Shi Yu always thought he was just an ordinary office worker.

After transmigrating into a dangerous world, he stuck to a low-key, lazy lifestyle, following the rules to stay safe. Aside from doing anonymous food livestreams online, he avoided going out as much as possible and steered clear of the main characters at all costs.

Until one day, he realized… he seemed to be pregnant.

His belly had slightly bulged, and the fleshy mass inside pulsed gently. Only when waves of unsettling warmth radiated from within did Shi Yu finally understand—his body now housed an indescribable little monster.

…

Chaos and Malice was a bestselling horror Lovecraftian novel, topping annual sales charts upon release.

Sang Huaiyu was its undisputed protagonist.

As the most beloved character in this cosmic horror story, Sang Huaiyu had countless admirers. Not only was his appearance peerless, but his charisma was utterly captivating.

Fu Nanyao, the pillar of the Supernatural Ability Association, saw him as salvation. The extraordinarily skilled doctor Shen Yan harbored a silent crush on him. Even the arrogant geniuses bowed their heads in his presence.

Everyone believed—Sang Huaiyu would be the world’s salvation, leading humanity toward the light.

Only Shi Yu, who had read the original novel, knew the truth. The seemingly perfect top-tier supernatural ability user, Sang Huaiyu, was not human at all.

He was the gentle and refined “Light of Humanity,” but also an unfathomable evil god.

What the main characters saw as salvation was not salvation—it was an abyss far more terrifying than the existing horrors.

The scariest part? No one else knew.

—Except for Shi Yu.

Haunted by the terrifying image of this alluring protagonist, Shi Yu had been living cautiously after transmigrating, doing everything to stay unnoticed and avoid all deadly plotlines.

But he failed to realize that after his birthday, the aura of the monster in his belly grew increasingly similar to that of the evil god from the novel.

Then one night, the ever-elegant protagonist knocked on his door, gazed at his belly, and smiled softly:

“Hello, perhaps we should get acquainted.”

“I am, in a biological sense—the father of the child in your belly.”

Shi Yu: ???!!!

Chapter 1

The sky over B City was gloomy. It had been sunny in the morning, but now dark clouds gathered overhead, as if rain was imminent.

Shi Yu pulled back the curtains, hesitating over whether to go out. If he didn’t, the groceries in his fridge would run out by the end of the week. But if he did… he might run into trouble.

It wasn’t that he was overly paranoid—it was just that this world was far too dangerous, nothing like the peaceful one he had lived in before.

All sorts of Horrors lurked in the shadows, invisible to ordinary people, and one wrong step could mean death. When Shi Yu first transmigrated here, he felt like the sky had collapsed—especially once he realized which world he had ended up in.

*Chaotic Malice*—wasn’t this the horror harem novel he had read before?

Just recalling the plot sent a shiver down Shi Yu’s spine.

*Chaotic Malice* had been an extremely popular horror novel in his original world. Upon its release, it soared to the top of trending lists and became the year’s most talked-about work.

Far from being lighthearted, the novel was set against a Lovecraftian backdrop of Horrors. It told the story of Sang Huaiyu, the heir of a wealthy family, who lost his loved ones in a supernatural incident during his youth. By chance, he fused with a Horror Item, gaining supernatural abilities. From then on, he teamed up with the main cast to eliminate Horrors and uncover the truth of the world.

Thanks to Sang Huaiyu’s handsome, refined appearance and charismatic personality, Fu Nanyao—the cornerstone of the Ability User Association—went from treating him with special regard to seeing him as salvation.

The gifted doctor Shen Yan also quietly fell for Sang Huaiyu during their missions, and even Han Chuyi, the younger brother of a prominent family, became smitten with him. The man was practically a real-life incubus.

But while having a protagonist who was universally adored was one thing, the most horrifying twist was—Sang Huaiyu, hailed as humanity’s hope and the strongest Ability User, wasn’t even human!

