Chapter 58 The young master is alive; he didn't die. The underground room is intact...

Li Xin sat in the darkness, in the bed filled with Su Jinmu's scent.

The room is filled with traces of the young master, but the young master himself is nowhere to be seen.

The lighter in front of me was lit, illuminating my dark, empty eyes.

A sharp, dull pain shot through my nerves; my brain felt like it was being torn apart.

The young master doesn't want to acknowledge the Xu family; he must have sent the hair away on his own initiative to lure the Xu family away.

If he wanted to leave, and deliberately orchestrated it, where would the young master be now?

If he didn't intend to leave, but simply didn't want to acknowledge the Xu family and thus lured them away, then where would the young master be now?

...a greenhouse?

But the greenhouse was empty.

Only that dark humanoid figure remained.

Li Xin shuddered, his nerves tense, his pale face almost eerily blank, and he turned to look at the human figure in the glass case.

Clenching his fingers, his breath caught in his throat.

No, it won't.

This is not the young master.

It shouldn't be in the greenhouse, nor should it be in the bedroom.

Li Xin forced a smile, a chilling and strange one, got out of bed, and quickly covered the glass cabinet with something.

Block it.

If you block it out of sight, you can pretend it doesn't exist, and pretend the young master is still alive and well somewhere.

...No, you misspoke.

Li Xin's expression twisted, his heart pounded, and he became extremely frantic. The young master must be alive, he must be alive.

Li Xin returned to the bedside, sat on the carpet, and stared at the empty bed.

Just like before, I stared intently at the bulging blankets, reaching my hand inside.

You should be able to feel the warmth of the blankets, and further in, you could touch the young master's hand or waist.

It's very soft, supple, and delicate.

Warmth and allure.

Li Xin smiled slightly, reached inside, and called out softly.

"Young Master?"

"You're sleeping too far in, move out a bit, okay?"

"Come out a little."

"Let me run into you."

There was no response from inside the blankets, no one turned over or moved, and not even the warmth of human touch.

Cold and terrifying.

...The young master is not here.

Li Xin paused, pulled his hand back, gripped the lighter, and flicked it back to life, revealing a sinister ruthlessness in his eyes. His eyes were red at the corners, but his entire face was eerily pale.

He is afraid of fire.

If he's not afraid, if he's faster.

Is the young master still here?

It was still right in front of him.

Li Xin's head was throbbing with pain, as if it were about to shatter in two. His heart was being stabbed, and his soul felt like it had been pulled out, leaving only a cold shell behind.

He was in a daze, covered in cold sweat.

He had no idea how long it had been since he had slept or eaten.

He couldn't eat; holding the young master's personal clothes, all he wanted to do was go crazy.

They wanted the young master to come out and see him.

...but no one was there.

His mind was foggy, his body felt like it was being crushed by a stone, suffocating and oppressive. A high temperature gradually rose from Li Xin's body as he walked out in a daze, drifting away like a ghost, silently.

.

At this moment, on the basement floor of the greenhouse.

The soil vibrated slightly as I gently parted it.

A small figure peeked out.

It was cloudy during the day, and pitch black at night as well. Su Jinmu cautiously peeked out, looked around to make sure no one was there, and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The Su family was unsealed, and Li Xin sent the people surrounding the flower room to check various airports and train stations, finally reducing the number of Su family members.

Su Jinmu finally had a chance to come out.

Su Jinmu clicked his tongue in amazement. He hadn't expected Li Xin to be insane for so long. He thought that a week of madness would be enough, but he never imagined that he could blockade the greenhouse for more than a month.

He stayed down there for a month. Although he had everything he needed and it was almost a complete underground room, he felt like he was turning into a dried-up corpse because he hadn't seen the sun for so long.

Su Jinmu checked the surrounding environment again, and as he went up, he used the prepared and leveled soil to block the passage. The top meter was filled in the same way as Li Xin had done, and the soil was broken up so that no clues could be seen.

When Li Xin dug down a meter, his nerves were practically stretched to the limit.

One meter.

