Chapter 59

Chapter 59: The Digestive System is Watching

The computer lagged, as always.

Lin Jianyuan sat at his desk, idly fiddling with the white spinal cord Lego on his desktop while he waited for his frozen computer to respond.

“Um, hello.” The socially anxious Lego peeked nervously through his fingers. “Um, excuse me, is it time to start the calcium supplement now?”

Lin Jianyuan frowned. “Shut up when I’m playing with you.”

It’s so messed up to play with a talking Lego.

Socially anxious Lego: “Eep!”

Lin Jianyuan: “Start the calcium.”

The Lego trembled, too scared to say a word.

It simply worked diligently, releasing a fine dusting of white granules.

They spread like snowy spores under a microscope.

Honestly, it looked kind of beautiful.

It would probably look even better at night, under the lamp.

Lin Jianyuan casually broke off a small piece from the big Lego and slipped it into his pocket.

The big Lego shuddered, and the small Lego jolted in alarm. “Eep!”

The two Legos, one deep-voiced and one high-pitched, chorused, “W-what are you doing?!”

Lin Jianyuan: “?”

Why do they have different vocal ranges now?

Oh, I get it.

This pile of bones was originally a single whole. When together, its voice was old and deep, but once broken apart, the voices turned sharp and shrill.

Makes sense.

Lin Jianyuan said offhandedly, “You look pretty nice when you’re supplementing calcium. I’ll take you home to show my wife.”

The two Legos replied, “O-okay! H-happy to s-serve you!”

Lin Jianyuan: “You’re too noisy. Next time, pick a spokesperson.”

The Legos: “…”

Not one dared to speak.

Pei Shuo, who had just sat down nearby: “...QAQ”

Bro Yuan! What’s wrong with you?

Bro Yuan, why are you talking to yourself again?

The socially anxious Lego glowed like an ambient lamp, so Lin Jianyuan set it aside, letting it supplement calcium while he worked.

At last, the lagging computer loaded.

Lin Jianyuan entered his password and reached the desktop.

He stared at the arrangement of files on his desktop. No matter how he looked at them, it was all wrong.

He frowned at the screen for a long moment before it hit him.

Shit! Yu Xiuli messed with his computer!

He’d noticed it the day he got back to work, but then his landlord called about the rent, and he’d completely forgotten.

Lin Jianyuan cursed under his breath and clicked open one of the files, hoping to restore a backup.

But as soon as he double-clicked—

Dong!

A system popup appeared:

File is corrupted!

Lin Jianyuan: “?”

Refusing to believe it, he tried another file.

Dong!

File is corrupted!

Lin Jianyuan: “????”

Lin Jianyuan immediately turned to Pei Shuo. “Did anyone else touch my computer yesterday?”

Pei Shuo: “Huh? No, not me.”

Lin Jianyuan: “Not you. I mean anyone else…”

Just then, that “someone else” arrived.

Yu Xiuli stormed into the office with Jiang Chen, both of them looking hot and irritable.

The sight of Yu Xiuli instantly set Lin Jianyuan’s temper ablaze.

With Jiang Chen as witness, Lin Jianyuan went straight over and blocked their path. “Ms. Yu, what did you do on my computer that day? I can’t open several important files now!”

Yu Xiuli shot back without hesitation, “Why come to me if your computer’s broken? Go find someone to fix it!”

“It’s not the computer!” Lin Jianyuan exploded. “The files are corrupted! I can’t open them! Do you understand plain language? Tell me, what exactly did you do on my computer while I was in the hospital? The deadline’s coming up and I can’t access the key files! Are you going to pay the penalty for breach of contract?!”

At the mention of “penalty,” both Jiang Chen and Yu Xiuli’s faces changed.

Jiang Chen eyed them both suspiciously.

Yu Xiuli’s face twisted, her voice rising. “Lin Jianyuan, what’s wrong with you this early in the morning? You don’t even know what happened and you’re already yelling at me! Did you get the facts before you started blaming me?”

Lin Jianyuan, barely holding back his anger: “Who else touched my computer besides you?”

Yu Xiuli jabbed a finger at Pei Shuo. “Your little sidekick!”

