Re-birth: The Beginning after the End-Chapter 253: CATCHING UP

Li Hua steeled herself, drawing a deep breath and releasing it slowly.

"By the time I got there..." Anna's voice cracked slightly, her usual fierce demeanor giving way to raw pain. "Your home was in chaos. Your perfect garden turned into a battlefield, blood staining the snow. And there you were, lying so still, in pieces..."

A heavy silence fell between them, the weight of that final night pressing down on both their shoulders. The pristine white snow stained crimson, the perfect setup of the ambush, the betrayal that had cut deeper than any blade—memories neither of them had truly escaped, even in this new world.

"I..." Anna's voice grew softer, more vulnerable than Li Hua had ever heard it. "I couldn't think straight. Couldn't even pursue the traitors. All I could focus on was getting to you, collecting your body. The rage came later, but in that moment..." She looked down at her hands, as if still seeing them stained with that day's blood. "In that moment, there was only grief."

Hearing Anna's account made the aftermath feel surreal to Li Hua. She reached out and took Anna's hand, a gesture that visibly surprised her normally touch-averse companion.

"Su Ning helped me give you a proper burial," Anna continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "We made sure you were laid to rest with dignity, even if nothing else about that day held any."

"Thank you," Li Hua whispered, gratitude filling her chest for this final act of care.

Anna shook her head sharply. "It was less than you deserved."

Li Hua couldn't help but smile softly at Anna's characteristic intensity, even in grief.

"When I confirmed it was Li Min and Captain Fu who physically carried out your killing, I was consumed by rage." Anna's voice rose suddenly, her hands squeezing Li Hua's with such force that Li Hua winced slightly. Years later, and the fury still burned hot enough to make her lose control. "That fucking bitch! I was going to tear her apart personally, but Su Ning stopped me. If not for her intervention, we would've never discovered the true puppet master behind your death."

Anna's eyes flicked up to meet Li Hua's, and something in that gaze—a mixture of rage and remembered betrayal—made Li Hua's breath catch in her throat.

"Who?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Anna's grip tightened again, old rage making her knuckles white. "He Zhi," she spat the name like poison. "The same He Zhi you promoted to operations director because of her years of loyalty. The same one you protected when the board wanted her removed for her lack of discipline." A bitter laugh escaped her. "You gave her everything—position, power, protection. And she repaid your kindness by orchestrating your death."

Li Hua felt her blood run cold. He Zhi had been one of the few, besides Anna and Su Ning, who had been with her since the beginning. Part of her inner circle. She had defended the woman countless times, believing in the loyalty born from shared struggles. The betrayal tasted like ashes in her mouth.

"She used Li Min and Captain Fu," Anna continued, her voice hard with contained fury. "Fed them misinformation, exploited their greed and ambition. She was the one who purchased the explosives. The one who knew exactly how to breach every security measure in your home, in our company, how to turn key people, how to—" She cut herself off, the memories still too raw.

Li Hua squeezed Anna's hand, her own thoughts in turmoil over He Zhi's betrayal.

"After six months of tailing and investigating, we finally had them cornered—Captain Fu, He Zhi, and Li Min," Anna said, her voice growing tense with the memory. "But then He Zhi... she became unhinged. Started ranting about being reborn, saying if we survived she'd hunt us down 'just like in our past life.'"

Li Hua's body shuddered involuntarily. Past lives? She looked at Anna with renewed intensity. Li Hua knew she hadn't recovered many memories from her first life— hell, she still didn't know how she and Little Firefly had bonded—but could Anna also have been part of their first life?

"Then something happened," Anna's voice dropped to barely a whisper, pulling Li Hua from her spiraling thoughts. "The building exploded. The last thing I remember was a blinding light, an overwhelming pressure crushing my body, and then... darkness." She paused, collecting herself. "When I opened my eyes again, I was here, in this world, with all my memories intact."

Li Hua nodded and pulled her friend in for a hug.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all this. Grieving for me and having to learn the betrayal is overwhelming enough, but then ending up reincarnated in a world completely different from everything you've known..."