Go down a little further and the passageway barrier will be revealed.

...If Li Xin really manages to dig it out...

...He simply couldn't imagine that scene.

Su Jinmu felt a twitch in her temple, still shaken.

When digging the underground level, we considered whether to dig a tunnel directly to the outside of the Su family's house, but the outside is a highway, a foundation, various pipelines and cables.

They couldn't dig through, and time was tight, so they gave up on the idea.

If I had known that Li Xin would be besieging us for so long, I should have thought of more ways to deal with it back then.

Tsk.

Su Jinmu slowly reinforced the underground passage, sealing it off.

Stand up, make sure there's nothing unusual on the ground, and lift your leg to step outside.

Having lived in the Su family for over a decade, even in complete darkness, he could find a secluded spot to escape with his eyes closed.

Su Jinmu stepped out silently, having only taken two steps.

A terrifying figure suddenly pounced, dragging Su Jinmu to the ground.

"Ugh!" A muffled groan was tightly sealed in Su Jinmu's mouth. Her nerves were suddenly pulled, her hair stood on end, and she gripped the tubular object in her hand tightly.

He's a person!

Her waist was gripped tightly, her shoulders were buried in his nose and lips, and a frantic voice whispered in her ear, "Young Master, Young Master, don't go, don't go."

Su Jinmu: "??!!"

Su Jinmu: “?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Depend on!

What the hell? Where did you come from?!

"Don't pull it so tight, it's uncomfortable."

He spoke in a low voice, his fingers clenching together, revealing a hint of coldness.

"Hmm."

The boy instantly obeyed, memories from his dream flooding back. He obediently let go, went to the side, his eyes bloodshot, looking both frantic and bizarre, yet smiling docilely.

"I'll be good, I'll be obedient, young master, please stay with me for a while."

Su Jinmu suddenly remembered the intense heat that had just touched his neck. It was too dark for him to see clearly, but the boy's pale face was noticeably so.

It's burnt out.

Su Jinmu pursed her lips, paused for a moment, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

There are people in the Su family. It won't be a big deal if they find Li Xin in the greenhouse first thing tomorrow morning, but it would be quite alarming to find him there.

"Step back," he said coldly.

Li Xin's eyes widened as she stared straight at him, her expression a mixture of excitement and pain, before obediently stepping back.

"Close your eyes."

Li Xin closed his eyes.

Su Jinmu glanced at the ground, found nothing amiss, and turned around.

"...No! No."

Upon hearing this, the boy rushed forward, closed his eyes, and frantically reached out to touch the uneven ground. He lunged down and grabbed Su Jinmu's knees tightly, his knuckles taut until they turned white.

His strength is terrifying.

"...Don't go."

Su Jinmu tried to lift her foot, but Li Xin wouldn't let go. The ground squeaked twice as she dragged her foot, almost leaving two marks.

Su Jinmu: "..."

Su Jinmu looked down at him, her lips pressed together slightly. She squatted down in the darkness, touched the top of his head, and spoke in a softer, clear and gentle voice.

"I'm not leaving, I'll take a nap."

"Young Master...stay with me." Li Xin was burning up with fever, his eyes were bloodshot, but his lips were pale, and his voice was low and hoarse. "Don't go, I'll be good."

Su Jinmu exhaled softly, patted his head, and a sharp blade between her fingers pierced the back of his neck.

“…Hmm.” He responded, withdrawing the syringe. “…I’m not leaving.”

Li Xin fainted.

It fell onto the soil.

Tomorrow, I will remember nothing.

Su Jinmu put away her things, changed to a new one and tucked it between her fingers, stood up, erased the marks on the ground, and glanced at him a few more times in the darkness, lightly and faintly.

Turn around.

They left without a sound.

Li Xin is not old. After a period of madness, some memories will gradually fade with time.

As for the Xu family.

He had only been in contact with the Xu family for a short time, so his sadness subsided quickly.

He... is only suited to be alone.

Su Jinmu left the Su family home, but now all transportation routes are being monitored by Li Xin, so he can't leave for the time being. He had anticipated this and prepared a place in advance.

