Chapter 26: No Evidence to Be Found

The next morning, Chang Yu finally awoke after a restful night’s sleep.

Bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, he stretched languidly, feeling revitalized and clear-headed. “It’s been ages since I slept so soundly. It seems that drinking a little wine before bed truly helps with sleep,” he mused, gazing up at the unfamiliar ceiling from the soft bed. “If I ever find myself sleepless again, I should try that trick—better than losing sleep from watching too many horror films.”

The surroundings still felt a bit foreign, yet Chang Yu did not mind the unfamiliarity. After all, the conditions here were far superior to those he’d known before. At the very least, the bed he lay on was far more comfortable than his previous one—soft as a cloud, nothing like the hard, painful mattress he used to endure.

He did not rush to get up, but instead recalled the dream he had last night, a brilliant smile spreading across his lips. To have a beautiful woman call him father—not an experience most people could boast! Especially since she had insulted him so many times before; the mere thought brought him immense satisfaction.

“I thought I’d dream of my master last night, or have another nightmare of being chased by a female ghost, like before,” he reflected. “But unexpectedly, I dreamt of something so amusing. It was a perfect payback for the humiliation that woman in the cheongsam dealt me.”

“That dream must have belonged to her, right? The setting was her boudoir, and she was in the room grooming herself. I must have inadvertently entered her dream and slightly... altered its original course.”

“My ability seems similar to what folks call ‘visiting dreams’—not only can I enter my own dreams, but I can also step into others’.”

“Even in a dream crafted by someone else, I possess great power, able to turn the tables and dominate their dream world.”

“Last night’s dream was created by the woman in the cheongsam; logically, she should have been stronger than me, being the dream’s creator.”

“But she was utterly powerless against me, unable to resist as I slapped her, not gaining the upper hand at all.”

“Of course, I wasn’t entirely merciless; I didn’t use any true energy in her dream. Otherwise, her swollen cheeks would have been the least of her worries—she might have been shattered entirely, her soul scattered.”

“I have a feeling that if I used my full strength, even her real body might die as a result.”

“That’s killing without a trace—such a bizarre cause of death, not even the police could find an explanation.”

“In this society, evidence is everything; who would believe in murder within a dream?”

“Though angered by her arrogance, her crime didn’t warrant death—a lesson was enough.”

“After all, I am a cultivator of unyielding character, not a scoundrel like Zhao Dasheng!”

“Such wanton slaughter is beneath me—I, Chang Yu, would never do such a thing!”

...

Elsewhere, the woman in the cheongsam who had suffered a night of nightmares also opened her eyes.

Almost as soon as she awoke, she sprang up from her bed like a coiled spring, panic-stricken and shouting, “Father! Is calling you father not enough? Please, stop hitting me—be merciful!”

Only when she realized she was alone in the room and the hated figure of Chang Yu was nowhere to be seen did her emotions gradually settle.

Gently touching her cheeks, she felt a weight lift—her skin was as smooth as ever, with no sign of swelling. Yet strangely, she could still sense the lingering sting, as if she truly had been slapped.

Confused, she slipped on her slippers, stepped down from the bed, and sat before her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The woman in the mirror wore a pale lilac nightgown, her hair disheveled and falling carelessly over her shoulders. Her delicate face still bore traces of anxiety and unease.

Her eyes were slightly sunken, dark circles under them, clear proof of a sleepless night. But her face was as beautiful as always, showing no sign of having been struck.

Oddly, despite her flawless complexion, her cheeks burned with pain.

“Was it really just a dream?” she murmured incredulously.

“But why did the dream feel so real? It was as though I experienced it in reality—I’ve never had such a vivid dream before.”

“Even the sensation of being struck was so lifelike. It’s unbelievable; aren’t experts always saying you can’t feel pain in dreams?”

With this thought, she picked up her phone and called the security office of her residential complex.

“Hello, is this the security department? May I ask if you were on duty last night?”

A deep male voice answered politely, “Esteemed resident, Security Officer 116 at your service.”

“Yes, last night I was on duty with several colleagues. Has something happened?”

The cheongsam-clad woman pondered for a moment, then said, “I suspect someone might have snuck into my villa last night, so I’m calling to check with you.”

The security officer responded promptly, “Could you tell me if your personal safety was compromised, or if any property was stolen?”

She glanced down at her neatly worn nightgown, then around her tidy, orderly room, replying, “I wasn’t harmed, and it doesn’t seem like anything was stolen. But I still feel uneasy—almost as if someone entered my home.”

The man seemed relieved. “Miss, this is a high-end villa community. Last night, our security was stringent; it would be impossible for a stranger to slip past unnoticed.”

“You were unharmed, and nothing was stolen, so it is highly unlikely that anyone entered your home.”

“If you remain concerned, please let me know your address, and I will immediately check the surveillance footage.”

Without hesitation, the woman said, “I live in Villa A3. Please check the footage for me—I want to know if any strangers approached my villa last night.”

“Certainly, miss. I’ll review the cameras near your home and see if anyone came close during the night.” The man ended the call.

About an hour later, the security department called back.

“Hello, Miss,” the woman answered nervously.

“We have checked the surveillance footage,” the man said. “No suspicious individuals appeared near your home last night. I can assure you, no one entered your villa.”

“Perhaps I was overthinking it—it must have been a vivid dream. Thank you for your trouble.” She hung up, the weight in her heart finally lifted.

Chang Yu had no idea that the woman in the cheongsam had gone so far as to check the surveillance tapes because of last night’s events.

Even if he knew, he wouldn’t be the least bit afraid. Despite its realism, Chang Yu was certain it was nothing more than a dream.

In reality, he had never set foot in her home.

Even if she took him to the Supreme Court, Chang Yu would have grounds to defend himself.

At this moment, he was walking toward his company, guided by his phone’s navigation.

According to the map, his apartment was just a kilometer from the office.

Living so close to work was truly convenient.

It meant he could reach the company in just twenty minutes on foot, without needing a bus or metro.

In the past, he would rush frantically to work, fearful of traffic jams making him late.

He used to spend fifty minutes on the bus to reach the office. With the waiting time, the commute took over an hour each way.

Not only was it inconvenient, he wasted so much time on the road—it felt like squandering his very life.

To him, wasting time was akin to wasting life. Chang Yu was keenly aware of this.

“Now, how wonderful—not only do I no longer have to squeeze onto a crowded bus in the morning, I can stroll leisurely to work. This is how life ought to be!” Chang Yu sighed in contentment.

Watching the hurried faces of young men and women around him, he felt a surge of satisfaction.

Once, he too was among those rushing to work, a member of the frantic crowd.

To avoid being late, he would even run part of the way every morning.

Remembering those days, Chang Yu couldn’t help but slow his pace.

Breathing in the crisp morning air, feeling the gentle breeze against his cheeks, and taking in the scenery along the road, his mood soared.

He suddenly realized that walking was an excellent way to soothe the mind, to dispel accumulated stress and negative emotions.

When he slowed his steps and wandered the streets, he discovered many beauties in the world—gems that often go unnoticed.

Azure skies, white clouds, flocks of birds in flight, bustling crowds, orderly buildings, cars speeding by—all part of life’s wonders.

These beauties had always surrounded Chang Yu, never far from him.

But his former self, always rushing, had paid them little attention.

Some beauty can only be found when one slows down enough to notice it.