Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Lin Juan's ears grew warm again.

His first instinct was to cover them, but then he thought, *why should I?* So he ignored it and began taking the dishes out of the food container. "Have you already eaten?"

It was long past lunchtime.

Lu Yanzhou was a man of extreme discipline, never one to slack on his schedule.

Lu Corporation's lunch hour ran from noon to twelve-thirty, and it was already past one o’clock. Lin Juan assumed Lu Yanzhou had probably eaten already.

"Something came up. Juanjuan, your timing is just right." Seeing the pink flush on Lin Juan’s earlobes, Lu Yanzhou felt a faint flutter in his chest.

Lin Juan wasn't entirely unaffected by his affection.

For Lu Yanzhou, this was wonderful news—it meant his efforts weren’t in vain.

"You haven’t eaten yet?" Lin Juan sped up, taking out the bowl of rice and placing it in front of Lu Yanzhou. "I woke up just past eleven and hurried over as quickly as I could, but I still ended up a bit late."

"It’s fine. I’m just glad you came."

The more understanding Lu Yanzhou was, the guiltier Lin Juan felt. He was the one running late, yet Lu Yanzhou was comforting him.

Originally planning to leave after delivering the food, Lin Juan now volunteered to stay with Lu Yanzhou until he got off work.

"How about we go to that restaurant you mentioned after you finish work?"

Lu Yanzhou: "Sure."

Lin Juan had an assistant title at Lu Corporation. To avoid standing out too much, he was assigned some simple tasks. After finishing his work, he was lying on the sofa playing with his phone.

The sofa was soft—it had been replaced after Lin Juan complained during his first visit to the office. The original sofa was dark gray, cold and hard, much like the impression Lu Yanzhou gave off. Lin Juan had found it uncomfortable, so Lu Yanzhou had Special Assistant Liang pick out a new one prioritizing comfort.

Since the sofa was replaced, subordinates coming to the office for reports couldn’t help but glance at it a few extra times. After all, it clearly didn’t match their CEO’s usual style.

Lin Juan curled up on the sofa watching a gameplay commentary of a recently popular horror puzzle game. He wasn’t fond of thinking too hard, and after downloading the game and dying a few times in the early levels, he gave up. Perhaps the algorithm picked up on this, because in the following days, it kept recommending gameplay videos to him.

Out of curiosity, Lin Juan clicked on one by a streamer who claimed to have never lost.

The streamer was indeed skilled, offering sharp analysis and matching the game’s eerie atmosphere perfectly, making it both terrifying and addictive.

Lin Juan had come in a hurry and forgotten his headphones. Worried he might disturb Lu Yanzhou, he asked if there were any headphones in the office.

Lu Yanzhou said it wouldn’t bother him and told Lin Juan not to hold back—to act as if he were at home.

Knowing Lu Yanzhou wouldn’t force himself to tolerate discomfort, Lin Juan lowered the volume and played the video out loud.

"Is this volume too loud for you?"

As the manager of such a large company, Lu Yanzhou had a heavy workload every day. Besides Lu Corporation’s affairs, he also kept a close eye on Yaoxing Technology, which was under Lin Juan’s name. Since Yaoxing Technology’s nature had changed and it now belonged to Lin Juan, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving it entirely to others.

"No," Lu Yanzhou replied, looking up from his computer. From where he sat, he could see the young man leaning against the soft cushion. Having him there actually boosted Lu Yanzhou’s productivity.

After finishing the commentary, Lin Juan scrolled to other videos. Some short clips were hilarious, and he couldn’t help but laugh out loud. At first, he reminded himself to keep quiet so as not to disturb Lu Yanzhou, but as he relaxed more, he occasionally made small noises.

Sometimes, when he found something particularly interesting, he couldn’t resist sharing it with Lu Yanzhou.

And each time, Lu Yanzhou responded.

After a few times, Lin Juan began to reflect.

"Am I disturbing your work by being here?" he asked, twirling a strand of hair that had fallen over his chest after interrupting Lu Yanzhou again. "Should I go to the break room?"

"You’re not disturbing me. Taking occasional breaks actually improves my efficiency."

"Really?"

Lin Juan looked at him skeptically.

Lu Yanzhou’s expression didn’t seem like he was lying.

Sensing his doubt, Lu Yanzhou added, "Since you’ve been here, my efficiency has indeed improved. Work that would usually take two hours now only takes an hour and a half."

