Chapter 5
After leaving the convenience store, Fang Huai weaved through the winding streets of the old district and found a small inn.
The inn’s conditions were modest, but at least it was cheap. The money Fang Huai earned from street performing, along with his laboring job, was just enough to cover one night’s stay.
Exhausted from the day, Fang Huai paid for his room and collapsed onto the bed, sleeping soundly until dawn.
He was so deeply asleep that he didn’t notice the jade pendant, given to him by Fang Jianguo before his passing, slipping out from under his collar. In the quiet night, it emitted a faint, radiant glow.
It was an ordinary white jade pendant—its texture rough and somewhat cloudy, the carving far from refined. Its overall shape was strange, as if several objects had fused together into something indistinct and unrecognizable. That soft glow lingered for a long time, only fading away as dawn approached.
At seven in the morning, Fang Huai opened his eyes.
He glanced at the pendant in his palm, a little puzzled. Fang Jianguo had given it to him, and he always wore it on a red string. But now, the string had somehow snapped…
Maybe he had rolled over it in his sleep? Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it.
By eight, he had to be at the construction site for work.
Dressing accordingly, Fang Huai put on a loose black T-shirt and, since he only owned a few pairs of pants, stuck with the same baggy work pants from yesterday. He left the inn and caught the bus.
The bus route led toward the outskirts of the city, so there weren’t many passengers. With plenty of empty seats available, Fang Huai sat near the back. As the vehicle swayed gently, he felt the exhaustion from last night creeping in again. His eyelids drooped, and soon he drifted into a light doze.
The bus suddenly came to a stop.
By sheer coincidence, the last remaining passenger—besides Fang Huai—had just gotten off. Now, only the driver and Fang Huai remained inside.
The driver frowned at the luxury car blocking the road ahead—a sleek, black Maybach. He muttered to himself, “Where’d this rich guy come from? … Bringing a car like this to a rundown area, isn’t he afraid of getting it scratched?”
The next second, his eyes widened in shock.
A sharply dressed man stepped out of the Maybach. He wore a tailored high-end suit, his features calm yet tinged with a faint hint of gloom. His lips pressed into a thin line, and while his strikingly handsome face drew attention, what was even more commanding was his presence—an aura of absolute authority.
The driver’s brain momentarily short-circuited.
“Y-Ye…” He stared in disbelief, like he was seeing a walking stack of money. The word “Dad” nearly slipped out of his mouth. “President Ye!”
Ye Yuyuan clearly had a tight schedule. As he walked forward, his secretary kept pace beside him, relaying information without pause. The tall man listened quietly, his expression remaining unreadable.
When he reached the bus’s front door, the driver—still trembling—quickly opened it.
Ye Yuyuan gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, his demeanor cool and distant as he stepped inside and headed toward the back.
The driver had never seen such a high-profile figure up close before. If he hadn’t watched the Summer Davos Forum just yesterday—where Ye Yuyuan was featured prominently—he wouldn’t have believed his own eyes.
Seeing him in person was different from seeing him through a screen. Ye Yuyuan was taller, even more handsome, and his overwhelming presence was even more intimidating in real life.
Before the driver could process what was happening, the ever-smiling secretary approached him.
“Hello, sir. Let’s discuss something—don’t worry, it’s nothing against the rules.”
Meanwhile, at the back of the bus, Ye Yuyuan’s deep, dark eyes fell upon the sleeping boy.
Fang Huai was curled up peacefully, his breathing steady. His long eyelashes rested lightly against his cheeks, and his lips carried a soft, barely-there smile. His slightly upturned nose had a faint pinkish hue, giving him an endearing look. His loose T-shirt draped casually over his frame, the neckline slipping slightly to reveal a delicate collarbone—and just beneath it, a jade pendant strung on a red cord.
Ye Yuyuan’s gaze swept over the pendant.
Then, without hesitation, he bent down and effortlessly scooped Fang Huai into his arms.
His expression remained cold and unreadable, but his movements were infinitely gentle—as if afraid of disturbing the boy. Even his breathing became noticeably quieter.
And at the very moment their bodies touched, the jade pendant glowed softly—only to fade just as quickly.
“Mr. Ye,” came the AI’s mechanical voice. “Data collection complete. Detection shows that Mr. Fang has not eaten for fourteen hours.”
The cold, dark eyes—like frost and snow—tightened ever so slightly.
The boy in his arms, though fully grown, was as thin as a newborn kitten—unbelievably light. Ye Yuyuan’s gaze darkened further, his thin lips pressing into a firmer line.
How… had he survived all these years?
Holding Fang Huai securely, Ye Yuyuan stepped off the bus and settled into the backseat of the Maybach.
The car glided smoothly along the road.
