The chilly autumn wind whipped through Lin Yi's hair as he hurried down the sidewalk, his mind racing with thoughts of vengeance. It had been two years since his mother's brutal murder, an unsolved case that haunted his every waking moment.

Lin Yi knew, deep down, that Edith's parents were somehow involved. The daughter of the wealthy Harrington family, Edith seemingly had it all - the perfect life, the perfect family. But Lin Yi suspected a dark secret lurked beneath the surface.

As he turned the corner, Lin Yi nearly collided with a tall, slender figure. "Edith," he breathed, his heart pounding. There she was, the object of his investigation, standing before him with a look of surprise on her delicate features.

"Lin Yi?" Edith said, her brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

Lin Yi's mind raced as he searched her face for any hint of deception. "I'm fine," he said tersely, his eyes narrowing. "What are you doing out here all alone?"

Edith shifted uncomfortably under his intense gaze. "I was just on my way to the library," she replied. "Is something wrong?"

Lin Yi hesitated, torn between his desire for answers and his growing awareness of Edith's apparent innocence. There was a vulnerability in her eyes that gave him pause, a lightness to her demeanor that seemed at odds with the dark secrets he suspected her family kept.

"Nothing," he finally said, forcing himself to relax his tense posture. "I was just... lost in thought." He offered her a half-smile, his anger momentarily subdued by the unexpected encounter.

Edith's expression softened, and Lin Yi felt a flicker of something he hadn't experienced in a long time - a connection, a spark of understanding. Perhaps, in this chance meeting, he had found an unexpected ally in his quest for the truth.

As they parted ways, Lin Yi couldn't help but glance back at Edith's retreating figure, his resolve strengthened by the lingering doubt in his mind. He would uncover the truth, no matter the cost.

The walk home was a blur for Lin Yi, his mind consumed by the encounter. He replayed the moment in his head, searching for any signs that Edith was complicit in his mother's murder. But all he could see was a girl who seemed genuinely surprised and concerned by his intensity.

Arriving at his apartment, Lin Yi threw his backpack on the bed and collapsed into the worn armchair in the living room. His mother's smiling face stared back at him from a framed photograph on the mantel, a silent reminder of the life that had been taken from him.

With a shaky breath, Lin Yi reached for the well-worn notebook on the side table, flipping it open . He had spent countless hours pouring over police reports, scouring the internet for any shred of information that could lead him to his mother's killer.

The morning sun cast long shadows across Lin Yi's bedroom floor as he stared at the mysterious envelope that had been slipped under his door during the night. His name was written in elegant cursive, the ink a deep crimson that made his blood run cold.

With trembling fingers, he opened it, extracting a single photograph that made his heart stop. It was a picture of his mother, taken just days before her murder, standing outside the Harrington Estate. She was speaking with someone just out of frame, her expression tense and worried. On the back, written in the same crimson ink: "She knew too much."

Lin Yi's mind raced. He had never known his mother had any connection to the Harringtons. What secrets had she uncovered? What had she known that had cost her her life?

Lost in thought, he almost missed the sound of footsteps approaching his classroom. Looking up, he found Edith standing in the doorway, her usual confident demeanor replaced by something he couldn't quite read.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she said softly, stepping into the empty classroom. The morning light caught her auburn hair, creating a halo effect that made Lin Yi momentarily forget to breathe.

"No, I was just..." he quickly tucked the photograph into his notebook. "What brings you here?"

Edith moved closer, her designer shoes clicking against the linoleum floor. "I couldn't stop thinking about our encounter yesterday," she admitted, perching on the desk next to his. "There's something about you, Lin Yi... something familiar."

Lin Yi's pulse quickened. "Familiar how?"

"I don't know exactly," she said, her brow furrowing. "But last night, I found something strange in my father's study. An old newspaper clipping about..." she hesitated, "about your mother's case."

The air seemed to freeze between them. Lin Yi's fingers tightened around his notebook, knuckles turning white. "Why would your father have that?"

"That's what I wanted to ask you," Edith replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "But there's more. The article was marked with strange symbols, and there were other papers too, but before I could look at them properly, I heard my father coming. I had to leave everything as I found it."

Lin Yi studied her face, searching for any sign of deception. But all he saw was genuine concern and... fear? "Edith, why are you telling me this?"

She leaned closer, her perfume carrying hints of jasmine and something else... something oddly familiar. "Because I think my parents aren't who they claim to be, Lin Yi. And I think..." she swallowed hard, "I...i... think they might be watching me."

As if on cue, a shadow passed by the classroom window. They both jumped, but when Lin Yi looked, there was no one there .

"Meet me at the old cherry blossom tree behind the school after classes," Edith whispered urgently, standing up. "There's something else you need to know."

Before Lin Yi could respond, she was gone, leaving him with more questions than answers. He pulled out the photograph again, studying his mother's worried expression. What had she discovered about the Harringtons? And more importantly, could he trust Edith's apparent desire to help, or was this all part of a more sinister plan?

As the first bell rang, Lin Yi noticed something he hadn't before – in the background of the photograph, barely visible through one of the mansion's windows, was a young Edith, watching his mother with an unreadable expression.

The bell's echo faded, leaving Lin Yi with a chilling realization: he wasn't the only one seeking answers. But who was really pulling the strings in this deadly game of cat and mouse?

The final bell echoed through empty hallways as Lin Yi made his way to the old cherry blossom tree, the crimson-tinged photograph burning a hole in his pocket. His footsteps crunched on fallen petals, each step bringing him closer to what he hoped would be answers – or what could be a carefully orchestrated trap.

Edith was already there, her slender figure half-hidden behind the ancient trunk. Pink blossoms drifted around her like snow, creating an eerily beautiful scene that made Lin Yi's heart skip. But something was wrong. Her usual composed demeanor was shattered, her face pale with fear.

"Lin Yi," she whispered urgently, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind the tree. "We don't have much time. They know I found the files."

"Who knows?" Lin Yi demanded, but Edith pressed a finger to his lips, her eyes darting to the school building's windows. Following her gaze, he caught a glimpse of movement – a shadow retreating from view.

"My father's personal secretary, Mr. Chen," she breathed, her voice trembling. "He's been watching me all day. But that's not the worst part." She reached into her designer bag and pulled out a leather-bound journal, its edges worn and pages yellowed with age. "I went back to my father's study during lunch. This was hidden behind the newspaper clippings – it's your mother's diary."

Lin Yi's world tilted on its axis. "What?" He reached for the journal with shaking hands, but Edith pulled it back.

"Wait," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "There's something you need to know first. I... I recognized her handwriting because I'd seen it before. In letters she wrote to my mother."

Lin Yi's back hit the tree trunk hard. "Letters? What letters?"

"They were friends, Lin Yi. Best friends. Until..." Edith swallowed hard, "until my mother betrayed her."

A gust of wind sent cherry blossoms swirling around them, and in the distance, a car door slammed. Edith jumped, nearly dropping the diary.

"My father's home early," she whispered, panic creeping into her voice. "He never comes home this early unless..." Her eyes widened in horror. "The safe '.

STILL CONTINUED!!

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