The car pulled into the driveway just after seven. Su Yiling's feet ached, and her head felt heavy from all the decision-making, but her phone had been buzzing insistently for the past twenty minutes.
Song Wei.
Three missed calls and two text messages, all saying variations of the same thing: Need to meet tonight. Important.
"Thank you for today, Mom," Su Yiling said as they climbed out of the car. "I'm going to rest in my room for a bit."
Her mother nodded, already thinking about tomorrow's preparations. "Don't stay up too late. You need to look fresh for the dinner party."
Su Yiling headed upstairs, her mind already working through logistics. She waited until she heard her mother's footsteps fade toward the master bedroom before pulling out her phone.
Can you meet at 9 PM? Same place as before? she texted Song Wei.
The response came almost immediately: Yes. Please come. Something happened.
Su Yiling stared at the message. Something happened. That could mean anything from Li Ran making more threats to Song Wei getting cold feet about their arrangement.
She changed out of her shopping clothes into dark jeans and a plain black hoodie, then sat on her bed waiting. Her family would expect her to stay home after such a long day, so she needed a believable excuse.
At eight-thirty, she headed back downstairs.
Her mother was in the living room reviewing some documents. Her father had returned from his golf game and was reading in his study. Jihan was nowhere to be seen, probably still out with friends.
"Mom?" Su Yiling kept her voice casual. "Lin Xiaoli just texted. She's having some kind of crisis and needs help with a project due Monday. Would it be okay if I went to her house for an hour or two?"
Her mother looked up, frowning slightly. "Tonight? You've had such a long day."
"I know, but she's my best friend. And it won't take long - just helping her organize some research materials." Su Yiling added what she hoped was the convincing detail. "Her mom will drive me back."
The mention of adult supervision seemed to ease her mother's concerns. "Alright. But be home by ten-thirty at the latest. You need proper rest before tomorrow."
"I will. Thank you."
Su Yiling grabbed her jacket and slipped out through the front door before any more questions could arise. The evening air was cool against her face as she walked quickly toward the main gate of Phoenix Garden.
She caught a taxi on the main road, giving the driver the address of Riverside Park. The ride took fifteen minutes, and Su Yiling spent the time staring out the window at the city lights, wondering what could have happened to make Song Wei sound so urgent.
The park was darker at night, with only scattered streetlamps providing pools of yellow light along the paths. Su Yiling made her way to the old stone bridge where they'd met before, her footsteps echoing softly in the quiet.
Song Wei was already there, pacing back and forth near the bridge's eastern end. Even from a distance, Su Yiling could see the tension in her movements.
"What happened?" Su Yiling asked as she approached.
Song Wei turned quickly, her face pale in the lamplight. "She called me again. Li Ran called me this afternoon."
Su Yiling felt her stomach tighten. "What did she say?"
"The same threats as always. That she hopes I'm not talking to anyone. That she hopes I haven't forgotten what she has on me." Song Wei's hands were shaking. "But this time she mentioned Song Qing specifically. She said she hopes nothing happens to her on the way to school. That it would be terrible if something unfortunate occurred."
"Did she say anything about me? About anyone coming to see you?"
"No. Nothing like that." Song Wei shook her head. "It was just her usual pattern, calling every few months to remind me that she's watching, that she can reach my daughter anytime she wants."
"But something's different this time," Su Yiling observed. "Otherwise you wouldn't have asked to meet so urgently."
Song Wei's voice cracked. "Because this time I was actually considering doing something about it. This time I have someone willing to help me fight back. And now I'm terrified that if I move forward, if I actually try to expose her, she'll hurt Qing before I can stop her."
The classic fear that kept victims silent for years. Not just the threat itself, but the timing of it.
"Or," Su Yiling said quietly, "Li Ran makes these calls regularly to keep you afraid. It might have nothing to do with our meeting. She doesn't know anyone is helping you."
"Of course I'm afraid!" Song Wei's voice rose slightly before she caught herself and lowered it again. "I've been afraid for fifteen years. But now I'm terrified. What if she actually hurts Qing? What if-"
"She won't."
Song Wei stared at her. "You can't know that."
