After midnight

The wind blew through the dilapidated courtyard, and a lone cloud floated in the sky. Zhao Yunshuang supported his weak body and questioned sadly and resolutely.

"Tea leaves... As expected, you have been using me from the beginning..."

"sorry."

"Why did you want me to know? Since you have already done everything, then disappear completely from today! If you don't tell me, I will never be able to contact you! You actually let me, I actually let Song Xin, poison her father with my own hands!"

After speaking one word after another, Zhao Yunshuang seemed to have lost all his strength.

"Yes, I am despicable. But this is the only way I can achieve my goal! What can I do? Will I fight with Song Hongtian and die like my parents? Or will I mobilize the power of the Lin family to fight against the Song family, causing rivers of blood and more people to be destroyed?"

"Can Song Hongtian kill people for his own benefit? Why does he dare to do this? Doesn't he have power? Do my parents deserve to die? Do you and your brother deserve to be used like fools for more than ten years?"

"Yes, I am guilty of many sins. I will pay for what I have done one day, and so will he!"

Lin Nuan shouted these words at the top of her lungs, her face flushed red. Her eyes were filled with determination and anger to go through fire and water!

Lin Nuan's words were so powerful that Zhao Yunshuang had no way to refute them. She asked herself, didn't she want to kill Song Hongtian? But what about Song Xin? Zhao Yunshuang closed her eyes in despair, and the silence spread silently, suffocating her.

"I'm telling you, Yunshuang, it's because we still have room for choice." Lin Nuan felt distressed when she saw Zhao Yunshuang's expression. She took off all her strength and said gently, "Before I met you, I never thought I would like you so much. You are like pure white paper and sweet candy. If I had known you earlier, maybe we would have been friends for a longer time."

"What's the meaning?"

"The proportion of the medicine has been adjusted. It will only lead to chronic poisoning and brain insanity. Although there is no cure, you won't die if you don't take it for a long time. Especially since it is colorless and odorless, it can't be easily identified. So now you just need to tell Miss Song that the tea leaves are wrong and you need to change them. There will be no problem at all."

"I……"

"Believe me, Yun Shuang. I really want to have you as a friend. I have never had a female friend with the same interests as me since I was a child, but I know that this is the last time we meet."

"Yun Shuang, make your own choice."

After Lin Nuan finished speaking, she walked out of the gate of the Lin Mansion without any reluctance, leaving Zhao Yunshuang alone.

Zhao Yunqi paced back and forth in the living room anxiously, he didn't know whether to go out to look for Yun Shuang or continue to wait at home. His sister went out early in the morning and didn't come back until three or four in the afternoon. She had never come back so late without saying hello.

Just as he opened the door and went out, Zhao Yunshuang came back swaying in a daze.

"Yun Shuang? What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell again?" Zhao Yunqi suddenly became nervous.

Zhao Yunshuang forced a smile and shook his head.

"Are you hungry? I'll go heat up some food for you."

"Brother..." Zhao Yunshuang hesitated, "I want to go to sleep for a while."

"Okay, go back to the house and rest."

Seeing Yun Shuang's listless appearance, Zhao Yunqi became even more worried. Was this related to the friend she had been talking about recently? How could he help with the girls' affairs?

"Yun Shuang?" In the evening, Zhao Yunqi went to knock on the door, but no sound came from inside.

"Yun Shuang? Come out for dinner. You didn't eat anything for lunch." Zhao Yunqi said again.

This time Zhao Yunqi didn't worry anymore. After hearing a rustling sound from inside the door, Zhao Yunqi got up and went to the kitchen. After he placed the last pair of chopsticks on the dining table, Zhao Yunshuang opened the door and walked out slowly step by step.

"Did you have a good afternoon nap?"

"It's okay. I slept for a while." Zhao Yunshuangqiang perked up and sat up.

The sounds of chewing food and the clinking of bowls and chopsticks took advantage of the opportunity to occupy the space, and the table became quiet again. Zhao Yunqi ate while observing secretly, and he found that Yun Shuang always glanced at him secretly when she thought he didn't notice her. Her hesitant look was exactly the same as in the afternoon.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Yunqi finally couldn't help but say.

