Suo Ran stood near the balcony doorway with Lin Yichen, both speaking low.Suo Ran didn't answer right away. His fingers curled slowly against the balcony railing while something colder settled into his expression. Then finally, without looking back, he said quietly,"I stopped believing it was an accident years ago." Lin Yichen watched him carefully. "You never told anyone that before." "Because it doesn't matter what people believe." Suo Ran replied. "The evidence disappeared anyway." His jaw tightened faintly afterward, voice lowering further. "Someone erased everything." Lin Yichen's expression darkened slightly. "And someone protected whoever did it." Suo Ran gave a small nod once.
"Every witness changed their statement." he murmured quietly. "Reports vanished, security footage disappeared. Even the investigation suddenly stopped." He laughed once under his breath afterward, but there was no amusement in it. "Almost impressive honestly." Lin Yichen studied him silently for several seconds before asking carefully, "And the man we're meeting?" Suo Ran looked toward him now, eyes colder than before. "If he's telling the truth." he said quietly, "then he knows who ordered it."
Inside the apartment, Lian Ziho stood near the dining table pretending to help Jun Wei pack his school bag, but his attention had drifted toward the balcony long ago. His eyes kept moving unconsciously toward Suo Ran and Lin Yichen, watching the quiet seriousness between them.Why does it feel like everyone knows something except me? The thought came heavily now.
What are they hiding from me? (...)
His gaze lingered on Suo Ran again.
And why does he look different every time he talks about his father? (...)
Jun Wei called him once from nearby without getting a response. "Lian gege." Lian Ziho didn't even blink. He was distracted by the conversation happening beyond the balcony glass. Jun Wei frowned immediately. "Lian gege?" Still nothing. Then louder this time he said. "LIAN GEGE!" Lian Ziho startled faintly and looked down instantly. "Hm?" Jun Wei crossed his arms dramatically. "I called you three times."
That drew Suo ran's attention from the balcony. He looked over immediately. "Jun Wei!" he said firmly, "why are you yelling at him like that?" Jun Wei looked offended at once. "I wasn't yelling. I was emotionally increasing volume." Lin Yichen snorted softly under his breath while Lian Ziho rubbed his forehead faintly. "Sorry!" he muttered quietly. "I didn't hear you." Jun Wei pointed accusingly. "See? I told you he ignored me." Suo Ran sighed tiredly and walked back inside with Lin Yichen behind him. "If he didn't answer," he said calmly while fixing Jun Wei's crooked collar, "that means he was busy. Don't be rude." "I wasn't rude." Jun Wei argued immediately. "I was persistent."
Lian Ziho smiled faintly at that while patting Jun Wei lightly on the head. "It's okay." he said softly. "I really didn't hear him." Jun Wei brightened instantly before suddenly grabbing Lian Ziho's sleeve excitedly. "Then Lian gege is taking me to school today." Suo Ran blinked. "What?" "I already decided." Jun Wei announced proudly. "You don't get to decide transportation like it's government policy," Suo Ran replied flatly. "Too late. It's already decided. "suo ran gave him look and said "Jun Wei! " Jun wei crossed his arms and pouted and said " gege."
Jun Wei immediately celebrated like he had won a legal case. "See?" he declared proudly. "Democracy." "That's not democracy," Suo Ran muttered. "That's manipulation." "Same thing sometimes." Lin Yichen laughed openly this time while Suo Ran glared at all of them with fake annoyance. Eventually Jun Wei grabbed his school bag and hurried toward the door while Lian Ziho followed after him more slowly. But just before leaving the apartment, Lian Ziho paused near the entrance and glanced back once more toward Suo Ran and Lin Yichen standing together near the balcony.
Across the city, the hospital corridors remained bright beneath harsh fluorescent lights while nurses moved quickly between rooms carrying charts, medicine trays, and unfinished paperwork. Doctor Gu stood inside one of the treatment rooms removing his gloves after finishing with another patient when a nurse approached carefully. "Doctor Gu." she said softly, "Mr. Cai is here." Doctor Gu frowned instantly behind his glasses. "This time?" "He said it's urgent." Doctor Gu rubbed tiredly at his eyes before exhaling quietly."Tell him to wait outside."
