Free Web NovelChapter 18: Chapter
Su Yueqing’s body froze the moment she saw him clearly.
Xi Wenzhe.
The firelight flickered across his sharp features as he moved through the burning kitchen without hesitation, stepping over collapsing wood and glowing embers as though the danger around him meant nothing, while his expression remained dark and controlled, yet his eyes carried something far more intense than the flames themselves.
Inside Su Yueqing’s mind, everything paused.
[...Why is he here?]
Xi Wenzhe’s gaze locked onto her immediately.
Even through the smoke, he found her in an instant.
And that alone made something in his expression tighten.
Su Yueqing blinked slowly, still not fully believing what she was seeing.
Inside her mind again—
[Wait...]
[Is he really here personally?]
[The future villain of this whole story... inside a burning kitchen?]
[Shouldn’t he be outside commanding guards or something?]
Xi Wenzhe’s jaw clenched slightly as he closed the distance between them, his voice cutting sharply through the chaos.
"What are you still doing here?"
The question was so direct, so cold, that Su Yueqing almost forgot she was literally surrounded by fire.
She stared at him blankly for a second.
Inside her mind—
[Being trapped.]
[What does it look like I’m doing?]
[Having a picnic?]
Xi Wenzhe exhaled sharply through his nose, as though he was genuinely questioning his life for the first time.
Another beam above them groaned loudly, the sound deep and dangerous, before suddenly shifting with a cracking noise that made the entire structure tremble.
Xi Wenzhe’s eyes sharpened instantly.
Without warning, he grabbed Su Yueqing’s arm and pulled her up from the ground in one smooth motion.
"Stand up."
Su Yueqing staggered slightly as her legs barely cooperated.
Inside her mind—
[Oh good.]
[We are doing forced evacuation now.]
[Love that for me.]
Xi Wenzhe tightened his grip.
"Move."
She looked around dazedly, her eyes scanning the burning room filled with collapsing beams, spreading fire, and choking smoke.
Inside her mind again—
[Move where exactly?]
[Everything is literally on fire.]
[Should I ask the flames for directions?]
Xi Wenzhe felt something between frustration and disbelief press against his chest.
Even in a situation like this, her thoughts refused to slow down.
Another loud crash echoed behind them as a burning beam suddenly snapped free and fell directly toward their position.
Xi Wenzhe reacted instantly.
He pulled her into him without hesitation.
The beam crashed down exactly where she had been standing a second earlier, sending sparks and ash exploding across the floor with a heavy impact that shook the entire kitchen.
Boom!
For a brief moment, everything blurred in heat and smoke.
Su Yueqing’s eyes widened slightly as she realized how close it had been.
Inside her mind—
[...That was close.]
A pause.
[Very close.]
Another pause.
[So people actually die like this.]
Xi Wenzhe almost laughed, but there was nothing funny about the situation.
Instead, he tightened his hold on her wrist again, his voice colder than before.
"Stop standing there like you’re watching a show."
Su Yueqing finally frowned slightly. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
Inside her mind—
[I am not watching a show.]
[I am the main character in a disaster documentary.]
Another beam cracked overhead, louder this time, and the structure above them visibly sagged as if it could collapse at any moment.
Xi Wenzhe glanced upward, his expression changing sharply.
"Not good..."
Before Su Yueqing could react, he suddenly pulled her against him again, shielding her body completely.
The next second—
Boom!
The burning support beam came crashing down with terrifying force, sending waves of heat and dust outward as flames erupted violently around them.
For a moment, everything disappeared into smoke.
When Su Yueqing’s vision cleared, she realized something.
She was still alive.
And so was he.
But Xi Wenzhe’s arm was braced against the fallen beam, holding it away from her body while fire licked dangerously close to his sleeve, illuminating the tight tension in his jaw as he held the collapsing structure back with sheer force.
Su Yueqing froze.
Inside her mind, for the first time since the fire began—
[...Is he insane?]
Xi Wenzhe’s eye twitched slightly.
He could hear it again.
Her thoughts never stopped.
Even here.
Even now.
Su Yueqing stared at him, confusion slowly replacing her earlier panic.
[Why is he protecting me?]
That thought lingered longer than the rest.
Because it did not make sense.
Not according to anything she knew.
Not according to the original story.
The Xi Wenzhe she knew of was supposed to be distant, cold, and indifferent toward his wife, someone who would not even spare her a second glance if she disappeared from his life.
Inside her mind, the confusion deepened.
[Shouldn’t he want me dead?]
Xi Wenzhe stiffened slightly.
The words landed heavier than expected.
Su Yueqing continued silently.
[In the original story, he barely tolerated her.]
[If she fell into trouble, he would probably just walk away.]
[So why is he here... risking his life in a burning kitchen?]
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Only the sound of fire cracking and wood collapsing filled the space between them.
Then Xi Wenzhe pushed the beam aside with a final forceful movement, stepping closer to her again as his voice dropped cold and sharp.
"If you have enough energy to think nonsense, then you are not injured."
Su Yueqing blinked at him.
Inside her mind—
[Wow.]
[Not even a "are you alive?"]
[Cold even during rescue missions.]
Xi Wenzhe’s expression tightened again.
The woman was impossible.
Even now, she was still provoking him without trying.
"Walk," he ordered shortly.
Su Yueqing hesitated for only a second before nodding, mostly because another part of the ceiling had just begun to crumble dangerously close behind them.
Inside her mind—
[Fine.]
[We survive first.]
[Then I resume judging him properly.]
Xi Wenzhe: "..."
They moved quickly through the burning kitchen, stepping over collapsing debris and weaving through smoke until finally the entrance came into view. freewebnøvel.coɱ
Outside, chaos waited.
The moment they stepped out—
A wave of voices erupted immediately.
"Young Master!"
"Young Madam!"
"They’re out!"
The entire Xi family was gathered outside, faces filled with tension and relief as servants rushed forward while still trying to control the spreading fire.
Lin Meiyun immediately stepped forward, her expression shaken.
"Wenzhe!"
Xi Qianqian exhaled sharply, as if she had been holding her breath the entire time.
Even Xi Jianyu’s expression loosened slightly at the sight.
But Su Yueqing barely took a step forward before realizing something strange.
Xi Wenzhe was still holding her wrist.
She looked down at it.
Inside her mind—
[Why is he still holding me?]
She tilted her head slightly.
[Is he afraid I will run back inside to admire the fire?]
Xi Wenzhe immediately released her hand as if he had been burned.
The reaction was so fast that Xi Yunchen almost laughed under his breath.
Almost.
Because the fire was still burning behind them.
And no one was fully relaxed yet.
Su Yueqing, however, rubbed her wrist lightly and turned her gaze back toward the burning courtyard.
The flames were still spreading, swallowing what remained of her residence.
She stared quietly for a long moment.
Inside her mind—
[My residence is gone.]
A pause.
[The bed was new.]
Another pause.
[The blankets were soft.]
Another pause.
[And my hidden snacks... definitely gone.]
For the first time since escaping the fire—
Her expression turned genuinely, deeply sorrowful.
Not because she almost died.
Not because the house was burning.
But because of the snacks.
Behind her, Xi Yunchen slowly looked away.
Xi Qianqian pressed her lips together to hide her reaction.
Even Xi Lanyin’s expression turned complicated.
Because after everything that had just happened—
The thing that looked like it hurt Su Yueqing the most...
Was not the fire.
It was her snacks.