Su Jinmu went to the prepared location.

We arrived just as dawn was breaking.

The dew was moist, the morning sun was orange-red, and the warm, golden light shone down.

It's a nice day.

Su Jinmu glanced at the sky, tilted her head back, and her slender, porcelain-white figure fell into the sunlight.

He bent over slightly in a smile.

.

Li Xin was in good health after all. He had fainted, but his fever had subsided. He stood up from the floor of the greenhouse in a daze, his head numb and throbbing, feeling completely empty.

He knew he had a fever, and probably because he was worried about it, he wandered over aimlessly.

Li Xin lowered his eyes, his dark pupils filled with a chilling aura, as he looked around the flower room.

Young master.

Young master.

He took a few steps, lifted his shirt, and peered at his waist and abdomen in the darkness.

...Some of them feel like they've been ground up.

After he fell into a coma, did he crawl on the ground in a daze?

The first time the young master tied him up, Su Zeya suddenly knocked on the door. In order not to be seen, the young master dragged him on the carpet when he picked him up and took him into the bathroom.

It feels somewhat similar to how I feel now.

Li Xin was stunned, somewhat dazed.

Did you dream about the young master?

What... I don't remember.

Li Xin lowered his eyes, not thinking much about it.

His body and mind had reached their limits during this period, and his blurred consciousness was within his expectations.

It's just a pity.

I've forgotten the young master from my dream.

Li Xin returned to the third floor. It was still early, the morning. He washed the dirt off his body, sat down on the carpet by the bed, and stared at the casually scattered blankets in front of him.

There are subtle undulations, a raised area, as if someone is inside.

Li Xin smiled, a strange and enigmatic smile, and approached.

"Young master, you're sleeping so soundly, not making a sound or turning over."

Li Xin stared at that curve, his eyelids growing heavier and heavier. By the bedside, he caught a whiff of a familiar sweet fragrance, and his consciousness began to drift away.

In his dream, everything was white, and he seemed to be grasping at something.

"Don't pull it so tight, it's uncomfortable."

A clear and crisp voice.

Upon hearing Su Jinmu's voice, Li Xin instinctively felt excited and wanted to hold on tighter, but upon hearing his words, he slowly let go.

He remembered that in the last dream, the young master wouldn't let him hold on, but he was still holding on when the young master left, not letting him continue the dream.

“…Young Master.”

Li Xin slowly released his grip, his palm empty, with only a faint breeze remaining.

A strong sense of reluctance surged through Li Xin's heart, and he was almost trembling. Every cell in his body was screaming, "Grab him, keep him!"

Don't let go, don't let him go.

But he has to be obedient.

His heart was still clenching uncontrollably; an intense resentment gripped his soul, assaulting him and bringing him back to his senses.

Li Xin opened his eyes, sat on the carpet, and rubbed his cheek against the blanket.

His eyes were dark and empty.

He didn't want to let go.

He's clingy, he's obsessive, and he doesn't want to let go.

But he was too pushy, forcing the young master to hide. Even in his dream, he still didn't want to repent.

Li Xin's eyes were dark and deep. He picked up a lighter and lit it.

The light was dim.

He must be too disobedient.

Li Xin stared at the cluster of flames, pressing his fingertips against it to burn it.

If he listens, he is obedient.

Young master, can you come back?

.

Li Xin was somewhat deranged and refused to accept that Su Jinmu was dead.

He carefully preserved the blood from the blood bag, taking only a small amount and placing it in a special transparent sealed container—just a few drops the size of a fingernail—which he then hung around his neck.

Like exposed blood from the heart.

Scarlet and vibrant.

It stings your eyes.

The Xu family was similar; every day they would either check the surveillance footage or wander around the greenhouse, occasionally going up to the third floor to search for anything unusual.

We found some evidence that Su Jinmu is still alive.

Su Han searched and examined the greenhouse bit by bit, bending down to touch the soil on the ground.

The burn marks are very obvious.

High temperature and concentrated light turn the glass black, making it hard and unbreakable.

