Jiang Ying sending out the detail of his alias, Zhou Yong, was actually part of the plan.

Fortunately, the tortured brother gave the correct answer, and only then did he finally relax. Wen Qingshan temporarily let his guard down, giving him the opportunity to pull the disguised brother closer to him—just as the organization had intended. His identity was too important to expose, so he couldn’t reveal himself. However, he needed to get the disguised brother under his control. He later recognized the true identity of the brother from his small smoking habits—it was his closest friend, Xie Shi.

Back in middle school, for a long time, he and Xie Shi were inseparable. Xie Shi thought their close relationship had begun on the day they smoked on the rooftop. In reality, it was much earlier—before he even became Xie Shi’s class leader, before they were even in the same class. He was just a transfer student at that time. One day, he was cornered in an alley by some upper-class bullies, but it was Xie Shi who rushed in with a brick to save him. The two of them helped each other out of the alley, and just as they reached the street, the streetlight flickered on.

“My parents told me to do more good deeds and help the weak. Not saying you’re weak—you’re pretty tough. But hey, I’m just doing a good deed, right?” Under the warm yellow glow of the streetlight, Xie Shi grinned widely, and that smile became etched in Bian Ci’s heart.

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Side Story: Bian Ci

Wen Qingshan was a complete pervert. This was the third time he had drunkenly asked Bian Ci to hand over a person—still thinking about the face that Xie Shi was wearing.

Bian Ci coldly refused, which made Wen Qingshan tease, “What? Have you taken a liking to him?”

Bian Ci knew Wen Qingshan’s nature. He liked to push until he got what he wanted and wouldn’t easily let go. Just as Bian Ci was considering how to respond, Wen Qingshan unexpectedly said, “Fine, if you really like him, he’s yours.”

Bian Ci pondered this for a long time, trying to figure out what Wen Qingshan meant, but it was indeed an opportunity. Bian Ci had been trying to get Xie Shi to rise through the ranks quickly without arousing suspicion, and this seemed like the only way.

At first, Bian Ci intended to fake it, not take it seriously. But things took an unexpected turn.

When the Wen family’s shipment arrived at sea, Bian Ci orchestrated a play to keep Wen Ye inland, ensuring that the Wen family could be taken down in one sweep. Even the amnesia he claimed to suffer was all an act. There was a live surveillance feed from Wen Qingshan’s secret room in the safe house. To maintain the illusion, Bian Ci had to pretend to be amnesiac. The tight schedule for the shipment left Wen Qingshan with no time to personally check on him in the safe house, so Wen Ye had to step in. During this period, Bian Ci only needed to put on a show for Wen Qingshan. However, he never anticipated that Xie Shi would take it seriously.

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Side Story: Bian Ci

Bian Ci felt that his mind had seriously slipped, leading to the situation spiraling out of control. Yet, in certain secret moments, he couldn’t deny a sense of quiet joy. Emotions that had long been buried deep within him began to surface. But that day, when Xie Shi cried in his arms, those hidden feelings turned into a bitter ache.

Xie Shi knew nothing. He didn’t know who Bian Ci really was, nor the unspoken feelings he harbored. Bian Ci couldn’t even bear to think about what would happen when the truth finally came out—what kind of relationship they would have when everything was laid bare.

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Epilogue

After everything settled, the organization arranged psychological counseling for me, Bian Ci, and a few other colleagues. Honestly, I was fine—after a few sessions, I felt more or less like a normal person again. But Bian Ci seemed to be struggling, mainly because he kept avoiding me. Until today, when I finally managed to corner him and drag him up to the rooftop.

Years later, we once again stood face-to-face, smoking like we used to. He remained silent, even avoiding eye contact. I broke the silence, “Brother, don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

I reached out, lifting his chin, forcing him to look at me. He struggled a little, but I didn’t let go. Eventually, he gave in, sighed, and began to speak.

He talked for a long time, confessing all the things he did while in the Wen family, revealing his thoughts, and spending most of the time apologizing—for what he had done to me while undercover in the Wen family and for his hidden feelings.

Seeing how cautious he was, it hurt me inside. He had been my sun during my youth. Things between us weren’t supposed to turn out like this.

I interrupted his apologies, held his hand, and told him, “I don’t blame you.”

But his hand was trembling.

Later, he cautiously asked what our relationship would be going forward. At that moment, I was reminded of my 18th birthday, when he took me out for a big meal. On the way back, we got caught in a downpour without umbrellas, so we shared a single jacket as we ran back to the school building. After we made it inside, panting, he looked at me and asked, “Xie Shi, what kind of relationship will we have in the future? Will we always be like this—sharing a jacket to shelter from the rain?”

I was taken aback by his strange question, but I still answered, saying, of course, we’d always be best friends, inseparable for life.

But I had lied that day. I didn’t want to just be friends with him.

And now, I decided to reveal that secret.

I embraced him and told him that the past was beyond our control, but because it was him, I wasn’t hurt anymore. I didn’t blame him—I loved him.

Before I could finish, he reached out and hugged me tightly.

In that moment, I knew my sun had returned.

(End)