Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Lin Juan returned to reality.

"Mr. Lin, how is Qiyuan?" Seeing him emerge, Yao Qiyuan’s parents rushed forward.

"He’s asleep."

His parents looked worried. "Asleep? Will he have nightmares again?"

"No, the entity that was tormenting him has departed. This time, he’s truly at peace."

But once he awakens, the retribution he deserves will be unavoidable.

Two days later, the Yao family was investigated for organ trafficking. Soon after, issues like tax evasion surfaced, and the Yao family’s misdeeds were exposed—they were utterly ruined.

The public was closely following the case. When the official announcement was released, it ignited a fresh wave of heated discussion.

—The Yao family, they were such hypocrites. They claimed to do charity every year, but all that money actually flowed into their own pockets.

—Exactly! And they tried to brand Yao Qiyuan as the nation's noble young heir. Thinking back to all the sincere things I said defending him, it makes me want to vomit.

—Just because he had congenital heart disease and was rich, does that give him the right to treat other people's lives as worthless?

—I can’t even imagine how desperate the victims must have been back then. To have your heart cut out while you're still alive…

—And not just that. I heard his liver, both kidneys… every usable organ was harvested.

—So tragic, so tragic.

Lin Juan turned off his phone. All of Gong Siyuan’s remains had been recovered. His heart was back in place, and the other organs that had been brutally taken would also be returned to their rightful place.

As for those who had illegally purchased organs at high prices, the ten extra years they gained were stolen from Gong Siyuan—it was time to pay the price.

On the day Patriarch Yao was arrested, Yao Qiyuan awoke.

After struggling in endless darkness for an unknown number of days, he finally returned to the world. Yao Qiyuan wept with relief, but soon he discovered that the Yao family was bankrupt, and his body was experiencing severe rejection.

The heart that didn’t belong to him, after being illegally taken for ten years, was now fighting back.

Under the intense rejection, Yao Qiyuan was in agony.

His life had reached its end.

He would die a quiet death, but only after enduring untold suffering.

The Gong Siyuan case was completely closed.

Lin Juan stopped paying attention to the matter because Lu Yanzhou was going on a business trip to Rongcheng.

A new energy source had been discovered in Rongcheng. Since the Lu Corporation was already involved in the energy sector, Lu Yanzhou had been invited by Qi Ruilin to go and assess the situation.

The new energy discovery was highly significant. Whether to cooperate with Deep Sea Technology would depend on the assessment results.

Rongcheng was a considerable distance from the capital. Lu Yanzhou’s inspection trip would take at least a week. Having not been apart from Lin Juan since he'd woken up, Lu Yanzhou privately hoped to bring Lin Juan with him.

"Are you coming with me, Juanjuan?" Lu Yanzhou brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for Lin Juan.

"This trip is mainly for inspection. I’ll probably be there for about a week. I won’t be too busy, so I can take you around. Rongcheng has many delicious foods and fun places. Would you be interested in exploring?"

Lin Juan picked up the teacup, running his finger around the rim. "Let me think."

Lu Yanzhou took a casual sip of tea. "My people picked up Master Chiran's trail in Rongcheng. It’s very likely he’s active in the area."

Lin Juan's expression turned serious. "That scammer who swindled your father out of 50 million?"

Lu Yanzhou nodded. "Yes, him."

"Your family really is rich," Lin Juan remarked. A con artist just walked off with 50 million—an amount ordinary people could never earn in a lifetime.

"Now that you’re awake, keep an eye on your dad. Don’t let him get scammed again. Just the thought of that much money makes my heart ache."

Lin Juan put down his cup angrily. "No way, I'm going to make him cough up that money!"

"Dad was just desperate back then," Lu Yanzhou felt the need to defend his father. The former head of the Lu family was no ordinary old man to be easily swindled out of huge sums.

"I know," Lin Juan patted his shoulder. "Scamming a desperate old man makes it even worse!"

Lin Juan decided that on this trip to Rongcheng, he would definitely track down that so-called "Master" Chiran and make him return the money.

"Let’s not tell your dad yet. Once I get the money back, it’ll be a great surprise for him."

Seeing how serious Lin Juan was, Lu Yanzhou's heart softened. "Alright, whatever you say, Juanjuan."

Having decided to go, Lin Juan needed to pack his bags.

Next to his and Lu Yanzhou’s bedroom was a dedicated walk-in closet. Lu Yanzhou usually woke up earlier, and often by the time Lin Juan got up, Lu Yanzhou had already picked out his clothes. Lin Juan hadn’t really explored the closet properly before.