The fertilizer ignited and exploded.

Everything went so smoothly, as if it were just an accident caused by the timing of events.

What a coincidence!

It's strangely clever.

Su Han's fingertips trembled slightly as she touched the scorched earth on the ground, cold, hard, and black, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

If it was an accident, there were too many coincidences; if it wasn't an accident, then Jinmu's figure was nowhere to be found.

...No one went to examine the humanoid figure.

...No one dared to test it.

I'm afraid the result won't be what I want.

Su Han felt a sharp pain in her chest. She closed her eyes and went up to the third floor to check on her.

In the past few days, almost every corner of the Su family's house has been searched, and the card that was kept separately is still in its original place. The Xu family gave the Su family a new card with twice the amount.

The Su family didn't originally want it, but since it was something Su Jinmu wanted to give, the Xu family insisted on giving it to her.

Su Han flipped through the card, while Xu Yu and Xu Sibai around her were still searching for something unusual.

Su Han looked down at the card and suddenly asked a question.

"Jinmu, why did you prepare this card?"

If we could live a good life, if... we had no conflicts with the Su family, and if we planned to live peacefully with the Su family forever.

Why does this card exist?

Li Xin stared intently, his voice low and hoarse.

"Young Master wants to leave."

"Trying to leave?"

Su Han frowned, looked up blankly, as if she didn't understand, "Where are we going? Why are we going?"

Li Xin's breathing was shallow, the dark color in his eyes almost completely hidden. He tugged at the corner of his mouth, shook his head, and spoke very softly.

He wanted to walk alone.

As for why...

His gaze fell on the card.

Su Han followed his gaze, looked down at the card in her hand, and recalled the bills with their obvious charges and the exploitative lessons.

Outside, there are many strangely designed classrooms.

Almost every room has cabinets along the walls.

Inside was a water tank filled with soaking wet vines, and next to it was a set of ointment for application.

Su Jinmu is famous because he is perfect, and because of his reputation for loving care and affection for his parents.

He was bound by his emotions.

Beneath the surface of intimate relationships lie wounds and exploitation.

He's probably... too tired.

So we don't want anyone.

Su Han's eyes suddenly reddened, her chest felt heavy, her vision blurred, and her fingertips turned white.

Xu Yu and Xu Sibai had their DNA tested twice, but they never told her.

She didn't realize that Jinmu looked like her, and despite several attempts to get Jinmu to call her "uncle" and "aunt," he never did.

She didn't notice.

If she had noticed earlier, if she had discovered it sooner, would Jinmu have prevented her from leading her to the north?

Would you then not want to walk alone?

Jinmu.

Mumu.

...her woodenness.

.

A few days later, a considerable sum of money suddenly appeared in one of Su Jinmu's bank cards.

Su Jinmu's card and identity information were constantly monitored, and the moment the money was deposited, it was discovered.

Li Xin immediately went to investigate, and found that the source of the income was someone from a long time ago.

—Zhao Ting.

Su Jinmu invested in his film production, and now that filming is finally finished, the profits have been deposited into his account.

Rumors have been circulating in Jingzhou, but Li Xin, the Su family, and the Xu family who inexplicably joined the fray have never offered any explanation.

Nobody knows the specifics.

Zhao Ting only heard about it after filming ended, and wanted to visit the Su family, but couldn't get in, so she went to find Feng Yixing.

Feng Yixing had heard the rumors earlier and tried to contact Su Jinmu, but he couldn't reach her no matter what he tried. There was no response to his phone calls or messages. In desperation, he went to the Su family several times.

But at that time, the Su family's place was sealed off like an iron barrel, and the people inside were busy digging and investigating, so he couldn't get in no matter what he did.

They had no choice but to let Zhao Ting transfer the money first.

No matter what happens, it's always good that Jinmu has money to spend. Let's get in first.

The remittance arrived today, and Feng Yixing arrived at the Su family's gate again.

There were still people guarding the area, but there were far fewer than before. They were instead checking surveillance footage and the various entrances and exits of the station.

