Episode 4: When Blood Meets Frost

The storm that had been threatening finally broke, sheets of rain mixing with the last of the cherry blossoms as Lin Yi raced through the darkened streets toward the Harrington mansion. His mother's diary was safely tucked inside his jacket, the mysterious numbers – 8-14-7 – burning in his mind.

A flash of lightning illuminated the imposing gates of the estate. Through the downpour, he spotted the black sedan parked haphazardly near the garage, its driver's door left open. Something was wrong.

Then he heard it – a scream that made his blood run cold.

"No! Please... stop!" Edith's voice, filled with terror, echoed from inside the mansion's gallery.

Lin Yi vaulted over the gate, years of martial arts training taking over. As he approached the gallery's glass doors, he saw them – three figures in black, surrounding a crumpled form on the floor. Edith lay there, blood trickling from a cut above her eye, her designer uniform torn and muddied.

Mr. Chen stood over her, holding what appeared to be the edge of a painting frame. "Tell us where your mother hid the documents," he snarled, raising the frame again.

Without thinking, Lin Yi crashed through the glass doors. "Get away from her!" he roared, launching himself at the nearest assailant. His fist connected with a satisfying crunch, sending the man sprawling.

The second attacker came at him with a knife, but Lin Yi was faster. He caught the man's wrist, twisting until the blade clattered to the floor. A quick sweep of his leg, and another attacker was down.

Mr. Chen backed away, dropping the frame. "You're just like your mother," he spat. "Always interfering where you don't belong."

"Lin Yi..." Edith's weak voice drew his attention. She was trying to point at something behind him.

He spun just in time to dodge a blow from a fourth attacker who had emerged from the shadows. The man's fist grazed his cheek, but Lin Yi used the momentum to drive his elbow into his attacker's solar plexus. The man doubled over, gasping.

Through the chaos, Lin Yi spotted it – the massive cherry blossom painting that had been in the photograph with his mother. It hung slightly askew, revealing a glimpse of a safe behind it.

Mr. Chen followed his gaze and smiled coldly. "So you know about the safe. But you'll never know what's inside." He pulled out a gun, aiming it at Edith. "Your mother made the same choice. Her life, or the truth. Which will it be for you?"

Lin Yi moved to shield Edith with his body, feeling her trembling form against his back. Her breathing was labored, and he could feel her blood soaking into his shirt where she pressed against him.

"The documents," Edith whispered, her fingers weakly grasping his ankle. "They're not... in the safe. Look at... the numbers..."

Lightning flashed again, illuminating the room. In that brief moment, Lin Yi saw it – tiny numbers carved into the painting's frame, matching those in his mother's diary. Not coordinates for the safe, but for something else entirely.

"Last chance," Mr. Chen cocked the gun. "Step aside."

Lin Yi's mind raced. The painting, the numbers, the cherry blossoms... suddenly, it all clicked. He knew where the documents were hidden, and more importantly, he knew what his mother had discovered. But none of that would matter if he couldn't get Edith to safety.

Thunder crashed overhead as Lin Yi made his decision. In one fluid motion, he scooped Edith into his arms, feeling her wince in pain. "You want the truth?" he called to Mr. Chen. "Come and get it."

Then he ran, cradling Edith close to his chest, her blood mixing with the rain as they disappeared into the storm. Behind them, gunshots rang out, but the thunder swallowed them whole.

"Stay with me," he whispered to Edith, feeling her grip on consciousness slipping. "I won't let you go. Not like they let my mother go." Her eyes fluttered open briefly, and despite her pain, she managed a small smile. "I knew... you'd come," she breathed, before going limp in his arms.

As Lin Yi raced through the rain, one thought burned brighter than all others: The game wasn't about revenge anymore. It was about survival. And this time, he wouldn't let them take someone he loved.The cherry blossoms continued to fall, turning pink with diluted blood, as the true depth of their families' dark secret began to unfold…

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