Anna shook her head, her arms tightening around Li Hua. "It was lonely, but I found you. It's just..." Li Hua felt her hesitate before she continued, her voice dropping to a whisper, "If I was able to cross over, Captain Fu, He Zhi, and Li Min could've too."

Li Hua shut her eyes and pursed her lips. Well, shit. The implications sent a chill through her core—all their enemies possibly reborn in this world, with all their hatred intact.

"We'll assume they are here and prepare to be stronger," she whispered, her mind already calculating countermeasures.

She felt Anna nod against her shoulder and couldn't help but chuckle—even across worlds, some dynamics never changed. Anna had always been her shield, ready to protect her from any threat.

"Anyway," Li Hua said, pulling back to study her friend's new face, "I'm guessing you have a different name in this world. What is it?"

Anna nodded. "My name in this world is Zhang Nia."

"Zhang Nia...Zhang Nia? As in the top student of the Sect?" Li Hua asked in surprise, recalling the rankings she'd studied during her first days at the sect.

Anna chuckled, a hint of pride glinting in her eyes. "Yes, that same Zhang Nia."

Li Hua smiled, shaking her head slightly. "Well, I guess that's not surprising. You always did excel at whatever you set your mind to."

"So, what about you?" Anna asked, studying her old friend with new eyes. "You look different. Happier, friendlier, less..." she searched for the right word, "...robotic."

Li Hua burst into laughter, the sound filling the room. "Thanks for that assessment."

Anna patted her hand, her expression softening. "It suits you."

"Well, when I arrived in this world, this body was only four years old," Li Hua explained, her voice growing gentle. "I've spent fifteen years with a family who truly loved me unconditionally." Her fingers traced abstract patterns on the silk bedding. "You know I didn't have a family in our past life—I don't remember anything from before the guild. So when this family was simply... dropped into my lap..." She paused, remembering moments of warmth and acceptance she'd never known before. "I couldn't resist them. I've learned and grown more than I thought possible."

Anna's eyes softened, a rare tenderness replacing her usual fierce demeanor. "I'm happy for you, Hua Hua. Truly." She understood better than anyone what having a real family meant to someone who'd never known one. In their past life, they had been each other's only real family—the fierce second-in-command and her supposedly cold boss who had, despite everything, forged an unbreakable bond.

Li Hua chuckled, suddenly catching the familiar nickname Anna had always used when they were alone. "And should I call you Nia Nia now?"

Anna threw her head back and laughed—that same unreserved sound that few had ever heard in their previous world. "Shit! You got me there!"

They both dissolved into laughter, the kind that only comes from years of shared history and absolute trust—transcending bodies, worlds, and lifetimes.

"Well, whether you like it or not, that's your name now," Li Hua teased.

Anna nodded, her eyes sparkling with mirth. "Absolutely."

They continued talking for hours, time slipping by unnoticed as they shared their stories. Li Hua told Anna about growing up with her brothers, losing her parents, and the siblings' current goal to become stronger. Anna shared her journey of awakening in this realm, rising through the sect's ranks, and building a new life while carrying the weight of their shared past.

By the time they finished catching up, the sky outside had darkened to deep indigo. The familiar chime of a sound transmission resonated in Li Hua's spiritual core.

"Sister," Li Wei's composed voice carried through the connection. "Dinner?"

Li Hua looked at Anna, a mixture of amusement and anticipation in her eyes. "Time to meet my eldest brother."

"Oh? Is he hot?" Anna asked with that familiar predatory gleam in her eyes—the same look she'd worn when assessing potential business rivals in their past life.

Li Hua laughed but rolled her eyes, her composure momentarily replaced by the easy sisterly bond they'd always shared. "Obviously. Though don't tell him I said that—his ego barely fits through doorways as it is.

The two women left Li Hua's quarters and made their way to the dining hall, where Li Wei stood waiting by the entrance. When he saw them approach, his usual scholarly composure faltered momentarily, surprise flickering across his features at the sight of a stranger accompanying his sister.