Yuan Yuelong's enrollment under Xu Nanxi's identity and his motive to seize the Xu family's assets, leading to the murder of the entire Xu family of four, sent shockwaves across the nation.
It took him years to get close to Xu Nanxi, orchestrate an accident, and then assume his identity to enroll in school.
Just a few years ago, he was still a minor.
The sheer calculation of a child capable of such malice was terrifying.
Newspapers were printed everywhere, and it seemed as though no one in Yan City, from young to old, was unaware of the incident.
Yuan Yuelong likely wouldn't see the outside world again. Once the Xu family's affairs were thoroughly investigated, he would face sentencing.
The thought of Yuan Yuelong, who had so many lives on his hands, having stayed at the Feng family's residence for so long made everyone's blood run cold.
Since the last incident was exposed, Cheng Tao had been staying at Feng Yaojun's house and had not returned. She had even left her daughter with the old lady.
Old Mrs. Lin suddenly felt that the Feng family had returned to its former quiet state.
Without Cheng Tao, without "Xu Nanxi," the days were peaceful.
Occasionally, Song Qinglan and Cheng You would visit to keep her company, and the days passed by quietly.
Yuan Yuelong's case continued to ferment for a while, and gradually, amid the hustle and bustle, it was forgotten by most.
Cheng You began to focus on the Traditional Chinese Medicine competition.
It was a small competition organized by the academy, and students could form teams of three or more to participate.
The scale of the competition was not large, but it was rumored that the champions would receive special rewards, though these had not yet been announced.
Su Jinwen had specifically instructed Cheng You because Cheng You was her most promising student.
Cheng You did not look far afield and directly registered the names of Cao Yanyan and Fang Yunbao.
Fang Yunbao certainly did not want to participate and was dragged by them to register.
After registering, Fang Yunbao, in an attempt to soothe her wounded spirit, ran to the convenience store for snacks as soon as class ended.
She was back within two minutes.
"Quick, quick! Guess who I saw!"
Cao Yanyan put down her pen. "Who did you see?"
"Lin Yutian! She's over by the nursing school, arguing with Feng Xue!"
Fang Yunbao felt that they couldn't miss out on such important gossip and insisted on dragging them along to watch.
Cheng You rolled her eyes but honestly followed along to join the spectacle.
She was indeed curious about why Lin Yutian had come.
When the three of them ran over, Lin Yutian was grabbing Feng Xue by the hair and shrieking, "Xu Nanxi is dead! Xu Nanxi is really dead!"
With her hair being pulled, Feng Xue's face contorted in pain.
"He hasn't been sentenced yet; he might not be dead. If you want to see him, go find him!"
Lin Yutian, like a madwoman, clutched Feng Xue, muttering, "It's not him, it's not him at all..."
Cheng You understood that she was referring to the real Xu Nanxi.
Perhaps Lin Yutian's true love was Xu Nanxi, not Yuan Yuelong.
But if she couldn't even recognize the person she loved, what could others say?
Feng Xue seized the moment Lin Yutian was lost in her daze and pushed her away forcefully.
"You lunatic!" she spat out, cursing through gritted teeth.
Fang Yunbao opened her mouth in sarcasm, "Why is she looking for you specifically?"
As soon as she spoke, Lin Yutian spotted Cheng You.
It had been some time since they last met, and Cheng You was still as radiant as ever.
Standing in the crowd, she was easily noticeable.
Lin Yutian suddenly recalled what Cheng You had said when she visited her at the police station.
Was it worth it to go through all this trouble for a boy who didn't love her?
Lin Yutian stared at her blankly, and the image of the first time she met Xu Nanxi seemed to flash before her eyes.
He had been so delicate, so shy.
After her stepfather had beaten her severely, Xu Nanxi had smiled and given her a piece of candy.
"This is the only candy I have left. Eat it, and the pain will go away," he had said.
The innocent face of the boy remained frozen in that moment.
Lin Yutian smiled dazedly, tears streaming down her face.
She had known it. How could someone as proud as him have asked her for money, clinging to her like a leech to suck her dry?
"He's dead, really dead... Cheng You, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for doing so many things against you for that kind of man."
Cheng You did not respond, simply watching her quietly.
Feng Xue let out a scoff, her eyes full of mockery.
"Lin Yutian, what is this, a belated apology? Do you think saying sorry will make her forgive you and let you return to school? Look at what you are!"
Lin Yutian glared at her fiercely. "I don't need her forgiveness. I just want to apologize to her! Feng Xue, you instructed me to forge letters about Cheng You and another boy, to slander her. I'm not a good person, but what are you?"
Shock flickered across the faces of the onlookers as they turned to look at Feng Xue.
It had suddenly turned into a scene of mutual recrimination.
Feng Xue glanced nervously at Cheng You, gritting her teeth in frustration.
"Lin Yutian, don't you dare spout nonsense! Those were all your doing. The school even disciplined you, and you still want me to take the blame for you!"
"Pah!" Lin Yutian spat in her direction. "Blame? I never intended to return to school, nor did I want the school to re-investigate. I just wanted everyone to see your true face!"
After dropping her bombshell, Lin Yutian shrugged and walked away.
She wasn't necessarily intent on seeing Feng Xue disciplined.
Feng Xue, flustered, chased after her. "You're not allowed to leave! You have to explain to everyone!"
Lin Yutian turned and slapped her across the face. The sharp, loud sound made Cheng You wince in sympathy.
"Explain what? Explain how you tricked me into taking the blame, only to get together with my boyfriend right after? Or explain how you slandered Cheng You and her husband in front of me?"
Feng Xue clutched her stinging cheek, shaking her head in panic. "I didn't! You're framing me!"
Lin Yutian smiled coldly. "If you say it's framing, then it's framing. Anyway, you said those words and they're gone. I can't make you say them again."
Feng Xue was both angry and anxious, but she was speechless.
Although Lin Yutian's words did not solidify her guilt, after today, anyone who saw her would think of this incident.
Cheng You, as a party to these old affairs, had no desire to get involved.
She glanced at Fang Yunbao, who was still engrossed in watching the drama unfold, and said, "Let's go. You still haven't bought your snacks."
Fang Yunbao was a bit reluctant to leave, pointing at Feng Xue. "But she did all those things! Shouldn't we tell the school?"
"I knew from the beginning that she was the one who did it, but I didn't have proof. Now that Lin Yutian has already accepted the disciplinary action, for the sake of reputation, the school won't bring up old matters again."
Furthermore, they wouldn't want to discipline another student.
The surrounding classmates, upon hearing this, nodded in agreement.