After a busy day, everyone went to bed early, exhausted. In the middle of the night, Huo Youcheng was awakened by a faint knocking sound. He frowned, listening carefully, but heard nothing more. Feeling thirsty, he painstakingly got out of bed, sat in his wheelchair, and opened the door.
Standing in front of him, in the dim light, was a figure with disheveled hair and a white dress. Even though Huo Youcheng wasn’t easily scared, he was startled. Just as he was about to shout, the person spoke in a soft voice, “Second Brother, it’s me.”
Recognizing the familiar voice, Huo Youcheng breathed a sigh of relief. “Yan’er? What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Sleepwalking?”
Huo Yan shifted, and the light revealed her features. She was a beautiful young woman in her early twenties, with a slightly darker, healthy complexion from her frequent travels and outdoor activities. Normally cheerful and carefree, she now seemed troubled, her brows furrowed with worry.
“I need to talk to you.”
Huo Youcheng gestured for her to bend down and lightly tapped her head. “A girl coming to see me in the middle of the night? Are you out of your mind?”
Normally, Huo Yan would have reacted playfully, but this time she didn’t. Her large eyes looked at him, filled with concern.
“Is it something serious?”
Huo Yan bit her lip and nodded. “Yes, it’s serious.”
“Then get me a glass of water first, and we’ll talk.”
Huo Youcheng had had a bit of alcohol earlier and forgotten to drink water, leaving his throat parched. When Huo Yan returned with the water, he drank it down in one gulp, feeling much better.
Huo Yan moved lightly, closing the door behind her and scanning the room. She asked quietly, “Isn’t sister-in-law sleeping with you?”
Huo Youcheng felt a pang of irritation. “Mind your own business.”
“I’m not a child anymore,” she retorted.
They were close in age, and among their siblings and cousins, they were the closest. Huo Youcheng asked directly, “So this is about a relationship issue?”
Huo Yan nodded slightly.
Huo Youcheng assumed he understood. “Who hurt you? Tell me, and I’ll make sure he regrets it!”
“It’s not about me…” Huo Yan seemed even more troubled and hesitant.
“Then what is it? If it’s not about you, could it be about me?” Huo Youcheng’s heart sank as he noticed the way Huo Yan was looking at him. A bad feeling surged up inside him.
After a moment of silent eye contact, Huo Yan finally mustered the courage to speak. “A while ago, Big Brother brought Ranran to visit me. Ranran wanted me to take her to a newly opened amusement park, and I agreed since I had nothing else to do.” She had graduated and didn’t have a fixed job, occasionally taking on photography gigs, with most of her expenses still covered by her parents. “But Big Brother had some work to do, so only Ranran and I went. Before we left, Big Brother handed me his wallet and pulled out a card for me to use…” She spoke slowly, her words heavy with hesitation.
Huo Youcheng listened intently, a sense of dread growing. He understood why Huo Yan thought it concerned him. “What else did you see?”
Huo Yan lowered her head, then looked up at him with anxiety. “A photo…”
Huo Youcheng’s throat tightened. “What photo?”
“A photo of Big Brother, Ranran, and… and…” She struggled to say the name, hesitating for a long time.
Huo Youcheng finished for her, “And Ye Zhi.”
It wasn’t a question but a confirmation.
Huo Yan sighed in relief. “Yes, sister-in-law. But it wasn’t very intimate, just Big Brother’s hand on sister-in-law’s shoulder. From the background, it looked like the amusement park. Ranran loves taking photos, so it could just be a picture from their day out. But when the photo fell, Big Brother seemed nervous, and that made me feel something was off.”
Huo Youcheng felt a chill run down his spine. The implications of Huo Yan’s discovery were immense. He needed to think carefully about his next steps, as this could unravel everything he had been trying to manage in his complicated family dynamics.
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