Rebirth from the Ashes

After everything that was said.

There went a bang.

The heavy smoke that engulfed them obstructed everyone's vision.

"Goodbye, Qingli," Fu Hannian muttered.

Fu Qingli felt someone drawing near. Following a looming spark, his reflexes took over and saved him from the fatal shot.

Fu Hannian seemed to be surprised he missed the shot. However, going for another round was out of the question at this point.

He turned around to jump into the waters.

It never occurred to him that the wounded Fu Qingli would suddenly seize him by the arm.

Splash.

The sound of a man going overboard echoed in the air.

Xu Xu cried in a panic, but the cloud of smoke disabled him from opening his eyes to look around.

Not too far away.

A speedboat raced over.

On the boat, Kun Lun brought along men to fire shots at Fu Hannian's vessel while Xuan Yuan stealthily infiltrated behind the smokescreen.

In the hands of China's best martial artists, these people collapsed to the ground in an instant.

Kun Lun brought his men onboard to escort Xu Xu's team back.

Xu Xu's eyes were bloodshot, undetermined whether it came from the anxiety or the smoke. He took a moment for himself and got his vision back before falling onto his knees in a thump. "Young Master Qingye, Young Lady, it's my fault. I didn't protect Young Master Qingli well."

He should have remained vigilant. A man who spent decades mastering the art of deception like Fu Hannian would not give in that easily.

Still, like Young Master Qingli, he thought the jig was up for Fu Hannian since he was apprehended.

Who knew he had another card up his sleeve?

Fu Qingli and Fu Hannian fell into the vast sea together. The turbulent waves made it difficult to identify any traces, living or dead.

Soon, the rescue team arrived. Helicopters and boats were dispatched to sweep the ocean.

Sitting at the bow, Shen Xi gazed at the boundless sea, the rescue boats, and the helicopters in the air while feeling out of it.

Fu Qingli was a fool to jump ship with that kind of person. He should have let Fu Hannian escape. They would find Fu Hannian so long as he was still on this earth.

Yet now, Fu Qingli jumped in the water with him. What about Mom and Dad if the unthinkable were to happen to him? What about them?

Li Yuan took a blanket and draped it over Shen Xi before handing her a cup of hot milk. "Drink this and keep warm."

The sea was too cold in this season. The ocean breeze was biting to the core.

It had been ten hours since Fu Qingli went under. His chances of survival grew slim as the clock ticked on.

Shen Xi took the milk but did not drink it. Instead, she clasped the cup in her hand, albeit she could not seem to feel the warmth. Overwhelmed with despair and self-reproach, she stared at the sunset and asked, "Brother, was I too hard on Fu Qingli?"

At the time, she was unable to warm up to Fu Qingli because the latter was impersonal and a pain in her *ss. Besides, there were far too many unresolved issues between them.

"He doesn't mind that. Nothing is of greater joy to him than finding you." Putting his arm over her shoulder, Li Yuan spoke softly.

"No way. He's petty. He stole Qingxuan's scarf, you know. He must feel sorry, beat himself up, and believes he owes me. Qingli is very cautious when he talks to me like he's trying to curry my favor." Only times like this could Shen Xi settle down and reflect on this.

"Wait for his return and talk it out." Li Yuan grinned. "You can be nicer to him then."

"Yeah." Shen Xi nodded. Watching the sunset gloss a bloodstain in the background, she firmly uttered, "He will get back safely. He owes me too much."

Forget her, Fu Qingli owed Lu Li and the two children a lot more.

For now, the accident was kept among the three who came for Fu Qingli. They did not tell the family to prevent causing any alarm.

Fu Qingye was distraught, worried, and afraid. All the wait would only get to him, so he joined in the search. He set out to sea in the morning and had not returned since.

Shen Xi and Li Yuan stayed behind in case Fu Qingli could not see anyone during his return.

Night came early during winter. The sun soon disappeared off the face of the sea, bringing along the last hint of sun glow.

The weather was ever-changing at sea; along came a storm and then rain. The wind, the cold, and wetness were becoming unbearable.

Shen Xi's heart was in her throat as she stood by the window and watched the thunderstorm. The light in her eyes was slowly put out.

The weather only made the rescue difficult and the survival rate slim. No few could withstand such freezing and turbulent weather conditions.

Li Yuan understood that she was anxious, worried, and upset. Looking at her fragile figure by the window, Li Yuan was at a loss on how to comfort her. Hence, he held her hand and gave her strength.

The sea was calm at best during the day, but now the violent storm picked up on tempestuous waves. With another downfall to be expected, the search could no longer continue. The situation was dire.

From afar, a rescue vessel quickly approached and pulled up. A drenched Fu Qingye emerged with a pale face and hair dripping wet. He looked at Shen Xi and Li Yuan before solemnly saying, "You two should go home. I'll stay."

They still could not find Fu Qingli after so long. Dead or alive, they needed to see the body. Shen Xi and Li Yuan would only worry and be scared by being here.

"Qingye." Drawing close, Shen Xi handed him a clean towel. Other than heartache, she had no idea what to say or do.

Li Yuan instructed Kun Lun to prepare a hot meal. Fu Qingye had gone a day without a drink of water. Now that he was soaked, Fu Qingye's body might take a toll without proper care.

"I'd need to head out again. They said they discovered something that could possibly be Qingli's on an island. I need to check it out." Fu Qingye could not allow himself to stop. His thoughts would go wild the moment he stopped. He would feel better if he kept himself busy.

Qingli would make it out alive. He would.

"I'm coming with you." Shen Xi held him back and looked into his eyes. "Qingye, get into a clean set of clothes. We're going together."

At this rate, he would go down before Qingli was found.