The room felt suffocating, the air thick with the weight of the revelations that had been unfolding. Li An's mind was in chaos—her thoughts whirling, each new piece of information like a jagged shard of glass cutting deeper into her understanding of the world. Everything she had believed about her family, her past, was now tainted, distorted by the truth Zhang Xian had just revealed.
Her father—one of them. The people who controlled everything. She had never imagined that her own blood could be tied to such darkness. And yet, the evidence lay before her, staring back from the pages of the folder. The photographs, the names, the connections—all of it pointed to a truth she wasn't sure she could face.
Zhang Xian stood across from her, his expression unreadable. He seemed almost detached from the weight of it all, as though he had long since come to terms with the things she was now grappling with. But she could see it in his eyes—there was something there, something he hadn't told her yet.
"You knew," she whispered, her voice shaking. "You knew all along, didn't you? You knew who my father was. What he was."
Zhang Xian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward the window, his back to her, his silhouette framed against the dim light filtering through the blinds. The silence stretched on between them, heavy and oppressive. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and controlled.
"I knew who your father was," he said, turning to face her. "But what you don't understand is that he wasn't always like this. He didn't start out as one of them. He was forced into it. Just like the rest of us."
Li An felt a surge of anger, but it was quickly replaced by a deep, aching sadness. "Forced into it?" she repeated, her voice thick with disbelief. "And you're telling me that makes it okay? That makes it better?"
Zhang Xian's face tightened, but his expression softened almost imperceptibly. "No, it doesn't make it better. Nothing about this is 'better.' But sometimes, you don't have a choice. The things we're dealing with—there are forces at play that go beyond what we can comprehend."
Li An's hands clenched into fists at her sides. "So you want me to believe that my father was just a pawn? That he had no control over his choices?"
Zhang Xian's gaze hardened, and for the first time, Li An saw something that looked almost like regret in his eyes. "Your father wasn't a saint, Li An. But he wasn't a monster either. He was trying to protect you. Trying to protect all of us."
Li An shook her head, her heart pounding. "Protect us from what? From the truth? From the consequences of his actions? How could he protect us when he was part of the very thing that endangered us?"
Zhang Xian took a step toward her, his expression intense. "Because he knew that once you understand the full truth, there's no going back. Once you see the extent of it—once you realize who's behind all of this—you'll be caught in their web, just like the rest of us."
Li An felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "And what happens then? What happens when we're caught in their web?"
Zhang Xian's eyes darkened, and the silence between them grew heavy. "You fight. You survive. You make a choice—whether to live in their shadow or to try and tear it down."
The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the decisions she would have to make. Li An knew that this moment—this decision—would change everything. There was no going back now. She had crossed a line, stepped into a world that had been hidden from her for so long. And now, she had to decide what to do with the truth.
Her gaze fell back to the folder, the name "Li Wei" still staring back at her. She wanted to throw it away, to ignore it, but she couldn't. The truth had a way of clawing at her, demanding to be acknowledged. Her father's past was her past now, whether she liked it or not.
"I can't just let this go," she said quietly, her voice filled with a quiet determination. "I have to do something. I have to find out more."
Zhang Xian watched her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a quiet sigh, he nodded. "I knew you'd say that."
He turned toward the door, reaching for his coat. "You're not alone in this. But you need to understand that the more you dig, the more dangerous it becomes. There are eyes everywhere. And not everyone is going to be as helpful as I've been."
Li An nodded, her resolve hardening. "I don't care. I have to do this. For myself. For my father."
Zhang Xian paused for a moment, his hand on the door. He turned back to her, his face softening. "Be careful, Li An. The people behind all of this— they don't care who you are. They'll destroy anyone who gets in their way."
With that, he opened the door and left, leaving Li An alone in the dimly lit room, the weight of the decision pressing down on her chest.
She glanced down at the folder again, her heart racing. She wasn't sure what she would find, but she knew one thing for certain: her life would never be the same. The truth was out there, waiting for her to uncover it. And she would stop at nothing to reveal it—no matter the cost.