September 12, 2023 by Wyrd
Ruan Qing, after carefully observing Yang Tianhao’s condition, became incredibly stiff, wanting to step back.
However, he was currently seated on the couch with no way to retreat.
Yang Tianhao, carrying a dish, slowly walked to the dining table and turned around, revealing a twisted smile to Ruan Qing once again. “Ah... Qing, it’s time to eat.”
Yang Tianhao seemed to have difficulty speaking, uttering words slowly, as if his tongue was twisted.
Ruan Qing didn’t want to approach, but it was evident that he wasn’t in the real world right now.
This space, perhaps... only had the two of them, him and Yang Tianhao.
He had nowhere to escape, and he had no choice.
Confronting the monster head-on, he had no chance of winning. He needed to find an opportunity to escape from here first.
Ruan Qing forced himself to calm down, tensing his body as he sat at the dining table.
Imitating his usual actions, Yang Tianhao served the dishes, and his stiff movements seemed as if he hadn’t adapted to his body yet. However, he appeared unaware of how terrifying he looked now.
Ruan Qing could only pretend not to notice anything unusual, lowering his gaze to the dining table.
The food appeared normal, but it seemed like there was an excessive amount of chili, and each dish was tinged with an eerie shade of red.
It all looked very spicy, and it couldn’t whet anyone’s appetite.
Ruan Qing’s gaze paused. Did he just buy chili? And did Zhou Qing have red chili oil at home?
No, neither Yang Tianhao nor Zhou Qing had a preference for spicy food; they rarely cooked anything spicy. Besides, even if it was chili, shouldn’t you be able to see chili flakes?
But all the dishes on the table were just red, with no trace of chili, more like they had been colored with red pigment.
Red... pigment?
Could it be... blood?
Ruan Qing pressed his lips together, looking at the dishes that were as crimson as Yang Tianhao’s pupils. His eyelashes couldn’t help but tremble, and his body became even stiffer.
Yet Yang Tianhao handed the chopsticks over once more, smiling at Ruan Qing with a twisted, rigid expression, destroying his handsome and gentle face.
It sent shivers down one’s spine and instilled a deep fear that made you want to escape.
Yang Tianhao’s pupils were completely dominated by crimson, as if blood would flow from his eyes in the next moment.
Ruan Qing felt stiff all over as he was being watched by Yang Tianhao. After a moment of hesitation, he eventually reached out his hand, pretending to be calm, and took the chopsticks from Yang Tianhao’s hand.
A smile cracked at the corner of Yang Tianhao’s mouth as he stared intently at Ruan Qing’s hand, seemingly anticipating Ruan Qing to taste the dish he had prepared.
Ruan Qing didn’t start using the chopsticks, but instead wore a puzzled expression on his delicate face. He looked up at Yang Tianhao and asked, “Honey, why isn’t there any soup with the dishes? I thought you loved fish soup the most?”
“And I’ve already cleaned the fish. If we don’t cook it now, it might not be as delicious.”
Before Yang Tianhao could respond, Ruan Qing put down the chopsticks, showing understanding. “If you’re too tired, I can handle it. You just sit and wait for a moment; it’ll be quick.”
After saying this, Ruan Qing stood up, preparing to head towards the kitchen.
Yang Tianhao seemed surprised that Ruan Qing made this offer. After a moment’s pause, he grabbed Ruan Qing’s hand firmly.
“I...I’ll do it...”
Yang Tianhao’s grip was strong, leaving Ruan Qing with no chance to resist.
And... it was ice cold.
Yang Tianhao’s hand was unusually cold, like it had just been taken out of the freezer, accompanied by a chilling sensation. This couldn’t be the temperature of a living person.
A shiver ran through Ruan Qing’s heart. Could it be... a corpse?
Ruan Qing didn’t show any sign of alarm on his face. He reached back and held Yang Tianhao’s hand, even taking a couple of steps closer to him, gently adjusting his clothes. “You’ve worked hard.”
“But if you’re tired, you must tell me, don’t push yourself too hard; I’ll worry.”
As Ruan Qing spoke, his hand slowly moved down, imperceptibly approaching the edge of Yang Tianhao’s pocket.
Yang Tianhao didn’t notice Ruan Qing’s actions. He gazed at the person in front of him, who looked obedient, pretty, and entirely filled with his presence. His gaze froze, and the next moment, the redness in his pupils seemed to come to life, intensifying.
He tilted his head stiffly, suppressing his excitement and gently embraced Ruan Qing. “Not... tired...”
After a few seconds, Ruan Qing pushed him away. “Alright, if you don’t start cooking soon, the other dishes will get cold.”
Reluctantly, Yang Tianhao released Ruan Qing and walked slowly and somewhat distortedly into the kitchen.
