What Lies Behind the Wall

Qin Huairen pressed her ear against the wall.

Accidentally, her shoulder bumped into it, and the wall slowly rose upward.

Startled, she stepped back.

Turning around, she noticed the completely different reactions from the two beside her.

Yan Qing’s face was tense—unusually serious.

Lu Shiyu, on the other hand, looked just as confused as Qin Huairen and walked over.

“Oh? This can open?

I always thought it was a real wall.”

Before the wall fully rose to Qin Huairen’s line of sight, a rich mushroom broth aroma drifted out.

Probably the owner was eating hotpot there.

The taste… oddly similar to Wen Yuzhi’s preference.

Qin Huairen bent slightly, peeking in, saying, “Sorry, I accidentally…”

Her words suddenly stopped.

Yan Qing’s heart shot up to her throat.

It’s over, it’s over!

Yan Qing bumped Lu Shiyu’s shoulder and glared at her repeatedly.

Lu Shiyu raised her brows as if asking—what’s wrong?

Yan Qing whispered, “This is your fault.”

Qin Huairen looked around, then turned back.

Yan Qing was standing very close to her.

She stepped aside, puzzled.

“There’s no one.”

Yan Qing swallowed the “President Wen” that almost slipped out, forcing it back down along with her pounding heart.

She relaxed and played along.

“Oh? Really?”

Qin Huairen muttered to herself, “What a coincidence.

Such a niche ringtone, and someone else is using it too.”

Wen Yuzhi’s ringtone had always been a chant from the Diamond Sutra.

The first time Qin Huairen heard it, she laughed and joked, “Who are you trying to transcend?”

Wen Yuzhi had looked at her coldly and replied, “Yes.”

Qin Huairen immediately swallowed her laughter and apologized.

Over the years, she had only heard that ringtone from Wen Yuzhi’s phone.

Later, when she started working at the cemetery and was easily frightened, she even used that same chant to calm herself.

“Alright, I’ll head out first.”

Lu Shiyu greeted them and disappeared out the door in a blink.

“That person really…”

Yan Qing finally relaxed.

With Wen Yuzhi gone, she could eat and chat freely with Qin Huairen.

“She’s gone. No need to listen to her nagging. Let’s eat properly.”

Qin Huairen was already half full.

Her appetite had been disrupted, but Yan Qing insisted on pulling her back to sit.

“Come on, eat more. Or we can have a drink?”

Qin Huairen waved her hands quickly.

“You have work tomorrow, and you drove here. No drinking. Just have some drinks.”

They ordered beverages and continued eating.

“Dr. Lu was probably just teasing you. Don’t be upset.”

Yan Qing tried to smooth things over.

“If President Wen knew, she’d definitely scold her.”

Qin Huairen gave a simple “mm” and told Yan Qing to eat more.

Though the wall had come down again, the scent of mushroom broth still lingered in the room.

As Qin Huairen ate, she couldn’t help glancing at the wall again and again.

Could it really be such a coincidence?

Same taste, same ringtone…

Casually, she asked,

“You came to eat with me tonight. Who’s accompanying your President Wen?”

The question was clearly probing.

Yan Qing answered vaguely.

“She was supposed to go on a business trip today, but didn’t let me drive her. I’m not sure what she’s doing now.”

That response subtly drew a boundary—she didn’t know Wen Yuzhi’s whereabouts.

Qin Huairen smiled.

“That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Huh?”

“Back in school, you were always by her side. Even teachers would come to you to find her.”

Yan Qing laughed awkwardly.

“Well… we’re older now. She doesn’t like me following her anymore.

Otherwise, what happened last night wouldn’t have happened.”

She smoothly changed the topic.

Qin Huairen listened quietly as Yan Qing began talking about Wen Yuzhi’s past—those reckless, life-threatening actions.

“Small things aside, there are too many.

But there were two times that scared me the most, besides last night.”

Yan Qing’s voice trembled slightly.

The first was after the arranged marriage incident.

Wen Yuzhi had overturned the table and left, but the Wen family didn’t give up.

Especially Wen Heyun.

