Chapter 2538: Non-human: Xiao Chen's Amnesia After 29

Just then, the hospital room door was pushed open.

Ye Lu stood at the doorway holding a thermal lunch box, a smile on his face, but he hadn't expected so many people in the ward, and he froze for a moment.

But he quickly adjusted his expression, looking at Zhou Chengjun on the bed, his voice sweet and cloying: 'Director Zhou, I've made some nourishing soup; I heard you were injured, so I brought it especially for you…'

Saying that, he started to walk inside.

Zhou Chengjun's brows furrowed instantly, his tone displeased: 'Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you to go handle your resignation?'

Zhao Xitang obviously didn't know about this, looking puzzled at Zhou Chengjun: 'Resignation? I remember he's an employee under Xiao Liang—what's going on?'

Ye Lu bit his lower lip, deliberately making his previous confession vague, emphasizing only his admiration and concern for Director Zhou.

He also said he wanted nothing, only wishing to stay by Director Zhou's side to be of service, even pleading with Zhao Xitang.

'Director Zhao, please don't drive me away…'

Zhao Xitang: '?'

He really had no idea what was going on.

Jin Chen had at some point sat on the small sofa beside him, looking utterly relaxed, and even insisted on putting his arm around Liang Yanze's waist.

Hearing this, he lifted his gray eyes and looked at Ye Lu.

'You're such a pervert.'

Ye Lu: '?'

He stared blankly at this overly handsome yet hurtful-spoken stranger.

Jin Chen continued leisurely, adding, 'It sounds as if you've already slept together.'

Humans, truly a cunning species adept at playing with linguistic traps—especially this person.

He actually tried to use vague words to gain sympathy and confuse the situation.

Liang Yanze had no intention of stopping Jin Chen from speaking, and curled the corner of his mouth.

Seeing Jin Chen retort Ye Lu like that, he felt rather… pleased.

Liang Yanze said, 'Sorry, he always speaks without filter; I'll talk to him when we get back.'

But everyone knows.

Saying it when we get back equals not saying it when we get back—just a polite remark.

Zhou Chengjun, on the other hand, didn't care what the benefactor had said.

He was only afraid Zhao Xitang would misunderstand, and hurriedly explained, 'Xiao Tang, don't listen to his nonsense—there's nothing going on; I have absolutely no relation to him!'

Ye Lu had no idea why this stranger was targeting him so; after being rebuked, his face turned ashen, tears welling up in his eyes, making him look extremely wronged.

Jin Chen watched his tears drop patteringly, his gray pupils slowly rising to rest on Ye Lu's head.

He tilted his head slightly, feeling something odd.

{Ling Gun Gun, } he asked in his mind, '{His protagonist's halo—how come it seems… faded? Almost invisible. }'

Ling Gun Gun quickly ran a check.

{The plot point has deviated, Host; let me see… oh~}

{In the original plot, after the birthday banquet, the protagonist would 'accidentally' expose his relationship with the protagonist's love interest to the hospitalized Zhao Xitang, intensifying the conflict. }

{Ling Gun Gun cheered up, '{Host, wait a moment—his scheme failed and he's embarrassed himself in public; a large amount will soon dissipate. }'

Zhou Chengjun hurriedly finished explaining to Zhao Xitang, fearful that Ye Lu's earlier unpleasant remarks would upset Zhao Xitang and cause discomfort.

He now had not a trace of sleepiness, forcing himself to sit up a bit, carefully drawing Zhao Xitang to lean against him.

Immediately, he turned to Ye Lu, who was still standing there shedding tears, his expression turning completely cold: 'I think I made it perfectly clear last night—there's no room for discussion on this resignation.'

'Now, please leave at once.'

Ye Lu really cried this time—not the earlier pity‑seeking sniffles—as tears streamed down his face, his voice trembling with sobs.

'Even if you drive me away, I'll wait for you…' He stubbornly wiped his tears, 'Anyway, I can wait; I'll surely wait until the day you accept me.'

