Our Entire Family Has Secrets [Transmigrated] - Chapter 36

Lin Shuanghuai woke up at three in the morning.

Fully awake.

His high fever had subsided, but his whole body felt sore and weak, with a constant stiffness in his joints. Probably due to lying down for too long, he felt a dry mouth and went out to the living room to grab a new bottle of mineral water from the cupboard. He unscrewed the cap and gulped down several mouthfuls.

The cold water helped his mind gradually regain its clarity.

A certain image suddenly flashed into his mind, startling Lin Shuanghuai. He choked on the water, coughing until his eyes were red, and finally propped himself up against the wall, looking as though he was utterly disheartened, slowly straightening up.

What on earth did he do?

It took several minutes for the paralyzing sensation to gradually fade away.

Lin Shuanghuai prepared himself mentally, took a few deep breaths, and then looked around the room.

The school uniform on the sofa was still there. Good.

The books on the coffee table were still in disarray. Good.

There was no used kettle or broken glass in the kitchen. Good.

There was no trace of Yuan Bozhu in the whole house. Good.

It was a dream.

No problem.

Lin Shuanghuai nodded confidently.

Since it was a dream, there was nothing to fear—even if he had clung to Yuan Bozhu and insisted on sleeping together, even if he had kissed him without even confessing—none of it mattered because it was just a dream.

But inexplicably, he felt a void inside.

Though he knew it was impossible, for a fleeting moment, Lin Shuanghuai still wished it had really happened.

He sighed, reminisced about his dream, and then with his head held high, he took some clean clothes and went to the bathroom for a hot shower.

He washed off the sticky sweat and felt refreshed.

Standing in front of the mirror, Lin Shuanghuai began to examine himself.

He knew this fever was different.

His body had undergone some vague, unexplainable changes.

What exactly had changed, Lin Shuanghuai couldn’t pinpoint, but in detail, it seemed: he felt lighter, walked faster, his vision was clearer, and his hearing was better.

But these were very subtle changes; if Lin Shuanghuai didn’t mention them, others wouldn’t notice.

His hair and nails had inexplicably grown longer, so Lin Shuanghuai needed to tidy them up a bit.

“Hiss…” Lin Shuanghuai stared at the mirror and suddenly drew in a sharp breath.

Then he leaned in closer.

Damn, his eyelashes had changed color.

His once dark and long eyelashes had turned a shade of gold-red—literally gold and red. He didn’t know what else to call this bizarre color.

Pull them out.

Lin Shuanghuai thought.

Faced with his own changes, he remained very calm.

Just as stable as the temperature of the surrounding air.

Whether it was because he had accepted the fact that he was not human or because the caretaker in his dream had given him an inexplicable sense of security, Lin Shuanghuai was no longer as frightened by his oddities.

He really began searching for tweezers, intending to remove his eyelashes.

As long as he looked normal when he walked out of the house, no one would discover his secret.

Lin Shuanghuai had decided to keep up the pretense for as long as he could. When he could no longer hide, he would simply give up.

It wasn’t much different from his past life.

Take it step by step, and if there were no more paths to walk, then lie down where he was.

This world cannot disappoint someone who already has no hope for the future.

Tweezers, scissors, ready.

Lin Shuanghuai held them in his hand but hesitated for a moment as he was about to leave the bedroom.

What was that?

He turned his neck very slowly towards the bed and looked over.

A black jacket.

Lin Shuanghuai was very clear about what clothes he had in his wardrobe. He couldn’t remember ever buying a jacket like this—plain in style, monochromatic, and oversized.

It wasn’t his.

Whose was it?

In just a few minutes, Lin Shuanghuai’s mood had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions.

He put down the scissors and tweezers.

He knew what this meant and should have felt nervous or panicked.

But he didn’t.

Instinctively, he raised a hand to his lips, as if savoring a certain sensation. Then, Lin Shuanghuai smiled.

He felt unusually good.

04:12

【Lin Shuanghuai】: Yuan, it seems like there was a thief at my place. [Fear. jpg]

【Lin Shuanghuai】: The thief stole a glass cup. Should I call the police?

