Transformed into a heartthrob's simp, every day is a battleground.

Chapter 339 Lakeside Manor

Yan Xun's question was not friendly; it was more like a provocation, but Bourne didn't care.

He still had that same pursed-lip smile. "Of course."

"The new generation welcomes everything."

He turned around and said he would take Yan and the other two to visit various parts of the new generation.

"When did you grow wings?" Yan Xun asked.

“Five days ago,” Byrne said.

He turned to Yan Xun and explained, "I was originally Mr. Conrad's butler."

“After being reborn, Mr. Conrad hoped for a suitable place to accommodate us,” he told Yan Xun. “Although there are quite a few people like us in the city.”

"But some people still think we are monsters."

He told Yan Xun, "That's why Mr. Conrad specifically used this place to help those who suddenly grow wings and are reborn."

Yan Xun looked at Byrne's face. He looked very young. He remembered that Conrad looked to be no more than 30 years old.

This was completely different from the Bonnie father he remembered seeing. According to Levy, Bonnie's father aged at least 20 years after he grew wings.

Thinking of this, Yan Xun simply asked the question.

“You may have heard about it from Mr. Conrad,” Yan Xun said. “We found the body of an old man with wings in a house outside the city.”

“I’ve heard about it.” Byrne’s smile vanished, replaced by a somber expression. “It’s so unfortunate.”

"It seems he didn't make it through the 'rebirth' process."

“When we found him, his body had already been partially eaten by his own pigs,” Yan Xun said, gesturing to Byrne to look at Levy beside him. “My assistant killed the pig, but unfortunately, he had been dead for some time.”

“We discovered he’s grown wings, but strangely, he looks 20 years older than before he grew wings.” Yan Xun looked at Bourne’s youthful face. “But you all look very young.”

He bluntly stated, "Is it only those who fail to achieve rebirth who age rapidly?"

"Can I understand it as the rapidly growing wings taking away their lives?"

Yan Xun looked at the wings behind Bourne with almost offensive intent. "These wings are like parasites, sucking the life force of those people to grow rapidly?"

Upon hearing this, Byrne calmly replied, "I heard a similar question a few days ago."

Yan Xun looked at him.

“Several reporters came here that day and asked similar questions to you.” Byrne didn’t seem to find Yan Xun’s question offensive, or perhaps he did, but didn’t show it.

"So how did you answer?"

“All I can say is that this is a test,” Byrne said to Yan Xun. “Perhaps only those with pure hearts and firm wills can pass this test.”

“Any misconduct during this test will send you to hell,” Byrne said, still smiling. “We just passed the test.”

"I heard you're looking for his wife?" Bourne asked again.

“Yes,” Yan Xun said. “We suspect that on the night of the storm, she suddenly grew wings and was taken to the city.”

“They live in a remote area and are isolated from news. They go to the city market at most once a month,” Yan Xun said. “They probably haven’t heard that people in the city are currently obsessed with growing wings.”

“My assistant,” Yan Xun said, “wouldn’t know about the big news in the city if someone hadn’t been delivering goods to him regularly.”

Bourne then looked at Levy, "Is he your assistant?"

"Doesn't it look like it?" Yan Xun asked.

Byrne covered his mouth, surprised, and said, "Sorry."

“I just think he’s more like an assassin.” He said to Yan Xun as if joking, “I’ve seen some movies about mysterious assassins living in the suburbs.”

“That will disappoint you,” Levy said. “Before becoming the detective’s assistant, I was just a farmer.”

"The tool I use most often is the steel fork I use when adding hay to the livestock."

"Really?" Byrne nodded. "You haven't killed anyone with a pitchfork?"

"Many horror movies want to use suburban farms as a setting, because as long as the body is buried in the ground, it will rarely be discovered."

“Of course not,” Levy said, somewhat troubled. “The detective has been to my farm, and what you’re saying is horrible.”

He seemed puzzled as to why Byrne was telling him all this. "I just spend my days doing farm work and occasionally go to the market to sell my products."

“What you’re saying is all just movie portrayals,” Levy said. “It’s too far removed from my life.”

