The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 174

Li Rong followed the staff to the storage room entrance. Through the charred, distorted doorway, he could see the blackened and yellowed remains inside. Even the cabinets storing the documents were on the verge of collapse.

Everything related to Luyinxu had been utterly destroyed.

His eyelids trembled, his knees shifted as if to take a step forward, but he ultimately held back.

This was the closest he had been to his parents since the incident—and the furthest away.

In his previous life, he had struggled for six years without succeeding in reviving Luyinxu. He hadn’t expected that on the day of its potential restart, it would be lost forever.

Jiang Weide had always told him that “the time wasn’t right.”

He hadn’t understood it then. Now, he did.

Not sharing the same path didn’t necessarily mean enmity.

Jiang Weide had been warning him: his involvement wouldn’t just destroy Luyinxu; it would also bring trouble to those around him.

But Li Rong had refused to believe it.

The more he was told to back off, the more he wanted to push forward. His past life had taught him that retreat only shrank his space for survival. When his opponents were dissatisfied, they would simply eliminate the threat.

Only strength could earn a seat at the table.

The staff glanced at Li Rong and murmured, “The cause of the accident is still under investigation. We’re checking if anything can be salvaged.”

Li Rong said nothing.

The entire building was intact except for this storage room, now reduced to ruins. The intent was painfully obvious.

But he knew the investigation wouldn’t yield any real answers. 

When the findings didn’t satisfy the narrative people wanted to hear, they would simply offer a more palatable conclusion.

“Let’s go,” Li Rong said, turning away from the shattered remains of Luyinxu.

“Okay.” Cen Xiao gripped his hand tightly. His mind was filled with countless thoughts, yet he couldn’t find the right words.

Time and again, Li Rong was forced to face devastating realities with composure and resilience, recovering as swiftly as possible, as though he wasn’t affected by emotions or pain.

Because he knew that wallowing in misery wouldn’t get him the results he needed.

But why? Why did he have to endure all of this? While his peers were enjoying carefree college years, worrying about exams and relationships, Li Rong was struggling through blow after crushing blow.

This world truly was unfair.

***

Jian Fu and Lin Zhen were fidgeting restlessly in the car. 

Lin Zhen had tried several times to yank the car door open and rush out, but Jian Fu had firmly held him back.

Jian Fu, “Have you forgotten you’re a celebrity? If you step out, it’ll cause a commotion.”

Lin Zhen was so distraught that he didn’t know where to place his hands. “If Xiaochuan couldn’t hold back from rushing into the fire, the scene must have been catastrophic…”

Jian Fu tried to lighten the mood. “Who knew Xiaochuan had it in her? Luckily, she’s okay. It seems like we all have some divine protection.”

Lin Zhen appreciated the attempt at comfort, but he couldn’t relax. 

This incident—Ji Xiaochuan’s close brush with death and the destruction of Luyinxu—felt like a stark warning.

He had thought that taking down Zheng Zhupan was the endgame. Now, it was clear he had been too naive.

Lin Zhen shook his head. “I used to think Zheng Zhupan was the greatest enemy. Turns out, I was wrong.”

Zheng Zhupan had been arrogant, overconfident, and dangerously dismissive. The treacherous scheme he had devised against Li Qingli and Gu Nong might have been the pinnacle of his cunning.

In truth, Zheng Zhupan’s plan hadn’t been particularly intricate. It had even relied on several coincidences.

If Zhai Ning’s claims were true—that Zhou Hong had no knowledge of the underlying conditions of the orphans assigned to the Phase I trial—then the deaths of the orphans hadn’t even been part of Zheng Zhupan’s calculations.

At the time, the prevailing public sentiment had aided Zheng Zhupan.

After all, the higher you elevate a figure, the harsher their fall.

Li Qingli’s attention and adoration naturally sparked jealousy in many, and Zheng Zhupan was just one of the particularly envious ones.

As for those like Li Baishou, hidden in the shadows? They cloaked themselves in the guise of moral integrity and prioritizing the greater good, sheltered under the banner of the Blue Pivot United Commerce Association and the Hongsuo Research Institute. They watched indifferently as innocent people died in injustice.