Pei Shuo finally understood and jumped up. “It wasn’t me! I didn’t break anything! I’ve been helping Jiang Chen these past two days…”

Jiang Chen, realizing he was being dragged in, snapped, “Pei Shuo! This is about Lin Jianyuan. Why are you bringing me into it? Stay on topic!”

Pei Shuo gritted his teeth. “Anyway, I didn’t touch his computer! Check the security cameras if you don’t believe me!”

With that, everyone knew Pei Shuo was telling the truth.

All eyes turned to Yu Xiuli, complicated and hard to read.

Yu Xiuli’s face darkened.

She’d been roasting in the elevator, five minutes feeling like fifty years in prison, her back aching, neck stiff.

All she wanted was to sit down, make some tea, pull out her neck massager, and relax.

But Lin Jianyuan just wouldn’t let it go!

All over a few stupid files!

So what if the files won’t open?

Get IT to fix it, why bother her?!

Kids these days, all so hotheaded!

It’s nothing! Why make such a fuss?!

Lin Jianyuan grabbed Yu Xiuli, insisting on checking the security footage.

Yu Xiuli snapped too, wrenching her arm free and shrieking, “Why are you grabbing me, Lin Jianyuan? Is this appropriate? So what if I used your computer? I just needed some files! Jiang Chen knows! He’s the one who told me to look!”

She jabbed a finger at Jiang Chen.

Lin Jianyuan immediately shot Jiang Chen a glare.

“No, no, no—” Jiang Chen, wilting under Lin Jianyuan’s glare, waved his hands. “I didn’t! Ms. Yu needed some data for a report, I said I didn’t have it, maybe you did, but you were in the hospital… I thought she’d ask Pei Shuo! I never told her to use your computer!”

“Order.”

The word set Yu Xiuli off.

“Jiang Chen, what are you saying?!” Yu Xiuli’s shrill voice nearly pierced the ceiling. “Now you’re trying to pin this on me! How can you, a branch manager, not have such important files? I haven’t even started on you yet, and now you—”

“So.” Lin Jianyuan cut her off coldly. “So you admit those files are important.”

Yu Xiuli fell silent.

“It wasn’t me anyway.” Yu Xiuli turned away, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’m not the only one who used your computer. You were here yesterday, weren’t you? Well, not even half a day—just two hours before you left for a doctor’s appointment! Who knows how the files got corrupted? I’m not the only one who touched your computer. There’s also—”

She hadn’t finished saying “yourself” before Lin Jianyuan erupted.

“You mean I did it myself?!” Lin Jianyuan lunged forward, grabbing her collar and roaring, “You think I broke these files just to blame you? I’ve got nothing better to do than mess with you first thing in the morning?!”

“Let go! Lin Jianyuan, you’re crazy! Let go!” Yu Xiuli’s face flashed with fear as she struggled to break free.

Jiang Chen flinched and instinctively stepped back.

The others rushed over, some to break up the fight, some to pull Lin Jianyuan away. No one wanted to see him do something he’d regret.

Suddenly, Lin Jianyuan snapped back to himself.

Shit! Why was he so angry?

He was here to quit!

How did he get sucked into another stupid argument the minute he walked in?

He couldn’t help it.

Yu Xiuli was just that disgusting.

She refused to admit she’d broken the files. With the deadline looming, even if Lin Jianyuan quit, Yu Xiuli would never let this go.

She’d definitely try to stick him with the penalty.

But Lin Jianyuan’s situation was different now.

He worked for the Bureau now, making a million a year. He could easily pay the penalty if he had to.

But—why should he?!

Why the hell should he!!!

Even if he wasn’t quitting, there’s no way he’d take the fall for this!

He had only one thing to say!

It wasn’t his fault, so why the hell should he pay for it!!!

Seeing Lin Jianyuan still fuming after being pulled away, Jiang Chen hurried to smooth things over. “Calm down, both of you! It’s too hot to be yelling like this! Go cool off, everyone. It’s fine, really, it’s fine.”

Jiang Chen might have been fine, but Yu Xiuli still looked furious.

