Perhaps it was still the unfamiliar bed, or maybe having someone sleeping beside her felt strange, but Ruan Yu woke up unusually early the next day.
The sky was just beginning to lighten. Her first instinct was to reach for her phone on the bedside table.
There were no new messages on WeChat, but there was a text from an unknown number: I have an urgent matter to discuss with Huaisong. If you're with him, please pass this along. Zhou Jun.
It was from their former class monitor, whom she’d met at the birthday party. The message had been sent at 2:07 a.m.—a time when Xu Huaisong was still on the plane.
But by now, they should have already been in contact.
She sent Xu Huaisong a message to confirm: Did you land yet?
Xu Huaisong replied: Just got out of the airport. Didn’t want to wake you.
Then he added: Dad’s temporarily out of danger and has been moved to the ICU for observation. I’m heading there now.
Ruan Yu let out a relieved sigh, superstitiously thinking that the rainbow had indeed brought good news.
She replied: That’s good. By the way, Zhou Jun was looking for you.
Xu Huaisong: I saw. His phone’s off—if it’s urgent, he’ll reach out again.
Their conversation ended there.
With a weight lifted from her chest, Ruan Yu carefully got out of bed. Just as she exhaled in relief, she heard rustling behind her.
Xu Huaishi had woken up, rubbing her eyes as she said, “You’re up so early, sis!”
“Sorry, did I wake you?”
“Did my brother land?”
Ruan Yu nodded. “Yeah. Go back to sleep.”
But Xu Huaishi, noticing her relaxed expression, seemed to piece things together. “Is the trouble resolved?”
“For now, but we can’t let our guard down yet.”
Xu Huaishi lost all drowsiness. Hearing her phrasing and recalling how Tao Rong had whispered to her yesterday, she sat up with a frown. “Did something happen to Dad?”
Ruan Yu faltered.
Was her acting really that bad?
“Ugh,” Xu Huaishi sighed. “I’m not a kid anymore—why hide things like this from me? So… is Dad out of danger for now?”
Ruan Yu had no choice but to be honest. “Yeah, don’t worry. Your brother’s handling it.”
Xu Huaishi lowered her head. After a pause, she bit her lip and said, “Sis, someone told me Dad got this illness because he’s done too many bad things.”
Ruan Yu didn’t know who this sudden “someone” was, but she could tell Xu Huaishi needed to talk.
She sat back down on the bed. “Who said that?”
“A plaintiff’s family member.” Xu Huaishi took a deep breath. “Ah, sis, I shouldn’t be telling you this. My dad might not be a good person, but my brother’s different. Don’t think all lawyers are bad.”
Ruan Yu was confused. “What’s going on? You can tell me. I won’t judge your brother.”
Xu Huaishi hesitated, falling silent for a long moment before finally hugging her knees and saying, “My dad… he used to be a criminal defense lawyer. He defended murderers. The reason my parents split up wasn’t because of some affair—they just couldn’t see eye to eye. My mom couldn’t understand his profession, couldn’t accept living off money earned from defending killers… I was scared of him too. I didn’t like him…”
Ruan Yu swallowed hard. “What about your brother?”
“He probably stayed with Dad for my sake back then. But later… what he really thinks of Dad, neither Mom nor I know. He studied law too, became a lawyer. Deep down, my mom…”
Xu Huaishi didn’t finish, but Ruan Yu understood. This was likely the real root of the estrangement between mother and son.She finished with a laugh, "But my brother isn't a criminal lawyer, so you don't need to worry."
Ruan Yu patted her head. "Even if he were, I wouldn't be worried."
Xu Huaishi froze. "You're not scared?"
Ruan Yu thought for a moment before countering, "Would you feel afraid or blame a doctor for saving a severely injured suspect, questioning why they fulfilled their duty as a physician?"
Xu Huaishi frowned, seeming to find some logic in it but still not fully understanding.
After a pause, she said, "Ah, let's not talk about such gloomy things. What should we have for lunch?"
"I'll make you lunch, then I'm going out to meet a friend for a meal."
"Male friend or female friend?"
"Just a regular male friend."
"Just a regular male friend?" Xu Huaishi's expression was one of exaggerated shock, as if she'd "suddenly sat up from her deathbed." "How can a male friend be just regular? My brother's going to cry!"
"..."
"Really, just a regular friend."
"Then show me a photo of this friend? I'll know at a glance whether he's just regular or not."
What kind of logic was that?
Ruan Yu hesitated, thinking that since she'd eventually tell Xu Huaisong anyway, there was no need to hide it from his sister. So she said, "Then take a look at your own phone wallpaper."
Xu Huaishi froze, blankly unlocking her screen to see Li Shican's photo.
She held up her phone in disbelief. "You're not telling me the person you're meeting for lunch is my idol, are you?"
That phrasing sounded a bit odd at first.
Ruan Yu nodded. "We were university classmates. Your brother knows about it, so don't worry."