Readers had shrieked with excitement, only to be stunned when Sang Huaiyu suddenly grew bored, shed his disguise, and revealed his true form as an evil god.

Right before Shi Yu transmigrated, the story had just reached the point where Sang Huaiyu decided he was done playing. The most dangerous arc began, cutting off abruptly under the horrified gazes of readers—enough to make your skin crawl.

Shi Yu took a deep breath, snapping out of his thoughts, and stared at his empty fridge for a long moment before finally making a decision.

Fine, he’d go out. He’d stock up on groceries so he wouldn’t have to come out again soon. Otherwise, even if he didn’t run into any Horror encounters, he’d starve to death at home.

As for why he didn’t order delivery?

Shi Yu grimaced. In a world teeming with Horrors, the chances of something going wrong with food delivery were far higher than if he just went out himself.

He seemed to recall hearing about some kind of delivery Horror lurking around.

Rubbing his stomach, Shi Yu mused that the only reason he had survived this long after transmigrating was by lying low. Still, he frowned slightly, troubled.

He didn’t know why he’d suddenly become so ravenous this week. He had originally bought enough food for over ten days’ worth of eating show streams, yet he’d already finished it all.

Was it because spring had arrived, boosting his appetite?

The thought crossed his mind before Shi Yu shook his head. After changing into a hoodie, he carefully put on a mask, grabbed his trash, and left the residential complex.

To avoid attracting any hidden Horrors, Shi Yu made sure to bundle up completely whenever he went out. Still, there was no avoiding public transportation. Having only transmigrated six months ago, his Mukbang earnings barely covered daily expenses—he couldn’t afford a car.

Luckily, there was a bus stop about a hundred meters from his apartment.

Standing at the stop, Shi Yu eyed the overcast sky and decided he’d hurry back after buying groceries to lock all his doors and windows. This weather practically screamed *something bad is about to happen*.

Overcast, storm-threatening days like this were the preferred setting for all sorts of terrifying events in the original novel.

Clutching his phone, Shi Yu double-checked the bus number and station information before letting out a small sigh of relief. Pulling up his hoodie’s hood, he boarded the bus.

Not long after Shi Yu left, about 200 meters past where Bus 405 had stopped, Shen Yan arrived at the courier station only to find it closed.

A notice was posted at the entrance of the courier station, saying that the owner had ended the lease yesterday and bought a ticket home.

"The last trace of the 'Undiscardable Parcel' was here?"

"Yes, at this courier station, Dr. Shen."

"After Mr. Sang handled the 'Undiscardable Parcel,' only ten percent of its energy remained. However, this Horror is extremely cunning. At the time, it pretended to be exhausted, tricking us into lowering our guard. Who knew it would seize the chaos to escape... We only discovered later that it had hidden in a courier truck and was transported here by a deliveryman."

The speaker seemed ashamed as they mentioned this mistake.

Mr. Sang had dealt with the most dangerous part, and they were supposed to clear the remnants. Yet, at the final step, something went wrong, allowing the Horror Item to flee.

Even so, when mentioning Mr. Sang, the Ability User Association member's face turned slightly red, as if merely saying his name was enough to stir excitement.

In the eyes of the Ability User Association, though Mr. Sang was not an internal member nor affiliated with any organization, he commanded deep respect.

He was the undisputed number one Ability User in City B, having handled countless Horror incidents over the past year. Moreover, he had saved so many Association members that, to the newer recruits, he was virtually a living legend.

When Shen Yan heard Sang Huaiyu's name, he felt a faint stirring. Returning to the present, his expression remained stern as he looked at the embarrassed Association member.

"This was indeed your mistake."

His voice was cold, and with just that one sentence, the tall man before him looked even more ashamed.

Though the Ability User Association was not an official organization, it was formed through collaboration between mystic sects and all Ability Users with the purpose of protecting the city from Horrors. Yet now, because of their carelessness, a Horror had been let loose.

