Chapter 318 Dragon's Den and Tiger's Lair

"It's alright, Auntie."

Qiao Wanyin reached out and took the warm cup. The moment her fingertips touched the cup, a warm feeling spread from her palm.

However, just as she bowed her head to express her gratitude, her gaze suddenly fell on Lin Shuxian's outstretched wrist—there was a circle of purplish-blue marks there, with the edges faintly showing the dark color of bruising.

"Auntie, what happened to your hand?"

"fine."

Lin Shuxian almost reflexively pulled her hand back, hurriedly pulling down the sleeve of her sweater with her other hand, trying to cover the scar. "I accidentally bumped into the door frame during the search that day."

Qiao Wanyin felt as if something was gripping her heart tightly, causing her to clench suddenly.

She stared at her aunt's downcast eyes, her throat dry, unable to utter a single word.

"Aunt..."

She couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed the other person's hand tightly, her grip trembling slightly. "We will definitely rescue my uncle. I swear."

The fates of the Song and Fu families have long been intertwined.

When the storm comes, no one can fall; if one falls, the other will surely perish as well.

Lin Shuxian was stunned, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but tears slid down her cheeks first, silently dripping onto her clothes.

“Silly child… The most important thing for you right now is to take care of yourself. Don’t harm the baby, otherwise how will I explain it to the child in your belly… I… How will I explain it to Li An…”

Qiao Wanyin's nose tingled, but she forced herself not to let the tears fall.

She raised her hand and gently patted her aunt's back, her voice firm: "Don't worry, I will. But we can't just do nothing and wait for others to have a good deed."

She paused, a fleeting hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, before telling a half-truth, half-lie, "Her name is Xiaowen. She's very loyal. I talked to her about the situation yesterday, and she agreed to help us find out about my uncle."

At this moment, Fu Maihe, who had been standing to the side, quickly nodded in agreement: "Yes, Aunt, it's Xiaowen. She's a good friend of Wanyin's and mine from high school. She's a very honest person and never speaks carelessly. In the past, if anyone was wronged, she was the first to stand up and speak the truth."

"That……"

Lin Shuxian bit her lip, her brows furrowed, clearly struggling internally. "Be extremely careful. Zheng Mingyuan is not someone to be trifled with; he's ruthless and cunning. If you provoke him, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Don't worry, Auntie."

Fu Maihe grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth, and said in a deliberately relaxed manner, "It's just a few old classmates getting together, chatting and catching up. What could possibly happen? At most, we'll have a cup of tea and chat about some trivial matters."

After Lin Shuxian finally felt relieved and turned to leave the room, the room became quiet again.

Qiao Wanyin immediately stopped smiling and lowered her voice to warn, "Remember, no matter what happens, safety comes first. If you feel something is wrong, the atmosphere is tense, or someone is asking too many questions, leave immediately without hesitation."

"I know."

Fu Maihe took a deep breath, nodded, but a burning fire remained in her eyes. "Sister-in-law, thank you for coming up with this idea. Otherwise, we wouldn't have found a single clue."

Qiao Wanyin gently shook her head, her voice very soft: "I'm the one who should be thanking you. It's because you were willing to take the risk. Others might not have dared to step forward."

Outside the window, the sun had just peeked over the eastern horizon, and the golden morning light, like a thin veil, spilled onto the gray-tiled eaves of the Fu family's old house, giving the mottled brick walls a soft glow.

She gazed at Fu Maihe's stubborn and resolute profile, its contours exceptionally clear in the sunlight.

In that instant, she silently prayed in her heart: May everything go well, may all sincerity not be betrayed, and may we finally usher in the dawn after giving our all.

Before going to sleep, Fu Lian leaned against the headboard, staring at his wife lying on the bed. His voice was low and slow, with an undeniable seriousness: "Qingqing, what did you talk to Maihe about today?"

He had a feeling that she was hiding something, and that it was by no means a trivial matter.

That heavy premonition was like a dark cloud pressing down on my heart, lingering there no matter what I did.

Especially when her eyes darted away and her tone hesitated, he became even more certain that she was hiding something.

The more silent Qiao Wanyin remained, the more Fu Li'an felt that the truth was being peeled back layer by layer, and a storm was approaching.

He didn't want to ask, didn't want to force her to speak.

He knew she was always opinionated and respected her judgment.

But that unease, like vines, wrapped around his chest, tightening and tightening until he could hardly breathe.

In the dead of night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the image of Maihe constantly appearing in his mind—his sister was innocent and naive, unaware of the wickedness of human nature.

Qiao Wanyin originally wanted to keep it a secret.

She knew that if she said this, Fu Li'an would be furious.

But she also knew that Fu Li'an's ears were sharper than anyone else's.

He has always been perceptive, especially attentive to the actions of his family members.

He would notice any slight movement from Maihe sooner or later.

It's better to tell him yourself than to let him find out from someone else.

So she simply said it directly:

He suddenly stood up, causing the chair to slide backward with a screeching sound.

His fingers trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and anger. Qiao Wanyin was stunned by her husband's sudden roar.

She subconsciously took a half step back, not even noticing that her heel hit the edge of the coffee table.

Throughout their years of marriage, Fu Li'an had never spoken to her in this tone.

He was always gentle and refined, and even when they argued, he always communicated in a soft voice.

But now, the cold expression on his face made her tremble, as if she didn't recognize him at all.

"I……"

Her lips moved slightly, as if she was about to explain, but Fu Lian interrupted her abruptly, his voice suddenly rising: "Shut up! It's no use saying anything now!"

"If Maihe is caught, he'll be a real villain!" Finally, the anger subsided, as if weighed down by a boulder, sinking into the abyss, leaving only heavy worry and helplessness.

“Wheat…”

Fu Lian'an's voice was so low it was almost a whisper, trembling slightly, "You really don't understand how ruthless Zheng Mingyuan is. To make money, he even plotted against his own uncle, personally bankrupting her. He doesn't even care about blood ties, let alone you... In his eyes, you're nothing more than an insignificant niece. If he finds out you're eyeing his wealth, he will show no mercy."

"Then we have to act first."

Fu Maihe suddenly stepped forward and grabbed her brother's wrist with such force that Fu Li'an almost frowned. "Brother, you once said that the most reliable defense is to take the initiative. I remember what you taught me very clearly."

Her eyes shone with an astonishing light, like the only flame in the darkness: "Uncle is locked up now, and Zheng Mingyuan's men are everywhere outside. If we don't act now, once he erases all the evidence, we'll truly have no chance. When that happens, who will rescue Uncle? Who will clear our names?"

Qiao Wanyin stared blankly at her sister-in-law, the girl who was usually gentle and quiet and never dared to speak loudly, but now she was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, with a firm gaze and an aura of courage that could not be ignored.