Chapter 68: D-Rank Talent: Heartbeat
After being enveloped by the soft pink glow, Shen Yu and Yang Jin felt the world around them dissolve.
When the light faded, they found themselves standing inside a cozy living room.
A gentle breeze drifted through the open windows, carrying the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers.
Outside stretched an endless sea of pink blossoms, swaying peacefully beneath the sunlight.
Scattered among the flowers stood several adorable pink cottages, each looking like something from a fairy tale.
Yang Jin blinked repeatedly.
"...Where are we?"
Shen Yu smiled.
"You can think of this as my personal space."
"It’s an ability I possess."
"As long as you want, you can stay here forever."
"And after I return to reality..."
"...you’ll be able to come and go freely."
He looked at her seriously.
"Yang Jin."
"Do you want to leave that hospital with me?"
Her lips trembled.
The hope she had buried for years finally resurfaced.
Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.
"I do..."
"I really do."
"Just like you told me..."
"My future doesn’t have to follow the road my father chose for me."
"I want to see the world."
"I want...to live."
Shen Yu smiled warmly.
"Then let’s go home."
The pink light blossomed once more.
The next instant—
Shen Yu returned to the hospital room.
He looked toward the ceiling.
"Return to reality."
The surroundings distorted.
The hospital dissolved into countless fragments of light before reforming into a cramped bedroom.
Ghost Realm — Qing Shan Mental Hospital
Inside the director’s office, the decaying Professor Yang sat reading a thick volume on polyphasic sleep.
Bang!
The office door burst open.
A terrified nurse rushed inside.
"Director!"
"Director!"
"Miss Yang’s monitoring device reacted!"
Professor Yang immediately stood.
"Really?"
"Excellent."
"I knew Jing wouldn’t disappoint me."
"Now she can finally inherit everything here—"
"But..."
The nurse’s voice shook.
"We checked her ward..."
"Miss Yang is gone."
"So is that human."
"They’ve both disappeared."
"There isn’t a trace of either of them anywhere in the hospital."
Professor Yang’s expression froze.
"...What?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The tiny apartment was just as he remembered.
Less than ten square meters.
Clothes covered the floor.
Blankets were piled randomly across the bed.
Messy...
Yet strangely comforting.
Shen Yu flopped backward onto the mattress and laughed.
"I’m really back..."
"It almost feels unreal."
Just then—
A burst of pink light appeared.
Yang Jin landed softly on the center of his bed.
She curiously looked around the tiny apartment.
"So..."
"This is your home?"
Shen Yu scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"...It’s small."
"I hope you don’t mind."
Yang Jin smiled.
"I like it."
Before Shen Yu could stop her, she hopped off the bed.
"I’ll help."
She neatly folded the scattered clothes.
Opened the wardrobe.
Organized everything inside.
Swept the floor.
Wiped the desk.
Within minutes, the once chaotic room had become surprisingly tidy.
Watching her busily clean, Shen Yu couldn’t help smiling helplessly.
"I’m sorry."
"I brought you from a huge hospital..."
"...only to make you live in a place like this."
Yang Jin shook her head.
"This is wonderful."
She gently hugged one of Shen Yu’s shirts.
"It’s filled with your scent."
She buried her face in the fabric, blushing brightly.
"From now on..."
"I’ll wait here for you to come home."
"Just like a wife."
Shen Yu laughed helplessly.
"You’re really saying that so naturally..."
Just then—
The apartment door clicked open.
"Brother?"
A soft voice echoed from outside.
Shen Yu froze.
"Oh..."
"I almost forgot."
"My little sister is home."
The bedroom door slowly opened.
Standing there was a petite girl with long dark hair and cloudy silver eyes.
She held a white cane in one hand and carefully felt her way inside.
Although she couldn’t see, a bright smile spread across her face the moment she sensed Shen Yu’s presence.
"Brother!"
"You came back!"
Shen Yu hurried over and gently supported her.
"I’m back."
Then he hesitated.
"...There’s someone I’d like you to meet."
The blind girl tilted her head curiously.
"Hm?"
Yang Jin stepped forward nervously.
She had faced countless terrifying monsters without fear...
Yet meeting Shen Yu’s family made her unexpectedly anxious.
She bowed politely.
"H-Hello..."
"My name is Yang Jin."
"I..."
"...I’m Shen Yu’s girlfriend."
Shen Yu nearly choked.
"Wait—"
"I didn’t say—"
Before he could finish—
His sister’s face lit up with pure joy.
