Chapter 14: Camellia Today, those familiar faces appeared again...

Today, those familiar faces appeared before her again, carrying the same anger and unwillingness.

She understood that her father's dereliction of duty in the broken bridge case was an unavoidable fact. Faced with the accusations of the victim's family, she was filled with guilt and unable to defend herself. She could only silently endure their accusations and abuse.

"A son must pay for his father's debts. Lin Bowen, you caused me to lose my husband, and I will let you taste the pain of losing a loved one!"

"Give me back my daughter's life!"

"Lin Xiangli, your father has committed heinous crimes. You don't deserve to live!"...

The crowd was filled with anger, with objects flying everywhere, and they were heading straight towards Lin Xiangli.

At the critical moment, Ling An stepped forward and used his body to build a solid barrier for her.

"Ling An!"

Lin Xiangli watched Ling An block the attack for her, her eyes red and her voice choked.

At this moment, "Fury" was so frightened that he broke free from her arms and disappeared into the chaotic crowd.

"Furui!" Lin Xiangli called out anxiously, but could only watch her beloved pet disappear.

When Tang Suzi arrived, this is what he saw -

A group of excited people were surrounding Ling An and Lin Xiangli, throwing debris at them, while the two of them were retreating step by step towards the mansion gate.

Seeing this, Tang Suzi's heart tightened. He rushed into the crowd and separated those who were emotionally excited. He shouted loudly,

"Stop! Everyone please calm down!"

Although her voice was soft, it carried a firmness and majesty that could not be ignored, like a stream of clear water, trying to calm the chaotic storm.

The noise in the crowd did not stop immediately, but her appearance undoubtedly attracted some people's attention.

Tang Suzi took the opportunity to continue,

"Everyone, I understand the pain you feel after losing your loved ones, but endless accusations and attacks won't bring peace to the deceased, nor will they resolve the issue. Ms. Lin's heart is as heavy as yours right now, and she's actively seeking solutions to give everyone an explanation."

Some people began to hesitate, their eyes shifting between Tang Suzi and Lin Xiangli.

Lin Xiangli also mustered up her courage at this time. She walked out from Ling An's protection. Although there were tears in her eyes, she was so determined for the first time. She faced everyone without any fear or retreat.

"I once again apologize to everyone for my father's mistakes. I know no words can ever make up for the pain of losing your loved ones, but I still hope to do my best, even if it's just a tiny effort, to ease the burden on your hearts. I am willing to use all of the Lin family's wealth as a small compensation to everyone."

Ling An expressed his support for Lin Xiangli's decision.

"Please give us some time. We will handle this matter seriously and ensure that every affected family receives the compensation they deserve. Tomorrow, please bring relevant documents to register here. We will verify and distribute the compensation as soon as possible."

After these words were spoken, the crowd's emotions gradually calmed down. Although some people still cursed unwillingly, most of them had stopped attacking and began to disperse in twos and threes.

She looked at Tang Suzi and Ling An with gratitude, tears in her eyes.

"Thank you... If you weren't here this time, I really don't know what I would have done."

Tang Suzi gently held Lin Xiangli's hand, her voice gentle but full of power,

"Xiang Li, don't worry. We will stay by your side and help you. Now, let's go back and sort out our thoughts, and then find a way to deal with what's next."

Ling An also gave him an encouraging look, expressing his agreement.

However, Lin Xiangli suddenly remembered something and exclaimed,

"Oh no, Fury! Fury is missing!"

"Forry?"

Tang Suzi frowned slightly, feeling puzzled, obviously unfamiliar with the name.

Ling An quickly explained,

"That's the kitten Chen Weiyu asked us to take away. Xiang Li named it Furui."

"I have to go find it!"

Lin Xiangli wanted to go out eagerly, but was stopped by Ling An.

"Xiang Li, the situation outside is still very complicated. You can't act alone."

Ling An's tone was firm.

"You wait for news in the mansion, I will go out to look for him. I promise to do my best to bring Fu Rui back."

Tang Suzi also immediately agreed,

"Yes, Ling An and I will go together. It will be faster for two of us to find it. You wait for our good news at home, okay?"

Lin Xiangli hesitated for a moment, and finally nodded.

"Okay, then you must be careful."

"Don't worry, we will bring Fury back safely."

*

In the winter in Jiusu County, the sky is hung with heavy leaden clouds, and snowflakes are like countless light feathers, slowly falling, dressing up this ancient city into a silver world.

The cold wind could not stop Tang Suzi and Ling An's anxious steps. They had only one thought in their minds - to find the lost "Fu Rui" as soon as possible.

There were very few pedestrians on the street. The occasional sound of footsteps and the white breath of passers-by quickly dissipated in the cold wind.

Tang Suzi and Ling An's faces were red from the cold wind, but they didn't care. They just anxiously shuttled through the snow-covered streets, searching carefully for every inch where "Fu Rui" might be hiding.

"It's so cold, if 'Fury' wanders outside, I'm afraid..."

Tang Suzi's voice was full of worry, her brows were furrowed in anxiety.

Ling An seemed calmer, his sharp eyes scanning every corner.

"Indeed, this severe winter cold is a great test for any life. Although Furui is small, he also needs to find a place to shelter from the wind and cold. In my opinion, those low woodsheds or abandoned courtyards may be his first choice to escape the wind and snow. However, these places are also full of wild cats. If Furui encounters one, he will probably be frightened and run away, making it even more difficult to find him."

As they talked, the two quickened their pace, weaving through the intricate alleys and conducting a thorough search of every place where "Fu Rui" might be hiding.

