Late evening had already settled over the house when a knock sounded at the front door. Suo Ran, who was sitting beside Jun Wei, immediately lifted his head. Another knock followed.He got up without saying anything and walked toward the door. He looked through the small opening in the curtain beside it and saw Cai Lang standing outside. Cai Lang was dressed simply, one hand resting in his coat pocket while the other hung loosely at his side.
Suo Ran immediately stepped away from the door. "Who is it?" Jun Wei asked quietly from the sofa. Suo Ran walked back toward him. "Nobody. Don't worry." Jun Wei looked toward the door. "Then what was the sound?" Suo Ran gave him a warning look. "Jun Wei." Jun Wei immediately pressed his lips together, but the amusement in his eyes remained and another knock came from outside.
Suo Ran sighed and looked toward the door again. "He really doesn't know when to stop."Jun Wei tilted his head. "Who is it?" "Cai Lang." Jun Wei's eyes widened slightly. "Then why don't you open the door?" Suo Ran crossed his arms. "Because I don't want to." "Did you two argue?" "That's not your concern." Jun Wei smiled. "So you did." Suo Ran narrowed his eyes at him. "Go back to watching your T.V." Jun Wei quietly laughed and turned toward the screen, but his attention was clearly still on the door.
Cai Lang remained outside for a while longer. He didn't knock again. He simply stood there.Suo Ran occasionally glanced toward the door, expecting another knock, but none came. After several minutes, Cai Lang finally spoke. "Fine. I'll leave." Suo Ran didn't answer. He listened carefully as Cai Lang's footsteps moved away from the door. He waited until the sound disappeared.
Jun Wei looked toward him. "He left?" Suo Ran nodded. "Yes." Jun Wei smiled. "You made him leave." Suo Ran sat down again. "Good." He tried to return his attention to the television, but his eyes kept drifting toward the door. A few moments passed then he heard a faint sound from somewhere behind him. Suo Ran froze. Jun Wei also looked up. "What was that?" Suo Ran slowly turned his head toward the window.
Another soft sound came from outside.His eyes widened. "Wait..." He stood up and walked toward it. Before he could reach the window, a hand appeared over the frame and Cai Lang's face appeared a moment later.Suo Ran stopped dead.For several seconds, he simply stared at him in complete disbelief. "What are you doing?" Cai Lang calmly climbed inside and adjusted his coat. "Coming in."
Suo Ran pointed toward the front door. "You said you were leaving!" Cai Lang glanced at him. "I did." "Then why are you here?" "I have something to tell you "Suo Ran stared at him for a moment, then pointed toward the window. "You could have told me that from outside." Cai Lang raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't open the door." "That doesn't mean you can climb through my window." Cai Lang took one step closer. "You didn't give me many choices."
Suo Ran narrowed his eyes. "I gave you a very clear choice. Leave." Cai Lang's lips curved slightly. "I tried." Suo Ran sighed in frustration. "You're unbelievable." He reached for Cai Lang's arm and started pushing him toward the door. "Come on. Since you already said you were leaving, leave properly this time."Cai Lang allowed himself to be pushed for a few steps, watching Suo Ran with an amused expression. "You're really determined to throw me out." "Yes." Suo Ran pushed him another step.Just as Suo Ran reached for the door, Cai Lang suddenly caught his hand.
Suo Ran froze. He looked down at their hands, then slowly raised his eyes toward Cai Lang. "Let go." Cai Lang didn't. "You haven't even heard what I came to say." Suo Ran tried to pull his hand back, but Cai Lang held it gently, not letting him go."I don't care." Cai Lang's expression softened. "You do." Suo Ran's eyes flickered. "I don't." "Then why are you looking at me like that?"
Suo Ran immediately looked away. "Because you're standing in my house after climbing through my window." Cai Lang gave a quiet laugh. "That's fair." Suo Ran finally looked back at him. "So let go." Cai Lang's fingers loosened slightly but remained around his hand. "If I let go, will you listen?" Suo Ran hesitated. "Maybe." Cai Lang smiled faintly. "I'll take that as a yes." Suo Ran gave him an annoyed look.
Jun Wei burst into laughter from the sofa. Suo Ran turned toward him. "Jun Wei!" Jun Wei tried to control himself. "Sorry... but..." He looked at Cai Lang climbing through the window and shook his head with amusement."He really wanted to see you." Suo Ran's face immediately became awkward. "That's not funny." Jun Wei smiled."I think it is."