"Really?"
Her empty eyes curved into crescents as she reached forward with both hands.
Yang Jin instinctively took them.
"So warm..."
The little girl smiled brilliantly.
"I’ve always wanted a big sister."
"Now...I finally have one."
Yang Jin froze.
Her eyes instantly reddened.
No one had ever welcomed her so sincerely before.
She gently squeezed the girl’s hands.
"I’ll take good care of you."
"I promise."
The little girl happily hugged Yang Jin.
"Big Sister!"
Shen Yu watched the two of them with a helpless smile.
"...You two really decided my fate without asking me."
Both girls looked at him at the same time.
One smiled sweetly.
The other smiled mischievously.
For the first time since escaping Qing Shan Mental Hospital...
The tiny apartment finally felt like a real home.
"I think I’ll go to sleep for a while big sister" the little blind girl said rubbing her eyes as if they were paining her. As she left Shen Yu promised himself that he would work had to cure her.
At that moment, golden particles suddenly floated before Shen Yu.
A crystal fragment landed in his palm.
Talent Upgrade Fragment ×1
Use to upgrade your innate talent.
Without hesitation, Shen Yu crushed the fragment.
Golden light flowed into his body.
A solemn notification sounded.
Talent Upgraded!
D-Rank Talent — Heartbeat
Strange beings and humans naturally develop greater goodwill toward you.
Initial Favorability with supernatural beings: +10
Fragments required for next upgrade: 2
Feeling the warm energy flowing through him, Shen Yu couldn’t help grinning.
"If this talent can keep evolving..."
"By the time it reaches S-Rank..."
"...won’t everyone like me the moment we meet?"
Just then, as Shen Yu was marveling at the newly evolved talent, Yang Jin watched the golden light surrounding him with unconcealed delight.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile.
Without realizing it, she quietly moved closer and wrapped her arms around him from behind, resting her cheek lightly against his shoulder.
"So..."
"You’ve become stronger again."
Her voice carried a warmth Anlin had never heard before.
He chuckled.
"I guess so."
"It’ll make surviving the next dungeon a little easier."
Yang Jin nodded, her fingers unconsciously tightening around his hand.
"...Then promise me."
"Come back alive every time."
Anlin turned and met her gaze.
"I promise."
She smiled, and before he could say anything else, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
"That’s enough."
"For now."
Just as Shen Yu was astonished by the potential of the talent skill in the wardrobe, Yang Jin watched Shen Yu glowing with light. She pressed her lips together, feeling a strong joy rising in her heart.
For some reason, she slowly climbed onto the bed, gradually moving behind Shen Yu. Her long white legs, like water snakes, slowly coiled around Shen Yu’s abdomen. She leaned toward Shen Yu’s ear, her hot breath brushing against him as her fingers gently caressed his face.
"Shen Yu... I want more."
"Ha!"
Before Shen Yu could react, he felt himself completely enveloped in Yang Jin’s embrace as they toppled onto the bed together.
...
At the same time, in front of Room 302, Building A, Blue Screen Community in Joi City—
"This is the place, right?"
Ho Yong stood before the door, comparing the address with Shen Yu’s information.
"It’s here. No mistake."
Lu Xian nodded and immediately knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The heavy knocking echoed through the hallway.
After knocking for quite some time, however, there was still no response.
"That’s strange."
"I remember the instance only lasts half an hour. We came right on time. Shen Yu shouldn’t have gone out already, right?"
"What if he returned early and left the apartment?" Ho Yong speculated.
Lu Xian simply shrugged. She reached out and lightly touched the door before slowly closing her eyes, seemingly activating one of her abilities.
After a brief pause, she opened her eyes again, bent down, and found a spare key hidden beneath the red doormat.
"Lu Xian... isn’t it a little inappropriate to use your ability like that?" Ho Yong asked with an odd look.
She shrugged again.
"So what? He’s going to join the Defense Department sooner or later. Besides, I doubt there are any secrets inside. We can just unlock the door and wait for him."
Click.
The lock turned.
The two stepped into the apartment.
The living room was surprisingly neat.
But the moment they entered, they heard the wooden bed frame in one of the bedrooms creak repeatedly before everything suddenly fell silent.
Ho Yong and Lu Xian exchanged awkward glances.
"..."
"...Maybe we should wait in the living room."
Neither of them called out. Instead, they quietly sat down on the sofa, deciding to wait for Shen Yu to come out on his own.
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