Little Miss Witch: Revenge of the Tainted Angel

When Li Chuntao woke up the next day, Mu Jianyu was still nowhere to be found. He only sent a short message to her phone, informing her that he would be coming home tonight. She shook her head and headed to the bathroom to wash her face and changed into Ying's home clothes before heading to the kitchen. 

Yu Luo was surprised to see her up so early in the morning. She was about to prepare Li Chuntao's breakfast when the latter showed up and took over the cooking. 

"Miss…" she wanted to ask Li Chuntao to let her do it but the melancholic expression on Li Chuntao's face stopped her. The usual cold and reserved Miss Chuntao was looking sad and depressed today? What happened now? 

"Yu Lou, have you forgotten what day it is today?" Li Chuntao said, answering Yu Luo's unspoken question. 

Yu Luo remained silent for a moment, thinking hard about what Li Chuntao was talking about. It took her sometime before she understood what Li Chuntao was referring to. How can she forget about it! She suddenly felt guilty for Li Chuntao.

Today was a special day for Li Chuntao and Li Xiuying. It was her parents' death anniversary. 

"Go and tell Su Ling to prepare the car. We'll leave in an hour after we finish breakfast." 

"Yes, Miss!" Yu Luo didn't waste time and did Li Chuntao's bidding. 

---

Meanwhile, Shen Zichen had received a phone call from Zheng Yue asking him if he could visit her at the Li Mansion. He was beyond confused as to what she wanted from him but he supposed it was about the sudden turn in his relationship with Li Chuntao. 

Since he would be in for another graveyard shift tonight, he would have enough time to spare to see Zheng Yue. He dressed up, took his keys from his nightstand, and closed the door before going to the parking space when he caught a glimpse of Li Chuntao's car speeding away.

Well, they were in a relationship, but Shen Zichen never questioned her about her whereabouts unless she was with Mu Jianyu. As he drove towards the Li Mansion, he wondered if he should have a proper talk with Li Chuntao about their relationship. 

The security within the Li Mansion was tight, but because Shen Zichen's visitation was already expected, he was easily allowed in. 

A housemaid led her to the garden where Zheng Yue was busy tending to the flower beds. She had a straw hat on her head and was wearing home clothes. Anyone who saw her like this wouldn't think that she was a film empress during her younger years. 

"Aunt Yue," he called her. 

Zheng Yue stood up and beamed a smile at him when she saw him. She wasn't sure if he could come here at short notice and wasn't expecting to see him too soon. 

"Zichen, I'm glad you came." She joined him on the vacant seat in the garden and removed the gloves from her hands. 

"You asked for me. How can I decline your invitation for lunch today." He paused and looked around, "I thought Chuntao would be here." Given that he'd seen her leave the apartment complex the same time as him. 

"No, she's not here. Not today," Zheng Yue sighed dejectedly which confused Shen Zichen. 

"Auntie, is there something you need to tell me?" Shen Zichen didn't want to beat around the bush and directly asked her. Was it about Chuntao? Was there something Zheng Yue wanted to hear from him? 

Zheng Yue felt conflicted for a while. She looked at Shen Zichen's face and wondered if she was doing the right thing for Li Chuntao. Would her niece hate her if she found out what she's about to do today? 

But Zheng Yue couldn't bear to watch her niece suffer any longer. Why were they keeping it from Shen Zichen in the first place? If they truly loved each other, then Li Chuntao shouldn't hide these secrets from him anymore. 

She also believed that if two hearts were meant to be together, no matter how long it takes, how far they go and how tough it seems, fate will bring them together to share their love forever. Since she believed that Shen Zichen and Chuntao truly loved each other, she didn't want to make it hard for the two of them anymore. 

"I hope Chuntao won't hate me for doing this," she muttered to herself but Shen Zichen heard her. She bit her lower lip and led Shen Zichen far from everyone's earshot. 

"Zichen, do you remember the day you and Ying were kidnapped together?" 

Zheng Yue had no choice but to start where everything began. She wasn't sure why her husband and niece weren't saying anything about that event but she was completely aware of what had happened. 

Shen Zichen frowned at her question. Of course, how could he not remember the time when he started to grow romantic feelings for Ying. Ten years ago, he and Li Xiuying were kidnapped by a man who was holding a grudge against Li Yuren. 

It happened on Ying's first day joining the Li Corporation. Someone had managed to sneak in and drug him and Li Xiuying. The next thing he knew, they were both kept in an old mansion as hostages. 

"Yes, what about it, Aunt Yue? Isn't the man already serving lifetime imprisonment?" 

The person responsible for it was easily subdued by Li Yuren, but the rescue for him and Li Xiuying took longer than what they expected. It was already past midnight when he was groggily awakened by Ying as the fire consumed the old mansion. 

He wasn't sure why she was asking him these. The case was already closed and he and Ying survived that trauma. It was a chapter in their life that left an impact on them. It changed everything, especially for Shen Zichen. 

During that time, a massive fire had started inside the old mansion where he and Li Xiuying were being kept before the rescuers managed to arrive. He was drugged and could barely move an inch from where he was and it was Li Xiuying who heroically dragged him outside to save themselves from fire. 

He could barely remember some snippets of the event in his mind. Wherever he looked, the fire was everywhere. He thought he would die along with Li Xiuying but the young woman refused to cease her life at that moment and told him to keep his consciousness. 

Shen Zichen lost his consciousness when the rescuers arrived, but knew that he and Ying were saved from that point. That was when he started to have a soft spot for Ying. He owed her his life and he swore that from that moment on, he would look after her. 

"No. Don't worry. That man will rot in jail, I assure you," Zheng Yue told him. "But he isn't the one I want to talk about," she continued. 

"Then what is it, Aunt Yue?" Shen Zichen then had no idea where this conversation would lead. 

Zheng Yue kept her silence for a moment as if she was wondering if she should be talking about this to him. 

"Then…" She lifted her gaze and met Shen Zichen's eyes, "Could you tell me who was the young woman with you when it happened?"