After midnight

It was late at night, and Su Ziling was wandering under the ginkgo tree at the door of his house with his arms folded. He had been wandering for a while, and the cold wind blew past him, making his nose run. It was almost time, and Su Ziling sniffed and decided to go back. He walked faster and faster, and finally almost ran into the house.

"I'm freezing to death." Su Ziling shouted as he changed into his cotton shoes and went into the living room.

"Brother Ling, why did you come back so late today?" Xiao Su said as soon as he saw him.

"Sorry, have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet. I'm waiting for you."

"You guys eat first, why are you waiting for me." Su Ziling was stunned. He had waited for them to finish their meal before coming back. But when he heard Xiao Su say that, he felt relieved.

"I'll definitely have to wait for you. It's just me and Dad."

"Xiao Su?" An Yan called her, "Come to the kitchen to help heat up the rice."

"Where's Qiqi? Why doesn't she come to eat? I'll go call her." Five minutes later, all the food was on the table. Su Ziling was a little confused and tried cautiously.

"Sister Qiqi is gone. Dad told me."

Su Ziling looked at An Yan in shock. He didn't expect Qi Qi to actually leave. He just made a slight guess about what Xiao Su said just now, and he felt it was totally unreliable. What on earth was going on? There was still so much time left before the three-month deadline, and besides, hadn't An Yan already promised her?

"Eat." An Yan said.

"Let's eat first." An Yan said immediately.

An Yan spoke, and Su Ziling and Xiao Su lowered their heads to eat almost at the same time. Noticing this, An Yan couldn't help laughing, but he quickly straightened his sitting posture and returned to his usual stern expression.

After dinner, Xiao Su was driven to his room upstairs, while Su Ziling took the initiative to go into the kitchen to help An Yan wash the dishes. There weren't many dishes in total, so Su Ziling took care of them all. While washing, he took the opportunity to bring up a topic, "Did Qiqi really leave? Why did she leave so suddenly?"

"Qiqi should just leave temporarily, I guess." An Yan said and quickly added two words.

Su Ziling piled up the foamy bowls one by one and turned on the water pipe. The ice water rushed down, and he quickly turned around and adjusted the water temperature. What does it mean to leave temporarily? What did they talk about during the day? An Yan didn't explain clearly, so Su Ziling was inevitably a little upset, so he rushed the water angrily, splashing water everywhere.

"I don't even know why she left, so how can I know that she should only leave temporarily."

"You know I will agree to her. Why don't you want to go with me to see Qiqi in the morning?" An Yan suddenly changed the subject, and his tone became much lower.

The most annoying thing about An Yan is that he is always the one who takes the initiative. Su Ziling wanted to quietly put an end to this matter. But now, Su Ziling wiped his hands with a dry rag and decided to make it clear. "It's very simple. I don't want you to agree to her, but I know you will agree to her. I can't influence your decision."

"An Yan, as your friend, brother, and your 'guardian', I don't want you to be entangled in these things for the rest of your life. It's OK for anyone else, but not for Wu Si. Because there are too many people eyeing them covetously, even including the revolutionary army we rely on. An Yan, if you want to protect him, you have to think about what kind of situation you are putting yourself and us in."

An Yan was silent. He understood that Su Ziling was thinking about him. How could he not think of this? However, in this world, some things cannot be rationalized. Moreover, Wu Si is a person worth living.

"What about Qiqi?" An Yan asked. "Do you want Qiqi to live?"

This is nonsense, of course I hope so, they have lived together for such a long time. But Su Ziling couldn't say it, because Qiqi is essentially the same as Wusi. They clearly have the same identity, there is no reason why Qiqi can do it but Wusi can't.

Su Ziling knew what An Yan wanted to say, but he couldn't open his mouth. He really couldn't say it.

"Although I promised Qiqi, I am not responsible for Wusi's life. I promised her, but only in Xindu."

But in Xindu, Su Ziling knew that this was the best outcome, so he nodded and wanted to go back to his room in silence, but An Yan stopped him. "There is one more thing I need to tell you, Ziling."

What? Su Ziling looked up and signaled him with his eyes.

"Qiqi doesn't have much time left to live."

Su Ziling's pupils suddenly dilated. What on earth was going on?

