Thrown Away by my Family, Cherished by my Enemy

Shen Yuze's car sped through the dark, winding roads, its destination—a secluded villa he owned.

Unlike his other properties, this one had a different purpose.

It was a place reserved for those who went against his loyalty, those who needed to learn what it meant to regret their choices.

But tonight, it wasn't a prisoner being taken there.

His daughter, Shen Rui, sat quietly in his arms, her small hands gripping the fabric of his sleeve as they neared the estate.

Old Madam Shen and Old Master Shen sat across from them, their expressions unreadable, while Assistant Li Ke followed behind in another car.

As they pulled up to the villa, Old Madam Shen cast a worried glance at her son.

Her voice was quiet, careful—she didn't want Shen Rui to catch on to their suspicions.

"Are you sure that woman saved Rui'er?" she asked, her tone laced with doubt. "Didn't you say it was her who took her?"

Old Master Shen, seated beside her, frowned as well. "Something doesn't add up, Yuze. You said she was involved, and now you say she saved Rui'er?"

Shen Yuze didn't immediately respond. He turned to Li Ke, his sharp eyes narrowing.

"Did you find anything more about her?"

Li Ke shook his head. "No. I haven't been able to trace her real background yet."

Shen Yuze exhaled, his gaze darkening.

He could forge a hundred different lives for a person—erase them from existence or turn them into someone else entirely.

He knew better than anyone how identities could be rewritten, and if Li Xiyan's past had holes, that meant someone had done it on purpose.

Still, after everything, there was only one truth he could acknowledge at this moment.

"If Rui'er says she saved her, then she saved her." His voice was final.

Old Madam Shen and Old Master Shen exchanged glances, their doubts still lingering.

With that, they made their way inside.

By the time they reached the second floor, Shen Yuze had already been informed that Li Xiyan had been moved from the dimly lit confinement room to a proper bedroom.

His steps were steady, but his mind was restless.

The last time he had seen her, she had looked like a woman with nothing left to live for.

Would she still be breathing now?

The door opened with a quiet creak.

Inside, Li Xiyan lay on her stomach, her face turned slightly to the side.

Her long, dark brown wavy hair, no longer as disheveled, had been gathered to one side, framing her pale features.

Though her sharp, defined features appeared softer in rest, her lips remained colorless, and her skin was still ashen from blood loss.

She had been changed into clean clothes, but the back of her shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing the edges of thick white bandages that wrapped around her waist.

A bullet wound—hidden beneath layers of gauze.

Her arm was wrapped as well, the deep gashes from the gate's sharp spikes carefully treated. And though the blood had been cleaned away, her injuries were impossible to ignore.

Standing at the side of the room were two medical professionals and a doctor, their faces neutral but their presence a reminder of how fragile her condition still was.

Shen Rui clutched her father's sleeve tightly.

Her large, expressive eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked up at him.

"Father… put me down."

Shen Yuze's expression hardened.

He shook his head. "It's not safe for you."

"But—"

"The risk of bacterial infection is extremely high," he cut her off. His voice was firm but not unkind.

Shen Rui's lips trembled. "I'll wear a mask and gloves."

Shen Yuze's gaze was steady, his tone firm. "No. After everything you've been through, the fact that a fever is the only concern is already a miracle."

Shen Rui's lips trembled. "That's because the sister took care of me."

Shen Yuze's gaze flickered slightly, but Shen Rui continued, determined.

"She... she gave me her coat when I was cold and put it on the bed so I didn't have to touch the dirty mattress. She cleaned my face when I was too tired, and she made me drink water, even when she barely had any."

Her breath hitched, and she squeezed her eyes shut, almost crying again. "I was really dizzy, but I remember everything. I knew what was happening."

Her words came fast, her small chest rising and falling quickly. "When we fell, she held me so I wouldn't get hurt. When they shot at us—" Rui's fingers dug into her palms. "I heard her breathing. It hurt her. A lot. But she still climbed the gate."

She sniffled, her voice thick. "She was shaking... I knew she wanted to stop. I knew it hurt." Her head lowered slightly, bangs falling over her eyes. "But she didn't stop. She didn't even let me see how scared she was."

Shen Yuze exhaled slowly, his grip tightening.

As he listened to his daughter's words, his gaze remained on the woman lying on the bed—his expression unreadable, caught between emotions too tangled to name.

Shen Rui's little hands clenched into fists, her voice shaking. "She kept saying I'd be okay. She made sure I was safe, Father."

Then, with a reluctant breath, he turned to the medical staff and gave a slow, measured nod.

They immediately handed Shen Rui a mask and gloves. She put them on with fumbling hands, her breathing uneven.

He lowered Shen Rui onto the floor.

The little girl steadied herself, her small hands clenching as she took careful steps toward the bed.

She stopped at the bedside, staring at Li Xiyan with wide, inspecting eyes, as though making sure she was really there—that she was really okay.

Her lips trembled, and her fingers curled at her sides.

She wanted to reach out, but she hesitated, afraid that even the slightest touch might hurt the person who had protected her.

Her large, tear-filled eyes turned to the doctor standing nearby.

"…Is she okay?"

The doctor hesitated, glancing at Shen Yuze.

The man's jaw clenched, but he gave a short nod, signaling for the doctor to answer.

The doctor exhaled. "Her condition is… not good. Her wounds were left untreated for too long, and infection has already begun to set in. The bullet wound on her back was dangerously close to a major blood vessel—just a few centimeters off, and it could have caused severe internal bleeding or permanent nerve damage. She's lucky, but her body has been through too much. If she doesn't receive proper care and rest, things could take a turn for the worse."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Shen Yuze's hands curled into fists.

He had been the one who left her in that dark room, broken and bleeding.

And now, he had to face the consequences.

Old Master Shen, who had been silent until now, furrowed his brows deeply. "What happened to her? How did things turn out like this?"

Shen Yuze didn't turn around as he answered. "She was shot in the back. Deep gashes on her ribs. Severe bruising. And…"

His throat tightened slightly. "She had already lost too much blood before she was treated."

Old Master Shen and Old Madam Shen's gazes lingered on Li Xiyan's frail figure.

Shen Rui's voice trembled. "She'll be okay… right?"

The doctor hesitated. "…We're doing everything we can."

The little girl bit her lip hard, her small body shaking.

For the first time, Old Madam Shen and Old Master Shen looked at the woman before them—not as a suspect, not as an enemy—but as someone who had suffered.

At first, they hadn't trusted her.

Even hearing Shen Rui speak about her, they had remained skeptical.

But now…

Seeing her like this, pale and unmoving…

Doubt wavered.

And guilt began to creep in.

If she had truly saved Shen Rui—if she had endured all of this just to protect her—then they had been unforgivably wrong.

And if that were the case, then they didn't know how they would ever repay her.