Chapter 17: Within Sight  

“Do you think he is… 001?”  

“Easy to verify.”  

A glint flashed through Lin Yu’s eyes as he looked at 001 with a hint of teasing. He extended a finger, lightly tapped the screen, then tucked his hand back into his pocket, waiting calmly for 001’s response.  

001 was capable of flying around Lin Yu while simultaneously retrieving data—after all, it was merely an artificial intelligence, not some “Sapient Being.”  

Lin Yu lazily tapped his chin with a finger, raised his gaze, and curled his lips slightly in a smile. “Shen Qian once told me that some Sapient Beings from other universes can also serve as systems.”  

“001, did you know that?”  

“I didn’t, Host. But I’ve found something—through a nationwide big data search, this person is registered as an ‘unaffiliated individual’ and isn’t documented in our school’s records.”  

The shade of the tree slowly shifted as he remained standing, the sunlight gradually covering more of his figure.  

Golden light spilled onto the asphalt road, scorching and blistering.  

“Without violating any laws, can you quickly retrieve surveillance footage to check his interactions with relevant individuals?”  

Lin Yu took a step back under the tree, retreating his sun-warmed face into the shadows.  

“Certainly, Host. In fact, I already provided this search result earlier. The most suspicious person he’s been in contact with recently is your cousin.”  

“Good. Just screenshot and send it to me.”  

Lin Yu withdrew from his mental space, his gaze sweeping past the tree to land on the two people still bickering in odd postures. He lowered his eyelids slightly and strode toward them.  

His figure moved through the gaps of light, flickering between brightness and shadow, his steps unhurried, rhythmic against the ground.  

He lifted his gaze as he reached them, stopping to watch them with a detached expression.  

“I’m heading home.”  

Chen Shuhua had been about to pout and complain about his grievances, but at these words, his protest lodged in his throat. He hesitated for a long moment, unable to utter a word.  

Lu Yixing remained as cheerful as ever, flashing Lin Yu a bright grin. “I knew you had something going on.”  

He leaned down and whispered something into Chen Shuhua’s ear before straightening up and waving at Lin Yu. “Go ahead, Senior. I still have some academic matters to discuss with Senior Chen.”  

Chen Shuhua glared up at him, fingers clenching his sleeves tightly, suppressing his anger as he lowered his head, desperately trying to make himself invisible.  

He looked thoroughly displeased.  

Lin Yu gave a slight nod, as if acknowledging the situation, then walked away.  

He pulled his car keys from his pocket, smoothly turned the ignition, and the exhaust fumes that billowed out left no doubt—this was a high-end vehicle.  

The gray smoke resembled the thick fog from industrial-era chimneys, momentarily filling the small space beneath the chassis, saturating every inch.  

The wind tousled his bangs, strands of hair fluttering against his face. Lin Yu wiped his cheek, gripped the steering wheel with both hands, and drove straight toward the club his father frequented.  

……  

The club remained as discreet as ever.

Even more inexplicable decorations had been added compared to last time, covering the blank spaces with concealing traces that appeared pale and feeble.

Following the route from his memory, his gaze wandered between the corridor and various room ornaments—

Bizarre marble statues, enigmatic busts, stone lions seemingly tossed haphazardly on the floor—all exuding an eerie atmosphere.

Is this to avoid me?

He hadn’t forgotten that this was a private club under the Zhang family’s hotel chain.

At the thought of Zhang Modu, his pupils darkened slightly, though his expression remained impassive. A fleeting, inscrutable emotion flashed through his eyes.

—Gone in an instant.

Lin Yu pushed open the door. The still-pungent fragrance made him bend over uncomfortably, covering his mouth as his brows furrowed tightly. The dazzling light even forced him to squint.

But the scene inside the room was even more exaggerated.

The “familiar” long-haired professional beauty was sprawled inelegantly in his father Lin Yicheng’s arms. His father held the woman’s delicate hand in one palm, kneading it gently, while the other hand held a wine glass, taking small sips.

The woman’s expression was nearly identical to his—indifferent, as if utterly unconcerned with anyone’s arrival. She didn’t even glance up at Lin Yu’s sudden intrusion, remaining in Lin Yicheng’s embrace with vacant eyes staring ahead.

—An eerie dissonance.

Lin Yu kept his hand over his mouth, walking straight toward his father without looking elsewhere. Only when his nose had fully adjusted to the overpowering scent did he speak:

“Why did you spray so much perfume?”

Lin Yicheng scoffed dismissively. “If you can’t even handle a little perfume, how are you going to get a wife in the future?”

Then he looked up, studying Lin Yu’s still-furrowed brow. “Son, are you planning to stay single forever?”

Lin Yu shot his father a disgusted look.

Lin Yicheng continued rambling, pouring himself another glass of wine with a deeply troubled expression. “Son, a man may be poor, but his spirit shouldn’t be. Don’t think just because Li Yide treats you well now that he won’t abandon you later.”

Lin Yu: “……”

Lin Yu sighed, rubbing his forehead as he bowed his head slightly. Before he could bring up the matter about his cousin, his father interrupted—

“This kind of perfume is only for old men like me. Don’t think I don’t know the perfumes Li Yide gives you start at 10 grand.”

A thought flashed through Lin Yu’s mind. He quickly organized his racing thoughts, piecing together the fleeting inspiration.

He cautiously lifted his gaze, locking onto the indifferent woman in his father’s arms. Pressing his thin lips into a straight line, he leaned forward slightly:

“What scent is this?”

“It’s freesia—your old man’s favorite!” Lin Yicheng pouted. “What, middle-aged men can’t like perfume?”

—That’s it. Exactly this.

Following the mental clues that connected like threads, Lin Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, his posture tensing as he pressed further. “Dad, didn’t you once tell me you prefer mature yet innocently seductive women?”

Lin Yicheng was taken aback. He glanced sideways at his good son standing there with furrowed brows, unwilling to even sit down. “Nonsense, I’ve always liked your mother’s type. Didn’t you know that?”  

Caught off guard, he saw Lin Yu’s expression darken. His brows were tightly knit, his head lowered, fists clenched so hard they trembled. The oppressive atmosphere around him was almost tangible, forming an invisible yet suffocating barrier between him and everyone else.  

Lin Yicheng was stunned, snapping back to reality in disbelief as he stared at his son—the one who had always remained unshaken even in the face of catastrophe.  

“Son, what’s wrong?”  

Lin Yu lifted his head from the depths of suppressed emotions. In that moment, he even felt the symbiosis between himself and the original host’s personality, sensing the mournful cry of memories buried deep within his soul.  

He clenched his fist, then slowly relaxed his palm, staring at the intricate lines etched across it as he steadied his breathing.  

Wasn’t the original host just a fictional character? Didn’t he not even exist?  

After a long silence, he finally regained his composure and looked up.  

“Dad, someone is deliberately leading our company down a path of no return.”  

“I don’t know how they investigated your preferences, but—” Lin Yu shifted his gaze, his eyes slowly sweeping over every decoration before finally settling on the woman in Lin Yicheng’s arms.  

“They seem to have crossed a line.”  

“Even I didn’t know you liked freesia fragrance. Even I didn’t know you preferred women who never sell themselves.”  

The woman was always impeccably dressed.  

Hearing this, she lifted her head slightly in surprise, but quickly smoothed her expression back into indifference, as fleeting as a passing glance.  

Lin Yicheng suddenly turned his head, eyes widening in disbelief, his grip on the wine glass nearly slipping. “But—”  

“I never told anyone what kind of perfume I like.”  

“Isn’t this just the usual scent the club provides?”