Shen Yan said calmly, "The 'Undiscardable Parcel' relies on human presence to survive. Now that it’s mixed into a residential area, it’s even more troublesome than before."

Previously, they had deliberately isolated it from populated areas to capture it. Now that it had blended back into the population, latching onto ordinary people, even with only ten percent of its energy left, it became twice as hard to handle.

After all, the 'Undiscardable Parcel' looked no different from an ordinary package. The only sign was that after being discarded, it would reappear and siphon off one-third of the discarder's life force.

The first time a person carried it, they would lose one-third of their vitality. The second time, the same. By the third time, the carrier would be completely consumed as nourishment for the 'Undiscardable Parcel.'

Before being detected, it had already claimed many victims this way.

Now, the worst part was that before the courier station closed, the deliveryman had already dispatched the parcel. They had no way of knowing whose home it would end up in.

Zhao Wen knew he had made a grave mistake, but the priority now was to locate the 'Undiscardable Parcel.' "Dr. Shen, what should we do now?"

The surrounding streets stood empty, with three or four housing complexes visible nearby.

"The courier tracking information is still available. We’ll have to check them one by one." There was no better alternative.

Human methods were often powerless against Horrors. The Association member nodded and hurried off to prepare.

Shen Yan frowned, glancing briefly at the bus slowly passing by before withdrawing his gaze.

"Also, remember to apply for a search permit."

Without proper documentation, it would be difficult to gain residents’ trust during the investigation, making the search even harder.

Hearing Dr. Shen’s words, Zhao Wen responded promptly.

"Yes, Dr. Shen."

The team split up, with two members assigned to apply for the search permit. Meanwhile, Shen Yan took off his gloves and entered the nearest residential area with the remaining members.

...

He had only intended to grab some essentials to stock up on, but Shi Yu didn’t expect he’d be this hungry lately. He’d just eaten lunch, yet the moment he got off the bus, his stomach was growling again.

The supermarket was a feast for the eyes—everything looked tempting. This snack, that snack… all of it called to him.

Shi Yu: "..."

Stupid appetite! How much is this going to cost me every day?

When he reached the food section, he couldn’t help but stop and stare, completely entranced. In the end, he ended up spending two weeks' worth of living expenses.

Shi Yu: "!!!"

Looking at the nearly empty balance in his account, his mouth twitched.

Well, money’s gonna get spent either way. Eating’s... fine, I guess.

Still, he’d need to do more livestreams this month to make up for it. Today’s shopping could count as next week’s supplies too. Staring at the cart full of groceries, the initial sticker shock faded into an oddly satisfying feeling. His mind was already racing with ideas about what he’d cook tonight.

With so many ingredients, he could finally put his cooking skills to use.

But while buying everything had been fun, hauling it all back home was a struggle. Carrying two heavy bags, he found himself stopping to rest every few steps. The short 100-meter walk from the bus stop took twenty minutes.

Pausing to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead, he turned his head absentmindedly for a glance around.

It was just a casual look—but something seemed off.

Huh?

Since when was there a car parked by the entrance across the way?

A black SUV stood out like a sore thumb, though no one was inside. Shi Yu’s neighborhood was an old one without underground parking; everyone left their cars outside. He didn’t remember seeing that vehicle when he left earlier.

After staring at it for a couple seconds, he quickly looked away. Better not to get involved—curiosity was a death sentence in a world of Horrors.

"Curiosity killed the cat" wasn’t just a saying here—it was a survival rule.

After another minute of rest, the elevator came, and he made it safely home.

Only once he stepped into his living room did he truly relax. Rubbing his shoulders, he set the groceries down and checked the windows and security cameras. Everything looked normal.

Another day survived. Time to enjoy his meal.

Across the street, several people trailing behind Dr. Shen frowned, picking up on something strange.

They had already searched two nearby neighborhoods without finding any trace of the unclaimed package before arriving at this complex.

