After the phone call ended, Ling Yuchen lay on the ground, unable to recover. Overwhelmed by extreme joy and sorrow, he felt utterly exhausted.
However, what he didn't expect at all was that Xia Wantang could guess the truth with such accuracy.
Now that the deed was done, he had no choice but to go along with the plan.
He slowly turned his head to look at Li Bowen and Jiang Zexi.
The two, who had been looking relaxed, tensed up subconsciously at his gaze.
Li Bowen immediately said, "I didn't hear anything."
Jiang Zexi echoed, "Me neither."
Ling Yuchen cautioned them with concern, "Don't give anything away, or all our efforts will be in vain."
The two also understood the gravity of the situation and nodded solemnly.
Then, the three helped each other up, not daring to delay, and headed down the mountain. Although they weren't in as much of a rush anymore, their pace down the mountain didn't slow.
If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way, otherwise, it's not convincing!
After the incident at Lixiangyuan, the fire took a long time to be completely extinguished.
Because a mountain of bodies was piled up at the entrance, the doors remained unopenable.
The firefighters had to break down the doors to enter. The scene inside was like a living hell, too horrific to behold.
Charred corpses were carried out, over a hundred in total. Such a tragic incident drew widespread public attention, instantly overshadowing the news of Zhu Yunfei's disappearance.
Meanwhile, the video of Situ Jing jumping off the building to escape went viral online, causing a massive stir.
Some people recognized her identity, learning that she was Situ Jing, the young lady of the Situ family.
The fact that she could jump from the second floor without injury was because she was a Taekwondo expert; others might not have been so fortunate.
At the same time, even more explosive news erupted online.
It was that Ling family's young madam, Xia Wantang, was also suspected to have perished in the fire.
Many videos taken at the entrance of Lixiangyuan were rapidly spreading online.
Among them, Ling's elderly madam asking Situ Jing about Xia Wantang's whereabouts was clearly recorded by the person filming, every word Situ Jing spoke captured on video.
Afterwards, Ling's elderly madam was sent to the hospital. She had seemingly expended all her energy, her face utterly drained of color, looking haggard.
Before Ling's elderly master learned of the news, Ling Yuchen had already informed him of the truth to prevent him from being overly shocked. This was because the matter was impossible to keep hidden.
Ling Yuchen rushed to the hospital immediately after descending the mountain.
Upon seeing him, Ling's elderly madam could not help but break down and cry hysterically again.
Ling Yuchen did not immediately tell her that Xia Wantang was safe, as the immense swing between despair and joy would be too detrimental to her health.
Moreover, the most crucial point was that Situ Jing was also being treated in the same hospital.
Ling Yuchen held her tightly. Li Bowen watched, his eyes welling up, but he dared not blurt out the news about Xia Wantang.
After calming Ling's elderly madam's emotions, Ling Yuchen prepared to take her back to the Ling family. Her physical condition was not severe; she had simply fainted from excessive grief. Once her emotions had stabilized at the Ling family home, it would be fine to tell her the news.
A moment later, as Ling Yuchen had predicted, Situ Jing and Situ's elderly madam arrived, accompanied by Situ Chuanqi and Su Yishen.
Ling Yuchen showed them no pleasantries. His expressionless face betrayed no emotion, but the rage simmering within him was close to erupting into a confrontation.
He stood by the bedside, still disheveled, his eyes bloodshot and tired, his brow furrowed with exhaustion.
Ling's elderly madam glared fiercely at the newcomers. She was old, but not senile; she could sense something was amiss. When too many coincidences occurred, there was bound to be a trick.
Situ Jing was currently wearing a striped hospital gown, the oversized garment making her appear even smaller and more fragile. Her face also bore burn marks, and traces of burnt hair were visible. Her hands were heavily bandaged, and she needed to be supported to walk.
As soon as she entered, she knelt directly, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to utter a word.
Su Yishen, doting on his daughter, pulled her towards Ling Yuchen and pleaded, "Yuchen, Jingjing didn't do it on purpose. While she did bring Wantang to Lixiangyuan, she didn't know it would catch fire!"
"Exactly," Situ's elderly madam said, her face contorted with anger. "My Jingjing almost lost her life too. This isn't her fault."
Ling's elderly madam's rage could no longer be contained. She glared at them, grabbed a water cup from the bedside table, and hurled it forward.
The cup shattered on the floor. She yelled furiously, "Get out! All of you, get out! Stop pretending to be so concerned..."
"Grandmother."
Ling Yuchen grabbed her hand, interrupting her words. Ling's elderly madam looked up at him, only to find his gaze remarkably calm. She frowned, utterly perplexed. Given his affection for Wantang, this shouldn't be his reaction. Besides, if she could see the clues, her intelligent grandson surely could not have missed them.
Ling Yuchen looked coldly at them and said indifferently, "You can leave. I don't want to see any of you right now."
Situ Jing choked out, "I... I'm sorry, Brother Yuchen. I didn't know it would catch fire, I... I'm truly sorry. I wish it had been me who burned, rather than harming Wantang."
"How can you blame her for this?" Situ's elderly madam retorted fiercely, turning to glare at Ling's elderly madam. "What? Do you expect my granddaughter to be burned to death as well before you'll be satisfied?"
Her words ignited Ling's elderly madam's fury, but her grandson's grip on her hand tightened. She could only swallow her words, her stomach churning with anger.
Ling Yuchen completely ignored them, supporting Ling's elderly madam and saying, "Grandmother, let's go home."
"Yuchen, this was just an accident, something no one could have predicted. Although Wantang was invited by Jingjing to Lixiangyuan, she is also a victim!" Situ Chuanqi patiently reasoned. He genuinely believed his daughter was not to blame, and Su Yishen shared the same opinion.
Ling Yuchen, supporting Ling's elderly madam, walked straight out, not even glancing at them. Li Bowen and Jiang Zexi followed behind them silently, appearing detached from the whole affair.
Situ Jing cried until she could barely breathe, collapsing weakly onto the floor. A few strands of her hair fell loosely, one dampened by tears, clinging to her lips, making her look exceptionally fragile and pitiable, evoking sympathy. She watched Ling Yuchen walk away, his back turned, not even a glance in her direction. Despite her heartbroken sobs, a secret joy bloomed within her. Xia Wantang was dead, and he hadn't been as grief-stricken as Jiang Zexi had been back then. It seemed he didn't like her *that* much. The rest would be left to time; it had all been worth the planning.
"Jingjing, get up quickly." Su Yishen and Situ Chuanqi hurriedly helped their daughter to her feet.
Meanwhile, Situ's elderly madam stared at Ling Yuchen's departing back, her old eyes gleaming with shrewdness. Something was wrong. This Ling Yuchen was behaving very strangely!