Chapter Eighteen: Forcing the Truth from a Son

Yin Nian lay awake in the darkness, her eyes open.
The scenes from her dream were startlingly vivid, every detail etched clearly in her mind.
Though she had not seen the shadowy figure’s face, his clothing and build left little room for doubt: it was Liang Zhicheng.
That meant the indistinct, frightening silhouette she had glimpsed at the end of her hypnosis was also Liang Zhicheng.
A detail returned to her: the first time she met Yuan Yi, Yuan Yi had called out to Liang Zhicheng from a distance, and the two had chatted warmly, as if they were old acquaintances.
Another memory surfaced—the day after the car accident, when she returned home, Liang Zhicheng came in from outside wearing that same black coat, carrying a black plastic bag, his face drawn and tired, as if he had not slept the whole night. Where had he gone that morning—or perhaps, the night before?
Could it be that he had been following her?
Otherwise, how could he have arrived at the hospital so quickly?
Why else would he have gone out of his way to check the car’s dashcam footage?
But why would he follow her? What did he hope to achieve?
Yin Nian could not make sense of it. She closed her eyes, but memories of tender moments with Liang Zhicheng flashed through her mind: he was thoughtful, gentle, considerate to everyone, but especially to her. No matter what she did, he never complained or blamed her. True, she was the main breadwinner—Liang Zhicheng’s fairy-tale writing brought in little money—so even if he wanted to say something, he never really had the grounds. Still, in her heart, he was a good husband.
She did not confront him rashly; after all, it was only a dream, not something she had seen with her own eyes. It could not prove anything—at most, it showed she harbored some suspicions about her husband.
She sifted through the details in her mind, searching for inconsistencies. For now, these were only doubts, nothing concrete. There was no need to alert him prematurely; if she accused him wrongly, it would be disastrous.
Liang Zhicheng lay facing the other way, his deep, rhythmic snores betraying how soundly he slept.
Soon, she heard soft footsteps outside—the sound of Yangyang getting up to use the bathroom. Yin Nian glanced at the clock: five in the morning. The sky was a dim gray, caught between night and dawn.
A bold thought flitted through her mind. She slipped quietly out of bed and tiptoed to the door. When Yangyang emerged from the bathroom, she was already waiting for him in the living room.
“Yangyang, I’m going to take you somewhere,” she whispered, taking his hand and signaling him to stay silent.
She left the house with Yangyang. Once in the car, he could not help but ask, “Mom, where are we going?”
“You’ll know soon. Don’t worry, there’s nothing to be afraid of. We’ll be back soon,” she assured him.
Yangyang looked around nervously, his anxiety plain.
Yin Nian drove him to a small hotel and rented a room.

Once inside, she locked the door, drew the curtains, and pulled Yangyang to the bed. Clasping both his wrists tightly, she fixed her wide eyes on his.
Yangyang shrank under her gaze, fear flickering in his eyes.
“Yangyang, we’re alone here. I just want to ask you one thing,” she said gravely.
His lips quivered; he was both frightened and tense.
“Did you lie?” Her voice was low and stern.
Yangyang tried to get up, but she held him firmly in place.
“You didn’t actually see me hit anyone, did you?” Her tone rose.
Yangyang began to struggle, but she gripped his hands even tighter, refusing to let him go.
“Did someone tell you to lie?” she demanded, enunciating each word.
At this, Yangyang’s panic became unmistakable. He fought to free himself, letting out a cry.
“What is going on?” Yin Nian pressed him, her eyes wide with desperation. She could see now that Yangyang was hiding something. “Did someone threaten you? Or make you say these things? Tell me, Yangyang. I’ll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you—”
Suddenly, Yangyang screamed, the piercing sound ringing in her ears and momentarily weakening her grip. He broke free, tumbled off the bed, and dashed toward the door.
Yin Nian chased after him, grabbing his shoulder from behind. Off balance, Yangyang fell to the floor, his cheek striking hard. She seized his arm. “Yangyang, are you alright? Did you get hurt?”
A bruise appeared on his face; whether from pain or fright, he began to wail uncontrollably.
“I didn’t mean to, Yangyang… Where are you hurt?” She frantically checked him for injuries, then hugged him tightly. “Don’t be afraid. I just want to talk to you…”
But Yangyang kept crying, his body shrinking away, trying to retreat, but she held onto him, pulling him back toward the bed.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside, followed by pounding on the door. Someone announced themselves as police and demanded entry. When Yin Nian opened the door, she found Liang Zhicheng, her parents, and a hotel security guard standing in the corridor.
Her parents, hearing Yangyang’s sobs, rushed in and found him on the bed, anxiously checking him over.
Liang Zhicheng stood at the threshold, his face grave. “What’s going on here?”
Yin Nian opened her mouth, but no words came.
Liang Zhicheng continued, “When I woke up and saw you were gone, I called your phone several times and you didn’t answer. I went to my parents’ room downstairs, but you weren’t there either. Then I realized Yangyang was missing too. I tracked him by his watch and found you here. I thought you two were kidnapped and called the police.”

Yin Nian swallowed hard. “I just wanted to talk to Yangyang…”
Liang Zhicheng frowned. “You brought him here in the middle of the night for a talk? Why not at home? Why not tell me? Do you have any idea how worried I was? How worried your parents were?”
Yin Nian said nothing, her expression defeated. She knew her plan had failed, and she had put herself in a very unfavorable position. She had been too rash; she should have kept calm and waited for a better opportunity.
Her parents took Yangyang out. Her mother was completely bewildered by Yin Nian’s behavior, and seeing Yangyang’s bruised face and trembling, tearful body, her anger flared—she even suspected for a moment that Yin Nian had abused him.
When her mother confronted her, Yin Nian explained she only wanted to talk to Yangyang because there were still doubts about what had happened. But her mother wouldn’t listen; their argument quickly escalated, soon reaching the root of the issue. In her fury, her mother accused Yin Nian of refusing to admit she had hit someone. Yin Nian’s temper snapped, and the quarrel erupted in full force.
Her father and Liang Zhicheng tried to intervene, but it was hopeless. Both women were quick-tempered, trading words back and forth without pause, while the two men, more mild-mannered, could only stand by helplessly, at a loss for what to do.
In the end, her mother left with Yangyang, and Yin Nian, saying she needed time alone, stayed in the hotel by herself.
Dawn had broken; purple-red light glimmered faintly on the horizon. Lying on the bed, Yin Nian stared in a daze at the rising sun, her body and mind exhausted.
Things were not supposed to turn out this way…
Yet somehow, she had strayed onto this twisted path…
Her work was slipping away, her life was slipping away, her family was slipping away…
She knew that if she simply confessed to the accident and paid compensation, everything would be over. Work and life would return to normal. But even if the matter ended, the knot in her heart would remain, the injustice would still burn inside her. She refused to shoulder this burden for the rest of her life, to live in confusion and resignation.
Yin Nian resolved that, no matter what, she must get to the bottom of every doubt—even if it meant facing graver consequences, even prison. She would not fear it, nor regret it.
So, what should she do next?
Her mind was in turmoil, anxiety and agitation making it impossible to think calmly. She needed help—someone to help her unravel the clues, someone to fight alongside her.
But…whom could she trust?
Or rather…who would still believe her?
After a moment’s thought, Yin Nian took out her phone and dialed Han Duoduo’s number.