The subtext of those words amounted almost to cursing Zhao Xitang's health, that he would sooner or later…

Jin Chen and Liang Yanze listened from the side, their expressions hard to describe.

Jin Chen looked left and right, his gaze sweeping the corner shelf in the ward; he reached under the shelf and pulled out a back‑scratcher for patients, handing it to Zhao Xitang.

'Here, hit 【him】 with it.'

Liang Yanze could hardly believe it, quickly pulling this chaos‑loving monster back to his side: 'Don't add fuel to the fire.'

Zhao Xitang pressed down on the furious Zhou Chengjun, who wanted to get up.

Zhao Xitang walked up to Ye Lu; the warm, mellow aura he had cultivated from long rest shifted suddenly, becoming sharp and keen, as he looked down at the young man crying like a pear blossom in rain, leaning in to his ear.

His voice was soft, but the content made one's blood run cold.

'If you really harbor the thought of waiting for my death,' Zhao Xitang said calmly, 'I won't let you live to see that day.'

Ye Lu shuddered all over, forgetting even to cry.

He glanced fearfully at Zhao Xitang, not caring about the soup or any feelings, feeling both scared and embarrassed, and turned and hurried away.

Jin Chen's pupils shifted, tracking Ye Lu's panicked fleeing back, and he saw clearly.

At the moment he burst out of the ward door, the last few strands of energy remaining in the protagonist's halo were finally stripped away and dissipated.

It seems this long‑entangled plot point has finally been completely broken.

Jin Chen licked his crimson lips, feeling a desire to eat.

He stood up and told Liang Yanze, 'I want to go eat.'

Zhou Chengjun, curious, had moved over to ask Zhao Xitang what he had just whispered; hearing this, he turned his head in confusion, 'You want to go… what?'

Liang Yanze's eyelid twitched; he immediately grabbed Jin Chen's wrist with a firm grip, stopping him from uttering any more shocking words.

He kept his composure, explaining to Zhou Chengjun and Zhao Xitang: 'We rushed out this morning; he didn't have breakfast, so he might be a bit low on blood sugar.'

'I'll take him to get something to eat first.'

Zhou Chengjun heard it and quickly waved his good hand, "Hurry, go, don't stay hungry!"

After he finished speaking, he again moved close to Zhao Xitang's side, grabbed his hand and quietly expressed loyalty, swearing that he had no improper thoughts toward anyone other than him.

—

Outside the ward, in the hallway.

Jin Chen looked toward the elevator; Ye Lu stood there with his head down, dejected, his lonely silhouette waiting, his tone on the phone with a friend full of resentment and grievance.

Liang Yanze tugged at Jin Chen's hand, brows slightly furrowed, voice gentle, "You need to eat… sure, but could you stay farther away from him?"

He really didn't want to see Jin Chen and Ye Lu have any kind of close contact.

Jin Chen glanced sideways, carefully observing Liang Yanze's expression, "Sure."

He readily agreed, curling his lips, "If my wife is jealous, I can stay far away."

Liang Yanze's ears turned red, but he didn't speak to refute.

Immediately, he caught sight of a few strands of extremely thin, faint black mist, like living threads emanating from Jin Chen, coiling above Ye Lu's head, faintly undulating, as if drawing something invisible.

Liang Yanze stared, somewhat entranced.

Is this Jin Chen's feeding? Is he sucking in… luck? Or something else?

He instinctively touched the healed, faint scars on the inner side of his arm, narrowing his eyes behind the lenses.

The feeding process was brief, about half a minute.

Those few strands of black mist, like having eaten their fill, quietly withdrew and merged back into Jin Chen's body.

Almost at the same moment, Ye Lu, who was angrily talking on the phone at the elevator entrance, suddenly stumbled.

He fell in a sorry state, clutching his ankle, pain making him grimace, and tears welled up again.

The sprain that had been easily resolved thanks to the protagonist's halo now came back as delayed retribution.

Jin Chen nodded satisfactorily.

He could feel that the remnant protagonist's halo energy on Ye Lu's body had vanished.

From now on, this human could stir up no trouble.

It was even less possible to let his wife become tragic.