At first, it seemed like a standard sweep—but the moment they entered the building, something felt wrong.

It was too quiet.

The after-work hour should have been bustling with grandparents picking up kids and students heading home, filling the outdoor fitness area with noise. Yet stepping into this unit felt like entering a vacuum. All sound seemed to cut out, even the nearby chatter reduced to distant echoes.

"Old buildings don’t have soundproofing this good, right?" Wang Shan muttered, goosebumps rising on his arms.

Dr. Shen said nothing, simply closing his eyes. The higher they climbed, the sharper his psychic senses became.

A thin psychic thread tugged at his awareness. Opening his eyes, he finally caught it—the coppery tang of blood cutting through the tangled mess of ordinary human scents.

"Let's go to the seventeenth floor."

They exchanged glances and quickly climbed up the stairs.

But the next moment, that spiritual perception vanished completely.

Wang Shan barged in, kicking the door open, only to find a man sitting lifelessly on the sofa across from him—his face waxen, his body emaciated to nothing but skin and bone, clearly drained of all blood.

There was no sign of the package anywhere inside.

"It’s gone," Shen Yan said simply.

Just two minutes after he sensed the sinister package, the horror item had already absorbed its victim’s flesh and blood and disappeared.

"Dang, it's clever!" Wang Shan spat out angrily before calling for cleanup.

...

Shi Yu had just finished putting away his groceries and pulled out the ingredients he’d prepared earlier from the fridge. Tempted by the fresh meat and vegetables at the supermarket, he’d finally decided on making cola chicken wings and pumpkin soup!

He’d been dying for this.

Most people in this world lived off nutrient solutions, rarely eating proper meals. Even supermarkets were packed with instant food. When he finally found fresh meat, he stocked up heavily—today, he was going to treat himself.

With that thought, he slipped on his mask and walked over to his computer as usual, turning on the camera. As always, he greeted his viewers with a smile.

"Afternoon, Yu Yu! What’re we cooking today?"

Shi Yu’s online alias was "Bubble-Blowing Shark," and his fans affectionately called him "Yu Yu." At first, it weirded him out, but then he figured—hey, it’s the internet, and since no one could see his real face anyway, what did it matter? So he rolled with it.

Now, as a straight guy, he could hear “Yu Yu” and stay completely unfazed.

Hearing the question, he held up the chicken wings and pumpkin on the counter.

"Just went grocery shopping and saw some fresh chicken wings, so I grabbed a few."

"Today, I’ll be making cola chicken wings for you all."

Comments flooded in: *"Yesss, my favorite!"*

Outside the screen, office drones slogged through their days, chugging nutrient packs to save time. But online, they loved watching streamers enjoy real meals.

There were plenty of Mukbang streamers on MeowGoo, but most just visited restaurants. Shi Yu, however, cooked everything himself, which earned him a loyal following.

When he first started, barely a dozen people tuned in. Now, six months later, he’d built an audience of tens of thousands. Many young workers short on time even used his videos to accompany their own meals.

His streams had this weird magic—they pulled you in without you realizing it.

"Alright, cola chicken wings are actually super simple."

"First, prep your ingredients. Clean the chicken wings, marinate them briefly, then fry until golden brown on both sides. Finally, pour in the cola and reduce the sauce."

As the final step was completed, the rich aroma practically wafted through the screen.

Shi Yu's stomach had been growling loudly for a while now. While frying the chicken wings earlier, he didn’t blink once, his eyes locked onto the meat. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him lately—he simply couldn’t handle even the slightest bit of hunger.

He had been starving while cooking, feeling like he was wasting away to nothing.

“That looks delicious.”

“Take a bite for us, host!”

A fan in the chat sent a yacht gift, snapping Shi Yu back to attention. He chuckled and said,

“Alright, the pumpkin soup is still simmering, so I’ll tackle the wings first.”

The entire plate of chicken wings smelled amazing. Shi Yu adjusted the camera angle, showing them off to viewers before picking one up.

