After hanging up the phone, Ruan Yu sat on the sofa, clutching her phone in a daze.
It wasn’t the news itself that unsettled her, but Fang Zhen’s mention that Xu Huaisong had privately discussed this case with him before.
Xu Huaisong wasn’t the type to jump to conclusions easily. When he first discovered that group photo, he had remained objective and rational. Even after Wei Jin was arrested for drug-related offenses, he hadn’t made baseless accusations. He simply flew back to the U.S. as planned and never brought it up during their video calls.
But after all, he was only human, and emotions inevitably colored his judgment.
Deep down, he had been preoccupied with this matter and had even asked the police to keep him updated on the case’s progress.
To untie the bell, one must seek the one who tied it. In this situation, Ruan Yu couldn’t do much to help him. The only thing she could do was buy a high-speed train ticket to Su City and inform him the moment he landed, suggesting they meet directly there—since the airport was much closer to Su City than to Hangzhou.
By the time Ruan Yu arrived at Su City’s train station, it was nearly evening. She didn’t have to wait long before Xu Huaisong arrived as well.
His own car was still at the dealership, so he had borrowed one from somewhere.
The moment Ruan Yu got into the car, she was greeted with a head pat.
He leaned over to fasten her seatbelt, gently pinched her nose, and said, “It wouldn’t have made much difference if I’d finished things here before returning to Hangzhou. Yet you still rushed over.”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t finish in time and would have to stay the night here.”
After ten days apart, surviving only on video calls, Ruan Yu didn’t want to wait even a minute longer than necessary to see him—let alone a few hours.
Xu Huaisong chuckled. “Do you know what my colleagues in the U.S. call you?”
Lately, their video calls had been even more frequent and affectionate than the last time they were apart, so several of his foreign colleagues had gotten to know Ruan Yu.
She rubbed her nose. “What do they call me?”
Xu Huaisong started the car, steering away from the train station, and said with a smirk, “The clingy cat.”
Ruan Yu choked. “It was you who insisted on keeping the call connected while we slept! Didn’t you set the record straight?”
“I did.”
“How?”
“I said, ‘Maybe I’m not exactly human either.’”
“...”
On the way to the police station, they chatted about everything and nothing.
Perhaps it was the “absence makes the heart grow fonder” effect, but more than that, it was an unspoken nervousness.
Both of them were uneasy about the truth they were about to confront, so they tried to ease the tension with playful banter—which ended up turning into this.
But the deliberately lighthearted atmosphere shattered the moment they saw Jiang Yi outside the police station.
As Xu Huaisong parked the car, Jiang Yi was following two officers into the building, likely summoned for questioning.
Xu Huaisong frowned, pulled into a parking spot, and unfastened his seatbelt. Before he could say anything, Ruan Yu spoke up: “Go ahead. I’ll wait in the car.”
Xu Huaisong had at least some connection to the case, but Ruan Yu was entirely an outsider. It wasn’t like she could just waltz into the police station as if it were a supermarket.
As she waited in the car, the image of Jiang Yi walking inside replayed in her mind.
He was still wearing that same yellowed, worn-out undershirt, hunched over, his legs trembling as he looked up at the police station and the emblem above its doors. He nearly tripped climbing the steps.
Ruan Yu could almost picture the sheer terror in his eyes.
This wasn’t guilt—it was genuine fear.
When the whole world insists you’re guilty, she understood exactly how terrifying that could be.She had also experienced that kind of despair where no words could defend her.
Ruan Yu sighed, watching the sun slowly sink in the sky. About an hour later, she saw Xu Huaisong walk out alone.
The moment the car door opened, her heart clenched. She turned to study his expression first.
His face didn’t look relieved. Unable to hold back, Ruan Yu asked, "Still no results?"
He shook his head. After getting in, he didn’t start the car. Instead, he leaned back against the seat and exhaled heavily. "There should be a result now. Although we still have to wait for the trial, it’s pretty much confirmed."
"Was it really... Wei Jin?"
"The police investigated his financial transactions over the past few years due to the drug case and eventually discovered a suspicious account. Wei Jin had been making large, one-way transfers to this account for ten years. The money was funneled through multiple channels before ultimately reaching a Hong Kong-based real estate tycoon."
"This tycoon used to be a forensic examiner in Su City."