Zhao Yunshuang still shook his head slowly. This action made Zhao Yunqi a little frustrated. He immediately lost his appetite and ate in silence.

"Brother...when can we leave here?" Zhao Yunqi was stunned and put down his chopsticks.

Zhao Yunshuang saw her brother's movements and changed expression, and gently pulled the muscles at the corners of her mouth and said, "What am I talking about? Brother, I'm full, I'm going back to the house first."

The sound of running water could be heard in the sink. Zhao Yunqi was washing the dishes, and what lingered in his mind was the wry smile Zhao Yunshuang gave before he returned to the house.

The next day, Zhao Yunshuang was still listless. She sat there motionless for a long time, her facial expression was calm and even a little solemn. She was in a daze and didn't even notice that Zhao Yunqi was staring at her.

"Yun Shuang, what are you thinking about? It's time to take your medicine."

Zhao Yunshuang drank the medicine, and she thought too much.

She couldn't help herself. The friendship with Lin Nuan was undoubtedly a rare time in her life. Those days were full of color and so beautiful. Even though she knew that there was an elaborate trap behind it, she still missed it.

It was so strange. She didn't blame Lin Nuan for using her. She even complained that Lin Nuan could just walk away without even leaving any chance for them to meet again. Would it really be better if they had known each other earlier? If Lin Nuan had known her earlier, would she still hurt her like this?

What about herself? Would she hurt others? No, it was not someone else, it was Xin'er, a friend who had been with her for many years, a person who was always so kind and harmless.

It was Song Hongtian. She didn't want to hurt anyone. It was Song Hongtian who caused all this. He pushed their lives into the abyss. They couldn't blame anyone else for all this. They could only blame Song Hongtian for being mean and unscrupulous. Why did Song Xin have to be Song Hongtian's daughter?

Zhao Yunshuang was in great pain. She was in pain from her regret and entanglement, and from her meanness. Lin Nuan had clearly told her the solution, but she was reluctant to take action. She couldn't tell anyone about her pain. She didn't want her good friend's filial piety to become a tool for revenge, but she was unwilling to accept her own situation.

Time passed minute by minute, and she remained silent in endless pain.

Half a month passed in a flash. When Lu Li returned home and saw a pair of shoes at the door of the living room, he was stunned for a while before quickly opening Lin Nuan's door. He saw Lin Nuan curled up in the quilt and fell asleep.

It was six or seven in the afternoon, far from the time to sleep, and Lu Li excitedly opened her bedroom door, but Lin Nuan was completely unaware. She was still sleeping, and Lu Li leaned over to kiss her forehead, then left quietly.

Lin Nuan slept until eight or nine o'clock before slowly waking up. She sat up, stretched, and then turned over and got out of bed. She blinked her sleepy eyes and asked dazedly, "How long have I slept?"

"When did you come back?"

"I got home around two o'clock at noon."

"You've slept for quite a while, are you hungry?"

"I'm hungry." Lin Nuan patted her stomach. She really hadn't eaten all day.

"Then go wash your face and come over to eat."

"Okay." Lin Nuan walked towards the bathroom. Lu Li looked at her still vague figure and couldn't stop grinning.

In the villa of Impression East City Bank, Su Ziling had just coaxed Ajiu and Xiao Su to sleep when the doorbell rang. It was so late, who was it? He ruffled his hair and ran to open the door.

"Lin Nuan?"

"Su Zi Ling?"

After opening the door, neither party expected it to be the other.

"...Come in first." Su Ziling invited her to the living room and asked her, "Why are you here? Are you here to see An Yan?"

"No, I didn't know he lived here. Yin asked me to come."

"My brother?" Su Ziling was even more confused.

“Yes, in fact, I just came back from Jiudu today.” Lin Nuan said.

"Then you sit down first. My brother might be here soon." Su Ziling turned around to pour water and saw An Yan coming out of the study. He was also surprised to see Lin Nuan.

Su Ziling sighed and walked into the kitchen. It seemed that they really had no contact recently. They were obviously people who liked each other and were very compatible. Su Ziling went out with water and bumped into An Yan walking down the stairs.