She shot Lin Jianyuan a glare sharp enough to cut flesh.

Jiang Chen kept coaxing her until he finally got her upstairs.

They went up, shut the office door.

Who knew what they were muttering about inside.

Lin Jianyuan snorted and was about to grab his resignation letter to throw at Jiang Chen when everyone suddenly crowded around him.

“Don’t do anything rash, Lin Jianyuan!”

“Seriously, don’t. Don’t lay a hand on her! She’s not worth it! If you do, they’ll have a reason to fire you.”

“Yeah! That’s exactly what they want. Lin Jianyuan, we all know it’s not your fault, it’s definitely her. But… which file is it? Do you have a backup?”

“Yeah, check for a backup! When’s the deadline? We’ll help you!”

Lin Jianyuan looked up at his colleagues, faces full of genuine concern.

A sudden warmth bloomed in his chest.

“I found it!”

Pei Shuo called out, beaming as he spun his monitor around, eyes shining like a puppy.

“Bro! Check this backup on the cloud—is this the third version? What’s the latest you worked on? Want to send me the client notes? I’ll keep editing. You cool off, have some tea—actually, I’ll order you bubble tea!”

…If he really left.

Lin Jianyuan looked at Pei Shuo, Qin Shi, Su Zhiwei… at all these coworkers worrying about him, and felt a pang of regret.

If he really left, he’d miss them.

Lin Jianyuan let out a long breath.

The files were beyond repair.

It was a mess, no way around it.

With Yu Xiuli’s personality, she’d never admit fault.

If he didn’t clean it up, some unlucky coworker would get stuck with the mess.

Forget it. For these good colleagues, he’d finish the handover properly.

Even if it felt a little humiliating.

Lin Jianyuan couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

How was it that he’d made it to the top, but still felt so powerless?

To make up for those corrupted files, he’d have to work late tonight.

He took a deep breath and focused on work.

After a busy morning, just before lunch, Lin Jianyuan called his roommate.

“Babe, I’ll be home late tonight.” Not wanting his roommate to know how frustrated he was, Lin Jianyuan forced a casual tone. “All the work piled up while I was in the hospital. Bit busy, haha. Eat dinner without me, don’t wait up.”

“Ah.”

His roommate sounded a little surprised on the phone.

Then, his roommate’s voice moved from the phone to reality. “But if you don’t come home, I won’t have anything to eat.”

Lin Jianyuan looked up in disbelief and saw his roommate standing in the doorway.

A steaming lunchbox dangled from the duodenum, swaying gently.

His roommate, a full set of pink, glistening digestive organs, stood before him.

His roommate said, “Didn’t we agree on three meals a day?”

Lin Jianyuan hadn’t expected his roommate to show up.

His roommate had actually come all the way here to bring him lunch. Lin Jianyuan couldn’t help but smile, heart brimming with happiness.

Then, a thought struck him. He glanced around the office.

He realized—no one reacted.

No one seemed to notice a full set of pink digestive organs materializing in the office.

Only then did Lin Jianyuan remember—oh, right, they couldn’t see his wife.

Too bad they couldn’t see how dazzling his wife was…

Wait.

A question popped into Lin Jianyuan’s mind. He picked up the squish toy and Angel Eyeball. “Come to think of it, why can they see these, but not you?”

Pei Shuo stiffened, but pretended not to hear.

Qin Shi and Su Zhiwei tensed up too.

Everyone in the office froze.

But all of them pretended not to notice.

Lin Jianyuan: “.”

Got it.

They must think he’s having another episode.

Perfect.

His reputation as a lunatic was set in stone.

His roommate strolled over and “looked” at the row of little toys on the desk.

“Because I’ve digested them,” his roommate said gently.

The toys: “…”

They trembled.

Since no one else could see or hear his roommate, Lin Jianyuan relaxed and spoke freely.

Lin Jianyuan: “How do you digest them?”

Roommate: “I dip them in digestive fluid.”

Lin Jianyuan: “…”

Dip.

Nice. Very vivid.

The toys trembled harder.

Lin Jianyuan glanced at the lunchbox hanging from the duodenum. “What about this lunchbox?”

