After midnight

Song Hongtian opened his eyes, and a feeling of fatigue surged over him. He felt a headache and his limbs were weak.

He licked his cracked lips and tried to get out of bed by throwing off the quilt. Shouldn't he be in the study? Why was he here? Where was Xin'er? He vaguely remembered that he seemed to have seen her before.

Song Hongtian stepped on the soft red checkered carpet, which had fine stitching and was made by a famous brand.

"Father!" Song Yu woke up from the small sofa, exclaimed, and rushed to Song Hongtian in two steps.

Song Hongtian sat on the bed with heavy breathing. He looked up at Song Yu. The dark grey eyes made Song Yu understand that his father was back and Song Hongtian was awake.

"Father." Song Yu called softly.

"Well, why am I here?"

"When we were discussing official documents in the study, you suddenly... fell ill."

"Suddenly sick?" Song Hongtian asked.

"……Um."

"Has Xin'er been here?"

"Yes, she came to see you."

"So, I am indeed sick?"

Song Yu nodded in response, but his thoughts were extremely confused. Did his father forget what happened when he was sick? Song Hongtian screamed, cried and laughed, and kept mumbling incoherently, just like a madman going crazy, extremely crazy.

"I don't remember clearly, maybe my brain is confused." Song Hongtian said. His breathing has gradually recovered.

"You do have a fever."

"Really?" Song Hongtian stood up with his legs bent and walked out of the carpet.

Song Yu calmly watched his father adjust his pace, but he was not at ease at all. He guessed correctly that his father was poisoned.

However, he had tested the food and tea his father ate and drank on a daily basis, and there was no sign of poison. Besides, the tea leaves were personally selected by Song Xin, so there was no way they could be poisonous, and he had not found any poison.

Where did the poison come from? Will it relapse? When will my father be able to sober up?

When Song Hongtian woke up, the first thing he did was to go to Song Xin's residence, where the door was wide open.

"Father!" Song Xin was surprised and happy, and almost ran out immediately. As soon as she ran out, she put her arm around Song Hongtian and acted like a spoiled child. "Father, are you okay?"

"It's okay." Song Hongtian smiled kindly.

"Father, you really scared me to death. My brother also didn't let me see you."

"Oh? He doesn't allow you to see me?"

"Not really, it's mainly because my brother is too worried about you."

Song Hongtian was still smiling, but he was the only one who knew that his illness was definitely not that simple, and there was something strange about it. However, the most important thing now was that he had to go out and tell the world, to tell those people with ulterior motives, that he was fine.

Zhao Yunqi was relieved to learn that Song Hongtian was fine, but then he felt a sense of loss spreading in his heart. He shook his head and tried to persuade himself.

"Yun Shuang, Song Hongtian is fine." Zhao Yunqi's tone was very light and light, just like his chaotic thoughts.

At this moment, Zhao Yunshuang completely believed Lin Nuan's words. She wanted to deny it because she remembered every word Lin Nuan said to her. If she calmly exchanged the box of tea that Song Xin took away, there might be room for redemption. But Zhao Yunshuang just said, "Well, that's good."

Song Hongtian then went in and out of Jiumen, full of energy and spirit, breaking all speculations and making all subsequent plans for his illness come to naught. When Zhao Yunshuang heard about this, she had just finished hanging clothes on the balcony. She turned around, and the silhouette of the sun was projected on the smooth and bright floor tiles.

Half of her face was illuminated by the sun, which was incredibly warm. She could even see tiny dust particles floating up and down. She seemed to have suddenly realized something and suddenly woke up from her slumber. The glimmer of sunset shone into the high wall she had built for herself, and the wall collapsed at this moment.

"Brother, come back early in the evening, I have something to tell you."

The expression on Zhao Yunshuang's face was too serious and resolute, and Zhao Yunqi responded seriously without realizing it.

Now that things have come to this, she can no longer deceive herself. She once naively and selfishly believed that as long as she did not take action, it would not be her fault. Everything was someone else's choice and a matter of time.

Now, she admitted that she was selfish and cowardly. Even though she had been entangled and ashamed, she finally chose to let Song Xin down. She finally understood Lin Nuan that day.

Lin Nuan chose to give up on her that day, and now she also has to give up on Song Xin, because she has only had her brother from the beginning, and will only have her brother in the future. She is willing to bear the sin that belongs to her, and she has been unable to sleep at night since then, because her brother has really paid too much for her, and now she must personally untie the shackles that bind the two of them.

This world is unreasonable. It makes Lin Nuan owe her, she owes Song Xin, and Song Xin owes her father. But the reason for all this is because her father owes her and Lin Nuan. No, maybe Song Hongtian owes everyone except Song Xin.

So you say, is this ridiculous? This is what Song Hongtian deserves. Zhao Yunshuang wiped away his tears and sat on the sofa waiting for Zhao Yunqi to come home.

It was already late at night when Zhao Yunqi returned home. Seeing Yun Shuang, he suddenly remembered every Tuesday night many years ago. At that time, when he went out, Yun Shuang would wait for him to come back. Time easily leaves people behind. In one of those nights, he changed his life idea.

"elder brother."

Zhao Yunqi sat beside her and asked her lovingly, "What's wrong?"

"Brother, we are the most important people to each other."

