After completing everything, Lu Wanyin returned to Jiang Huai's side.
The two of them stared at each other in the dark living room.
Jiang Huai remained lying on the sofa, while Lu Wanyin sat beside him, watching him.
They stared at each other for a long while, and after a while, Jiang Huai couldn't take it anymore and asked, "Are you going to kill me?"
Lu Wanyin first shook her head, then nodded.
"It depends on the observation results. If there are any signs of infection on you, I will kill you."
"So the so-called observation is just you sitting next to me, staring at me the whole time?"
"What else?"
Jiang Huai began to have doubts.
Is this really my classmate? Why does she feel so different from the one I see at school?
"Are you planning to live at my house?"
Lu Wanyin nodded.
Jiang Huai: "..."
He felt that everything happening tonight was absurd.
First, the popular senior confessed to him and wanted to have relations with him.
During their encounter, she turned into a monster and pulled out her own heart.
Then, another beautiful girl from his class saved him.
And now, this girl was planning to live in his house?
Am I the protagonist in a wish-fulfillment novel?
Ding ding ding—
A phone rang, and Jiang Huai realized that it wasn't his phone ringing.
He looked over and saw Lu Wanyin taking out her phone; it was the alarm she had set.
"It's time," Lu Wanyin said, standing up.
Jiang Huai thought she was about to leave, so he was about to breathe a sigh of relief. But to his surprise, Lu Wanyin started unbuttoning her blouse and then lifted her hands to remove her skirt.
Soon, she stood before him in just her underwear.
"What are you doing?"
Jiang Huai asked suspiciously, considering that his pants had been partially removed by the monster earlier, and now he was left in just his underwear.
Lu Wanyin glanced briefly at Jiang Huai's lower region before speaking in a deadpan voice.
"It's 10 PM. If there's no task, I shower and go to bed at 10 every day. A regular routine is the secret to longevity."
Without another word, she turned and walked toward Jiang Huai's bathroom.
Jiang Huai: "???"
The sound of running water soon filled the air, and steam started seeping through the crack in the bathroom door, sparking endless imagination.
Jiang Huai stiffly sat on the sofa, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the bathroom.
The sound of the water was unceasing, each drop seeming to strike directly at his heart.
In the same night, two different beautiful girls were bathing in his home's bathroom.
What is going on here...
His mind kept flashing with the image of Lu Wanyin unbuttoning her clothes earlier—her snow-white skin, delicate collarbones, and the barely visible...
"Why does this feel so much like the previous plot? Am I getting a second chance?"
Jiang Huai suddenly shook his head, forcing himself to pull his focus away from those alluring thoughts.
He glanced at the trash can, where his heart lay, and sighed helplessly.
"Heart, I'm sorry."
At that moment, a sudden itch started on his chest.
Jiang Huai raised his hand to scratch it.
Then, he suddenly remembered that his chest had been pierced earlier; he couldn't scratch it.
But his hand had already reached his chest, and yet, there was no pain at all.
He looked down and was stunned to see that the wound, which had been the size of a bowl earlier, had completely disappeared without a trace.
Only the blood stains and the heart—now detached from his body—reminded Jiang Huai that everything that had happened was not a hallucination.
Jiang Huai stood up and stretched, realizing that there was no more pain. Everything left him deeply astonished.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Jiang Huai intended to answer the door, but then he realized he was covered in blood, his clothes torn, and the room was in a mess.
Although the monster's body had been burned by Lu Wanyin, the blood it had left on the floor was still fresh in his memory.
He hurried back to his room to change into a fresh set of clothes as quickly as possible.
Then, he walked toward the door.
No matter who was outside, he absolutely could not let them in.
With that resolution, he asked, "Who is it?"
"It's me."
A girl's voice came from outside. With just that one word, Jiang Huai immediately recognized who it was.
He opened the door and looked at the girl standing in front of him with helplessness.
"Is something wrong?"
The girl's name was Chen Ning.
She was the one who had kept Jiang Huai hanging for five years, never responding to his feelings.
At that moment, she stood at the door, wearing a white dress that made her skin look like snow—beautiful and striking. However, there was no hint of a smile on her face. Her gaze was icy, staring at Jiang Huai as though she could see right through him.
