The servant brought out the dishes prepared by Lin Ran, and Luo Yao’s appetite instantly perked up at the sight.
Lin Ran fed her bite by bite, and Luo Yao ate with quiet focus.
After the meal, the private doctor came to check on her again and found that Luo Yao’s condition had improved significantly. Her fever had already subsided in just one day, and the doctor estimated she would fully recover in another two days.
Luo Yao’s cheeks were still slightly flushed, which Lin Ran knew was due to her illness. He held her in his arms as they sat on the balcony of the bedroom, gazing at the sky.
He couldn’t understand why Luo Yao loved stargazing so much.
Lin Ran: "The stars don’t move."
Luo Yao: "But hearts do."
Though she still felt a little unwell, being this close to Lin Ran under the stars made the discomfort seem trivial.
Being sick wasn’t so bad after all.
Because of her condition, the two didn’t do much—just held each other quietly.
Eventually, Luo Yao fell asleep, and Lin Ran prepared to carry her back to bed.
"Meow!"
Lin Ran stiffened, turning his head to glare and whisper sharply,
"Don’t wake her up."
"Meow!"
Damn it, why wouldn’t this cat listen?
Gently, he lifted Luo Yao, carried her from the balcony to the bedroom, and laid her down with care.
The black cat remained on the balcony, watching motionlessly.
After tucking Luo Yao in, Lin Ran pressed a light kiss to her forehead before returning to the balcony.
"What are you doing here so late? Shouldn’t you be asleep?"
He immediately felt silly—cats were nocturnal, after all.
"Meow!"
"Are you some kind of peeping Tom-cat? Spill it—do you always watch us when we’re... you know?"
"Meow!"
Whatever. Life was dull, and cats didn’t understand humans.
He returned to bed and fell asleep with Luo Yao in his arms.
In his dream, he stood in a primal forest, where a pair of eerily unnatural eyes stared at him—motionless, unblinking.
Lin Ran reached for his phone to illuminate the darkness but realized he hadn’t brought it.
Just as he was about to speak, the eyes beneath parted to reveal a grotesque mouth that sent chills down his spine.
It resembled a human mouth, yet wasn’t quite human.
Blood dripped ceaselessly from it, impossible to tell whether it was the creature’s own or someone else’s.
Lin Ran jolted awake in a cold sweat.
That dream again—the second time now, though clearer this time.
He took a deep breath and grabbed his phone to search:
[What does it mean when dreams continue from previous ones?]
After scrolling through countless bizarre theories from online forums, he sighed.
"Ran, what’s wrong?"
Lin Ran turned to see Luo Yao awake, her eyes soft with concern. He patted her back gently. "Nothing. Just a nightmare. I was looking it up. Did I wake you?"
Luo Yao nuzzled into his chest. "Dreams are just illusions. The only real thing is the person beside you."
Lin Ran smiled, soothing her back to sleep before closing his own eyes.
The nightmare resumed...
He woke with a start to morning light, Luo Yao sitting by the bed, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek.
"Ran, another nightmare?"
Lin Ran inhaled deeply, the scent of Luo Yao calming him. He sat up abruptly, meeting her gaze.
Unbrushed, her hair was adorably tousled, her cheeks flushed. Her eyes—no longer their usual icy detachment—sparkled with unspoken warmth.
The sight hit him like a knockout punch. Lin Ran admitted it: he was utterly enchanted by her.
When he first returned from rebirth, he’d only wanted to cherish Luo Yao. But gradually, that turned into dependence—he craved her presence every second.
Now, having tasted her love, he couldn’t live without her.
How had he been such a blind fool in his past life to miss her magic?
Seeing Lin Ran recover, Luo Yao relaxed and made to leave, only for him to grab her hand.
"Don’t go. I haven’t had my fill of looking at you yet."
She leaned down, pressing her cheek to his. She adored this version of Lin Ran—the one who clung to her endlessly—and despised the one who’d once looked at her with disgust.
"Alright. I’ll stay until you’re satisfied."
Truthfully, she didn’t want to leave either. She longed to stay with him forever, but she couldn’t. She had to climb higher, to the very top, before she could rest.
She had something crucial to do. She was waiting, too.
They lingered in silent admiration until time forced them apart. Lin Ran finally released her with a reluctant sigh.
After Luo Yao left, Wang Bao arrived, introducing several elite bodyguards from the security team.
From their rugged, dependable faces alone, Lin Ran felt reassured. He had them dress in plain clothes and follow at a discreet distance.
That day, Lin Ran headed straight to the real estate company and summoned Wu Zhishang for a meeting.
Thanks to Xu Kai’s expertise as a lawyer—and the backing of Luo Corporation—all the company’s paperwork had been finalized two days prior with remarkable efficiency.
Lin Ran cut straight to the chase with Wu Zhishang.
"Between brothers, let’s skip the formalities. Our future’s boundless—after all, I’ve got capital behind me. You can’t deny that, right?"
Wu Zhishang winced. "Lin, just say what you mean. No need to keep rubbing salt in the wound."