The next three days passed peacefully.

Xie Yu settled down in the Xingfu Community. Shen Ci and Xie Yuanhai seemed to have forgotten him; no one came to disturb him, and life was completely tranquil. However, Xie Yu knew that during this part of the plot, the two groups had already clashed several times.

Xie Yuanshan died suddenly, and there were issues regarding the ownership of the company's shares. Xie Yuanhai was currently overwhelmed and in a desperate situation, while Shen Ci borrowed Luo Shao's influence to make indirect attacks, snatching away quite a few of the Xie Family's old clients.

Jiang City currently appeared to be a pool of stagnant water on the surface, but in reality, it was full of treacherous undercurrents and stormy waves. Xie Yu guessed that the reason Shen Ci hadn't come to cause him trouble was because he was held back by Xie Yuanhai and couldn't spare the time.

He was happy to be at leisure, treating it entirely as a vacation: buying groceries in the early morning, strolling in the park in the late morning, watching the old uncles and aunts play cards and fish, taking a nap at noon, and playing games and watching TV in the afternoon. His routine was a simple three-point line, even more regular than that of the elderly.

He was completely unaware that the long-vacant house next door had moved in a new guest.

Xingfu Community was subsidized housing from the last century. The distance between the buildings was narrow, and the soundproofing was mediocre. From the balcony next door, it was very easy to notice the movements on his side.

Over the course of three days, Shen Ci saw a completely different Xie Yu.

Although he had been with Xie Yu day and night for over six months, the Xie Yu of that time was the precious and noble young master of the Xie Family. He stayed in hotels, drove luxury cars, and wore famous watches. He had his own exclusive driver and doctor. Surrounded by people like the moon by stars, he didn't need to worry about anything. Although Shen Ci could catch a glimpse of the gentle undertone in his personality, it was like looking at flowers through a fog—not seen clearly.

At that time, Shen Ci never knew that Xie Yu could be like this.

Every day at exactly 11 o'clock, the stove next door would be turned on punctually. Xie Yu would wear a little bear apron, wielding a spatula in front of the stove.

When Shen Ci first saw it, he was very worried that Young Master Xie, whose ten fingers had never touched spring water, wouldn't be able to turn on the stove or heat the wok and would burn himself. However, Xie Yu's movements were relaxed and elegant, heating the wok and oil in one smooth breath. Even his posture when chopping meat was relaxed and casual; he was definitely an expert at this.

Shen Ci also used to cook often when he was a child, using an earthen stove in the countryside. He wasn't even as tall as the stove back then, standing on his tiptoes to add firewood and light the fire, so he could be considered a skilled worker too.

But after silently comparing for a moment, he felt that he wasn't as good at cooking as Xie Yu.

Xie Yu seemed to treat cooking as an art. He hummed songs, and the dishes didn't repeat over the three days. Every meal had main dishes like steamed fish or roast duck, without showing the slightest bit of perfunctoriness.

Whenever it was mealtime, the aroma of the food drifted over through the window. The scent of scallions, ginger, and garlic mixed with the sweet fragrance of roasted meat, filling the entire building with the atmosphere of daily life.

Sometimes when he bought too much meat and couldn't finish it alone, Xie Yu would go downstairs to feed the cats. In the evening, when the sunlight wasn't so glaring, he would mince a mixture of red and white meat and offal, put it in a small plate, place it next to the bench downstairs, and then take a short nap on the bench.

Xingfu Community was an old resettlement neighborhood with ten to twenty stray cats inside. Whenever this time came, they would trot over with pattering steps. At first, they were still wary of Xie Yu, but after being fed for two days, they were well-fed and started to lean against Xie Yu's trouser legs to sleep.

There were no pedigree cats in the community; they were all local breeds. The most numerous were the orange tabbies, fluffy and chubby. They sprawled to the side contentedly, slowly licking their fur. Meanwhile, Xie Yu also lounged lazily on the bench, as if he had no bones, petting the cats listlessly. Shen Ci couldn't hold back and secretly opened the window to take a picture.