The moment he took a bite, the rich flavor of cola filled his mouth, and the meat effortlessly slid off the bone. He devoured one wing instantly.

“The host is going ham on those wings!”

Since it was a faceless stream, the audience could only see the host’s fair, slender fingers and the pile of chicken wings shrinking fast—one per minute. In no time, the freshly cooked wings were completely gone.

“Has the host’s appetite gotten bigger lately?” a familiar fan typed in the chat.

Previously, the host hadn’t eaten much when having fried chicken—last time he even saved half in the fridge. This time, though, he finished the whole plate.

Shi Yu also felt like his appetite had increased slightly. And… he reached down to touch his stomach, puzzled.

After finishing an entire plate of wings and the main course, he still wasn’t even close to full?

Chapter 2

No worries—there was still pumpkin soup.

He stood up, waved at the camera, and then turned to walk into the kitchen to bring out the pumpkin soup.

He wasn’t a picky eater—meat or veggies, he liked it all. He figured since he’d just eaten a plate of chicken wings, a bowl of light pumpkin and vegetable soup would be just right.

But things took a weird turn. The freshly served pumpkin soup smelled delicious, but his appetite just vanished.

As the mild aroma of pumpkin wafted over, Shi Yu frowned slightly. He still felt somewhat hungry, yet the thought of eating it was unappealing.

After a long stare-down with the soup, he decided he wasn’t about to force himself.

Eh, whatever, he thought, shrugging it off. He’d just save it for tomorrow.

Maybe he just wasn’t feeling veggies today.

So the soup was left to cool, then tossed in the fridge.

After a pause, the stream chat heard the host say, “Nah, just messing—not in the mood today.”

“We’ll have it tomorrow.”

The chat went quiet for a beat.

“You had me for a sec—thought you were gonna chug that soup!”

On screen, fans joked in relief.

Shi Yu’s face twitched weirdly for a second. Honestly? He could’ve powered through if the soup didn’t seem so blah. But the thought passed quickly, and he didn’t voice it.

Seeing that the host wasn’t eating anymore, the chat drifted to gossiping about recent stuff. Then, one fan suddenly remembered:

“Yo host, you’re in City B, yeah?”

Since his livestream displayed his IP location, Shi Yu didn’t deny it.

“What’s going on in City B?” someone asked.

“I’m in City B too.”

“Kinda complicated.”

An anime-icon fan dropped a warning in chat:

“I have a relative with insider info. They said something about delivery guys around Chenghua Road slipping sketchy stuff into packages. Authorities are checking deliveries one by one. Anyway, host, if you receive anything strange lately, be careful.”

Dangerous items in packages?!

Chat exploded instantly.

“Who’s messed up enough to tamper with deliveries?”

“No wonder my last package got searched like contraband—this explains it.”

Chat went full outrage mode.

Shi Yu blinked at that. Though he hadn’t heard about this, his Horrors-world instincts kicked in—he trusted that warning on sight. He grabbed his phone to dig up the deets.

As he scrolled through the shopping pages one by one, he glanced at his shopping list.

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Books & Literature

Books

book

Well, he hadn’t done much online shopping in the past month, and the delivery tracking page showed no items on their way.

Still, because of what people were saying online, Shi Yu was more cautious. After hesitating for a moment, he set up call screening for unknown numbers on his phone before finally relaxing and setting it down again.

That way, nothing should happen while he slept at night.

As long as he didn’t answer calls, any dangerous package shouldn’t be able to reach him, right?

...

Nearly midnight, Shen Yan checked the time and frowned slightly after wrapping up searching the south building.

"Dr. Shen, we still haven't found it."

Earlier, going door to door had allowed them to trace signs of the "Undiscardable Package," but after the Horror fed on a person's flesh, it had recovered significantly, and its hiding ability had gotten way better.

