Chapter 46 – Mutual Understanding

The downpour hadn’t let up, slashing through the world like knives without pause. The light grew even dimmer, making it impossible to tell that it was actually afternoon—the brightest part of the day.

Qi Youxuan curled into herself, tucking her chin onto her knees like a helpless child.

“He told me back then that he was going to do something very important. I pressed him for details, but he refused to answer,” Qi Youxuan said, her eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed. “At the time, I thought he was planning some kind of surprise for me. We were secretly making plans to get married… Now that I think about it, how could his grave expression have been for a happy surprise?”

Qin Yuezhang frowned deeply, his dark eyes swirling with contemplation.

“Qinzhou told you about his plans, didn’t he?”

“I only realized something was wrong recently,” Qi Youxuan said, lifting her head, her face so grief-stricken it had gone numb. “Two months ago, he suddenly said he was going to do something very important. If he succeeded, it would have great significance.”

What he intended to do, if successful, would indeed cause an even greater shockwave than the “Rose Murder Case.”

“He didn’t tell you what it was?” Qin Yuezhang pressed.

“No.” Qi Youxuan shook her head. “I asked, but he wouldn’t say. Actually, we’d already been saving up for our wedding. The pay at Weiyao was good, and we’d even picked out a nice apartment and saved up for the down payment. He said that before we got married, he’d take me to meet two very important people. So, I thought… he was preparing to propose to me properly!”

Wei Qinzhou’s words had been ambiguous, so her misunderstanding was understandable. Poor Qi Youxuan, filled with sweetness and joy, only to be met with the overwhelming news that he was dead.

I suddenly remembered that day—the day I encountered Wei Qinzhou on the brink of death. It had been pouring just like this. He’d collapsed in a ditch outside the city, half his face submerged in filthy water, struggling like a poisoned rat clinging to life.

I’d been wearing a raincoat, clutching my bag tightly, and had nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw him. Who could’ve recognized that foul, grime-covered man?

For all I knew, he was just another scammer.

In this day and age, plenty of people made a living preying on others’ sympathy.

I didn’t have the luxury of playing the good Samaritan—I could barely take care of myself—so I turned to leave. But then, my ankle was clutched in a tight grip.

Wei Qinzhou recognized me first.

With his last ounce of strength, he grabbed my pant leg to stop me from leaving. His breath was weak, but every word he spoke was clear.

“Yan… Ru… Your father… was framed…”

Just those few words, and I froze, looking down at him.

From the half of his face that wasn’t covered in filth, I slowly pieced together the contours of someone I once knew.

See, Wei Qinzhou was just that clever. Even in that state, he knew exactly what to say to buy himself the best chance.

And yet, this same clever man had ended up in such a wretched state.

Those few short words of his changed the course of my life.

I should’ve resigned myself to fate—I’d done well enough for over a decade. But I’d asked myself countless times: Why me?

Yan Ande got what he deserved, his crimes paid for with his life. But why was I the one left suffering?

Now, here was an opportunity to prove that my father, Yan Ande, wasn’t a murderer—that I wasn’t the son of a killer. How could I let that slip through my fingers?

The rain continued mercilessly, but Qi Youxuan had already pulled herself together. She stood up, took a deep breath, wiped the rain from her face, and let more droplets soak her cheeks.

“Let’s go. I can’t bear the thought of him disappearing from my life again. Just… help me fulfill this one small regret. I’m begging you.”

Qin Yuezhang cut in softly, “Qinzhou was my closest friend. I understand how you feel.”

We pressed forward through the storm. The water pooling on the ground surged higher, and streams cascaded down the slopes. We trudged through the mud, stumbling with each step, but thankfully, the campsite was on higher ground. The higher we climbed, the less the water hindered us.

As the trees thinned and the puddles shallowed, we finally caught sight of the camp.

Originally, there had been three tents left for our group, meant to be carried down by us later. Now, they served as shelter from the storm.

Someone had dismantled the frames of two tents and used the tarps to reinforce the last one. The small triangular mound looked as fragile as a dead leaf in the wind and rain.

At that moment, the tent was tightly sealed, with a warm yellow light glowing through the tarp—a stark contrast to the gloom outside.

“They’re still here,” I said, stepping forward to knock on the tent.

The occupants reacted immediately. The zipper was pulled open from the inside, revealing Gu Lanshan’s face.

When he saw me—and Qi Youxuan behind me—his eyes lit up. “Consultant Qin, you actually found Xiao Qi?”

Xu Anran’s face appeared behind him, his smile deepening under the orange light. “Come in and get out of the rain.”

I glanced back at Qi Youxuan, exchanging a look with her, then stepped aside to let her enter first.

Just then, Gu Lanshan gave Qin Yuezhang a mischievous look. “Yan Ru, you wouldn’t let me into your tent the other day, saying it was too small. Well! Our tent is tiny too—it can’t fit five people!”

His voice rose with triumphant glee, his face practically screaming, “Beg me!”

Qin Yuezhang lifted his gaze, giving him only a casual glance.

Gu Lanshan immediately shut up, his smug expression vanishing. But unwilling to concede defeat, he muttered under his breath, “Fine, I’m too nice. Who can blame me for being soft-hearted? I’m just worried about your health! If you get sick, who’s gonna take care of you? Us, that’s who!”

With that, he stepped aside, letting me and Qin Yuezhang into the tent.

Though this tent was slightly larger than the one Qin Yuezhang and I had shared, squeezing five adults in was still a tight fit.

As soon as we entered, the water dripping from our bodies soaked a large patch of the groundsheet.

Xu Anran handed us dry towels, gesturing for us to dry off first.

Qi Youxuan silently retreated to a corner, avoiding Xu Anran’s gaze. To anyone watching, she’d look like a guilty employee forced to face her boss after making a mistake.

As I dried myself, I said, “This storm came out of nowhere.”

Xu Anran glanced at Qin Yuezhang, as if worried his presence made certain topics off-limits.

“Mountain weather is unpredictable. Rain and sunshine come and go as they please.”

I added, “At least we found Xiao Qi. She wasn’t far—probably just got lost wandering around.”

“Is that so, Xiao Qi?” Xu Anran said, giving Qi Youxuan a knowing look.

He knew about Qi Youxuan and Wei Qinzhou’s relationship.

Qi Youxuan didn’t respond.

I continued, “We almost got lost too. If it weren’t for Yan Ru’s sense of direction, we’d still be out there getting drenched!”

“Yan Ru knows these mountains well?” Xu Anran asked.

I was standing close to Qin Yuezhang, so I subtly tugged at the hem of his shirt.

Now was the time to say what we’d prepared in advance.

Qin Yuezhang must’ve felt it. He gripped my hand in return, tapping twice on the back of it.

A signal of mutual understanding.

Without changing his expression or even glancing at me, Qin Yuezhang seamlessly took over. “I have this gut feeling that there’s a very important place here—somewhere I left something crucial. But I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

Gu Lanshan’s eyes lit up like ghost fires.

I chuckled inwardly. Qin Yuezhang had never studied acting, but his performance wasn’t half bad.