The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel“s Disguise

*Flashback*

"Bro, come home with me. You can’t blame anyone for Auntie Xiu’s death." Ji Syaoran’s exasperated voice halted Xiao Zhi Ren who was tracking his way through the mountainous paths.

Xiao Zhi Ren turned around and glared at Ji Syaoran saying, "Why shouldn’t I blame anyone? If your father hadn’t cheated on her, mom wouldn’t have left. And she would have been alive. I watched her die right before my eyes. What do you expect me to do?"

Ji Syaoran lowered his head feeling incapable. "But bro, it was Auntie Xiu’s own decision. No one forced her to leave. Dad still loves her."

"If he loved her then why did he cheat on her?" Xiao Zhi Ren snapped back.

Ji Syaoran was distressed. "Bro, I don’t know any of that. But I do know that dad is still in love with her. I’m also sad to hear about her death. She was the only mother figure in mine and Xiao Hong’s life." Taking a deep breath, he went on, "Aren’t me and Xiao Hong more pitiful in all this? We have never even gotten a chance to stay with our mother. At least don’t pull away from us."

The sound of thunder startled both of them as they simultaneously looked up to see dark clouds. The clear sky was littered with grey clouds.

"It’s going to rain. Let’s give up the idea of hiking today." Ji Syaoran’s words had just come out of his mouth when the rain started pouring down. "Great way to spend my summer vacations." He grumbled as the rain hit his face mercilessly.

"Sorry for yelling at you," Xiao Zhi Ren apologized softly while they took shelter under an old tree. He felt guilty for distancing himself from both Ji Syaoran and Ji Caihong.

"I’m also sorry for forcing you. I just miss having you home." Ji Syaoran stated sincerely. Xiao Zhi Ren could understand his feelings since it’d been four years since they last saw each other. That’s why when Ji Syaoran learned Xiao Zhi Ren was in Thailand, he immediately came over.

They spent about fifteen minutes under the tree waiting for the rain to subside and eventually it did. It was a quick shower rather untimely as well. The whole environment seemed to brighten up after being washed down.

"Such rotten luck. I wanted to reach the peak today but no. My luck can never be on my side." Ji Syaoran kept on babbling.

"Stop!" Xiao Zhi Ren’s voice made him look at him in question. "Why is there blood on your face?"

"Blood? On my face? How- Oh my God! Where did this come from?" Ji Syaoran touched his face to see his fingers tainted in red.

They both stopped where they were and after looking all around, Xiao Zhi Ren slowly turned his head upward... There he found the source of blood. From a huge boulder by their side, blood mixed in water was streaming down.

Xiao Zhi Ren immediately climbed up with Ji Syaoran following behind him. As he reached up, he stopped in his track. A listless body was lying beaten and blue... Or more like drenched in red with mud smothered all over the body.

"What is that thing?" Ji Syaoran asked cautiously while he was trying hard not to look at the bloody scene before him. The rain might have washed down the blood stains from the ground but apparently, it couldn’t wash off the blood from the body that lay on the stomach.

"It’s not a thing. It’s a person." Xiao Zhi Ren said and crouched near the body and as he turned it sideways, even he wanted to close his eyes because of the grotesque scene. He tried to check the breathing of the person.

"Is he breathing?" Ji Syaoran asked from behind.

Xiao Zhi Ren couldn’t tell himself. He couldn’t really feel the breathing at least not until his hand that was on the wrist of the body was held in a tight grip. Xiao Zhi Ren was startled at the scene.

"Save me..." He heard a strained and a faint voice that seemed to be filled with determination.

"Ran Zi, call for a chopper. The person is still breathing."

Ji Syaoran’s mouth opened wide. "Really? Even in this condition, he’s alive?"

"If you kept dawdling then he won’t be for long." Saying that Xiao Zhi Ren took off his jacket and pressed it against the person’s chest which was still bleeding.

"Oh, okay." Ji Syaoran immediately contacted his security team who could track them from their cell phones easily.

The helicopter was already on standby and after receiving the instructions, it flew over to the coordinates which they received.