Several minutes later, the operation room doors finally pushed open again. Doctor Gu stepped into the hallway still wearing his white coat, sleeves slightly rolled, gloves removed halfway while his glasses rested lower against the bridge of his nose from hours of nonstop work. He looked exhausted already. The moment Cai Lang spotted him, he stood immediately and walked forward without hesitation. "Come with me," he said quietly. Before Doctor Gu could even respond properly, Cai Lang had already guided him sharply toward a quieter corner of the hallway away from nearby staff. Doctor Gu frowned harder. "What happened now?"
His eyes swept across Cai lang's appearance instinctively the faint bruise near his forehead, the exhaustion in his face, the stiffness in the way he moved. "You look worse." Doctor Gu muttered under his breath. "Did you ignore every single thing I told you again?" Cai lang didn't answer. "Cai Lang!" His tone became more serious now. "What did you do this time?" For a second, Cai Lang looked like he might say something.
"Unbelievable." he muttered under his breath. "Do you actually enjoy making my job harder?" Cai lang leaned back slightly against the wall behind him, looking more tired now that the adrenaline had faded. "I didn't come here to argue." "Then what did you come for?" Doctor Gu asked immediately. "Because dragging me into dark hospital corners usually means either someone's dying… or you're about to say something I won't like."
Cai Lang reached into his pocket silently before taking out the small plastic evidence bag. Doctor Gu's expression shifted slightly at once. "What is this?" Cai Lang held his gaze steadily despite the visible exhaustion beneath his eyes. "Check it." Doctor Gu looked confused. "Check what exactly?" Cai Lang's jaw tightened faintly before he answered in a lower voice.
Slowly, Doctor Gu reached out and took the plastic bag from his hand. The powder inside shifted slightly beneath the fluorescent light as he lifted it closer to examine it carefully. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. Then cautiously, he opened part of the seal just enough to let a faint trace of the scent escape. The reaction was immediate. Doctor Gu's expression changed sharply. His head lifted at once toward Cai Lang. "This smell…" he muttered quietly. His voice lowered further. "This is poison."
Cai Lang's jaw tightened visibly at the confirmation. Doctor Gu stared back at the bag again before sealing it immediately with a much more careful expression than before. "Where did you get this?" he asked sharply. Cai Lang stayed silent for half a second too long. Doctor Gu noticed immediately. "Cai Lang!" His tone hardened now. "Don't tell me you walked in here carrying unidentified poison without knowing where it came from." Cai Lang finally answered quietly, "I know where it came from." Doctor Gu looked at him expectantly. Doctor Gu's chest tightened slightly at that look alone. "Where?" he pressed more carefully this time. Cai Lang's eyes lowered briefly toward the evidence bag in Doctor Gu's hand before he finally said in a low voice, "I found it in Suo Ran's room."
Silence crashed down instantly. Doctor Gu froze completely for a second, genuine shock flashing across his exhausted face. "You found poison connected to Lu Zhen's death in Suo Ran's room?" Cai Lang didn't answer immediately. "I need to know if it matches the poison found in Lu Zhen's body." Doctor Gu looked back toward the plastic bag slowly, disbelief settling deeper into his expression now. "No!" he muttered faintly. "That doesn't make sense." Cai Lang leaned back slightly against the wall behind him, eyes colder now but visibly unsettled beneath the surface. "That's why I'm here."
Elsewhere the apartment slowly grew quieter after Lian Ziho and Jun Wei left.Suo Ran stood silently near the living room window, one hand resting loosely against the curtain while he stared outside without truly seeing anything. His expression had gone distant again. Behind him, Lin Yichen leaned against the edge of the dining table with folded arms, watching him quietly for several seconds before finally speaking. "He contacted me again." he said in a lower voice now that they were alone. Suo Ran's eyes shifted slightly toward the reflection in the glass. "When?" "Early this morning." Lin Yichen's expression slowly turned more serious. "And before you ask yes, something's wrong."
That made Suo Ran turn fully away from the window. His brows furrowed faintly. "What happened?" Lin Yichen exhaled slowly through his nose before answering. "The meeting location changed." Silence settled instantly between them. Suo Ran's expression sharpened immediately. "Again?" Lin Yichen nodded once. "Third time." His voice lowered further. "And he sounded nervous this time. Really nervous." Suo Ran's jaw tightened faintly. "Did he say why?" "No." Lin Yichen pushed himself away from the table and walked closer now, his tone becoming more careful. "But he kept asking whether anyone followed us before."
Suo Ran didn't respond immediately. Lin Yichen noticed anyway. "You think someone already knows we're investigating." he said quietly. It wasn't phrased like a question. Suo Ran lowered his gaze slightly toward the floor. "Maybe." The answer came too quickly. Lin Yichen studied him for a moment longer before speaking again. "You still think your father's death was planned?"For several long seconds, Suo Ran didn't move at all.