Reassured, Lin Juan settled back on the sofa.

During the afternoon, several managers came in to report. Though they appeared focused, they couldn’t help but feel curious about the young man lounging so comfortably on the sofa as if he were at home.

When had they ever seen their CEO treat anyone so specially?

They couldn’t help but wonder about Lin Juan’s identity.

Of course, they also knew where their priorities lay and kept their curiosity to themselves, not spreading any rumors.

Lin Juan stayed in Lu Yanzhou’s office until the end of the workday. Afterward, the two went to the restaurant Lu Yanzhou had mentioned.

Lu Yanzhou had called home earlier to let them know not to prepare meals for him or Lin Juan.

Hearing that his younger son had finally taken his sweetheart out on a proper date, Old Mr. Lu felt immensely relieved.

While others went to movies, amusement parks, or other entertainment venues for dates, his son only ever thought of bringing his partner to the company.

Luckily, Xiao Juan could put up with him.

The restaurant Lu Yanzhou had chosen wasn’t far from Lu Corporation’s headquarters. He ordered several signature dishes according to Lin Juan’s preferences, and Lin Juan enjoyed the meal thoroughly.

"The food is really good. We should come back sometime," Lin Juan said after finishing his last sip of juice.

"Whenever you want to come, Juanjuan, we can."

Yao Family.

Yao Qiyuan’s health was deteriorating day by day. The impact of nightmares and poor sleep was severe. At first, he could still maintain a normal appearance during the day and show up in public as usual. But as time passed, he grew thinner and his mental state worsened.

Yao Qiyuan’s parents tried everything but couldn’t alleviate his symptoms.

Through various means, the Yao family managed to obtain Lin Juan’s contact information.

Of course, it wasn’t Lin Juan’s personal number but a dedicated line he used for accepting external requests.

He had asked the Paranormal Special Affairs Office to add some safeguards to this number, making it impossible for anyone to trace any information through it. No matter who tried to investigate—whether for his location or real identity—they would find nothing.

As soon as the Yao family got the number, their first action was to check who the number belonged to. Just as expected, they found nothing.

"Old Yao, how did it go? Did you find anything?" Mrs. Yao asked anxiously.

Patriarch Yao shook his head: "Couldn't find anything."

"Could it be a scam?"

Yao Qiyuan's strange illness was tormenting not just him but also his parents, who lived with him. As their only son suffered, Mrs. Yao's heart felt like it was being squeezed.

"If we'd found information, I'd be more wary. The fact that we found nothing suggests this person truly knows what he's doing. Qiyuan's condition can’t be delayed any longer. I plan to contact him today to see if he’s willing to help."

Mrs. Yao grabbed Patriarch Yao's arm: "He’s our only son. No matter what, we must convince him to save him."

The Lu family had kept the details of the wedding ritual secret, but they didn’t hide Lin Juan’s contribution. After discussing it as a family, they publicly stated that Lu Yanzhou’s mysterious illness had been cured by a mysterious expert, Mr. Lin.

That's how "Mr. Lin" made a name for himself.

The Yao family’s main influence wasn’t in the capital, and it took a lot of networking to uncover these details. Securing Mr. Lin’s contact information required even more effort.

Everything was for the sake of Yao Qiyuan, the Yao family’s sole heir.

Patriarch Yao patted Mrs. Yao’s hand: "Don’t worry, I'll move heaven and earth to save our son."

In the evening, after dinner, Lin Juan and Lu Yanzhou accompanied Old Mr. Lu for a walk in the yard.

Good fortune puts a spring in your step. Since Lin Juan’s arrival, their youngest son had awakened and found a lifelong partner. The Lu family had overcome several crises, and everything was moving in a positive direction. Old Mr. Lu seemed to have regained several years of youth.

As the three chatted and laughed, Lin Juan’s phone rang.

The ringtone for his work number was different from his personal one. The Lu father and son recognized it immediately as a business call.

"Xiao Juan, go ahead and take care of your matters," Old Mr. Lu said, not wanting to delay Lin Juan’s work.

Lin Juan took out his phone. The screen showed an unfamiliar number. Considering the timing, he hadn’t taken on many cases since starting his practice. Since someone had reached out, it made no sense to ignore it.

Without avoiding the Lu father and son, Lin Juan answered the call.

