The evening glow was as red as fire hanging on the skyline, while on the ground corresponding to this burning cloud was a farm yard with thick smoke rolling up. The yard built in previous years and the furniture and main structure in the house were all made of wood, so they caught fire easily.
The raging fire spread out from the living room and soon burned down the chicken coop and firewood pile in the yard. In less than five minutes, the whole yard was engulfed in the raging fire and thick smoke.
Through the gauze curtain and guardrail in the living room, a figure in a suit lying on the sofa could be seen. Even with only a back view and the back of his head buried very deep due to unconsciousness, it could be seen that it was Song JinXing.
At this moment, the flames were licking his suit and hair. In the next moment, the collapsed beam smashed down and smashed his unconscious body into the sea of fire, and could no longer be found.
In the bright office, Song Xinwen sat leisurely and comfortably in the chair, and watched this video of the raging fire burning over and over again. There was no extra expression on his face, still the usual calm and gentle look he showed to others.
Finally, after confirming that the video was fine, he deleted the chat history and contacts and formatted his mobile phone, as if nothing had happened, and continued to deal with the work in front of his computer.
In less than half an hour, the mobile phone rang. Seeing his father's incoming call on the screen, Song Xinwen twitched the corner of his mouth very quickly, and the mask-like expression finally overflowed a trace of sarcasm, but his tone was still as steady as usual: "Dad?"
On the other end of the phone came the sound of rapid breathing. Song Grandpa's muffled voice trembled violently: "Where are you?"
Song Xinwen said, "I'm still at the company. What's wrong, Dad?"
"Did you do it?"
"What did I do? Dad, what are you talking about?"
The breathing became more and more intense. Finally, like a bomb being ignited, Song Grandpa's voice carried desperate pain and angry despair: "The police just called to notify me that Xing met with a fire accident and has already...already...did you do it! Is it you?!"
Song Xinwen suddenly stood up, knocking over the ornaments on the office desk. His voice showed incredible concern: "Xing met with a fire accident? Where is he? Has he been sent to the hospital? Dad, don't worry, tell me where you are and I'll come over right away!"
An hour later, Song Xinwen and Song Jingwu supported Song Grandpa as they appeared in front of a building that had almost been burned to ruins.
It was already dark, with only a hint of sunset red lingering on the horizon. The air was full of the burnt smell after the big fire. The damp bare ground was parked with two fire trucks, and the firefighters who had finished extinguishing the fire were handling the cleanup work.
On the other side, the police car's lights were flashing, and the ambulance was parked quietly to the side, but it was of no use anymore.
There were two stretchers on the ground, covered with white cloth, and some police officers standing next to one, asking the reporter questions and taking notes. Seeing the three people, one of the policemen said, "The family members of the deceased have arrived, take them to identify the corpse."
Upon hearing these words, Song Grandpa's legs went soft, and he would have fallen if not for Song Jingwu and Song Xinwen supporting him on either side. He was propped up by his two sons on either side, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the stretcher on the ground covered with the white cloth. His whole body was shaking, and after a long time, he let out a cry of grief.
Song Jingwu stared incredulously at the scene in front of him, his whole mind blank. He couldn't help but yell at the police: "What deceased? Have you made a mistake?!"
The policeman glanced at him, walked over and handed him an ID card charred in an evidence bag in front of his eyes: "Song JinXing, is he your family member?"
Song Jingwu's legs went weak, staggering back a few steps, barely holding on without kneeling down: "Yes...he...how did this happen? Comrade police officer, what is going on here?! Is there some kind of misunderstanding?!"
The police officer sympathetically glanced at them: "Actually, before you came, we had already checked the surveillance videos. The surveillance on the road leading into the village was broken, but the electronic eye at the highway exit did capture him. By the way, take a look at that car over there and see if it's the one the deceased usually drove, it's parked at the intersection."
Following the police officer's guidance, all three of them saw the Bentley Song JinXing usually drove.
Song Grandpa almost fainted, but fortunately there was an ambulance right there. With just high blood pressure and no other illnesses, after being helped by the medics to take his medicine, he narrowly recovered.
At this time, Song Jingwu's face was also pale as a sheet. He asked the police: "Who is the other corpse?"
The policeman said, "It's a man named Zou Wang. We investigated and found out he was a private investigator."
A private investigator?
Song Grandpa's feeble spirit seemed to be stimulated. He suddenly raised his head sharply and looked at Song Xinwen, who had a grief-stricken expression next to him. The father and son's eyes met, one agitated and angry, the other sunk in grief and calm.
A few months ago, his daughter-in-law had warned him that her words were still in his ears.
- Your favoritism back then caused the death of your most beloved son. Do you think it will cause the death of your grandson now?
He knew better than anyone what Song JinXing had been investigating recently. After that conversation, he had been immersed in grief and guilt. Actually in previous years, he had regretted it already. He realized his own mistakes.
He shouldn't have chosen to cover up for the murderer just because he didn't want to lose two sons at the same time, and didn't want the news of this prominent family's internal strife and mutual destruction to affect Song's reputation and stock price at that time.
But as time went on longer, he became more and more afraid to reveal the truth from that year. Old people desired peace and quiet even more, and he didn't dare to face the turmoil that would be triggered by exposing this matter, nor did he dare to face the disappointed and resentful eyes of his grandson at that time.
One wrong step leads to another. Just when he was struggling in pain, he lost his beloved one again.
And the murderer... the murderer who had pretended for twenty years, was now standing nonchalantly by his side.
Tears of frustration rolled down Song Grandpa's eyes. He cried and laughed hysterically, making guttural sounds of breathing heavily. Suddenly he raised his hand and slapped Song Xinwen hard in the face.
Song Xinwen's eyes darkened: "Dad! Calm down! Xing is gone, but our life has to go on. The Song family still needs you, needs me. None of us can fall."
He was threatening him.
Song Grandpa realized bluntly that this son was threatening him.
Just as he had once covered up for him, now in such circumstances, if he didn't want turmoil in the Song family, didn't want the Song family to fall apart, didn't want to ruin himself in his old age and live out his later years in prison, becoming a laughable topic in the circle, then he could only continue to cover up for him.
Turbid tears rolled down Song Grandpa's eyes. He cried and laughed hysterically again, as if demented.
