"I will just be outside." He murmured and walked to the door.
"He Yuchen," Yun Li called out softly, but there was a hint of urgency in her tone.
He turned to look at her, and gave her a reassuring smile. "I won’t let anything happen to you. I just want to clear my head for a while now."
Without waiting for her response, he walked out. Yun Li’s breathing became shallow, but she forced herself to remain calm.
Meanwhile, He Yuchen leaned on the wall, his chest heaving slightly. He had never doubted his mother. But today... today was quite different. She didn’t look like the mother who always read him bedtime stories.
He Yuchen’s phone buzzed sharply, snapping him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen and his eyes flashed.
"Sir, Lin Mei has been caught," the voice on the line said. "She tried to escape again, but our team stopped her."
He exhaled sharply, tension building in his shoulders. "Keep her under guard. I’ll be there myself."
Before leaving, he instructed the guards to watch over the ward and not allow anyone except authorised staff to go in.
The drive to the resort was silent, the air in the car heavy. He Yuchen’s mind replayed the previous night’s events—the staff, Lin Mei’s escape, the path she took. Every detail mattered. His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
By the time he arrived, Lin Mei stood in a secure room, her eyes darting to every corner, fingers trembling against the edge of the table.
"Sit," He Yuchen commanded, his voice low but filled with a terrifying edge.
Lin Mei obeyed, though her gaze never left him. "Young Master... I—"
"You’re going to tell me everything," He Yuchen interrupted. "Start from the beginning. Why did you do it? Who gave the orders?"
Lin Mei swallowed hard, lips pressed tightly together. "I... I don’t know if I should—"
He Yuchen cut in sharply. "Don’t give me excuses. You weren’t acting alone. If you hide the truth, it will only make things worse for yourself."
"I was just following orders," she whispered, voice quivering. "I didn’t want to hurt her. I didn’t—"
"Orders from whom?" His voice dropped, danger filling his tone.
Lin Mei’s eyes flickered with fear, then defiance. "I can’t say... they’ll—"
"You’re already caught. You’re protected here. No one will hurt you. But if you don’t speak, the weight will stay with you forever."
Her lips trembled. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple.
"It... it wasn’t just anyone," she whispered finally. "It was someone powerful... someone close... someone no one would ever suspect."
He Yuchen froze. His pulse quickened and his heart raced. "Close?"
Lin Mei nodded, the fear in her eyes unmistakable. "Yes. It is someone you trust... someone in the family..."
His mind raced. Yun Li’s restless whispers, Yue Ning’s fainting message, Lin Mei’s trembling words—it all pointed to the same direction. Someone trusted had betrayed them.
He pressed further. "Who?"
Lin Mei’s hands shook violently. "I... I can’t. Please... I’m scared..."
He Yuchen leaned closer, voice sharp. "You will. I’m giving you a chance to do the right thing. Say the name. Now or you will carry this guilt forever."
Her eyes flickered to the floor. The silence stretched, heavy with anticipation. Finally, her voice barely above a whisper, "It... it’s Madam He."
The words landed like a hammer blow. He Yuchen’s chest tightened, his knuckles white against the table.
Madam He? His mother? The woman who raised him, who molded him, the pillar of the He family?
"How... how could it be her?" he muttered, disbelief laced with fury.
Lin Mei looked up at him, tears glimmering. "I didn’t want to... I had no choice. She’s... she’s too powerful. If I disobeyed..."
He Yuchen’s fingers tightened into fists. The betrayal cut deeper than anything he had ever imagined. The calm, composed mother he had known... she had orchestrated this.
"Tell me everything," he demanded, voice low and dangerous. "Every detail. Every instruction. Everything she made you do."
Lin Mei swallowed, finally breaking. She began recounting every instruction, every step, every precaution Madam He had taken to ensure no one suspected her.
The story poured out in fragments, each revelation fanning the fire within He Yuchen. The meticulous planning, the manipulation, the poison, it had all been meant for Yun Li. His wife. His new wife, barely married for four days, who had done nothing wrong.
Anger, disbelief, and a burning protective instinct surged through him. He Yuchen’s mind flashed to Yun Li in the hospital ward, pale and fragile. He had to protect her, but now the danger was closer than ever.
The pieces fell together with terrifying clarity. The warnings from Yun Li and Yue Ning, Lin Mei’s terrified confessions. It was definitely no coincidence. The threat came from within the family, from the person no one would ever suspect.
He Yuchen exhaled slowly, trying to control the storm inside him. He had always trusted his mother, revered her even. But this was the ultimate betrayal. The trust he had taken for granted was shattered.
"Good," he finally said, voice dripping in ice. "You’ve done the right thing. But this isn’t over. I need everything in writing. Every step, every word, every contact."
Lin Mei nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Yes... Young Master. I’ll tell everything. I swear."
He Yuchen rose to his feet, the room suddenly too small. He had answers now, but the real confrontation was yet to come.
Outside, the wind rustled through the trees, carrying a sense of inevitability. The betrayal had been uncovered, but the storm it would unleash was only beginning.
For He Yuchen, nothing would ever be the same again.
And far away, Madam He adjusted her gloves, her expression unreadable. She had survived this far. But how long could she last when the son she had betrayed finally knew the truth? ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢•𝕟𝕖𝕥
Her eyes glowed softly. Yun Li was awake, Lin Mei was nowhere to be found. And her son... her son doubted her. But she didn’t care. As long as her plans bore fruition.