Roommate: “Hmm?”

Lin Jianyuan: “This lunchbox is real, right? But they can’t see you, so from their perspective, it just appears and floats through the air…”

Pei Shuo: “…”

Qin Shi & Su Zhiwei: “…”

Everyone eavesdropping on Lin Jianyuan’s muttering: “………………”

Everyone struggled not to turn around.

But the twitching at the corners of their eyes gave them away.

Lin Jianyuan had to lower his voice, pulling his wife close and whispering at him throat, “So, can they see this or not?”

“They can’t,” his wife replied, laughing softly.

For some reason, her gentle voice had a magnetic pull. “I processed the lunchbox. Just like I process myself. Otherwise, the Bureau would spot me the moment I stepped outside. Then all the detectors would go off, wailing.”

Lin Jianyuan was charmed.

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Are the Bureau’s detectors fire trucks? Why do they wail?”

Roommate: “They just wail. I’ll take you to hear it next time.”

Lin Jianyuan was about to say yes, then remembered he’d signed a contract with the Bureau. He was one of them now.

Probably shouldn’t break his own agency’s equipment.

He kept building the world. “So how does it work? Can all Aberrants hide themselves like you, just process themselves and go invisible? Wouldn’t that make you impossible to catch?”

“Want to see?” His wife seemed suddenly interested, resting him chin on him hand, lips curling. “But you might not be able to handle it.”

Lin Jianyuan: “…”

The last time he’d heard that, well, was the last time.

Lin Jianyuan shivered, remembering the thrill of being devoured.

He shook his head quickly. “No, no, that’s fine. Just describe it.”

“Just spread digestive fluid evenly,” his wife said. “Then I can mentally influence humans. If I want them to see me, they see me. If I don’t, they don’t.”

Lin Jianyuan: “…”

Such a gentle voice, saying something so terrifying.

Lin Jianyuan suddenly worried about his coworkers. “Is that mental influence reversible?”

Roommate: “It wears off as soon as they’re out of sight. The dose is tiny, no lasting marks. Otherwise, the Bureau would have locked me up long ago.”

Lin Jianyuan said with relief, “Good, good. My wife is a genius.”

He wanted to pat her head, but couldn’t figure out where her head was.

So he patted her pancreas instead.

His wife opened the lunchbox, smiling. “You eat first. Then I’ll eat you.”

It was true, but sounded so wrong.

Lin Jianyuan couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, okay,” he said, picking up his chopsticks.

“What a shame,” Lin Jianyuan said. “This food is so good, but they can’t see or smell it. Otherwise, they’d be fighting me for it.”

Roommate: “Yeah.”

At that moment, everyone trying not to look back: “QAQ!!!”

Lin Jianyuan is eating air!

He’s really eating air!

It’s one thing to eat air, but why is he using air chopsticks to pick up air?

Is this what a full-blown episode looks like?!

This is too sad!

Can you get full eating air??

Pei Shuo couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up, eyes wet. “I-I’m going to lunch.”

The others quickly followed. “We’re going to lunch too…”

Lin Jianyuan kept eating, not even looking up. “Mm, go ahead. (chew chew chew)”

Everyone: “…”

QAQ!!!

Soon, only Lin Jianyuan and his wife were left in the office.

Only then did Lin Jianyuan truly relax.

His wife snuggled close, him mass of digestive organs settling onto his lap.

Warm, soft, and heavy—hugging her was pure comfort.

Her intestines curled around him, lips brushing his throat. “Full now?”

The touch sent goosebumps down Lin Jianyuan’s neck, making his throat itch.

Was it because they were in the office? Why did it feel so much more intense today…

Wait—there were cameras in here!

Oh, whatever.

The cameras couldn’t see his wife.

At most, they’d catch him acting crazy alone.

But still…

It was so, so thrilling!

Lin Jianyuan nodded, face red. “Yeah.”

“Then it’s my turn to eat you.” She laughed softly, flicking his Adam’s apple with a snake-like tongue.

A jolt shot from his tailbone to his skull. Lin Jianyuan couldn’t hold back a stifled moan.

His wife paused.

