"Click".

The sound of the key turning in the lock was amplified infinitely in the silent corridor, like a hammer blow to everyone's heart. Accompanied by a muffled groan, as if it had been sealed for too long, the dark wooden door, which bore witness to countless pains and secrets, was slowly pushed open a crack.

A musty, musty smell, a mixture of wood, dust, and an indescribable, faint odor, wafted from the crack in the door. The light was dim, and only a blurry outline could be vaguely seen inside.

Ah Chen's grip on the doorknob tightened, his knuckles turning white. He didn't go in immediately, but stood there, taking a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to face the world beyond the door. Su Nian stood beside him, clearly feeling the tension in his body and the slight tremor through their clasped hands. She squeezed back firmly, conveying silent support.

A few steps behind them, Xie Chen (the main personality) clutched his clothes tightly, his face deathly pale, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind, his eyes filled with extreme fear, as if a monster lurked behind the crack in the door, ready to devour him. But he didn't run away; he just stared intently at the crack, as if waging a desperate battle against his own cowardice.

"Go in." Ah Chen's voice was hoarse and low, carrying a resolute determination. Without further hesitation, he pushed the door open forcefully.

As the door opened, the scene inside the music room gradually became clear to the three of them.

Time seemed to stand still here.

The room was small and elegantly furnished, but covered in a thick layer of dust. A well-maintained grand piano stood in the center, its lid tightly shut. Scattered sheet music and books were piled on the bookshelves against the wall. The windows were closed, and heavy curtains were drawn, letting in only a few faint rays of light to illuminate the dust floating in the air.

Everything remained as it was at a certain moment many years ago, except... a slightly dark, irregularly shaped area on the floor next to the piano. It seemed to have been carefully cleaned, but the marks of time and certain penetrating stains still left indelible marks.

Dark red.

The moment Xie Chen's (the main personality's) gaze fell upon that area, his pupils contracted sharply, a suppressed whimper escaped his throat as if he were being choked, and he swayed precariously. It was the cold, dark red that had splashed in his memory!

Ah Chen's face grew even paler. He stared intently at that spot, his dark eyes churning with overwhelming hatred and pain. He gripped Su Nian's hand with astonishing strength.

Su Nian's heart sank. The scene before her silently confirmed her worst suspicions.

“The gift…the truth…” Ah Chen murmured to himself, his gaze shifting from the dark area to scanning the entire room, searching for clues mentioned in his mother’s note.

Su Nian forced herself to calm down and observe carefully. Her gaze swept over the bookshelf, over the piano, and finally settled on an inconspicuous, dusty photo frame above the piano lid.

She walked over, picked up the photo frame, and gently blew away the dust. The photo showed a gentle and beautiful young woman, head bowed, intently playing the piano, a tender smile on her lips—it was Xie Chen's mother. On the back of the photo, in the same neat handwriting as the note, was a line of small words:

"Music never dies, and love endures forever. —A gift for you, beneath the piano keys."

Under the piano keys!

Su Nian immediately handed the photo frame to A Chen. A Chen's eyes sharpened when he saw the words on the back, and he quickly walked to the piano. He took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and suddenly lifted the heavy piano lid!

Dust settled in a soft patter.

Beneath the black and white piano keys, in a discreet, hidden recess, lies a beautifully bound manuscript of sheet music, its cover bearing the neat inscription—"Candle in the Wind" (Final Revised Edition). Beside the score is a small, thick kraft paper envelope.

With trembling hands, Ah Chen picked up the sheet music. He opened to the first page, where familiar melodies, tinged with both sorrow and hope, came into view. He quickly flipped through the pages, his fingers tracing the delicate notes, as if he could feel the heart and soul his mother had poured into creating them. This was the "gift" his mother had left him—her most cherished music, her unbroken spiritual world.

Then his gaze fell on the manila envelope. The envelope was unsigned, but its heavy weight suggested the significance of its contents.

“The truth…” Ah Chen’s voice was hoarse. He picked up the envelope, his fingertips trembling slightly from the force. He glanced at Xie Chen (the main personality), who was almost collapsing to the ground, and then at Su Nian, who looked solemn beside him. Finally, he tore open the seal on the envelope.

Inside was a thick stack of letters, and... several photocopies that looked like medical reports and... news articles.