05:30

【Lin Shuanghuai】: Yuan, I can’t sleep.

【Lin Shuanghuai】: Maybe because it’s gotten colder, I feel a bit cold falling asleep.

【Lin Shuanghuai】: [Selfie] [Selfie]

【Lin Shuanghuai】: Fortunately, this jacket is warm, but I can’t remember when I bought it. So strange.

06:04

【Lin Shuanghuai】: It’s dawn, Yuan.

【Lin Shuanghuai】: I hope you have a good day.

 

“Son, it’s the weekend. You’re up so early to take a shower?”

Zhang Shu, who was up for her morning beauty routine and had a mask on, saw Yuan Bozhu coming out of the bathroom. She was about to ask if he was going out today.

But when she saw the water droplets all over his face, she was startled. “Oh, you didn’t dry your hair? Here, let me give you a tissue.”

She quickly grabbed two tissues and handed them to Yuan Bozhu.

Yuan Bozhu’s expression was neutral, his thin lips pressed into a cold line.

He took the tissues but didn’t use them.

Zhang Shu walked into the bathroom, took off her face mask, and, noticing that Yuan Bozhu had just showered, she turned on the hot water to rinse off.

Then she was jolted by a cold shock.

She shouted, “Oh my god, little brother, did you just take a cold shower?”

Yuan Bozhu didn’t respond and went back to his room.

The cold water had woken him up.

Although Yuan Bozhu’s body didn’t need much sleep, the recent sleepless nights had made his mind feel more foggy than usual.

His phone was face down on the desk and the silent mode was turned off.

Yuan Bozhu glanced at the time—eight o’clock. He had an hour before he needed to go to Yang Building to accompany Qin Rui for an interview.

When he reached for his jacket, Yuan Bozhu’s hand suddenly paused.

His wardrobe was filled with many jackets that were different from his usual style, all organized by color by Zhang Shu, hanging inside.

All were chosen by Lin Shuanghuai that day.

Yuan Bozhu clearly remembered he should have had a hoodie as well.

He walked to the door and asked Zhang Shu if she had seen that piece of clothing.

Zhang Shu told him candidly, “Oh, I saw it! I threw it away.”

“……”

Yuan Bozhu was left speechless.

“Your new clothes are so nice, of course, the old ones had to go. Besides, wearing last year’s clothes this year wouldn’t fit right anyway.”

Zhang Shu paused and looked at him suspiciously. “Don’t you want to wear the new clothes? Didn’t you pick them out yourself?”

Yuan Bozhu didn’t know how to respond.

When he bought them, he chose convenience and didn’t want to pick through clothes himself, which might not even pass Zhang Shu’s review. Since Lin Shuanghuai had chosen the right sizes, he just took them all.

…

It wasn’t about wanting or not wanting to wear them.

Perhaps the cold shower hadn’t fully woken him up; Yuan Bozhu’s thoughts felt stuck.

“Did the salesperson force these clothes on you? If so, Mom can take you to return them—”

“No need, it’s fine.”

He closed the door and faced the row of new clothes again.

Yuan Bozhu hesitated for a moment, then chose a piece at random and put it on.

A strange feeling crept up in his heart.

He picked up his phone but didn’t look at it, and just headed out.

Qiancheng City was large; it originally consisted of four cities that merged into a unified area. Later, with improved transportation, the administrative divisions were restructured, and Qiancheng City became a new city.

As a result, the four districts of Qiancheng City still retained different cultural customs and cityscapes.

The southern district was the fastest-growing area among the four.

It embraced trendy things and attracted young people.

Xie Yang Building, located in the city center, was bustling with activity—cars and people everywhere, full of vitality.

The Sitongxing Media Company was good at finding locations, and indeed there were a few moderately well-known talent agencies in Xie Yang Building.

As long as one stayed here long enough, the probability of encountering third-tier celebrities and internet influencers was high.

Clearly, this was a place Yuan Bozhu preferred to avoid unless necessary.

Qin Rui probably also knew Yuan Bozhu didn’t want to accompany him, so when he saw Yuan Bozhu, he greeted him with extra enthusiasm, trying to melt Yuan Bozhu’s icy demeanor.