She asked, puzzled, “What was that sound?”

“N-nothing.” Lin Jianyuan’s face burned, heart pounding, dying of embarrassment.

God, why did he make that noise?!

It wasn’t his first time being licked! Or eaten!

So why was it suddenly so overwhelming…

Ah, he got it. It was the cameras!

It had to be the cameras!

His wife brushed his Adam’s apple again, and when he didn’t resist, kept going.

Thump, thump, thump…

Lin Jianyuan couldn’t help but want to pull away.

But her touch was too gentle.

Gentle, lingering, without a trace of lust.

—Only hunger.

That thought made Lin Jianyuan laugh again.

His vocal cords trembled with a low hum. His wife felt the vibration as he kissed his throat.

She stopped and asked, amused, “What’s so funny?”

Lin Jianyuan stifled his laughter. “Don’t mind me, just eat.”

Wife: “If you keep laughing, I can’t eat properly.”

Lin Jianyuan: “How? I’m not moving. I’m dying of tickles here but I’m holding still.”

Wife: “But you’re laughing!”

Lin Jianyuan: “So?”

Wife: “If you laugh, I want to laugh too. How can I eat then?”

Lin Jianyuan lost it, laughing as he hugged his wife tight, squishing the whole digestive system into his arms.

“You’re too cute!” Lin Jianyuan hugged his armful of digestive system, kneading her like laundry.

“Stop playing!” His wife bit him, mouth full as he mumbled against his throat, “I’m starving… mm…”

Gulp.

Gulp.

His wife swallowed in small, greedy gulps.

Thump, thump, thump…

Lin Jianyuan could hear his own heart pounding.

So strange.

Lin Jianyuan closed his eyes, tilting his head back, cheeks burning.

Can licking an Adam’s apple really drain your energy?

So weird.

So dizzy…

His wife must be a cat.

Another piece of evidence for the cat theory.

Because when he nuzzled in Lin Jianyuan’s arms, he kneaded like a kitten.

Of course, there was no milk, just the flush of red surging beneath thin skin.

Lin Jianyuan blushed furiously, nearly overwhelmed, wanting to push him away.

But his wife had cooked and delivered lunch—he couldn’t let him leave hungry.

What else could he do?

He had to feed his own wife… so dizzy… he was being drained dry…

Lin Jianyuan fell asleep.

His whole body relaxed, soft as cotton.

Xie Yu sprawled over Lin Jianyuan, feasting.

He ate his fill, then realized Lin Jianyuan had dozed off.

Xie Yu finally let go, smacking his lips in satisfaction.

His human. His very own human.

He’d eaten his human until there was nothing left to take.

That Adam’s apple was like a lollipop—so good to lick, so good to suck.

One gentle lick and his human would squirm, muscles tensing.

A harder suck drew out a low, urgent moan, the vocal cords vibrating.

Delicious.

Indescribably good.

Xie Yu had never tasted anything like it before.

But now, his human was growing more delicious by the day…

Something he’d never eaten before was becoming his staple.

Sweet, fragrant. Warm, soft, endless.

So, so good.

Xie Yu licked his lips, satisfied.

He wanted another bite.

But his human was asleep.

His human slept, eyes closed, head resting on a black office chair, breathing slow and steady.

His human was exhausted.

His throat glistened, slick with saliva.

Marked as his.

Xie Yu gazed at his human, thinking the sight of that wet, marked Adam’s apple was unbearably cute.

Too cute for words.

He wanted another taste.

He wanted another kiss.

chu~

Chu~

Xie Yu propped himself up and kissed his human on the lips.

And again.

And again.

His human was so tired. So worn out.

No matter how many kisses, he didn’t wake.

Just like before, when he used to sneak through the door to steal bites of his human.

Back then, no matter how much he ate, his human never woke.

Why wasn’t he waking today?

Why was he so tired again?

Click.

The kisses stopped.

Squish toy: “.”

Little rock: “.”

Mouth of the Abyss: “Why does this scene feel familiar…”

Angel Eyeball: “Quiet. He’s savoring.”

Mouth of the Abyss: “???”

This time, it was a black crystal.

