Chapter 133: Eerie Weight Loss, Do Not Corrupt My Daoist Heart

The two elderly gentlemen were deeply concerned that Ouyang Ran, this young woman, might be playing some kind of scheme. Throughout the time she was speaking, Ouyang Ran kept gazing at Lin Yi with an expression of pure adoration, one that sparkled with the faint, glimmering traces of romantic affection.

Lin Yi was already exceptionally talented, but after being embellished by Liu Changfeng’s accounts, his brilliance had become known to many. Now, every young single woman was perceived as a rival to their respective granddaughters! They feared that someone might snatch away their pre-selected, future grandson-in-law. Being seasoned veterans of life, the two old men were naturally unwilling to let Lin Yi have any contact with Ouyang Ran.

However, Ouyang Ran had a reason that made it impossible for Lin Yi to refuse. According to her, only he could help her. When it truly came to saving a life, despite their personal reluctance, the two old men decided to let Lin Yi handle the matter and bring it to a clean conclusion. Of course, Master Mu added a final instruction: he hoped Lin Yi would return quickly, as any merit-based rewards would require a proper discussion with Director Zhang in person.

Lin Yi left his car with Bai Ke and the others, then climbed into Ouyang Ran’s vehicle. Ouyang Ran was a reporter for the finance channel of the Shengjing City Television Station. Had she been a social reporter, she would likely have encountered supernatural events long ago and perhaps even had dealings with the Shengjing City Supernatural Investigation Bureau. As it stood, this was her first time witnessing true ghosts and monsters.

Ouyang Ran was not much older than Lin Yi, having graduated only two years prior. Her appearance, a blend of youthful innocence and budding maturity, paired with a professional skirt suit, gave her an air of efficiency and decisiveness. While not classically beautiful in a striking sense, she possessed a subtle, enduring charm, and with a touch of makeup, she carried a more mature aura than An Miaoyi and her companions. Her short, ear-length hair added to her capable demeanor. Her professional attire—a tailored blazer over a short skirt, paired with flesh-colored stockings—accentuated her curvaceous figure quite elegantly.

The SUV Ouyang Ran drove matched her temperament well. She was quite tall, standing at one meter seventy, and with her high heels, she neared one meter eighty. Once Lin Yi was in the car, Ouyang Ran began to explain her troubles. She now placed one hundred percent of her trust in Lin Yi, her savior. In truth, Lin Yi did not want to get involved in other matters, but since the public—specifically a beautiful woman like Ouyang Ran—had requested his help, he felt he could reluctantly handle one thing for her. Furthermore, Ouyang Ran had promised that regardless of whether the issue was resolved, as a token of gratitude for saving her life, she would donate ten million to the Supernatural Investigation Bureau in the name of the TV station.

Ten million was no small sum. Although Lin Yi had tens of millions in cash checks on hand, the money was never enough for his own needs, and he certainly wouldn't distribute it to his brothers without an extraordinary reason. But Ouyang Ran’s donation would provide a substantial bonus for many of his brothers. Thus, Lin Yi decided that no matter how troublesome it might be, he would solve this problem first.

After getting in, Lin Yi initially wanted to take the back seat, but Ouyang Ran insisted he sit in the passenger seat, claiming she would be too frightened telling her story otherwise and needed him by her side. Seeing her pleading eyes, Lin Yi had no choice but to comply.

Once seated, Lin Yi noticed a sweet, lingering fragrance wafting from Ouyang Ran. It was an incredibly pleasant scent. Unable to resist, he took a few subtle whiffs, concluding it must be her natural body scent. My goodness, he thought, this woman actually had a natural fragrance! He couldn't help but steal a glance, only to notice that her white shirt was slightly translucent... and underneath, he caught a glimpse of black. Trying to adhere to the principle of "not looking at what is improper," he looked away, focusing his attention on her face instead. Her skin was quite flawless; indeed, beauty was beauty—regardless of whether one was a cultivator, their skin was always hydrated, unlike the rough, weathered skin of grown men.

As the car started, Ouyang Ran began to tell her story. It was actually about her friend, Lin Hexiang. Ouyang Ran’s parents were business people. Her mother had originally been the deputy director of the TV station, but due to her connections and the regulations prohibiting public officials from engaging in business, she had resigned to pursue commerce. Her father came from a wealthy family, so their business ventures had been smooth sailing. Her father dealt in trade, her mother in cosmetics, and all of this was facilitated by their close friend, Lin Tian, who handled their finances.