"Oh my god!" Xu Huaishi was too stunned to speak, but soon shifted her focus. "My brother knew and didn't tell me? Didn't even help me get autographed photos or limited-edition albums? I'm so mad! After all the effort I've put in—"
She abruptly cut herself off.
Ruan Yu asked, "Should I ask for some for you later?"
Xu Huaishi scrambled over and clung to her thigh, looking up pleadingly. "Sis, for the sake of the night we spent together, please let me see him, even if it's just from afar!"
Ruan Yu hadn't expected this outcome.
In the end, she had no choice but to send Li Shican a message: I have a little sister who's your fan and wants to see you. Would it be okay if she comes along later...
Li Shican: Sure, bring her to lunch. I'll take precautions to avoid being photographed.
Xu Huaishi, who had been peeking at the screen, jumped three feet in excitement.
Li Shican: But if she comes, this lunch counts as a fan meet-up, not you repaying me. Think carefully.
Ruan Yu choked up and showed the message to Xu Huaishi. "See? This means I'll have to treat him again later."
Xu Huaishi had already forgotten her brother's existence. With a wave of her hand, she declared grandly, "Then just treat him again! What's the big deal? My brother isn't that petty!"
Ruan Yu thought Xu Huaisong might actually be exactly that petty, but she didn't want to crush Xu Huaishi's fangirl dreams. She agreed and made plans, saying, "Alright, we'll have lunch with Li Shican first, then I need to visit my parents in the suburbs. Want to come along?"
"No problem!"
At noon, the two of them went to the restaurant Li Shican had booked and entered a private room on the top floor.Xu Huaishi had been taking deep breaths before entering, but upon seeing Li Shican in person, she still felt dizzy. Covering her chest, she murmured, "Am I dreaming...?"
Noticing their arrival, Li Shican stood up with a smile, greeting Ruan Yu first before glancing at Xu Huaishi. "I didn’t know my senior had such an adorable little sister."
Xu Huaishi stared at him, speechless, clutching Ruan Yu’s arm. "Sis, I think I’m about to faint..."
Li Shican chuckled, waiting for her to sit down before asking, "What’s your name?"
"Me...? Uh," she stammered, "Xu Huaishi."
Li Shican visibly paused, scrutinizing her features before turning to Ruan Yu. "This must be Lawyer Xu’s sister, right?"
Ruan Yu gave an awkward laugh. "Yeah, she is."
Leaning forward with keen interest, Li Shican fixed his gaze on Xu Huaishi. "So, who do you think is better-looking—your brother or me?"
Faced with the object of her long-standing admiration, Xu Huaishi didn’t hesitate. "Definitely you!"
Ruan Yu: "..." She pitied Xu Huaisong.
Li Shican laughed. "Good taste. Let me treat you to something delicious." He handed her the menu. "Order whatever you want."
Xu Huaishi’s eyes practically gleamed with excitement as she scanned the menu.
While she deliberated, Li Shican turned to Ruan Yu, pulling out a stack of reports. "Results from the psychological evaluation. Normally confidential, but Uncle Cen wanted to reassure you, so he shared them."
Xu Huaishi looked up in confusion, about to ask, but he cut her off. "Your sister and I need to discuss something serious. Take your time choosing."
Ruan Yu thanked him and flipped through the documents as he explained, "It’s confirmed—she didn’t hire anyone to hack your computer. She only seized the opportunity after accidentally noticing the similarities between the two works."
"That’s strange..."
If Cen Sisi wasn’t involved, who could have stolen her outline? Or perhaps the outline was never leaked in the first place.
But what did that imply?
Ruan Yu froze in her seat, brows furrowed. An answer seemed just out of reach.
Xu Huaishi, now understanding their conversation, wavered between speaking up and staying silent. Her enthusiasm for the menu dimmed.
She hastily picked a few dishes, then grabbed her phone to check Weibo.
Should she just bite the bullet and show Ruan Yu this account, confessing her mistake? But doing so might make her future sister-in-law resent her.
As she hesitated, her phone vibrated with a Weibo notification—a follow-up report on last night’s wanted notice. It stated that the suspect and victim were in a romantic relationship and had allegedly driven from Suzhou to Hangzhou to visit relatives and friends.
Xu Huaishi’s eyes locked onto the phrase "from Suzhou to Hangzhou." Wait—last night, they’d said Hangzhou was dangerous, but the suspect was actually from Suzhou?
She reopened the notice with the attached photo, realizing it did mention the suspect’s origin. She’d been too fixated on the image to read carefully earlier.
Now, she studied the text: Male, 26, native of Jiangsu Province, approximately 176 cm tall...
A 26-year-old from Suzhou—someone she might’ve even met before. She enlarged the photo and stared at it again.Ruan Yu noticed Xu Huaishi buried in her phone with a deeply troubled expression and tilted her head to ask, "What's wrong?"
Xu Huaishi pointed at her screen. "I feel like I've seen this guy somewhere, but I can't remember where..."
Ruan Yu leaned over to look. "Hmm? That's my high school class monitor. Why do you have his photo?"
