After midnight

The longer the time went by, the more uneasy Zhao Yunshuang became. She clenched her fingers, her face clouded with gloom. She tightened her lips, not knowing how to open her mouth.

She seemed to be still struggling, holding on to a fluke mentality, after all, nothing had happened yet. But what she didn't know was that her silence was already a choice.

At the same time, Zhao Yunqi's face was getting worse and worse. Living under the same roof, how could he not notice his sister's abnormality? These days, he only saw one expression on his sister's face, that is, solemnity, entanglement and pain.

What happened? He felt that this was not a trivial matter, and it was not something that could be solved by asking Song Xin to come and chat with her. He had asked her indirectly, but she never answered and just shook her head. He even changed to a more obscure way of saying it, asking her if she wanted Song Xin to come and accompany her, but he didn't expect that he would get a more intense rejection.

Zhao Yunqi frowned. Did Song Xin offend her? However, they had never quarreled since they were young. This was not a solution. Finally, he had to call Shangguan Can, hoping that this funny guy could be of some use.

Shangguan Can lived up to his expectations and arrived just in time for lunch.

"Yun Shuang, you don't know that I've been living in the open air these days, and I can't eat enough. You have to cook me a good meal at noon today. We can have anything at home, chicken, duck, fish or meat. I don't mind."

Zhao Yunshuang had no temper with Shangguan Can, she gently curled her lips. "I have everything. I'll make it for Brother Shangguan right away."

"Where have you been? You're still sleeping in the open." Zhao Yunqi teased him after Yun Shuang entered the kitchen.

"That's not an exaggeration, but I did run a short distance to the North City."

Beiguan, Beizhong and Beicheng are three adjacent towns, with Beicheng being the northernmost.

"What are you doing there?"

"Of course there is a mission. Everyone in the Security Bureau has a mission. I'll go and find out. Other cities can't be lost like Beiguan. But in Beiguan, the people live a normal life. I don't think changing the government will affect them."

"Whether it's the Jiumen or the Revolutionary Army, the common people still have to live. But don't say this outside."

"I understand. By the way, Beiguan has already started building a Xuanchuang Station. Once completed, it will go directly to Xindu."

"Really? The progress of Xindu is so fast?"

Zhao Yunshuang performed the movements in her hands skillfully, while listening to the conversations in the living room. It was indeed better to have a lively home, so that she could at least be distracted a little.

After the meal was served, Shangguan Can became even more excited. He chatted about everything under the sun, occasionally asking Yunshuang a question. She answered each question she asked. The unique relaxed atmosphere at the dinner table almost made Zhao Yunshuang forget something, until a letter suddenly appeared on the table.

This letter was obviously addressed to Zhao Yunqi. Zhao Yunqi's face suddenly changed after he opened it, and he stood up immediately. "Something may have happened at the Song Mansion. I'll go check it out. Shangguan Can, you stay here first."

Zhao Yunqi did not see Zhao Yunshuang's strange and frightened expression, nor did Shangguan Can. He watched Zhao Yunqi go away. He did not come back until dark.

"Brother, what happened in the Song Mansion?" Zhao Yunshuang asked anxiously without waiting for anyone to speak.

"Oh, nothing. Second uncle is feeling unwell. Shangguan Can, it's too late. You should go back first."

Shangguan Can nodded, and Zhao Yunqi saw him out. They walked towards the door one after the other. Zhao Yunshuang could only stand there with a pale face. Five minutes passed, and Zhao Yunqi still hadn't come back. Zhao Yunshuang bit his lip again, then hardened his heart and went back to the house, his steps unsteady.

"Just send it here, Yunqi, what do you want to tell me?"

"No, I just feel something is wrong. I didn't see Song Hongtian this time, and I don't know what happened. I may call you at any time in the future."

"Okay, no problem. I'm always available. I'll be leaving now."

"Okay, I'll call you for dinner next time."

When Zhao Yunqi returned home and didn't see Yun Shuang, he went straight back to his bedroom without thinking much. He had more important things to do later. At two o'clock in the morning, he packed his luggage and slipped into the Song Mansion through the side door, where Song Xin opened the door for him.