"Why didn't you answer my call yesterday?"
Chen Ning asked bluntly, her tone leaving no room for negotiation.
Jiang Huai frowned, a bit impatient as he responded, "Didn't you already accept Young Master Zhou's confession? Why should I answer your call then?"
His mind was consumed with thoughts of Shen Anan and Lu Wanyin, leaving him with no energy to deal with this woman. Furthermore, he didn't want her to see the mess in the house, as it might cause unnecessary trouble.
But it seemed that Chen Ning wasn't about to let it go.
She crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow, and sneered. "I've already told you. That day, Young Master Zhou had his birthday party. He got drunk and kissed me. So what? Besides, I don't have a boyfriend. Is that so wrong?"
"Fine, fine. I'm going to bed now. Goodnight, and I wish you happiness."
With that, Jiang Huai attempted to close the door.
Chen Ning reached out and stopped the door with her hand.
"Jiang Huai, I should have warned you. If you don't answer my call again, we're done."
"Alright, I'll have the embassy send you a letter tomorrow, and our two countries will officially sever ties."
Chen Ning froze.
She did love Zhou Qin—he had been her white moonlight since high school. But she had also grown accustomed to Jiang Huai's years of devoted companionship.
As long as she wanted something, Jiang Huai would buy it for her right away.
Whenever she was upset, no matter the time, Jiang Huai would always comfort her, even if he was in class.
If she said she wanted bubble tea, he would immediately leave the university, ride his bike to the farthest shop, and get her favorite drink.
But now, Jiang Huai's attitude toward her seemed to have completely changed.
"I can forgive you this time, Jiang Huai, but I want you to remember—there won't be a next time."
Jiang Huai looked utterly confused.
Just then, the bathroom door suddenly opened.
Lu Wanyin's voice floated out from the living room.
"By the way, I didn't bring my pajamas. I'll find something in your room... Unxin Cai, what are you doing at the door...?"
Lu Wanyin walked to the door, wearing only a translucent white camisole nightdress. The subtle curves of her body under the fabric were alluring.
Chen Ning was startled by Lu Wanyin's sudden appearance and instinctively took a step back.
She scanned the woman up and down, her expression growing darker.
"Lu Wanyin? Why are you here, and why are you wearing my nightdress?"
Jiang Huai felt like his brain was on overload. So much had happened today that any one of these events could overwhelm a person's mind, and now Chen Ning showed up, only for Lu Wanyin to add even more confusion.
This nightdress had a story behind it, too.
Back when Chen Ning's "white moonlight" Zhou Qin was about to go abroad for a year, she had gotten drunk alone and mistaken Jiang Huai for Zhou Qin. That night, they had slept together.
The next morning, Chen Ning had yelled at Jiang Huai and, crying, had thrown the nightdress—which she had originally bought for Zhou Qin—at him as though it were trash.
Just as Jiang Huai felt like his brain was about to explode, Chen Ning suddenly snorted.
She turned to Jiang Huai, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"You'd better give me an explanation, Jiang Huai."
"You won't believe it, but there was another one just a few minutes ago. Even more explosive..."
Before Jiang Huai could say anything, a hand suddenly wrapped around his arm.
A soft sensation immediately spread through his arm.
Jiang Huai froze for a moment and turned his head slightly.
He saw Lu Wanyin had completely switched her demeanor.
With a smile, she looked at Chen Ning outside the door and asked, "What's going on, Jiang Huai? Who's this lady? Didn't you say you're single?"
"Lady...? Who are you calling 'lady'? Lu Wanyin! I'm your senior! Don't you recognize me?"
Chen Ning's face turned red with fury at being called "lady."
Her looks were indeed outstanding, but when compared to Lu Wanyin, she felt somewhat inferior.
Even without makeup, Lu Wanyin's natural beauty completely overshadowed Chen Ning's.
"Senior? Ah, I just finished showering, and my eyes are still a bit blurry. Looking at the outline, I thought you were one of the neighborhood aunties~"
"You! You... Say that again!"
Chen Ning was shaking with rage, but Lu Wanyin clearly had no intention of stopping.
"So this nightdress is yours? So tasteless... sigh... And it doesn't even fit properly. Unxin Cai, look, it's a bit tight around the chest area."