This time, while packing, he went in and got a surprise: without him even realizing it, his clothes now filled half the closet.

Lin Juan’s and Lu Yanzhou’s clothes were mixed together. The left side held formal wear, mostly suits, while the right side had casual clothes. The brighter, more varied colors mostly belonged to Lin Juan.

Lin Juan rummaged through the closet like a mouse in a treasure vault. "Lu Yanzhou, how come there are so many clothes I’ve never seen?"

Some designs were quite bold, like the set he was holding—a silk shirt with a cut-out back. Lin Juan held it up to himself. It would definitely be breezy to wear, with the whole back open like that.

"Some were sent by clothing brands under the Lu Corporation, others are from foreign brands that send new collections every season. Since my own style is limited, they didn't know your style, so they sent a bit of everything."

Lin Juan brought out the cut-out shirt. "Some of these really aren’t fit to be worn in public."

"These clothes must cost a lot, right? Tell them not to send so many in the future. It's a waste if we can't even wear them all."

Lu Yanzhou didn’t think so. Dressing Lin Juan was a real pleasure for him. He wished he could lay all the finest things before Lin Juan—why would he worry about the cost of a few outfits?

The silk shirt in Lin Juan’s hands was semi-transparent with an open back that would reveal his entire back. Lu Yanzhou could almost imagine how the young man would look wearing it.

It would be beautiful.

If only he could get Juanjuan to try it on sometime.

Lu Yanzhou was a man of action. Having thought it, he tentatively suggested, "Since the clothes are already here, why not try it on, Juanjuan?"

Lin Juan turned the shirt around, holding the cut-out part toward the man. "Do you really think this would look good on me?"

It felt nice to the touch, though.

Maybe he should try it?

It’d be a waste to buy it and not wear it.

"You'll definitely look good in this, Juanjuan," Lu Yanzhou said with certainty.

Lin Juan was already sold on the idea. "Alright, I'll try it on."

After fussing with the clothes for a while, he finally got them on.

"How does it look?"

Hearing Lin Juan's voice, Lu Yanzhou instinctively looked over.

Seeing Lin Juan, a flash of surprise crossed Lu Yanzhou's eyes, and he was generous with his praise. "Juanjuan, you look great."

The outfit seemed simple, but when worn, it perfectly accentuated the young man's physique. The simpler the design, the more it highlighted the wearer's inherent beauty.

As it happened, Lin Juan was undeniably handsome.

"The front looks fine," Lin Juan pouted. He had just looked in the mirror—the front actually looked good and normal enough, but when he turned around...

"Check out the back, it's so weird," Lin Juan said as he turned around.

His hair was long, covering most of his skin. As he moved, his fair skin peeked through the dark hair, captivating.

Lu Yanzhou stared at the young man, unable to look away.

When he didn't hear back from Lu Yanzhou for a long time, Lin Juan tilted his head. "Is it weird? I feel a chill on my back."

"Not weird," Lu Yanzhou's voice was hoarse. "It's beautiful like this."

All his education seemed to fail him at this moment. Lu Yanzhou couldn't find any words to describe the young man's beauty. Every word felt insufficient—in his eyes, Lin Juan was more beautiful than any adjective in the world could capture.

"Juanjuan, I'll handle this. I heard your phone ring—go check if someone's looking for you."

Lu Yanzhou's voice was hoarser than usual, as if he was suppressing something. Lin Juan found it strange and, instead of leaving, stepped closer to the man. "You're acting weird. Did I scare you with how ugly I look?"

His face suddenly up close before him. Under the attack of such breathtaking beauty, Lu Yanzhou's breath hitched.

The man's voice grew even hoarser.

Lin Juan tilted his head. "Your voice is hoarse. Are you really okay?"

"I'm fine," Lu Yanzhou urged. "Go on."

Lin Juan kept looking back repeatedly, making sure Lu Yanzhou was truly okay. "Then I'll go. If you feel unwell, remember to call me."

"Okay."

The phone was on the coffee table outside. Lin Juan walked over, picked it up, and saw several unread messages. Some were from Director Liu, regarding the Yao family matter.

The Yao family scandal had been exposed online. While most people were criticizing them, a small minority believed the Yao parents acted out of love for their son and that their actions were understandable.

Of course, such comments would be attacked and deleted within half an hour.

What Director Liu sent were the previously undisclosed details of the heart transplant incident from ten years ago that they had uncovered.

