Lin An quickly picked up his phone, although he didn't have high expectations that the yoga blogger would offer him any answers, he had already planned to ask Professor Cao about it on his way there in the afternoon.
Just as he unlocked his phone with his fingerprint, the enormous black cat, no longer seeing the silhouette of the little boss, turned its head to look at Lin An, sticking its head forward to peer closely at his phone screen.
Lin An silently exhaled and pretended to look out the door, feigning fear of being caught slacking off at work, twisting his body to avoid the black cat's prying eyes and placed the phone in his chest pocket.
"Meow!"
The black cat stared at Lin An with its eerily green eyes.
Lin An ignored it.
He had summed up his experiences: as long as he did not interact with these abnormal scenes, they wouldn't engage with him.
Like those he encountered in the elevator, subway, or office, he could even "pass through" them directly.
As if they were all illusions.
But the moment he reacted, it was truly different.
It was like that day when he was so startled by the abnormal scene that he ran home tense and nearly suffocating, thinking he could finally relax alone.
A bloodied, severed head suddenly appeared at the head of his bed!
At that moment, he couldn't hold back anymore and let out the craziest scream of his life, even feeling ashamedly that he might have wet himself a little.
People say home is the softest haven, but at that moment, Lin An felt home was the most terrifying place.
It was that scream that initiated his interaction with that head.
He began to understand the mumbling sounds from the mouth of the head — "Give me back my eyes."
God knows how much he had been through and how long it took him to build up his inner strength to finally accept the existence of that head.
In the end, he might have truly gone a bit insane.
He began to find this head quite interesting; it wasn't confined to that one repetitive phrase. Once fully engaged in communication, that thing could actually converse and communicate.
It brought a trace of companionship to his lonely life, although the companion was a bloodied, ugly head.
Um~~
And the second time he responded to the dark gold statue of the software entrepreneur, Suxin.
Frankly, he was a bit scared now.
Was it possible that witches could also communicate with spirits? If so, would they know about his problems?
Would they think he was some kind of witch-hunting knight and blow up his house in the middle of the night?
He didn't know.
Now, all he could do was secretly pray that this ability to peer into spirits was unique to him.
He...
He really didn't want to burden his weary heart with any more fear; he wasn't God, nor a machine, and he couldn't guarantee he'd be impeccable.
"..."
Next, Lin An stared at his phone screen but couldn't focus on anything, lasting for a good ten minutes or more.
All because of that black cat.
The creature seemingly had hyperactivity disorder, desperately trying to get his attention.
One moment it ran to the other side of the office, the next it hurled itself at him, as if a dragon was trying to cling to his face.
If Lin An hadn't adjusted his breathing in time, making himself completely ignore its presence, he might truly have been knocked over.
But the breathing technique of Deer Play could not last for long, and Lin An didn't want to faint on the office floor; that would be just too embarrassing.
He also worried it could harm his body.
So a silent, hidden battle took place, Lin An trying to concentrate on his phone while suddenly a fluffy tail emerged from behind his neck, frantically scratching his face.
Endure!
Stay calm! Then be still!
Be still! Then be at peace!
The black cat almost endlessly performed a variety of actions, and Lin An could proudly stand with hands on hips and declare: I've endured them all!
Awesome!
Finally, he completely focused his attention and looked at the screen.
It wasn't easy.
—"I'm glad I could help you. Meditation isn't just for relieving stress; it can also make us more confident and spirited, allowing us to face life with our best posture. Keep it up."
—"Whether it's Health Cultivation Skill, yoga, or any other breathing adjustment methods, none can cause oxygen poisoning. It's not about the amount of breath, but the concentration of oxygen in the air. The lungs can't selectively expel other gases while retaining oxygen—they don't work that way."
—"Please trust in science!"
—"Unless you are using equipment to aid your practice, like oxygen inhalation to assist with your exercises. If you are exploring these shortcuts, please stop immediately!"
—"True health is natural. You should embrace the breath of nature and allow yourself to relax deeply within the grand environment. Remember, you're pursuing health, not fantasizing about developing peerless martial skills to become a master. That's not how it works!"
—"If you're looking for ways to relax your body and mind, perhaps the best way is to go out more. Just like the outing to Yunlu Mountain we're having this weekend in Shenhou City, you can look for similar self-funded outings in your city and get close to nature."
— "Best wishes (*￣︶￣)."
Shenhou City?
Lin An blinked in surprise, realizing that was the city he was currently in.
However, it was clear he had no time for outings; he was penniless and couldn't afford such leisurely middle-class activities.
Weekends off work were perfect opportunities to secretly take on extra coding gigs.
His savings had already been drained by medical expenses, forcing him to compromise on living quality to refill his empty wallet.
The yoga blogger hadn't given him any helpful answers, but since a stranger had written so much, Lin An responded with many words of gratitude in his reply.
"Meow?"
A plump cat paw gently nudged Lin An's shoulder.
"…"
I! Can't! See! You!
Lin An forcefully set down his phone and picked up his book again, trying his best to ignore the black cat.
He wondered if Suxin, the female boss of the software company, had secretly installed some kind of wireless surveillance in the small boss's office.
That might explain the presence of this black cat in the office.
If that were the case, he'd have to find a chance to let the surveillance be discovered.
Or...
He could think of a way to get the small boss to agree to let him go back to his original desk or find a spot in the empty office over in the planning department.
He sighed.
After lunch, Lin An left the office with his laptop bag slung over his shoulder.
Even though he had moved into the boss's office, he still didn't want to stand out too much, as that would isolate him from everyone.
Lunchtime was when many people left the office, so slipping out then wouldn't seem too conspicuous.
Of course, compared to the delicate office survival tactics, what he disliked more was leaving from the boss's office during working hours; it would draw countless gazes.
He could not simply ignore those eyes.
Each glance was like a monster, some with grotesque appearances; too many and he'd really start having nightmares.
The small boss was nice though; before Lin An even left, they sent him a red envelope of 1000 yuan via the chat app, with the note 'for transport.'
1000 yuan!
Is this how the wealthy view spending? Lovely.
The early June weather in Shenhou City wasn't too hot, and aside from the occasional sudden torrential downpour, this bustling commercial city was incredibly liveable.
He looked up at the weather and ultimately decided against extravagantly taking a taxi, opting for the cheaper subway instead.
At the last subway stop, he scanned a rental bike and headed towards the suburban villages.
As a worker, saving every penny counts.
He knew that each little bit saved would make the mortgage on his house weigh a little lighter.
Little by little, it would all add up, and he was determined to pay it off as quickly as possible.
Being debt-free would give him a sense of 'finally fully owning this house.'
And so, with dreams of the future filling his head, Lin An finally returned to the front door of 'Zhang Guoquan Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.'