Chapter 174: He Always Thought He Wasn’t Doing Enough

Chapter 174: He Always Thought He Wasn't Doing Enough

Right at that moment, Shen Yuan was also diagnosed with uremia. After that diagnosis, Shen Yuan stopped going out to work altogether.

Every burden landed on Shen Lian.

Night after night, Shen Lian lay awake thinking.

Why did Chen Yao leave back then?

If Chen Yao hadn't run off with the money, would any of this even be happening now?

But he couldn't really blame Chen Yao. From what he remembered, Chen Yao never seemed to like him much.

She was always so distant.

Honestly, Shen Lian could never figure out why Chen Yao married Shen Yuan at all.

Chen Yao was a college graduate, drop-dead gorgeous. Shen Lian got ninety percent of his looks from her.

But back then, Shen Yuan had barely made it through elementary school, using some family savings to rent a small stall.

Chen Yao was always lukewarm toward Shen Yuan, even when they were dating, and she'd sometimes shoot him a cold look.

But Shen Lian always told himself—as long as both his parents were around, he could pretend he was happy.

But now, Shen Lian couldn't even imagine what happiness felt like anymore.

Life was too bitter now.

Then Shen Lian started wondering again.

What if all that stuff—the transmigration, the cultivation, the ascension—was fake?

What if he'd died long ago at those fancy but rotten banquets, and was just a walking corpse now?

Yan Huaixuan noticed Shen Lian's mood had soured. At the same time, he also saw something pitch-black spreading across Shen Lian's body.

And the world, which had felt so hazy, was slowly becoming solid, piece by piece.

Yan Huaixuan instantly grabbed Shen Lian's hand.

He reached out and pulled Shen Lian into a tight hug. "Shen Lian, don't let this illusion fool you."

"This illusion feeds on the weakest part of your heart, luring you in until you're stuck here forever."

At that, Shen Lian's lashes fluttered. He slowly looked away and said, voice hoarse, "I get it."

Yan Huaixuan gently ruffled Shen Lian's hair.

He asked softly, "Can you tell me what's wrong?"

Shen Lian pressed his lips together, staying silent.

Yan Huaixuan could tell Shen Lian didn't want to talk about it.

Disappointment flickered in Yan Huaixuan's eyes, though he tried to hide it.

Shen Lian not wanting to open up showed he instinctively didn't trust him.

Showing someone your weakness was like handing them a knife to stab you with.

But Yan Huaixuan didn't want that. He was Shen Lian's boyfriend—he wanted to know everything about him.

But this wasn't Shen Lian's fault. If anything, Yan Huaixuan was the one who'd caused all of this.

If he hadn't kept chipping away at Shen Lian's trust, Shen Lian wouldn't have shut him out.

Yan Huaixuan's eyes stung, but he pushed all his feelings down.

He changed the subject. "Let's go find other clues first."

But then Shen Lian gently grabbed the hem of his shirt.

Yan Huaixuan froze, then slowly turned to face Shen Lian.

Shen Lian kept his head down, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll tell you when I'm ready. Just give me a little time."

Yan Huaixuan was stunned at first, then joy washed over him. He took Shen Lian's hand. "Okay."

Then Yan Huaixuan's thumb gently brushed the corner of Shen Lian's eye.

His voice was rough. "I'll always be here."

Shen Lian's lashes fluttered. He looked up at Yan Huaixuan and met the overwhelming, unguarded love in his eyes.

It almost swallowed Shen Lian whole.

Shen Lian's lips parted slightly. "Okay."

Yan Huaixuan and Shen Lian searched the whole place but didn't find a single person.

"Nobody lives here?"

The second Yan Huaixuan said that, something clicked in Shen Lian's mind.

He quickly grabbed his phone and glanced at it. "It's Thursday—they're all out."

His younger brother and sister were in school, and Shen Yuan had dialysis at the hospital today.

If nothing went wrong, Shen Yuan would call any minute now, cursing him out for not bringing the food.

It was like this world knew exactly what Shen Lian was thinking. The second the thought crossed his mind, Shen Yuan called.

The second Shen Lian picked up, Shen Yuan's abuse came crashing down. "Shen Lian! Where the hell are you? Where's the food I told you to bring?"

Hearing that voice, murderous rage flared in Yan Huaixuan's eyes almost instantly.

But Shen Lian noticed. He gently touched Yan Huaixuan's hand.

Yan Huaixuan met Shen Lian's gaze, forcing down the cold malice in his eyes, and went back to his usual calm expression.

He reached out and pulled Shen Lian into his arms.

Shen Lian said coldly into the phone, "You old bastard, you've got one foot in the grave already, and you still want me to bring you food? In your dreams."

After saying that, he hung up, ignoring Shen Yuan's furious outburst on the other end.

Yan Huaixuan: "..."

He looked down at Shen Lian.

Shen Lian met his gaze, blinking. "Do you think I'm still that pushover I used to be?"

Yan Huaixuan smiled at that. "No."

Shen Lian snorted and sat down together with Yan Huaixuan. "We'll just wait here for them to get back."

Sure enough, Shen Yuan, who was supposed to be on dialysis for over three hours, ditched it completely and kicked the door straight open.

Seeing Shen Lian sitting on the sofa, Shen Yuan's face went dark as thunder. His bloodshot eyes bulged as he glared at Shen Lian.

He raised his hand to strike. "You asking to die, you little piece of trash? You mooch off me, and I tell you to cook—you got a problem with that?"

Yan Huaixuan frowned, about to raise his hand to block, but then thought better of it and held back.

Shen Lian remained expressionless. He grabbed the lamp and smashed it into Shen Yuan's head.

Shen Yuan yelped and hit the ground. Seeing the blood streaming from his head, he looked up in disbelief. "You actually dare to hit me now?"

That timid Shen Lian, who always obeyed him and was always under his thumb, actually dared to hit him?

Shen Lian looked down at him and smiled faintly. "You're exactly who I want to hit."

With that, Shen Lian raised his foot and stomped on Shen Yuan's head.

Then he ground his foot down hard.

Shen Yuan's head deflated like a punctured balloon, crushed under Shen Lian's foot.

But weirdly, Shen Yuan was still writhing on the ground.

"You dare hit me? Shen Lian, you little piece of trash, have you forgotten? If your mother hadn't run off with the money, this family wouldn't have fallen apart. You deserve to wait on me hand and foot."

Shen Lian had heard this countless times.

Shen Yuan had told him over and over that because he was disobedient, his mother ran away with the money.

Shen Lian had to make up for it.

And so Shen Lian was forever used by Shen Yuan, drained dry by this family.

But now, there was only indifference in Shen Lian's eyes.

He looked down at Shen Yuan—that face from his nightmares.

Then, expressionless, he increased the pressure until Shen Yuan's head completely turned into a pool of blood.

The surrounding illusion began to slowly dissolve.

Yan Huaixuan watched Shen Lian. This mirror world was actually quite easy to break.

As long as Shen Lian wasn't seduced by it, it meant nothing to him.

Shen Yuan's body slowly faded away, dissolving into a shard of mirror.