Jian Fu said, “You weren’t wrong; Zheng Zhupan is indeed the greatest enemy. This malicious plan was his brainchild—he’s the spark that ignited all of this. But…”

Lin Zhen glanced at Jian Fu, confusion flashing in his eyes.

Jian Fu shrugged and lightly patted Lin Zhen on the shoulder. “My dad and Uncle Cen were strongly against us getting involved in this from the start because they noticed something. After the Li family’s downfall, the Hongsuo Research Institute stayed silent, and District Nine didn’t stir. This shows that those in charge had no interest in speaking up for the Li family. Many rumors surrounding the Lis may have deceived the majority, but one thing is clear: the failure of a drug trial is part of scientific progress. It’s no one’s fault. In fact, forbidding failure is bizarre, flawed, and out of touch with reality. They all know this—it’s integral to their work—but they chose to remain silent.”

Lin Zhen responded, “Because they’re not the ones suffering.”

Naturally sensitive and empathetic, Lin Zhen felt his heart ache even more as he heard Jian Fu’s analysis.

What Jian Fu could piece together, their class monitor must have long understood.

In a world where even ordinary people would rather turn a blind eye to injustice for the sake of peace, how did their leader endure the despair?

How did he survive when he was entirely alone?

Lin Zhen couldn’t imagine. If this happened to him, he probably wouldn’t be able to go on either. He wouldn’t die immediately, but one day—on a seemingly calm and peaceful afternoon, under radiant sunshine or light drizzle—he’d encounter a melody, a phrase, or an image that would snap his last thread of will to live. And then he’d give in to the void.

Jian Fu sighed with exaggerated exasperation, like an old man stretching out his words. “Now that public opinion has shifted, everyone is nostalgic for Li Qingli and Gu Nong. Those who once looked the other way are in an awkward position. Sure, regular internet users can’t change much, but the people at Hongsuo and Blue Pivot aren’t ordinary. They had the power to set the record straight, to restore fairness, but they didn’t. Instead, they let the situation escalate. Now, the moral burden lies squarely on their shoulders. If Luyinxu truly ends up curing bacterial progeria, then Li Qingli and Gu Nong will become flawless martyrs. The dead can do no wrong—they’ll be deified. And those who harmed ‘gods’ will face collective condemnation, bearing the brunt of public outrage. To prevent this outcome, these people are forced into becoming a shared-interest group. They rise and fall together.”

Lin Zhen scoffed. “Admitting mistakes isn’t so terrifying. ‘Recognize your errors and correct them’—that’s what they teach in kindergarten.”

Jian Fu nodded. “Exactly. Maybe they could do that back when they were in kindergarten.”

Lin Zhen fell silent, lowering his head. He still struggled to come to terms with this harsh reality.

The reason he, Ji Xiaochuan, and Aunt Hui stood by their class monitor was their shared idealism.

But the gap between ideals and reality is what brings pain.

Jian Fu tried to lift his spirits. “What’s the matter, little star? Why the long face?”

He reached out two fingers and poked dimples into Lin Zhen’s cheeks, leaving faint red marks on his fair skin.

Lin Zhen dodged, rubbing his face. “Ugh, stop it.”

Unbothered, Jian Fu slung an arm around Lin Zhen’s shoulder, pulling him close like an old friend and giving him a solid pat. “Relax. Do you think at this stage, the ‘giant panda’ is just looking for justice?”

Lin Zhen frowned, intrigued by Jian Fu’s cryptic tone, momentarily forgetting their overly familiar posture.

Jian Fu spoke mysteriously, “He wants to remove those unworthy of their position. If he’s dissatisfied with the current rules, then he’ll just make his own.”

Lin Zhen was surprised. “Are you saying…?”

Jian Fu chuckled slyly, his gaze cunning, still trying to tease Lin Zhen for amusement. “Do you know why my dad and Uncle Cen eventually started secretly supporting him? Do you really think it’s just because they couldn’t win against me and my brother? The abilities that Panda has demonstrated—many people might not say it aloud, but they’ve all noticed. They’re extending an olive branch to the future leader of the Hongsuo Research Institute.”