In the photo, the setting sun dyed everything in sight in warm tones. The cats, the bench, and even the dilapidated walls of the old neighborhood—everything was very gentle, as warm as the soft belly of an orange cat. And the young man on the bench was so lazy and relaxed that it even made one feel that if you hugged him and took a breath, you could smell the scent of sunlight.

When Xie Yu was feeding the cats, Shen Ci had just finished his day's work. As Xie Yu sprawled on the bench for half an hour, Shen Ci hid behind the window and watched for half an hour. His chest brimmed with a certain emotion, his state of mind peaceful and tranquil.

Ever since that separation five years ago, when tossing and turning at night, Shen Ci often had an illusion—an illusion that Xie Yu would still stretch out an arm and pull him into his embrace, his body heat transmitting through the thin fabric, scaldingly hot.

Shen Ci had always slept alone, but for six months, Xie Yu forced him to get used to sleeping together. As a result, after they separated, although his mind tried its best to exercise restraint, his body still remembered. Whenever he woke up in the dead of night, his body still yearned for that embrace. Later, as time passed, this feeling faded.

But now, this feeling came back with a vengeance. The pads of his fingers unconsciously rubbed against each other, wanting to embrace the person entirely and breathe in the scent of sunlight.

But at the same time, he was a little confused.

Was Xie Yu originally like this?

Regarding the eldest young master of the Xie Family, there were so many rumors in Jiang City, saying that his methods were rough and violent, his temper would flare up at the slightest provocation, and he didn't know how to hold back. But no rumor ever mentioned that Xie Yu cooked excellent dishes and liked to go downstairs to feed cats.

How could there be such a person in this world? With every bit of increased closeness, one would like him ten times more.

The evaluations of outsiders could be fabricated, but one's appearance when alone couldn't be faked. The so-called irritable, gloomy, crazy, and perverted Young Master Xie was fake; the gentle, smiling, and good-tempered one was real. And if Xie Yu really did exhibit violent behavior, it could only be because...

He was sick; he had bipolar disorder.

Shen Ci recalled that lengthy paper, his palms unconsciously clenching tightly:

"The causes of bipolar disorder are complex, and its manifestations are diverse. When an episode occurs, the patient is completely different from their usual self. There are few treatment methods, and it is difficult to cure completely; it can only be alleviated."

Xie Yu was completely unaware of the convoluted thoughts of his next-door neighbor, much less did he know that he had already been judged as being in the late stages of mental illness. He spent three healthy and happy days until the date circled on the calendar arrived.

On this day, he got up very early and changed into a pure black suit.

The original owner's dressing style was flamboyant, favoring haute couture with complex patterns and bright colors. Xie Yu, on the other hand, was used to wearing casual clothes, preferring jackets and sweatpants. This suit was something he had to rummage through boxes and chests to find at the very bottom.

The System was scratching its heart and liver, not knowing what kind of trick its host was playing. Seeing Xie Yu open his backpack and put three bottles of liquor inside, its mind was full of question marks: "What exactly are you trying to do? Are you going to make a homemade explosive?"

Xie Yu was concise and to the point: "Taking them to drink."

These three bottles of liquor were bought by Xie Yu a couple of days ago. He picked the most expensive bottles on the supermarket shelf, didn't look at the price or the alcohol content, and just paid and left.

System: "...Xie Yu, I'm warning you, you won't be able to get on the subway carrying these."

Xie Yu: "We'll take a taxi."

After saying that, he actually pulled out his phone and made a series of operations. The System flew to the side to take a look and froze: "Qiong... Qiongshan Cemetery?"

—Other people's male supporting characters went in and out of high-end teahouses, luxury hotels, and top-tier clubs; its male supporting character went in and out of psychiatric hospitals, resettlement housing, and suburban cemeteries.

System: "...?"

Xie Yu picked up his bag and went out the door, casually saying, "Do you remember a previous plot point where the original owner got drunk alone, temporarily called Shen Ci to the hospital, and tortured him a good deal?"

"There seems to be such a thing?"

