Although Bai Mu had already experienced the feeling of being 'absorbed' by Fan Jialuo once before, the sensation that he felt this time was totally different.

In comparison to the intensity of the current moment, where it felt as if the other party was cleaning and scouring him thoroughly from the inside-out, the previous encounter would be considered as Fan Jialuo just having a light 'taste' of him on the surface.

The deep and cold feelings that had lingered in his heart for all these years were moving and rushing frantically towards Fan Jialuo in surging waves.

Losing them didn't make Bai Mu feel uncomfortable, instead, his heart started to warm and soften as it gradually heated up.

His entire body relaxed, the same way it would when immersed in a hot spring. The current sensation was indescribably comfortable.

It was only at this point that Bai Mu realized- What kind of impact did these things that were being sucked away by Fan Jialuo have on his health and life?

If before he was like a broken and moldy dead tree branch; then now, he was being exposed to the sun, which cleansed him of the rampant mildew that would have inevitably led to his slow decay if it had been left untreated.

After removing the traces of this blight, he felt like he was being soaked in clear spring water, thereby allowing the dormant cells in his body to fully recover, and now that nearly-dead tree branch could sprout new and tender green leaf buds.

The deep cold feelings were replaced by the flowing warm currents, and the scent of death that had been hovering on the tree was driven away by a newfound vitality, and all of this happened while Bai Mu... was still confined between Fan Jialuo's arms.

Trapped in this small space-between the youth's arms-it almost seemed as if his eyes could see the whole universe.

Bai Mu looked down at the person in front of him with a mind filled with confusion, but gradually, his heart became clear.

The intimacy, which felt as if it had lasted for a very long time, had in fact only taken some dozen minutes or so.

Fan Jialuo finally stopped inhaling the invisible black substance from Bai Mu's lips, and his face was flushed while showing a slightly drunk expression as well.

Being trapped in the arms of a person who showed this kind of face, Bai Mu could only try to calm his heart before he asked in a hoarse voice, "How is it?"

Bai Mu was sweating all over after this 'purification'. His exterior appearance was really embarrassing, but he was also exuding an aura of unprecedented comfort and laziness at the same time.

In the absence of the 'bad luck' that had always been lingering inside him, Bai Mu felt stimulated by the vitality emerging from the depths of his bone marrow and his blood began to boil.

He felt as if he could immediately go and climb a mountain, even one that was several kilometers high, and reach its top in just a single breath.

This feeling is wonderful!

At the same time, Fan Jialuo was recollecting the pleasant flavor of the 'savoring' that had just filled his body and soul.

He retreated slowly and gave a contented smile as he said, "It's okay. This time, Mr. Bai will probably be lucky for a long while."

Bai Mu immediately understood the real meaning behind his words, but did not feel disappointed.

"There is no outright solution, is there?"

Bai Mu asked this, but in fact, he wasn't truly against the idea of not having things concluded once and for all, because he felt that Fan Jialuo was a good partner.

"No. Your fate is unchangeable. Bad luck and evil spirits will continuously be produced in your body, and once they accumulate to a certain extent, you can come find me."

Fan Jialuo continued to step backward, all the while waving his fair white hand that reflected the moonlight.

Bai Mu followed him all the way forward and after a long moment of deliberation, he spoke a single word- 'goodbye'.

Then, as if thinking of something, his dim eyes suddenly brightened and asked, " Should I buy the house you're currently renting and transfer it under your name? I know you don't have a decent place to live right now."

"No, I won't be staying here for long," Fan Jialuo shook his head and refused.

The light in Bai Mu's brightened eyes seemed to extinguish instantly.

"But I do have a small question to ask you, Mr. Bai," Fan Jialuo added.

Bai Mu immediately nodded and eagerly said, "Just ask!"

With one walking slowly backwards, and the other moving forward just as slowly, they looked like a couple in love who were about to part but were reluctant to say goodbye.

Even the group of bodyguards surrounding them could not disrupt the quiet and pleasant atmosphere in between them.

"Does Mr. Bai know Mr. Shen, Shen Youquan?"

Even if Fan Jialuo wasn't keeping a watch for what was behind him, he was still able to avoid all the obstacles in his path.

