Xu Zhihan went a long time without speaking after reading the report.
Lu Wenchuan didn't rush him.
He usually joked around, but at moments like this, he knew when to keep his mouth shut.
There wasn't much about Xu An in the report.
Xu An, male, approximately seven years old at the time of death. Fifteen years ago, he had briefly appeared in the Xu Family's old records, listed as a distant relative on Xu Zhihan's mother's side. But the old records uncovered by the Special Investigation Bureau showed that Xu An had once lived in the same old residence as Xu Zhihan's mother. Their relationship had been far closer than "distant relatives."
More importantly, there was no official missing-person report after Xu An disappeared.
A seven-year-old child had vanished from among the people connected to the Xu Family.
No one asked.
No one investigated.
In the end, his soul had been sealed inside a clay jar in the Xu Family's basement.
Xu Zhihan rested his fingertips lightly on the edge of the report.
The original owner's lingering emotions began surging up again.
Pain.
A suffocating heaviness.
And a profound sense of bewilderment.
Xu Zhihan disliked this feeling. He could judge sinners, see debts owed to the dead, and watch lifelines break, yet he couldn't handle the emotions left behind in this body.
Too persistent.
Too troublesome.
He closed the report, his voice flat. "Anything else?"
Lu Wenchuan looked at him. "That's all for now. The Xu Family's old records have been tampered with. Someone deleted some of them. To get the full picture, we'll have to start with your mother's side."
Xu Zhihan raised his eyes. "My mother?"
"Lin Wan," Lu Wenchuan said. "According to the records, your birth mother's name was Lin Wan. She died of illness fifteen years ago. Not long after her death, Xu An disappeared. After that, your condition began to worsen."
With those events lined up, it was already hard to call them a coincidence.
Xu Zhihan didn't respond right away.
In his memories, the original owner's impression of his mother was faint. He had been too young then. All he remembered was a gentle voice and a hand that always stroked his head.
Nothing more.
Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Lu Wenchuan changed the subject. "Xu Chengyuan has made a move."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
Lu Wenchuan took out his phone and opened a document he had just received.
"Someone pulled your old hospital records. They're planning to contact the media and claim you've been mentally unstable for years, with delusions and aggressive tendencies. They've also contacted a psychiatrist to provide a preliminary diagnostic opinion."
Xu Zhihan's expression didn't change.
"That was quick."
Lu Wenchuan raised an eyebrow. "You're not angry?"
"I expected it."
"That doesn't mean you can't be angry."
Xu Zhihan said flatly, "A waste of energy."
Lu Wenchuan watched him for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled. "Young Master Xu, sometimes you really don't seem twenty-one."
Xu Zhihan looked at him. "Are you calling me old?"
Lu Wenchuan immediately corrected himself. "Mature."
Xu Zhihan ignored him.
Lu Wenchuan put his phone away, his tone turning more serious. "Xu Chengyuan's move won't be hard to dismantle, but he'll frame everything you said about dead people, sin lines, and the basement as signs of mental illness. Ordinary people can't see evil spirits. They'll just think you're spouting nonsense."
Xu Zhihan gave a quiet acknowledgment.
He knew.
That was what made the rules of the human world so troublesome.
The truth wasn't necessarily important. What most people could understand was what they were more likely to believe.
Xu Zhihan had never needed others to believe him before.
When he spoke, it was judgment.
That wouldn't work now.
This body was too weak, and his identity was too troublesome. If he dragged out every sin line in the Xu Family, ordinary people wouldn't see guilt. They would only think he had gone mad.
As though he could tell what Xu Zhihan was thinking, Lu Wenchuan drawled, "That's why we can't let the Xu Family use their rules to condemn you first."
Xu Zhihan raised his eyes. "You have a way?"
"I do."
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "They want a doctor to issue a diagnosis, so I'll find a real doctor and the complete records. You've been this sick for so many years. Someone had to prescribe the medication, alter the records, and sign off on them. They won't be able to make that label of mental instability stick."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
"You're helping me?"
Lu Wenchuan answered without a trace of embarrassment. "While I'm at it."
Xu Zhihan said coolly, "You do a lot of things while you're at it."
"Can't help it." Lu Wenchuan sounded languid. "I've got this little problem. When I see something rotten, I feel uneasy unless I give it a good stomp."
Xu Zhihan was quiet for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Have you always been like this?"
Lu Wenchuan paused. "Like what?"
"Meddling."
Lu Wenchuan's smile faded a little.
"Not always."
He didn't elaborate.
Xu Zhihan could tell he didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't ask.
Silence settled between them for a while.
Suddenly, voices came from downstairs.
Xu Chengyuan was back.
This time, two strangers came in with him.
Lu Wenchuan walked to the window and glanced down, clicking his tongue. "He really moves fast."
Xu Zhihan stood up.
Lu Wenchuan turned around. "You're going downstairs again?"
"They're here for me."
