Chapter 183: Bite the Hook

"Morning."

Chen Ling sat down on a stone chair in the courtyard. He casually took the newspaper Chu Muyun was reading and began to flip through it.

Chu Muyun looked at him, hands empty, and sighed, "Can't you just buy your own copy?"

"I don't have any money on me."

Chen Ling replied, his eyes scanning every article.

After two days, news about him and the train's arrival in the city had become increasingly scarce. Most of the pages were filled with entertainment articles, such as a famous singer being exposed as a mistress kept by a business magnate, or conflicts between teachers and students at a certain middle school escalating and leading to parental dissatisfaction.

Chen Ling flipped through it for about ten seconds, found no useful news, and placed it back on the table.

Without Wen Shilin, this newspaper really wasn't worth reading.

"Do you need me to lend you some?" Chu Muyun considered. "It's true that some things are difficult without money."

"No, thanks. Someone will be delivering my salary soon."

Hearing this, Chu Muyun paused, surprised. "Delivering your salary? Have you found a job? You didn't actually become a reporter, did you?"

Only two days had passed since Chen Ling arrived in Aurora City, and the idea of becoming a reporter had only occurred to him yesterday morning. In just one day, it was impossible to even submit a resume to a newspaper office.

"Not yet," Chen Ling said, glancing at the time. "But he should be here soon..."

"Who?"

"Wen Shilin."

"Wen Shilin? That stubborn reporter?" Chu Muyun couldn't help but ask, "What kind of spell did you cast on him in just one day?"

Chen Ling just smiled without answering.

*Knock, knock, knock—*

A slightly urgent knocking sound came from the door.

Chen Ling and Chu Muyun both looked towards the main gate simultaneously, then exchanged glances. Chu Muyun's expression was a little strange.

"Don't tell me he's here right now."

"Don't believe me? Want to bet?"

"What are we betting?"

"One gold coin."

"Alright, deal."

Chu Muyun stood up and walked to the gate. He didn't rush to open it, but calmly asked, "Who is it?"

"Hello, Divine Doctor Chu, I'm Wen Shilin, a reporter from Aurora Daily."

Upon hearing that, Chu Muyun knew his money was gone, but he still couldn't understand how Chen Ling had made Wen Shilin so diligent.

"A reporter?" Chu Muyun paused for a moment. "I don't recall scheduling an appointment with a reporter today, and it's a bit too early."

"My apologies, but I'm here for your caretaker, Lin Yan... He left some things with me, and I wanted to return them to him in person."

Lin Yan...

The moment that name was spoken, Chu Muyun seemed to realize something and glanced back at Chen Ling.

"...Alright, come in."

Chu Muyun opened the gate to see a plainly dressed reporter standing outside. He had a file folder tucked under his arm, heavy dark circles under his eyes like a panda, yet his gaze was incredibly bright, and he seemed exceptionally agitated.

"Nice to meet you, Divine Doctor Chu," Wen Shilin said, extending his hand.

Chu Muyun politely shook it. As he turned back, he said, "He's right there, you can just go... Hm?"

Before he could finish, Chu Muyun froze in place. Chen Ling, who had been leisurely reading the newspaper just a second ago, was now sitting there, seemingly weak, bandaged all over, with a cast on his hand. A bleak, cold wind swept through the courtyard, and his haggard figure stared blankly at the distant rock garden, his eyes filled with sorrow and melancholy.

Chu Muyun's mouth twitched slightly. He had no idea what play Chen Ling was putting on.

Wen Shilin, on the other hand, saw this scene and his eyes flashed with sympathy and guilt. He stood silently at the entrance for a long time, then walked directly towards Chen Ling.

"Lin Yan..." Wen Shilin softly called out to the figure, who seemed lost in thought like a statue.

Chen Ling's body stiffened. He turned his head, saw Wen Shilin, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Mr. Wen? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to give you something," Wen Shilin said, placing the file folder on the table. "You left in such a hurry yesterday that I picked this up for you. It seems to have gotten a bit damaged during the chaos of your escape, but I checked, and all the important documents are still inside."

Chen Ling's expression was complex. He nodded slightly. "Alright, thank you."

After speaking, he averted his gaze and sat there silently by himself, seemingly unwilling to engage further with Wen Shilin.

The courtyard suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

Chu Muyun leaned against the doorway, pushing up his glasses. Although he couldn't understand what was happening between the two, it didn't prevent him from being an amused spectator. His eyes were full of curiosity and playfulness.

Finally, Wen Shilin couldn't hold back. He sat on the stone chair in front of Chen Ling, pondering for a moment.

"Lin Yan, the boy in that photo...

Who is he?"

Chen Ling's pupils contracted slightly. He sharply turned his head to look at Wen Shilin.

"Don't misunderstand," Wen Shilin quickly explained. "The bottom of the file folder was damaged, and the photo simply floated out... If I've offended you, you don't have to say anything, but you know I'm a reporter, and perhaps I can help you."

Although Wen Shilin said "you don't have to say anything," his face practically screamed "I want to know." He leaned forward slightly in his seat, earnestly awaiting Chen Ling's reply.

Chen Ling gazed at him for a long time, then relaxed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly began to speak:

"He... is my younger brother."

"Your brother." Wen Shilin nodded. He had guessed this possibility last night. "But you don't really look alike, do you?"

"He's not my biological brother." A look of reminiscence appeared in Chen Ling's eyes. "Years ago, Doctor Chu and I went on a medical outreach tour in the Seven Districts. We saved a child from District Two. He had a tragic past but was remarkably sensible. Seeing that he had no one to rely on, I took him in for a while."

"Later, when the medical tour ended, Doctor Chu and I returned to Aurora City. The child had no official identification to enter the city, so we left him some money to live well... We formed a strong bond, and we often corresponded afterwards. He recognized me as his elder brother, so naturally, he became my brother."

Wen Shilin looked back at Chu Muyun, confused.

Chu Muyun hadn't expected to be pulled into the drama. He quietly pushed up his glasses. "Yes, he was a good child."

Wen Shilin continued, "What about the sentence on the back of the photo? What does that mean?"

"...His heart was taken."

Chen Ling seemed to recall a painful memory. "About half a year ago, my brother lost contact. I wasn't in good health at the time and couldn't leave the city, so I entrusted Doctor Chu to go to District Two to check on him. The result was... only his body was found."

"His body had no heart?" Wen Shilin immediately interjected. "That sounds like organ trafficking. I've interviewed residents in District Three; law enforcement in the Seven Districts is very weak, so such incidents are common. District Three is actually considered better... District Two seems to have a place called Ice Spring Street, where this is quite rampant."