"I can't promise it," Su Yiling corrected. "But I can promise that if you help me expose what she did, Li Ran won't have the power to hurt anyone anymore."
"And what about in the meantime? What about tomorrow, or the day after, while we're building this case against her?" Song Wei's eyes were wet with tears. "What happens to my daughter while we wait?"
Su Yiling had anticipated this. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a business card, the one she'd found in her father's study earlier.
"This is a private security firm my family has used before. Call this number tomorrow morning and tell them you need protection for your daughter. Say you're calling on behalf of Su Zihang, and that there's been a credible threat."
Song Wei took the card with trembling fingers. "Will they really help?"
"My father's name carries weight. They'll assign someone to watch Song Qing discretely, walking her to and from school, staying near her during the day. Li Ran won't be able to touch her without witnesses."
"And the cost?"
"Let me worry about that." Su Yiling had already planned to use some of her pocket money to cover it. "What matters is keeping Song Qing safe while we move forward."
Song Wei clutched the card like a lifeline. "Why are you doing this? Really? You say Li Ran is your aunt, but this seems personal in a way that goes beyond just family conflict."
Su Yiling looked out at the dark water flowing beneath the bridge. How could she explain that in another life, she had watched good people be destroyed by manipulators like Li Ran? That she had been destroyed herself and was determined never to let it happen again?
"Let's just say I understand what it's like to be trapped by someone else's schemes," she said finally. "And I have the resources to fight back in ways you don't."
Song Wei was quiet for a long moment. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out a small USB drive.
"I told you before that I've been carrying evidence for fifteen years," she said. "This is it. Recordings, documents, and photos. Everything from that night and the months after when Li Ran was actively threatening me."
Su Yiling took the USB drive carefully. "You're trusting me with this?"
"I'm trusting that you hate her as much as I do." Song Wei's voice was steadier now. "And that you're smart enough to know how to use it."
"What about testifying? If it comes to that, will you go public?"
Song Wei hesitated, then nodded slowly. "If my daughter is safe, if I know Li Ran can't hurt her... yes. I'll tell everyone what she did to me. I'll make sure the world knows exactly what kind of monster she is."
Su Yiling slipped the USB drive into her pocket. "Then we have a deal. Call the security firm tomorrow morning. I'll start reviewing this evidence and planning our approach."
"When will you move against her?"
"Soon. But carefully." Su Yiling met Song Wei's eyes. "We only get one chance at this. If we expose her and fail to make it stick, she'll bury us both."
"I know." Song Wei pulled her jacket tighter around herself. "I've lived with that knowledge for fifteen years. At least now I'm finally doing something about it."
They stood together in the quiet park for another moment, two people bonded by a common enemy and a shared determination for justice.
"Thank you," Song Wei said quietly. "For being brave enough to fight her. I don't know what made you decide to take this on, but I'm grateful."
"Save your gratitude for after we win," Su Yiling replied. But her tone was gentler than her words.
They parted ways at the bridge, Su Yiling walking back toward the main road to catch another taxi.
The USB drive felt heavy in her pocket. Fifteen years of evidence against Li Ran, finally in the hands of someone willing to use it.
Su Yiling checked the time. Nine-forty. She could make it home by ten-fifteen if traffic cooperated, well before her mother's deadline.
The taxi ride back gave her time to think.
The house was quiet when she slipped back inside at ten. Her mother's light was still on, but no one came out to question her return.
Su Yiling went straight to her room and locked the door behind her. She sat at her desk and plugged the USB drive into her laptop, her heart beating faster as folders began to appear on screen.
Audio recordings. Scanned documents. Digital photos. Years of carefully preserved evidence, all organized and labeled with dates.
Song Wei had been preparing for this moment for a long time. She just hadn't had anyone to share it with until now.
Su Yiling opened the first audio file and pressed play. A woman's voice filled her room - young, frightened, begging someone to stop.
Then Li Ran's voice, cold and calculating, explaining exactly what would happen if Song Wei ever told anyone the truth.
Su Yiling listened to the entire recording with her jaw clenched and her hands curled into fists. When it finally ended, she sat in silence for a long moment.
Soon, very soon, she would make Li Ran pay for every life she'd destroyed.
Starting with Song Wei's.