Ah Chen pulled out the letter and unfolded it. It was her mother's handwriting, but it was more hasty and hurried than the previous notes, filled with despair and accusation:

“As I write these words, I know I may have no future. Xie Hongyuan, my husband, has not only ruined my music and my dreams, but now he is going to ruin my life, and even... my life.”

“His long-term emotional abuse and psychological control intensified because I insisted that Xiaochen learn the piano. That night, he smashed the piano and hit me… I hit the corner of the piano… I bled a lot… I was terrified…”

“I secretly went to see a doctor, and the diagnosis is here (Attachment 1). He also threatened me that if I dared to divorce him or expose him, he would make Xiao Chen disappear from my sight forever. He has the ability and the heart to do so (Attachment 2, some of the vague evidence of his illegal transactions with others overseas, which I obtained at great risk).”

“I have nowhere to run. If... if I really die ‘accidentally,’ please, whoever sees this letter, protect my child, Xiao Chen. This evidence may not be enough to completely bring him down, but at least... it will make him think twice and give my child a chance to live.”

Goodbye, my little Chen. Mommy loves you, forever.

The letter ends abruptly here, the handwriting becoming increasingly messy and disordered, as if the writer were in a state of extreme pain and fear.

Appendix 1 is a diagnostic report from a private clinic, which records that Xie's mother suffered a concussion and multiple soft tissue contusions due to an external impact, just a few days before that "accidental" night.

Appendix 2 contains some blurry photocopies of financial transactions and a candid photo of Xie Hongyuan with a person with a complicated background. Although incomplete, it is enough to evoke speculation.

The truth, bloodily laid bare before the three of them.

It was no "accident" at all! It was a long-term domestic violence and threats that ultimately led to a murder meticulously disguised as an accident! And Xie Hongyuan was not only a cold-blooded control freak, but he was also likely involved in some shady dealings!

"ah--!!!"

After listening to the contents of the letter that Su Nian read aloud, Xie Chen (the main personality) let out an extremely shrill scream, as if his soul had been torn apart. He could no longer hold on, his eyes rolled back, and he completely fainted, collapsing softly to the ground.

Ah Chen clutched the stack of letters, burning hot like branding irons, his entire being frozen in place as if his soul had been ripped away. All color drained from his face, and in his dark eyes, first came utter shock, then an overwhelming, all-consuming rage and hatred, before finally settling into a bottomless, icy stillness.

He didn't roar in fury as usual, nor did he smash anything. He just stood there, as if all his emotions had been frozen and compressed at that moment, turning into something even more terrifying.

Su Nian's heart was filled with immense sorrow and anger. She looked at Xie Chen, who had fainted on the ground, and then at A-Chen, who was as still as ice. A strong urge to protect her and a pang of heartache surged within her. She stepped forward, not to help Xie Chen up first, but to reach out and gently embrace A-Chen's stiff and cold body from behind.

Her embrace was light, yet it felt like a warm current, trying to melt the ice around him.

Ah Chen's body trembled violently. He turned around abruptly, taking the initiative and pulling Su Nian into his arms roughly and almost savagely! His embrace was filled with the power of despair, as if she were the only entity he could grasp in this collapsing world.

He buried his face deep in the crook of her neck, his scalding liquid instantly soaking her collar. He made no sound, but the silent trembling and burning tears were more heartbreaking than any loud wailing.

Su Nian did not struggle, but silently endured the force that almost crushed her, gently patting his violently heaving back again and again, letting his tears wet her skin.

In this room filled with the shadow of death and cruel truth, the two embraced tightly. One was silently venting the pain and anger that had been building up for more than a decade, while the other was providing the only warmth and support with his frail yet resolute body.

After a long while, Ah Chen's trembling gradually subsided. He raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his face still bearing traces of wet tears, but his gaze had regained a chilling coldness and resolve.

He looked at Xie Chen, who was lying unconscious on the ground, and then at Su Nian in his arms, his voice hoarse as a broken gong:

"He must pay the price."

"We... need to properly 'prepare' for that celebration."

His words were calm, yet carried a terrifying undercurrent of impending storm.

The truth has been revealed, and the wounds have been torn open in a bloody manner.

Next, it will no longer be about escape and fear.

Instead... it's a counterattack.

(End of Chapter 143)