Xu Zhihan did not go downstairs right away.
He sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the sounds outside his door.
The Xu household was quiet.
The servants walked softly, and even the occasional conversation in the living room was deliberately hushed. Xu Chengyuan had probably ordered everyone not to disturb him.
That suited Xu Zhihan just fine.
He needed to regain his strength now.
The crying in the basement continued, broken and intermittent, as though it knew he could hear it and refused to stop.
It was giving Xu Zhihan a headache.
He picked up the medicine on the table and examined it.
The packaging of the medicine the Xu family's servants had brought up was intact, with nothing visibly wrong. But Xu Zhihan only sniffed it once before putting it back.
The medicine was not poisonous.
But it contained something that would suppress his mind.
The dose was tiny, undetectable to an ordinary doctor. Taking it once or twice would not kill anyone, but prolonged use would leave a person weaker and sleepier, until they became someone anyone could control.
That was how the original Xu Zhihan had been gradually ruined.
Xu Zhihan stared at the medicine bottle for a few seconds, a faint smile on his lips.
The Xu family had little courage, but plenty of practice at this.
A knock came at the door.
"Brother, are you asleep?"
Xu Mingji's voice rang out.
Xu Zhihan did not answer.
There was a moment of silence outside.
Then Xu Mingji said, "Dad asked me to bring you your medicine. You've just come back from the hospital. You can't stop taking it."
Xu Zhihan glanced at the bottle of medicine already delivered to his table, his gaze turning a little colder.
Again.
He got up and walked to the door, but did not open it right away.
Xu Mingji stood outside holding water and medicine, his expression tense. He truly did not want to be there, but Zhou Man had told him to come, so he had no choice.
Xu Zhihan suddenly spoke. "What are you holding?"
Xu Mingji stiffened outside the door.
He had not expected Xu Zhihan to know even through the door.
"Medicine." Xu Mingji tried to keep his voice steady. "The doctor prescribed it."
Xu Zhihan asked, "Which doctor?"
Xu Mingji faltered again.
Xu Zhihan gave a soft laugh through the door, quiet but unsettling.
"Couldn't you get your stories straight before lying?"
Xu Mingji's expression changed. "Brother, why do you always think of us that way? Dad and Mom are worried about you."
"Zhou Man is worried I'm taking too long to die. Xu Chengyuan is worried I'll talk." Xu Zhihan's tone was flat. "You're worried that if I don't die, someone will bring up the marriage agreement with the Gu Family again."
The other side of the door fell completely silent.
It took a long while before Xu Mingji said, "You never used to say such hurtful things."
Xu Zhihan was getting irritated.
He was thoroughly sick of hearing that line.
He opened the door.
Xu Mingji stood in the doorway with slightly reddened eyes, holding the medicine as though he had been bullied into silence.
In the past, the body's original owner probably would have softened.
Xu Zhihan would not.
He glanced at the medicine, then at Xu Mingji. "Take it."
Xu Mingji's face instantly went pale. "What?"
"Didn't you say there was nothing wrong with it?" Xu Zhihan leaned against the doorframe, his face pale but his voice cold. "Then take it."
Xu Mingji's fingers tightened, making the water in the glass slosh.
"This is your medicine."
"So?"
"I can't just take medicine indiscriminately."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "But I can?"
Xu Mingji's gaze flickered.
He suddenly realized he could not stay any longer.
He forced a smile. "Brother, if you don't want it, that's fine. I won't force you. Get some rest. I'll go."
With that, he turned to leave.
Xu Zhihan suddenly called him back.
"Xu Mingji."
Xu Mingji stopped.
Xu Zhihan said, "Bring this stuff again, and I'll make you take all of it in front of Xu Chengyuan."
Xu Mingji looked awful, but did not dare turn around.
He hurried away with the medicine.
Xu Zhihan closed the door and sat back down on the edge of the bed.
The crying in the basement continued.
Brother.
Save me.
Xu Zhihan rubbed between his brows.
"So damn noisy."
He had barely murmured the words when a faint sound came from the window.
Xu Zhihan looked up.
Outside the window, a figure deftly climbed in, landing almost without a sound.
Lu Wenchuan wore a black jacket and carried a small bag. When he saw Xu Zhihan looking over, he raised a hand in greeting.
"Good evening, young master Xu."
Xu Zhihan's face was expressionless. "This is the second floor."
Lu Wenchuan brushed the dust off his jacket. "I know."
"The door is downstairs."
"I know."
"So you climbed through the window?"
Lu Wenchuan set the bag on the table, sounding perfectly matter-of-fact. "Your family might notice me if I used the door. The window was easier."
Xu Zhihan looked at him for a few seconds. "Does everyone in the Special Investigation Bureau have such bad manners?"
