"...Ji...Little Ji...Little Ji..."
The calls seemed to reach him through a thick fog. Ji Ting instinctively raised his head, and it took a long while for his unfocused gaze to settle-Shen Gongda had somehow come to stand before him, one hand gripping his arm tightly, his eyes filled with anxious concern.
"Little Ji, are you all right?"
Ji Ting blinked with agonizing slowness. When he spoke, his voice sounded faint and unsteady. "No. My thoughts are a mess, and I feel a little sick."
Shen Gongda hurriedly turned, poured a cup of hot water, and pressed it into his hands. "Here, take a few sips. Give yourself a moment."
Ji Ting took the cup mechanically. Its warmth seemed to restore a little sensation, but he did not drink. "Grandpa Shen, has anyone besides you read this letter?"
"Shen Lin has." Shen Gongda explained gravely, "You know what happened before. I couldn't trust the Qin father and son at all. I was afraid this was another trap they'd painstakingly laid to get revenge on you. So as soon as I finished reading it, I gave it to Shen Lin and asked him to find a way to verify it, to see if he could spot any holes."
"Then..." Ji Ting's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice tightening. "Political Commissar Shen...what did he find?"
Looking at Ji Ting's increasingly pale face and the eyes struggling to remain calm, Shen Gongda hesitated. "Wait a moment. I'll have him tell you himself."
A moment later, Shen Lin pushed the door open and entered, gently closing it behind him. His gaze passed over the jarring letter on the floor, then turned to Ji Ting, pale-faced on the sofa. He understood immediately, and his expression grew even graver.
"Little Ji." Shen Lin pulled over a chair and