The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 197

Time seemed to have stopped for Li Rong. He remained trapped in that dark night, never stepping out.

He laid in the empty house, the lights turned off, but his eyes were open. The room was silent, devoid of any sound.

He could no longer feel his own existence, could not contemplate the meaning of life, nor did he have the energy to reflect on his brief life.

The peace and happiness of the past felt like a dream. The applause, praise, joy, and blessings vanished in an instant, replaced only by overwhelming curses, insults, hatred, and slander.

It was as though his parents had chosen to make their statement with death, making the most irreversible decision without his knowledge.

But what a pity—what a terrible pity.

Now the outside world claimed that they had committed suicide out of guilt.

Even in death, their choice became another blade stabbing into him.

His wounds had healed, and his body was recovering, but deep inside, he knew his heart was still bleeding—bleeding with no cure in sight.

He had to feel the pain constantly. It seemed to be the only purpose for his existence now.

He hid at home for a long time. During that time, a few relatives came by, offering empty words about being strong, brave, and resilient, but he didn’t listen.

They brought him food—things that lasted long and filled the stomach. Whenever dizziness overtook him, he’d force himself to eat a little, but after a few bites, he would vomit everything up. He retched until the acid corroded his throat, until he had no strength left.

No one could save him. He was teetering on the edge of a cliff, sinking into the depths of a swamp.

Why didn’t they take him with them when they died?

***

Cen Xiao felt powerless—truly powerless—for the first time in his eighteen years of life.

He had no ability to fight Cen Qing, no ability to silence the clamor, and even less ability to help Li Rong live properly.

From what he had heard, Li Rong was on the brink of death, unable to eat or sleep, while the insults and slander continued unabated.

The next time Cen Xiao saw Li Rong was at Song Yuanyuan’s birthday banquet.

He hadn’t wanted to go, but he had struck a deal with his family and agreed to attend. Perhaps, deep down, part of him knew that the Song family had close ties to the Li family.

He understood the Song family’s intentions: they wanted to cozy up to Blue Pivot to distance themselves from the negativity brought by the Li family.

What he hadn’t expected was to see Li Rong there—his expression calm and indifferent, his features clear and beautiful.

Though Li Rong had grown thin, his face pale, he still looked stunning. His eyes, too, were as beautiful as ever.

An indescribable emotion suddenly surged within Cen Xiao—jealousy.

He was jealous to the point of madness.

Why was Li Rong still able to show up here, despite everything? Could Song Yuanyuan really matter so much to him?

As he stared at that fragile yet dignified face, Cen Xiao had the sudden urge to grab him, push him hard against the wall, and force him to see who the one person that could save him truly was.

Song Yuanyuan showed no sign of sadness. She was like a butterfly spreading its wings, drifting with the fragrance of a fleeting blossom to stand before Cen Xiao.

“Cen Xiao, the dance floor is open. Will you dance the opening dance with me?”

Once lovers, now one stood exquisitely made-up, dressed in luxurious gowns, smiling with poise and grace. The other looked like a drenched kitten curled up under a street lamp on a rainy day—soaking wet, shivering uncontrollably.

In Cen Xiao’s eyes, there was no trace of the eager young girl—only the pitiful little cat.

How could someone so fickle and heartless even dare to touch his little cat’s hair?

Cen Xiao let out a soft chuckle. “Sure,” he said.

When he spoke, his gaze flickered almost imperceptibly toward Li Rong.

He never denied the darkness in his own heart. He wanted Li Rong to see Song Yuanyuan’s true face, to stop holding her in his heart.

But Li Rong kept his eyes lowered, his eyelids not even trembling.

He seemed oblivious to everything happening around him, as though such emotional turmoil could no longer penetrate the depths of his heart.

His heart was dead, but he wasn’t a fool.

Upon arriving here, he quickly understood the Song family’s intent.

They were using him as a pawn to signal their goodwill to the Blue Pivot Cen family.

It was fitting—Cen Xiao happened to despise him, and he still had some use left.

Dancing with Cen Xiao in front of him was step one. Mother Song’s public humiliation was step two.

***

Mother Song watched Song Yuanyuan and Cen Xiao’s dance with satisfaction. Then, she deliberately walked over to sit beside Li Rong, wearing a perfunctory smile.

“Li Rong, I know you probably can’t afford any gifts right now. This bracelet isn’t worth much, but you could sell it for 500,000. Take the money and stay away from Yuanyuan. She deserves a better future.”

As soon as Mother Song finished speaking, even Song Yuanyuan inhaled sharply in shock.

Before she could recover from her astonishment, she realized Cen Xiao had already pushed her away abruptly and turned his gaze toward the topic of the moment.

She had the strange illusion that Cen Xiao’s attention was entirely focused on Li Rong. It even seemed like he had pushed her away out of disgust because of her mother’s words to Li Rong.

But it had to be an illusion. How could that be possible? Cen Xiao and Li Rong had always been enemies.

Li Rong’s eyelid finally twitched.

He glanced at the bracelet—it was exquisite and beautiful, clearly worth a lot.

