Batter My Heart,Mr Xi (Book 2)

Chapter XXX

 A/n: After a lot of requests to finish the book; We're back!! Still got the general idea of where this should go so just have to pen it down and end this. It been sooo long.

The metallic clang of the ship's railing echoed in Yang Zhilan's mind, sharp and vivid. She was eighteen again, the night air cold against her face as strong hands shoved her backward. A sharp hit of something  on head head bringing her down immediately. The pain felt ingrained , like her mind could never forget it. The original female lead's face—her half-sister's face—twisted with malicious satisfaction.

"You should have died in the first place, Wang Linxue. This is just correcting fate."

At some point, the world tilted. Water rushed up to meet her. Then darkness, cold and absolute, swallowing her whole—

"Zhilan? Zhilan!"

A firm hand shook her shoulder, pulling her back to the present. Yang Zhilan blinked rapidly, her heart hammering against her ribs as Yang Chu's concerned face came into focus.

"You alright?" her brother asked, his soldier's instincts making him scan her face for signs of distress. "You went completely pale."

"I'm fine," she managed, though her hands trembled slightly in her lap. The memory—no, the recovered memory—sat heavy in her chest and on her mind too. She'd been having more of these flashes lately, fragments of a life she'd forgotten filling in the pieces of her recovered memory. Or perhaps a life she'd been forced to forget.

Wang Linxue. That name that always whispered through her mind like a ghost she'd been running from.

"We're here," the driver announced, pulling through an ornate gate that opened onto a sprawling estate.

The Xi family mansion rose before them like something from a period drama—all elegant architecture and manicured gardens that spoke of generations of wealth and power. Even though  she had been her more than once, she could never not be awed. Even Yang Chu, usually unflappable, straightened his posture unconsciously.

Mrs. Yang pressed closer to the window, her eyes wide. "My goodness," she murmured. "Zhilan, are you sure about this?"

Before Yang Zhilan could respond, the car stopped before the main entrance where two figures stood waiting. The Xi Patriarch and Matriarch were exactly as imposing as Yang Zhilan remembered from her previous encounters—though calling them encounters felt inadequate. They were more like audiences with royalty.

The Xi Matriarch, elegant in a silk qipao, smiled warmly as they approached. "Welcome, welcome! You must be Mrs. Yang." She took Mrs. Yang's hands in hers with genuine warmth. "And this handsome young man must be Yang Chu."

"Thank you for having us, Madam Xi," Mrs. Yang said, her village manners making her slightly formal.

The Xi Patriarch stood a step behind his wife, his expression neutral but his sharp eyes assessing. "Please, come inside. We have much to discuss."

Yang Zhilan noticed immediately that Xi Jinwei was absent. A servant explained he'd been called away for an urgent business matter but would join them soon. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed.

They were led to an elegant sitting room where tea and refreshments had been prepared. The Xi Matriarch personally poured tea for Mrs. Yang, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed.

"Mrs. Yang," the Xi Matriarch began, her smile never wavering, "we're so pleased to finally meet you properly. Your daughter has made quite an impression on our family."