"Of course, I have never doubted this." Zhao Yunqi felt helpless when he heard his sister's solemn statement. He had always believed this, just like people need to eat and sleep.

"So if there is anything, we have to shoulder it together, right?"

"Yun Shuang, you are my sister."

"Yes, I'm your sister, so I've been a burden to you your whole life."

"It's not like that, Yunshuang, your birth is the best thing in the world for me." Zhao Yunqi's face was stern, he would never allow Yunshuang to think like that.

"I know, because that's what my brother means to me. But that's why I have to face it with you. Brother, you don't know anything, you don't know how much I hate myself. All this time, I have been carefully curled up in the safe area you have designated, but I don't want this!"

"Then what do you want? Yun Shuang, tell me." Zhao Yunqi felt very sad. Did Yun Shuang always think this way? Why did he always do the wrong thing?

"I want you to tell me. If you don't say anything, I won't know anything. Do you think I can enjoy your efforts with peace of mind? I'm very sad. Brother, please don't say nothing, okay? I feel sorry for you."

"Okay, okay, I promise you. I'll tell you everything in the future, okay?" Zhao Yunqi comforted gently.

"Brother, let's leave now."

"It's not time yet."

"It's time. Song Hongtian will have another attack. When he does, we will leave. No one will notice us then."

Zhao Yunqi broke free from Yun Shuang's hand and held Yun Shuang's arm with both hands. "What did you just say? How did you know?"

Zhao Yunshuang lowered her head in shame and turned away stubbornly. She didn't dare to look into Zhao Yunqi's eyes, nor did she want to repeat her words.

Zhao Yunqi, who had experienced many battles, quickly grasped the key point. "You told me about a girl before. Who is she? What's her name?"

Zhao Yunshuang's surprise did not escape Zhao Yunqi's eyes, "Who is she? Do I know her or have I heard of her?"

"Her name is... Mumu."

"Yun Shuang, you still won't tell me who she is? Yun Shuang, listen to me, this is a very important matter."

"Of course I know how important it is, so, brother, we have to go this time. Can you just listen to me this time?"

"Okay." Zhao Yunqi couldn't refuse his sister's plea, and it would be useless to continue talking now. He had to change direction and investigate who this person named Mumu was.

"really?"

"Really? But we can't just leave like that. Yun Shuang, let me think about it. It's late, go to bed first."

"it is good."

After getting Zhao Yunqi's assurance, Zhao Yunshuang left quickly. As the night air gradually cooled, Zhao Yunqi's heart sank to the bottom. He quickly touched his face and put his hands together on his chin. My silly sister, if things are really as you said, you can't leave easily.

Two days later, Song Hongtian showed no signs of illness and recovered. In her joy, Song Xin finally thought of someone, her uncle, Song Hongda.

In fact, when her father was ill and Song Yu stopped her from getting close to him, the first person she thought of was not Zhao Yunqi but her uncle, after all, Song Hongda was her relative. But she did not see him, as if he had expected her to go to her uncle, Song Yu also sent someone to stop her in the garden where her uncle lived.

By now, her uncle should have heard the news, but she still felt that she needed to go and visit him. After all, she couldn't ignore the uneasiness in her heart.

"Uncle, I brought you some tea. Would you like to try it and see if it tastes good?" When Song Xin went to look for tea leaves for her father, she would always bring some for Song Hongda. But this time, since there was only one box of ancient tree Pu'er tea, she specially picked out other ones.

"Thank you Xin'er, you made us spend money again."

"As long as uncle likes it." Song Xin said with a smile.

Song Xin really likes her uncle. As for the grudge between her father and his brothers, Song Xin doesn't want to ask or care about it.

"How is your father?"

"You look much better lately."

"Zhao Yunqi hasn't come to see me lately."

"Brother Yunqi might be busy."

"Yeah, everyone is busy. I am the only old man who is almost sick from being idle."

"Uncle, please don't say that." Song Xin's face darkened. She has been very sensitive about the word "disease" recently.

"Okay, okay, I won't tell."

"Uncle, it's like this." Song Xin started the conversation and slowly told her real purpose.

She still felt very strange about her father's illness this time. She told him everything that happened after she learned about her father's illness in detail, and frankly said that her uncle was a person she trusted very much because he was a relative.

As long as she could remember, her uncle had been living here alone, following the rules, never resisting or fighting for anything, and had lived here in obscurity for ten or even twenty years. Her father was also the same. He had always let her and her uncle go as they pleased, and even when she grew up and her uncle got old, he had hinted that she could visit him more often, even though he would never come here.

So no matter what happens, they are still a family. Song Xin finished speaking and listened to her uncle's opinion nervously.

"Song Yu is just worried. He is worried about your father and you. Isn't everything over now? Xin'er, don't worry."

"Yes, father is in good spirits recently." Song Xin smiled immediately. She felt relieved when her uncle said so.

"Let me make you a cup of tea." Song Xin said as he picked up the tea leaves and went to boil water.

Song Hongda put down his smile and looked at the outside world. At this moment, the sky outside was clear and there was no trace of haze, but according to the weather forecast, there will be heavy rain tomorrow night, and Song Hongtian sighed.

He didn't know what was going on, and it would be best if his brother was just sick.