Gu Nong had never worn anything so elegant and pretty, the kinds of things girls liked—even though their family could afford them.

Gu Nong spent her time doing experiments and research; such accessories would only get in the way of her work.

What a pity. His mother had never worn a beautiful bracelet like this, either.

Li Rong really did need money now. His family was in debt, their property was about to be auctioned off, and relatives and friends were all shirking responsibility with their own agendas. No one truly offered to help him.

But his pride wouldn’t allow him to accept this money.

Li Rong gave the bracelet a cold glance before shifting his gaze away calmly. He stood up, his voice slightly weak.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now.”

After speaking, he didn’t wait for anyone’s response and walked straight toward the door.

As he brushed past Cen Xiao, he didn’t even pause his gaze, and all Cen Xiao caught was the faint scent of shampoo.

Li Rong had taken a cab here. This place was in the suburbs, where it was difficult to call for a ride. It had been easy to come, but going back was another story.

His family used to have drivers, so he had never realized how far he’d fallen.

Standing blankly at the roadside, Li Rong finally understood how out of place he was with his old life.

He didn’t even have a way to get home.

With no other choice, he squatted by the road, waiting—waiting for a taxi that might pass by, though he had no idea when.

The night wind lifted his hair, covering his eyes, and he felt a chill.

The sky grew darker and heavier.

When the cold finally reached his forearms, a black car pulled up beside him.

The car window rolled down, and the driver spoke with a southern accent, “Kid, are you waiting for a cab? It’s hard to get one out here. I’m heading back to the city anyway. I’ll drop you off at the subway station.”

Li Rong lifted his head. From the car window poked out a clean-cut head of short hair. Unfortunately, the man wore a mask, so his face wasn’t visible.

Late at night. In the suburbs. An unfamiliar black car. A masked driver. Everything about this screamed suspicion.

But Li Rong didn’t even care about death, so what was there to fear?

He stood up, supporting his numb legs, glanced briefly at the car, and murmured, “Thank you,” before getting in without hesitation.

The bad outcome he anticipated didn’t happen. The driver even turned on the heater considerately and turned out to be quite a talker.

“You came out here for fun, right? The scenery in the suburbs is nice. Why do you look so unhappy?”

Li Rong replied, “I broke up.”

The driver laughed, “Ah, it’s no big deal. Give it a year, and you won’t even remember her face.”

“Is that so?” Li Rong muttered.

“Time is powerful,” the driver continued. “No matter how big the problem, it’ll get better. What feels earth-shattering now will just be another memory later.”

Li Rong asked, “And if it really is something earth-shattering? Can you still get through it?”

“Of course,” the driver said confidently. “Time is long. Who knows what will happen in the future? As long as you’re alive, there’s hope.”

Li Rong’s heart felt dead, so he searched for words just to keep the conversation alive. “Your car’s nice.”

The driver chuckled heartily. “Right? Ten years ago, I never imagined I’d be driving something like this. Back then, I was cheated out of my entire family fortune by my relatives. I nearly ended it all. Luckily, I met a good boss.”

Li Rong tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Hmm.”

He didn’t actually want to smile, but he felt like he should, to congratulate the man.

The driver suddenly asked, “Do you watch One Piece?”

Li Rong froze. “Huh?” He had no idea what that was.

The driver explained, “There’s a line from it that goes: ‘You’ll never be alone forever in this world. The ocean is vast. One day, you’ll find friends you can trust. Keep living!’ Back then, that line gave me the strength to carry on.”

Li Rong’s eyelids trembled, but he didn’t say anything.

Still, he couldn’t deny that the line stirred his numb heart, just a little.

The driver’s route must have been genuinely convenient because he dropped Li Rong at the subway station nearest his home—just one stop away, less than two kilometers. He could’ve walked back.

Li Rong got out of the car, thanked the driver, and watched carefully as the car turned into a nearby residential complex.

The black car drove in through one gate and out through another.

It headed back to the suburbs and stopped in front of Cen Xiao.

Cen Xiao, shivering from the cold, sneezed.

Xu Feng smiled faintly. “Dropping someone off takes over an hour. Why didn’t you wait inside?”

Cen Xiao frowned. “Disgusting.”

Xu Feng nodded thoughtfully and began to report on Li Rong’s condition: “He’s doing okay. Talked a little. His emotions seem stable.”

Cen Xiao looked surprised. “He talked to you?”

Xu Feng replied, “Yeah. I shared some of my experiences. Maybe he related to them.”

Cen Xiao chuckled. “You really are something. No wonder my dad values you.”

Xu Feng raised an eyebrow, glanced up at the star-filled sky, and sighed. “It’s just compassion. Your dad told me to keep an eye on you, but you made me drop off Hongsuo’s kid. I’ll do you a favor and forget this happened.”

Cen Xiao smiled with interest. “Xu Feng, why don’t you work for me in the future?”

Xu Feng pulled off his gloves and mask, fished a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and lit one. He took a deep drag, half-joking. “Sure. Once you become the Team Leader of District Three, and I see your abilities, I’ll follow you.”

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