Standing Next To You-Chapter 488: Infidelity

"After the first wife left, no one ever used this room again, and it became abandoned. It’s actually the oldest room in this building. But thanks to the hard work of my ancestors, it has been well preserved."

Lin Zhe smiled at everyone, his tone tempting. "Ladies and gentlemen, would you like to take a look inside?"

The crowd, already captivated by the story, nodded without hesitation.

Lin Zhe’s smile deepened as he reached for the doorknob.

Lin Sunji felt a surge of panic.

Fidelity. Incest. Her brother missing. Bei Sangyun...

The pieces were falling into place, and her worst suspicions were being confirmed.

Ping.

A notification from her phone made her jump. She quickly glanced down and saw Fei Chuan’s message:

[Stall for time. I’ll get her out.]

Her eyes widened in shock. There wasn’t enough time to ask for clarification. When she looked up, Lin Zhe was already turning the knob to open the door.

Heart racing, Lin Sunji hurried forward, her voice trembling with urgency. She might not get in time. "Wait—!"

At the same time, a raspy voice pierced through the air, cutting through the crowd like a knife.

"That’s an interesting story, brother."

The entire crowd turned to the speaker, as did Lin Zhe. Lin Sunji instinctively glanced at the source of the voice.

From the middle of the crowd, a tall, pale, and thin man stepped forward. Despite his sickly frame, his sharp eyes and confident smirk radiated an undeniable charisma that instantly commanded attention.

"I also came across that note," the man began, his voice calm yet filled with intrigue. "The first wife being intimate with her own brother, the two adulterers getting caught, and the gardener’s sister being banished alongside the first wife. The gardener was bitter—his sister was merely an innocent maid working under the first wife, but she was implicated unjustly. And yet, he managed to pen his diary, despite his struggles to even write characters."

The man smiled, his eyes gleaming with mischief, and a murmur rippled through the crowd. Those who had seen him in the past suddenly realized who he was.

"But you left out something important, brother," the man continued, his tone cutting.

Lin Zhe slowly lowered his hand from the doorknob and turned to face the speaker, his eyes narrowing. "Lin Fei. It’s been a long time."

The guests stood frozen, their expressions identical in shock. The name "Lin Fei" reverberated in their minds, the image of the bright, mischievous young man they all knew overlapping with that of the frail, sickly figure before them.

Their gazes turned toward the tall man, their surprise mounting with each passing second.

This fragile, pallid man was undeniably Lin Fei!

*****

Bei Sangyun used all her strength, but no matter how much energy she expended, she could only manage to move an inch from where she was.

Lin Sanju was watching her closely. Like her, he had managed to open his eyes and wiggle his fingers, but the rest of his body remained paralyzed. Whatever drug they had been injected with was incredibly potent.

"...So...r...ry," he muttered weakly, his voice filled with regret. Bei Sangyun had warned him to be cautious, but he had still fallen into their enemies’ trap—and worse, he had dragged her down with him.

Bei Sangyun paused and turned her gaze toward him. She wanted to reassure him, to say this wasn’t his fault and that there were still ways to escape. But when she tried to speak, her tongue felt heavy and numb. Instead, she managed to mutter, "...Out..."

Lin Sanju understood her meaning immediately. He nodded slightly, a flicker of determination in his eyes, and began trying to roll his body backward.

As the two struggled, faint footsteps echoed from outside the room. Not just one set, but several.

The building, being old and lacking soundproofing, carried the murmurs from the other side of the door clearly to their ears.

Among the voices, Lin Zhe’s stood out.

"This is the room of the First Wife... Would you all like to take a look inside?"

Bei Sangyun and Lin Sanju exchanged a tense glance.

Lin Sanju felt panic welling up inside him, but when he saw the determined look in Bei Sangyun’s eyes—ready to fight despite their predicament—he found himself calming down.

Not everyone in the crowd would be foolish enough to believe what was happening. Surely, someone would notice they had been drugged and see through the scheme.

The knob turned, and the door creaked slightly as it began to move. Both held their breath, expecting the door to swing open and expose them to the crowd.

But just as the door began to open, another voice interrupted.

Though they couldn’t make out the exact words of the new speaker, they heard Lin Zhe’s response loud and clear:

"Lin Fei, it’s been a long time."

A flicker passed through Bei Sangyun’s eyes as she glanced at the door.

Through the slightly ajar door, the conversation outside became clear.

"...You didn’t tell them the whole story. The First Wife and her brother were not blood-related," Lin Fei’s voice sounded, calm yet sharp.

The murmurs among the crowd outside grew louder.

"Then are you saying that because they aren’t blood-related, it’s acceptable for them to commit such a sin?" Lin Zhe’s tone carried a sharp edge.

"Of course not. That’s still infidelity. There’s no excuse for their adultery. But at the very least, the story should be told accurately," Lin Fei retorted.

Tap. Tap.

Bei Sangyun’s ears picked up a faint sound from behind Lin Sanju—near the window. She strained to separate the noise from the ruckus outside.

"It also doesn’t change the fact that they were considered siblings, even if not by blood," Lin Zhe countered. "They bore the same surname, which only made their sin even more disgraceful."

Click.

The unmistakable sound of a window opening made her ears prick up. She lifted her chin slightly to get a better view, but then froze.

Fei Chuan was climbing through the window.

Once he had successfully entered, he closed the window quietly and drew the curtains. Without a moment’s hesitation, he rushed to the bed.

When Fei Chuan’s gaze fell on Bei Sangyun, seeing her in such a vulnerable state—wrapped only in a bathrobe, disheveled, and paralyzed—his expression darkened.

The signs of mistreatment were clear. His jaw tightened with a barely contained anger.

"Can you move?" he asked, his voice low, edged with urgency.

"...N-no..." Bei Sangyun stammered, slowly regaining her senses.

Fei Chuan exhaled in relief, grateful that she could still speak.

"Are you hurt?" His voice softened, carrying a tenderness that contrasted with the tension in the room.

"N-no..." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"Good." Although he said ’good,’ the fire in his eyes spoke volumes of his fury.

Fei Chuan’s eyes darted toward the door. His expression went back to being cold. He couldn’t carry both Bei Sangyun and Lin Sanju at once. Even carrying just one of them while climbing down without support would be risky.

Fei Chuan’s mind raced as he assessed the situation. He had arrived in a hurry, leaving his men still en route. If he tried jumping out the window with Bei Sangyun in her current condition, he couldn’t guarantee her safety.

His gaze shifted to Lin Sanju who was also looking at him, and an idea sparked.

He glanced back at Bei Sangyun. "There are people outside and we don’t have a way out. I have a plan to help you two. But I will need your cooperation."