Chapter 1

Songhai City.

At 7:30 in the morning, in a dimly lit room, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly woke up, clutching his head and curling up like a shrimp.

His head ached as if it were about to split open, and it felt as if steel needles were embedded in his brain, causing his scalp to twitch. This led to auditory and visual hallucinations, with chaotic images flashing through his mind and meaningless noise filling his ears.

Zhang Yuanqing knew his old ailment had flared up again.

Shakily, he got out of bed, pulled open the drawer of the bedside table, and fumbled for the medicine bottle. He unscrewed the cap with trembling hands, poured out five or six blue pills, and swallowed them whole.

Then, he flopped back onto the bed, breathing heavily and enduring the intense pain.

After a few dozen seconds, the soul-tearing headache subsided and eventually calmed down.

"Phew..." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a breath of relief, drenched in cold sweat.

He had developed a strange illness during high school, characterized by uncontrollable recall of all past memories, including forgotten trivial information; uncontrollable collection and analysis of external information; and an unprecedented level of control over his body by his brain.

Fortunately, this state could not last long, as it would be interrupted due to the body's inability to bear the strain.

It was precisely because of this ability that he had effortlessly gained admission to Songhai University, one of the top universities in the country.

Zhang Yuanqing referred to this state as brain overload. He believed he might be evolving into a superhuman, but his body could not support this evolution, leading to frequent interruptions.

When he shared this theory with his doctor, the doctor was baffled but deeply impressed and suggested he visit the psychiatric department downstairs.

In the end, the hospital could not determine the cause of his condition. Later, his mother brought back special medication from abroad, which finally brought the condition under control. As long as he took the medication regularly, it would not flare up.

"It must be because I didn't rest well last night. I was too tired, all because of Jiang Yuer, who insisted on coming to my room to play games in the middle of the night..."

Although he said this, he felt a growing heaviness in his heart, knowing that the medication's effectiveness was waning, and his condition was worsening.

"I'll have to increase the dosage..." Zhang Yuanqing put on his cotton slippers and walked to the window, pulling the curtains open with a swift motion.

Sunlight flooded the room, filling it with warmth.

In Songhai City in April, the spring was bright and sunny, and the morning breeze was cool and refreshing.

"Knock, knock!"

At that moment, a knock came from the door, and his grandmother called out from outside:

"Yuanzi, wake up."

"No way!" Zhang Yuanqing coldly refused; he wanted to sleep in.

It was a sunny weekend, and not sleeping in would be a waste of life.

"I'll give you three minutes. If you don't get up, I'll pour water on you."

His grandmother was even more ruthless.

"Alright, alright..." Zhang Yuanqing immediately conceded.

He knew his temperamental grandmother would really do it.

When Zhang Yuanqing was still in elementary school, his father died in a car accident. His strong-willed mother did not remarry and moved back to Songhai with her son, leaving him in the care of his grandparents.

She threw herself into her career, becoming a successful woman admired by her relatives.

Later, his mother bought her own apartment, but Zhang Yuanqing did not like the spacious but empty flat and continued to live with his grandparents.

His mother worked long hours, often traveling on business, and was fully devoted to her career. Even on weekends, if she wasn't working overtime, she would order takeout for meals.

The most common thing she said to her son was, "Do you have enough money? If not, tell your mother." A mother who could satisfy all your financial needs sounded great.

But Zhang Yuanqing always smiled and told her, "The pocket money from Grandma and Aunt is enough."

Yes, and his aunt.

The woman who insisted on coming to his room to play games last night was his aunt.

Zhang Yuanqing yawned, turned the doorknob of his bedroom, and walked into the living room.

The apartment, including the common areas, was 150 square meters. When they sold their old house to buy this new one, Zhang Yuanqing remembered the price was over 40,000 yuan per square meter.

Six or seven years later, the housing prices in this neighborhood had risen to 110,000 yuan per square meter, nearly doubling.

Fortunately, his grandfather had the foresight to make the switch. Otherwise, Zhang Yuanqing would have had to sleep in the living room, as he had grown up and could no longer share a bed with his aunt.

At the long dining table in the living room, the culprit who caused his headache was sipping her porridge, her pink slippers dangling under the table.

She had delicate and beautiful features, a round and plump face that looked very sweet, and a beauty mark at the corner of her right eye.

Her wavy hair was messy and disheveled from just waking up, adding a touch of laziness and charm.

His aunt, Jiang Yuer, was four years older than him.

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing come out, his aunt licked the porridge from the corner of her mouth and said in surprise:

"Wow, up so early? That's not like you."

"It's your mom's fault."

"How can you speak like that?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized his aunt's beautiful face, which was radiant and lively.

They say the night doesn't spare those who stay up late, giving them dark circles, but this rule didn't seem to apply to the woman in front of him.

Hearing the commotion, his grandmother poked her head out from the kitchen and looked around. A moment later, she came out with a bowl of porridge.

Her black hair was streaked with silver, and her eyes were sharp, indicating she was a temperamental old lady.

Although her skin was loose and she had shallow wrinkles, one could still see that she had been quite beautiful in her youth.

Zhang Yuanqing took the bowl of porridge from his grandmother, gulped down a mouthful, and asked:

"Where's Grandpa?"

