It was a torrential afternoon. Heavy rain lashed relentlessly against the windowpane, as if trying to shatter the fragile, artificial peace they had built. Inside the forty-square-meter room, the air grew damp, cold, and thick with the scent of moldy wood. Lin Yan returned with a haunted expression, her hair matted with rainwater. In her hand, she clutched a rain-soaked newspaper and a phone displaying a newly uploaded video.
"Zhe... I'm so sorry... I really didn't want to show you this... but I can't let them keep lying to you..." she choked out, her hand trembling as she thrust the phone before him.
On the screen was a scene from the city cemetery under a white veil of rain. A sea of mourning black covered the landscape of dark umbrellas. His parents stood there, their faces so serene it was cruel. Not a single tear, not a hint of collapse. (In reality, they were heavily sedated to maintain their composure before the media, but through Lin Yan's intentionally edited angles, they appeared like cold-blooded statues, devoid of grief).
The news reporter's voice rose—monotonous and chilling: "Today, the Shen Corporation officially held a memorial service for the young master, Shen Zhe. After an extensive search yielded no results, the family has accepted the reality that he is no longer alive. It is reported that all of Shen Zhe's shares and executive powers will be transferred to his cousin as early as next week..."
CRASH!
Shen Zhe dropped the phone onto the cold floor. His entire body convulsed, shuddering as if seized by a violent malarial fever. His eyes grew bloodshot, staring vacantly into the void.
"They declared me dead? They... they haven't even found my body? How dare they bury a man who is still breathing?" he shrieked, his voice hoarse and laden with agonizing sorrow.
Lin Yan sank to her knees, clinging tightly to his legs. Her voice was a serpent's hiss, dripping venom into his shattered mind:
"Zhe, wake up! They aren't looking for you! I secretly contacted your former subordinates; they said your disappearance is an 'indelible stain' on the corporation. They would rather treat you as dead to stabilize the stock prices than rescue a crippled, discarded son only to have him become a laughingstock for the world. Look, your cousin is smiling behind his umbrella... They have forgotten you! They replaced you the moment you were out of sight!"
Shen Zhe erupted into a crazed laughter. It rang out against the thunder outside—mournful and bitter. He laughed until hot, salt tears streamed down his face. It turned out the loyalty he had given his clan for years was worth so little. That night, he had personally thrown away his chance at salvation just to protect this "mad lover," only for his own flesh and blood to hurry and shovel dirt over his life while his heart was still beating.
"The world out there... truly has no place for someone like me anymore," he murmured, his gaze losing all focus, like a lamp that had just run out of oil.
Lin Yan gently crawled onto him, her soft arms winding around his neck, drawing him into a kiss that tasted of decay and absolute possession.
"Don't be afraid, my Zhe. The world abandons you, but I never will. They want to bury you under the cold earth, but I... I will bury you deep within my heart. Here, you will never truly die."
Shen Zhe no longer had the strength to push her away. He clung to her, his hands gripping the back of her shirt like a drowning man clutching a rotting pillar. He buried his head in her chest, sobbing in great, heaving gasps like a child forsaken by the entire world. From this moment on, the Shen Zhe of the Shen family was truly dead. In this dark room, only a loyal "pet" remained—a soul drifting aimlessly through the days.
Lin Yan glanced at the darkened phone screen, which reflected her triumphant face and a twisted smile. She had officially severed his final link to the life outside. Now, he was no longer her prisoner; he was the most willing and loyal captive in the world.