Ten years ago, the Yao family's power was still in the hands of the former patriarch, who had not yet passed away. The current Patriarch Yao was the eldest of his generation and should have inherited the family. Unfortunately, the former patriarch was promiscuous, marrying five wives in total and fathering eight legitimate children, not to mention the illegitimate ones outside.

The mother of the current Patriarch Yao had already passed away. Isolated within the family, he married a daughter of the Yuan family early to secure power, relying on his in-laws to gain a foothold in the company.

His wife's family provided significant support. Even though he and his wife had only one child, who suffered from congenital heart disease, he still maintained the image of a good husband and father.

His wife had injured her body while giving birth to their first child, making it difficult for her to conceive again. Because of this, she felt guilty and urged her family to help him even more.

Over a decade passed like this. Yao Qiyuan grew up slowly, and the current Patriarch Yao steadily secured his position in the company with the help of his wife's family.

Coincidentally, the struggle for power within the Yao family reached a critical point. The current Patriarch Yao had only one sickly child, who was hospitalized with a severe illness and might not survive. The former patriarch hesitated about whether to pass the family leadership to him.

Yao Qiyuan's parents found a heart donor through a noblewoman.

What happened next was already known to Lin Juan.

The Yao family may not have been overwhelmingly powerful, but to a young boy who only had his elderly grandmother to rely on, they were an immovable giant.

They forged medical records, artificially created a terminal illness, and used money and power to take a young life.

Did Yao Qiyuan's parents love him? Of course, they did. But when Yao Qiyuan's father chose to take the risk, his primary motivation was the Yao family's inheritance rights.

Yao Qiyuan's heart transplant was successful. After his recovery, the former patriarch passed away not long after, and the Yao family fell into the hands of Yao Qiyuan's father.

If Gong Siyuan hadn't revived in a mysterious form, these truths might have remained buried in the river of time, unknown to anyone.

Besides this, Director Liu also sent some information about the Superpower Holders School. The school location had been approved—it would be renovated on an existing campus. With round-the-clock efforts, it was expected to be operational by the end of the year.

It was decided that the first batch of superpower holder students would be enrolled next spring.

There were also messages from other people.

Lin Juan replied to each one. After more than half an hour, Lu Yanzhou still hadn't come out of the walk-in closet.

"Lu Yanzhou?" Remembering Lu Yanzhou's unusual behavior when he left, Lin Juan called out.

He hoped nothing was wrong.

"What is it, Juanjuan?"

A response came from the walk-in closet.

From the sound of it, Lu Yanzhou had returned to normal. Lin Juan felt relieved. "Nothing, are you almost done?"

"Done, coming right out."

Lu Yanzhou sat on the sofa in the walk-in closet, his collar open, exhaling a hot breath.

The longer they spent together, the more easily he was stirred by Lin Juan.

Just now, he had nearly lost his composure in front of Lin Juan.

Lu Yanzhou covered his eyes, slowly calming his emotions.

Once the restlessness in his body had completely subsided, Lu Yanzhou stood up and walked out.

Lin Juan had randomly found a short-sleeved shirt in the room and put it on. Only after wearing it did he realize it was much too large—he had probably put on one of Lu Yanzhou's shirts.

The moment he stepped out, Lu Yanzhou saw the young man wearing his clothes. The sight of his own garment clinging to Lin Juan's body stirred the emotions he had just managed to calm. Lu Yanzhou's eyes darkened slightly.

"That outfit felt too drafty, so I changed," Lin Juan explained, noticing the man's gaze on his clothes. "I only realized after changing that it's your shirt. You don't mind if I borrow it, do you?"

Remembering Lu Yanzhou's particularity about cleanliness, Lin Juan added, "It's quite comfortable. If you don't want it anymore, I'll keep it."

"No, I won't." Lu Yanzhou sat next to Lin Juan.

"Director Liu just sent me some stuff about the Yao family." Lin Juan handed his phone to Lu Yanzhou, letting him read it himself.

After finishing, Lu Yanzhou said, "After this, it will be very difficult for the Yao family to recover."

"Indeed. The internet is too powerful nowadays. No matter what the Yao family does, netizens won’t buy it."

Like a cockroach that won't die, the Yao family won’t collapse overnight, but returning to their former glory is impossible.

As they expected, other members of the Yao family, unwilling to be dragged down, quickly distanced themselves from Yao Qiyuan’s branch of the family in an attempt to salvage the Yao enterprises.