There was no obstruction from the side door all the way to the garden outside Song Hongtian's bedroom. The surroundings were quiet except for their hurried steps. But just as they turned the corner and couldn't help but speed up their pace, a hand blocked their way.

"My dear sister, where are you going so late?"

"Of course I want to visit my father." Song Xin bit her lower lip and looked at her brother who suddenly became a stranger to her. This place was only a few feet away from her father's room.

"It's not good to disturb my father's rest in the middle of the night. Why don't you come back tomorrow?"

"Will you let me see you if I come tomorrow?"

"We can see you when father gets better."

"My father is ill, and it is my duty as a daughter to take care of him."

"Then as an elder brother, you shouldn't let your sister work too hard, especially in the middle of the night. I'm bothering you to come and look after her. What about you? Zhao Yunqi, are you also here to look after my second uncle in the middle of the night?" Song Yu changed the subject, smiling with a dagger hidden in his heart.

"Forget it, I'll come again tomorrow. Brother Yunqi, let's go back first." Seeing Song Yu starting to make things difficult for Zhao Yunqi, Song Xin couldn't help but say.

Song Xin turned back after she finished speaking. Although she was a little angry at this time, she didn't think too much. But Zhao Yunqi was different. He glanced at Song Yu, whose face was not very clear in the night, and his face was solemn. He suppressed his irritability and turned around to leave with Song Xin. He felt that something seemed to be slowly getting out of control.

As soon as Song Xin returned, she regretted it. She should have gone in regardless of the consequences. Yunqi would have helped her stop him anyway. She faced the empty bedroom alone and recalled what happened during the day.

In the morning, she was tending to the flowers and plants in the small garden as usual, and then she saw Dr. Chen, who was often with her family, hurried to her father's study.

Is my father sick? Song Xin hurried over. As she got closer, she saw Dr. Wang walk into her father's study, and then she heard her father scream. She was startled and ran over in a hurry, but her brother Song Yu, like tonight, stopped her outside the house.

"Go back." Song Yu pulled her over without saying anything.

"What happened to father?"

"I said go back!"

"Be good, I'll call you when father gets better."

Song Xin stared at him with innocent eyes, stunned. She watched her brother walk back quickly after speaking, and she hesitated for a while before retreating. But she didn't expect that when she went over again, she was stopped outside the door by Zhang Dong again. She begged him for a long time, but he just wouldn't let her go.

At this time, the doctor had already left, and Song Xin suddenly felt uneasy. She wrote a letter to Zhao Yunqi, but the result was the same. She and Zhao Yunqi waited for an entire afternoon but never stepped into the door. She didn't understand, she was just worried about her father, why didn't he let her in? Her brother's behavior was so strange and tough, so she had no choice but to make an appointment with Zhao Yunqi to come back at midnight.

But obviously, she messed it up again. Her familiarity with his brother made her feel inexplicably terrified.

At dawn the next day, she hurriedly put on makeup to cover her haggard face and left as promised. She stood outside her father's door, clenching her fingers, feeling uneasy.

Maybe his father's condition improved after a night, or maybe seeing her running so many times, Song Yu softened his heart, and he actually opened the door to let her in. As soon as Song Xin entered, she saw Song Hongtian lying on the bed with even breathing. But his face was yellow and he looked exhausted, as if he had aged a lot overnight.

"What happened to father?" Song Xin couldn't believe that her father had lost his wise and heroic demeanor just because he was sick?

"He had a high fever and was talking nonsense."

"Father...Father?" Song Yu said as he gently shook Song Hongtian.

Song Hongtian slowly woke up, his eyes were cloudy, but they brightened a little when he saw Song Xin.

"Father, are you okay?" Song Xin asked softly. Humans are always helpless when it comes to illness, and can only say a few caring words.

"…It's okay, the fever will go away once it's gone."

Song Xin nodded in response. Her father's words were very weak. "Then you should have a good rest. I will come to see you later."

Seeing Song Hongtian nodded and closed his eyes, Song Yu said, "You didn't get enough rest last night, did you? You look pale, go and have some rest, I'm here with your father."

A night ago, Song Yu had regained his gentleness and thoughtfulness, as if everything that happened yesterday was an illusion. "Brother, you are the one. You have been guarding father all the time, you must be exhausted."