Once Yang Tianhao entered the kitchen, Ruan Qing couldn’t hold back any longer. His body trembled slightly, and he almost collapsed to the floor in complete weakness. Thankfully, he managed to support himself by grabbing onto the nearby dining table, stabilizing his figure.
It’s difficult to continue acting for even one more second.
Although Yang Tianhao was completely clean now, the scene in the kitchen from before continued to haunt Ruan Qing’s mind.
No matter how much Ruan Qing tried to convince himself, he couldn’t see Yang Tianhao as a living person.
And hypnosis should not be used again, as a too-short interval between hypnotic sessions could affect even him.
Fortunately, he successfully obtained the key to Yang Tianhao’s bedroom.
Making clear fish soup would take at least twenty minutes, which would give him enough time to search for clues in Yang Tianhao’s bedroom.
Most importantly, those red-colored dishes were suspicious, and Ruan Qing couldn’t dare to eat them.
Clear fish soup should never be red, so he would eat that later.
Ruan Qing couldn’t afford to waste time. After regaining some strength, he turned on the television, pretending to watch TV in the living room, conveniently using the TV’s sound to mask other noises.
Then, Ruan Qing silently approached Yang Tianhao’s bedroom, gently opening the door.
While opening the door, Ruan Qing kept an eye on the kitchen’s movements. When he saw that Yang Tianhao hadn’t noticed, he entered the bedroom.
Yang Tianhao’s room was neat and tidy, with not many personal items, giving off a cold feeling.
Ruan Qing began searching for clues and found the two paternity test reports in a drawer.
Was Zhou Qing really a member of the Yang family?
After not finding any other clues, Ruan Qing wiped away his traces, left Yang Tianhao’s bedroom, and returned to the living room.
Yang Tianhao was still busy in the kitchen, oblivious to Ruan Qing’s departure. Ruan Qing sat on the sofa, seemingly watching TV, but internally, he was analyzing and organizing the clues.
If he hadn’t seen the photo of Zhou Qing before, Ruan Qing might have thought that Yang Tianhao was trying to make Zhou Qing fall in love with him, only to destroy him later, perhaps out of fear of losing his status as the Yang family’s young master.
But there were countless ways to destroy someone; why would Yang Tianhao need to personally do it? Moreover, if he simply wanted to kill Zhou Qing, he could have let the car accident take its course, and Zhou Qing would have died for sure.
However, Zhou Qing had only temporarily lost his sight, and it didn’t seem like Yang Tianhao wanted to kill him. Zhou Qing didn’t appear to be the type who would become self-deprecating and reclusive due to love; he seemed more like a proud and ambitious wolf. Such a person, even if burdened with numerous sins, Ruan Qing believed they would have grown stronger.
But after getting to know Yang Tianhao, he had seemingly turned into a soulless puppet.
The difference with that photo was too significant.
Photos of Zhou Qing were not easy to find; he was probably born in an orphanage and didn’t have many photos taken when he was young.
However, Yang Tianhao was different. As the sole heir to the Yang Group, there were plenty of photos of him online, spanning from his childhood to adulthood.
Ruan Qing immediately took out his phone and began searching for photos of Yang Tianhao.
A person’s gaze and demeanor were hard to conceal.
Before the age of eighteen, Yang Tianhao was arrogant and frivolous, looking down on others as if he was a rich second generation relying on his family.
After the age of eighteen, Yang Tianhao remained proud and aloof, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes, making him seem devoid of warmth.
Although the change in his gaze was not significant, it gave off a dangerous vibe.
This gaze... it clearly resembled Zhou Qing...
Moreover, in just a few months, Yang Tianhao’s gaze had transformed from arrogant and frivolous to gentle and restrained, as if he had grown into an outstanding young master of a prestigious family.
Ruan Qing lowered his gaze, his thumb gently rubbing the photos of Yang Tianhao on his phone, various speculations swirling in his mind.
In the end, most of his speculations were dismissed, leaving only two most plausible guesses.
Either Yang Tianhao learned about his true identity at the age of eighteen, grew overnight, and had some ulterior motive for dealing with Zhou Qing while sparing his life.
Or... the body of Yang Tianhao actually belonged to the real Zhou Qing, and the current Zhou Qing was merely a puppet deceiving the world.
Ruan Qing leaned towards the second guess, but if that were the case, why did the real Zhou Qing break ties with the Yang family?
And what did all of this have to do with this Xishan Residential Area? Why did he come here?
Because... “interests”?
Was Zhou Qing’s purpose the same as those who attacked “Xiao Xi”?
Ruan Qing felt that the clues were too scattered, like two disjointed fragments.
Zhou Qing and Yang Tianhao, Xishan Residential Area, and “Xiao Xi.”
There must be some clue he hadn’t found yet, or perhaps he had overlooked something.
As Ruan Qing pondered, Yang Tianhao appeared with a bowl of clear fish soup.