"I found it strange at the time. The original owner loved lively atmospheres, always gathered his friends for every party, and never acted alone. Plus, with his status, he never lacked people to accompany him. Why would he drink alone?" Xie Yu sighed softly. "Thinking about it, it was his mother's death anniversary."

The System was an electronic lifeform, and Xie Yu was its first host. It couldn't grasp the complex emotions of humans. After a slight pause, it asked in confusion, "Are you going to sweep the tomb?"

Xie Yu said, "I received her favor and am living in her house. Moreover, she looks very much like my mother. Both emotionally and reasonably, I should go make a trip."

Qiongshan Cemetery was in the outer suburbs of Jiang City, about a 40-minute drive from here. It wasn't far from Xu Qingshan's psychiatric hospital; they were situated in a front-and-back of the mountain relationship.

Although psychiatric hospitals were generally built in the outer suburbs, when Xu Qingshan chose this location, he also had the intention of looking after his older sister.

A light rain fell that day, and the air carried a hint of chilliness. Xie Yu, wearing only a suit, didn't feel cold.

Today wasn't a conventional festival for honoring ancestors, so there were very few people coming to the tombs. Xie Yu bought a bouquet of pure white daisies at the cemetery entrance and found the original owner's mother's grave under a pine tree on the back mountain.

A bouquet of daisies had already been placed in front of the tomb, along with traces of paper ashes. It seemed Xu Qingshan had already paid his respects.

Xie Yu swept away the dust in front of the tomb. This was a modestly sized single grave. When Xie Yuanshan was alive, his relationship with his wife was mediocre, and they even had many conflicts, so the two were not buried together.

The tombstone bore the owner's photo and name. The original owner's mother was named Xu Qingping. On the black-and-white photo, her face was gentle, and she was smiling tranquilly. Xie Yu took one look and drew in a sharp breath.

He stretched out a finger and hovered it over the photo, revealing a somewhat bitter and astringent smile.

Really very similar.

The two worlds were completely different, yet had many similarities.

Xie Yu swept the dust clean and sat down. He pulled a liquor bottle out of his bag, poured half of it onto the soil in front of the tomb, muttered a few customary words of blessing for worship, and then leaned against the pine tree, pouring and drinking by himself.

System: "...Are you really drinking?"

Three bottles of liquor, every single one of them hard liquor.

Xie Yu: "I won't be able to come many more times either."

The tranquilly smiling lady in the photo would never know that the child she treasured was already gone, replaced by an otherworldly visitor burdened with a system. Nor would she know that the plot was about to end, and even this otherworldly visitor wouldn't be staying for much longer.

When that time came, there would no longer be anyone in the world named Xie Yu. Aside from Xu Qingshan, no one else would come to this tomb to offer white flowers.

Xie Yu wiped away the water stains on the photo, staring intently at that gentle and beautiful face, and smiled bitterly. "If she knew what the original owner had done, she would surely be very sad."

Such a gentle mother, yet her child went down such a wrong path, ending up with a ruined reputation, a miserable end, and utterly penniless.

System: "Host..."

When one had things weighing on their mind, drinking was always done without restraint. The System watched him down cup after cup but didn't dare to persuade him otherwise. By the time the rainwater had almost soaked through his clothes and hair, Xie Yu staggered to his feet, leaning on the pine tree. As he packed his backpack preparing to leave, he was already about eighty percent drunk.

The System's heart was pounding in fear: "How are we going to get back... Be careful of the steps!"

The cemetery was located in a remote area, making it impossible to hail a taxi. The nearest bus stop was seven or eight kilometers away. Given Xie Yu's current state, he would probably collapse on the road halfway there.

Xie Yu: "I'll walk to the psychiatric hospital and stay there for a night."

Anyway, according to the plot, he was supposed to stay there for a night.

The System linked to the navigation and planned the route on its screen: "Alright, we are three kilometers away from Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, with an estimated walking time of 45 minutes. I have planned the route for you... Host! Be careful of the steps!"

The cemetery was built against the mountain and was full of steps.

Xie Yu held onto the railing by the road to steady himself, rubbing his forehead with a bit of a headache. He was indeed already drunk.