Feng Yixing knocked on the door, and the door, which had been locked for a long time, opened.

He felt a sudden weakness in his legs and stepped inside, where he saw the bare, charred greenhouse.

There were also people gathered around, searching and looking through the files.

For a moment, I felt a bit strange, as if I had entered some bizarre parallel universe.

He looked around but didn't see Su Jinmu. He only saw a bright red dot hanging around Li Xin's neck.

The red color was chilling.

He remembered this maid; whenever she appeared, she would always follow behind Jinmu.

But now there's only him, not Jinmu.

Feng Yixing's hand trembled slightly. He didn't ask, but simply stepped forward and asked, "Have you received the investment share...?"

Li Xin stared straight at the greenhouse without saying a word. Su Han responded, "I received the card. Are you Jin Mu's friend?"

Did you receive it in your card? Why didn't someone else receive it?

Feng Yixing nodded blankly.

Su Han slightly twitched the corners of her mouth, then flattened it, nodded, and said nothing more.

The air was eerily silent. Feng Yixing felt a little short of breath, his heart pounding, and he was very uneasy, wanting to find a topic to talk about.

"This money is actually only a small part; the bulk of it was donated by Jinmu."

“He left two accounts at the time, one personal account and one for charity.”

"Zhao Ting thought Jin Mu had filled it out wrong and even asked him to confirm it."

Su Han looked up. "What charity?"

"Those who help orphans will donate the money to various orphanages."

Su Han nodded, forcing a smile, "Okay, thank you for telling us."

It's hot today, somewhat like the high temperatures of the other day. Clusters of sunlight stream down from the glass roof of the greenhouse, creating a beautiful and colorful scene.

It was so hot and humid, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Feng Yixing looked towards the greenhouse. "It was hot that day, but... Jinmu was very happy and relaxed."

"I thought he had something to be happy about."

Unexpectedly, a fire broke out when they returned to the Su family home.

Li Xin's eyes were dark, but upon hearing Feng Yixing's words, something suddenly flashed through his mind.

right.

The young master was very happy.

I was very happy and lenient with him for those few days, indulging his wild and unrestrained behavior.

I worked all night the first night, and went out again the next day, seeing Feng Yixing and Xu Jia.

The whole thing looked like a farewell and a moment of unbridled abandon before parting.

Regardless of whether there was a fire or not, the young master seemed elusive and untouchable for those few days.

I've always been in a state of wanting to leave, or preparing to leave.

He's leaving.

Moreover, the time should be very close to the day the fire started.

So... is it possible that the fire was part of his departure?

If so, where is the young master now? Where was the young master when the fire started?

A human figure in a glass case?

Li Xin felt a sharp pain in his head, shook his head, and his expression turned ferocious.

No.

No, that's definitely not it.

Li Xin seemed to have been driven mad; he couldn't find his young master anywhere.

He twitched the corner of his mouth and gave a strange smile. He picked up his tools and started shoveling at the scorched earth in the greenhouse again.

"Young Master?"

He called softly.

Last time it was an excavator, which probably scared the young master. He's afraid to come out, worried he might get hurt.

This time, he didn't need an excavator; he dug it himself.

"Young Master."

Li Xin turned over the soil, shoveling it away bit by bit, calling out softly everywhere, as if trying to wake someone from their sleep.

Chaotic and frenzied, like a ghost in broad daylight.

Upon seeing the intense sunlight, it began to struggle anxiously.

Shovel after shovel, digging deeper and deeper, the previously mixed scorched soil was leveled, revealing the untouched soil layer underneath.

Li Xin continued digging.

If you don't dig one meter, dig two meters; if you don't dig two meters, dig three meters.

Dig through!

"Wait a moment."

Su Han originally wanted to come in and dig as well, but when she entered the pit and saw the soil layer at the bottom, she suddenly caught sight of something and her gaze sharpened.

Li Xin's gaze was deep and lifeless as he looked over, his nerves twitching, his voice hoarse, "What?"

Su Han went down into the pit and dug it a little bigger, exposing more of the soil underneath.

