Chapter 53: Beware of Li Xuan

"It's me."

Si Rong answered urgently.

At this moment, the only sounds in the room were the splashing of water from Ming Zi's bath and her humming of an unrecognizable tune.

This phone call, just like the last one, came unexpectedly.

Yet it gave one the feeling that truth is stranger than fiction.

"We can talk for two minutes this time," the voice on the other end softened, "Have you divorced Shen Lan yet?"

"I have, just a few days ago," Si Rong poured out her recent situation to her future self, "After we divorced, I also cut ties with those two children, Shen Chi and Shen Yuan. And the house—you told me to buy property, so I bought three commercial storefronts."

A raspy cough came from the other side, "You did very well, but you must still be careful, be careful, *cough cough cough*, be careful of Li Xuan and those two children."

"I will be careful," the voice on the other end of the line tugged at Si Rong's emotions, "How are things on your end?"

After several bursts of harsh static, there was a weary sigh, "Big Brother and Second Brother were both ruined by them. The Si Family was saddled with many lawsuits; Mother is critically ill and Father has passed away. However, since you have now changed the trajectory of events, our Si Family will certainly not end up in such a state."

Just these few sparse sentences were enough to make Si Rong's heart ache uncontrollably.

She had many questions she wanted to ask, but the two-minute call time was far too short, "What exactly is going on with this phone call between us?"

Could it be that two versions of her existed in this world at the same time?

"I will explain this to you if there is a chance in the future. Now that you have already divorced, there is a more important matter I must tell you; Shen Lan and Li Xuan are more hateful than you imagine. From the very beginning, you were being schemed against by them. Once the matter is exposed, they will stop at nothing to smear your name. You must go find a person named Wen Xiang..."

The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly cut off.

The two minutes were up.

Si Rong remained stunned, unable to collect her thoughts for a long time.

Those two shameless wretches were so vile, and now they still had the nerve to smear her name?

A person named Wen Xiang?

Si Rong felt this name was somewhat familiar.

'She' on the other end of the phone sounded like she was in a bad situation, yet she was so concerned about her own circumstances.

They were like versions of themselves in different timelines of this world.

"What are you doing holding the phone?"

Ming Zi walked out of the bathroom, asking as she wiped her wet hair.

Only then did Si Rong realize the receiver was still in her hand, gripped so tightly it had turned cold.

She put the phone down, her wrist feeling a bit sore.

"Ming Zi, do you believe that parallel universes exist in this world?"

She and the version of herself on the other end of the phone seemed very much like they were in parallel universes.

Only the time was different.

Ming Zi was stunned by her question, "What parallel universes? Are you too tired these past two days, so you're letting your imagination run wild?"

"Maybe," Si Rong rubbed her temples. Perhaps it was the betrayal by Shen Lan and Li Xuan that had completely chilled her heart, so even with someone as close as Ming Zi, she did not disclose the secret of the Future Phone.

Some things are only meant to be kept to oneself.

So, there was never any damn love between her and Shen Lan from the start; it was just a scheme by that pair of scoundrels.

Since that was the case, if they were to smear her name again, it was time to strike back.

"By the way, do you know Wen Xiang? Was he in the same school as us back then?"

Si Rong felt her memory must have declined over these past two years.

"Wen Xiang?" Ming Zi tilted her head and thought for a good while, "I seem to have some impression. Oh, I remember now, he used to pursue Li Xuan. Do you remember? He wore a pair of round glasses and looked a bit dim-witted, but Li Xuan really looked down on him. Why did you suddenly think of this person?"

This person, back at their school, probably belonged to the type who was very similar to Li Xuan—average grades, average family background, so mediocre that it was easy for people to forget him.

"I have some business with him. Can that Sun Qiang find him?"

Si Rong didn't know yet what use there was in finding him, but since the version of herself on the phone told her to find him, it must be of great use.

"Finding someone isn't hard for that guy; leave it to me."

As the New Year approached, red lanterns were hung on the streets.

In this festive atmosphere, Li Xuan, being all alone, felt even more lonely.

Ever since those two children refused to acknowledge her last time, this was now the final deadline she had given Shen Lan.

As long as Shen Lan married her and their family was together, the two children would surely acknowledge her eventually.

No matter what, she was, after all, the biological mother of those two children.

Today was a good day.

Li Xuan's lips curled up. She examined the freshly printed Huaiyang Morning Post; soon, this cold room would become lively.

Sure enough, before she had even warmed her seat, Shen Lan arrived.

He held the same Huaiyang Morning Post in his hand as she did, questioning her angrily, "Li Xuan, have you lost your mind?"

The newspaper slammed into Li Xuan's head, knocking her carefully tied bun askew, and also ruining her good mood, "Shen Lan, is today the first day you've known me? I have always been this crazy, otherwise,"

Her arms slowly climbed up to Shen Lan's neck, "Otherwise, how could I have sent you to Si Rong's side for eighteen years, to the point where you don't even know whose person you are now? Hmm? Shen Lan, do you still remember who your woman is?"

"I, I of course remember," Shen Lan felt a bit guilty from her questioning and dared not look at her, "But, by doing this, you are completely putting us in opposition to the Si Family. There is no benefit for us!"

"Do you think that, at this point, even if we don't resist, the Si Family will let us go?"

Li Xuan hugged his waist, her soft hands sliding across his back, "Is it because I sent you to the Si Family to live off their charity for too many years that your teeth can no longer chew any other food?"

She sneered, "You are a Deputy County Magistrate, and I, although expelled by that rotten Huaiyi, don't forget that my dance skills are no worse than Si Rong's. Opening a dance studio will only bring in better business than hers. Why should the two of us be suppressed by the Si Family?"

"Are you, Shen Lan, willing to be a subordinate for the rest of your life? To be kept under Jiang Yu's thumb forever?"

Shen Lan was, of course, unwilling, but he was not as optimistic as Li Xuan, "But by smearing Si Rong like this, you are hurting others without benefiting yourself. Her Second Brother won't let you off if he finds out."

"It's not me; it's us."

Li Xuan gently helped him straighten his collar, reminding him, "Today is already the final deadline I gave you. A-Lan, when are you planning to marry me?"