Lowering his gaze, Ye Yuyuan studied the sleeping boy for a long moment. Gradually, the sharpness in his eyes softened. He reached out, gently brushing aside the stray strands of hair that had fallen over Fang Huai’s eyes. His long index finger curled slightly, about to retreat—when he suddenly noticed a small smudge of dust on the boy’s cheek.
He extended his hand to wipe it away—
And felt a sudden, soft, damp tickle against his palm.
Ye Yuyuan’s breath caught, his back instantly tensing.
Looking down, he saw the sleeping Fang Huai murmur in his dream, licking the center of his palm before smacking his lips and mumbling:
“Not tasty.”
Ye Yuyuan: “…”
A flicker of amusement flashed through his dark eyes.
The corners of his lips curved up slightly, but the smile was fleeting—quickly replaced by his usual calm expression.
What’s going on? Fang Huai wondered in his dream. Why does this pork rib have no meat on it?
A second later, he opened his mouth and bit down on Ye Yuyuan’s palm.
His two small, slightly pointed canine teeth grazed the skin, nibbling lightly. As he bit, his brows slowly furrowed, and the tip of his slightly reddened nose twitched.
Ye Yuyuan’s entire body stiffened, his breathing momentarily heavier before he forced himself to steady it.
His expression remained indifferent, but his gaze had softened immeasurably—almost indulgently—as he allowed the boy to nibble on his hand without resistance.
A bandage was wrapped around his left index finger. After a moment of hesitation, he lifted his other hand and, somewhat clumsily, smoothed down Fang Huai’s slightly wavy, tousled hair.
His gaze lowered slightly. He wasn’t used to such gestures, his movements unpracticed—his ears faintly warm.
The secretary: “…” Lower your head, minimize your presence.
Ye Yuyuan still looked as impeccably composed as ever, his suit immaculate. But the air around him had undeniably changed.
Like a cold, jade-carved deity shedding its austere shell, becoming something more human—touched, at last, by the warmth of mortal life.
Ten Minutes Later
When Fang Huai woke up, the bus had just reached the stop. The driver was trembling slightly as he opened the window to smoke. Rubbing his eyes, Fang Huai got off the bus and walked into the construction site.
Only after the boy’s figure disappeared into the crowd of workers did the Maybach in the distance finally start its engine and slowly drive away.
The construction site was filled with dust, and the excavators rumbled noisily.
Strangely enough, boxed lunches were usually distributed at noon, but today, as soon as Fang Huai arrived, the site’s cook handed him a meal box—inside were braised pork ribs. She said it was an extra meal.
Confused, Fang Huai accepted it. After eating, he put on a yellow safety helmet, threw a towel over his shoulder, and joined the other workers who were moving bricks.
Just as they were about to start work, the foreman suddenly signaled for the excavator to stop and called them over.
“Listen up, everyone,” the foreman clapped his hands and pointed to the southern area. “That open space over there has been reserved by someone today, so stay away from it and try to keep the noise down. Once we finish this side, you can all leave early today—full wages paid. Sound good?”
“Whoa, who’s got that kind of pull?” someone asked. “Reserving a whole open lot?”
“Why are you so curious?”
“Could it be some big celebrity? My wife was on Weibo yesterday and told me that Lin… uh, what’s his name? Lin-something-Rui is here in Nan City—”
“Alright, alright, get to work.”
The group laughed and chatted for a bit before dispersing to their tasks.
Fang Huai moved bricks for two hours before he felt the urge to use the restroom. However, all the toilets in the site’s temporary shelters were occupied. A worker quietly told him that there was an abandoned restroom near the southern area.
Fang Huai hesitated, remembering the foreman’s warning. But the need was urgent, and the abandoned restroom was said to be some distance from the restricted area. Half-doubtful, he decided to go.
As he unzipped his pants, he absentmindedly hummed a tune.
He loved singing—whenever he had free time, he would sing for fun.
His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but it was clear, bright, and carried far, resonating in the open construction site and carried further by the wind.
…Unfortunately, not far away, Lin Rui had just set up his phone to start a livestream.
That clean and piercing voice was swept into the microphone by the breeze, quickly stirring up a small commotion in the livestream’s comment section.
—
Nearby, in the empty construction site.
“Of all the places you could pick, why did you choose right next to a construction site? There are people moving bricks here—the dust is flying everywhere,” the manager couldn’t help but complain as the car came to a stop.
“What do you know?” Lin Rui jumped out of the car, holding his phone, and glanced at a high-rise building in the distance. Lowering his voice, he said, “This place is open and remote—no one will bother me.”
Besides, he had consulted a master yesterday, and this location had great feng shui. Everything was guaranteed to go smoothly.
Lin Rui took these things very seriously.
“Alright, alright, a construction site it is—just hurry up. It’s almost time,” the manager urged.
“Mm.” Lin Rui’s gaze swept across the row of cages in the nanny van—there were all kinds of birds inside: thrushes, sparrows, pigeons. In total, there were more than ten cages, varying in size.
