The restaurant was silent for a moment, Qin He looked at Shen Yilin in disbelief.
Shen Yilin's expression had changed, no longer like the sunny, radiant youth he usually was. He sat there as if nothing had happened, a cold aura emanating from him.
In an instant, Shen Yilin and Shen Yizong seemed to merge.
Qin He had always felt the two brothers were nothing alike. Shen Yilin was innocent, sunny, and full of youthful energy.
But in this moment, it was as if she had never known Shen Yilin.
Was this the real him?
Shen Yizong's veins bulged on his neck, and he laughed ferociously, "Yilin, you're not going to pretend anymore, are you?"
Shen Yilin's face held a hint of cold indifference. "Brother, you knew very well I liked her, yet you kept her locked up here. You've gone too far."
Qin He's heart trembled, and she suddenly turned to Shen Yilin, "When did you know?!"
Facing Qin He, Shen Yilin smiled gently again, his eyes seeming to sparkle a little more.
"Do you remember the first time we went for a stroll in the back garden after I woke up?"
Qin He frowned, but she couldn't figure out what had led Shen Yilin to discover the truth.
Shen Yizong had always been meticulous. All the servants treated her as the mistress of the villa in front of Shen Yilin.
Seeing Qin He's confusion, Shen Yilin patiently explained, "We saw some flowers in the garden that day. I asked you if there were still roses at this time of year, and you said yes."
Qin He recalled this detail, and she pursed her lips tightly. "So?"
Shen Yilin looked at Shen Yizong. "Those weren't roses, they were crabapples. Strictly speaking, they are crabapples. If you were truly the master here, the servants would choose flowers according to the master's preferences. Why would they choose a flower that even you, the master, don't recognize?"
His meticulousness was no less than Shen Yizong's.
Shen Yilin smiled faintly, a hint of regret in his eyes. "Crabapples, those were my brother's favorite flowers. That thought flashed through my mind. Later, when you were giving me injections, I noticed the needle marks around your neck."
Qin He's hands on the table clenched tightly. She hadn't expected Shen Yilin to be so observant.
"I know you all think I've been confined to my room in the hospital all day, but lies always leave traces."
Shen Yilin lowered his head. "When I first discovered those clues, I deliberately avoided them. Perhaps deep down, I was selfish, only wanting you to stay with me, and I deliberately ignored those clues. But your mental state has been too poor lately, I have to let you leave."
Shen Yilin looked up with a smile, facing Qin He. "Even if my brother said nothing, the servants in this villa were too respectful to me. I asked them to remove the wine, and they did. But towards you, they acted like you were a guest. No matter how well my brother arranged things, it didn't change who they considered the master in their hearts."
Qin He looked at Shen Yilin, feeling as though she had never truly known him.
Shen Yilin continued, "Qin He, I'll take you away."
Qin He looked at Shen Yizong. Shen Yizong was already disoriented, but he forced himself to glare at them.
The servants in the restaurant had all been dismissed by Shen Yilin earlier, leaving only the three of them.
Shen Yilin looked at Shen Yizong. "Brother, you've only taken a sedative. Sleep for a while. I need to send Qin He away from here. I'll come back to beg for forgiveness later."
Shen Yizong gritted his teeth with difficulty. "Yilin! Without her, how can your illness be cured! You can't let her go!"
Shen Yilin stood up, his body pausing slightly.
He turned to look at Shen Yizong, his gaze clear with a hint of coldness.
"Brother, I'm very familiar with the way you look at her. When we were children, you were the same with your favorite Lego toys. You liked them, then you took them apart, reassembled them, and took them apart again until the toy became what you wanted. I won't let her stay here."
Shen Yizong had already slumped onto the table.
Shen Yilin pursed his lips and turned to Qin He. "I'll take you away."
Qin He remained seated. She knew this was a rare opportunity, but if she left, Shen Yilin's illness would truly—
"But your illness—"
Shen Yilin looked at Qin He and smiled. "You really are the best person in the world, Qin He. Actually, I know my illness is incurable. By the time it was discovered, it was already terminal, and there's no hope of recovery. But today, you must leave. This is your last chance. Otherwise, after I die, my brother won't let you go."
He loved Qin He, but in this world, he understood his own brother better than anyone.
Seeing that Qin He didn't move, Shen Yilin stepped forward and, for the first time, boldly took her hand.
He led Qin He out of the restaurant and through the hall.
In the hall, Houzi was returning from outside. He looked surprised to see Shen Yilin and Qin He, but still respectfully bowed to Qin He, "Miss Qin."
A flicker of disdain crossed Shen Yilin's eyes. Knowing Houzi was Shen Yizong's man, he put on a sunny smile. "Sir, my brother drank too much and has fallen asleep in the restaurant. Could you please help him back to his room?"
Houzi immediately nodded.
Shen Yilin pulled Qin He along and directly entered the backyard.
Upon reaching the backyard, with no one else around, Shen Yilin said in a low voice, "My brother must have given orders at the front gate. Even if I bring you, we might not be able to escape. However, the backyard should be fine. I've seen it a few times; there's a large plane tree next to a wall. You can climb over the courtyard wall from that tree."
Qin He was anxious. "Then what about you?"
Shen Yilin's footsteps didn't stop, but his hand tightened slightly.
"I was going to die anyway. Dying sooner or later doesn't make a difference. My wish has been fulfilled."
His wish was to let Qin He know his feelings.
Qin He gritted her teeth. "Yilin, let's leave together. I'll take you back to Qingcheng and get you treated!"
"I'm not leaving. I can't betray my brother. He's done many bad things for me, so I can't leave even more." Shen Yilin turned to look at Qin He. If he left with Qin He, Shen Yizong would pursue them to the ends of the earth.
He had to stay and stop him.
As they spoke, they reached the plane tree. Shen Yilin looked up at the tall tree, squatted down, and patted his shoulder. "Step here. I'll help you up."
Qin He's body trembled slightly. This was not a time for hesitation.
But escaping Shen Yizong was the most important thing. She could go back and continue her research, or find a way to bring Shen Yilin back.
"No need. I can climb it myself."
Although her strength was depleted, climbing a tree wasn't difficult for her.
Qin He laboriously climbed the tree. When she reached the first thick, gnarled branch, she looked down at the ground.
Shen Yilin, standing below, was looking up at her, his eyes focused and affectionate, filled with a deep, drowning love like the abyss.
Qin He closed her eyes. She had never realized Shen Yilin's feelings before.
The courtyard wall was over three meters high, and she still had to climb further.
When Qin He climbed another section, a wave of pain suddenly surged through her body. Her body swayed, and she almost fell from the tree.
Qin He's body trembled slightly, the wave of pain surging through her making her consciousness hazy.
Shen Yilin, below the tree, his expression sharpened, and he looked at Qin He above with concern. "Qin He, what's wrong?!"