"May I ask, is this Mr. Lin?"

The voice on the other end was respectful, though it was trying hard to hide how urgent this was.

"It is."

"Mr. Lin, my son is suffering from a very strange illness. I’d like to ask for your help to examine him."

The caller introduced themselves by name and status.

Given the urgency, they scheduled an appointment for the next day at 4 p.m., at a quiet private club chosen by the caller.

When the time came, the Lu family driver took Lin Juan there.

As soon as Lin Juan entered, he noticed the man in the wheelchair—not because he was remarkable, but because of the aura of contamination emanating from within him.

"Mr. Lin," Patriarch Yao stepped forward, "Please, take a look at my son."

Lin Juan approached: "How long has he been like this?"

"For several months. It started around April. At first, he just felt some discomfort in his heart. Later, he began having nightmares every day. We’ve been to many hospitals, but none could help him." Mrs. Yao’s voice choked up.

Lin Juan observed the man in the wheelchair.

He was thin.

That was the first impression.

Not a normal thinness, but like a withered tree stripped of all vitality, leaving only a shriveled shell.

His gaze swept over the man, finally settling on the heart area.

The contamination was spreading from there.

The heart…

Lin Juan’s previous case involved Gong Siyuan, who died after having his organs forcibly removed. Looking back, the evil began when someone targeted his heart.

The same organ… Could there be a connection between Gong Siyuan and Yao Qiyuan?

The man was unconscious, unaware of his surroundings, his brow tightly furrowed, sweat streaming down his forehead, teeth clenched as if enduring extreme agony.

Lin Juan coolly looked away and walked to a nearby sofa to sit down: "I need to know the details of his condition, including everything from the past. If you want to save him, don’t hold anything back."

Mrs. Yao eagerly spoke up: "Qiyuan has been frail since childhood, often falling ill. He improved a bit as he grew up. One day in April, he suddenly told us his heart felt uncomfortable. He went to the hospital himself, but they found nothing. After we found out, we took him to other hospitals, but still no cause was found."

"But he kept complaining of heart discomfort and pain. One doctor suggested we see a psychiatrist, so we went. The doctor prescribed some medication. At first, it helped, but then he started having dreams."

"Frequent nightmares. He’d wake up as tired as if he hadn’t slept at all. To avoid the nightmares, Qiyuan began resisting sleep."

"But how can anyone go without sleep? After three days, he finally fell asleep. This time, he woke up screaming from the dream, yelling, 'Stay away!' After that day, even during the daytime, he began falling asleep uncontrollably and having nightmares."

"Later, his periods of unconsciousness grew longer. Now he’s only conscious from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day. He was awake when we landed, but today, for some reason, he’s unconscious again."

Lin Juan tapped his fingers lightly: "What kind of nightmares does he have? Do you know?"

"Are they the same nightmare every time?" The description sounded all too familiar to Lin Juan. If he had only suspected before, he was now almost certain that the family seeking his help was connected to Gong Siyuan’s death.

Mrs. Yao nodded: "Most of the time, the nightmare repeats the same content. There might be others, but this is the only one he told us about."

As a mother, the first time she heard her son describe clearly feeling his chest being cut open in the nightmare, her heart broke with pain, wishing she could suffer in his place.

When she first heard her son describe the nightmare, Mrs. Yao almost instantly thought of the young boy who had died because of her son.

His name was Gong Siyuan, she recalled—an academically excellent child whose data matched Qiyuan’s perfectly, as if heaven-sent for him.

Mrs. Yao didn’t regret their past decision. Her son had congenital heart disease; she had raised him with utmost care until the heart transplant freed him from his sickly state.

She could never forget that day.

Yao Qiyuan was hospitalized, unconscious, and the doctors issued a critical condition notice, saying he had at most three months to live.

Her son wasn’t even sixteen yet. Why did he have to go through this?

Refusing to accept fate, Mrs. Yao desperately sought to save him. Patriarch Yao also couldn’t bear to give up on his only child. Exhausting all options, they finally learned of a clandestine underground clinic that provided live organ transplants.

Their son survived and became very healthy. Mrs. Yao deluded herself into not thinking about what happened to the person whose heart was taken. Watching her son recover day by day, becoming lively and active, she and Patriarch Yao buried the secret deep in their memories.