Ruan Yu’s throat tightened as she guessed the truth.
Xu Huaisong swallowed hard. "The police confirmed that this examiner, at Wei Jin’s request, tampered with the victim’s corpse back then. This manipulation caused the autopsy to determine a time of death much earlier than the actual time. As a result, Jiang Yi’s alibi was invalidated, while Wei Jin gained a plausible alibi."
"In reality, when the victim and Jiang Yi were intimate in the men’s restroom, Wei Jin happened to be in a stall in the corner."
Xu Huaisong didn’t continue, likely unwilling to share the details with Ruan Yu.
But she could roughly guess.
That night, after a wild party at the bar, Wei Jin must have been drunk. By coincidence, he overheard the "live show." When Jiang Yi left in a hurry, Wei Jin, under the influence of alcohol, developed inappropriate intentions toward the victim.
It was probably an accidental killing during a physical altercation.
Faced with the choice between turning himself in or fabricating an alibi to escape punishment, Wei Jin chose the latter. From then on, he raped, took drugs—his glamorous exterior masking a twisted soul.
"For so many years, why didn’t Wei Jin take the opportunity to silence the examiner?"
"First, silencing someone carries risks. Second, the examiner was no fool. To avoid being discarded after use, he must have kept some evidence. If he died unexpectedly, that evidence would end up with the police."
Ruan Yu closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, she saw Jiang Yi emerge alone from the police station, staggering. After pushing open the glass door, he collapsed onto the steps.
Then, he suddenly burst into loud, unrestrained sobs.
A man in his thirties, crying like a child—mouth wide open, wailing uncontrollably, gasping for breath between strange, mournful whimpers.
Under the blood-red sunset a decade later, he howled as if demanding the heavens hear him, shouting once more with a voice meant for the world: "I didn’t kill anyone! I didn’t kill anyone—!"
Between shouts and sobs, his tears mingled with laughter—but it was a bleak, hopeless laughter.
Through the car window, Ruan Yu saw passersby casting puzzled, wary glances at Jiang Yi, their gazes treating him like a terrifying madman.
Then Xu Huaisong opened the car door.
He walked over, crouched in front of Jiang Yi, and gently patted his back. "It’s over now. It’s okay."
Jiang Yi stopped shouting, covering his face with calloused hands.
Tears streamed through his fingers. Xu Huaisong smiled warmly at him. "Let me take you home, okay?"After dropping Jiang Yi off at his place, it was already dark. The two found a random restaurant for dinner. Once finished, Xu Huaisong planned to drive back to Hangzhou, but then Ruan Yu suggested, "Shall we go see your mom?"
Xu Huaisong understood her implication. The news about the case should be shared with Tao Rong.
He lowered his eyes slightly. "Let's wait a couple of days. I haven't figured out how to bring it up yet."
Too many years had passed. Now that the truth had suddenly surfaced, those involved found themselves at a loss for how to untangle the tightly knotted past.
Stating the facts would be easy—but what then? Could a family broken for a decade still be mended? And how?
Xu Huaisong himself was still processing everything, let alone discussing it with Tao Rong.
After a thoughtful pause, Ruan Yu nodded. "Alright, but it's already late. Don't drive back tonight."
Xu Huaisong glanced at her. "Then should we find a hotel?"
She shook her head and hugged his arm. "Let's just stay at your place. Your grandma invited us last time, remember?"
He chuckled. "I've heard of guys tricking their girlfriends into coming home with them, but never of a girlfriend tricking her boyfriend into going home."
She shot him a look. "So, are you falling for it or not?"
"I am."
Xu Huaisong called home, then let Ruan Yu drag him to the mall for some shopping. After a whirlwind spree, they returned to his place laden with bags.
Tao Rong and Grandma Xu welcomed them warmly.
Since it was the weekend, Xu Huaishi was also home, doing homework. She let out an excited "Wow!" at the sight of them and dashed to the living room, pointing at the pile of gift boxes. "Is there anything for me?"
"There is," Xu Huaisong said, handing her a stack of "Peak 48-Set" elite mock exam papers.
Xu Huaishi: "..."
Ruan Yu leaned in and whispered, "This wasn't my idea. Your brother insisted on buying these for you."
Pouting, Xu Huaishi muttered, "Even you can't keep him in check anymore?"
