In China, there is a five-member boy group perpetually engulfed in bloody drama: ABCDE. Except for E, this novel's protagonist, who has absolutely no presence, every member is built like the male lead of a JJ novel.

A is a reborn protagonist. Switched at birth, he spent his previous life as a CEO's stand-in. His story belongs to the dog-blood urban-danmei genre. His romantic entanglements with men are an impossibly tangled spiderweb, and he regularly finds himself caught up in Shura fields and wife-chasing crematoriums.

B is the top scorer on the college entrance exam, but he is actually a powerful figure who traveled from ancient times into the present. He excels at traditional Chinese arts such as painting; every painting he produces is hailed as a national treasure. His story belongs to the urban-danmei wish-fulfillment genre.

C has superpowers. Every night, he quick-transmigrates in his dreams into each film he is due to make. His story belongs to the fantasy-danmei genre, and he is acclaimed as a once-in-a-century method-acting prodigy.

D is an infinite-flow player. During events, he routinely vanishes for ten minutes at a time under every imaginable pretext to clear a dungeon. This has earned him a reputation for poor kidney function and for being haunted by paranormal incidents; within the industry, he is famous for his extreme-sports skills. His story belongs to the fantasy-danmei genre.

Only E, our protagonist, is the sole member of this wildly colorful boy group with neither superpowers nor any dog-blood drama. Yet he is constantly dragged into the colorful lives of A, B, C, and D.

For instance, whenever E happens to walk past a cluster of CEOs attempting a wife-chasing crematorium, he will be playing on his phone and casually say, "Please line up today too."

Sometimes, when B is mentally multiplying two four-digit numbers, E will tap the calculator on his phone beside him and say, "Oh, so that's how it is."

Sometimes, when C accidentally lets slip that he has entered a film and looks at him nervously, E merely tilts his head. He neither says he noticed nor says he did not. And when C complains that a scene is especially challenging, E will be playing on his phone and say, "But if it's C, you'll definitely find a way."

Sometimes, when E enters a restroom and comes face-to-face with D—who has suddenly appeared out of thin air, covered in blood and staring at him in terror—he calmly says, "You go on in twenty minutes. Is there still time to wash your face?"

E thinks he lives a quiet life. His four teammates all think he sees through everything, which is utterly terrifying.

On the second anniversary of the boy group's debut, ABCDE gave an interview.

Reporter: Among the five of you, there's A, the center of bloody tabloid storms; B, the genius student whose every casual painting becomes a national treasure and who will have to go home to inherit the family business if he does not work hard; C, the rare-in-a-century method actor and performance prodigy; D, known for his mysterious aura and the paranormal incidents that seem to follow him; and then there's... E, who is always mocked for being glued to his phone, treating the industry like clocking in and out of work, and being as unremarkable as a passerby. Who do you think is the most unfathomable among you?

A: E.

B: E.

C: E.

D: E.

Reporter: ...And E, what do you think?

E, whom the reporter had overlooked, looked up from his phone.

"Ah, is it my turn? ...Mm, I think everyone is just an ordinary person who gets along well with the others."

ABCD: (Looking at E's gentle smile for the N+1th time.) E is terrifyingly unfathomable!!!

Su Xingchuan

Today, This Bystander Passed by the Male Lead's Set Again