The following evening, the Jiang mansion was cloaked in quiet. The servants had long gone to bed, and the only light came from the soft glow of Meilin's lamp. She sat at her desk, trying to write down her thoughts — to make sense of the pain and clarity tangled within her heart.
But the pen in her hand refused to move.
Her eyes kept drifting toward the framed photo of Rui and Xiaoya. Both smiling. Both waiting for something she wasn't sure she could give again.
Then a sharp knock echoed through the silence.
Her heart jumped. It was late — too late for visitors. She opened the door slightly… and froze.
The man standing there looked like Rui — same sharp jaw, same steady eyes — but colder, darker. His presence filled the room like smoke.
"Hello, Meilin," he said, his voice smooth and low. "It's been a while."
"Liwei…" she whispered, her throat dry. Rui's brother. The man whose name was buried in police reports and whispers.
He smiled faintly. "I see Rui finally told you."
Meilin's grip tightened on the doorknob. "You shouldn't be here."
"Relax. I didn't come to start another fire." His gaze drifted over the room, lingering on the photo of Xiaoya. "Beautiful child. She looks just like you."
"Leave her out of this," Meilin snapped.
He chuckled softly. "Still fiery. I can see why my brother never let you go."
"What do you want, Liwei?"
He leaned against the doorframe. "Closure. Maybe forgiveness. Or maybe just… to remind you that Rui isn't as innocent as you think."
Her heart tightened. "He told me the truth."
"Did he?" Liwei tilted his head. "Did he tell you he helped me hide afterward? That he bribed the investigators to erase my name?"
Meilin's breath caught. "You're lying."
He took a slow step closer, eyes glinting like steel. "Am I? Ask him why your house really burned, Meilin. It wasn't an accident. It was a warning — to Li Chen."
Her knees weakened. "No… that can't be true."
"I didn't mean for it to spread," he said quietly. "But Rui… Rui made sure it looked like Li Chen's fault. He wanted him gone."
The words hit her like a slap. She staggered back, shaking her head. "You expect me to believe that?"
Liwei smiled faintly. "You already do. I can see it in your eyes."
Before she could answer, a voice thundered from behind him.
"Enough."
Rui stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable but his eyes full of restrained fury. "You've said enough, Liwei."
His brother smirked. "Ah, the hero arrives. Still pretending to protect her, are you?"
"Get out," Rui said quietly, deadly calm.
Liwei's grin widened. "You can't hide from the truth forever, brother. When she learns everything… will she still love you?"
He turned and walked away, his laughter echoing down the hall like a curse.
Meilin stood frozen, trembling. Rui reached for her, but she stepped back.
"Tell me he's lying," she whispered.
Rui's face tightened — and in that instant, she saw hesitation. Pain. Guilt.
"Meilin…" he began.
Her tears fell silently. "You promised no more lies."
Rui lowered his gaze. "I know. But some truths… destroy everything."
She stared at him — the man she had loved, hated, and loved again. The man who might have burned her world to save her from another.
And for the first time since her reb
irth, Meilin realized — the fire hadn't ended.
It had only changed form.