"You said you dug up a greenhouse before, how much did you dig up?"

"One meter deep."

Su Han nodded. No wonder, the top layer of soil was messy, while the bottom layer was compact and flat.

But how...

Su Han squatted down and looked at the pit that Li Xin had dug, which was less than a meter deep. She stared at the soil layers inside and compared them with the surrounding soil layers.

What, does it not fit well?

Soil is formed by natural sedimentation over thousands of years. Tectonic movements or soil subsidence caused by buildings above can lead to undulations and fault zones in the soil layer.

It's normal for them not to fit perfectly.

but……

Su Han frowned deeply. The soil layers here seemed to be trying to simulate natural formation as much as possible, but it was almost impossible to be exactly the same; they could only try to be similar.

They already look very similar, but she has been dealing with soil cultivation for many years, so there's always a slight... incongruity.

Su Han stared intently, and Li Xin followed her gaze. His heart skipped a beat, pounding against his chest, causing the veins on the back of his hand to bulge and his eyes to widen.

Is there anything... unusual?

His voice was terribly hoarse, as if his throat had been torn open.

Su Han frowned. "I'm not sure."

Li Xin forced a smile, ignoring everything, and affectionately rubbed his cheek against the drop of blood hanging there, digging downwards with force. The veins on his fierce arm bulged, and he looked savage and crazed.

Dig, dig down.

One meter, two meters, twenty meters.

He will keep digging.

The excavator was rough and prone to missing details, so Li Xin dug down little by little while Su Han watched the changes in the soil layers.

“Zheng”.

A cold, hard sound.

The pit was more than two meters deep when the metal shovel suddenly struck something equally hard, producing a crisp sound.

Li Xin's ears exploded, as if he too was experiencing tinnitus, a sharp, ringing sound.

But he seemed not to hear, his eyes wide open, his dark pupils constricted, he bent down, knelt on one knee, and wiped away a layer of soil from the ground with his bare hands.

A little bit of dark brown, soil-colored stuff was visible.

It's not obvious to the naked eye, but when you touch it, the cold, hard metal is clearly different from the soil.

A buzzing sound filled Li Xin's ears, his heart pounded like a drum, and his pale fingers pushed away the dirt on the metal, revealing its full form.

There was a metal switch, secured with a heavy lock.

Li Xin stared intently, his nerves on edge.

"Bang!!"

With a terrifying crash, the shovel smashed the lock open, sending dirt flying everywhere.

The lock is open.

Li Xin slowly opened it, revealing a vertical ladder leading to an unknown world.

Li Xin went down without hesitation; there was a switch on the edge of the ladder.

“Clatter.”

The light is on.

Li Xin looked around blankly.

It was a room that looked like a basement.

It has a generator, oxygen generator, water storage tank, and drainage pipes.

There was also some drinking water and food nearby, as well as some empty or full oxygen cylinders and a change of clothes.

A screen next to it, when turned on, suddenly displays the scenery around the greenhouse.

This place bears the marks of life; clearly, someone has been here for at least a month.

Who is it?

Haha, hahaha.

Li Xin suddenly laughed, his eyes bloodshot, his heart pounding. He seemed to collapse as if all his strength was gone, grabbed the clothes beside him, held them to his face, and took a deep breath.

A faint, sweet aroma.

Haha, hahaha.

Li Xin opened his eyes wide and laughed like a madman, his voice eerie, as if he were excited or relieved to have survived a calamity.

A drop of moisture from the corner of her scarlet eye splashed onto her clothes and spread out.

Very good.

The young master is alive.

Li Xin gripped his clothes tightly, as if the blood in his body was only now beginning to flow again. His eyes were red, his pupils were tinged with scarlet, his capillaries were ruptured, and bloody tears streamed down his face.

A strange and eerie smile curved his lips as he grinned.

Was he too clingy and pushy?

No, it's too loose.

They didn't even notice it under their noses.

Li Xin chuckled softly, like a demon.

He should find and capture the young master.

Then, they died in bed.