September 12, 2023 by Wyrd
Ruan Qing, after carefully observing Yang Tianhao’s condition, became incredibly stiff, wanting to step back.
However, he was currently seated on the couch with no way to retreat.
Yang Tianhao, carrying a dish, slowly walked to the dining table and turned around, revealing a twisted smile to Ruan Qing once again. “Ah... Qing, it’s time to eat.”
Yang Tianhao seemed to have difficulty speaking, uttering words slowly, as if his tongue was twisted.
Ruan Qing didn’t want to approach, but it was evident that he wasn’t in the real world right now.
This space, perhaps... only had the two of them, him and Yang Tianhao.
He had nowhere to escape, and he had no choice.
Confronting the monster head-on, he had no chance of winning. He needed to find an opportunity to escape from here first.
Ruan Qing forced himself to calm down, tensing his body as he sat at the dining table.
Imitating his usual actions, Yang Tianhao served the dishes, and his stiff movements seemed as if he hadn’t adapted to his body yet. However, he appeared unaware of how terrifying he looked now.
Ruan Qing could only pretend not to notice anything unusual, lowering his gaze to the dining table.
The food appeared normal, but it seemed like there was an excessive amount of chili, and each dish was tinged with an eerie shade of red.
It all looked very spicy, and it couldn’t whet anyone’s appetite.
Ruan Qing’s gaze paused. Did he just buy chili? And did Zhou Qing have red chili oil at home?
No, neither Yang Tianhao nor Zhou Qing had a preference for spicy food; they rarely cooked anything spicy. Besides, even if it was chili, shouldn’t you be able to see chili flakes?
But all the dishes on the table were just red, with no trace of chili, more like they had been colored with red pigment.
Red... pigment?
Could it be... blood?
Ruan Qing pressed his lips together, looking at the dishes that were as crimson as Yang Tianhao’s pupils. His eyelashes couldn’t help but tremble, and his body became even stiffer.
Yet Yang Tianhao handed the chopsticks over once more, smiling at Ruan Qing with a twisted, rigid expression, destroying his handsome and gentle face.
It sent shivers down one’s spine and instilled a deep fear that made you want to escape.
Yang Tianhao’s pupils were completely dominated by crimson, as if blood would flow from his eyes in the next moment.
Ruan Qing felt stiff all over as he was being watched by Yang Tianhao. After a moment of hesitation, he eventually reached out his hand, pretending to be calm, and took the chopsticks from Yang Tianhao’s hand.
A smile cracked at the corner of Yang Tianhao’s mouth as he stared intently at Ruan Qing’s hand, seemingly anticipating Ruan Qing to taste the dish he had prepared.
Ruan Qing didn’t start using the chopsticks, but instead wore a puzzled expression on his delicate face. He looked up at Yang Tianhao and asked, “Honey, why isn’t there any soup with the dishes? I thought you loved fish soup the most?”
“And I’ve already cleaned the fish. If we don’t cook it now, it might not be as delicious.”
Before Yang Tianhao could respond, Ruan Qing put down the chopsticks, showing understanding. “If you’re too tired, I can handle it. You just sit and wait for a moment; it’ll be quick.”
After saying this, Ruan Qing stood up, preparing to head towards the kitchen.
Yang Tianhao seemed surprised that Ruan Qing made this offer. After a moment’s pause, he grabbed Ruan Qing’s hand firmly.
“I...I’ll do it...”
Yang Tianhao’s grip was strong, leaving Ruan Qing with no chance to resist.
And... it was ice cold.
Yang Tianhao’s hand was unusually cold, like it had just been taken out of the freezer, accompanied by a chilling sensation. This couldn’t be the temperature of a living person.
A shiver ran through Ruan Qing’s heart. Could it be... a corpse?
Ruan Qing didn’t show any sign of alarm on his face. He reached back and held Yang Tianhao’s hand, even taking a couple of steps closer to him, gently adjusting his clothes. “You’ve worked hard.”
“But if you’re tired, you must tell me, don’t push yourself too hard; I’ll worry.”
As Ruan Qing spoke, his hand slowly moved down, imperceptibly approaching the edge of Yang Tianhao’s pocket.
Yang Tianhao didn’t notice Ruan Qing’s actions. He gazed at the person in front of him, who looked obedient, pretty, and entirely filled with his presence. His gaze froze, and the next moment, the redness in his pupils seemed to come to life, intensifying.
He tilted his head stiffly, suppressing his excitement and gently embraced Ruan Qing. “Not... tired...”
After a few seconds, Ruan Qing pushed him away. “Alright, if you don’t start cooking soon, the other dishes will get cold.”
Reluctantly, Yang Tianhao released Ruan Qing and walked slowly and somewhat distortedly into the kitchen.