Cai Lang looked at Suo Ran, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "He's right." Suo Ran stared at him. "Don't encourage him." Cai Lang walked closer. "Why were you not opening door?" Suo Ran folded his arms. "Because I didn't want you inside." Cai Lang stopped in front of him. For a moment, neither of them spoke.Cai Lang's eyes moved over Suo Ran's face."You looked at me through the door." Suo Ran immediately frowned. "So?" "Nothing." Cai Lang's voice was quiet, almost teasing. "I just didn't know you were that curious about me."
Suo Ran's ears turned slightly red. "I was making sure you actually left." Cai Lang's lips curved. "You could have just asked me to stay." Suo Ran looked at him sharply. "Why would I?" Cai Lang leaned slightly closer."Maybe you wanted to." Suo Ran quickly stepped back. "You're reading too much into everything." Cai Lang didn't follow him, but his eyes remained fixed on him. "Maybe I am." He paused. "But you haven't told me I'm wrong."
Suo Ran opened his mouth, then closed it again.Cai Lang noticed and smiled faintly. "You're very cute when you don't know what to say." Suo Ran's eyes widened. "What did you just say?" Cai Lang's expression remained perfectly calm. "I said you're very stubborn." "No, you didn't." "Maybe you heard what you wanted to hear." Suo Ran glared at him. "Cai Lang." Cai Lang's smile returned. "I'm listening." Suo Ran took a small step back, but Cai Lang didn't follow him this time. He simply looked at him quietly, the teasing expression in his eyes softer now. "Don't look at me like that," Suo Ran muttered. "Like what?" "Like you're enjoying this." Cai Lang paused. "I am."
Suo Ran stared at him in disbelief. "You actually admit it?" Cai Lang's gaze stayed on him. "Would denying it change anything?"
Suo Ran frowned slightly. "Maybe I was hoping you'd deny it." "Why?" Suo Ran hesitated. "Because then I wouldn't have to wonder what you're thinking." Cai Lang was quiet for a moment, his eyes softening. "You already wonder."Suo Ran looked at him, caught by the quiet certainty in his voice. "And you seem very sure about that." "Because I can see it in your eyes."
Suo Ran's expression shifted, and for a moment he had no answer.Cai Lang walked towards him and whispered,"I came because I wanted to see you." Suo Ran looked back at him, caught slightly off guard by the simple honesty in his voice. Cai Lang held his gaze for another second before adding softly, "And because there are things I need to tell you." Suo Ran's expression slowly became serious. The warmth between them didn't disappear completely, but the weight of Cai Lang's words settled over the room. Cai Lang looked at Suo Ran for a moment. "Now that I'm here..." His voice became quieter. "Can we talk?"
Suo Ran looked at Cai Lang for several seconds before finally lowering his gaze. "Let's talk in the room." Cai Lang gave a small nod. He didn't ask anything else. Suo Ran turned and walked toward the hallway, and Cai Lang followed quietly behind him. Once they entered the room,Suo Ran closed the door behind them.Suo Ran walked toward the window and stood there with his arms folded, his back partially turned to Cai Lang. Cai Lang remained near the door for a moment, giving him space. Neither spoke.
Finally, Suo Ran turned around. "Why were you talking to that man at the hospital?" Cai Lang's expression changed slightly. He had expected the question, but hearing it directly still made him pause. "You saw us?" "I saw you." Suo Ran's voice remained calm, but his eyes were sharp. "You were talking to someone connected to Jun Wei's kidnapping." Cai Lang nodded slowly. "Yes." Suo Ran's jaw tightened. "Who was he?" "Someone I've been investigating."
Suo Ran stared at him. "Investigating for what?" Cai Lang took a breath before answering. "He was connected to the people behind Jun Wei's kidnapping." Suo Ran's eyes narrowed. "Then why didn't you tell me?" Cai Lang didn't answer right away, He looked down for a moment before meeting Suo Ran's eyes again. "Because I wasn't sure what he knew yet." "That isn't an answer."
