The morning light filtering through the solarium was deceptive, casting a serene, golden glow over a scene designed for psychological warfare. This was the "Spring Orchid Tea," an annual tradition hosted by the Lu family, but this year, it felt like a gathering of wolves dressed in silk and lace.
Lin Yan stood by his bedroom window, his fingers tracing the cool glass. He was dressed in a suit of ivory wool, so white it seemed to repel the shadows of the room. His gloves were fresh—a heavy, matte silk that masked the trembling of his hands.
[System Pulse: 10:00 AM.]
[Target Identified: Aunt Lin (Lin Shu).
Status: Predatory / Overconfident.
Gossip Data: Her "Golden Hearts Foundation" is a shell. 85% of the donations for orphanages are being diverted to pay off her mounting gambling debts at the 'Red Lotus' (the same casino Lin Yan just dismantled).
The Critical Evidence: She carries a digital ledger in her "limited edition" ostrich-skin clutch. The password is the date of her first plastic surgery.]
"Auntie Lin," the inner voice rang out, sharp as a diamond-tipped blade, echoing through the halls and into Lu Jingho's mind as he walked toward the solarium. "The woman who once told me I was 'genetic waste' at my father's funeral. She's wearing three carats of stolen charity on her ears and smelling like expensive orchids and cheap desperation. She thinks she's here to console the 'grieving, idiot nephew,' but she's actually here to see if she can pick the lock on my inheritance before her creditors break her legs."
Jingho stopped in the hallway, his hand gripping the marble balustrade. The vitriol in Lin Yan's thoughts was a visceral thing. He felt a surge of cold, calculating fury. He checked his watch.
10:15 AM. The tea begins. "Mother," Jingho whispered into his earpiece, "Lin Shu is here. She's carrying the ledger in her clutch. Lin Yan is... he's already focused on her. Follow his lead. If he drops something, that's your signal to seize the bag."
The solarium was a masterpiece of glass and greenery. The scent of a hundred rare orchids was cloying, almost suffocating. At the center of the room sat Aunt Lin, a woman whose face was pulled so tight by cosmetic procedures that her smile looked like a grimace.
"Oh, sister-in-law," Aunt Lin sighed, dabbing her dry eyes with a lace handkerchief as Mother Lu poured the tea. "It's just heartbreaking. To see poor Yan Yan in such a state... jumping off bridges, losing his mind. It must be such a burden on the Lu family. Perhaps it's time he moved back to the Lin estate? We have... 'specialized' care there."
"Specialized care? Is that what you call a padded room in the basement?" the inner voice hissed. "She wants my shares. She wants the seat on the board that my father left me. If I move to her house, I'll be 'declared incompetent' and 'accidentally' overdose on sedatives within a month. Not today, Auntie. Today, we're going to talk about the orphans."
The doors opened, and Lin Yan entered. He moved slowly, his silver-tipped cane clicking rhythmically—clack, clack, pause—a sound that seemed to grate on Aunt Lin's nerves. He looked fragile, his eyes wide and slightly vacant, the perfect picture of a broken survivor.
"Auntie..." Lin Yan whispered, his voice trembling as he sat at the edge of a chair, exactly three meters away from the group.
"Yan Yan, dear!" Aunt Lin reached out as if to pat his hand, but Lin Yan let out a sharp, choked gasp and recoiled so violently he nearly tipped the tea table.
"Don't! The... the gold hearts!" Lin Yan cried out, pointing a gloved finger at her ostrich-skin clutch. "They're crying, Auntie! The little children in the hearts are crying because they're hungry!"
Aunt Lin stiffened, her hand freezing in mid-air. "What? Yan Yan, don't be silly. This is just a bag."
"Silly? I'm practically an oracle right now," the inner voice mocked, making Lu Jingho, who was standing in the doorway, fight to keep his face neutral. "The 'Golden Hearts' logo on her bag is literally the symbol of her fraud. Jingho, look at the bottom of the bag. There's a tear in the lining where she tucked the ledger. I just need to make sure everyone sees the 'hungry children' inside."