Xie Yu “stared” at the crystal he’d extracted from deep in the throat.

There weren’t many, but they were big.

One was especially large.

It was stuck in the throat.

It made him angry.

He crunched it to pieces.

Expressionless, Xie Yu chewed it up.

Then he turned to the pile of toys on the desk.

“What is Yu Xiuli?”

Somehow, Lin Jianyuan had ended up napping.

He woke still in the office, feeling surprisingly refreshed.

He wondered at it, then looked down—well, there it was.

His wife was dozing in his arms.

No wonder he felt so good after that nap!

Turns out, his wife was sleeping with him!

Lin Jianyuan: “~~~”

Who could handle this much happiness?

Too bad his adorable pink digestive system was invisible to everyone else. No one else could share the joy of waking up to such cuteness.

He almost pitied these ordinary people who couldn’t see Aberrants.

Lunch break ended, and everyone trickled back to work.

Lin Jianyuan gently patted his wife’s liver and whispered, “Baby, wake up. I have to get back to earning my loser’s salary.”

“Mm… sleepy…”

His wife was too sleepy to wake.

Clearly, she’d had her fill at lunch.

Lin Jianyuan felt a proud little glow—he’d satisfied his wife today, too!

But he still had to work this damn job.

But his wife wasn’t awake yet!

What to do?

What else?

He’d just let his sleepy wife curl up on his lap like a cat and work with him in his arms.

Woohoo—wife!

His wife even came to work with him!

Work had never been this sweet.

Lin Jianyuan basked in the moment for all of one second.

The next: joy to gloom.

Because he had to keep restoring that inexplicably corrupted file.

The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he got.

Lin Jianyuan grumbled as he opened the file, when suddenly, a lightbulb went off in his head.

Wait—

I’m not crazy!

These toys on my desk—they’re all Aberrants with powers!

No wonder people say good fortune brings inspiration.

He was flush with both.

Lin Jianyuan glanced at his row of little monsters and instantly had an idea.

It’s you!

Go! Flappy Eyeball!

Angel Eyeball: “?”

Hello?

My real name is Shadow Devourer, does anyone remember?

The good thing about Flappy Eyeball—

It wasn’t just a giant eyeball, it had three pairs of wings and could flap.

So, given Lin Jianyuan’s command, it flapped its wings obediently and flew off to work.

A moment later, Flappy Eyeball returned.

Lin Jianyuan: “Did you find it?”

Angel Eyeball: “I retrieved the memory, but I don’t know what you want. See for yourself.”

Lin Jianyuan: “Huh?”

Squish toy: “Huh? Are you serious? You’re making Master Lin look for it himself? You don’t know how good you have it! Give you a little face and you…”

Smack!

Lin Jianyuan smacked the squish toy flat.

Then picked it up and kneaded it, saying, “That’s not what I meant by ‘huh.’ I meant, what do you mean by ‘retrieved’?”

All the toys: “Huh???”

Lin Jianyuan: “What do you mean, ‘retrieved’? Is it like you can only ctrl+X, not ctrl+C?”

Angel Eyeball: “Huh?”

The squish toy, still squashed, wriggled out from between Lin Jianyuan’s fingers and muttered, “He means, you can only cut, not copy? You don’t even know basic shortcuts, you’re useless…”

Smack!

Lin Jianyuan peeled the squished toy off the desk, holding it up suspiciously. “What’s with you today? Why are you so chatty?”

Squish toy: “QAQ! I… I…”

The little rock piped up, “It’s trying to show off because it wants to be your chief steward.”

Angel Eyeball echoed, “It’s trying to show off because it wants to be your chief steward.”

Mouth of the Abyss was still spectating, but Angel Eyeball smacked it with a wing.

Mouth of the Abyss: “?”

Mouth of the Abyss hesitated, “It’s… trying to show off… because it wants to be your chief steward?”

Lin Jianyuan: “Oh…”

The squish toy broke down, drooping its antennae and covering its face. “How could you all betray me…”

Lin Jianyuan: “Fine, you can have the job.”

Everyone: “Huh?!!!”

Squish toy: “Huh?!!!!!!”