Suo Ran's voice became quieter. "You knew I was looking for answers. You knew what Jun Wei had been through. And you still decided to keep this from me." Cai Lang's fingers tightened slightly at his side. "I was trying to confirm the information before bringing it to you." "And if you never confirmed it?"Suo Ran asked. "Would you have told me anything?" Cai Lang remained silent for a moment. Suo Ran noticed the hesitation immediately. "What else have you been hiding from me?" Cai Lang looked at him, but Suo Ran didn't look away this time. "You've been keeping things from me for a long time, Cai Lang. So tell me." His voice lowered. "Is there anything else you're hiding from me?"
Cai Lang stayed silent. Several seconds passed. Suo Ran waited, but when no answer came, his expression hardened. "If you have nothing to say, you can leave." Cai Lang's eyes shifted toward him. "Suo Ran..." Suo Ran shook his head. "If you're going to stay silent, then there's nothing left to talk about." Cai Lang stood motionless for a few seconds before finally speaking,"There's one thing I've wanted to say to you for a long time."Suo Ran looked at him, his expression still guarded. "What?" Cai Lang lowered his gaze briefly, as though choosing his words carefully. "When you left my home without saying anything, I was planning to come after you."
Suo Ran's eyes flickered with surprise. "But what?" Cai Lang was silent for a moment. "I found out about Lu Zhen's death."Suo Ran's expression changed slightly. "And?" Cai Lang looked back at him."I stopped contacting you because of Lu Zhen." Suo Ran froze slightly. Suo Ran stared at him, confusion slowly replacing the anger in his eyes. "What does his death have to do with me?"Cai Lang continued, his voice controlled but heavy."After Lu Zhen died, I started investigating what happened. At first, I thought it was unrelated to you." Suo Ran's expression changed. "But then?" "Then I found evidence connecting you to his death."
Suo Ran stared at him, and something in his expression shifted from suspicion to realization.He took a slow breath before asking,"What did you find that made you question me?!" Cai Lang looked at him for a moment before answering. "I found a poison bag in your room.'"Suo Ran's eyes widened in disbelief. "Poison bag?! In my room?!"Cai Lang nodded slowly. "Yes. When I went to see you in your room, I found it there."
Suo Ran stared at him, unable to believe what he was hearing. Cai Lang continued, "After that, I had the poison bag tested. I wanted to know whether there was anything that could connect it to Lu Zhen's death."He paused briefly. "The DNA test came back positive."Suo Ran's expression froze. "And you believe I was behind Lu Zhen's death?"
Cai Lang didn't look away. "I did." Suo Ran's eyes hardened, but beneath the anger there was something far more painful. "You thought I killed him."
Cai Lang remained silent. Suo Ran stared at him, his voice growing colder. "You saw one piece of evidence and decided it was enough to doubt me?"Cai Lang's expression tightened. "It wasn't just one piece." Suo Ran immediately looked back at him. "Then what was it? The poison? The test? That's enough for you to believe I could kill someone?" Cai Lang didn't answer. Suo Ran let out a quiet, bitter breath. "You didn't even ask me." "I wanted to trust you." Cai Lang's voice was low. Suo Ran's eyes flashed with anger. "But you trusted the evidence instead."
Suo Ran stared at him." You chose the evidence over me." "I didn't know what to believe." "You could have asked me." Cai Lang fell silent. Suo Ran's voice dropped, but the hurt in it became even clearer. "You could have stood in front of me and asked me whether I did it." Cai Lang looked at him.
Suo Ran took a slow breath."But you just accepted that I was behind it." His fingers slowly curled against his palm. "And instead of asking me, you investigated me."
Cai Lang's expression tightened. "I should have asked you." "But you didn't." "No." "You disappeared." Cai Lang lowered his gaze. Suo Ran gave a quiet, humorless breath. "You disappeared when I thought I could count on you." Cai Lang stepped closer. "Suo Ran..." "Don't." Suo Ran raised his hand between them. Cai Lang caught his wrist before he could lower it. Suo Ran immediately looked at his hand. "Let go."
Cai Lang's fingers loosened, but he didn't release him immediately. "I don't want to fight with you." "Then don't give me another reason to." Cai Lang finally released his wrist. Suo Ran pulled his hand back and rubbed the place where Cai Lang had held him. "You had no right to decide that I was guilty." Cai Lang's expression darkened. "I should have come to you first." "You should have." "I was wrong to let the evidence speak for you."