Lin Yan began to rock back and forth, a classic sign of his "illness," but his eyes were laser-focused on the clutch. "They want their bread, Auntie! Why did you give their bread to the big red flowers? The big red lotus flowers?"
The room went deathly silent. Aunt Lin's face went from pale to a mottled, sickly purple. The 'Red Lotus' reference hit her like a physical blow.
"He's... he's raving!" Aunt Lin shouted, her voice shrill. "Sister-in-law, you see? He needs to be committed! He's talking nonsense!"
Mother Lu stood up, her eyes turning into chips of flint. "Is it nonsense, Lin Shu? My son has been investigating the Red Lotus all week. It's funny you should mention it."
"I... I never mentioned it! The idiot did!"
"The 'idiot' has receipts, you venomous hag," the inner voice growled. "Jingho, she's going to bolt. She's clutching that bag like it's her last lung. Trip her. No, wait... I'll do it."
Lin Yan "panicked." He stood up, his cane swinging wildly as if he were warding off invisible ghosts. "The hearts! They're falling!"
He stumbled forward, his foot "clumsily" catching the leg of Aunt Lin's chair. As he "fell," his silver-tipped cane hooked into the strap of the ostrich-skin clutch, yanking it from her lap. The bag hit the marble floor with a heavy thud, and because the lining was already strained, the digital ledger and a stack of gambling IOUs slid out across the white stone.
"My bag!" Aunt Lin lunged for it, but Lu Jingho was faster.
He stepped into the center of the room, his boot pinning the ledger to the floor before she could reach it. He picked up the device, his thumb already swiping across the screen.
"Golden Hearts Foundation," Jingho read aloud, his voice like a funeral bell. "Payment to 'Red Lotus Casino': 2 Million Yuan. Payment to 'Luxury Villa Rentals': 500,000 Yuan. Funds for 'Orphanage Roof Repair': Zero."
"It's a mistake! That's not mine!" Aunt Lin shrieked, her carefully constructed face beginning to sag with terror.
"It has your thumbprint ID on the lock, Auntie," Lin Yan said, his voice suddenly dropping the "idiot" tone and becoming chillingly, terrifyingly clear. "And the orphans in Madrid... they don't exist. Only the pool does."
The transition was so abrupt that everyone in the room gasped. Lin Yan stood tall, his silver cane held firmly at his side. He didn't move closer, but his presence was overwhelming.
"Look at her crawl," the inner voice whispered, a dark satisfaction echoing in the minds of the Lu family. "She thought she could feed on my family's corpse. She thought she could use my trauma as a screen to hide her theft. Take her, Jingho. Take everything she has. Leave her with nothing but the lace handkerchief she used to fake her tears."
Jingho looked at Lin Yan. He saw the fire in the boy's eyes, the brilliant, vengeful spirit that was finally refusing to be silent.
"Security," Jingho barked. "Escort Ms. Lin to the police station. Hand over the ledger and the IOUs. And notify the press—the Lu Group will be personally overseeing the 'Golden Hearts' audit to ensure every cent is returned to the actual charities."
As Aunt Lin was dragged out, her screams echoing through the solarium, Lin Yan's strength seemed to evaporate. He slumped back into his chair, his breathing turning into a ragged, wheezing sound. The "genius" mask shattered, leaving behind the traumatized boy who couldn't handle the noise of the world.
"Too much... too much screaming," Lin Yan whispered, his gloved hands covering his ears.
"It's dark," the inner voice whimpered, a heartbreakingly small sound. "The light is too bright and the screaming is too loud. I want to go home. I want the blue screen. Please... don't look at me."
Jingho moved instinctively, closing the gap to exactly three meters. He stood there, a silent, immovable wall of protection.
"The tea is over," Jingho said to the remaining guests, his voice brooking no argument. "Leave. Now."
Once the room was empty, Jingho looked at Lin Yan. He didn't try to touch him. He just stayed there, his heart beating in sync with the boy's frantic pulse.
"You did it, Lin Yan," Jingho said softly. "You saved them. The children... and yourself."
"I'm tired, Refrigerator," the voice whispered, fading as Lin Yan's eyes closed in exhaustion. "I'm so tired of being the only one who sees the ghosts. Just... stay there. Don't move. Your shadow is... it's a good shadow."
