Indeed, Sun Mingai was dead, and Lu Xinyi felt sadness washed through her entirety.
Several hours ago before they located Li Yuren and Shen Yi’s whereabouts, Lu Xinyi and Sun Feiyan were both trapped inside the Sun Estate by Feng Zexian’s men. They sealed all the possible entries and exits of the mansion, forbidding anyone to escape.
In an attempt to save her, the Fu Sibling sneaked outside to make way for escape while Zhang Qing and Jiao Jiao remained on her side. Feng Zexian’s men started to burn down the whole mansion, intending to kill everyone.
“The house is on fire!” That’s all Jiao Jiao said after she surveyed the whole mansion. Her voice sounded like the words were formed of smoke, her lungs charred.
For the first time since she took in the Bloody Wolves under her wing, Lu Xinyi had allowed them to kill for her sake. She was slightly disgusted by her choice, but she knew better that her morals wouldn’t be able to save her and her cousin’s life at a time like this.
Would she rather let those people take her life without a fight? She wasn’t that stupid.
The alarms sounded; an odor of smoke plagued the air. Turning to check the hallway, the light from the outside rendered the black curling particles visible. Before any real fear takes hold, Lu Xinyi summoned all the servants also trapped with them. An old lady and two middle-aged women trembled in fear.
It was only then they realized that the fire was spreading from all directions. Lu Xinyi figured the stairs weren’t an option to use anymore, and her heart started to pound loudly inside her chest.
Within the house the fire spread with ease, turning the once-pretty first floor into a maze of flame. Black smoke billowed up the stairs.
The smoke thickened, and Zhang Qing told them to lower themselves down to the floor. Lu Xinyi copied her and crawled towards the street-facing window. Peeking outside, she thought that it was too high to jump. She’d have a broken neck for sure if she dared to jump, but from here, a rescue was at least possible.
The two bodyguards Sun Feiyan brought with her covered her with their soaking wet coats to protect her from fire.
“Find something we could use to get down from here!” Sun Feiyan yelled at the servants, hoping they’d be able to find something to use; but Lu Xinyi’s bodyguards were one step ahead of her.
The fire easily spread out to the whole mansion, and they fought hard to find a way to escape death. Just as they were about to leave, Sun Mingai refused to budge. She insisted on staying and told them to leave her alone, but Lu Xinyi would hear nothing of that nonsense.
“Feiyan, you better leave with Xin’er now. This old woman has nothing to lose anymore but her life.” Sun Mingai stared as she held the picture of her and Shen Jinxiu which she had taken before the fire started. She was decided to end her pathetic life with the rest of the Sun Mansion.
Sun Feiyan clenched her fists. She wasn’t sure what this old woman was playing, but if she really wanted to die, then she shouldn’t leave the burden of guilt to her and Lu Xinyi to abandon her. This woman sure knew how to rile up the situation and turn it bad.
“Feiyan!” Lu Xinyi called out to her, an arm reaching out to lead Sun Feiyan outside. “Don’t listen to her! We must leave this place at once!” ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
Did this Sun Mingai really lose her mind? Did she want to die in this place?
Heck, even if Lu Xinyi used to hate this woman, that didn’t mean she wants her to die like this. What would her mother say if she abandoned Sun Mingai?
Sun Mingai shook her head and smiled at her nieces bitterly. She remained seated at the center of the living room as the blazing fire consumed everything around them. For the first time since Lu Xinyi met her, she could see calmness and peace on her aunt’s eyes.
The flames that consumed demanded everything to become ashes, the heat radiating outward as a wave of anger and the destruction of a terrible joy fate had taken away from her. It was as if the fire was the reflection of her own happiness, of a broken woman who wanted no more but to burn than live a pointless life.
She watched blankly as the fabric of the curtains caught the fire. The flame glowed so red at the base and yellow at the tip. With sudden scorch of heat, she moved backward. Sun Mingai didn’t dare to scramble away from the flame that already licked at the flaking ceiling.
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Lu Xinyi finally snapped out. Of all the time this crazy woman wanted to play drama, she’d chosen this moment? She couldn’t understand what was going on Sun Mingai’s mind anymore!
“No, Xin’er. This is what I really want,” Sun Mingai said calmly, her fingers lightly touching the picture on her hands. She then said bitterly, “Saying sorry to you and Feiyan would never be enough to pay for my sins.”
“No one’s asking you for an apology,” Lu Xinyi sneered back. True, her sorry would never be able to bring back the life of her parents; but damn it, she couldn’t allow her to die like this. Not like this…
“I know, but I’m tired already. I want to see Jin and Meixiu in the afterlife. Say, Xin’er, do you think your mother would be able to forgive me?”
The white mansion burned like a bonfire set with gasoline. The orange flames were garish against the brilliant paint, the black smoke making dark columns into an otherwise perfectly blue sky. The once mahogany door was already burning, the paint bubbling and consumed in seconds by the intense heat.
A window blew out sending hot shards of glass into the unkempt yard. It was an inferno that would burn itself out.
Lu Xinyi halted her movements after helping the servant escaped on the window using the rolled blankets Zhang Qing and Jiao Jiao prepared and soaked wet with water from the bathtub. She pondered how to answer her aunt. Knowing her mother, Lu Xinyi thought that her mother would forgive her in a heartbeat.
Sun Meixiu was the kind of person who didn’t hold grudges to other people especially if it was her kin. Lu Xinyi’s mother must have known from the start of how Sun Mingai struggled since childhood and believed that inside her was just a child seeking for love and attention.
“She’ll forgive you…” she finally responded, “My mother… regardless of what you did, she’ll forgive you.” Lu Xinyi looked away as her eyes were stung by tears. If it was because of the thick smoke or because of her mother, Sun Mingai didn’t know.
“Then, I’m happy. At last, my heart will be free… the only reason why I came back was for you to seek revenge on me. Wasn’t suffice to quell your hatred, Lu Xinyi?” Sun Mingai asked her again.
Lu Xinyi’s eyes widened in disbelief. Even Sun Feiyan, who was slumped on the floor next to her, couldn’t believe what they were hearing.