The liquor tasted light upon entry, but the aftereffect was long-lasting. He hadn't felt it while sitting just now, but now that he stood up, the world was spinning somewhat, leaving him disoriented and unaware of his surroundings.

In fact, Xie Yu had estimated his alcohol tolerance. Five years ago, this little bit of alcohol wouldn't have been a problem. However, during his five years of studying abroad, Xie Yu rarely attended parties. Even if he did, it was just cooking a couple of dishes at home to entertain friends and drinking two bottles of beer to wash it down. He hadn't drunk white liquor for a very long time.

The System's electronic heart was in its throat. With every step Xie Yu took down the stairs, its heart would skip a beat. Fortunately, although Xie Yu was drinking like a drunk cat, swaying and staggering, his balance was still pretty good, always managing to stand firm and hold on tight at the last moment.

After finally making it to the cemetery entrance, the System was about to have a myocardial infarction. It tremblingly suggested, "Host, you better not walk anymore. I'll call Xu Qingshan to come pick you up. I'll call him, I..."

Halfway through its sentence, it abruptly stopped. The System's non-existent pupils contracted, and its electronic heart began to tremble violently.

In front of the cemetery gates, there was a person.

To be precise, a young man holding an umbrella.

The post-rain cemetery was desolate and deserted, yet under the archway parked a Bentley with twin headlights. A person stood in front of the car, wearing a pure black long trench coat and a turtleneck sweater. He had clearly been standing there for a long time, as there was a ring of water stains along the edge of his trench coat. Currently holding an umbrella, he was looking over here from afar.

The System's non-existent cerebral cortex was about to explode.

"H-H-H-Host! S-S-Shen Ci, it's Shen Ci ahhh! Why is he here ahhh!"

Xie Yu was given a headache by the noise. His amber eyes struggled to focus, loosely landing on the newcomer. He revealed a slightly puzzled expression, seemingly not understanding what the System was howling about.

Shen Ci's gaze swept over Xie Yu's slightly wet clothes and he said coldly, "If I hadn't come, how were you planning to get back?"

On such a cold day, with his clothes soaked through, was he going to walk three kilometers to find Xu Qingshan?

He pressed to unlock the car door. Seeing that Xie Yu was still unmoving in his spot, he twitched the corners of his lips. It was hard to say whether it was mockery or self-deprecation as he just lowered his eyes: "What, even down and out like this, you still don't want to ride in my..."

Before his voice could fade, a sudden weight came onto his shoulder. Heat transmitted through the clothing. Shen Ci's fingertips twitched, and he looked back in disbelief.

Xie Yu wrapped his arms around him.

Dead drunk, he seemed to have treated Shen Ci as a railing pillar he could cling to, pressing most of his weight onto him.

"..."

Xie Yu was an adult man, and a tall adult man with chest and abdominal muscles at that. He wasn't light.

Shen Ci was completely unprepared and stumbled under the weight. He turned around somewhat at a loss, the cold expression on his face vanishing without a trace, replaced by confusion and bewilderment. He raised a hand to wrap around Xie Yu's waist to prevent him from sliding down, and asked hoarsely, "What are you doing?"

Xie Yu didn't answer. His mind wasn't very clear, and he was extremely cold. Having suddenly hugged a warm lump—and the touch of this lump being incredibly familiar, as if it was something he was used to hugging—he nuzzled his face against it, rubbing against the warm skin.

Shen Ci: "!!!"

Xie Yu was slightly taller than him, and the way he rubbed against him was like a snuggling big cat. Shen Ci hesitated for a moment, then raised a hand to touch him.

His hand felt an icy, cold wetness.

Jiang City after the rain was truly too cold. With the water vapor plastered on his body, he was as cold as ice.

Shen Ci opened the car door and with great difficulty hoisted Xie Yu inside. When Young Master Xie was drunk, his bones were softer than a cat's, slumping limply in the seat. Shen Ci was quite exasperated. He struggled to fasten Xie Yu's seatbelt for him, then turned the heater to the maximum. Finally, he pulled a fluffy towel out of the storage compartment and draped it over Xie Yu's head without allowing any room for argument.

