Non-transactional "life extension"

Yu Jinli's brain froze for a full three seconds.

She felt like a primary school student suddenly tested on reciting pi, unable to utter a single word in the face of her homeroom teacher's "Let's see what kind of nonsense you can come up with" look.

Data model? Trigger threshold? Replicability?

Is this human language? Is this the reaction a carbon-based life form should have after witnessing a miracle?

Feng Jinxuan, did that rock shatter your brain circuits too?

The surrounding noise seemed to recede like the tide, and she could only hear Feng Jinxuan's steady yet extremely oppressive breathing, which was very close to her.

His scent carried a hint of crisp cedar, mixed with the subtle intoxication of fine champagne at the auction, like an invisible net that enveloped her completely.

"I..." She opened her mouth, her brain racing, trying to find a few profound terms from her meager physics knowledge to bluff her way out of this predicament. "What I'm talking about... belongs to the field of quantum entanglement telepathy, an interdisciplinary subject of metaphysics and science. It's currently still in the theoretical stage and cannot be quantified..."

She became increasingly guilty as she spoke, her voice barely audible, like a mosquito's hum.

Feng Jinxuan didn't press the matter. He simply gave her a deep look, his gaze complex and unreadable, then straightened up and resumed his aloof and inscrutable CEO demeanor.

He turned to his stunned assistant, Wang, and calmly instructed, "You handle the follow-up matters."

After saying that, he turned around and walked straight out of the banquet hall without glancing at the imperial green that had caused the entire room to go crazy.

It was as if it wasn't a treasure worth hundreds of millions, but just an ordinary experimental tool that verified one of his conjectures.

Yu Jinli followed behind him blankly, feeling like her CPU was about to burn out.

The atmosphere in the Rolls-Royce on the return trip was eerily quiet.

The dim lighting inside the car cast a cold, hard silhouette on Feng Jinxuan's profile. He leaned back in his seat, his eyes closed, seemingly resting, but Yu Jinli could sense that he was far from calm.

The thick black mist surrounding him was now churning and swirling violently, like boiling water.

Is this... an overabundance of "good luck" leading to a backlash of "misfortune"?

It's like someone who's used to eating coarse grains suddenly being fed a bellyful of fine bran, and as a result, they don't know what the world is like anymore.

Yu Jinli's heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.

She quietly moved closer to him, trying to soothe him with the lingering scent of koi fish on her.

Sure enough, as soon as she approached, the swirling black mist around him visibly subsided.

But at the same time, a chilling coldness seeped into her limbs and bones through the air.

She couldn't help but shiver.

Is this the price of living with a cursed lone star? If he's doing well, she's going to be unlucky?

Is this the law of conservation of energy that my chemistry teacher was talking about?

This chemistry... no, this business seems a bit unprofitable.

The car drove smoothly into the hilltop mansion.

Feng Jinxuan walked silently into the main building, his back straight, but his steps were slightly unsteady.

Yu Jinli followed behind, extremely conflicted.

Logically, once it's time to leave work, she should immediately return to her bedroom, which is comparable to a five-star suite, and enjoy the happiness brought by her monthly salary of 200,000 yuan.

But seeing her boss's stubborn, "I'm fine, I'm okay, I can live another five hundred years" attitude, she was a little worried.

What if he cries in the middle of the night? Wouldn't her long-term meal ticket be ruined?

She was struggling with her inner turmoil when she saw Feng Jinxuan stagger and nearly fall as he reached the top of the stairs.

He reached out and grabbed the stair railing in time to steady himself.

Yu Jinli's heart was in her throat.

She quickly stepped forward: "Boss, are you alright? Should we call the family doctor?"

"No need." Feng Jinxuan's voice was slightly hoarse and suppressed. He didn't turn around. "Stay away from me."

It's that same sentence again.

But this time, Yu Jinli sensed something different.

That wasn't disdain, it was more like a... warning.

Warn her not to go near the source of danger.