Bai Mu, who had reached out to hold and protect him from stumbling, withdrew his hand regretfully and nodded.

"Yes, he is the president of KN Group Asia. KN Group has seven luxury brands of fashion and goods. If you are interested in endorsing any of them, I can help in introducing you to him and in winning some projects. On that topic, do you need any resources? Want to shoot a movie? Or some commercials? Or a variety show? I can help you!"

Bai Mu eagerly expressed his will.

He wanted to give this person as much help and comprehensive care he could afford with his ability-not to make use of the other party's ability, nor for his own interests, but simply because he wanted to do so.

Fan Jialuo had given him the greatest warmth he had ever felt and had become his only ray of hope in his cold, tormented and painful life.

"I don't need resources, and I don't want to act either," said Fan Jialuo, shaking his head.

He continued, "KN Group filed two lawsuits against me on the grounds of breaching a few contracts some time ago. It won't be good if it goes all the way to court, so I was wondering if I would be able to settle it out of court."

"Should I help you as a mediator?" Bai Mu almost pleaded, "I have quite a good reputation in the business world. Shen Youquan should agree to my invitation. Let's find a better time and place to talk slowly. I can help you with all these things."

In fact, getting an agreement for an out-of-court settlement was not as simple as he had said it would be. Saving-face and negotiation tactics were mostly useless in such cases. Paying the penalty would always be the best and right solution.

As long as enough money was given, the plaintiff would withdraw the lawsuit immediately. In addition, money mattered the least to Bai Mu.

"No, I'm not ready to meet him yet. Do you have any information about him? Can you show it to me? I want to understand this man first."

Once again, Bai Mu was deeply disappointed.

Before he had arrived, he had been afraid of Fan Jialuo making excessive demands. But now, he realized that what made him feel worse than being asked for too much was when the other side wanted nothing.

He suppressed these strange emotions and said earnestly, "I'll have his information gathered right away."

"Thank you in advance, Mr. Bai." Fan Jialuo continued to walk backwards and reached a street lamp, and his smiling face gleamed under the light of the yellow lamp.

"You can send me off here. See you next time. Also, thank you for the good reputation you created for me on the Internet. The title 'Personality Appraisal Machine' is very interesting."

Bai Mu stopped in his steps abruptly and pulled out a stiff smile. Although he then said goodbye and refused the other person's thanks casually, his heart was beating wildly.

He watched as the man walked further and further away, all the way until his figure disappeared into the dusk.

The several strong bodyguards were gathered around him and were waiting for further orders, but he stood stiffly, and did not move for the next ten minutes and more.

Looking at this posture, the bodyguards realized that their employer seemed to want to stand all night long under the yellow light projected by the street lamp.

It was just a kiss. Why is he so obsessed?

-

Fan Jialuo, of course, didn't know that the man he had just met with was worried about his departure.

As usual, he listened to the liveliness occurring in the building as he climbed up the stairs. The people who could afford to move had moved away, and those who were left behind were those who either had difficulties or those who indulged in the gloomy environment that pervaded throughout the building.

The father-in-law, mother-in-law and son living on the fourth floor were still torturing the woman who had the lowest status in the family, yet her husband never bothered to appear from the beginning to the end of her suffering.

The husband on the seventh floor was still beating his wife, the broken furnishings in the house had presumably already been replaced.

When he reached the fourteenth floor, Fan Jialuo stopped at the top of the staircase. There were two women fighting fiercely for the favor of the male tenant who lived on that floor.

Although the male tenant seemed to be trying his best to persuade both women, the slightly raised mouth and smiling eyes clearly revealed his inner pride.

Undoubtedly, he was enjoying this moment very much.

The jealousy, sadness, unwillingness and pain the two women were experiencing had become delicacies on the table in front of him, and his spirit thoroughly enjoyed the pleasure of consuming it.

Finally, he pulled one of the women into his arms and said to the other, "Have you had enough of making trouble for me? You really make me tired! Every minute and every second of being with you makes me almost suffocate with pain. I've told you already, I don't believe in love. It's impossible for me to fall in love with just one person wholeheartedly. Leave me alone!"

"I don't want to! How can I live without you?"