Xie Yu lifted his eyelids to look at him, his expression exceptionally dazed.

Shen Ci sighed silently. Resigning himself to his fate, he wrapped the towel around the hair, plunging his slender ten fingers into the hair to gently dry it for him.

As he wiped, he became somewhat entranced.

As early as five years ago, Xie Yu had also dried his hair like this.

That day was also a chilly rainy day. When he hurriedly got into Young Master Xie's car, he was already two minutes late. At that time, Shen Ci had tensed his body, ready to receive all kinds of reprimands. Xie Yu had also acted just like this, placing a fluffy towel on the top of his head. Shen Ci still vaguely remembered Xie Yu's expression back then—it was also just like his right now, with a somewhat helpless smile at the corner of his mouth, as if complaining: "How did you get yourself into this state?"

Shen Ci sighed, gathering his scattered thoughts, and focused on drying the hair under his hands. But inadvertently, he met Xie Yu's eyes. Young Master Xie was dead drunk, yet hadn't passed out completely. His tea-colored eyes were half-squinted, as if being rubbed felt very comfortable.

...He looked even more like a purring big cat now.

The big cat lay on the backrest, motionless, letting people do as they pleased. You could freely toy with his hair, the tips of his ears, and anything else you wanted to toy with.

Shen Ci's fingertips paused, shifting his gaze away from the dripping collarbone line of the other person, and resumed drying his hair.

After finishing with the hair, the clothes were a bit troublesome. There were no clothes suitable for Xie Yu in the car. Shen Ci managed to pull off his suit jacket, then looked with quite a bit of distress at his undershirt. This shirt was stained with water and entirely stuck to his body, making it difficult to take off. Moreover, Xie Yu wasn't cooperating—if you told him to raise his hand, he would look at you blankly; if you told him to turn around, he would still look at you blankly.

At a rough estimate, under the devastation of alcohol, Young Master Xie's language analysis system was approximately equivalent to that of a three-year-old child.

Shen Ci didn't know how many times he had sighed today. Like peeling garlic, he forcefully stripped Xie Yu out of his clothes and then wrapped him up in a clean towel.

In all fairness, the figure under the towel was quite impressive. The muscle curves of his chest, abdomen, waist, and back were all smooth and beautiful. It was a physique perfectly balanced between strong and lean—neither overly muscular and lacking aesthetic appeal, nor overly thin and appearing frail.

But at this moment, Shen Ci was in no mood to admire it. Xie Yu had come to the cemetery in the dead of winter to blow in the cold wind and be drenched in the cold rain all afternoon, all without changing clothes. He was only worried that Xie Yu would catch a cold.

Shen Ci stepped on the clutch, ignited the engine, and the Bentley swung out a beautiful arc, driving onto the winding mountain road.

Five years ago, he still didn't know how to drive, but now he was both steady and fast, keeping the speed right around the limit.

During this time, Xie Yu briefly woke up from his daze. Seeing double, he mistook the driver for some passing good Samaritan, and struggled to say, "You send, send me to..."

Shen Ci parked on the side of the road and leaned over to hear him, only to hear Xie Yu say: "...send me, send me to the psychiatric hospital."

Shen Ci looked at him coldly. He watched him for a good while before giving a short laugh: "Not sending you."

He stomped down on the gas pedal, and the Bentley sped like lightning. In less than half an hour, he drove back to the hotel.

Shen Ci stopped at the hotel entrance and got Xie Yu out of the car. Xie Yu was as soft as some kind of koala, treating Shen Ci as a crutch. Shen Ci was utterly exasperated, but when the lobby manager saw them and wanted to come over to help, he blocked him off.

"Thank you." Shen Ci politely declined. "No need to trouble yourself, I'll carry him up myself."

His tone was courteous and polite, his outfit and accessories elegant and refined. If he hadn't been pressed so lopsidedly by Xie Yu, he would look like a noble and gentle scholar. But right now, his hair was messy, a button on his shirt had been rubbed off, and his glasses were perched crookedly on the bridge of his nose, making him look quite disheveled.

The lobby manager was baffled and repeatedly confirmed: "Do you really not need help?"