Lin Jianyuan said casually, “You were the first to arrive, and you’ve helped a lot. I can’t live or work without you. Chief steward, like the old eunuch? Sure, take it. Anything else you want?”

Everyone: “???”

What’s up with Lin Jianyuan today?

Squish toy: “??? QAQ ???!!!”

Why is Lin Jianyuan suddenly so generous?!

Lin Jianyuan calmly squeezed Angel Eyeball, signaling it to play back Yu Xiuli’s memory.

Case closed.

It was Yu Xiuli who broke his files!

But that wasn’t the main thing.

The key was—Yu Xiuli had a backup on her USB drive!

Damn! She had a backup and didn’t say a word!

She just watched him struggle all morning!

She had to have done it on purpose!!!

The thought made Lin Jianyuan furious.

But then he remembered he and his wife would soon be making three million a year, and he calmed down.

Woohoo! His wife’s salary was even double his!

His wife was amazing!

So really.

The only cure for worry is getting rich.

Lin Jianyuan quickly planned out his next move.

Three minutes later, Lin Jianyuan walked into Jiang Chen’s office, hands spread. The files couldn’t be restored. The deadline was shot. They’d have to pay the penalty.

Jiang Chen: “So what now?”

Lin Jianyuan: “Pay up.”

Jiang Chen: “Easy for you to say.”

Lin Jianyuan: “Of course it’s easy. It’s not my money. I was in the hospital those days. You wouldn’t pin this on a mental patient, would you? I can barely afford my meds, let alone pay a penalty.”

Jiang Chen: “…”

The sarcasm and veiled threat were obvious. Jiang Chen got the message.

He waved Lin Jianyuan out.

Then called Yu Xiuli in, face dark.

Two minutes later, Yu Xiuli was screaming in Jiang Chen’s office.

Two minutes after that, she was bawling.

Lin Jianyuan sat at his desk, petting his wife while he waited.

Soon, Jiang Chen came down with a USB drive.

Yu Xiuli’s name was scrawled on it. Jiang Chen said, “Lin Jianyuan, check if there’s anything useful on this. See if we can still make the deadline.”

Behind him, Yu Xiuli ran out, sobbing and sniffling.

She shot Lin Jianyuan one last murderous glare on her way out.

“Oh dear.” Lin Jianyuan stood up, voice dripping with fake concern. “What’s wrong with Ms. Yu? Why is she crying?”

Jiang Chen started to speak, but Lin Jianyuan cut in, voice thick with sarcasm. “She broke my files and I’m not crying. Why is she? I don’t get it~”

Jiang Chen: “…”

Everyone pretending to work but actually eavesdropping: “Pfft!”

Lin Jianyuan, after a stint in the psych ward, had leveled up in sarcasm!

—Do they teach that in psych wards?

Noted. Next time, go to the psych ward for training.

Jiang Chen couldn’t deal with this snarky, white-lotus Lin Jianyuan.

Honestly, he was a little disgusted.

But there was nothing he could do except say, “Get it done.”

And slink back to his office.

As soon as Jiang Chen left, everyone crowded around, laughing and asking what happened.

Gossip was the only thing that kept them going at work.

Lin Jianyuan modestly recounted his plan.

But suddenly, his lap felt empty.

“Huh?” Lin Jianyuan stared as his wife suddenly stood up.

His wife “looked” toward the office exit. “Is that ‘Yu Xiuli’?”

Lin Jianyuan: “Yeah. Why?”

His wife smiled.

She leaned in and kissed his nose.

Then, gently, “I’m going for a little walk~”

Lin Jianyuan melted.

He couldn’t help but squeak back, “Okay~”

Everyone: “…”

What’s wrong with you, Lin Jianyuan!

Why are you talking to thin air again?!

In the bathroom.

Yu Xiuli locked herself in a stall, wiping away tears.

What was with Jiang Chen? Why was he taking Lin Jianyuan’s side?

Talking about holding her responsible, making her pay?

What did she do to deserve that?

Who knows what Lin Jianyuan said to Jiang Chen… Wait, wasn’t Lin Jianyuan gay? Could Jiang Chen be…?