Suo Ran's eyes sharpened. "It wasn't the evidence that hurt me." Cai Lang looked at him. "It was you." Suo Ran stepped closer. "You looked at me and believed I could do it." Cai Lang's gaze remained fixed on him. "For a moment, I did." Suo Ran's expression tightened. "A moment?" His voice rose slightly. "You spent months investigating me." Cai Lang didn't answer. Suo Ran shoved him lightly in the chest. "You searched through my life." Cai Lang's body shifted back slightly from the force, but he didn't resist. Suo Ran's hand remained against his chest for a second before he pulled it away, his jaw clenched. Another push followed. "You followed every lead." Cai Lang's eyes lowered briefly, but he still didn't defend himself. Suo Ran stepped closer again, the anger in his expression becoming harder to contain. Another push. "You looked for a way to prove I was guilty."
Cai Lang caught both of his wrists this time, stopping him. "Enough." Suo Ran stared at him furiously. "Why? Does it hurt when someone doesn't trust you?" Cai Lang's expression changed. He slowly released one wrist, but Suo Ran immediately pushed him again. This time Cai Lang stumbled backward and struck the back of his head against the edge of the cabinet. He stopped himself with one hand against the wall. For a moment, there was complete silence. A thin line of blood appeared near his hairline.
Suo Ran's eyes flickered toward it, but his anger hadn't disappeared."You thought I killed him," he said, his voice lower now. Cai Lang slowly straightened. "I thought I had evidence that said you did." Suo Ran gave a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "Evidence?" He stepped toward him. "That's all I was to you? Evidence?" Cai Lang's eyes stayed on him. "That's not what I meant." "Then what did you mean?" Suo Ran's voice rose. "You saw that poison bag and suddenly everything about me became suspicious." He shoved Cai Lang's shoulder. "You didn't ask where it came from." Another push. "You didn't ask whether I had ever seen it before." Cai Lang remained still. Suo Ran pushed him again, harder. "You didn't even ask me if I knew Lu Zhen." Cai Lang caught his wrist before he could push him again. "Suo Ran." "Don't stop me." Suo Ran tried to pull free. "You had months to stop yourself before you decided I was guilty." Cai Lang released his wrist, and Suo Ran immediately stepped forward again. His eyes were burning with anger. "You trusted a bag of poison more than you trusted me."
Cai Lang's expression tightened. "I made a mistake." "A mistake?" Suo Ran's voice cracked with disbelief. "You call that a mistake?" He pointed toward Cai Lang's bloodied temple. "That is a mistake. What you did to me was a choice." Cai Lang went silent. Suo Ran's breathing became uneven. "You chose to doubt me." He swallowed hard. "You chose to disappear." His eyes turned colder. "You chose to investigate me behind my back." Cai Lang looked at him. "I was afraid of what I might find." Suo Ran's jaw tightened. "And you weren't afraid of what you would do to me?" Cai Lang had no immediate answer. Suo Ran shook his head, anger flashing across his face. "You should have come to me." He stepped closer until there was barely any distance between them. "You should have asked me." His voice dropped into a bitter whisper. "But you didn't trust me enough." Cai Lang reached toward his arm, but Suo Ran knocked his hand away. "Don't." Cai Lang stopped. Suo Ran's eyes remained fixed on him.
Suo Ran's eyes remained fixed on him. Cai Lang's gaze lowered for a moment before returning to Suo Ran. "I'm sorry." Suo Ran's expression remained cold. "Sorry doesn't explain why you chose to believe a stranger's evidence over my words." "I had no right to make that decision for you." "Yet you did." Suo Ran's eyes narrowed."Did you ever think about what your silence would do to me?" Cai Lang stepped forward to him but suo ran step back.He looked at him," I'm sorry!" Suo Ran laughed."It doesn't change the fact that you trusted a piece of evidence more than you trusted me." Cai Lang had no answer.
Suo Ran looked away,"I thought what we had meant enough for you to trust me." Cai Lang's expression shifted, but he said nothing. Suo Ran gave a faint, bitter smile. "Maybe I was wrong." "You weren't." Suo Ran looked at him. Cai Lang's voice was quiet. "You weren't wrong to expect that from me." Suo Ran's eyes lingered on him for a moment before he looked away again. "But you still did it." "Yes." Cai Lang didn't try to deny it.
Suo Ran slowly turned toward the window, his shoulders tense. "If you can't trust me, then it's better not to contact each other."