It wasn’t just hiding in residents’ homes—even sewer pipes and wall crevices could be its hiding spots.

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Books & Literature

Books

book

What made it even worse was that the "Undiscardable Package" had one nasty habit: it needed to take another life every other day. It had devoured a middle-aged man living alone yesterday, and before noon tomorrow, it would definitely strike again.

From past cases, Horror Items rarely returned to places they had already visited, so the next victim was likely in one of the buildings they hadn’t searched yet.

Moreover, since the Undiscardable Package hadn’t fully recovered, its next target would most likely be another person living alone.

"Pick up the pace," Shen Yan urged.

Everyone understood the severity of the situation. With a nod, they scattered to search the remaining two buildings.

Shi Yu had always stuck to a strict sleep schedule—waking at 8 a.m. and asleep before 11 p.m. After finishing his live stream that night, he tidied up his apartment, took a shower, and got ready for bed.

His phone was on silent, as usual, resting on the bedside table. But just as he closed his eyes, the previously empty tracking page suddenly displayed a red alert, as if a courier was on his way to deliver a package.

But it was already midnight!

In the darkness, the screen flickered slightly. Just as the red light blinked on, signaling an incoming delivery call, it suddenly went silent after a single flash.

Shi Yu had enabled call screening, and the delivery system seemed caught off guard, making its first mistake.

Outside the security door, across the living room, a 25cm cardboard box sat silently on the red carpet. No one knew who had delivered it in the dead of night, but under the harsh white hallway lights, it looked downright creepy.

After a minute, the delivery notification reappeared—this time, the Horror Item’s properties had overridden the call block.

Yet, just as the knocking was about to begin, the scuff of footsteps echoed from downstairs.

"Old Wang, hurry up."

"You really need to exercise those old legs of yours."

The voices floated up from below, and with the reply, their steps quickened.

The sound reached the 19th floor, where the Undiscardable Package had been facing off against the security door. Reluctantly, it had no choice but to retreat from the doorway and hide itself once more.

But before vanishing completely, the cardboard box on the ground burned the apartment number into its memory.

After being assigned to this building, Zhao Wen and Wang Shan carried out their routine inspection. As they reached the 15th floor, their scanner started pinging again.

It felt a lot like the building where they had discovered the victim earlier that day.

The two paused for a moment, exchanged glances, and quietly sent a message to Dr. Shen before cautiously proceeding upstairs with Wang Shan, both on high alert.

When they reached the 19th-floor security door, they noticed the red carpet seemed to have shifted. Wang Shan held his breath and approached.

His pupils shrank in an instant—he spotted an eyeball rolling across the carpet.

In that instant, Wang Shan and Zhao Wen both thought the resident inside had been killed, just like the middle-aged man they encountered in Building 8 earlier.

"We should've moved faster just now," Zhao Wen said, face pale.

If only they hadn’t sent that message to Dr. Shen and had rushed up immediately.

Wang Shan patted his shoulder. "Rushing in wouldn’t have helped."

"Let’s wait for Dr. Shen to take a look first."

Any leads?

Dr. Shen had just gone downstairs when he received the message. When he arrived, he saw Wang Shan and Zhao Wen waiting at the door, looking guilty.

"The 'Cursed Package' was here?" He glanced at the doorplate.

Zhao Wen nodded. "It vanished just a second before we got here."

"What about the person inside..." His voice dropped.

Dr. Shen looked at him. "The person inside is fine."

While coming upstairs, his sixth sense had picked up on it—there was someone alive in Unit 1903, unlike the deathly quiet homes of past victims.

Someone?!

The situation suddenly changed. Neither Zhao Wen nor Wang Shan expected the resident to still be alive after encountering the Cursed Package.

Dr. Shen also found it odd, but considering how close Zhao Wen and Wang Shan had been when they came up, the Cursed Package likely didn’t want a direct confrontation and hid shortly after selecting its target.

"So what now, Dr. Shen?"