However, time kept passing, and they searched almost every possible place, but there was still no trace of "Fury", and hope seemed to be getting slimmer and slimmer.

Watching the afterglow of the setting sun being swallowed by the thick clouds and the sky gradually darkening, Tang Suzi became more and more anxious.

"What should I do? It's getting dark. If I can't find "Fu Rui" before dark, it will be even harder to find him after dark. Once it's night..." Thinking of the situation that "Fu Rui" might encounter, Tang Suzi didn't dare to continue, for fear that his fear would become a reality.

Ling An also had a serious expression on his face. The two continued to expand the search range, not missing any possible corners.

Just when they were about to lose confidence, a miraculous note pierced the surrounding silence—

It was a faint cat's meow, as thin as a thread, but enough to make their eyes light up.

"Listen! There's a faint cat meowing over there. Is that Fury's voice?!"

A glimmer of hope suddenly flashed in Tang Suzi's eyes. She turned her head and exchanged a glance with Ling An, and then the two of them carefully followed the sound.

They passed through a winding and narrow alley and finally arrived at an abandoned courtyard that seemed to have been forgotten.

The old walls of the courtyard have been eroded by time and are in a state of disrepair. The snow covering the top of the wall is like the white traces of frost left by time. Whenever the cold wind blows, a few snowflakes fall gently, adding a sense of desolation.

"Listen carefully, the cry seems to come from this courtyard."

Ling An lowered his voice and gestured to Tang Suzi.

However, when he turned to look at Tang Suzi, he noticed that Tang Suzi seemed to be drawn by some emotion, staring at the gate in a trance.

"What's wrong?"

Ling An asked with concern.

Tang Suzi seemed to be pulled back to reality from a distant memory. She shook her head, trying to dispel the strangeness in her heart and regain her composure.

“Nothing, I just feel like this place… seems familiar.

She walked slowly forward, carefully examining the lock on the seemingly rickety wooden door.

I saw that the door lock was simply fastened to the bolt and was not actually locked.

"Look, the lock is only ajar."

As Tang Suzi spoke, he lightly removed the door lock from the bolt, then pushed it gently. With a slightly harsh "click" sound, the shabby wooden door slowly opened, revealing the desolate appearance of the courtyard.

The yard was overgrown with weeds and dotted with wild flowers, but if you looked closely, you could actually see a few obvious footprints.

"Fury... Fury..."

Ling An called the kitten's name softly while cautiously stepping over the weeds and exploring deeper into the yard.

Just then, a crisp meow came into my ears.

He immediately followed the sound, his eyes passing through the gaps in the weeds and finally stopping at the corner of a dilapidated house.

There, a kitten with slightly messy fur but sparkling eyes was curled up. It was the Fury they had been looking for.

Ling An immediately stepped forward, gently picked up Fu Rui, and stroked its fur to comfort it.

But when he turned around to share the joy of finding Fu Rui with Tang Suzi, he found that Tang Suzi was no longer around.

He walked out of the house holding "Furui" and looked around, only to see Tang Suzi slumped under a bush, his back looking extremely lonely and helpless.

"Tang Suzi?"

Ling An almost subconsciously quickened his pace and reached Tang Suzi's side in a few steps.

"you……"

What's wrong……

He wanted to ask about Tang Suzi's situation, but he was suddenly choked when the words came to his lips.

Because he saw tears spreading across Tang Suzi's face.

There was no sadness on her face, and her eyes were confused, but the tears in her eyes kept falling like beads from a broken string.

Her hands involuntarily covered her chest tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly, as if an invisible force was surging from the bottom of her heart, resonating with a deep corner of her memory.

"Ling An, this place... I seem to have been here before... Every brick and tile in this yard, the stone table on the ground, the scattered books, and... this camellia tree..."

Her fingers gently brushed across the cracks in the rough bark of the camellia tree beside her, as if touching the softest and most painful corner of her heart. The palm covering her chest gradually clenched into a fist, and tears flowed like a spring.

"Everything is so familiar..."

Seeing this, Ling An couldn't help but feel worried.

When a deceased person returns to the world, he or she will inevitably feel something when he or she is close to things that were close to them in life.

Although he is a spirit beast, he can sense the complexity and depth of human emotions.

He could feel the sadness and nostalgia emanating from Tang Suzi, which was deeply connected to the surrounding environment, and secretly guessed in his heart that this place might really have an inextricable connection with her.

He held Fury tightly in one hand. The kitten felt the warmth and curled up in peace, purring softly.

The other hand held Tang Suzi's slightly trembling shoulders, giving her solid support and slowly lifting her up.

"Let's go, let's leave here first and talk about it when we get back."

With Ling An's support, Tang Suzi staggered, but her eyes gradually focused, as if she had regained a trace of clarity from the chaotic fog of memory.

The two people and the cat snuggled up to each other and walked out of this mysterious courtyard step by step.

At the moment when he was about to step out of the threshold of the courtyard, Ling An couldn't help but look back at the courtyard.

At this time, the moonlight shines through the sparse clouds and sprinkles on every corner of the courtyard, giving the ancient building a layer of soft silver glow.

Countless questions and speculations surged in his mind, and his thoughts were full of thoughts:

Tang Suzi had such a big reaction to this place, is it because this is actually where Tang Suzi lived before he died?

Is this her home?

But why are there camellia trees here too? Is it a coincidence?

Also, I never thought about it before, but is the reason why Tang Suzi has been unable to get close to the Yunluan Holy Mountain also related to her entanglement in her previous life?

What kind of person was Tang Suzi in his previous life...