Cai Lang became quiet. He looked at Suo Ran for several seconds, but Suo Ran didn't turn around. His fingers had tightened around the edge of the curtain, knuckles slowly paling beneath his grip. Cai Lang finally asked, "Do you really want that?" Suo Ran's fingers loosened slightly, but he still didn't face him. "What else should I want?" "You could tell me you don't."Suo Ran looked down at the floor. "I don't know."
Cai Lang's expression shifted. Suo Ran rubbed his thumb slowly against the side of his palm. "I thought I knew what I wanted from you," he said quietly. "Then you disappeared, and everything became..." He stopped. His jaw tightened as he searched for the words. "Forget it." Cai Lang took a step toward him. Suo Ran immediately moved closer to the window, putting the same small distance between them again. Cai Lang stopped.
Neither spoke for several seconds.Suo Ran's eyes remained fixed outside, but the reflection in the glass showed how tightly he was holding himself together. "Being doubted by someone I trusted..." He paused, his voice thinning slightly. He cleared his throat and continued more evenly."It affected me more than I thought it would." Cai Lang lowered his gaze.
Suo Ran pressed his lips together, then slowly released the curtain from his hand. A faint red mark remained across his palm from how tightly he had been gripping it. Cai Lang noticed. His eyes lingered there. "You don't have to explain anything else," Suo Ran said. "I've heard enough." Cai Lang was silent. "Suo Ran..." "Please." Suo Ran's voice was quiet, but his shoulders rose with a restrained breath. He turned his face away before Cai Lang could see the expression that crossed it. Cai Lang stopped himself from moving closer. "All right."
Suo Ran nodded once. He kept his back toward him. "You should leave." Cai Lang looked at him for a long moment. He didn't argue.Instead, he turned toward the door. His hand rested on the handle, but before leaving, he glanced toward Jun Wei's room. He walked over quietly and checked on the sleeping boy. Jun Wei was curled beneath the blanket, breathing peacefully. Suo Ran remained by the window. Cai Lang looked back at him. "I'll keep looking into the people behind his kidnapping." Suo Ran's fingers curled again at his side. He didn't turn around. "Do what you have to do." Cai Lang watched him for another second. He seemed to want to say something more, but instead he simply nodded. "Good night." The door closed quietly behind him. Suo Ran stayed still. He didn't move toward it. He didn't call Cai Lang back.
Suo Ran's fingers slowly tightened against the curtain.The car began moving. Suo Ran turned toward the window and pulled the curtain aside.He watched Cai Lang's car pass through the gate.When the car disappeared from sight, his hand remained frozen against the curtain. Then his fingers suddenly lost their strength and curtain slipped from his hand. Suo Ran stepped back.He lowered his head and pressed the heel of his palm against his eyes.
For a few seconds, he stayed like that, fighting to regain control. His shoulders began to tremble.He clenched his jaw and tried to breathe normally, but another shaky breath escaped him. He turned away from the window and walked toward the sofa, only making it a few steps before stopping. His hand caught the edge of the table for support. He lowered his head, his eyes squeezed shut then tears gathered and slipped down his face.He quickly wiped them away with the back of his hand, almost angrily, as though frustrated with himself for allowing them to come. "Damn it..." His voice cracked. He sat down slowly, elbows resting on his knees, both hands covering his face. He stayed there for a long moment.
Suo Ran stood and walked toward the window again. He looked outside once more,He was about to close the curtain when something suddenly returned to his mind.Suo Ran stopped. His expression changed. He slowly lowered the curtain. "Wait..." He stood completely still. Cai Lang's explanation about Lu Zhen's death replayed in his head.Suo Ran's brows drew together as he tried to remember the details exactly. "That doesn't make sense." He walked back toward the room, his earlier emotions gradually being replaced by concentration. He stopped beside the table. His fingers tapped once against the surface. Then again. "If someone deliberately framed me..." He looked toward the door. His expression hardened. "...then why did they want Cai Lang to believe it?" He slowly straightened.
Suo Ran's eyes narrowed. "Unless..." He paused. His gaze shifted toward the empty doorway. "They wanted him to investigate me." His expression darkened as another possibility surfaced. "They wanted Cai Lang to turn against me." Suo Ran slowly whispered, "If someone deliberately framed me..." His eyes narrowed. "...then why did they want Cai Lang to believe it?"