"3"
"2"
"1"
"Initiating flashback!"
Yuan Luoyi felt the sensation of falling, closing her eyes as she plummeted down. Space and time continuously shifted, and when she felt herself land on the ground, she opened her eyes.
Before her was a long, black wooden table laden with food. White roses adorned the crisscrossing plates and cups, and the flickering candlelight cast a gentle glow over the surroundings.
At the head of the table sat a man, pale, handsome, and gaunt - an ominous figure resembling a man on the verge of death.
He wore a black suit, its exquisite tailoring perfectly accentuating the curves of his shoulders. A magnificent white collar encircled his neck, with a silver badge engraved with the Yuan family's Double-Headed Snake emblem at its center.
Lowering his knife and fork, the man fixed Yuan Luoyi with an icy gaze, radiating bone-chilling murderous intent. He disliked being disturbed during meals.
The dimly lit room made it difficult for Yuan Luoyi to immediately recognize the man, but tentatively, she called out, "Fourth Brother?"
The man tilted his head slightly, seeming perplexed by the address, yet his curiosity was piqued by this small intruder.
He had some leisure time today and could keep her alive for a while, perhaps finding something interesting in the process.
He stood and approached Yuan Luoyi, his footsteps growing closer, and the sense of oppression intensifying.
Finally, his jet-black shadow fell upon Yuan Luoyi.
After observing her at close range, Yuan Luoyi became more certain that he was Yuan Si, though he appeared older, perhaps around thirty years of age.
Simultaneously, Yuan Si studied Yuan Luoyi, recalling the past.
"You are... Number 61, Lord Yuan's most prized creation. But didn't you die early on?"
Yuan Si rubbed his throbbing temple, chuckling pathologically, "Or have I also started falling ill?"
"You called me Fourth Brother, but I'm not your brother. I'm your owner; you're one of the many inheritances passed down to me."
"But..."
He suddenly leaned down, abruptly shortening the distance between them. Yuan Luoyi could now clearly see the obsession and madness burning like flames in his eyes.
Smirking wickedly, he said, "That address is truly intriguing, stirring up an odd emotion within me. What is this? A protective urge? Or a destructive one? I don't know, but I hope that during your time alive, I can figure out what it is."
Yuan Luoyi tensed and took a step back, increasing the distance between them.
In this timeline, Yuan Si wasn't her brother. To him, she was merely a suspicious figure who had suddenly appeared, and he might genuinely harm her.
Yuan Si gently said, "Don't be afraid. Are you hungry? I'm dining right now; you can join me."
He gracefully extended his hand, bowing humbly like a gentleman inviting a lady to dance at a ball.
Yuan Luoyi understood that the gentler Fourth Brother appeared, the more dangerous he became, like a snake lying in wait, remaining quiet to strike with lethal force.
But she had come to this world to uncover the truth, and she couldn't back down now.
So Yuan Luoyi placed her small hand in his, which felt as cold as snow to the touch.
Yuan Si didn't tighten his grip on Yuan Luoyi's hand; instead, he gently guided her to a seat, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor as he set out cutlery, juice, and a napkin for her.
Once everything was prepared, he returned to his own seat and resumed dining.
Yuan Luoyi had no appetite; she wanted to know what had happened in this timeline, so she asked, "Where are the other brothers?"
Yuan Si replied, "Other brothers? Ah... I see. If I'm your Fourth Brother, then the others should be your brothers too."
"Yuan Ao passed away at thirteen due to illness. As for the rest, I killed them all."
"I buried them in the Yuan family's cemetery and held proper funerals for them. They were quite formidable, especially Father. I had to kill him several times before he finally died, but in the end, I won."
His tone was cold and detached, devoid of any emotion towards his own kin.
Yuan Luoyi saw shades of Yuan Jianghai in Yuan Si's ruthless indifference.
The silver dining knife deftly sliced the meat off the bone, but Yuan Si merely tasted it, finding it disagreeable. Recently, he couldn't taste anything he ate, one of the symptoms of his illness.
He sighed helplessly. Despite taking numerous antibodies, he couldn't escape the curse of this disease-causing gene. In the not-too-distant future, he would likely end his own life like Yuan Ao.
His gaze fell upon Yuan Luoyi once more.
He asked, "What are you? A figment of my imagination or a real person?"
Clapping his hands twice, a respectful manservant appeared, "Master, what are your orders?"
Yuan Si said, "What is sitting over there?"
The manservant answered, "A little girl."
"What does she look like?"
"Large, bright eyes, delicate and exquisite features, wearing a white dress. She's very cute; surely, many people dote on her. She's looking at me now."
"You may go."
"As you command."
The manservant left.
Yuan Si interlocked his fingers, smiling, "So you're a real person."
"Then why have you appeared before me?"
Limited by the system, Yuan Luoyi couldn't answer.
After waiting for a while and seeing that Yuan Luoyi remained silent, Yuan Si said, "You don't have to answer. I'm not too concerned about that question. Your presence by my side, under my control, is what's most important."
He fixed her with a domineering gaze, "I know of your existence. You're the perfect remedy that can cure my illness, but the old man burned all your records before he died. I don't know how to utilize you for treatment..."
Yuan Luoyi asked, "Did you kill Grandfather too?"
Yuan Si replied, "Of course. How else could I sleep soundly without killing him?"
"Do you have any other sisters?"
"I had one, but she's dead."
"Did you kill her too?"
"Lord Yuan killed her."
Yuan Luoyi sorted through the information. In this timeline, the true and false heiress swap hadn't occurred. Yuan Jianghai personally nurtured Yuan Si, helping him commit fratricide and patricide to seize power, only to be killed by Yuan Si himself in the end.
Perhaps out of revenge, Yuan Jianghai withheld the method to treat the disease-causing gene from Yuan Si.
Yuan Luoyi raised her head and met Yuan Si's gaze. From his appearance, he was undoubtedly the fourth brother, but his eyes were icy cold. Recalling his earlier gesture of massaging his temples, Yuan Luoyi felt a pang of sadness, realizing that the now-afflicted fourth brother must be suffering from a severe headache.
Ripples stirred in Yuan Si's heart as he carefully observed Yuan Luoyi's small face.
He could always see into people's hearts, most of which were extremely selfish, and would submit to him out of fear upon meeting him.
Yet Yuan Luoyi was different; there was no fear in her eyes, but rather a more complex emotion brewing within, which fascinated Yuan Si. After pondering for a moment, he smiled.
"You care about me."
"How interesting, after living for so many years, you are the first person who truly cares for me."
"Being your brother is not a bad thing."
Author: Apologies for the late update. My previous tablet for writing broke down, so I bought a new one overnight, but it was also defective. I got scammed and had to return it for a refund. Then I sent my old tablet for repair, and it's finally fixed now. This old cracked companion is still the most comfortable for me to use.
Updating just two chapters every day doesn't make sense, especially after such a long hiatus. The guilt has been overwhelming, and I've been losing sleep over it. So I'll take the time tomorrow to binge-write all the way to the grand finale, which will relieve me.
Having several plot twists strung together makes for a smoother reading experience for the readers as well.
I hope my stamina holds up for this.