Could they be… like that?

Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting!

No wonder Jiang Chen always seemed off. Always claiming to hate Lin Jianyuan, but secretly protecting him.

How many times had she tried to get rid of Lin Jianyuan, only for Jiang Chen to stop her?

Looking back, something was definitely up!

And wasn’t Jiang Chen already married?

So Lin Jianyuan was the other man?!

Disgusting!

Absolutely disgusting!

Why don’t these gays just die!

No!

She couldn’t let this filthy relationship continue!

Yu Xiuli’s sobs faded. She sniffled, pulled out her phone.

She needed to report this to headquarters…

But—

As soon as she took it out, something flickered on the black, locked screen.

Yu Xiuli: “?”

She frowned, but shrugged it off—probably just her vision, blurred from crying.

Oh, her makeup must be ruined from all this crying!

She hurriedly opened the front camera to check her face.

She shouldn’t have looked.

One glance—

“Ahhh—!”

Yu Xiuli screamed and flung her phone away!

What was that? What was on her phone?!

A mass—a mass of pink, pink digestive organs?!

Yu Xiuli swallowed, frozen in terror.

Her phone rolled outside the stall. She was about to fetch it when a thought struck her.

If the front camera caught it…

Didn’t that mean it was behind her?!

Her scalp prickled.

She turned, stiff-necked, inch by inch.

“Ahhhhh—!”

A shriller scream rang out from the stall.

Bang!

Yu Xiuli bolted from the bathroom, not even pulling up her skirt.

Her heart hammered. As she passed the mirror, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye.

Her heart rate shot to 280!

—There was only one pink digestive system in the stall.

But in the mirror, there were ten!

Ten!

Ten pink, lonely clumps of organs, silently floating in midair.

As if watching her with invisible eyes.

Yu Xiuli screamed and ran.

Strangely, the bustling office building was now eerily silent.

Only her screams and frantic footsteps echoed in the hall.

No!

Something was wrong with this building!

She’d seen a ghost!

Definitely a ghost!!!

Yu Xiuli sobbed and ran, sprinting to the elevator to escape.

Ding.

The elevator doors slid open.

Inside stood a mass of pink organs.

Yu Xiuli shrieked and turned to flee!

She shoved open the emergency exit. Creak—the door swung wide.

Behind it stood another pink mass.

Yu Xiuli: “Ahhh!!!”

Terrified, Yu Xiuli wanted to call for help, but realized she’d left her phone in the bathroom!

The bathroom with eleven pink digestive systems!!!

There were eleven in the bathroom, only one here.

Crying, Yu Xiuli ran down the stairwell with the single pink digestive system.

But as she ran, something was wrong.

The next floor’s exit had another.

And the next.

And the next, and the next…

Every floor!

At every landing, a pink digestive system blocked the way!

Each one stood precisely in front of the exit, blocking the door.

There was no way out.

Yu Xiuli: “Ahhh!”

The pink digestive systems themselves weren’t the scariest—she saw plenty of fresh organs at the market.

What was terrifying was how they stood there, like a page from an anatomy textbook.

As if a person, stripped of skin and muscle, was silently watching her…

Yu Xiuli’s vision went black, then black again.

At last, she couldn’t take it and fainted.

When she woke, she desperately hoped she was in a hospital.

She wished for a calm, professional doctor to tell her she’d hallucinated from stress, and that the two who upset her owed her an apology and compensation.

But no.

Yu Xiuli opened her eyes.

And saw a crowd of pink organs.

One, two, three…

Over a hundred pink organs, overlapping like a glitched video game, filled the stairwell.

The pink digestive systems did nothing.

They didn’t even touch her.

No mental influence at all.

Just a hundred pink digestive systems, quietly crowding around her.

Like a slaughterhouse nightmare.

“Ahhhhh—”

Yu Xiuli finally broke, fainting again.

Then woke to two hundred pink digestive systems.

“Ahhhhhhh—”

Three hundred this time.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!———”

Four hundred.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!———”

Five hundred.

Yu Xiuli: “………………”

Yu Xiuli had finally, completely lost her mind.