Ling Wei, who had arrived at Hong Shan's cabin after numerous unanswered calls, found Hong Yi leaning back on the sofa, his entire body drenched in sweat. He appeared to be in agony, his eyebrows furrowed, and his forehead covered in perspiration. His hands were clenched tightly.
Ling Wei rushed towards Hong Yi, desperately trying to shake him awake. Sensing another presence in the room, Hong Yi snapped out of his trance-like state, his senses on high alert. In his sudden awakening, he inadvertently clenched Ling Wei's arm, his grip tight with the intensity of his heightened senses.
Ling Wei winced as she felt her hand being crushed under the pressure of Hong Yi's grip. "Hong Yi, it's me, Ling Wei, You are crushing my hand."
Slowly, Hong Yi's grip loosened as he regained control of his senses. He looked at Ling Wei with a mixture of confusion and apology in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice strained with discomfort.
"What is up with you?" Ling Wei asked retreating her hand and trying to massage it. "Just a bad dream." Hong Yi said getting from his seat to grab coat.
"I am going back to my condo today, tell mom not to wait for me." Hong Yi said without looking into Ling Wei's face. "Hong Yi, you" Ling Wei tried to shout his name but he just dashed out of the room taking his belongings.
Ling Wei stared Hong Yi in disbelief as he left. "What does he even think of himself? Self-Centered bastard." she murmured to herself.
Hong Yi dashed towards his car, making his way to his condo. Memories from earlier played in his head as he drove, and as soon as he reached his apartment, he hurried towards the bedroom, his mind fixed on finding the envelope he remembered.
He searched through every drawer and cupboard until, finally, he found it in the drawer below the locker. Sitting down, he opened it, discovering all the information about the girl he couldn't forget.
Beside the envelope lay a file he hadn't noticed before. It contained details about the girl, Mo Zixi, from the day she entered the orphanage.
Name: Mo Zixi
Admitted Date: 4th June xxxx
It was clearly eight years back. As he delved deeper into the file, he learned more about Zixi—her medical history, her likes and dislikes. It was meticulously put together.
It seemed the previous Hong Yi was determined to get Mo Zixi out of the orphanage, but something had stopped him. Then, he found the DNA test report in the envelope, along with records of transactions his father had made to the orphanage.
"Ding! New task found," the system spoke suddenly, making Hong Yi start. "Provide Mo Zixi with her family."
A sigh left Hong Yi's lips. Suddenly, his eyes fell on the envelope cover, a small frown forming on his face. When he went through Hong Yi's memories, he remembered getting the envelope the exact day he called Hong Shan. There were no previous memories about Mo Zixi, meaning he must have found out about her on that day itself.
His frown intensified as he checked his phone's call history. There was only one call made with Hong Shan, nearly a month back near the date of his death. He remembered Ling Wei saying the last phone call Hong Shan received before his heart attack was from Hong Yi. It looked like Hong Shan had the heart attack after the call.
"System, when did Hong Shan get the heart attack?" Hong Yi asked to confirm his speculation.
"On 23 April xxxx." It matched exactly with the date he received the envelope. No coincidence. Especially after the conversation with Pei Xin, Hong Yi didn't think it could be a coincidence.
Frustrated, Hong Yi got up and went towards the study. He searched for anything that could add to his doubt. He pulled drawers and cupboards for different files, but most were about Yang He or investments.
Leaving everything as is, Hong Yi moved to the desktop and started going through anything that might be helpful. He found a transaction of 100,000 made to an unknown account last month. Unfortunately, there was nothing related to the transaction, and Hong Yi didn't remember who it might have been to.
His phone rang. He picked it up. "A-Yi," it was Shu Ya. "Why didn't you come home, dear?" There was a trace of worry in her voice.
"Something came up, Mom. I'm staying at my condo for today," Hong Yi replied in a low voice. "Is everything fine, Hong Yi?"
"Yes, Mom, everything is fine. Did you have your dinner?" Hong Yi asked, trying to distract her.
"No, A-Yi. I was waiting for you," Shu Ya said. Glancing at the time, which was past dinnertime, Hong Yi said, "Mom, you should have your dinner. It's already late."
"I will, A-Yi. What about you?" Shu Ya asked."I will have mine too, Mom. You don't worry," Hong Yi reassured her.
"How can I not worry, A-Yi? You are my son, and every mother has the right to worry about their children." A smile formed on Hong Yi's face after listening to Shu Ya."
Now, have some first. Don't go to bed with an empty stomach, okay?" Shu Ya said sternly.
"Sure, that applies for you too, Mom," Hong Yi replied with a giggle, making her smile. "Hong Yi, remember we all are there for you. If you have a problem, you can talk to me," Shu Ya said, her words stirring something in Hong Yi's heart.
"Sure, Mom. I'm glad I got to meet you and be your son," Hong Yi said, swallowing a lump in his throat.
Shu Ya chuckled softly. "You always know how to make this old lady happy, A-Yi. Don't forget, you're my favorite." but her voice trailed off a bit. "Just... don't tell Ling Wei I said that, alright?"
A helpless smile tugged at Hong Yi's lips. "Of course, Mom. I wouldn't dream of it."
A comfortable silence settled between them for a moment, then Shu Ya spoke again, her voice laced with concern. "Hong Yi, are you sure everything is alright? You sound a little troubled.
"Hong Yi hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering back to the envelope on the desk. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. "Mom, everything is fine," he said, his voice thick with unspoken burdens. He couldn't bring himself to tell Shu Ya about Mo Zixi, or the unsettling feeling surrounding his father's death. The weight of grief from Hong Shan's passing was still raw for her, and Hong Yi couldn't bear to burden her with his growing suspicions.
"Alright, alright," Shu Ya sighed. "But promise me you'll eat something and get some sleep. You sound exhausted."
"Okay, mom. I promise," Hong Yi replied with a tired smile. He ended the call, a faint smile still lingering on his face despite the weight on his shoulders.
His gaze drifted towards the business cards scattered on his desk. Curiosity piqued, he flipped through them until one card caught his eye. It belonged to Cody Lee, a private investigator at Scout Detective Agency.
Hong Yi's fingers hovered over his phone. The number on the card was already saved under "Detective Lee." Memories flickered in his mind, but they were hazy and indistinct. Had he already contacted this detective? Hesitantly, he pressed the call button.
Within seconds, a voice answered. "Mr. Hong, I was expecting your call."