A shocking conspiracy behind a mysterious past

Memories of the fire

In that small, old-fashioned house, Ayu and Lin Wanqing sat facing each other. The oil lamp on the table flickered weakly, casting their shadows, long and short, across the mottled wall. Lin Wanqing held Ayu's hand tightly, her voice trembling, as she tried to recall those fragments buried by the dust of time.

“I remember, it was a really cold night. My mom told me to go to bed early, but I couldn’t sleep. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, followed by flames.” Lin Wanqing’s eyes were vacant, as if she were back in that terrifying night. “I was terrified and ran around everywhere. Then I saw a little boy. He grabbed my hand and tried to take me with him… Ayu, was that little boy you?”

Ayu's eyes reddened, and he nodded gently, saying in a hoarse voice, "It's me, Sister Wanqing. I always remember that day when I couldn't find you anywhere. Later, the fire spread, and my family rescued me, but I've always been thinking about you."

The two were lost in their memories. After a long while, Ayu came to her senses and said, "Now that we've confirmed that you are my sister Wanqing, we need to find out what happened back then. The information about the fire given by that neighbor is too vague. We need to look for more clues."

Tracing the Past

The next day, Ayu and Lin Wanqing arrived at the small town where they used to live. The once bustling town was now somewhat dilapidated, and the familiar streets were deserted. They first went to the site of the fire from years ago, where only an empty space overgrown with weeds remained.

Ayu paced back and forth in the open space, trying hard to recall the layout from back then. "Sister Wanqing, I remember there used to be a row of houses here, our house was in the middle, and several other families lived on the sides. It seems the fire started from the house next door."

Lin Wanqing followed Ayu's footsteps. Suddenly, she found a charred sign in the grass, on which she could vaguely make out the words "General Store". "Ayu, isn't this the sign of the general store on the street corner back then? I remember buying candy there before the fire."

Ayu leaned closer to examine it carefully, then nodded and said, "That's right, it's that shop. The owner of the general store back then was a kind uncle, but we haven't seen him since the fire. Maybe he knows something; let's go find his family."

After making some inquiries, they learned that the grocer's son now lived on the outskirts of town. The two hurried over and knocked on the dilapidated wooden door.

A gray-haired man opened the door, looking at them with a puzzled expression. Ayu quickly explained their purpose: "Hello, we wanted to inquire about the fire from back then. Your father used to run a general store around here, do you remember?"

The man frowned, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes: "Why are you asking this? So many years have passed."

Lin Wanqing said earnestly, "Brother, this fire is very important to us. We want to find out the truth. Back then, Ayu and I were separated in the fire. Now that we have finally reunited, we find that there seems to be a secret hidden behind it."

The man hesitated for a moment, but ultimately let them into the house. "Well, actually I don't know the specifics either. I only heard my father say that on the day of the fire, he saw several strangers acting suspiciously nearby, as if they were discussing something. Also, a few days before the fire, a mysterious person frequently came to the store to inquire about the situation of each household."

"A mysterious person? What kind of mysterious person?" Ayu asked eagerly.

“My father said the man was wearing a black suit and a hat, so we couldn’t see his face. He spoke with a non-local accent, was very generous, and asked a lot of questions about the residents’ property and relationships,” the man recalled.

Ayu and Lin Wanqing exchanged a glance, a sense of foreboding rising in their hearts. Could this fire have been deliberately planned?

Mysterious Letter

After leaving the grocery store owner's son's house, Ayu and Lin Wanqing fell into deep thought. They decided to return to their old neighbor's house to see if they could find any other clues.

The elderly neighbor warmly welcomed them. Upon hearing that they were investigating the truth behind the fire, the old man sighed, "Alas, that fire was truly tragic. I remember that after the fire, a woman came to inquire about your family, asking if you had any valuables and where your relatives were."

"A woman? What kind of woman?" Lin Wanqing asked.

"She's not very old, quite pretty, but has very sharp eyes. She seems particularly interested in your family's property," the old woman said.

Just then, Ayu noticed an old photograph hanging on the wall of the old man's house. The photo showed a neighborhood gathering from years ago, and one woman in the picture caught his attention. "Grandpa, isn't this the woman in the photo the one you mentioned who came to inquire about things?"

The old man leaned closer for a look and nodded, saying, "That's right, it's her. She seems to be from the city and doesn't seem to have any dealings with your family. I don't know why she's so concerned about your family's affairs."

Ayu and Lin Wanqing decided to start their investigation with this woman. They inquired around and finally learned that the woman had once worked at a law firm in the city.

The two immediately rushed to the city and found the law firm. After some effort, they learned from a long-time employee that the woman's name was Su Yao, who had suddenly left the firm a few years ago and had disappeared without a trace. However, while sorting through old files, the employee found a letter left behind by Su Yao from years ago.

The contents of the letter shocked Ayu and Lin Wanqing. It stated that Su Yao was hired by a mysterious organization to investigate Ayu and Lin Wanqing's family in order to obtain an important document, supposedly related to the inheritance of a huge fortune. The letter also suggested that the fire was likely staged by this mysterious organization to destroy evidence and cover up the truth.

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