“Gu Xichi, are you even listening to me! Are you deaf?”

The overhead light was blindingly bright. Shadows refracted by crystal decorations fell across the young man’s body, the dappled light merging with him and adding a fragile beauty to his appearance.

His skin was startlingly pale, like the first handful of fresh snow under moonlight on a winter day—cold and pure.

Yet the corners of his eyes were tinged with a faint red. The crimson spread along his features, his peach-blossom eyes slightly upturned, sweeping out an arc of light at the corners. Clear and bright, he resembled a poppy blooming silently in the dark night—mingling decadent beauty with that purity.

Champagne swirled in the tall glass, colliding to form white foam. The rich wine’s fragrance slowly entered through his nostrils, and the heat in his body surged like a tide.

Around him, the sounds of social pleasantries rose and fell in waves. People eager for drama kept glancing his way.

Gu Xichi came back to himself, lifting his eyelids. His amber eyes were indifferent as he curved his lips into a mocking arc, looking half-smiling at the furious middle-aged man before him with derision.

Without a doubt, he had transmigrated into a book—a danmei novel he’d casually read long ago. He’d become the true young master of a wealthy family who shared his exact name. Unfortunately, this character wasn’t the protagonist but a cannon fodder everyone despised.

The cannon fodder Gu Xichi had been secretly switched at birth by a Gu family servant who swapped him with her own son. If the fake young master Gu Yuning hadn’t gotten into a car accident at sixteen and urgently needed a blood transfusion, this deception hidden for sixteen years would never have been exposed, and Gu Xichi, the real young master, would never have been found by the Gu family.

Unfortunately, when the original Gu Xichi returned to the Gu family full of expectations, his heart was torn to pieces. Here, no one liked him—everyone preferred Gu Yuning.

His biological parents despised him for being uneducated and coarse. His admired older brother thought him selfish and vain, coveting what belonged to Gu Yuning, never giving him a kind look.

His existence was like a thorn in this harmonious family’s side—only to be rejected, despised, never able to obtain the love he desperately craved.

Jealousy spread like wildfire, unstoppable in an instant.

The original naturally turned dark. He caused trouble everywhere, opposing Gu Yuning at every turn, trying to suppress him. Unfortunately, everything he did was just a joke in everyone’s eyes.

His parents gave all the shares to Gu Yuning. His brother kicked him out of the house. Even the business he struggled to maintain was destroyed by Gu Yuning’s fans.

He became unwanted trash.

On a winter day with snow falling everywhere, Gu Xichi died in a sea of flames. The fire burned him completely clean, leaving nothing behind.

As for why he said it was a novel he’d read long ago, Gu Xichi turned his head, directing his gaze toward Gu Yuning at the center of the social gathering.

The mockery in his eyes was unconcealed as he tossed aside the champagne in his hand.

The champagne glass made a crisp sound colliding with the table—not loud, but enough to attract attention.

Gu Xichi tugged at his tightly buttoned shirt. Fresh air entered his lungs as he looked away, answering his father’s words carelessly: “Indeed, I wasn’t.”

“If there’s nothing else, Father, I’ll be leaving first.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he left without looking back, leaving Father Gu fuming in place.

The heat in his body continued climbing. Gu Xichi’s eyes shimmered with moisture, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He’d been here for a long time but had been trapped in the original body’s shell, watching the original walk the predetermined path from the book over and over again—repeatedly turning dark, causing trouble, then heading toward death.

He was powerless, only able to watch this absurd cycle coldly.

But it had been too long. Locked inside Gu Xichi’s body, he’d lost count of how long.

One year?

Two years?

Or perhaps five years, ten years?

He’d been locked in the original body’s shell like this, struggling to maintain his crumbling sanity. The long, dark, lonely time had nearly driven him mad.

He watched his soul struggle endlessly in this decaying body, powerless to help, even desperately imagining suicide to try to end this absurdity.

But it was useless. He couldn’t control this body. After dying in the flames, he would still repeat back to the day sixteen-year-old him entered the Gu family, lucidly watching the body’s owner walk the same path, continuing the endless cycle of torture.

Thinking of this, Gu Xichi took a deep breath. His lips curved as he lowered his shimmering eyes, leaning limply against the ascending elevator’s handrail.

After being trapped for so long, he’d stopped holding any hope. He’d thought he’d be trapped in this shell for a lifetime, but unexpectedly the frozen world suddenly broke. He’d returned to the day Gu Yuning drugged him, gaining control of this body for the first time.

His fingertips curled with his consciousness—stiff, but able to complete movements.

The corner of Gu Xichi’s lips curved into a smile.

Though the timing wasn’t ideal, he liked it very much.

The elevator numbers jumped one after another. Finally reaching the top floor, it dinged.

Gu Xichi struggled to find the room he’d booked in advance when a tall shadow suddenly fell before him.

He was pulled into a scalding, hard embrace. The other person seemed to be in the same predicament as him, hot breath brushing past his nape again and again.

“Mm—”

Gu Xichi weakly raised his head. The corners of his eyes, burned red, swept up in an arc of light. His slender neck stretched straight, pulling out a sharp curve.

Stunningly beautiful.

The sound of an Adam’s apple bobbing clearly transmitted. The other person’s breathing became more unstable, pounding against his heart again and again.

Behind him came the sound of a door lock moving. Gu Xichi was held by the waist and pressed against the door panel.

Their eyes met.

The man before him looked distinguished, with long, narrow eyes burned dark red by desire, yet unable to conceal their sharp aggression.