But that was impossible.

Yuan Bozhu brushed Qin Rui’s arm off his shoulder and said lightly, “Let’s go.”

“You’re so cold!” Qin Rui rarely had his face rubbed in it like this, but strangely, he wasn’t angry.

Perhaps it was because Yuan Bozhu had never given him a warm attitude from the start, which made Qin Rui mentally prepared.

Used to being flattered, encountering someone who couldn’t be bought with money was instead refreshing for Qin Rui.

“Let’s go, let’s go. Their company is on the forty-fourth floor!” Qin Rui said, frowning as he added, “What a terrible floor number, why not choose something more auspicious.”

Yuan Bozhu followed him into the building’s main hall, registered at the front desk, and headed for the elevator.

Along the way, they encountered several boys and girls who looked about their age.

Coincidentally, everyone was headed to the forty-fourth floor.

Sitongxing Media occupied three floors, and the entire forty-fourth floor was used for today’s interviews, making it a grand affair.

After Qin Rui filled out his information, he learned that there were over ninety candidates today, and he was number eighteen.

Although Yuan Bozhu wasn’t familiar with interview scams, he had better observation skills than Qin Rui. He felt that something was off.

What exactly was wrong, he couldn’t yet tell.

He accompanied Qin Rui to the waiting area, where more than a dozen people were lined up.

Regardless of gender, they were all young and good-looking, indeed resembling potential stars.

Yuan Bozhu glanced at Qin Rui instinctively.

He thought Qin Rui probably didn’t have any advantage.

Qin Rui was 179 cm tall and might reach 180 cm next year, but compared to the tall boys around him, he appeared somewhat lacking.

His features were well-defined, with a high nose bridge. With some grooming, he could be considered handsome, but on camera, he lacked any particular advantage. Slightly ordinary.

Yuan Bozhu thought that if this interview wasn’t a scam, Qin Rui would likely be eliminated.

But Qin Rui passed.

Among the candidates who were more handsome, taller, and camera-ready, he was the only one who made it to the second round.

Before they were taken upstairs by a man claiming to be a talent agent, Yuan Bozhu held Qin Rui’s shoulder.

Qin Rui, excitedly preparing for his second interview, asked, “What’s up? Do you need to use the restroom?”

Yuan Bozhu didn’t need to use the restroom.

But he nodded.

Then he took Qin Rui to the restroom.

“So you like to go to the bathroom with someone like a girl!” Qin Rui said, surprised.

Yuan Bozhu lifted his eyelids and replied succinctly, “There’s something wrong with the interview.”

Qin Rui was puzzled. “How could there be a problem? They have such good taste, picking me out of a bunch!”

“So there is a problem,” Yuan Bozhu said.

Qin Rui was stunned at first, then looked extremely shocked. He pointed a trembling finger at Yuan Bozhu and stammered, “W-w-w-what do you mean?”

Yuan Bozhu was honest. “If it were a legitimate interview, there were a few people more suitable than you.”

“You don’t understand!” Qin Rui said, his mouth twisting. “They said I have a strong presence, that I’m not afraid of the camera, and that I have star quality. They even said I, I, I… look just like a little puppy! I was chosen because of my uniqueness!”

Yuan Bozhu glanced at him, not understanding why Qin Rui was pleased to be compared to a dog.

“Wait until my second interview is over, and you’ll know. This is a legitimate company; they recognized my excellence.”

“Suit yourself,” Yuan Bozhu said, and started to walk away.

Unexpectedly, Qin Rui suddenly sighed in frustration and blocked his path.

In a deep, magnetic voice, he said, “You are the first person in years to dare question me. Are you ready to face my anger—”

Yuan Bozhu: “……”

He reached out and pressed a pressure point on Qin Rui’s arm.

Qin Rui immediately scrunched up his face and stepped aside with a yelp.

Yuan Bozhu walked away without looking back.

Qin Rui called out from behind, “Hey, hey, hey, seriously! Can you wait a bit longer? I really need to know the result of this interview.”

Yuan Bozhu stopped and turned back, looking at him in confusion.