If not for Yao Qiyuan’s sudden strange illness, they might have almost forgotten that his life was essentially stolen from someone else.

They'd even wondered if that young man had come back for revenge.

If they hadn't been desperate, they wouldn’t have risked seeking a master to save their son.

That person is already dead. Since he’s dead, he shouldn’t be causing trouble.

Back then, he couldn’t resist having his heart taken—now he wants revenge? No way!

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Mrs. Yao’s eyes.

"Mr. Lin, you must save Qiyuan. He’s our only child. Without him, we two old folks wouldn’t know how to go on living." Mrs. Yao’s eyes welled with tears, putting on the act of a doting mother.

"I’ll do my best." Gong Siyuan died ten years ago, but his case remains unresolved. Lin Juan had gotten to know him after his death, and since fate brought them together again, he didn’t mind seeking justice for the wronged young man.

"The root of his illness lies in his heart. Tell me truthfully—is the heart inside his body his own?"

Lin Juan locked eyes with Mrs. Yao, as if seeing through everything.

Mrs. Yao’s heart skipped a beat, and she averted her gaze as if to escape.

Patriarch Yao took over the conversation: "Mr. Lin, your abilities are indeed remarkable. Our Qiyuan did undergo a heart transplant. It was fortunate—when he fell ill back then, a matching donor heart became available. The surgery was very successful, and there’s been no rejection so far."

Lin Juan thought: Just as I suspected. Gong Siyuan’s heart must be inside this Yao Qiyuan.

"Mr. Lin, could it be that this heart is the problem?" Patriarch Yao asked in surprise. "But that can't be right. It was fine before—how could it suddenly cause issues?"

Though he appeared surprised, Patriarch Yao inwardly felt a sense of "I knew it."

It seemed this Mr. Lin really knew his stuff.

Patriarch Yao became even more cautious.

"The owner of this heart is unwilling to let someone else steal his lifespan. He wants to take back what belongs to him—he’s seeking revenge."

As he said this, Lin Juan closely observed the expressions of Patriarch Yao and Mrs. Yao. Both looked uncomfortable for a moment.

Patriarch Yao’s heart raced wildly, but he forced himself to stay calm: "We had the surgery done at a legitimate hospital and had no knowledge of the donor’s circumstances. Mr. Lin, can you determine if he has any grievances? We’re willing to resolve them for him."

He was testing the waters, probing whether Mr. Lin truly knew something.

Lin Juan shook his head: "I don’t know if he has any grievances. All I can tell is that this heart is the source of your son’s strange illness."

They had identified the source, but how to resolve it?

After hearing Mr. Lin’s words, Patriarch Yao’s frantic heartbeat eased slightly. Various thoughts crossed his mind as he spoke: "Then, Mr. Lin, what should we do now?"

Did they need to replace the heart again?

Leaving aside whether Yao Qiyuan’s body could withstand another heart transplant surgery, where would they find a new heart?

The malicious organ harvesting involving Gong Siyuan had been exposed, and authorities were cracking down hard on such practices. He couldn’t risk repeating what they had done before.

Time and circumstances didn’t permit it.

"I can use a certain object to enter his nightmare and bring him out. Then, you must settle your debt with the heart’s original owner and resolve the resentment attached to the heart. Once that’s done, everything can be resolved," Lin Juan said slowly.

"Good, good. We’ll trouble you with this, Mr. Lin." Thrilled to hear there was a solution, Mrs. Yao was overjoyed.

After setting the next treatment time, Lin Juan left.

Half an hour later, an inconspicuously dressed middle-aged man entered and whispered a few words.

"Lost him?" Patriarch Yao frowned. "Forget it. This Mr. Lin is clearly no ordinary person. Call off the tail. Don’t provoke him."

"Yes."

"Old Yao, do you think this Mr. Lin is reliable? What about what happened back then…" Mrs. Yao worried.

"Don’t slip up. We never truly got involved in that matter from start to finish. Everyone who knew the details had unfortunate accidents and can no longer speak. Even if Gong Siyuan turned into a ghost, he couldn’t possibly know we were behind it all," Patriarch Yao warned. "Be careful not to give anything away."

"I know."

Later, Yao Qiyuan woke up. His gaze was vacant, staring blankly ahead, with no trace of his former spirited self. One might easily mistake him for a fool.