Slowly, his eyes lowered again. And suddenly memories surfaced before he could stop them. Rain falling heavily against black umbrellas. White funeral flowers and relatives whispering quietly while avoiding his eyes. A cold hand resting on his small shoulder while someone softly told him to "be strong." Then afterward silence. An empty house. His father's office untouched. His mother's voice gone forever. There were Questions nobody answered. There were questions nobody wanted him asking. Suo Ran's fingers curled slowly against his sleeve.
Lin Yichen watched him carefully. "You still want to go?" That question finally pulled Suo ran completely back into the present. He turned away from the window slowly, the hesitation from earlier already disappearing from his face again beneath quiet determination. "Yes." he answered immediately. "If he's scared enough to keep changing locations, then whatever he knows matters." Lin Yichen frowned slightly. "Or it means we're walking into something dangerous." Suo Ran grabbed his jacket from the chair nearby without hesitation. "We crossed that point a long time ago." Lin Yichen stared at him for a second before letting out a quiet sigh beneath his breath. "You really are your father's son." he looked away again and pulled his jacket on. "Let's go before he disappears too."
Elsewhere at hospital cai Lang sat alone near the far end of the waiting area with his elbows resting loosely against his knees, one hand clasped together tightly enough for the tendons beneath his skin to stand out faintly. The bandage beneath his shirt still ached sharply every time he moved, and the small injury near his forehead throbbed dully beneath the hospital lighting, but neither pain held his attention for long. His thoughts kept circling back Suo ran.
The memory appeared suddenly and without warning where Suo ran asleep on the couch late at night beneath dim apartment lights, one arm hanging carelessly over the edge while Jun Wei had curled nearby under a blanket half kicked onto the floor. Another memory followed immediately after. Jun Wei laughing loudly at breakfast while complaining dramatically about food portions. Suo Ran rolling his eyes before flicking his forehead lightly. Lian Ziho quietly smiling from the kitchen.
For a brief second, Cai Lang could almost hear the sound of it again. Then the image shattered apart the moment the small plastic poison bag resurfaced in his mind. His jaw tightened immediately. His fingers curled harder together. No… The thought came instantly. He wouldn't do that.
(....) Cai Lang lowered his gaze slowly toward the hospital floor, exhaustion finally beginning to show more visibly across his face now that no one else was nearby to watch him carefully. Then why was it hidden there?
(...)
His breathing turned slightly heavier before he forced himself to exhale slowly through his nose. "No!" he muttered quietly under his breath this time, almost like he was trying to convince himself. An elderly couple walked past nearby speaking softly to each other, but Cai Lang remained completely still beneath the sterile hospital lights. His thoughts felt louder than everything around him combined now. What if I'm wrong? The question made him stop thinking.Before he could sink deeper into it, the sound of a door opening nearby pulled him briefly back to the present. He looked up instinctively toward the laboratory hallway, but Doctor Gu still hadn't returned yet. The waiting only made the pressure inside his chest worse.
Meanwhile, across the city, at Suo ran hometown Suo Ran and Lin Yichen stepped out of the apartment building.The streets remained relatively quiet this early, with only scattered cars moving through the intersections while cool wind drifted softly between the buildings. Suo Ran walked slightly ahead at first with one hand inside his pocket, his expression calm again on the surface despite the heaviness lingering behind his eyes since the conversation earlier. Lin Yichen stayed beside him, noticeably more alert now than before. His gaze kept shifting subtly toward the street behind them every few seconds. At first, Suo Ran didn't comment on it. But after crossing another intersection, he finally noticed.
"What?" he asked quietly without looking over. Lin Yichen slowed slightly beside him, his expression tightening almost invisibly. "Don't turn around immediately," he muttered beneath his breath. Suo Ran's eyes sharpened instantly. "Why?" Lin Yichen kept walking normally, though the tension in his posture became more obvious now. "Black sedan." His voice lowered further. "Same one from two streets ago." Silence settled briefly between them."You sure?" he asked quietly. "Pretty sure." Lin Yichen glanced toward a nearby store window casually, using the reflection instead of looking directly behind them. "It stopped near the apartment earlier too."The city suddenly felt different around them now.