"Qiqi knew about her physical condition early on, and she planned everything just to give Wusi a chance to survive. Now that Shiyi is dead, Song Yu expected Qiqi to betray him together with Wusi. If you were Song Yu, what would you do next?"

"How should I know?" Su Ziling refused to guess this scenario.

"Think about it carefully. Song Yu is a man who can even kill his own father. As long as he thinks someone has wronged him, he will do whatever it takes to get back at that person a thousand times over."

"Are you saying that Song Yu will turn around and hurt Wu Si and Qi Qi?"

"It's not about hurting, it's about killing. That day will definitely come."

"Then Qiqi is in great danger, An Yan, how could you let Qiqi leave like this?" Su Ziling was anxious. He couldn't understand what An Yan was thinking.

"Calm down and listen to me." An Yan looked directly into Su Ziling's eyes and spoke word by word.

"Go ahead." Su Ziling took two deep breaths to calm himself.

"Qiqi is not in any danger at the moment. Don't forget, she and Wusi are not ordinary people. Song Yu knows that if they fight, he will not be their opponent, so before entering Xindu, Song Yu will definitely gather the chess pieces he discarded before. Therefore, we still have some time to deal with it."

"Also, Qiqi also understands that everything was doomed from the day she chose to make a deal with me. But she has already won the best outcome for her and Wusi, and that is my promise. Ziling, I promised Qiqi that I would protect Wusi, but this is all I can give Wusi. The rest depends on Qiqi herself. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Qiqi went to find Wusi."

"Zi Ling, you are really smart." An Yan praised.

"An Yan, when did you figure this out? You must have been puzzled by Qi Qi's three-month appointment." Su Ziling smiled bitterly in his heart. He felt that he was not smart at all.

"I've been wondering about this for a long time. But to be honest, times are changing so fast that I only figured it out recently."

"No wonder you must know Qiqi's true purpose. Now that this is the case, tell me what you need me to do."

Su Ziling asked sincerely, but An Yan was stunned. He actually never needed Su Ziling to do anything for him. In his eyes, Su Ziling only needed to do what he wanted. But considering Su Ziling's mood, An Yan had to coax him, "Eat well, sleep well, practice hard, and be prepared."

"I see." Su Ziling nodded. Sure enough, he still had to make sure he didn't fall behind. But suddenly he remembered something and continued, "What about my brother? You will go talk to my brother, right? This is not a trivial matter."

"Yes, of course." An Yan said after a moment of hesitation.

"Then I feel much more at ease. I won't talk to you anymore. I'll go up first."

"Well, let's go upstairs." With that, the two of them went upstairs together, and An Yan turned off the lights in the kitchen and the living room.

The next day, An Yan slipped out of the secret passage. He hadn't walked through here for a long time. Last night, before he went to sleep, he wrote a letter to Yin, saying that he would come to see him today. Now, if he was right, Yin was already waiting for him impatiently.

An Yan fumbled and pressed the button on the wall. He guessed correctly that Yin had indeed been waiting for him at home since early morning. Because An Yan saw Yin as soon as he came in. Yin was sitting on the sofa in the living room, facing the entrance. However, in order to hide, Yin covered his upper body and face with a newspaper.

Yin heard the noise and shook the newspaper.

"Yin, long time no see."

"An Yan, long time no see."

Yin stood up and threw the newspaper casually on the coffee table. "Let's go to the study."

An Yan nodded and followed Yin up the stairs. At this time, Wu Ying was coming down from upstairs. "An Yan, you're here. Come up quickly. Are you cold? If you want something to drink, I'll make it for you."

"Are you trying to promote your barley bitter gourd tea again?" Yin felt a headache when he saw Wuying's happy expression.

"Wait, this is the best Longjing tea!" Wuying glared at Yin without any courtesy.

It looked like Wuying was going to harm his baby. Yin smiled helplessly at Wuying's back as she walked down the stairs.

"She has been clamoring to lose weight recently and has become addicted to some kind of barley bitter gourd tea." Yin turned around and explained.

"Yeah." An Yan smiled and followed Yin into the study.

"Tell me, what do you need me to do?" After entering the study, Yin straightened his face.