Xu Huaishi's mouth fell open. "Ah! Maybe when I was looking for your photo on the school's Wall of Outstanding Graduates in the history museum, I saw his ID picture!"
Before Ruan Yu could question why she'd been searching for her photo in the school museum, she froze and asked, "So what about this photo?"
With trembling hands, Xu Huaishi exited full-screen mode and showed her a news article.
After scanning the content, Ruan Yu stood rooted to the spot before finally murmuring, "How could this be... We just met recently... No, he contacted me at 2 AM today!"
No wonder he hadn't used his own number. His personal communications must have been under police surveillance.
As Ruan Yu's mind reeled, Li Shican grasped the situation. "Try to recall what he told you."
Just as she pulled out her phone to check messages, an oddly familiar number called.
Li Shican seemed to recognize the landline too. "That's the police station we visited last time. Answer it."
"Hello, is this Ms. Ruan?" came the voice when she picked up.
"Officer Fang? Yes, speaking."
"Are you free to talk now? We need your assistance with a case."
Hearing Fang Zhen's uncertain tone, Ruan Yu guessed it concerned Zhou Jun but worried she might be with him.
"I'm available. Is this about Zhou Jun?"
"Yes. The suspect is currently wanted by police. We've traced a call he made to you at 2:07 AM today using another person's phone. Do you have any information about his whereabouts?"
Clutching her phone, Ruan Yu replied, "No, I just learned he's wanted."
"We sincerely hope you're not withholding information, Ms. Ruan."
"I'm not," she hesitated, "but a friend might have more details. I need to contact him."
"Mr. Xu?"
"Yes. Zhou Jun contacted me specifically to reach him."
"We've been trying his number but can't get through."
"He's in San Francisco. You can call his U.S. number." Unable to recall it, Ruan Yu glanced at Xu Huaishi, who immediately scribbled it down.
After hanging up, the private room's atmosphere grew so tense even the AC seemed frozen.
Not daring to potentially block police calls by contacting Xu Huaisong directly, Ruan Yu sent a WeChat message: Did Zhou Jun contact you afterward?
Receiving no immediate reply, she scrolled through news articles, each more unbelievable than the last.
During their two-and-a-half years as classmates, Zhou Jun had always been the warm, cheerful monitor who helped everyone. Even at his recent birthday gathering, he'd seemed unchanged—still joking about her and Xu Huaisong.
How could such a person become a fugitive murderer? Especially with his girlfriend as the victim.
Xu Huaishi, equally frightened, tugged at her sleeve. "Sis, why was he looking for my brother?"This question hit the nail on the head. Ruan Yu frowned and said, "Because your brother is a lawyer, and the incident happened in Hangzhou. He must have thought of your brother and wanted to seek his help."
During their last meeting, Xu Huaisong had mentioned his impressive credentials in front of Ruan Chengru, and Zhou Jun must have heard it too.
Moreover, according to Xu Huaishi, their father used to be a criminal lawyer. If Zhou Jun happened to know this, he would have even more reason to turn to Xu Huaisong for help.
Ruan Yu was waiting for Xu Huaisong's reply when her phone rang again—not from him or the police, but from her mother.
As soon as the call connected, Qu Lan asked, "Yu Yu, have you eaten yet?"
"I'm eating right now."
"Oh, I just wanted to let you know, don’t come over this afternoon."
Qu Lan’s voice was cheerful, but in that instant, an inexplicable fear overwhelmed Ruan Yu. After a pause, she asked, "What’s wrong? Are you and Dad not home?"
"We are. It’s just that it’s the holiday, and another student came to visit me and your dad. We’re letting him stay overnight. Didn’t you say you were bringing a little sister along? There won’t be enough rooms for you both then."
Ruan Yu stayed silent for a full five seconds. After that, her hands began to tremble as she said, "Oh, I see. Then we won’t come over..."
"Alright, I’ll hang up now."
"Wait..."
"Hmm?"
Clutching the tablecloth tightly, Ruan Yu struggled to keep her voice steady. "It looks like it might rain today. Make sure you and Dad close the windows properly."
"Don’t worry, we will."
The call ended there.
Ruan Yu immediately covered her mouth.
Li Shican tensed up. "What’s wrong?"
"Our house has three guest rooms. There’s no way there wouldn’t be space for me and Huaishi. My mom was hinting at me..."
Xu Huaishi gasped sharply.
Li Shican grabbed his phone. "I’ll notify the police first."
As he dialed the police station, Ruan Yu’s phone rang again.
It was Xu Huaisong calling.
Ruan Yu answered the call. She had been holding it together, but the moment she heard his voice, she broke down. "Huaisong, did the police contact you? Zhou Jun... he might have gone to my parents’ place..."
There was a brief silence on the other end before a calm, steady voice replied, "Don’t be afraid. Stay calm and listen carefully to what I say."
Author’s Note: You can relax now—but if you want to humor me, you can pretend to be nervous for a bit.
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