"He's out for a walk," his grandmother said.

Grandpa was a retired detective who, despite his age, maintained a regular schedule, going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at 6 AM.

His beautiful aunt sipped her porridge and said with a smile:

"After breakfast, Auntie will take you shopping for clothes."

You're being so nice? Zhang Yuanqing was about to agree when his grandmother gave him a threatening look:

"If you dare to go, I'll break your legs."

"Mom, why are you like this?" His aunt said with a pout: "I just want to buy some spring clothes for Yuanzi. Even though he's my nephew, he's still family, right?"

Grandmother was unyielding, "Do you want your legs broken too?"

His aunt pouted and lowered her head to drink her porridge.

Hearing the mother-daughter exchange, Zhang Yuanqing knew his grandmother had arranged a blind date for his aunt again, and his mischievous aunt wanted to drag him along to stir things up.

This was how it usually went: his aunt would bring him to a blind date, sit for a few minutes, and his socially adept nephew would take over, chatting with the date about everything from social issues to global affairs, leaving the aunt out of the conversation.

She could just drink her beverage and play on her phone, while the date would feel proud of showing off his social experience and knowledge, feeling good about himself.

Jiang Yuer had been a delicate and adorable girl since childhood, praised by the neighbors for her beauty, sweetness, and charm, making her very popular with the elders.

Such a beautiful girl, of course, needed to be closely guarded by her grandmother. From junior high school, she was warned not to date early and not to go out with boys.

His little sister did not disappoint, not dating anyone until she graduated from college. But after entering society, especially after turning 25 at the beginning of the year, his grandmother became restless.

She thought, "I just didn't want you to date early, not to be a leftover woman. How many years of youth does a woman have?"

So she gathered her old friends and scoured the country for eligible young men, arranging blind dates for her daughter.

"Grandma, she clearly doesn't want to date. Forcing it won't work," Zhang Yuanqing said while munching on a bun, volunteering:

"Why don't you arrange a blind date for me? I'm a sweet melon."

Grandma angrily said, "You're still young. What's the rush? There are plenty of girls in college. Can't you find one yourself? If you cause trouble, I'll beat you."

Grandma was a southern woman, but her temper was anything but gentle, being particularly fiery.

Even his mother, a successful career woman, did not dare to defy her.

I'm grown up, okay? I've been working for several years... Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.

After breakfast, under Grandma's insistence, his aunt went back to her room to change and put on makeup before going out on a blind date.

With a light makeup, she looked even more radiant and charming.

A fluffy round-necked sweater paired with a long coat, light-colored narrow jeans hugging her long legs, and narrow cuffs tucked into black Martin boots.

Her forest-style minimalist outfit was neither gaudy nor ostentatious but very elegant.

She gave him a knowing wink, picked up her bag, and sashayed out the door:

"Mom, I'm going on a blind date."

Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and leisurely changed into a black T-shirt, a windbreaker, and running shoes.

A few minutes later, he opened his bedroom door.

Grandma was cleaning the living room. Seeing him come out, she stopped her work and silently watched him.

Zhang Yuanqing mimicked his aunt's tone:

"Mom, I'm going on a blind date too."

"Get back here," Grandma raised her broom, threatening: "If you step out of this door, I'll break your legs."

"Okay!" Zhang Yuanqing obediently returned to his room.

Sitting at his desk, he sent a message to his aunt:

"Unsuccessful in our mission, we die before achieving our goal, leaving heroes in tears."

"Speak in plain language!"

His aunt, presumably driving, replied succinctly.

"I'm trapped at home by Grandma. You'll have to go on the blind date alone."

His aunt sent a voice message.

Zhang Yuanqing opened it, and Jiang Yuer's angry voice came through the speaker:

"What good are you!!"

His aunt withdrew the message and sent another one, this time in a coquettish, cutesy tone:

"Good nephew, come on, Auntie loves you the most, Mua~"

Ha, women!

A little coquetry and cuteness to make me defy Grandma? At least send a red envelope.

At that moment, a sharp ringtone sounded. Zhang Yuanqing went to the living room and, under Grandma's watchful eye, pressed the intercom button:

"Who is it?"

"Delivery."

A voice came through the speaker.

Zhang Yuanqing pressed the door release button. A few minutes later, a delivery man in uniform took the elevator up, carrying a package:

"Is this Zhang Yuanqing?"

"It's me."

I didn't order anything... He signed for the package in confusion, glancing at the information. The package had no sender's name but was from Hangcheng, Jiangnan Province.

He returned to his room, found a letter opener in his desk drawer, and opened the package.

Inside was a black card wrapped in anti-shock padding and a yellow envelope.

Zhang Yuanqing picked up the card, which was about the size of an ID card. It seemed to be made of metal but felt very smooth to the touch. The card was beautifully crafted, with a light silver cloud pattern around the edges and a black crescent moon in the center.

The black crescent moon was intricately printed, with clear, irregular patches on its surface.

What is this? With a sense of curiosity, he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

"Yuanzi, I found something very interesting. I once thought it could change my life, but my abilities are limited, and I couldn't control it. I believe you can handle it.

"Brother, this is my gift to you.

"Lei Yibing!"

...

PS: 18-year-old new author, seeking support, thank you!