"Bring the water to my study." An Yan instructed.

Su Ziling nodded and went upstairs. He looked down and saw that the two men had exchanged a few simple greetings and were walking towards this side.

In the study, Lin Nuan picked up the water and took a sip politely. Not long after, Yin pushed the door open and came in. He gathered everyone together without explaining the reason first, and asked Lin Nuan directly: "Did you finally tell her?"

"Yes, I think Yun Shuang has the right to know the truth."

"You're just trying to ease your guilt towards her."

"Yes, I admit that this is one of the reasons."

"You are too kind! When you make a decision, you must bear all the consequences, including guilt, which will never let you feel at peace in your life."

“Of course I know, but Yun Shuang is not a child anymore and can’t keep living in an illusion. Do you want to wait until Zhao Yunqi dies one day and the truth comes out and everything becomes meaningless before letting her regret it?” Lin Nuan opened her mouth and refused to give in.

It is no exaggeration to say that the two of them were completely at loggerheads at the moment. Su Ziling watched the two of them keep silent wisely, but An Yan's brows were getting tighter and tighter.

"What happened to the teacher and his sister?"

"I'm just stupid enough to be taken advantage of by Song Hongtian for more than ten years!"

Yin closed his mouth after he finished speaking. He didn't want to explain so much because it was too troublesome. Instead, Lin Nuan looked at Anyan and then at Yin before carefully saying, "Song Hongtian has a hobby, which is drinking tea. He only drinks the tea that Song Xin picked for him. He likes drinking tea but doesn't like to drink only the same variety, so I approached Zhao Yunshuang and took advantage of this habit of his."

At this point, even Su Ziling fully understood their plan.

"And then what?" An Yan asked again.

"...Song Hongtian is the culprit of Zhao Yunshuang's illness, and he used Yunshuang's illness to control Zhao Yunqi...I told Yunshuang the truth and the plan this time, and also told her a way to save her, and told her to let her make her own choice." Facing An Yan's unexpected guilt, Lin Nuan's voice became smaller and smaller.

"When you wrote to me and told me that you were planning to do this, I replied that you disagreed," Yin said.

"Yin... I think Lin Nuan did nothing wrong."

"Okay, then tell me what we should do if this fails? There will be no more chances to do it without blood and sweat." Yin's question immediately plunged the study into silence.

"Let it be. I've said before that it's not the right time to kill Song Hongtian."

"Then tell me when the time is right and whether it has anything to do with the secret you are hiding!"

As soon as Yin said this, An Yan's eyes darkened instantly. His eyes seemed to be filled with the turbulent sea. He straightened his back and looked straight at Yin, seemingly not noticing the sudden gazes of the other two.

"I understand. I have some things to deal with, so I'll leave first. Just do as you say." After saying this, Yin got up and left without even looking at Su Ziling.

Yin closed the door and walked down the hall. He pinched his nose and felt extremely tired. He shouldn't have said that to An Yan. In fact, things were not hopeless. He could still gamble on whether Zhao Yunshuang's cowardly character would whitewash the situation or be brave enough.

But he couldn't control himself. Why didn't An Yan want Song Hongtian to die early?

A pot of boiling water poured down, and the ancient tree Pu'er swirled up and sank again. Song Hongtian poured the carefully brewed tea into a delicate jade teacup, picked it up and took a sip slowly.

The tea slid down his throat comfortably. As expected, the tea Xin'er found was the best. Song Hongtian tasted it comfortably before starting to work. He had just lowered his head when a figure appeared quietly in the study.

"Master, we recently discovered that we could not find our specially formulated medicine in the medicine residues used in Zhao Yunqi's home."

"Oh?" Song Hongtian raised his head, his face stern. "Codename 03, check who Zhao Yunqi has been in contact with recently, and confirm the ingredients in the medicine again. I want to see a detailed report."

"Yes."

After Code 03 left, Song Hongtian could no longer calm down. Zhao Yunqi had better not think about resisting him. Smelling the fragrance of tea, he reached out and poured another cup.