Bourne seemed unwilling to continue the topic, and instead steered the conversation back to the initial question: Why did she go to the city?

"If she didn't know that people in the city were growing wings recently, her first reaction should have been panic."

“I heard about Neil from Conrad,” he told Yan Xun. “He went into hiding in the forest outside the city because he was pregnant.”

“I thought she should be like that too,” he told Yan Xun. “She was afraid of turning into some kind of monster, so she only dared to hide in the suburbs.”

"Perhaps she's a rather special one," Yan Xun said.

“We went to town to look for her daughter,” he told Bourne. “Bonnie said she had never seen her mother.”

Bourne gave a questioning look at the opportune moment, "Could they have gotten lost outside the city?"

"Or perhaps something unexpected happened along the way."

"Maybe," Yan Xun said. "But that night, the person who probably saw her off went home."

"He didn't reveal any information?"

“It’s a pity he didn’t,” Yan Xun shook his head. “What’s even more regrettable is that he’s disappeared.”

Yan Xun shrugged. "Actually, we found Bonnie's missing mother while we were looking for him."

“So many people have gone missing in the city lately,” Yan Xun said. “The artists sponsored by Conrad are very concerned about Ellie, who hasn’t returned yet.”

"Do you know Ellie?" Yan Xun asked.

“Eri?” Bourne repeated the name, then nodded after a moment. “You mean the sculptor?”

“He left a week ago,” Byrne said, sounding somewhat annoyed. “He left suddenly.”

“We didn’t greet anyone,” he told Yan Xun. “A lot of people have been watching this place lately, so we’re all being very careful.”

"But he left without saying goodbye."

“Others suspect he climbed over the wall to leave.” He pointed to the high wall on the other side of the artificial lake. “There are few guards there because it’s close to the forest.”

“We suspect he left from there.”

"The steward doesn't know about this?" Yan Xun asked.

“We spoke to Mr. Conrad about it,” Byrne said. “But Mr. Conrad didn’t seem to care much, saying he wasn’t restricting Allie’s freedom and that he could go wherever he wanted.”

Byrne looked at Yan Xun, "You know Ellie too?"

"Are you his friend?"

“His friends are looking for him.” Yan Xun gestured. “I’m just doing this for money.”

Byrne seemed to understand but not quite, and appeared uninterested in Ellie's social circle. "So you came here to find him?"

He seemed to understand the reason very quickly: "Eri did indeed work here for a period of time."

"Because Mr. Conrad did not want his work to be seen by others."

"So Ellie didn't contact the outside world during that time." Byrne said, a look of realization dawning on his face. "His friends were looking for him?"

“But he left a week ago.” He added to Yan Xun, “I reported this to Mr. Conrad…”

He looked puzzled. "Has Mr. Conrad forgotten about this?"

“Perhaps Mr. Conrad has a bad memory,” Yan Xun said.

Bourne made no comment on this; he simply took Yan Xun to visit the building next to the artificial lake.

"Most of the time, we live here."

He told Yan Xun, "This place is very large, so everyone has their own room."

"I heard that anyone willing to embrace the New Generation can enter here?"

“Yes, but that’s a plan for the future,” he said to Yan Xun. “Recently, many people have been trying to find out everything about this place.”

"Therefore, only those who have Mr. Conrad's permission can come here."

During their visit, Yan Xun kept seeing people with wings on their backs. They were men and women of different ages. When they saw Byrne, they greeted him gently. When they saw Yan Xun and his companion, they looked puzzled, but they still smiled and made a gesture of blessing.

Yan Xun watched their actions.

"I heard from the housekeeper that there are only about 30 people here right now?"

“Yes,” Byrne said. “They all arrived here recently.”

“Most people, after they grow wings, fail to withstand the test,” Byrne said, his face expressionless. “But recently, it’s become 29 people.”

"Ok?"

“Someone died last night,” Byrne said.

“It was very sudden,” Byrne said. “They had changed their clothes; they were getting ready to attend a funeral.”

"Can I go take a look?" Yan Xun asked.

Upon hearing this, Bourne hesitated, "I'm afraid that won't work."