"With your health..."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
Lu Wenchuan swallowed the rest and changed tack. "Fine, I'll hold on to the wall as I walk. Will that do?"
Xu Zhihan frowned. "Who said you could support me?"
Lu Wenchuan smiled. "I'll support myself on the wall, not you."
Xu Zhihan ignored him, opened the door, and went downstairs.
In the living room, Xu Chengyuan stood beside the sofa, looking a little better than he had that morning. Finding a new approach had apparently restored his confidence.
The man beside him was in his forties, wore glasses, and carried a briefcase. He had a refined air. The other stranger was a woman in a suit, holding a folder.
As Xu Zhihan came downstairs, they all looked over at once.
Xu Chengyuan spoke first. "Zhihan, come sit down."
His tone was gentler than it had been the previous few times.
Xu Zhihan stayed at the foot of the stairs. "Say what you came to say."
Xu Chengyuan suppressed his displeasure. "This is Dr. Chen, a well-known psychiatrist in the city. He's only here to have a chat with you."
Following behind, Lu Wenchuan laughed when he heard that.
"What a coincidence, Mr. Xu. Inviting a psychiatrist over for a chat this late at night?"
Xu Chengyuan's face darkened. "Captain Lu, this is a private matter for the Xu Family."
Lu Wenchuan leaned against the banister. "I'm sick of hearing that line."
Xu Zhihan looked at Dr. Chen.
There weren't any particularly heavy sin lines on him, but a pale gray one connected him to Xu Chengyuan. A man paid to do a job.
Dr. Chen adjusted his glasses, his tone reasonably polite. "Mr. Xu, there's no need to be nervous. We're simply having a brief conversation to understand your psychological state."
Xu Zhihan asked, "How much did Xu Chengyuan pay you?"
Dr. Chen's expression stiffened.
Xu Chengyuan snapped, "Xu Zhihan!"
Xu Zhihan ignored him.
Looking at Dr. Chen, he continued, "Taking money is fine. Don't take a life."
Dr. Chen's expression changed. "Mr. Xu, what do you mean by that?"
"I mean that whatever you write down today will one day be held against you."
The living room grew a little colder.
Dr. Chen tightened his grip on the papers.
He had only come to go through the motions.
Xu Chengyuan had provided plenty of material, including Xu Zhihan's medical records from over the years, recent videos, and statements from family members. All he had to do was issue an opinion stating, "Suspected abnormal mental state; further observation in a closed facility recommended," and he would get both money and a favor owed.
This wasn't his first time doing something like this.
But Xu Zhihan's gaze made him uneasy.
It was too cold.
As though he could truly see how many dishonest diagnoses Dr. Chen had written in the past.
Lu Wenchuan spoke up then. "Dr. Chen, a word of warning. The person standing before you is currently involved in a case under investigation by the Special Investigation Bureau. If you want to conduct a psychiatric assessment, go ahead, but the proper procedures, a video recording, and an independent witness all have to be in place. If you casually write something up tonight, I'll invite you to the bureau for a little chat tomorrow."
Dr. Chen's face froze completely.
Xu Chengyuan's voice turned cold. "Lu Wenchuan, are you determined to interfere all the way?"
Lu Wenchuan smiled and nodded. "Yes."
Xu Chengyuan's chest heaved.
Watching the scene, Xu Zhihan suddenly felt that Lu Wenchuan wasn't always quite so annoying.
At least he was useful in an argument.
Dr. Chen was already thinking of backing out.
He put away his papers and said awkwardly, "Mr. Xu, I really don't think today is a good time. Your son has just been through so much, and he's in no condition for an assessment. Let's arrange another day."
Xu Chengyuan's expression soured. "Dr. Chen."
Dr. Chen didn't dare stay any longer. He didn't even bother finding another excuse, hurrying out with his assistant.
The living room door closed.
Xu Chengyuan stared at Xu Zhihan, his face livid.
Xu Zhihan's expression remained impassive.
"Anything else?"
Xu Chengyuan said coldly, "Do you think Lu Wenchuan can protect you forever?"
Xu Zhihan glanced at Lu Wenchuan.
Lu Wenchuan answered with a cheerful smile. "We could always give it a try."
Xu Zhihan looked away, expressionless.
Xu Chengyuan nearly laughed in fury.
He realized that as long as Lu Wenchuan was there, he couldn't accomplish anything today.
Xu Zhihan, however, had no intention of wasting more time. Before turning to go upstairs, he left a quiet remark behind. "Xu Chengyuan, the mental instability angle won't work."
Xu Chengyuan stood where he was without speaking.
Xu Zhihan continued, "Try another one."
With that, he went upstairs.
Lu Wenchuan followed him for a couple of steps, then looked back at Xu Chengyuan, his smile fading a little.
"Mr. Xu, take the advice."
Xu Chengyuan stared coldly at him.
Lu Wenchuan leisurely added, "Next time, don't hire such a coward."