She stood there, watching him walk slowly and heavily, step by step, until he finally disappeared at the end of the second-floor corridor.

An hour has passed.

Two hours have passed.

Yu Jinli lay on her luxurious bed, which could fit five of her, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

In her mind, one moment it was that glowing imperial green, and the next it was Feng Jinxuan's deathly pale face.

One moment it's the extra commission that's about to appear in my bank account, the next it's the scalding heat of his grip on my wrist.

"So annoying!"

She sat up abruptly and ran her fingers through her hair.

Yu Jinli is not some saint; she admits that she is greedy, loves money, and is heartless.

But she wasn't heartless.

That guy, despite his sharp tongue, bad temper, and constant attempts to tease her, genuinely turned and shielded her in his arms without hesitation when faced with danger at the banquet today. His broad back, strong chest, and the thunderous pounding of his heart—none of it was fake.

As for his... that earth-shattering kiss...

Yu Jinli's cheeks started to burn again.

He didn't push me away at the time, definitely for the sake of the bigger picture! It was to maintain the image of a "loving engaged couple" in front of everyone, so that his "negative review therapy" and "kissing therapy" would seem more reasonable!

Yes, that's right, it's all for work.

...Although, his lips seemed quite soft back then. I wonder if they're still soft now...

Pshaw! What are you thinking?!

Most importantly, from a business perspective, his current situation ultimately stems from her encouragement to buy that stone. Maintaining the stability and health of core assets is the responsibility and obligation of a good partner!

Yes, that's it.

After finding a perfect, business-minded reason for her actions, Yu Jinli climbed out of bed with a clear conscience and tiptoed towards Feng Jinxuan's bedroom.

The door wasn't locked.

She gently pushed the door open a crack and peeked inside.

Only a dim bedside lamp was on in the bedroom, casting a yellowish light.

The huge room felt empty and cold, with a sense of oppression permeating the air.

Feng Jinxuan lay on the bed, his forehead covered in cold sweat, his brows furrowed, as if he were trapped in some terrible nightmare.

The black mist surrounding him had almost solidified, resembling black venomous snakes coiling and hissing around him.

Yu Jinli gasped.

The situation was more serious than she had imagined.

She hesitated for a moment, then went in anyway, carefully approaching the bedside step by step.

As she approached, she could clearly sense that the raging black mist surrounding Feng Jinxuan seemed to have encountered its nemesis, and began to slowly and reluctantly retreat.

His tightly furrowed brows relaxed a little.

It really worked!

Yu Jinli was overjoyed.

She moved a chair and sat down by the bed, like a dutiful "air purifier," continuously releasing her faint but pure koi fish aura.

Time passed second by second.

Feng Jinxuan's breathing gradually calmed down.

A trace of color returned to his pale face.

Just as Yu Jinli was getting a little drowsy, the man on the bed suddenly reached out without warning and grabbed her wrist precisely and tightly.

His hand was burning hot, like a branding iron, which made Yu Jinli shudder and instantly sober up.

She tried to break free, but found that he was incredibly strong.

He kept his eyes closed, his lips moving, and he murmured something repeatedly in a broken and hoarse voice.

Yu Jinli leaned closer out of curiosity to listen carefully.

She thought he would call out the name of some beloved figure, just like in the TV dramas.

But what she heard was an old and kind address.

"……grandmother……"

"...Don't go..."

"……sorry……"

That voice was filled with endless regret and a deep, inescapable loneliness.

Like a child who has been lost in the dark for a very long time, finally grasping a faint ray of light, and then refusing to let go.

At that moment, Yu Jinli's heart felt as if it had been struck by something, both heavily and gently.

It feels sour, numb, and a little... indescribably painful. This man... he can use a substitute attack!

It turns out that this seemingly omnipotent, cold and hard man also has such a soft, fragile corner in his heart.

She stopped struggling and let him hold her.

The room was quiet, with only the soft breathing of the two of them mingling together.

Outside the window, the moonlight, like water, gently streamed in.