A distant motorcycle passed nearby while traffic lights changed ahead, tension had already begun building quietly around them. Suo Ran glanced toward the reflection in another passing window. And there was black sedan. It was far enough not to attract attention and close enough to feel deliberate. His expression darkened slightly. "Interesting." he murmured. Lin Yichen looked at him immediately. "That's your reaction?" Suo Ran's eyes remained fixed ahead now. "Panicking won't help." "Neither will pretending this is normal." Suo Ran didn't respond immediately.
Then somewhere behind them a faint clicking sound echoedbriefly. It was camera shutter sound. Lin Yichen heard it too. His expression changed instantly as he turned his head slightly. But whoever took the picture was already gone among the morning crowd. "Okay." Lin Yichen muttered quietly now, tension visibly rising in his voice. " it's getting dangerous." Suo Ran remained silent for several seconds. Then he said "We keep going." Lin Yichen stared at him. "That's your solution?" Suo Ran's eyes narrowed faintly toward the road ahead. "If they're watching us now" he said quietly, "then we're probably closer to the truth than we thought."
Cai Lang still sat alone near the waiting area, one hand resting against his knee while exhaustion pulled visibly at the sharp lines of his expression now. He hadn't moved much since Doctor Gu disappeared into the lab with the poison sample. Then footsteps approached from down the hallway. Cai Lang lifted his gaze immediately. Doctor Gu walked toward him holding a thin file folder beneath one arm, his white coat slightly wrinkled now from hours of work while exhaustion lingered visibly behind his lowered glasses.
He stood up without waiting. " What is result?" Doctor Gu slowed to a stop in front of him but didn't answer immediately. His silence alone made the atmosphere heavier. Cai Lang's jaw tightened faintly. " Wen yao." Doctor Gu exhaled slowly through his nose before speaking. "The results aren't complete yet." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed slightly. "But?" Doctor Gu glanced briefly toward the folder in his hand before looking back up at him. "It's similar."
Cai Lang's expression sharpened. "How similar?" Doctor Gu hesitated briefly, clearly choosing his words carefully now. "Very similar." His tone lowered slightly. "The toxic structure matches several compounds we found in Lu Zhen's system."Doctor Gu continued quietly, "Same rare chemical traces. Same neurological reaction pattern." Cai Lang's fingers curled slightly at his side. "But?" he asked again, more quietly this time.Doctor Gu looked frustrated now. "Something's different."
Cai Lang stared at him silently. Doctor Gu opened the file slightly before pointing toward several lab notes and chemical breakdowns. "The formula isn't complete." Cai Lang frowned faintly. "Meaning?" Doctor Gu adjusted his glasses tiredly before answering. "Meaning the poison sample you gave me contains most of the same compounds" He paused briefly. "But not all of them." Cai Lang's expression slowly darkened. Doctor Gu continued, "It's weaker." "Incomplete." "Like someone either failed to recreate the original formula…" His gaze lifted back toward Cai Lang carefully now. "or intentionally altered it."
Cai Lang didn't move for several long seconds. His thoughts immediately spiraled in opposite directions again.Doctor Gu lowered the file slowly. "Listen to me carefully." His voice became more serious now. "This doesn't prove Suo Ran killed Lu Zhen." Cai Lang's jaw tightened faintly. "But it connects him." "Maybe." Doctor Gu held his gaze steadily. "Or maybe someone wanted it found there."
That possibility struck harder than Cai Lang expected. His eyes shifted slightly. Doctor Gu noticed immediately. "You thought about that too." Cai Lang remained silent because honestly he had.Doctor Gu leaned slightly against the wall now, visibly exhausted himself. "This poison isn't something ordinary people can get access to." "Then where did it come from?" Cai Lang asked quietly. Doctor Gu shook his head once. "That's the problem." His expression darkened faintly. "Very few people even know this compound exists." Cai Lang's eyes narrowed immediately. "How few?" Doctor Gu hesitated. "Enough that if someone's reproducing it, they either had access to the original source," He paused briefly. "or someone connected to the original case."
Doctor Gu finally lowered the file completely before speaking quieter this time. "What are you really involved in?" Cai Lang gave a faint humorless breath beneath his nose. "I'm still trying to figure that out myself." Doctor Gu studied him silently for a long moment. Then his eyes hardened slightly behind his glasses. "Be careful with Suo Ran." Cai Lang's gaze lifted immediately. Doctor Gu continued carefully, "I'm not saying he's guilty." "But whatever this is…" His expression grew more serious by the second. "he's connected to it somehow." Cai Lang didn't respond because deep down he already knew that part was true.