"Morning."
Chen Ling sat down on the stone chair in the courtyard and naturally pulled over the newspaper Chu Muyun was reading, casually flipping through it.
Chu Muyun, now empty-handed, looked at him helplessly. "Couldn’t you buy your own copy?"
"I don’t have any money."
As Chen Ling spoke, his eyes scanned each article.
After two days, the coverage about him and the train’s dramatic entry into the city had dwindled significantly. Most of the content now consisted of entertainment pieces—like a famous female singer being exposed as the mistress of a certain chamber of commerce boss, or a middle school teacher-student conflict escalating to the point of parental outrage.
After skimming for over ten seconds without finding any useful news, Chen Ling set the paper back on the table.
Without Wen Shilin’s articles, this newspaper really wasn’t worth reading.
"Do you need me to lend you some?" Chu Muyun pondered. "Without money, some things really are harder to manage."
Hearing this, Chu Muyun blinked in surprise. "Delivering your paycheck? What job did you find? Don’t tell me you actually became a journalist?"
Chen Ling had only been in Aurora City for two days, and the idea of becoming a reporter had only come up yesterday morning. In a single day, most people wouldn’t even have time to submit a resume to a newspaper office.
"Not yet." Chen Ling checked the time. "But he should be arriving soon..."
"Who?"
"Wen Shilin."
"Wen Shilin? That stubborn reporter?" Chu Muyun couldn’t help asking. "What kind of spell did you cast on him in one day?"
Chen Ling smiled without answering.
Knock knock knock—
A series of hurried knocks sounded at the gate.
Chen Ling and Chu Muyun both turned toward the entrance, then exchanged glances. Chu Muyun’s expression was peculiar.
"Don’t tell me he’s here now."
"Don’t believe me? Want to bet?"
"Bet what?"
"One gold coin."
"Deal."
Chu Muyun walked to the gate but didn’t rush to open it. Instead, he asked calmly, "Who is it?"
"Good morning, Divine Physician Chu. I’m Wen Shilin, a reporter from Aurora Daily."
The moment he heard this, Chu Muyun knew his money was as good as gone. But he still couldn’t fathom how Chen Ling had managed to make Wen Shilin so eager.
"A reporter?" Chu Muyun paused. "I don’t recall scheduling any interviews today, and it’s rather early."
"My apologies, but I’m here to see your caregiver, Lin Yan... He left something with me, and I’d like to return it to him in person."
Lin Yan...
The name triggered a realization in Chu Muyun. He glanced back at Chen Ling.
"...Alright, come in."
Chu Muyun opened the gate to reveal a plainly dressed reporter standing outside, a file folder tucked under his arm. Dark circles under his eyes resembled a panda’s, but his gaze was bright and intense, his entire demeanor radiating unusual excitement.
"Pleasure to meet you, Divine Physician Chu." Wen Shilin extended his hand.
Chu Muyun shook it politely, then turned to gesture inside. "He’s right over there. You can just... Hm?"
Mid-sentence, Chu Muyun froze. The Chen Ling who had been leisurely reading the newspaper just moments ago was now sitting weakly in his chair, his body wrapped in bandages, his arm in a cast. A desolate breeze swept through the courtyard as the frail figure stared blankly at the distant rock garden, his eyes filled with melancholy and sorrow.
Chu Muyun’s lips twitched. He had no idea what act Chen Ling was putting on now.
Wen Shilin, however, reacted with sympathy and guilt. After a long silence at the gate, he strode straight toward Chen Ling.
"Lin Yan..." Wen Shilin called softly to the statue-like figure lost in thought.
Chen Ling jolted as if startled. He turned to see Wen Shilin, surprise flashing across his face. "Mr. Wen? What are you doing here?"
"I came to return something to you." Wen Shilin placed the file folder on the table. "You left in too much of a hurry yesterday. I picked it up for you, though it got a bit damaged during the escape. I checked—all the important documents are still inside."
Chen Ling’s expression was complicated as he nodded slightly. "Alright. Thank you."
With that, he averted his gaze and sat in silence, as if unwilling to engage further.
The courtyard plunged into an eerie quiet.
Chu Muyun leaned against the gate, adjusting his glasses. Though he didn’t understand what had transpired between these two, that didn’t stop him from being an audience member. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and amusement.
Finally, Wen Shilin couldn’t hold back any longer. He sat on the stone chair opposite Chen Ling and, after a moment of hesitation, asked, "Lin Yan... who is the boy in that photo?"
Chen Ling’s pupils constricted. He whipped his head around to stare at Wen Shilin.
"Don’t misunderstand." Wen Shilin quickly clarified. "The folder was torn at the bottom, and the photo fell out on its own... If I’ve overstepped, you don’t have to answer. But as you know, I’m a journalist. Maybe I can help you."
Though his words said "you don’t have to answer," Wen Shilin’s face practically screamed "I want to know." He leaned forward slightly, eagerly awaiting Chen Ling’s response.
Chen Ling held his gaze for a long time before relaxing slightly. After a pause, he spoke slowly:
"He... was my younger brother."
"Younger brother." Wen Shilin nodded—he’d guessed as much last night. "But you two don’t look very alike?"
"Not by blood." A nostalgic gleam flickered in Chen Ling’s eyes. "Years ago, when Dr. Chu and I were touring the seven districts for medical outreach, we saved a child from District Two. That child had a tragic background but was incredibly mature. Seeing he had no one to rely on, I took him in for a while."
"After the outreach ended, Dr. Chu and I returned to Aurora City. The child couldn’t enter without identification, so we left him some money to live on... We had a special bond. Later, we often exchanged letters. He regarded me as an elder brother, so naturally, he became my brother."
Wen Shilin turned to Chu Muyun in confusion.
Chu Muyun hadn’t expected to get dragged into this just by spectating. He silently adjusted his glasses. "Yes. He was a good kid."
Wen Shilin pressed on, "Then what did the words on the back mean?"
"...His heart was taken."
Chen Ling seemed to recall something painful. "About half a year ago, my brother suddenly stopped responding. I was in poor health at the time and couldn’t leave the city, so I asked Dr. Chu to check on him in District Two. But in the end... all we found was his body."
"No heart in the body?" Wen Shilin immediately connected the dots. "So it must’ve been organ trafficking? I’ve interviewed residents from District Three—law enforcement in the seven districts is lax, and these things happen often. District Three is relatively better... I heard District Two has a place called Ice Spring Street that’s notorious for this."