpless, but his appearance was oddly terrifying.
Lu Xiu lifted his hand, quietly staring at his scrawny body and then, a traversing, sickly smile came upon his face.
He was back.
Each rebirth occurred at the same juncture—this tiny alley, and—
He glanced around at the discarded tennis rackets, picked one up, and toyed with it.
Same old gang.
In his previous life, he made Yu Chao's family bankrupt. He sent Yu Chao to an underground gambling den, where he existed merely to be toyed with by the high-ranking and wealthy.
Lu Xiu used the racket to support his body, rising slowly.
The lingering pain of the beating still throbbed in places.
He looked towards his home, or rather, what could not be called a 'home' anymore.
Jiang Li should be venting her anger over his father's will by smashing things in their house right about now.
His father had been clever.
He drafted his will early.
According to it, Lu Xiu would own 80% of the shares in the Lu Corporation, 10% would go to Jiang Li, and the remaining 5% each would go to Jiang Anxue and An Yeran.
The shares for the three women would only be available when Lu Xiu turned eighteen, and only with his approval.
That was why Jiang Li couldn't throw him out; she had to keep him home.
After Lu Xiu rose, something fell out of his pocket.
He looked down and, under the glow of a streetlamp, found a mobile phone on the ground.
His own.
Lu Xiu crouched down, his distinct fingers gently hooking the phone. Once turned on, he found numerous missed calls. And all were from one number—Second Sister.
A chilling trace momentarily flashed across his handsome face, the corners of his mouth dropped slightly.
Before his rebirth, he had called An Yeran?
The missed call log revealed that the calls were made during the time from his father's car accident until his rebirth.
His cold expression cracked. Lu Xiu clung to the phone, then expressionlessly tossed it into the nearest trash can.
How disgusting.
*
Inside the large mansion, as he has surmised, Jiang Li was throwing a fit, smashing bowls in anger.
The nanny remained quiet out of fear, the butler, and driver, similarly standing aside, trembling.
Seeing Lu Xiu return, a distorted rage overtook Jiang Li's face. Without a word, she hurled a bowl at him, "You useless little creature, you dare to come back?!"
Lu Xiu turned his head artfully and avoided the dish. It shattered crisply behind him.
Striding over to Lu Xiu, she gripped his soft brown hair, forcing him to lift his head. Snarling ominously, she said, "Happy, satisfied?! Now I have to raise you, you bastard, your dead father planned it all. Giving you 80, left me with only 10, and the spoilt girl An Yeran and Xiaoxue got 5 each. Leaving me with only 20 in total! I have to raise you till you're eighteen, and need your agreement. Dare you disagree?!"
Her voice was piercing and full of bitter taunts.
Lu Xiu was forced to look up, but his face showed none of the terror Jiang Li expected. Instead, he looked straight at her distorted face, slowly a trace of delight appeared on his pale, delicate face.
It was the smile of a hunter who has found their prey.
Jiang Li suddenly froze.
The boy's eyes were like a black well- dark, profound, chilling.
Being stared at by such a pair of eyes, Jiang Li felt as if a venomous snake was slowly coiling around her, constricting her ability to breathe.
The sudden silence made everyone in the hall feel strange.
Finally, the nanny managed to utter a whisper, "Madam, please control your anger, it's not good for your health."
Jiang Li snapped out of her daze and looked at Lu Xiu again. The boy's face was pale, bearing signs of the beating he had just undergone.
She forcefully let go of the boy and quickly stepped back.
Her heart thumped in her chest and a cold sweat broke out on her back.
Jiang Li placed a hand over her heart, panting heavily.
She was frightened... Frightened by the look in that bastard's eyes!
When the shock faded, it was replaced with intense disgust and hatred. Jiang Li had vented her fury by smashing things throughout the afternoon. The room was a mess. She turned to Lu Xiu, "Tonight, clean this up. I want to see a spotless floor tomorrow morning. If you dare slack off, I'll lock you in the basement for three days and nights. You can forget about school. Understand, you ungrateful wretch?"
She expected the boy to show resistance or frightened but instead, the boy, who was rudely jostled, weakly stood up, showing a slightly sickly smile on his face.
"Yes, Auntie."