Why Are the Psychos Obsessed with a Mere NPC?

Several people were bound to the lab benches before them.

Their bodies were spliced with various beast limbs, making it hard to tell they were even human.

It was impossible to even distinguish between male and female.

Jian Yu’s blood ran cold, and she averted her eyes.

Her fingers clutched tightly at Ling Yanzhi’s clothes as a cold sweat broke out all over her body.

Xi Yu had only wanted to eavesdrop; he never expected to let Jian Yu see this.

An oppressive aura instantly flared from him.

"If you’re going to conduct your research, couldn’t you at least shut the door properly?"

Pei Yin’s pupils trembled, his expression grim. "Did I ask you to come eavesdrop and spy?"

There had been a lot of convicts recently, all sentenced to death for multiple crimes.

His hands had been itching for a new project, so he’d requested a few more convicts—rapists, specifically—and Ling Yanzhi had even helped him push the paperwork through.

He had intentionally let Xuzhou see these research subjects to intimidate him.

But just as Xuzhou finished explaining what happened today and who he’d been in contact with, Xi Yu and the others had come storming back with Jian Yu in tow.

’What is the meaning of this?’

Seeing Pei Yin looking anxious enough to pace in circles, Ling Yanzhi offered a cheerful apology. "So sorry about that. I just wanted to pop back and see if you needed a hand with anything."

He didn’t look the least bit sorry; the smile never left his lips.

Pei Yin clenched his fists, holding his breath in frustration.

’He’s messing with me again.’

’They mess with me every single day.’

’Can’t they go prank Sheng Yue? Or Duan Feiye? That would be great.’

Pei Yin turned slightly. "None of them are good people. The Alliance gives special permission for them to make a contribution before they die."

"???" Jian Yu could only see Pei Yin’s mouth move, as if he’d said a few words.

But she couldn’t hear a thing.

The scene before her eyes changed in a flash. One moment she was in the cold research institute, the next she was in Cafeteria Number One. The entire trip took only half a minute.

Ling Yanzhi sat down, still holding her.

He sighed. "That was terrifying."

Jian Yu pressed her lips together, hesitating to speak.

’I already knew they were criminals,’ she thought. ’Someone sent me an anonymous file last time that explained it.’

’Since they’re on death row, they must have done all sorts of heinous things.’

’They deserved it.’

Though she was frightened, she also felt a sense of vindication.

’Pei Yin’s methods are terrifying.’

But what Jian Yu didn’t understand was, what was Ling Yanzhi so afraid of?

’Compared to the Red Snake in Lin Yu’s video, isn’t the snake more terrifying?’

’They’re six of one, half a dozen of the other. No, wait, more like a dozen of one.’

’The Soul Beasts of these two titans are no joke.’

Jian Yu pressed her lips together again, her eyes filled with confusion, but she was too timid to say anything.

"That person Duan Feiye brought back is utterly nauseating."

Ling Yanzhi said, as if in explanation.

He picked up a bib and fastened it around Jian Yu’s neck.

"You didn’t eat a proper breakfast, so I’ll have to make sure my baby eats plenty for lunch."

"Mm." Jian Yu’s gaze flickered away, her eyes falling to the bib.

The forums were buzzing with discussion; it was impossible that she hadn’t seen the posts.

’The fact that Xuzhou dared to lock me in that secret room had a lot to do with all those wild speculations on the forums.’

’I am curious about this Yan Qin, the one who’s hogging the ’female lead’ spotlight.’

’But I don’t want to ask too many questions, and I don’t want Xi Yu and the others to think I care that much.’

Part of it was her own awkward feelings, but it was mostly because of something the dean had drilled into her head after a failed matchmaking attempt:

’Once a man thinks you care, that you get jealous over him, he’ll stop cherishing you.’

The dean called it being manipulated. ’You’ll be completely under their thumb, unable to eat or sleep, and your health will only get worse.’

Jian Yu’s health was already terrible; she didn’t want it to get any worse.

A faint, encouraging smile played on Ling Yanzhi’s lips. "Is there nothing my baby wants to ask?"

’Whatever she asks,’ he thought, ’I’ll answer.’

’As long as she’s willing to ask.’

"No." Jian Yu slowly shook her head. She had given herself a good pep talk and thought the whole thing through.

She ate food from Cafeteria Number One every day, but this was her first time actually setting foot inside. She looked around curiously.

The ceilings were vaulted. Looking up, she saw that, just like at Ling Yanzhi’s villa, they were so high she couldn’t make out the details of the carvings at the top.

It was quiet, spacious, and elegantly simple.

Jian Yu stared, mesmerized.

Ling Yanzhi leaned back in his chair, and the hand that had been toying with the ends of her hair fell to his side.