Unfortunately, the Yao family’s foundations were never clean to begin with. No matter how hard they struggled, the bankruptcy of the Yao companies was already a foregone conclusion.

Learning that Lu Yanzhou was going on a business trip to Rongcheng, Old Mr. Lu wasn't too comfortable with it. After the meal, he called Lu Yanzhou into the study: "Have you thought it through? Are you sure you want to dive into this?"

He had heard some rumors about the new energy developed by Deep Sea Technology—it was said to be different from any previous energy source, a newly discovered substance.

The uncertainty brought by new things is immense, especially in this world where weird stuff happens.

Is this new energy safe?

Could it, like the paranormal, have bad side effects on people?

Deep Sea Technology is based overseas. At any time, energy is something hotly contested by various forces. Old Mr. Lu, with his years of experience, knew that if this collaboration succeeded, it would bring great benefits to the Lu family. Conversely, if anything went wrong, it would be a heavy blow.

He wasn’t unconcerned about the Lu family’s interests, but he cared more about whether his youngest son would get hurt.

Lu Yanzhou had already been attacked by the paranormal, and there were still issues within his body that even the Paranormal Special Affairs Office couldn’t resolve. Until these problems were solved, Old Mr. Lu couldn’t rest easy.

"The world is changing, and Lin Juan has such abilities. Dad, I don’t want to be left too far behind."

Old Mr. Lu sighed. "Sometimes I think, if only it were you who developed powers instead of Mingxuan."

But fate had it that Lu Yanzhou’s beloved was Lin Juan. For now, paranormal events remained unknown to most of the public. In the future, when such events become common knowledge, Lu Yanzhou, as an ordinary person, would inevitably be under more pressure being with Lin Juan.

Old Mr. Lu understood Lu Yanzhou’s drive and patted his shoulder. "Go for it. I’m here for you."

As a father, he unconditionally supported the decisions his son made after careful consideration.

He believed in Lu Yanzhou’s capabilities.

"Thank you, Dad."

Lu Yanzhou was not the type to blame fate. Even without developing a superpower, even as an ordinary person, he would never easily give up on Lin Juan.

He believed he could provide Lin Juan with the life he desired.

In peacetime, as the head of the Lu family, this would have been easy. In an era full of supernatural threats, it was undoubtedly more challenging, but Lu Yanzhou would not retreat in the face of difficulty—he would only get stronger when things got tough.

No matter the circumstances, he would do everything in his power to give Lin Juan the best life possible.

Lin Juan deserved nothing less than the best.

Lu Mingxuan was undergoing special training and had half a day off every ten days. When he returned home on leave and learned that his uncle was accompanying his uncle-in-law on a business trip, it felt like a bolt from the blue.

"Uncle is going to Rongcheng? Does that mean he won’t be at the base for at least a week during the next phase of training?"

Lu Mingxuan had been looking forward to watching his uncle-in-law show those trainees what's what.

"I’ll come see you as soon as I return," Lin Juan said, giving him a lazy look.

Lu Mingxuan tensed instinctively, recalling the pain of being beaten, and gave a weak smile. "Uncle-in-law, there’s no need to rush."

Watching his uncle-in-law beat others was satisfying, but being on the receiving end was far less enjoyable.

Lu Mingxuan, with his rare half-day off, had a lot to talk about. He told Old Mr. Lu many stories about what happened during training.

"Captain Sheng said the next phase of training will involve real combat."

"I also made a friend named Shi Haochen. He is a huge fan of Uncle-in-law. His shadow, like my superpower, can take on various forms."

Lu Mingxuan and Shi Haochen had become friends after butting heads.

Both were Class A superpower holders and had joined the base around the same time. The other newly recruited superpower holders naturally looked up to them, forming two factions.

Superpower holders tend to be proud and unruly. When Lin Juan was around, they behaved as obedient puppies, but in his absence, they gave the instructors headaches.

Sheng Tianzong divided the superpower holders into several groups and had them face off against each other. As the only two Class A superpower holders in their batch, Lu Mingxuan and Shi Haochen naturally became rivals.

After a few matches, they were surprised to discover that their approaches were quite similar.

The observing instructors laughed. "These two youngsters seem to be really taking after Mr. Lin."

"One awakened his superpower in front of Mr. Lin, and the other is Mr. Lin’s nephew. It’s no surprise they’re so influenced by him. That said, this entire batch of superpower holders has been significantly influenced by Mr. Lin. But these ways of using superpowers have some surprisingly good results."

The other instructors nodded in agreement.