The two families were old friends, and their relationship had always been excellent. The two men had often joked about arranging a marriage between their children. As luck would have it, their wives became pregnant at nearly the same time, each giving birth to a daughter and a son respectively. Thus, Ouyang Ran and Lin Hexiang had grown up as childhood sweethearts. However, Lin Hexiang had been a chubby boy since childhood, and even as an adult, he maintained a stout physique, belonging to that legendary category of people who seem to gain weight even from drinking water. Despite the verbal marriage agreement and the teasing from their parents, Ouyang Ran had never felt any romantic spark for him. Lin Hexiang had tried various weight-loss methods, but nothing worked—it was genetic, as his father, Lin Tian, was also overweight.

But recently, for some unknown reason, Lin Hexiang had truly slimmed down, and the weight had not returned. At first, Ouyang Ran thought he had finally stuck to a fitness regimen. But then, she noticed something strange: Lin Hexiang would disappear for two days at a time. Given how infatuated he was with her, he had never gone more than two days without messaging her since they started using chat apps. Yet now, every ten days or half a month, he would disappear for at least two days. Every time he returned, he looked listless, and despite his newfound slimness and handsomeness, he seemed utterly exhausted.

That wasn't all; his dress sense had become bizarre. Even in this weather, when most people would leave their top buttons undone, Lin Hexiang always kept his neck tightly covered, even going so far as to wear a scarf, which made him look slightly effeminate. Once, when they were drinking at a bar, the scarf slipped, and Ouyang Ran was shocked to see two puncture wounds on his neck, like fang marks. When she asked him the next day after he sobered up, he claimed a small kitten had bitten him. She had been fooled at the time.

But in the last half-month, Lin Hexiang had disappeared again. Just two days ago, Ouyang Ran accidentally caught a glimpse of his neck, and the two bloody holes had reappeared. If it were truly a cat bite, wouldn't it have healed in half a month? Today’s supernatural experiences made her suspect that there was something suspicious going on, and perhaps Lin Hexiang’s successful weight loss was deeply connected to these ghosts and monsters.

Listening to Ouyang Ran, Lin Yi was baffled. He looked at her as she spoke eloquently, her eyes full of expectation, and didn't know what to say. Could monsters and weight loss really be related? If Lin Hexiang had truly encountered a monster—say, a legendary vampire or a blood-sucking zombie—how could he possibly have returned alive? He would have been drained of blood and his flesh gnawed to the bone. Lin Yi felt this must be some trivial misunderstanding, unrelated to the supernatural. But seeing her pleading look, he sighed and decided to go take a look, though it was quite a headache, as it would be such a waste of time. If he had to investigate her friend, there was no telling how long it would take.

"Dear little brother, I’m begging you..." As the car sped along the highway, Ouyang Ran looked at Lin Yi’s calm expression and couldn't help but plead.

Lin Yi was speechless. He sighed, and suddenly, with a *slap*, Ouyang Ran reached over and grabbed his hand. Lin Yi immediately shouted, "Sister, we’re on the highway! Please pay attention; this is dangerous and against the law, you know!"

"It won't take much of your time, Lin Yi. Lin Hexiang is probably sleeping right now because he just returned two days ago. Every time he comes back, he sleeps for a long time... Please, I’m begging you... Although there’s no spark between us and he isn't my type, we grew up together. I treat him like family. If something really happened to him, I can’t imagine what would happen to his parents... So, please!"

After a long silence, Ouyang Ran blushed and said to Lin Yi, "At the very least, I’ll give you a chance to pursue me."

"..."

*Good grief*, another one trying to corrupt my state of mind! Between the school beauty An Miaoyi, the little princess Mu Yuqing, the Star Sect’s Song Yuyan... what are you beautiful women actually trying to do?! Lin Yi felt that humans were truly more terrifying than ghosts and monsters. He pulled his hand back and sighed.

"I have to be back by the afternoon. So, this time, I hope Lin Hexiang is actually at home sleeping. Otherwise, if I can’t find him, I’m leaving."