They had arrived at the second floor of the lakeside building. "The funeral can only be attended by members of the younger generation."

"What about his family?" Yan Xun asked. "Are they able to attend?"

“Yes, but you can only wait outside,” Byrne said.

“I want to go and see,” Yan Xun said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m outside.”

After a moment's thought, Byrne finally nodded in agreement, "Only outside the door."

He then looked at Levy. “There can’t be too many irrelevant people there.” He said to Yan Xun, “Your assistant can rest here for a while.”

……

Leaving behind the "unrelated personnel," Yan Xun followed Bourne to his room.

“Even though you’re just waiting outside, it’s best to change into specific clothes,” Byrne said, pulling a white robe from his wardrobe that was exactly the same as the one he was wearing.

Yan Xun took the robe and was about to put it over his own clothes when Bern stopped him.

"You must be cleansed before you can wear it."

"No other clothes may be worn under the robe."

Yan Xun wondered if he had misheard. He looked at Bourne, who nodded.

Seeing Yan Xun's hesitation, Bourne asked, "Are you having doubts?"

Yan Xun was suspicious, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. He was worried that if he did, Byrne would actually pull it out and show it to him—proving that he really wasn't wearing anything under his robe.

"No," Yan Xun said.

Byrne nodded, pointing to the bathroom in the room. "You can prepare there."

Holding the robe in his hand, Yan Xun felt as if he had a hot potato. "I want to ask, does everyone here dress like this?"

"Don't you guys think...?" Yan Xun pondered, "It feels a bit empty?"

Bourne understood what Yan Xun meant: "Only today."

He told Yan Xun, "This ceremony is rather special."

“Therefore, we cannot wear other clothes under the robe.” He told Yan Xun, “On ordinary days, we can change into our favorite clothes.”

Seeing that Yan Xun was still somewhat hesitant, Bourne added, "If you are not willing, I can take you on a tour of this place."

“No one outside the New Generation is allowed to enter the funeral,” he told Yan Xun. “You’ll have to wait outside, which might be a bit boring for you.”

Yan Xun glanced at Bourne a few times, but finally grabbed his robe and went into the bathroom.

About half an hour later, he came out of the bathroom, already changed into the clothes Byrne had prepared for him.

There was a pair of shoes outside the bathroom door. Yan Xun stepped on them and glanced at them as he passed by the mirror.

The robe was long enough to cover his ankles, and the upper part had a high collar, so unless Yan Xun suddenly decided to do a handstand, he wouldn't be able to expose any skin.

However, the subtle sensations he felt while moving around made him very clear about one thing: he wasn't wearing anything under his robe.

Bourne, dressed in the same style of robe, stood by the window, looking at the artificial lake, and only turned around when he heard Yan Xun's footsteps.

He glanced at Yan Xun, who looked displeased, and said, "This question may be a bit offensive, but it's our tradition."

He asked Yan Xun, "Are you sure you don't have your own clothes under that robe?"

Yan Xun glanced at him. "Should I lift the hem up so you can confirm?"

“Of course not,” Byrne said hastily. “I didn’t mean anything by it, I’m just worried…”

Yan Xun gripped the hem of his robe, implying that if Byrne continued nagging, he would personally confirm it for him.

Bourne immediately turned around, as if afraid that Yan Xun would actually lift his robe. "I understand."

"I'll take you to the funeral right now."

……

From Levi's room, he could see everything on the lawn.

He watched as Yan Xun, now dressed in a white robe, walked alongside Byrne, seemingly heading towards the white building on the other side.

There is a fountain outside the white building, with some angel statues inside.

His gaze lingered on Yan Xun's hurried figure for a moment before turning to Bourne beside him.

He frowned and looked at it for a while, then turned his gaze back to the white building.

The building looked like a church, except that there were no windows on the front. Several people wearing the same robes stood outside the door, embracing and weeping. Levy suspected that they were the family members of the deceased.

Upon seeing Yan Xun and Bourne approaching, the group immediately surrounded them, grabbing Bourne's hand and appearing somewhat agitated.

Some people noticed Yan Xun, but after seeing that he didn't have wings on his back, their attention returned to Bourne.