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "Depends. With normal people, we use the front door. Somewhere like the Xu household, the window is more appropriate."
Xu Zhihan did not respond.
Lu Wenchuan's gaze fell on the medicine bottle on the table, then shifted toward the door. "They brought you medicine?"
Xu Zhihan hummed in acknowledgment.
Lu Wenchuan picked up the bottle, opened it, and sniffed. His smile faded a little.
"Nasty trick."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You know about this?"
"A little." Lu Wenchuan put the bottle down. "We see it often at the Special Investigation Bureau. Some substances don't test as poison, but taking them for long enough weakens the mind. Your family is trying to turn you into an obedient invalid."
Xu Zhihan's tone was indifferent. "They've been doing it for years."
Lu Wenchuan glanced at him.
Xu Zhihan spoke without emotion, as though he were talking about someone else. Yet as Lu Wenchuan listened, he sensed a trace of impatience beneath that indifference, along with a faint hint of anger.
He did not press.
He could tell Xu Zhihan disliked being questioned.
Lu Wenchuan pushed the bag toward Xu Zhihan. "Brought these for you."
Xu Zhihan looked down at it.
Candy.
An assortment of flavors filled just under half the bag.
Xu Zhihan frowned. "How old do you think I am?"
Lu Wenchuan leaned by the window with a languid smile. "Patients can have candy after taking their medicine. If you're not taking medicine, you can skip straight to the candy."
Xu Zhihan pushed the bag away. "Childish."
Lu Wenchuan was not offended. He unwrapped a piece and popped it into his own mouth.
"Sure, I'm childish."
Then he looked toward the door, his expression finally growing more serious.
"Still crying in the basement?"
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You can hear it too?"
"No," Lu Wenchuan said. "But I can detect the anomaly."
As he spoke, he took out a small device. A red light on it blinked rapidly.
"There's something beneath the Xu Residence, and its fluctuations are pretty strong. Your family really knows how to hide things."
"They're not my family," Xu Zhihan said coldly.
Lu Wenchuan paused, then readily corrected himself. "All right. The Xu family."
They exchanged a look, falling briefly silent.
Then a very faint, tearful cry suddenly came from the direction of the basement.
Brother.
Save me.
This time, the crying was clearer than before.
Xu Zhihan's expression chilled.
Lu Wenchuan could neither see nor hear it, but the device in his hand immediately sounded.
He silenced the alert and cursed. "Really knows how to pick its moments."
Xu Zhihan stood up.
The movement sent another stab of pain through his chest. He braced himself against the headboard and paused for two seconds, his face a little paler.
Lu Wenchuan noticed, but did not immediately move to support him. He only asked, "Can you walk?"
Xu Zhihan raised his eyes. "I have to, even if I can't."
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "Stubborn, aren't you?"
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "You talk a lot."
Lu Wenchuan raised his hands. "I'll shut up."
Then he added, "For two minutes."
Xu Zhihan ignored him and turned toward the door.
Lu Wenchuan followed, watching him walk slowly but steadily. His body was clearly frail enough to collapse at any moment, yet there was not the slightest hint of retreat in him.
Lu Wenchuan suddenly thought that the Xu family really were fools.
They thought they were keeping a sickly weakling.
But this sickly weakling now looked ready to bring the entire Xu family down at any moment.
The door was gently pulled open.
The hallway was empty.
Few lights were on in the Xu Residence, and most of the servants had already returned to their rooms. The downstairs living room was silent. Only the area around the small basement door was noticeably colder.
Xu Zhihan slowly descended the stairs.
Lu Wenchuan walked beside him, keeping his voice low. "Is your basement usually locked?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what's inside?"
"No."
"And you still dare to go down?"
Xu Zhihan glanced at him. "Don't you?"
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "I get paid."
Xu Zhihan said flatly, "I find it noisy."
Lu Wenchuan could not hold back a laugh.
Xu Zhihan frowned.
Lu Wenchuan immediately stifled it. "Nothing. Carry on finding it noisy."
They reached the basement door.
An old padlock hung on it.
Xu Zhihan raised his hand. Just as he touched the lock, a scratching sound suddenly came from behind the door.
Very faint.
It sounded as though something inside was slowly scraping its nails against the door.
Xu Zhihan's gaze remained unchanged.
Lu Wenchuan raised a hand and pressed it against the doorframe. A faint flicker of lightning flashed in his palm.
"Step back a little."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "For someone with so little time left to live, you sure like rushing to the front."
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "Habit."
Xu Zhihan didn't step back.
He raised his hand and lightly touched the lock with a fingertip.
The latch dropped silently.
A cold, sinister presence slowly seeped through the gap in the door.
The crying stopped.
A second later, a child's voice came from behind the door.
"Big brother, you're finally here."