Chapter 74: The Man Who Cherishes Solitude

Chapter 74: The Man Who Cherishes Solitude

The east was bathed in a magnificent dawn.

Daybreak slowly unfurled its curtain.

Inside the ward, Xiao Yu shifted his gaze to the bedside.

A man lay bound to the bed, unconscious.

Lv Jinyan, Male, 40, a local resident…

National Security and the police have already begun their investigation, screening for possible suspects.

Lv Jinyan’s blood sample was sent to a testing agency for analysis.

As for the results, Xiao Yu figured nothing significant would come of it.

The substance in Lv Jinyan’s system was a ‘new drug’.

Every new medication is a novel breakthrough in the pharmaceutical world.

Like a lithography machine—do you really know what it is? Could it even be replicated?

Sometimes, analyzing drugs is even tougher than dissecting a lithography machine…

Ding! A notification sound from his phone.

WeChat.

Mu Qingwu: Busy?

Seeing the message, Xiao Yu felt a sudden warmth in his heart.

His sister was so thoughtful; she wouldn’t normally disturb him.

Unless… she missed him!

Xiao Yu: I’m fine, at XXXX Hospital.

Mu Qingwu: Huh?

Xiao Yu: I’m here on a case.

Mu Qingwu: Have you eaten?

Xiao Yu: Not yet.

Mu Qingwu: Wait for me.

Chat ended.

“Still as assertive as ever!”

Xiao Yu put his phone down, smiling and shaking his head.

For guys, girls who are a bit coquettish, sweet, and not overly clever tend to be more popular.

In reality, those domineering, sensible, and alluring girls are the most dangerously attractive.

Twenty minutes later.

A supercar pulled up outside the hospital.

Dressed in athletic wear, Mu Qingwu walked toward Xiao Yu, standing at the gate and carrying a bag of groceries.

Though her delicate features resembled a celestial maiden, her figure was as tempting as that of a seductive enchantress… Xiao Yu mused inwardly, wishing she could perform a dance of blissful nirvana for him!

A young couple sat together on the hospital’s step platform.

Xiao Yu balanced a bowl of tofu pudding in one hand and a fried dough stick in the other, mumbling, “Sis, I might be busy the next few days.”

“Mm.”

Mu Qingwu’s elegant face, framed by dark, luminous eyes like a clear autumn pool, replied, “It’s alright.”

“Has your period finished?”

Xiao Yu blinked, looking pleadingly at his sister.

Mu Qingwu’s cheeks flushed as she playfully chided, “Just eat well.”

“Sis, I’m in a hurry,” Xiao Yu said with a serious expression.

“What are you in such a rush for?” Mu Qingwu asked, bewildered.

“Every man dreams of a tree-lined path, frosted with white at dawn and dusk,”

Xiao Yu earnestly declared, “A path to walk alone!”

Mu Qingwu: ???

What on earth is my little brother talking about? I can’t make sense of it.

Xiao Yu chuckled softly, hurriedly finishing his breakfast.

If his sister understood what he meant, she might just beat him to death.

Before leaving.

Seated in the car, Mu Qingwu replayed her brother’s words in her mind.

What did he mean?

She shook her head, preparing to drive off.

Wait… drive?

Mu Qingwu’s eyes lit up as she mulled over his words once more.

In an instant, a rosy blush spread across her porcelain face.

Both shy and a little irritated.

“Bad little brother, just wait for me!”

……

Xiao Yu briskly headed toward the ward.

He had just gotten a call from Wang Dong: Lv Jinyan had regained consciousness.

Staring at Lv Jinyan lying on the bed with a look of pure terror and pain, Xiao Yu was momentarily stunned.

The man before him no longer exhibited the wild frenzy of last night; he was a completely different person.

Recalling the surveillance footage, where Lv Jinyan resembled a flesh-hungry zombie…

Now, his expression was one of honest meekness.

Anyone would find such a change odd.

Standing by the bed, Xiao Yu fixed his gaze on Lv Jinyan and asked, “Do you remember anything from last night?”

“……”

The tape that had been on his mouth was now torn off. Lv Jinyan opened his mouth in terror, too shocked to say a word.

“The patient’s mental state is somewhat unstable. He seems to have been traumatized,” said a doctor in a white coat.

“Traumatized?”

Xiao Yu thought for a moment. Yes, it was indeed a shock.

Frequent bouts of amnesia belong in movies.

For a normal person, actions are controlled by the brain.

Memories formed during brain activity don’t vanish immediately.

Even though Lv Jinyan clearly was off last night…

His body was fine, so his brain should be active.

He must remember!

Then why was he so terrified?

Imagine dreaming that you go mad and end up devouring your own hand, only to wake up and find that it’s really gone. What would you do if a nightmare became reality?

“You know what you did last night, right?” Xiao Yu asked again.

“……”

After a long pause, the pale-faced Lv Jinyan nodded slowly.

“Then why did you do it?” Xiao Yu pressed on.

“I…”

Lv Jinyan stuttered, “I—I don’t know!”

Of course he wouldn’t; if he did, no normal person would ever resort to self-cannibalism.

“Don’t worry,” Xiao Yu said, his expression bright and sunny.

“It might be a strange illness. Luckily, we caught it in time, so it shouldn’t happen again.”

“Really?”

The panic on Lv Jinyan’s face visibly subsided.

“Tell me, what did you do last night?” Xiao Yu continued, his smile widening. “After work, what did you do? You remember, right?”

“I remember,” Lv Jinyan replied with a nod.

He continued, “After work, I went home, had dinner with my wife and kids, then, as usual, went downstairs for a smoke. After two cigarettes, I was about to head back, but then… I returned home, grabbed a tool bag, and left…”

Xiao Yu’s eyes narrowed sharply. “Hold on. Tell me again about that smoke downstairs. What exactly happened?”

“What happened?” Lv Jinyan asked, confused.

“For example, did you encounter anyone unusual, something odd, or… music?”

Xiao Yu enunciated each word carefully.

“Encounter someone? Or something?”

Lv Jinyan’s eyes brightened as he recalled, “There was indeed music. I saw a child playing with a music box. The melody was beautiful and soothing… And while listening, I felt an overwhelming sense of pleasure and ease.”

Pleasure? Ease?

A cold glint flashed in Xiao Yu’s eyes as he glanced at Wang Dong.

Wang Dong turned and left…

“What was the music?” Xiao Yu asked, locking his gaze on Lv Jinyan.

“I don’t know. It just sounded wonderful,” Lv Jinyan replied, shaking his head.

Don’t know?

At that, Xiao Yu’s eyes hardened as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an MP5 Player.

He switched it on and hit play.

Soothing, pleasant music began to drift through the air.

Startled, Lv Jinyan froze at the sound, clearly amazed.

Within ten seconds, his eyes started to half-close.

His expression changed in an instant, giving way to an indescribable madness and agitation.

“Ah~”

Lv Jinyan suddenly roared like a wild beast.

Glancing at the MP5 Player in his hand, Xiao Yu’s expression grew complex.

Two doctors rushed over, restraining Lv Jinyan and injecting him with a drug.

Soon, Lv Jinyan weakened and slipped into a deep sleep.

Xiao Yu’s face turned as cold as ice as he confirmed, “It was Hypnosis!”