Chapter 13: with translation of chapter title

Li Qingluo lifted her head and gazed toward the sky above Jiangjun Fu.

Waves of thick smoke rose from the rear courtyard, firelight illuminating half the sky.

Li Qingzhu, you ultimately couldn't resist and made this move.

Li Kechuan's face changed drastically, and he let out an anguished, painful shout: "Zhuer——"

Then he bolted, as if mad, rushing inside.

Qu Shi felt her vision darken; the maid behind her hesitated a moment before stepping forward to support her, and kept glancing at Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo stood where she was, honest and still, eyes lowered, nose aligned with heart, rooted motionless.

In her previous life, she had been concerned and immediately supported Qu Shi.

But Qu Shi, disgusted, shoved her away.

One must have thought that at that time, Li Qingzhu's self-immolation was inseparable from Li Qingluo's return.

In this life, Li Qingluo naturally would not seek trouble again.

At this moment, Qu Shi's heart ached and urgent; she gave Li Qingluo a complex, deep look, then hurriedly cried and shouted as she entered the mansion.

"Zhuer, you must not frighten Mother——"

Li Chao Jing's face was also ashen; Li Qingluo saw his clenched fist trembling slightly.

He turned and rebuked the idle servants: "What are you still standing around for!? Hurry and put out the fire! If anything happens to Zhuer, I'll hold you responsible!"

Having said that, he didn't even spare a thought for Old Lady Pei, completely tossing aside his just-returned daughter Li Qingluo, and hurriedly rushed inside as well.

Li Qingluo returned to Old Lady Pei's side: "Grandmother."

Zhang Mama muttered beside her: "Knowing that Old Lady and the miss were to return today, not coming out to greet you is already terribly improper, yet you're causing a self-immolation at this juncture—could it be you're deliberately putting on an act?"

Old Lady Pei seemed not to have heard.

She merely gazed deeply at Li Qingluo, thinking: Indeed, she had predicted it—this unexpected situation actually occurred.

Was it all coincidence, or her calculation?

Li Qingluo lowered her eyes, compliant; toward her father, elder brother, and mother's attitude, she seemed to feel no resentment.

Old Lady Pei drew a deep breath, first turning her head to Zhang Mama: "Have them pay a bit more attention."

Zhang Mama nodded: "I understand, servant."

Old Lady Pei took Li Qingluo's hand: "Come, let's go see as well!"

Just as in her previous life, the entire Jiangjun Fu fell into chaos.

Everyone was busy fighting the fire.

They tumbled into a heap, wailing and screaming to the heavens.

Li Qingluo found herself amidst it, finally returning to this moment……

However, in her previous life she was alone, bewildered and helpless, standing in a corner, unnoticed; afterward, everyone resented and hated her to the bone.

Although they didn't immediately point at her nose and curse, upon hearing the news of Li Qingluo's "death," all their venomous gazes nearly fell upon her.

She felt as if she had been shot full of holes on the spot!

In this life, she straightened her spine and calmly watched the great fire.

Even if Li Qingluo were truly dead, all this would still have nothing to do with her.

In this life, they dare not think of trampling her into hell again!

Supported by her grandmother, Li Qingluo waited quietly.

The fire was hard to extinguish; it burned for a full hour, destroying more than ten connected rooms of the Li residence before the last spark was finally put out.

Qu Shi repeatedly fainted from crying.

Li Chao Jing paced back and forth on the spot, having already sent out several fire alerts, even summoning the city's fire brigade.

Li Kechuan even threw himself into the blaze, unable to be held back, shouting "Zhuer" in anguish while tears streamed, exerting all his strength to rescue his beloved sister.

But the sight of the charred corpses lying on the ground dealt a heavy blow to everyone.

"This is the eldest daughter's bracelet! It's the set of sky‑blue jade bangles the eldest son personally gave her on her last birthday!"

A maid recognized the ornament on one of the charred corpses and immediately burst into loud sobs, throwing herself to the ground.

Li Kechuan stared blankly at the charred corpse, showing no reaction, his whole person dazed.

Qu Shi, overcome with grief, cried out again: "Zhuer——my Zhuer——why, why did this happen……"

It took several grannies together to support Qu Shi.

Someone handed Li Qingzhu's final letter to Li Chao Jing.

"Sir, please look—this is the miss's last testament……"

Li Chao Jing opened it with trembling hands, seeing Li Qingzhu's words, each like tears of grievance and fear; even the illustrious Great General's eyes reddened.

Li Kechuan snatched the letter away.

"Father, Mother, Brother, please forgive Zhuer's unfilial and foolishness. Zhuer feels ashamed for having taken her sister's life for sixteen years, usurping the wealth, honor, peace, and health that should have been hers, and stealing the affection of Father, Mother, and Brother. Zhuer has always felt uneasy, ashamed of herself. Yet Zhuer is already very happy—to possess so much love is the greatest fortune of her life! But Zhuer is truly afraid, afraid that her sister's return will make her lose all this; then Zhuer would suffer immensely, so it would be better to let Zhuer be freed……"

"In the future, with a sister to bring joy before Father and Mother and happiness before Brother, I suppose Zhuer's departure will not grieve you so deeply……"

Li Kechuan read on, and actually vomited a mouthful of fresh blood.

"Eldest Son!"

"Chuan'er!"

Again came a tumult of people and horses overturning.

Qu Shi stared at the charred corpse on the ground, beating her chest, eyes red and swollen from crying: "Zhuer——you are my heart and liver! Though you did not spring from my body, I have always cherished you as the apple of my eye! Even if I had other daughters, I would still hold you paramount!"

"These days I have neglected you, that is my fault. But how could you punish Mother like this——"

"Zhuer, my Zhuer!! You are taking half my life——"

The heart‑rending wails nearly infected everyone present.

The servants all lowered their heads and sobbed softly; none failed to feel sorrow over this.

Except for Pei Lao Furen and Li Qingluo's party.

They stood aside watching the spectacle, their expressions mostly unmoved.

It is so cold‑blooded and unfeeling, completely out of place.

Li Chao Jing turned his head and, amidst the crowd, fixed his gaze precisely on Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo raised her head and met his gaze steadily, without flinching.

The calm and clarity in her eyes instead startled Li Chao Jing inwardly.

Li Kechuan clenched his fists, staggering forward toward Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo watched him approach, watched him raise his hand—perhaps because in this life she had her grandmother before her, that slap ultimately did not come down as it had in her previous life.

But Li Qingluo remembered it all too clearly.

In her previous life, upon hearing the news of Li Qingluo's death, Li Kechuan hurried back from outside and slapped her to the ground.

In this life, he could only stare at Li Qingluo with hatred and spit out those vicious words: "Why isn't it you who's dead——!?"

Li Qingluo: "Why should the dead be me?"