8. Rebirth

After hours spent buying supplies, organizing deliveries, and making sure everything was categorized in his rented warehouses, all he wanted was to collapse into his bed and sleep for a week.

He was bone-tired, his mind barely functioning, and his body was on the verge of giving out. But fate had other plans.

As soon as he walked through the door of his home, he was met with a stony silence.

Lu Ningfei could sense the tension even before he saw his Cheap father standing there, waiting for him.

Damn, this bad luck.

It seems to have taken form in this life and presented itself as this disgusting family.

As soon as their eyes met, Lu Ningfei knew what was coming, but he was too tired to care.

"Where have you been?"

Si Qian's voice was low, but there was an edge to it that made it clear he wasn't asking out of concern.

"Out."

Lu Ningfei replied simply, his tone flat. He was too exhausted to offer anything more.

Before Lu Ningfei could react, Si Qian's hand shot out, aiming to slap him across the face.

But despite his fatigue, Lu Ningfei's reflexes were sharp. He dodged the blow effortlessly, his eyes narrowing as he took a step back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lu Ningfei snapped, his voice cold and laced with anger. He wasn't in the mood for this, not after everything he had gone through today.

"You think you can just slap me like I'm some child?"

"You dare speak to me like that?"

Si Qian's voice rose, the anger now fully surfacing.

"You have no respect for your elders. You think just because you've got some money now that you can talk to me however you want?"

Lu Ningfei scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Respect? Don't make me laugh. Respect is earned, not demanded. And after everything you've done, you think I owe you anything?"

Si Qian's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You don't know how to speak to your father, Ningfei. Especially after that little stunt you pulled on the phone earlier."

"Father?" Lu Ningfei repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. First he was not even his real father, and second, the original owner died because of grief of the truth about his father.

"Let's get one thing straight—I'm not Si Qin's nanny, and I have no obligations to you, Si Qian. You're the one who cheated on my mother, the one who brought your mistress into this house after she died. You think I'm going to stand here and take orders from you? Dream on."

Si Qin, who had been standing at the top of the staircase, was taken aback by Ningfei's words. He had always been told that his mother, Zhen Weiyi, was the wronged party, that Lu Ningfei's mother had been the one to seduce his father, breaking up their happy family. But the venom in Lu Ningfei's voice, the raw emotion behind his words, planted a seed of doubt in Si Qin's mind. Could it be possible that his mother hadn't told him the whole truth?

But Si Qin quickly pushed those thoughts aside, his loyalty to his mother outweighing his curiosity. He made his way down the stairs, his expression set in defiance.

"Don't talk to my father like that, Ningfei," he said, his voice strong but tinged with uncertainty.

"You're just bitter because your mother couldn't keep him."

Lu Ningfei turned his gaze on Si Qin, his eyes cold and hard. This kid...

"Don't speak about things you don't understand, Si Qin. You've been fed lies your whole life. If you knew the truth, you'd see who the real villain is."

But before Si Qin could respond, Si Qian stepped forward, cutting off the conversation.

"Enough," he barked, his tone final.

"I won't have you spreading lies in this house, Ningfei. You're not welcome here if you can't respect your family."

"Family?" Ningfei repeated with a bitter laugh.

"You think this is a family? Keep deluding yourself, Si Qian. But don't expect me to play along."

Without waiting for a response, Lu Ningfei turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Si Qian and Si Qin standing in the entrance hall. Si Qin watched him go, his mind swirling with confusion and doubt, but he remained silent.

His mother cannot be the wrong one, it must be Lu Ningfei trying to sow a discord.

----

As the first light of dawn began to filter through the heavy curtains, Shen Zhiling finally stirred.

His eyelids fluttered before slowly opening, revealing deep, dark eyes that seemed to hold a thousand secrets. For a moment, he simply lay there, disoriented and weak, but the sight of his father and brother at his bedside quickly brought him back to reality.

"Father… Zhilan…"

Shen Zhiling's voice was hoarse, his throat dry from the fever. He tried to sit up, but his body protested, still weak from the ordeal.

"Zhiling, you're awake!"

Shen Zhilan exclaimed, relief flooding his voice as he rushed to support his brother.

"Thank goodness… we were so worried."

Shen Tianming, who had always prided himself on his stoicism, allowed a rare smile of relief to cross his face.

"You gave us quite the scare, Zhiling. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Zhiling replied, though his voice was strained. He could see the worry in their eyes, and it tugged at something deep within him. They genuinely cared about him, and the realization brought a strange warmth to his chest.

"Just tired. You should both go and rest. I'll be alright."

Shen Zhilan hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave his brother's side, but the exhaustion in Zhiling's voice convinced him to relent.

"If you're sure…" he said, glancing at their father.

Shen Tianming nodded.

"We'll give you some time to recover. But if you need anything, call for us immediately."

Zhiling offered them a reassuring smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I will."

With one last look of concern, Shen Tianming and Zhilan left the room, leaving Zhiling alone in the heavy silence.

For a moment, he simply lay there, staring up at the ornate ceiling. He had been so close to death, but something had pulled him back—something powerful and undeniable.

Slowly, he forced himself to sit up, his muscles protesting with every movement. The room swayed slightly, but he took a deep breath, steadying himself before swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

Shen Zhiling went to the adjoining bathroom, his footsteps echoing softly against the marble floors. The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of the mansion, with a large sunken tub in the center, surrounded by ornate fixtures and soft lighting. He turned on the water, letting it fill the tub as he undressed.

As the steam began to rise, Shen Zhiling caught a glimpse of himself in the large mirror that dominated one wall.

He paused, his gaze locking onto his reflection. The man staring back at him was tall, with broad shoulders and a body honed from years of training. His skin was pale, his hair dark and slightly tousled from sleep. But it was his eyes that held his attention—deep, dark, and filled with a quiet intensity that had only grown stronger since his rebirth.

He stepped into the tub, sinking into the hot water with a sigh of relief. The heat seeped into his muscles, easing the tension and clearing his mind. For a while, he simply let himself relax, his body floating in the warmth, the steam curling around him like a protective cocoon.

But his thoughts soon drifted back to the past, to the life he had lived before. He had been betrayed, abandoned, and used by the one person he had trusted above all others—Li Ming.

Li Ming. The name brought a bitter taste to his mouth, a reminder of the pain that had nearly destroyed him. They had been friends since school, their bond growing stronger with each passing year. Li Ming had been more than just a friend to Shen Zhiling—he had been a confidant, someone Shen Zhiling trusted more than even his own brothers.

But that trust had been shattered in the most brutal way possible.

The memory was still vivid in Shen Zhiling's mind, as if it had happened yesterday. They had been in the midst of the apocalypse, the world around them crumbling into chaos. Shen Zhiling could still hear Li Ming's cold voice, the words cutting through the haze of pain like a knife.

"You're just a tool, Zhiling. A means to an end. Did you really think I cared about you? All I ever wanted was revenge, and you were my ticket to get it."

The realization had hit Shen Zhiling like a blow to the chest. Li Ming had been using him all along, manipulating him to further his own agenda. The betrayal was complete when Li Ming had pushed him into a zombie den, leaving him to die a slow, agonizing death.

But even in his last moments, when he was surrounded by the undead, Shen Zhiling hadn't given up. His will to live had been stronger than the infection that had ravaged his body.

And somehow, against all odds, he had been given a second chance—a chance to right the wrongs of the past, to reclaim his life and protect those he cared about.