Once Yang Tianhao entered the kitchen, Ruan Qing couldn’t hold back any longer. His body trembled slightly, and he almost collapsed to the floor in complete weakness. Thankfully, he managed to support himself by grabbing onto the nearby dining table, stabilizing his figure.
It’s difficult to continue acting for even one more second.
Although Yang Tianhao was completely clean now, the scene in the kitchen from before continued to haunt Ruan Qing’s mind.
No matter how much Ruan Qing tried to convince himself, he couldn’t see Yang Tianhao as a living person.
And hypnosis should not be used again, as a too-short interval between hypnotic sessions could affect even him.
Fortunately, he successfully obtained the key to Yang Tianhao’s bedroom.
Making clear fish soup would take at least twenty minutes, which would give him enough time to search for clues in Yang Tianhao’s bedroom.
Most importantly, those red-colored dishes were suspicious, and Ruan Qing couldn’t dare to eat them.
Clear fish soup should never be red, so he would eat that later.
Ruan Qing couldn’t afford to waste time. After regaining some strength, he turned on the television, pretending to watch TV in the living room, conveniently using the TV’s sound to mask other noises.
Then, Ruan Qing silently approached Yang Tianhao’s bedroom, gently opening the door.
While opening the door, Ruan Qing kept an eye on the kitchen’s movements. When he saw that Yang Tianhao hadn’t noticed, he entered the bedroom.
Yang Tianhao’s room was neat and tidy, with not many personal items, giving off a cold feeling.
Ruan Qing began searching for clues and found the two paternity test reports in a drawer.
Was Zhou Qing really a member of the Yang family?
After not finding any other clues, Ruan Qing wiped away his traces, left Yang Tianhao’s bedroom, and returned to the living room.
Yang Tianhao was still busy in the kitchen, oblivious to Ruan Qing’s departure. Ruan Qing sat on the sofa, seemingly watching TV, but internally, he was analyzing and organizing the clues.
If he hadn’t seen the photo of Zhou Qing before, Ruan Qing might have thought that Yang Tianhao was trying to make Zhou Qing fall in love with him, only to destroy him later, perhaps out of fear of losing his status as the Yang family’s young master.
But there were countless ways to destroy someone; why would Yang Tianhao need to personally do it? Moreover, if he simply wanted to kill Zhou Qing, he could have let the car accident take its course, and Zhou Qing would have died for sure.
However, Zhou Qing had only temporarily lost his sight, and it didn’t seem like Yang Tianhao wanted to kill him. Zhou Qing didn’t appear to be the type who would become self-deprecating and reclusive due to love; he seemed more like a proud and ambitious wolf. Such a person, even if burdened with numerous sins, Ruan Qing believed they would have grown stronger.
But after getting to know Yang Tianhao, he had seemingly turned into a soulless puppet.
The difference with that photo was too significant.
Photos of Zhou Qing were not easy to find; he was probably born in an orphanage and didn’t have many photos taken when he was young.
However, Yang Tianhao was different. As the sole heir to the Yang Group, there were plenty of photos of him online, spanning from his childhood to adulthood.
Ruan Qing immediately took out his phone and began searching for photos of Yang Tianhao.
A person’s gaze and demeanor were hard to conceal.
Before the age of eighteen, Yang Tianhao was arrogant and frivolous, looking down on others as if he was a rich second generation relying on his family.
After the age of eighteen, Yang Tianhao remained proud and aloof, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes, making him seem devoid of warmth.
Although the change in his gaze was not significant, it gave off a dangerous vibe.
This gaze... it clearly resembled Zhou Qing...
Moreover, in just a few months, Yang Tianhao’s gaze had transformed from arrogant and frivolous to gentle and restrained, as if he had grown into an outstanding young master of a prestigious family.
Ruan Qing lowered his gaze, his thumb gently rubbing the photos of Yang Tianhao on his phone, various speculations swirling in his mind.
In the end, most of his speculations were dismissed, leaving only two most plausible guesses.
Either Yang Tianhao learned about his true identity at the age of eighteen, grew overnight, and had some ulterior motive for dealing with Zhou Qing while sparing his life.
Or... the body of Yang Tianhao actually belonged to the real Zhou Qing, and the current Zhou Qing was merely a puppet deceiving the world.
Ruan Qing leaned towards the second guess, but if that were the case, why did the real Zhou Qing break ties with the Yang family?
And what did all of this have to do with this Xishan Residential Area? Why did he come here?
Because... “interests”?
Was Zhou Qing’s purpose the same as those who attacked “Xiao Xi”?
Ruan Qing felt that the clues were too scattered, like two disjointed fragments.
Zhou Qing and Yang Tianhao, Xishan Residential Area, and “Xiao Xi.”
There must be some clue he hadn’t found yet, or perhaps he had overlooked something.
As Ruan Qing pondered, Yang Tianhao appeared with a bowl of clear fish soup.