Shen Ci shook his head: "It's fine."

He carried Xie Yu into the elevator and all the way to the top floor. By the time he settled the person onto the bed, he himself had also broken out in a sweat. After giving Xie Yu a simple clean-up, he went to the bathroom to wash up. When he came out changed into loungewear, Xie Yu had already fallen asleep.

While asleep, Xie Yu was even more harmless. Half of his face rubbed against the pillow, the quilt pressing his cheek into a soft arc.

Shen Ci sat by the bed, frowning slightly. Xie Yu was currently in a drunken state, but when he sobered up tomorrow, he would definitely ask why he had come to the hotel. He pondered for a moment, momentarily unable to come up with appropriate wording. Feeling somewhat vexed, he was just about to call his secretary to send some hangover medicine when Xie Yu suddenly nuzzled up next to him and grasped his hand.

"..."

In a daze, Shen Ci even thought he had returned to five years ago.

This was entirely Xie Yu's subconscious action, driven by his bodily instinct. There was something familiar right beside him, so he raised his hand to clasp it, pulling it into his embrace.

Xie Yu was drunk, but his strength wasn't small. Shen Ci was yanked lopsided by him and fell diagonally onto the bed. His newly arranged loungewear was ruffled again. Xie Yu, like an animal finding its familiar spot, circled Shen Ci and stopped moving.

He hugged too tightly, which wasn't comfortable. Shen Ci reflexively pushed him away, only to see Xie Yu groggily open his eyes like a drunk cat: "Don't, don't move, let me hug you for a bit..."

Saying that, he tilted his head, about to fall asleep again.

Shen Ci stared at him for a good while, then suddenly reached out to prop up his forehead, forcing him to meet his gaze: "Xie Yu, who am I?"

Xie Yu was groggy and didn't answer. He frowned slightly, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction at having his sleep disturbed, and turned his head to go back to sleep.

Shen Ci, however, didn't let go. He stared straight into Xie Yu's eyes: "Who are you holding? And who is it that you want to hold?"

Having been abroad for five years, with Young Master Xie's playboy personality, it wasn't certain that he hadn't found someone else. Five years ago, the other party left cleanly and decisively, and after returning to the country, he acted completely as if they didn't know each other. Being like this today was entirely Shen Ci's own willing self-degradation and wishful thinking. But if he was hugging him while thinking of someone else, he, Shen Ci, wouldn't belittle and demean himself to such an extent.

Xie Yu looked at him blankly, struggling to digest the meaning. Under Shen Ci's repeated pressing questions, his mushy brain vaguely remembered something, and he muttered as if to himself: "You, are Por... Mr. Porcelain."

Shen Ci abruptly let go of his hand.

...Mr. Porcelain?

He certainly remembered this term, that safe word set on the very first day they met. Back then, Shen Ci only treated it as a humiliating mockery, never expecting it to be the beginning of his fall.

Xie Yu still remembered.

The coldness between his brows mostly dissipated, turning into stunned helplessness. His stiff body also softened, allowing Xie Yu to paw at him and pull him into his embrace like a hugging pillow.

This was a very close posture, and the heat of the embrace was scorching. Xie Yu's handsome and straight nasal bridge was close at hand. Shen Ci stared there for a long time, then suddenly closed his eyes and leaned in.

He lightly touched the lips, stealing a pine-scented kiss.

When Xie Yu woke up the next day, his head was splitting with pain.

Thinking back to the past, he was also a good hand at the drinking table, having no problem chugging hard liquor straight from the bottle. Unfortunately, as his high school days drifted further and further away, Xie Yu's alcohol tolerance, just like his rebelliousness, had gone never to return, reducing him to the miserable state of passing out after just one bottle.

His forehead throbbed with swelling pain, his temples stung, and the back of his head throbbed in pain. There wasn't a single place in his entire head that didn't hurt. Caught off guard for a moment, he tumbled off the bed, half-kneeling on the carpet.

This carpet was laid thick and soft. Xie Yu sat down leaning against the bed, his fingers sinking into the fluff of the carpet.