"I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll take care of it myself. Doctor Wang will be here soon. You can go back first."

Song Xin didn't dare to say anything else and nodded obediently. That's right, I called Brother Yunqi over yesterday because I was anxious, so Brother was angry. Before Song Xin left, she looked at Song Hongtian lying there and left with peace of mind.

After Zhao Yunqi returned late at night, he went to the doctor's house again before dawn. He was also very familiar with Doctor Wang, who had always prescribed medicine for Yun Shuang. When he realized that there was something wrong with Yun Shuang's medicine, he didn't want to alert the enemy, but this time, he had a reason to go.

He went to Dr. Wang's home, but learned that Dr. Wang had left home early in the morning and had not returned. He paused and hurried to the pharmacy. At this time, Dr. Wang could only stay there.

The sky was gray and misty. On the street at night, only a small beam of light sneaked out from the red door of Ren Tang Pharmacy. Zhao Yunqi reached out and silently opened the door a little. Inside the room, the neatly arranged cabinets were now open in a mess. Dozens of medicinal materials were compactly piled on the counter, and there were even thick piles of open books on the ground.

Doctor Wang was standing behind the counter, staring at a book and frowning. He looked like he had endured until now. Seeing this scene, Zhao Yunqi's heart sank a little more.

"How is Song Hongtian's condition?"

"It's hard to say, this..." Doctor Wang raised his head, "...high fever, we need to see the situation again."

Zhao Yunqi glanced sideways, motioning him to look at the pile of medicinal herbs spread out nearby. "Do you think I will believe it?"

"…Old people tend to have recurrent fevers, and if they are not careful, they may develop a serious illness. Look, Master Song, I can't afford to neglect you."

"Yes, you are right."

Doctor Wang nodded affirmatively and flipped through the medical book in a hurry.

"You can neglect Yun Shuang, right? Doctor Wang, you are a highly skilled doctor with both integrity and talent. I have always trusted you. But Yun Shuang's illness has lasted for more than ten years, why hasn't it been cured?"

"No, no, Miss Yun Shuang, this is because your vitality has been damaged too severely and you have developed a chronic illness."

Zhao Yunqi slammed the table fiercely, shaking the broken herbs three times. Doctor Wang immediately shrank his neck when he saw him, his face full of horror.

Forget it. Zhao Yunqi took a deep breath and knew that he couldn't ask anything. He turned around and left. He had seen the most important fact with his own eyes. He turned around and walked home. Even if he was in a hurry, he couldn't go to the Song Mansion at this time.

It was almost dawn. Before leaving last night, Song Xin promised him that she would inform him in time if anything happened, so the best thing for him now was to wait. This whole thing was so strange. How could it happen so suddenly? Why was Song Yu so abnormal?

Zhao Yunqi shuddered. He had to actively seek the truth. If anything happened, he would be caught off guard, and there would be an abyss behind him. No matter what, what happened to him and Yun Shuang was the most important thing.

When he got home, it was already bright, with the faint sunlight scattered thinly in the sky. After Song Xin wrote a letter to Zhao Yunqi, she closed the curtains and went to bed in her clothes. She fell asleep quickly.

Zhao Yunqi did not feel relieved after receiving the letter, because Song Xin mentioned two words in the letter: fever. This could only be what Song Yu told her, and these two words were exactly the same as the cause of the disease that Doctor Wang told him.

Just imagine, if a person is seriously ill, enough to make an experienced Chinese doctor panic and look up the medical books, then it is very likely that the cause of the illness is not even clear for the time being. Now two people unanimously call it a fever, how is this possible?

Why did Song Yu instruct Dr. Wang to lie? Why did he have to hide something? Why did he even have to hide something from his own sister?

Zhao Yunqi frowned, not noticing that Zhao Yunshuang was staring at the letter in his hand. "Brother, Song Hongtian...what happened to him?"

"Oh, it's okay. Second uncle is just sick and has a fever. Don't worry about it. I'll clean up and make breakfast. What do you want to eat?"

Zhao Yunshuang turned around and went back to the house without answering. Zhao Yunqi did not force him. He was now fully focused on the mystery of Song Hongtian's illness and no longer noticed any other abnormal situations.