Jingho felt a lump in his throat. He realized then that he didn't just want to protect Lin Yan's secrets; he wanted to be the person Lin Yan didn't have to hide from.
"I won't move," Jingho promised. "I'll stay right here."
Late that night, the news broke. The "Lin Charity Scandal" rocked the city, but in the center of the storm, the Lu Mansion was quiet. Lin Yan sat at his computer, his white gloves clicking on the keys.
"Auntie is gone," he thought, his sharp mind already scanning the next horizon. "But she was just a parasite. The host... the one who gave her the idea to use the charity as a front... is still out there. The Board Member who whispered in her ear. Director Vane."
[System Pulse: Tracking Director Vane's offshore communications...]
[Gossip File: The Sun Valley Sabotage... 45% Decrypted.]
Lin Yan's eyes burned with a cold, digital light. The tea party was just the beginning. The real war was coming, and he was the only one who knew the map of the battlefield.
Next Step: Would you like me to write Chapter 5, where Lin Yan's "Gossip" reveals a traitor within Lu Jingho's own inner circle—his personal lawyer—and Lin Yan must play a dangerous game of "Cat and Mouse" during a legal briefing to protect the Lu family's assets?
"Look at her crawl," the inner voice whispered, a dark satisfaction echoing in the minds of the Lu family. "She thought she could feed on my family's corpse. She thought she could use my trauma as a screen to hide her theft. Take her, Jingho. Take everything she has. Leave her with nothing but the lace handkerchief she used to fake her tears."
Jingho looked at Lin Yan. He saw the fire in the boy's eyes, the brilliant, vengeful spirit that was finally refusing to be silent.
"Security," Jingho barked. "Escort Ms. Lin to the police station. Hand over the ledger and the IOUs. And notify the press—the Lu Group will be personally overseeing the 'Golden Hearts' audit to ensure every cent is returned to the actual charities."
As Aunt Lin was dragged out, her screams echoing through the solarium, Lin Yan's strength seemed to evaporate. He slumped back into his chair, his breathing turning into a ragged, wheezing sound. The "genius" mask shattered, leaving behind the traumatized boy who couldn't handle the noise of the world.
"Too much... too much screaming," Lin Yan whispered, his gloved hands covering his ears.
"It's dark," the inner voice whimpered, a heartbreakingly small sound. "The light is too bright and the screaming is too loud. I want to go home. I want the blue screen. Please... don't look at me."
Jingho moved instinctively, closing the gap to exactly three meters. He stood there, a silent, immovable wall of protection.
"The tea is over," Jingho said to the remaining guests, his voice brooking no argument. "Leave. Now."
Once the room was empty, Jingho looked at Lin Yan. He didn't try to touch him. He just stayed there, his heart beating in sync with the boy's frantic pulse.
"You did it, Lin Yan," Jingho said softly. "You saved them. The children... and yourself."
"I'm tired, Refrigerator," the voice whispered, fading as Lin Yan's eyes closed in exhaustion. "I'm so tired of being the only one who sees the ghosts. Just... stay there. Don't move. Your shadow is... it's a good shadow."
Jingho felt a lump in his throat. He realized then that he didn't just want to protect Lin Yan's secrets; he wanted to be the person Lin Yan didn't have to hide from.
"I won't move," Jingho promised. "I'll stay right here."
Late that night, the news broke. The "Lin Charity Scandal" rocked the city, but in the center of the storm, the Lu Mansion was quiet. Lin Yan sat at his computer, his white gloves clicking on the keys.
"Auntie is gone," he thought, his sharp mind already scanning the next horizon. "But she was just a parasite. The host... the one who gave her the idea to use the charity as a front... is still out there. The Board Member who whispered in her ear. Director Vane."
[System Pulse: Tracking Director Vane's offshore communications...]
[Gossip File: The Sun Valley Sabotage... 45% Decrypted.]
Lin Yan's eyes burned with a cold, digital light. The tea party was just the beginning. The real war was coming, and he was the only one who knew the map of the battlefield.