With Captain Fu away, the association team on this field operation usually took orders from Dr. Shen.

Dr. Shen narrowed his eyes. "Knock and check inside."

Wang Shan: "I’ll do it."

"I’ve got more muscle."

Shi Yu had shut his door tight and was dead asleep behind drawn curtains when he faintly heard knocking.

Imagining things?

Who would knock at this hour?

He blinked at the ceiling for a second, then flipped over, turning his back to the door and pulling the covers over his head, clearly not planning to get up.

Even if it wasn’t imagined, opening the door in the middle of the night in this nightmare world would be suicide.

Stop thinking. Just sleep.

--- The knocking went on for ten solid minutes, but nothing stirred.

Wang Shan was completely stunned. If they didn’t know Dr. Shen’s perception couldn’t be wrong, they would’ve thought the person inside had actually been harmed.

"Sleeping this soundly?"

"Dude’s basically the god of sleep."

Shen Yan was speechless too, though he thought: maybe the resident was spared from the cursed package precisely because he was sleeping so deeply.

"Whatever, if they’re not answering, we’ll wait."

After all, once the cursed package chooses a target, it won’t give up—it’ll definitely come back for 1903 later.

...

Early in the morning, as the sky just began to brighten, Shi Yu was woken by the bright sunlight streaming through the curtains.

Huh?

What time is it?

He burrowed deeper into his blanket, hoping to catch a few more minutes of sleep, when suddenly he heard persistent banging on the door.

The knocking echoed clearly through the living room.

Shi Yu frowned, figuring it was the building manager or something. Unable to rest with all the noise, he reluctantly got up and slung on a hoodie before walking over to ask through the door:

"Who is it?"

His sleepy voice came through the security door, and Wang Shan—who’d been waiting forever—almost sobbed in relief.

Finally! He’s up!

This guy was finally awake. If he hadn’t gotten up by morning, they would’ve busted the door down.

"Dr. Shen?"

He glanced at Shen Yan beside him.

Shen Yan moved right up to the peephole.

"Hello, is this Mr. Shi?"

"We need to talk to you. Could you open the door?"

While waiting for the resident to wake up, Shen Yan had already gotten Shi Yu’s file from Han Chuyi, who was still at the association, and looked it over in the hallway.

Shi Yu, male, twenty-one years old, orphan. Parents passed away, leaving him this apartment. After college, he became a live-streamer and had been doing that ever since.

The file included a grainy old photo, the face barely visible. Shen Yan frowned slightly, figuring Han Chuyi sent it on purpose.

Yesterday’s argument in front of Sang Huaiyu had put Shen Yan in a bad mood.

Han Chuyi always sided with Huai Yu—it wasn’t new—but this was serious. No time for games.

Just as Shen Yan was about to message him for a clearer picture, noise came from inside the apartment.

He tucked his phone away and looked toward the peephole.

Shi Yu, just woken up at the crack of dawn, was totally thrown off by the sudden info dump.

What the heck?

Not from the property management?

He peeked through the peephole and saw a young man in a white trench coat standing right in view of it. He had refined, handsome features, with striking eyes that gave him an air of aloofness.

Behind him, there seemed to be a few other people who fell silent when he spoke.

Shi Yu: ...

As anyone knows, in a popular novel, no one with such good looks would appear without purpose. This man wasn’t just good-looking—he was cool and untouchable, like an alpine bloom.

Shi Yu took another glance. His sluggish mind slowly connected the dots. He had a vague sense this person resembled someone from the story.

But what did this guy want with him?

He remained silent for a long time, still looking through the door.

Shen Yan understood the resident’s wariness at having strangers knock on his door, so he pulled out his ID.

"My name is Shen Yan. I'm a doctor from City Fifth Hospital. You can verify with the photo."

Shen Yan?

So it matched—he was the second male lead from the book!

Shi Yu: ...Wait just a minute—what kind of mess had he gotten himself into?!