Lin Zhen widened his eyes, staring at Jian Fu intently with furrowed brows, his expression complicated.

Jian Fu, who had been feeling quite smug after speaking, became a bit flustered upon seeing Lin Zhen’s reaction. He quickly asked, almost pleading, “Did I say something you didn’t like?”

Lin Zhen slowly shook his head.

He had always thought Jian Fu was carefree and casual, with no connection to maturity or deep thought. But actually…

Actually, it was just that Jian Fu had grown up in this environment. He was used to many things that would have caused Lin Zhen much greater turmoil.

Jian Fu saw everything clearly yet remained cheerful and energetic every day, as though nothing could ever bring him down.

It was… nice.

Added another trait to the “cool boyfriend perks” list.

***

Even though Ji Xiaochuan had applied medicine to his burns and could still move around, he was firmly sent to the hospital.

By the time Zhai Ning received the news, Ji Xiaochuan had already been treated at the burn unit.

Rushing downstairs, Zhai Ning took another look at the ointment on Ji Xiaochuan’s arm.

Although she was sure the doctor had done a thorough job, she still wanted to show her concern.

Zhai Ning said, “Make sure you apply the medicine properly, or it’ll leave a scar.”

Ji Xiaochuan nodded quickly. “Thanks.”

Only then did Zhai Ning turn her attention to Li Rong. “Coughing up blood in the middle of the night, running into a fire—don’t you think you’ve been visiting me a bit too often?”

Li Rong smiled faintly. “We’ll try not to come in the future.”

Zhai Ning looked at him intently. She didn’t know the whole story yet, but it was clear something had happened.

Still, she had no desire to pry. After all she had been through, she was exhausted and just wanted to live a simple life as a doctor.

She simply advised, “Take care of your bodies. You’re young, but that doesn’t mean you should push yourselves like this. What will you do when you’re older?”

But she also understood that some people don’t live for the length of their life, but for its meaning.

Li Rong only said, “Okay.”

His gaze was calm, his tone composed, with no visible emotional fluctuation.

This left Zhai Ning uncertain about the severity of the situation.

Then again, she had never been able to read Li Rong’s thoughts. She always felt he was too young to be so guarded. But at the same time, she thought that if he weren’t, perhaps there wouldn’t have been any victory today.

Most things in life are a matter of gain and loss.

As Li Rong predicted, the investigation into the fire lasted a week, and the cause was officially classified as an accident.

The details of the incident were known only to the investigative team. Even those at the Hongsuo Research Institute had only a vague understanding.

But even with limited information, everyone knew this was no accident.

Turning something that wasn’t an accident into an accident, ignoring obvious injustices—this had long become a way of survival.

No one expected the reactivation of Luyinxu to end so abruptly and carelessly, without even a perfunctory explanation—just a crude and brutal erasure.

However, the public’s outcry was still at its peak. Emotions were running high, and no one dared to reveal this outcome immediately.

Thus, the investigation team and Hongsuo Research Institute reached a tacit understanding to suppress the news for now, intending to release it later when the public had forgotten.

How long that might take, no one knew. At times, public opinion was easily manipulated, but at others, it was maddeningly unpredictable.

Manipulating people’s hearts would eventually lead to being bitten by them.

Li Rong had now confirmed that Jiang Weide bore him no ill will.

However, after the fire, Jiang Weide didn’t reach out to him, nor did he contact him.

He recalled the words Jiang Weide said before Zheng Zhupan’s downfall: “This matter will pass. Luyinxu will be relaunched one day, but not now.”

Jiang Weide clearly knew something, which was why he said it couldn’t happen now.

The results proved this right. Someone was indeed insane enough to set a fire to stop Luyinxu from being released.

Li Rong understood his mentor’s temperament well. If Jiang Weide believed something couldn’t be said, he wouldn’t divulge it, no matter what. Asking would be futile.

What Li Rong didn’t expect was that Zhang Zhaohe would be the first to seek him out.