On the surface, these birds looked normal, but in reality, they had undergone special training. The method was somewhat cruel—by feeding them specific food and periodically starving them, the birds showed no obvious abnormalities apart from slight sluggishness. However, their lifespans had already been significantly shortened, with some not even surviving a week.
But he had tested it yesterday—it was realistic enough. He would press a small patch against his palm during the livestream, sing, and then his assistant would open the cage doors. The birds would fly out and follow his hand gestures, creating the exact same effect as in the video.
He had searched tirelessly overnight—wasn’t it all for this sense of realism?
His manager hadn’t been able to find the boy from the video, but Lin Rui didn’t care too much. He assumed the other party had used the same method to control the birds—neither of them was any nobler than the other.
Lin Rui opened his livestream room, and a flood of comments immediately rolled in.
[Ruirui! Finally, you’re here! Mwah!]
[Front row confession to my dear Rui! Are you going to perform again today? 2333]
[Waiting for the “superpower” show, time to slap the haters! My Rui has the perfect protagonist script, haha.]
[Just a passerby here, but Lin Rui is seriously bold. People said he was faking it, and he immediately went live. Aren’t the haters embarrassed? You wanted proof? Here it is!]
[Keep acting, lol. Have you fans lost your minds? You do know “superpowers” can be faked, right? I’ve seen animal performances abroad, and they use illegal drugs and animal abuse to train them.]
Seeing that enough people had joined, Lin Rui cleared his throat and said, “Alright, let’s not keep everyone waiting. We’ll start now—let’s switch to a different song this time. What do you guys want to hear? I’ll randomly pick one from the comments.”
A flood of song titles filled the chat.
[Majestic and Grand! Eyes of a Tiger! I want to hear my Rui act cute! Pant!]
[The Reform Breeze Blows Everywhere]
[If you’re a real man, sing ‘Learn to Meow’!]
Lin Rui glanced at the song requests and deliberately put on an embarrassed expression, scratching his nose sheepishly.
“Since everyone wants to hear Ten Years, let’s go with Ten Years then.”
Without waiting for the chat to react, he cleared his throat and began to sing.
[hhh, but more people voted for Learn to Meow. Who even mentioned Ten Years?]
[Don’t bully Ruirui! Can’t you see he’s shy? His cuteness is off the charts!]
[Sounds so good!! Ahh, this youthful voice is killing me!]
[Honestly, it feels a little awkward. Compared to the voice in yesterday’s video, this sounds totally different.]
[It’s kinda sharp… and a bit feminine.]
[He’s probably just a little nervous, which is affecting his performance. Don’t be too harsh.]
[Lin Ruirui, please marry me. Your voice is amazing, I’m sobbing. Please release an album—my wallet is ready and waiting!]
Meanwhile, off-camera—
Lin Rui’s assistant quietly started opening the birdcages, not all at once, but gradually, in sync with the rhythm of the performance.
The first little sparrow flapped its wings and flew into the frame, perching on Lin Rui’s fingertip.
[Whoa, the superpower is happening!]
[Go, Ruirui! This is amazing!!]
[Haters, open your eyes and watch carefully—this is what you asked for, lol.]
The sparrow moved a bit sluggishly at first, but soon, it really did start fluttering in sync with Lin Rui’s hand movements. A moment later, a thrush entered the frame. Its wing movements were a little clumsy, but sure enough, it followed Lin Rui’s gestures as well.
[This is incredible! Teach us how!!!]
[So cool! Superpowers!]
[Wait… something seems off…]
After that comment, a few others started to realize it too.
Lin Rui was still smiling as he sang, but there was a hint of panic in his eyes beyond the camera.
The third bird was supposed to be a titmouse, which should have flown over at this point. But as it flapped its wings mid-air, it suddenly made an abrupt U-turn and darted in the opposite direction!
Initially, when it had flown toward Lin Rui, it had looked sluggish and lifeless. But now, as it flew toward another direction, it moved with newfound energy—its entire body lively, its glossy black eyes shining brightly again.
[Huh…]
[That titmouse isn’t following the routine. Ruirui, are you too tired from yesterday? Is that affecting your superpower?]
[Lmao, wake up, fans. This is obviously a slip-up.]
[It’s okay, Ruirui! We know you just arrived in Nan City yesterday, you’ve been traveling non-stop, and you’re being attacked by haters… of course, it would affect your performance! Totally understandable! Hugs for Ruirui.]
[Wait, listen closely—I turned my headphones all the way up, and I think there’s another voice singing from the north!]
[Oh crap, you’re right! Someone really is singing over there…]
The north—exactly where the titmouse had flown.
Gritting his teeth, the assistant released another sparrow. But this time, it didn’t even head toward Lin Rui—it flew straight north! Not only that, but even the sparrow and thrush that had been obediently circling around Lin Rui’s fingers were starting to show signs of breaking away.
Lin Rui’s face darkened completely.
