Before Xia Yanran could say anything, Xiao Yi released his hand that was holding on tightly to her waist.
Looking at his cold face, Xia Yanran could not help saying, “Xiao Yi, you still have me in your heart, don’t you? If not, you wouldn’t have come all the way here…”
“Miss Xia.” He interrupted her coldly, looking at her with his hawk-like sharp eyes. “I came here to find out some things about Yi Ran. It has nothing to do with you.”
So that was it.
His gaze seemed to want to pierce through her, and his voice seemed to want to freeze her to death.
Xia Yanran’s heart quivered. Xiao Yi ignored Xia Yanran and looked at the temple on the mountain.
A fire had broken out. The place where the fire started seemed to be from where Jue Chen was living.
Xia Yanran also looked at the place where the fire had broken out. She and Xiao Yi hurried back up the mountain at the same time.
The temple had become chaotic. Because they were in a remote location, the fire department would not be able to come immediately. Not only that, there seemed to be issues with the fire hydrant too, so the nuns could only use buckets of water to extinguish the fire.
When Xia Yanran and Xiao Yi arrived, the fire in Jue Chen’s room had already spread and become very large.
“W-Who’s going in to save Jue Chen?”
No one dared to go in.
Xiao Yi frowned. “I’ll go.”
Xia Yanran’s heart tightened and she grabbed Xiao Yi’s arm on reflex. Xiao Yi turned and looked at Xia Yanran, pulling her hand away.
“Hold on.” Xia Yanran took a bucket from a young nun and poured all the water inside onto Xiao Yi. “Be careful.”
Xiao Yi said nothing and rushed into the big fire under the shocked and incredulous stares of the people.
With her hands clasped together, Xia Yanran stared at the place where Xiao Yi had rushed into, her heart in her mouth.
He would be fine!
Seconds ticked by, followed by heart-wrenching minutes. Xia Yanran could not stay still when she saw that Xiao Yi was not coming out and she also poured a bucket of water over herself, wanting to rush in to find Xiao Yi.
But two nuns pulled her back. “Young Lady, the fire’s too big, you can’t go in!”
Xia Yanran ignored their warnings. She struggled free and rushed into the fire. When she rushed to the door, she saw a tall figure coming out with a slender nun.
Xiao Yi had saved Jue Chen.
Even after putting Jue Chen on the ground, she started to thrash about. “My beads, my beads…”
Xia Yanran looked around and saw that Jue Chen’s beads had fallen near the door where the fire source was. She hurried forward to pick the beads up.
Xia Yanran did not notice that a beam on the roof had caught fire and was about to drop down.
When Xiao Yi looked up and saw the beam, his expression changed. “Xia Yanran! Don’t go!”
It was too noisy so Xia Yanran did not hear Xiao Yi’s voice. She picked up the prayer beads and heard a noise. Looking up, she saw a burning beam falling down towards her.
Before Xia Yanran had time to think, her body was held by a strong force.
After rolling several times on the ground, she heard the sound of the wooden beam falling beside her ear.
Closing her eyes tightly, her face paled when she thought of how she had almost lost her life.
Before she could recover from her shock and fear, a deafening shout sounded by her ear. “Are you an idiot? Didn’t you know how dangerous it was? If you want to die, how about I strangle you to death right now?”
Xia Yanran opened her eyes and looked at the man who had released her and was half kneeling beside her. His face was icy cold, sharp and menacing. His dark eyes that were staring at her were like the endless black hole of the universe, wanting to devour and destroy her.
Xia Yanran swallowed in fear.
To be honest, when Xiao Yi was angry, it was no less terrifying than a volcano erupting.
He was in a rage and Xia Yanran dared not shout at him. Lowering her eyes, she admitted her mistake obediently. “I won’t do this again.”
Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yi stood up and ignored Xia Yanran. Xia Yanran felt that the danger was far away from her and slowly stood up from the ground.
Jue Chen’s arm was burned. Fortunately, Xiao Yi had rushed in time to save her, otherwise, she would not have only injured her arm.
Xia Yanran handed the beads she had picked up to Jue Chen. Jue Chen held the beads tightly, looking at Xia Yanran and then at Xiao Yi, saying hoarsely, “Come with me!”
Jue Chen brought Xia Yanran and Xiao Yi to a quiet room.
“After the two of you left, I was burning something in the room and caused a fire accidentally. Fortunately, you came in time and saved me.”
Jue Chen pinched the prayer beads in her hand and closed her eyes, a deep sigh coming out from her throat. “You can ask what you want to know!”
Xia Yanran looked at Jue Chen’s arm that was wrapped with bandage and thought of how Shu Min had called her and mentioned some things about Yi Ran’s childhood.
Shu Min said that Yi Ran had fallen down from the tree and injured her left arm when she was a child. After the bone was joined back, her elbow was still a little crooked.
Xia Yanran looked at Jue Chen’s elbow, crazed thoughts running around her mind. Suddenly, she seemed to have understood something.
“You’re Yi Ran, aren’t you? If I’m right, the one in the Capital is Xiao Xi.”
Xiao Yi and Jue Chen’s gazes landed on Xia Yanran.
Xia Yanran met Jue Chen’s eyes and she did not miss the surprise that had flashed past Jue Chen’s eyes. Perhaps she had never thought that Xia Yanran would have guessed it!
The stunned reaction Xia Yanran became more sure of her guess. “I heard from Sister Shu that Yi Ran had fallen in love with a man and was very sad after the man’s death. I’ve wondered why after falling deeply in love with a man, she was able to like another so quickly? No wonder…
“You’re the real Yi Ran and the one in the Capital is Xiao Xi. Xiao Xi had disguised herself as you and lived with your identity. She used to like Xiao Yi, and after living as you, she still could not help being moved after seeing Xiao Yi! But Xiao Yi was too heartless to her before, so she was embroiled in love and hate, causing so many things to happen!”
Jue Chen was silent for a moment before she looked at Xia Yanran.
“You’re just as Xiao Xi had described, a clever woman. Maybe too clever. You’re right. I’m the real Yi Ran.”
Xiao Yi did not think of this outcome at all and he frowned, his lips pursed together tightly.
So the Yi Ran in prison was Xiao Xi, the adoptive daughter who had broken all ties with him.
She was able to imitate Yi Ran in such a way that her manner, voice and gestures were so different from before that he did not even find anything suspicious about her identity.
Xia Yanran looked at Jue Chen. “You know me?”
Jue Chen nodded. “I’ve heard Xiaoxi mention you before.” Then, she looked at Xiao Yi. “And Mr Xiao.”
Xiao Yi and Xia Yanran did not interrupt because they knew that Jue Chen still had things to say.