"Qiqi left my house yesterday. She went to see Wusi. I would like you to help watch her but don't disturb her."

"Okay, this is what we do best." Yin agreed, and then he changed the subject, "But you have to tell me why you want to do this, what are the causes and consequences? Don't you want me to not get close to them?"

"I'm worried that Qiqi and Wusi will meet with an accident. Song Yu is going to deal with them."

"You mean Song Yu?"

An Yan nodded and was about to say something when Wuying knocked on the door and came in with a cup of tea. Wuying was holding a beautiful porcelain cup, not the glass cup she had when she first came. An Yan saw it and thanked her. "Thank you, Sister Wuying."

"An Yan, you are always so polite. Okay, I'm going out now."

"What's going on?" Yin asked anxiously after Wuying went out.

Seeing Yin's strong curiosity, An Yan had to explain the whole story again. It's true that Yin and Su Ziling were exactly the same in terms of curiosity.

"So that woman actually had such a purpose and idea. She is really courageous. Anyan, you should have told me earlier." Yin was amazed.

"But, they went through so much trouble to cultivate Qiqi and Wusi. Does Song Yu really want to do this? You know, there are so many ways to punish betrayal." Yin was excited but also confused.

"Song Yu will, Yin, I completely understand your thinking. Because you are a businessman, as long as there are still some things that can be used, you will make concessions. But Song Yu is not like that. Song Yu is similar to his father but the opposite. His current thoughts and actions are no longer based on reason."

"An Yan, I've always wanted to ask, you seem to know Song Yu very well." Yin took a sip of tea and handed An Yan's cup of tea to him.

"Maybe it was influenced by my teacher." An Yan took it and held it in his hands to warm it.

"Zhao Yunqi?" Yin's expression changed a lot for a moment, but unfortunately An Yan lowered his head and didn't see it.

"Yes, I learned about Song Yu's past from the teacher. Song Yu probably thinks he is the most miserable person in the world." An Yan swallowed a mouthful of water. The water was just the right temperature.

"Well, as you said, Song Yu will soon bring Lingyi and his group to Xindu again. I will definitely accompany you to the end for such an interesting event."

"Thank you, Yin." Anyan looked up at him.

"An Yan, do you still have to be so polite today? However, you must ensure Zi Ling's safety. No, I will train him diligently in the next few days."

"Don't worry, protecting his safety is a must." An Yan has always known that Yin has been helping him because of Su Ziling. In fact, Yin didn't need to mention it, this is also his first priority.

"During this period of time, in addition to Qiqi and Wusi, I will also keep an eye on any movement in Xindu. By the way, please tell Xu Xing about this for me. I want to send someone over, so it's best to let Wusi know."

"Let's talk about it later. I have to ask Qiqi first."

"also."

"Then I'll go back first, Yin."

"Ah."

After An Yan left, Yin did not wait too long before Wuying entered the study again. This time, she opened the door directly with empty hands, obviously having been waiting for a long time. Wuying walked around the desk and came to Yin, waiting for him to speak first.

Yin knew Wuying very well, so he briefly described the key points. "Song Yu will come to Xindu again soon. Some things are complicated. An Yan does not want to rely on the power of the Revolutionary Army this time, so we may have a head-on conflict with them."

"Well, it is indeed complicated, but I know you have wanted to fight them for a long time. So, I still say the same thing, you are not allowed to die."

"Don't worry, there's no way I'll die."

"So arrogant." Wuying couldn't help laughing, but not long after, she became worried again.

"Is An Yan okay? I saw that he didn't look well when he went out just now. He looks so good when he smiles."

"He should just be thinking about something." Yin comforted Wuying, but at the same time, Yin knew in his heart that An Yan had caused him trouble this time. If Fang Hao was easy to talk to, it would be better. But speaking of trouble, An Yan himself was a big trouble, and there were far more secrets about him than these.

"Yin? What are you thinking about?"

"Wuying, as the situation develops step by step, all the secrets that An Yan carries will surely be exposed."

"What do you mean?"

"It's okay." Yin smiled, "Please help collect the teacups."

"Collect it yourself!" Wuying roared, and Yin had no choice but to obey.

He held the teacup in both hands. The tea to entertain the guests was already prepared, waiting for them to taste it themselves.