...Carpet?

His chaotic and muddled brain finally sobered up a little, recalling the events before he blacked out:

He should have been at Qiongshan Cemetery paying respects to the original owner's mother. Later, he drank a few cups. That liquor had a long-lasting aftereffect; he didn't feel anything while drinking it, but once he stood up and walked two laps, he directly blacked out.

And now?

He looked around. A luxury hotel, a top-floor suite, huge floor-to-ceiling windows, and a fan-shaped bathtub. The sunlight outside was just right, and the sky presented a boundless azure blue.

It was precisely the hotel suite from when he first arrived.

If his phone hadn't clearly displayed the date, Xie Yu would have thought he had drunk himself to death at the cemetery and loaded his save file straight back to the starting point of the plot.

The System's faint voice drifted over: "Host, you're awake?"

Xie Yu: "Why am I here?"

The System continued faintly: "Right, why are you here?"

"Who brought you back, what happened last night, and what did you do to the person who brought you back? You can't remember any of it at all?"

It was extremely dissatisfied that the host drank to the point of blacking out and losing his memory, leaving it to face Shen Ci alone. Its words carried hidden barbs, dripping with sarcasm.

Xie Yu had no energy to bicker with it. Rubbing the center of his brows, he said weakly, "How would I know so much? My head hurts so much... Don't you have that, what is it, that pain shielding system? Hurry up and give me some."

His brain was about to explode.

The System shook its head: "I can only target plot-related pain, such as breaking fingers. There's nothing I can do for your kind."

Xie Yu: "...What use do I have for you?"

Under the hangover, Xie Yu truly had no energy to think much. He struggled to straighten his body. His face was deathly pale, bean-sized drops of sweat rolling down his jaw, and a patch of his clothes on his back was also wet.

Now, even the System didn't dare to be sarcastic: "Host, are you in a lot of pain?"

"Nonsense." Xie Yu took a deep breath. His vision was swimming, and he tried to banter with the System to distract his attention: "Sys, are you sure nothing will go wrong with the plot-related pain?"

Although the plot was currently a bit broken—Shen Ci's behavior couldn't exactly be said to be completely consistent with the original text, it was completely unrelated. But Xie Yu had repeatedly confirmed with the System that their plot concordance was at 85%. There were a bunch of minor deviations, but no major ones. Theoretically, the ending wouldn't have a major shift either. The System had once told him with certainty that the current situation was temporary, not a big problem, and it would return to the right track sooner or later.

Returning to the right track meant that there would still be the series of plots involving breaking fingers. The ten fingers are connected to the heart; the pain of breaking them was not something ordinary pain could compare to. If the System went wrong when the time came, Xie Yu was going to hit someone.

The System was very dissatisfied with his suspicion: "I am a professional system, you can't question my professionalism... I can let you give it a try."

A fluorescent blue screen flickered, and the nerves in the fingers of his left hand felt as if they were suddenly extracted.

The System said coolly: "Try breaking them and see. If you can feel even a little bit of pain, I lose."

"Will they go back to normal after I break them?"

"I'll correct them for you after you break them, it's free."

When people are in pain, they always do something to distract themselves, such as biting their lower lip or pinching themselves while undergoing torture. Although it only makes the body hurt more, it does indeed have a kind of placebo effect.

Covered in cold sweat, Xie Yu grasped his fingers, trying to focus his energy on this area. The tactile sensation under his fingertips was very bizarre. It was like a piece of moldable putty—soft but lacking elasticity, leaving a dent with every press. It wasn't the texture of human skin at all. He tentatively bent it backwards. The bone let out a crisp cracking sound, and then the joint dislocated, leaving a segment of his finger hanging limply.

It really didn't hurt; not even a hundredth of the pain in his forehead.

However, before the System could attach the finger back, the room door was suddenly pulled open with great force. The metal hinges let out an overwhelmed creak. Pale-faced, Xie Yu raised his eyes. Shen Ci was standing in the doorway, his brows and eyes gloomy, his face ashen. A pair of dark tea-colored eyes stared at him intently, harboring innumerable sorrows within.