Qin Rui wasn’t short of money; this interview should have been optional for him.

Suddenly, Qin Rui’s casual demeanor disappeared, and he said seriously, “Actually, I’ve always known that many people, like you, think I’m not good enough. Average grades, a bad personality, nothing but money to show for myself.”

“They always say ‘Qin Rui, you’re the best,’ but when I ask where I’m exceptional, they stay silent. Damn it… Do they think I’m stupid? Do they think I don’t know good from bad? I just… I’m just too lazy to care.”

Yuan Bozhu didn’t want to listen to Qin Rui’s venting in the company restroom.

But Qin Rui was unusually serious, so he didn’t interrupt.

“You should also know about my family situation. After my mom remarried, I hardly saw her. My dad is even more outrageous; he’s flying around the entire star system. Since I was born, I’ve only seen him in videos.”

“But I’m not resentful because they gave me wealth that ordinary people couldn’t earn in several lifetimes.” Qin Rui chuckled bitterly, “I’ve had everything too early.”

“So?” Yuan Bozhu asked.

“Ah… you might find it hard to understand, but although money can solve problems, it doesn’t necessarily bring satisfaction. I always feel that the more fulfilling my life is, the emptier my soul becomes.”

“And how does this relate to today’s interview?”

“This company recognized me!” Qin Rui nearly jumped with excitement. “They chose me without knowing I could buy their entire company with my annual living expenses! And they offered me a high salary of five thousand a month. Ah, my soul is more satisfied than ever. Can you understand?”

“I don’t.”

Yuan Bozhu still intended to leave.

Qin Rui gritted his teeth, put a hand on Yuan Bozhu’s shoulder, and said, “I admit it, I’m lacking in love. I wasn’t paid attention to by my parents growing up, so I want to be a star, an internet celebrity, with lots of fans. I want to be noticed and loved by many people! I’m such a shallow person!”

Half an hour later, Qin Rui finished his second interview and led Yuan Bozhu to the agent’s office.

Yuan Bozhu had to admit…

It really was just an ordinary interview.

Qin Rui hadn’t been kidnapped, scammed, or locked in a small room for blood tests or organ removal—this was what Yuan Bozhu had found out online during their wait.

After passing the second interview, Qin Rui was exuberant, his tail metaphorically wagging high.

Yuan Bozhu followed him in silence.

Perhaps it was due to seeing too many of Yuan Wanjiao’s predictions that made Yuan Bozhu overthink.

Perhaps this company really did value Qin Rui’s… presence.

“Little Qin, you have to trust my judgment. The people I picked out before are now major internet celebrities with millions of followers.”

The agent named Tang Ge said confidently as he walked alongside them.

“You saw how many people came today, handsome guys and beautiful girls, a whole bunch of them. But there isn’t anyone here with the same aura as you!”

“You’re flattering me too much. It’s my first time hearing that I have an aura,” Qin Rui said, scratching his head with a blush. “So, how many people passed the interview today?”

“Just you.”

“Ah?!”

Qin Rui was clearly surprised.

Although he felt a sense of satisfaction from being recognized, it didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking critically. With so many candidates, was it really plausible that he was the only one selected?

But Tang Ge, the agent, continued enthusiastically about the future. “Even though the salary is only five thousand a month now, your abilities won’t be limited to this… Little Qin, are you listening to me?”

“Oh, yes,” Qin Rui said, frowning strangely.

As they chatted, Yuan Bozhu glanced to the side.

On the 45th floor, the central office area had over fifty workstations, each occupied by someone.

It looked quite formal.

However, it was eerily quiet.

With fifty people gathered in one place, not a single sound was made.

It would be understandable if they were busy working, but their eyes were fixed on their computer screens, and they didn’t seem to be doing much.

The only sound was the conversation between Qin Rui and Tang Ge.

Yuan Bozhu surveyed the area calmly.

Something was indeed off.

These people had no visible signs of breathing or heartbeat.

Author’s Note:

Huaier (in husband’s coat) (passionately posing) (confidently posting) (totally crazy): I don’t believe you two! Empty eyes! Empty!