’The uproar on the forums is huge, and Yan Qin is deliberately using it to build momentum for herself. I can’t be bothered to deal with it.’

’As long as a valuable person doesn’t cross my line, I don’t mind giving them a push.’

But Jian Yu’s indifferent, completely unconcerned act sent a fine, sharp pain through his heart.

’She acknowledges our relationship but refuses to invest anything more. The emotion she’s put in doesn’t even come close to how much we value her.’

’This submissiveness, this lack of resistance—it’s all an act. The moment she has the power to resist, this unbalanced relationship will inevitably fall apart.’

’Two of us can’t hold on to her, so what about three? What if we add Pei Yin? And Sheng Yue?’

Ling Yanzhi glanced at Xi Yu, dark thoughts churning within him.

Xi Yu, lost in his own world, ignored Ling Yanzhi’s brooding.

He lifted Jian Yu’s leg and rested it on his thigh.

Swiping on the table’s built-in touchscreen, he ordered a mountain of hearty dishes.

"What else does my baby want to eat?"

Jian Yu leaned forward and saw that he had already selected all of her favorite dishes.

"That’s enough, thank you, Ayue."

Ling Yanzhi snapped out of his thoughts. "Get her a glass of milk."

Xi Yu ignored him but obediently added the purchase.

Jian Yu turned her head, treating them both equally. "Thank you, Yanyan."

Ling Yanzhi was easy to please; the corners of his mouth curved up madly.

The table was long and wide. Three minutes after they ordered, dishes began to rise up from compartments within the table.

By the time Lin Yu arrived, Jian Yu had just finished eating.

Ling Yanzhi didn’t bother being discreet in front of her. "Is she there?"

"She is. The Xu Family just took her to the Awakened Hospital." Lin Yu stole a quick glance at Jian Yu, who was yawning in Ling Yanzhi’s arms.

He seemed distraught, speaking in a halting rush.

"She’s still breathing, but her face is ruined. Then again, she can get plastic surgery to fix it. For some reason, the Red Snake specifically went for her legs, but she can get those replaced with cloned ones. The real problem is that her Soul Beast is crippled. A Soul Beast is a physical entity condensed from a soul body, and you can’t just attach cloned legs to it."

An ordinary person who loses their legs can get mechanical ones. They aren’t very flexible and can be cumbersome, and they come with a host of subsequent problems that no one has solved yet.

But when an Awakener loses a limb, their Soul Beast loses it as well.

The one advantage is that cloned legs were developed specifically for Awakeners. They can fuse with the body, and once installed, they’re just like the real thing.

Xu Shaoqing’s A-level Soul Beast was a mutant kangaroo. Without its legs, it was completely useless.

Interstellar society prized natural, inborn beauty.

Xu Shaoqing took the most pride in her beautiful face. No matter how advanced the plastic surgery, he was certain she would never be able to accept it.

Lin Yu handed over a paper agreement, along with a Star Coin Card.

"After learning that you didn’t wish to see them, they asked me to deliver this apology gift to Jian. There are two hundred million Star Coins on the card. Furthermore, if Jian is willing, she will become the next Planet Master of Blue Star."

Jian Yu’s eyes went wide. With an unabashedly greedy expression, she signed and stamped the document. "Is that all I need to do?"

Xi Yu gazed, mesmerized, at her flushed cheeks.

He squeezed closer, wanting a kiss.

Jian Yu shoved him away. ’No one gets in the way of me becoming a Planet Master.’

Lin Yu chuckled, his voice shifting into a deliberately cutesy tone. "Your terminal will prompt you to link the card. Don’t worry, I’ll handle the follow-up."

"Thank you." Jian Yu squinted in satisfaction. ’It would be great if someone else tried to lock me up again,’ she thought. ’While Ling Yanzhi and the others are still interested in me, I should get as much money as I can.’

Ling Yanzhi’s brow arched, his tone impatient. "Is that it?"

Lin Yu’s voice returned to normal. "From this day forward, I will completely sever ties with her and have her banished from the Imperial Capital Star. Once she’s discharged from the hospital, her affairs will have nothing to do with me. I will never protect her again or allow her to appear before you and cause you displeasure."

Ling Yanzhi looked at him as if he were an idiot.

Lin Yu coughed. "The Xu Family said this themselves. They hoped I would relay their exact words to you. They have not a single word of complaint about how you’ve handled things. They only beg that you spare Xu Shaoqing’s life."

He guessed the matter would end here.

After asking for Jian Yu’s thoughts and confirming the settlement, Ling Yanzhi said, "Let’s leave it at that."

Jian Yu couldn’t help but ask, "I vaguely remember a girl speaking into my ear... and then carrying me out. Do you know who it was?"