The woman who was abandoned was crying so much that her make-up had been completely ruined, and she looked extremely embarrassed. But that didn't seem to matter, for she was still clinging to the corner of the man's clothes and refusing to let go.

The man shook off her fingers and hugged the other woman as he brought her into the house.

Before locking the door, he said, "Then you go and die. Only when you die will I believe that there is such a thing as love in the world."

The sentence seemed flippant and unintentional, but in fact, the words leaving his mouth were brimming with malice.

The woman stood stiffly, as if struck by lightning, and stared at the thick door panel for a long time.

With a slight frown on his brow, Fan Jialuo continued straight up to the 17th floor and once again saw the little boy curled up in the corner.

However, this time, instead of his usual posture of wrapping himself up like an ostrich, the little boy looked longingly at Fan Jialuo with his big dark and round eyes, and stretched out his little pink tongue, unconsciously licking his dry lips.

His exposed skin did not show any injuries, but there was black mist gathered at glabella, and was gradually spreading to the rest of his face, covering it. This black mist was the aura of the dead.

Fan Jialuo sighed. He walked closer to the little boy and handed him a piece of bread in the shape of a hedgehog.

The little boy reached out and took the bread carefully. Then, he opened the cellophane covering and devoured it.

Fan Jialuo looked down at the top of this little head that had two lovely swirls. A trace of struggle appeared on his face.

A few minutes later, Fan Jialuo sighed again, then stretched out his slender index finger and gently touched the little boy's glabella.

After a period of constant 'feeding', the little boy had developed a great trust in Fan Jialuo. So when the other tapped his forehead, he just looked up once before continuing to eat.

He knew that this big brother would not hurt him.

The invisible black mist quickly wrapped itself around Fan Jialuo's fingertips and then penetrated into his body.

By the time he left, the little boy's pale face had returned to a healthy ruddy color. His mouth and cheeks were dotted with breadcrumbs as he watched Fan Jialuo's figure heading away from him.

"Thank you, big brother." His mouth formed the shape for these words, but no sound followed them. His vocal cords had long lost the ability to vibrate after suffering the long-term daily abuse.

As if Fan Jialuo had heard it, he waved his right hand in a gesture of acknowledgement without looking back.

Not long after he returned home, he received an email from Bai Mu which contained Shen Youquan's information; it covered everything from his family background to social relationships, and from his education to his work experience.

There were also several interview videos which covered a wide range of topics-from recreational life to work, and from his public image to more personal matters.

Fan Jialuo filtered through the vast amount of information with just a single glance.

He was half-lying in the bathtub, and the water had soaked his shirt, his skin and his hair, making him look a bit lazy.

He was casually watching one of the videos without paying too much mind to it, until he saw a tiny detail that nobody seemed to have paid any attention to.

Shen Youquan's family also happened to be present in this particular interview.

They were seated in the first row of the audience, smiling at their son, or husband, or father as he chatted with the host.

Shen Youquan's wife embraced a thin little boy with one hand, but had pushed a little girl away with the other, wearing a stern expression on her face.

She had given birth to a pair of boy-girl twins. When her son was in the womb, he had been robbed of too much nutrition by his sister. As a result, he was very weak and easily fell ill, so he became the center of attention for the whole family.

Her daughter was strong and had a naughty personality from childhood. She often competed with her younger brother for toys in the absence of their mother.

Not to mention that because Shen Youquan had been born into a poor family, his parents did not have a high level of education and had not read many books.

The age-old idea of valuing sons over daughters was deeply rooted in their minds. Thus, how they felt about and treated their grandchildren naturally reflected this difference.

The moment when Shen Youquan's wife pushed her daughter away, the grandmother also reprimanded her and the grandfather's face turned grim.

The little girl was so scared that she cried loudly, and then was immediately carried away by an assistant.

When the host invited Mr. Shen's family to the stage with a smile, the audience only saw a pair of grandparents, the Shen couple and their son. The little daughter had been completely excluded.

These scenes had just been accidentally captured by the camera and there was nothing special about them.

However, Fan Jialuo pressed the rewind button and then stopped when he reached a certain frame- where he stared at the two children who were tugging at each other's collars for a long time.

...