Like an invisible giant net, imperceptibly wrapping around Gu Xichi, gradually tightening, finally consuming him completely.

Gu Xichi frowned, forcibly suppressing his body’s restlessness, speaking coolly: “Let’s talk…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence.

Gu Xichi had no idea how stunning his current appearance was in others’ eyes, but Bo Yu knew.

The youth’s gorgeous features were colored with desire. Fine sweat seeped from his delicate nose. His eyes were covered in a layer of mist. His long lashes were dampened by the moisture. His lip color was decadent, refracting transparent moisture under the light, inviting plucking.

And his shirt had been pulled halfway off from the earlier struggle. The skin under his palm was delicate, dazzlingly white, but not soft—rather covered with a layer of thin, firm muscle with smooth lines.

Bo Yu unconsciously increased his pressure.

Then without further explanation, he grasped the back of Gu Xichi’s neck and kissed him.

His force was dominant, his tongue driving straight in, prying open Gu Xichi’s teeth, conquering the territory.

Gu Xichi whimpered softly, unable to catch his breath from the kiss. With each breath came the other’s cool cologne scent.

The hands on his waist also had a strong presence. Gu Xichi could feel that his fingers were long, his knuckles distinct, his palm pressed against his skin.

Scalding hot.

So hot he wanted to escape.

Gu Xichi gripped Bo Yu’s clothes, pushing weakly at the other, wanting to push this large man off him.

Little did he know this bit of strength was like scratching an itch through a boot for Bo Yu.

Seeing he couldn’t push away, Gu Xichi simply gave up.

He thought carefully—since he’d already been schemed against anyway, mutually helping each other wasn’t such a big deal.

Moreover…

Gu Xichi lifted his tear-filled eyes through his lashes. The stinging sensation on his lips was particularly clear. His gaze swept inch by inch across the man’s cold, handsome face.

He had to admit, the other’s face was really…

Very good-looking…

Exactly his type…

Sleeping with him once wouldn’t be a loss. It might even be enjoyable.

Noticing Gu Xichi’s distraction, the man bit him in dissatisfaction.

The overhead light was blinding. Gu Xichi’s eyes were slightly closed, lashes trembling lightly as he stumbled from the corridor into the room.

The youth’s vision spun. His steps weakened as he sat on the large, soft bed in the room, sinking into a shallow depression.

The light was dim and hazy, casting softly on the beautiful person’s face.

From the corner of his eye, Gu Xichi clearly saw the man neatly unbutton his shirt, revealing clearly defined eight-pack abs…

Gu Xichi blushed and looked away…

---

Outside the window, rain had begun falling at some point. The sound of rain pattered, gradually growing louder. Raindrops formed continuous strings, falling from the sky. Bouncing water droplets splashed one after another on the windowsill.

Telegraph poles were soaked by rain. Heavy thunder crashed dully. Birds couldn’t circle above and had to hide under the eaves.

The rain was urgent. Pedestrians on the road walked holding umbrellas. Shoe soles stepped through puddles, splashing water.

Occasional car horns sounded from the sky’s edge, interweaving with the rain, adding to the cacophony.

(Censors, this is environmental description, without any pornographic implications. Can you open your eyes and see clearly??? Are environmental descriptions not allowed in articles??? Is environmental description illegal???)

The eastern district hadn’t seen such heavy rain in many years. As the rain intensified and thunder rumbled, rolling restlessly in the clouds, a purple lightning bolt finally tore across the sky, illuminating the entire night.

In the endless repetitive operation of this false world, someone had finally broken the rules, creating change.

Cracks spread bit by bit, revealing the world’s true nature.

…

Tears at the corners of Gu Xichi’s eyes fell uncontrollably, dampening his lashes into clumps. His gaze gradually became unfocused, obscured by mist…

…

Who knows how long passed. The rain gradually lessened. Fine rain threads fell slantwise, spreading a curtain of rain across the sky, tinkling down.

For the first time, Gu Xichi felt regret.

Damn it. A miscalculation.

The beautiful man was very angry. His chest rose and fell slightly with his breathing as he coldly dropped two words—

“Get lost.”

Opening his eyes again, Gu Xichi had a splitting headache. He stiffly recalled last night’s situation.

The room was completely dark. The blackout curtains were drawn tightly without gaps. Not a sliver of light could enter, making it impossible to tell the time.

Not a single part of Gu Xichi’s body felt right. His bones seemed to have been disassembled and reassembled. Every movement brought indescribable pain.

What was worse—after he got up, a clear sound came through the silent air.

Gu Xichi’s face, white as porcelain glaze, flushed pink again. He blinked, gritting his teeth as he directed his gaze toward the man sleeping on the large bed.

His brow bone was sharp, his nose bridge high. Even asleep, his face was handsome enough to be pleasing to the eye.

It also made Gu Xichi make a rare error in judgment.

The corners of Gu Xichi’s lips curved into a smile, the arc small, carrying barely noticeable anger.

Thinking of his miserable state last night when he strongly demanded they stop but wasn’t allowed, Gu Xichi could no longer maintain his good upbringing.

A “thud” sounded.

The tall man fell from the bed. Fortunately the carpet was soft, and he wasn’t injured.

Gu Xichi withdrew his gaze. His lips, ravaged beyond recognition, clearly spat out the word:

“Bastard.”

---

Author’s Note:

Gu Xichi: Good evening, my dear baby

“Xichi” (栖池) means to linger, to stay, to drift in disappointment.

But after the rain clears, dawn appears. Little Xichi will no longer be trapped in the original world. He will receive new salvation, stirring up a pool of new green in his heart.