Seeing her son like this, Mrs. Yao couldn’t hold back her tears.

Wiping her face, she took her son’s hand: "Qiyuan, hold on a little longer. Your father and I have found someone who can save you. For my sake, don’t give up, okay?"

The next day, Lin Juan arrived at the new meeting place with the Class D Anomaly "Dreamwalker," newly contained by the Paranormal Special Affairs Office.

The location was a villa owned by the Yao family. After entering, Lin Juan instructed: "I will enter his dream and wake him. During this time, make sure no one comes near. Otherwise, there’s a risk of being sucked into the dream as well. I can’t guarantee what kind of nightmare you might fall into or ensure your safety."

"We understand."

Lin Juan grasped the "Dreamwalker" and entered the nightmare trapping Yao Qiyuan.

Though called a dream, it more closely resembled a miniature domain. The source of contamination was Yao Qiyuan’s heart—the heart that should have belonged to Gong Siyuan. It was no surprise that it could trap him in a miniature domain.

Lin Juan smelled a strong scent of blood.

Spread out before him was a familiar operating room.

On the central operating table, Yao Qiyuan was trussed up, his chest wide open, revealing his internal organs.

Beast-headed figures surrounding the table used spoons to scoop fresh flesh and blood from his chest, feeding it into their mouths as if enjoying a supreme delicacy.

Lin Juan walked to the operating table as if strolling through an empty space.

Yao Qiyuan didn’t know how long he had been trapped or how many times this hellish scene had repeated. From initial terror and attempts to escape, he had become numb.

Watching himself being disemboweled over and over, feeling his flesh being dug out and devoured by monsters—he had gone mad, broken down. After all extreme emotions, only a stagnant pool of despair remained.

How long would he be eaten this time?

Yao Qiyuan lay with his eyes open. The light above was so blinding. Tears streamed down uncontrollably. He turned his head slightly, trying to avoid the harsh light, and saw a long-haired young man walking calmly toward him.

Yao Qiyuan was stunned.

For the first time, his endless nightmare contained a different sight.

Who was he?

Yao Qiyuan struggled to recall. Someone this striking—if he had seen him before, he wouldn’t have forgotten.

No memory of him.

A complete stranger.

Lin Juan saw Yao Qiyuan’s miserable state.

As "Dreamwalker" fluttered its wings in his hand, the scene before him shifted. Yao Qiyuan was shocked to find that the cold operating room had vanished, along with the monsters that had been devouring him.

"Who are you?"

The long-haired young man didn't answer, instead staring strangely at something behind him.

What’s behind me?

A cold hand reached out from behind, touching his skin and sending goosebumps across it.

What is that?!

Yao Qiyuan froze, slowly turning his head.

He saw a boy.

A boy slightly shorter than him, wearing an ill-fitting hospital gown, so thin he hardly looked human.

Bloody tears streamed from the boy’s eyes, and his hospital gown hung open at the chest, revealing a bloody, gaping body.

His chest had been violently torn open, ribs jutting out sharply, the cavity inside completely empty, devoid of any organs.

Yao Qiyuan’s voice caught in his throat. In that moment, a terrifying realization dawned on him.

"Don’t come after me, don’t! I didn’t do it!"

Fear, like bone-deep dread, seeped into his bones. Yao Qiyuan screamed and staggered backward.

He tripped and fell.

The boy lowered his head, dark red blood dripping from his eyes and empty chest.

He "looked" at Yao Qiyuan and sobbed, asking word by word: "Why... did... you... steal... my... heart?"

"I didn’t..." Yao Qiyuan backed away in terror.

The boy kept approaching, growing larger the closer he got, until his gaping chest was large enough to swallow Yao Qiyuan completely.

Screaming, Yao Qiyuan was consumed.

Darkness enveloped him. Yao Qiyuan smelled the pungent scent of blood. He felt himself being wrapped in warm, living flesh, unable to break free or move. His own body began to melt away, becoming nourishment for the boy who had devoured him, while he himself became a tirelessly, rhythmically beating heart.

"Pound—pound—pound—"

"Pound—pound—pound—"

The boy shrunk back to normal size, and Lin Juan stepped out from the shadows.

The boy "looked" toward him and spoke timidly, "Thank you for helping me retrieve my heart."

Now whole again, the boy’s form slowly faded away until he disappeared completely.

Lin Juan’s expression was complex.