After getting to know Shi Haochen, Lu Mingxuan realized he was a die-hard fan of his uncle-in-law. Whenever Shi Haochen talked about Lin Juan, his eyes lit up, and he had mastered every technique Lin Juan taught.

This inexplicably sparked Lu Mingxuan’s competitive spirit. He thought, "I’m his nephew—there’s no way I should lag behind an outsider." During his half-day off, he pestered Lin Juan with countless questions.

As night fell, Lu Mingxuan showed no intention of leaving. Lu Yanzhou grabbed him and shoved him out. "You’re a grown man. Don’t disturb your elders’ rest."

Lu Mingxuan clung to the doorframe, protesting, "Uncle, you’ve hogged Uncle-in-law’s time entirely! I’ve only spoken with him for two hours, and you’re already kicking me out. Don’t you think that’s too much?"

Lu Yanzhou replied, "You do realize you’ve been talking for two hours."

Lu Mingxuan insisted, "No! I want to have a long talk with Uncle-in-law all night! No one can stop me!"

"Alright, alright," Lin Juan intervened, walking over and ruffling Lu Mingxuan’s hair. "When I return, I’ll talk to your Captain Sheng and personally take you on a field operation. How’s that?"

"Really?!" Lu Mingxuan’s eyes lit up at the unexpected offer. "Promise? Uncle-in-law! You have to come!"

"Mm-hmm, I’ll message Sheng Tianzong later. Now go rest—you have to wake up early tomorrow to return to base for training."

Seeing that Lin Juan had no intention of letting him stay, Lu Mingxuan left dragging his feet, glancing back constantly.

Lu Yanzhou and Lin Juan went back inside.

"You don’t have to baby him so much," Lu Yanzhou said.

"Do you remember Zhuang Yufeng’s prophecy? I’m worried. It’s better to keep tabs on the situation."

Better safe than sorry.

If I'm there, it would be safer.

Whether in the book or in the prophecy given by Zhuang Yufeng, Lu Mingxuan's incident was supposed to happen during this summer vacation. It’s always better to be cautious.

In the middle of the night, Lin Juan was woken up by the heat.

His body was trapped, his face pressed against hot skin. It took Lin Juan’s groggy mind a moment to realize he was being held in Lu Yanzhou’s arms.

When had the guy pulled him close?

Why hadn’t he noticed at all?

And why did it even feel so natural to him?

It was so hot.

Lin Juan was drenched in sweat and desperately wanted to kick off the blankets to cool down. But no matter how much he struggled, he couldn’t break free—instead, the man held him even tighter.

Pressed tightly together, Lin Juan continued to try to squirm away when suddenly, he felt something hard against him and froze.

Unexpectedly, the man pressed closer, grinding against him.

Lin Juan’s body stiffened even more.

So awkward, so awkward, so awkward.

Was Lu Yanzhou dreaming?

What was he dreaming about?

Why would he…

Lin Juan’s scalp crawled. Without another thought, he yanked himself free from the man’s embrace and rolled to the side.

It was only then he realized his cheeks were burning.

Lu Yanzhou had had dreams like this before. Instinctively, he reached out and pulled the young man back, his voice husky with desire: “Juanjuan, why are you shy?”

Lin Juan shoved him away, stunned: “Lu Yanzhou, what are you saying?!”

The man’s eyes snapped open.

The room was dim, the sensations real.

Lin Juan was truly trapped in his arms.

This wasn’t a dream.

Realizing this, Lu Yanzhou’s mind went blank.

“Juanjuan, did I frighten you?”

In the silence, Lu Yanzhou asked softly.

Lin Juan could hear the nervousness in his voice.

It was hard to imagine that a man who was so confident in business would get worked up over something so small.

Lin Juan’s voice unconsciously softened: “Not really.”

“Juanjuan, I’m sorry.”

“No,” Lin Juan sat up, running a hand through his hair, “why are you being so serious? It was just a little grinding, and we had clothes on, anyway. I…”

“Juanjuan, I like you.” Before he could finish, Lu Yanzhou interrupted him.

“Huh?” Lin Juan was stunned.

The sound of sheets rustling came from beside him, followed by his warm body moving closer.

The man’s tone was a little helpless: “I originally wanted to confess at a more appropriate time, but this happened so suddenly. Juanjuan, I want you to know—I love you, the kind of love that wants you physically.”

Lin Juan’s mouth moved faster than his brain: “So, you held me and rubbed against me on purpose?”

As soon as he said it, Lin Juan wanted to cover his face.

Oh my god, what am I saying!