Thrown Away by my Family, Cherished by my Enemy

If this was truly her villa, she knew its every turn, every hidden exit. Her feet moved on instinct, retracing paths burned into her memory.

The back exit.

Li Xiyan's footsteps were swift and silent against the marble floor. She could still hear the approaching footsteps behind her, but she didn't look back.

The hallway stretched ahead, dimly lit, shadows twisting against the walls as Li Xiyan moved swiftly, her grip on Shen Rui firm.

The weight of the child in her arms grounded her, but there was no time to slow down.

She turned a corner—

And came to an abrupt stop.

A man stood in her path, dressed in black, gun raised.

His gaze flickered between her and Shen Rui, a momentary hesitation crossing his face, as if he hadn't expected to find them here.

She didn't wait for him to recover.

Shifting her hold on Shen Rui, she steadied her breath, muscles coiling in preparation.

In one swift, explosive movement, she struck.

Her leg snapped up, her foot colliding with his wrist with a force that sent a sharp jolt up her own bones.

The gun slipped from his grip, clattering onto the floor.

The man grunted in pain, staggering back, but his instincts kicked in fast. Too fast.

He reached for her, regaining his balance, but Li Xiyan was already moving.

Her free hand darted behind her back, fingers closing around the hemostat she had hidden earlier. Without hesitation, she drove it into his side—precise, controlled, not deep enough to kill but enough to incapacitate.

A strangled gasp tore from his throat as his body jerked from the pain.

His knees buckled, but he still reached for her, determined to fight through it. He was too late.

Li Xiyan lunged forward, grabbing the fallen gun before he could react.

Her heart pounded, her breath sharp, but she didn't waste a second.

She adjusted her hold on Shen Rui and bolted.

The hallway blurred around her as she sprinted, every muscle taut, every nerve on fire.

Footsteps pounded behind her, but she didn't look back.

Adrenaline surged through her veins, drowning out everything except one singular, urgent thought.

Keep running.

Then—

A soft murmur.

Shen Rui stirred against her chest.

Li Xiyan's pulse slammed in her ears. 

"…hmm." Shen Rui whimpered. 

Li Xiyan tightened her grip, forcing herself to keep running. 

"Where… where are we?" Shen Rui's voice was groggy, confused.

Li Xiyan let out a steady breath and whispered, "I'm taking you home."

Shen Rui's eyes flickered with hesitation, her fingers tightening slightly on Li Xiyan's sleeve. But then, as if making a silent decision, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Li Xiyan's neck, clinging to her with quiet trust.

"Be careful… Sister."

Li Xiyan's steps faltered for just a fraction of a second.

Her chest tightened.

Sister.

The child had never called her that before. Never addressed her at all.

Warmth spread through the ice-cold determination in her veins.

Even in the middle of all this, when fear should have consumed her, the child—known as a tyrant—still showed her warmth.

Li Xiyan swallowed hard, adjusting her hold on the girl. Her arms instinctively tightened around her, holding her close.

"…Okay." Her voice was softer now, but steady. "I will."

And with renewed resolve, she ran.

She moved swiftly down the back staircase, her steps firm and precise despite the weight of the child in her arms.

Shen Rui clung to her tightly, her small fingers digging into Li Xiyan's clothes as they descended.

Every turn, every creaking floorboard—it was all as she remembered.

The moment she pushed through the back door, the cool night air hit her, crisp and familiar.

Her heart pounded, not just from the escape, but from the undeniable truth settling in her chest.

This villa—it was really hers.

A sharp pang ran through her chest, but she set the thought aside.

Not now. There was no time for other thoughts. 

She bolted toward the service gate, the garden stretching before her, bathed in faint pools of light from the landscape lamps.

Shadows flickered, distorted by the trembling leaves.

No one in sight. Good. That gave them a chance.

Her fingers curled around the gate handle—she yanked.

Locked.

A curse slipped through her teeth. Her pulse pounded in her ears as her gaze darted to the metal bars.

She could climb. She had to.

She tightened her grip on Shen Rui.

"Hold on," she whispered.

The child nodded weakly, pressing her face into Li Xiyan's shoulder.

Li Xiyan placed her foot on the lower bar, muscles tensing as she prepared to climb—

Then chaos erupted behind her.

Shouts rang out, footsteps pounded against the ground, closing in fast.

They knew.

Her breath hitched, adrenaline spiking as every muscle coiled like a spring. But there was no time to think, no time to hesitate—

"Stop, or I'll shoot!"

The command was sharp, cutting through the night like a blade. Cold. Unyielding.

She felt it then—the invisible weight of the gun aimed at her back. The silent threat of death.

For a split second, instinct screamed at her to stop, to surrender.

But stopping meant capture.

And capture meant no escape.

Gritting her teeth, she pulled herself up, her arms burning with effort—

Then—

A gunshot cracked through the air.

A brutal, searing force slammed into her back, stealing the breath from her lungs.

The pain hit like a lightning strike, raw and unforgiving, spreading fire through her body. A strangled gasp tore from her throat as her vision blurred.

But then—

A whimper. Soft, barely audible.

Shen Rui.

The child trembled against her, tiny fingers digging desperately into her clothes.

That sound shattered everything else.

Pain didn't matter. The burning, the bleeding—it was nothing.

Li Xiyan gritted her teeth and climbed. Higher. Faster.

Push, pull, grip, lift.

The sharp edge of the metal rail sliced into her arm, warm blood soaking her sleeve, but she didn't stop.

Another shot.

She flinched at the sharp crack of gunfire, bracing herself—

But the bullet missed.

She didn't wait for the next one. She just kept going.

The wind lashed against her wounds, sharp and unforgiving, but the pain barely registered beneath the relentless flood of adrenaline.

Her breath came in ragged gasps, her muscles burned with exhaustion, but none of it mattered.

Shen Rui whimpered softly against her shoulder, her small hands clutching at her collar, fragile yet trusting.

Li Xiyan held her tighter.

Almost there.

With one last desperate push, she vaulted over the top. Jagged metal tore against her ribs, a searing scrape of pain—then suddenly, there was nothing beneath her.

She was falling.

Instinct took over. Twisting mid-air, she curled around Shen Rui, shielding the child with her own body.

The impact was brutal, a shockwave of pain rattling through her bones as they hit the ground. Her breath punched out of her lungs, her vision flashed white-hot—

But there was no time.

Before the pain could fully register, she forced herself up, legs barely steady beneath her. Then she was running.

The night air stabbed into her lungs, each step sending fire through her wounds, but she didn't slow down.

Behind her, shouts erupted into the night, voices sharp with alarm.

Footsteps pounded against the ground in chaotic pursuit, their urgency a war drum in her ears.

Still, she didn't look back. She just ran.

Then—

A sudden explosion of light.

Blinding headlights flared to life, slashing through the darkness like knives.

A deafening roar of engines followed, tires screeching against the pavement as vehicles closed in from all sides.

Li Xiyan's steps faltered.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

Had she just run straight into another trap?

Her grip on Shen Rui tightened as her mind raced. Fight, flee, or—

Her fingers brushed against the cold metal tucked at her waistband.

The gun. The one she'd taken.

In a single motion, she pulled it free, raising it with steady precision.

A car door slammed open.

A figure stepped out, his silhouette cutting through the harsh glow of the lights, dark and commanding.

Li Xiyan's breath stilled in her throat.

Shen Yuze.