69. As Quiet as an Illness

A few days later, stories of exorbitantly priced watermelons and vegetables began circulating among the people of Rong City on social media. By that time, Chen Fengyun had already sold most of the watermelons and vegetables he had stored in his secret realm, leaving only a portion for his own family; he stopped setting up his stall.

“These past few days, the vegetables my son brings home are especially delicious, and I feel energetic every day,” Chen Zhian often remarked to his wife during dinner.

“The watermelons our son buys are the best I’ve ever tasted. I feel like my skin has become much smoother and my health couldn’t be better,” his mother, Zhou Chunfeng, added with a smile.

“Mom, Dad, in a few days I’ll get you a villa so you can enjoy a better life,” Chen Fengyun told his parents, without revealing the source of the watermelons and vegetables, but simply stating the fact.

“That sounds wonderful, son. Your father and I are counting on you. If you really can get us a villa, that would be fantastic,” his mother replied, her face alight with joy.

On July 23rd, Chen Fengyun received his acceptance letter, and the Chen family hosted several banquet tables, inviting relatives and friends to celebrate their son’s admission to the Capital University.

To their surprise, Zhang Qingyan’s parents also showed up after hearing the news. However, the Zhang family had previously tried to match Zhang Qingyan with Wang Junguang, which had displeased Chen Fengyun’s parents, so they greeted them with lukewarm courtesy.

“Brother Fengyun, are you free tomorrow? Could you go with me to visit An Jingru?” Zhang Qingyan sought out Chen Fengyun, hesitated for a moment, then gently asked.

“An Jingru—is she your classmate from the other day? What happened to her?” Chen Fengyun immediately recalled the girl with a faint aura of darkness about her.

“She suddenly fell ill a few days ago. Her body’s become extremely weak, her face pale, and she’s lost a lot of weight. Her family took her to see many doctors, but nothing helped. She just returned from Pearl City yesterday afternoon, and in a few days she’ll probably go to the capital for treatment. I want to visit her tomorrow, but her house is rather remote, and I’m a bit scared to go alone. Could you come with me?” Zhang Qingyan explained.

“Of course. I’ll go with you tomorrow,” Chen Fengyun agreed. Zhang Qingyan was delighted, though she wasn’t sure why; her parents had told her she could pursue a relationship with Chen Fengyun, no longer pressuring her about Wang Junguang, and she felt truly happy.

The next day, Chen Fengyun accompanied Zhang Qingyan by taxi to the entrance of Hongshan Community, where An Jingru lived. This was also a well-known affluent area in Rong City, though it was not as prestigious as Huanhuaxi Mountain Villa.

“An Jingru’s father is the president of An Group. They bought this villa last year, but haven’t lived here long—just over twenty days. Before that, Jingru lived in Zhonghua Garden Community,” Zhang Qingyan explained as she led the way through the neighborhood.

As a native of Rong City, Chen Fengyun was naturally familiar with An Group—a locally famous enterprise that had risen in the past two or three decades, impacting many aspects of daily life.

Upon entering Hongshan Community, Chen Fengyun’s spiritual sense swept the surroundings in an instant. He quickly detected An Jingru’s aura, and, more importantly, sensed a thick presence of dark energy in the backyard of An Jingru’s home.

Soon, Chen Fengyun followed Zhang Qingyan to the outside of the An family villa, which was halfway up the hillside. The backyard was tucked beneath a massive, isolated boulder.

“It seems An Jingru’s illness isn’t ordinary, but caused by some sinister force attached to her. No wonder she carried a faint aura of darkness the other day, and now, in just a few days, has fallen ill. The sinister presence in the An family’s backyard is no ordinary evil,” Chen Fengyun quickly determined the true cause of An Jingru’s sickness.

“Qingyan, you’ve come to see Jingru? Thank you for your concern,” the door was opened by An Jingru’s mother, a well-to-do middle-aged woman whose expression was tired and wan.

“Auntie, has Jingru gotten any better? This is my neighbor Chen Fengyun—he knows Jingru as well, so I asked him to come with me,” Zhang Qingyan said, stepping forward to take An’s mother’s hand, asking after Jingru and introducing Chen Fengyun.

“Thank you both for coming to see Jingru. Her spirits are very low now; she has nightmares every night, is weak and sweats profusely, and even the major hospitals can’t figure out the cause.” An’s mother’s eyes were red with worry.

“Auntie, don’t be upset. Jingru’s always been healthy—maybe it’s just a cold or flu. She’ll be fine with a little rest,” Zhang Qingyan comforted her, then walked into Jingru’s bedroom.

Chen Fengyun followed them, feeling a thick aura of darkness in the room. Clearly, the sinister force had not only visited Jingru’s room but did so frequently.

“Qingyan, you’re here. What’s wrong with me? I feel weak all over, and I can’t muster any strength,” An Jingru was resting, but upon hearing their arrival, she opened her eyes and was delighted to see Zhang Qingyan.

“Jingru, just lie down and rest; no need to get up. Look who else has come to see you,” Zhang Qingyan said, approaching and taking Jingru’s hand, noting how cold it felt.

“You’re Chen Fengyun—thank you for coming to see me,” An Jingru immediately recognized him, clearly remembering him well.

“Jingru, don’t get up—just keep resting,” Chen Fengyun smiled at her, saying little, but observed her closely. He saw her pale face, and on it, a faint streak of black, with the vague outline of a terrifying skull.

“Mom, could you bring up some fruit for Qingyan and Chen Fengyun?” An Jingru’s spirits seemed to improve a bit. She struggled to sit up and spoke to her mother. Qingyan quickly placed a pillow behind her.

“Jingru, before you fell ill, did you start having nightmares every night?” After An’s mother left the room, Chen Fengyun asked with a serious expression.

“Yes, about half a month ago, I began having nightmares. I would dream of a woman whose face I couldn’t see, trying to grab me. Every time she lunged at me, I would wake up in terror,” An Jingru’s body trembled, clearly frightened.

“Don’t worry—I’ll help you get better,” Chen Fengyun reassured her. He picked up Jingru’s water cup from the bedside table, covered the mouth of the cup with his hand, and when he removed it, there was half a cup of spiritual spring water inside.

“What is this? It smells so sweet and fragrant,” An Jingru remarked, holding the cup. Just smelling it seemed to restore some of her energy.

“Drink this half cup—it’ll benefit your body and mind. I’ve also found the cause of your illness. Tonight, I’ll help you resolve it,” Chen Fengyun decided to help An Jingru, not only because she was Zhang Qingyan’s classmate, but also because she had stood up for him once before.