"No need to 'keep him in check' for this." Xu Huaisong nudged her toward the study. "Go finish your homework."
"Do high school seniors have no rights?" she retorted, then quickly ducked her head before he could glare. "Fine, fine—no rights it is!" With that, she scurried back to her room, mouthing to Ruan Yu before closing the door: Don't marry him!
Ruan Yu waved with a smile, signaling for her to go study in peace.
Tao Rong and Grandma Xu ushered the couple to the sofa. This time, both sides were well-prepared, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
When Tao Rong asked why they'd come to Suzhou this time, Xu Huaisong was about to say "for business," but Ruan Yu interjected, "Huaisong just got back from the U.S. today, and the airport's close by, so we dropped in."
Grandma Xu exclaimed, "Ah, all that back-and-forth must be exhausting. Huaisong, don't you have any plans?"
After a brief silence, Xu Huaisong answered truthfully, "I do. Once I wrap up the remaining work in the U.S., I won’t need to go back as often."
Tao Rong's eyes flickered noticeably at this.
Grandma Xu beamed, addressing Ruan Yu affectionately. "I told your mom—if he’s this devoted to you, Yu, he must have plans. It’s good to have plans, very good..."
After a quiet moment, Tao Rong asked, "What about your father?"
Xu Huaisong paused. "Given his current condition, he can’t be left alone in the U.S. long-term."
Tao Rong smiled stiffly. "Can he... still fly?"Xu Huaisong's response was quite formal: "I consulted doctors in the U.S. They said we could try, but the risks remain. Either wait until his condition improves further, or charter a flight back."
Chartering a private jet from the U.S. would cost hundreds of thousands if not millions—no small sum. Clearly, Xu Huaisong wasn't in a hurry to make that decision yet.
Tao Rong nodded and didn't press the topic further. After chatting about other things for a while, she said, "You've just been on such a long flight. Take Yu Yu to rest early. The room is ready for you both."
Xu Huaisong agreed and led Ruan Yu to their room. As soon as the door closed, he gently pinched her cheek and asked in a low voice, "What are you up to?"
It was obvious that Ruan Yu had been steering the conversation all evening. She had come to his home with this very purpose in mind.
Leaning against the door, Ruan Yu gave him an angelic smile. "What did I do?"
A hint of helplessness flickered in Xu Huaisong's eyes.
He had unresolved issues with his family and, like a stubborn gourd, rarely made the effort to address them. So she had found a way to help break the ice.
With a sigh, he let her off. "Go take a shower."
They took turns showering.
Ruan Yu wore a nightgown she had bought at the mall earlier. Since it was an adult style, the neckline was low, and she instinctively tugged at it as she climbed into bed.
Xu Huaisong, already in bed, chuckled. "What are you covering up for?"
It was just a reflex. She mumbled, "I'm worried you might get... carried away..."
After all, they were at his family's home. Best to be cautious.
Xu Huaisong pulled her under the covers and said seriously, "I won't."
Ruan Yu thought he meant he wouldn't do anything to her under these circumstances, but then he added with a smirk, "There's nothing much to see anyway."
"..."
Ruan Yu immediately sprang up from his arms. "What do you mean by that?"
He shook his head, signaling it was nothing, and pulled her back. "Sleep."
"Not until you explain."
"If I explain, we won't be sleeping at all."
Ruan Yu took a deep breath.
Alright, so he was definitely mocking her for being flat-chested.
As the books said, men change their tune once they've had their fill.
Pouting, she turned her head to glare at him. "Xu Huaisong, you've changed. You've become complacent. Now you treat me the same way you treat Liu Mao."
He looked down at her and laughed. "Would I hold Liu Mao like this to sleep?"
"You'd tease him, use him, and bully him!" Ruan Yu huffed and turned her back to him.
Xu Huaisong followed, turning her back to face him. "When I said there's nothing much to see, it was psychological conditioning."
"Conditioning for what?"
He took her hand and guided it downward, then sighed. "Wasn't it you who insisted on staying at my place? My mom's across the hall, my grandma's diagonally opposite, and my sister's next door. What else can I do besides conditioning myself to behave?"
Author's note: Liu Mao: Achoo —Who's thinking about me? And wanting to hold me while sleeping?
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