Thrown Away by my Family, Cherished by my Enemy

Tall. Commanding.

His presence alone sent a chill down her spine, but it wasn't fear that stole her breath—it was the look in his eyes.

His gaze locked onto her, cold and unreadable, before flickering down to Shen Rui.

His expression twisted into something sharp. Unforgiving.

Then, he spoke.

"Give me my daughter."

The words cut through the air like a blade, slicing straight through whatever thin thread of hope she had left.

Li Xiyan's breath hitched, as she slowly lowered her hand holding the gun. 

For a second, her mind struggled to catch up. The weight of his voice. The way his men had already begun closing in.

Did he—?

No.

No, he couldn't possibly think—

A hollow ache spread through her chest, something far more painful than any wound.

She had risked everything. Taken a bullet. Fought tooth and nail to get Shen Rui out of that place.

And yet—

Shen Yuze's gaze held nothing but suspicion.

She was the enemy.

She hadn't done it for him. From the start, she only wanted to save the child—Shen Rui didn't deserve any of this. But she couldn't deny it… the way he looked at her still hurt.

Her fingers trembled, but she forced them to stay steady.

She should explain. Fight. Scream.

But no words came.

Instead, she swallowed hard, her throat burning as she slowly bent her arms—easing Shen Rui out of her hold.

The child whimpered, clinging to her for just a moment, her tiny fingers tightening in silent protest.

Li Xiyan felt her throat close up. Gently, she bent her head, pressing her lips close to Shen Rui's ear.

"I finally brought you home," she whispered, voice barely more than a breath.

Then, with a final, lingering squeeze, she let go.

Shen Yuze stepped forward, pulling his daughter into his embrace.

The second Shen Rui was safe in his arms, hands seized Li Xiyan, as well as grabbing the gun from her hand.

Rough. Unrelenting.

She gasped as two of his men yanked her arms behind her back, forcing her down to her knees.

Pain detonated through her body, a white-hot explosion from her bullet wound, but it was nothing compared to the cold realization settling in her chest.

He thought she was one of them.

The blood on her hands. The way she had fled the villa. And if they checked the hospital's surveillance, it would seem like she had assisted in the kidnapping.

It all pointed to the same conclusion—that she was the one who had taken Shen Rui in the first place.

A bitter laugh clawed at her throat, but she swallowed it down.

Of course, after everything, this was how it ended.

She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to meet Shen Yuze's accusing stare.

"You're making a mistake," she rasped, voice raw.

But he wasn't listening.

He turned away, his focus solely on Shen Rui, shielding her as if Li Xiyan was something dangerous.

Something unworthy of a second glance.

And just like that—

She was dragged away.

The grip on her arms was bruising, the strength behind it unrelenting.

Li Xiyan barely registered the pain, her body too drained, too numb to fight as the men dragged her toward another car.

Then—

The low hum of an approaching engine cut through the night.

A sleek black car pulled up, its tires skidding slightly against the gravel.

The door swung open, and a figure stepped out.

Li Xiyan kept her head down, her breath shallow, her mind struggling to grasp the weight of everything that had just happened.

She barely paid attention—until she heard the voice.

"It's a relief you got here in time, President Shen."

The voice was smooth.

It was familiar. Too familiar.

Something inside her froze.

The men pulling her forward didn't slow, didn't loosen their grip. But suddenly, her limbs felt stiff. Heavy.

Slowly, she lifted her head.

And her breath left her body.

Yan Weisheng.

He stood beside Shen Yuze, his posture composed, his expression grave.

He was no longer the weak, thin, and pale person she once knew.

That frail figure was gone. Now, he looked healthy, steady, as if the suffering he once wore so openly had never existed.

"I owe you," Shen Yuze said, his voice tight, controlled. "If you hadn't come to me with this information, I wouldn't have made it in time to save my daughter."

Yan Weisheng shook his head, "I truly regret this mess. I never thought Yan Xiuran would go this far—kidnapping a child? It's unthinkable."

Li Xiyan stopped breathing.

The name struck like a blade to the chest.

Yan Xiuran.

Her name. Her identity.

The one they had stripped from her, tainted, twisted into a lie, a ghost she could never outrun.

She had left. She had disappeared.

She had given up everything. And yet—they still weren't done with her.

Her stomach twisted violently, bile rising in her throat as the realization clawed its way through her. No wonder the villa they had been held in belonged to her before.

The place her father had given her. The place they had stolen when they erased her existence.

So this was their plan.

They hadn't just taken her name. They had used it.

Draped it over their crimes like a mask, weaving a story where she was the villain they needed. Even when she was gone, when she had nothing left, they had kept her alive in whispers, in shadows, in the lies they fed to the world.

Yan Weisheng stood there, his expression calm, his voice smooth—so natural, so practiced, as if none of it meant anything to him.

As if he wasn't standing in the ruin of what he had done to her.

A sharp tremor ran through her limbs, her body locking up.

The men dragging her had to tighten their grip as her knees nearly buckled beneath her.

Yan Weisheng.

The brother she had protected and trusted beyond reason.

The brother who had set her up, sold her out, destroyed her—and still, it wasn't enough for him.

Even now, he was standing there, playing his part, molding the truth as he saw fit. And she—

She was the villain.

Again.

A jagged laugh clawed at her throat, bitter and broken, but she swallowed it down.

The world had never been fair. She knew that better than anyone.

But this?

This was beyond cruel.