“I hate her second brother the most.”

Yan Qing’s tone was filled with anger.

She described how Wen Heyun locked Wen Yuzhi in a room, cutting off food and water, even chaining her to the bed.

“She hates being threatened. You know that.”

Yan Qing’s anger carried deep pain.

“I told her to wait—I was already finding help.

But she didn’t say a word.

She broke the chain herself and jumped from the fifth floor.”

Fifth floor.

Below was a drained swimming pool—hard ground.

Qin Huairen’s heart raced.

Wasn’t that suicidal?

Yan Qing continued softly.

“I asked her—aren’t you afraid of dying?

Do you know what she said?”

“She said… if I die, so many people will be happy.”

Yan Qing’s eyes turned red.

“The fact that she’s still alive is already a miracle.”

The second incident happened when Wen Yuzhi was to attend a crucial board meeting.

If she didn’t show up, she’d lose everything.

“Do you know how shameless Wen Heyun is?”

He blocked every route.

Wen Yuzhi simply drove straight through.

The car was wrecked.

Her head was bleeding.

But she still went to the meeting.

She collapsed before it ended.

Yan Qing’s voice trembled.

“The doctor said she needed immediate surgery or her life would be in danger.

But her family didn’t even pick up the phone.”

In the end, Yan Qing knelt in front of her father to force him to sign the consent.

That year, Wen Yuzhi underwent brain surgery.

The results weren’t ideal.

“There could be complications anytime.”

Yan Qing wiped her tears.

“She never takes care of herself. She never listens.”

Finally, she broke down crying.

She had held it in for years.

And now, in front of Qin Huairen, she lost control.

“If she dies, I won’t live either.”

Qin Huairen’s eyes turned red too.

“Don’t say that.”

She forced Yan Qing to spit three times to ward off bad luck.

“You can talk to me anytime. Don’t keep everything inside.”

Then she couldn’t help but curse the Wen family.

“How can they be like this? Isn’t she their own?”

Yan Qing wiped her tears angrily.

“They’re afraid.

Afraid she’ll take everything from them.”

She then spoke of something even more horrifying—

Wen Yuzhi’s older brother died mysteriously after they were found unconscious together.

No one knew what happened.

No answers were ever found.

Since then, Wen Yuzhi never ate outside food again.

Qin Huairen was stunned.

The world of wealthy families felt darker than anything she had imagined.

When Yan Qing left to wash her face, Qin Huairen sat there, overwhelmed.

Maybe Lu Shiyu was right.

She didn’t really understand Wen Yuzhi.

But how could she?

Wen Yuzhi never said anything.

She only ever looked at her coldly.

After Yan Qing returned, they settled the bill and prepared to leave.

Yan Qing brought candied hawthorn from the fridge.

“You paid?” Qin Huairen frowned.

“Thank you for listening tonight.”

Yan Qing handed it to her.

Outside, the snow was heavy.

“There’s no one selling this now,” Qin Huairen said.

“I bought it earlier.”

Qin Huairen accepted it and tried to transfer money, but Yan Qing ran off.

She also gave her some fruit.

“I’m eating and taking everything,” Qin Huairen sighed.

Yan Qing smiled brightly despite her red eyes.

“Waste is a crime. Help me share it.”

She bowed and thanked her sincerely.

Qin Huairen felt both touched and amused.

“Next time, no buying things. And don’t fight to pay.”

Yan Qing waved her off and left.

Qin Huairen stood in the cold wind, trying to clear her head.

After returning to the hotel, she realized—her phone was missing.

It must have been left at the restaurant.

She immediately went back.

The phone was under the chair.

As she stepped out, she glanced at the slightly open door next door.

Voices came from inside.

Curiosity stirred again.

She quietly approached and peeked in.

The room was dimly lit.

Behind a screen, she saw a familiar figure.

Wen Yuzhi.

Qin Huairen instinctively pushed the door—about to call her.

But suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around Wen Yuzhi’s shoulders.

Qin Huairen froze.

Another woman appeared behind the screen.

Dressed in a qipao, she smiled gently.

Then leaned in—

And kissed her.