As she spoke, Lu Wanyin lightly tugged at the fabric around her chest.
Jiang Huai's face turned bright red.
"Who has an A cup?! Jiang Huai! What do you mean by this?! Why are you finding other women behind my back?!"
Jiang Huai had thought he would be flustered, but now he just felt...
Wasn't this a bit... fun?
Didn't you think about this day when you were all sweet and cozy in Young Master Zhou's arms?
He leaned closer to Lu Wanyin, looking at Chen Ning with a provocative gaze and said, "I am single, yeah. Is there something else? My girlfriend doesn't like it when I chat with other girls in front of the door at night."
"You... You two!"
Chen Ning pointed at Jiang Huai and Lu Wanyin, her body slowly retreating.
"Jiang Huai, if you're trying to deliberately make me angry, I'll tell you right now—I don't care."
With that, Chen Ning turned and walked away.
"Sigh, senior~ You don't want your nightdress anymore?"
The sound of high heels echoed down the stairs.
After the sound faded away, Jiang Huai noticed the smile on the girl beside him slowly fade, returning to her usual calm expression.
"How much longer are you going to hold onto me?"
Jiang Huai asked.
Lu Wanyin slowly released her hold and then slammed the door shut with a thud, pulling Jiang Huai back toward the bedroom.
"Lift your shirt."
Lu Wanyin said.
Jiang Huai hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he slowly lifted the shirt he had just changed into.
Lu Wanyin seemed completely unaware of how seductive her current nightdress was.
With an indifferent expression, she approached Jiang Huai, crouched in front of him, and carefully examined his abdomen and chest. She then reached out to touch his chest, which had once been pierced.
"The wound has completely healed, even the organs have regenerated."
Lu Wanyin slowly raised her gaze and met Jiang Huai's eyes.
"Good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?"
"Good news, please."
Jiang Huai said.
"You're safe for now. Your body has fully recovered, and there's no chance of death anymore."
"So what's the bad news?"
Lu Wanyin slowly stood up and looked at Jiang Huai with her cold eyes.
"Humans don't have this kind of power. During this seven-day observation period, I'll figure out whether you're an infected person or an awakened one. If I detect even the slightest sign of infection, I'll kill you."
That was indeed bad news.
Jiang Huai thought to himself, then slowly got up and walked toward the living room.
"Where are you going?"
Lu Wanyin asked.
"I'm going to take a shower."
"No."
Lu Wanyin grabbed his hand.
"I have five minutes left before I go to sleep, I can't wait for you to shower."
"???" Jiang Huai looked utterly confused.
"If you're tired, go to sleep. You take the bed, and I'll sleep on the sofa after I finish my shower."
"I told you, 24-hour surveillance. Even if you shower, I must watch you."
Without giving Jiang Huai a chance to protest, Lu Wanyin pulled him to her side.
Jiang Huai instinctively swallowed, her proximity so close that he could clearly smell the scent of her shower gel, feel her breath on his skin.
His heartbeat quickened, and his breathing became shallow.
"And by the way, this is my first time performing a surveillance task, so I have to take it seriously. That means, I'm sleeping with you."
"Ah?!"
Before Jiang Huai could say anything else, Lu Wanyin had already dragged him onto the bed.
"Hurry up, there's only three minutes left—I can't be late for my sleep time."
"Late for sleep? Is that even a thing? Wait, are we really sleeping together?"
Something seemed to occur to Lu Wanyin, and she suddenly got up, quickly walking to the living room. She rummaged through the clothes she had taken off earlier and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
Click—
Returning to the bedroom, she directly cuffed her wrist to Jiang Huai's.
"One minute left. I'm going to sleep."
"Wait, what's this supposed to mean?"
Jiang Huai raised his hand, looking at the handcuffs in disbelief. But Lu Wanyin had already crawled under the blanket. With a firm tug, she pulled Jiang Huai in with her.
"Don't move while sleeping, and don't snore, or I'll slit your throat. You'll recover anyway. Ten seconds left—goodnight."
Lying under the same blanket as her, Jiang Huai was completely dumbfounded. What was even happening right now? Was he really sharing a bed with the cheerful little sunshine of his department?
Ten seconds. Not a second more, not a second less. Just as time was up, he heard Lu Wanyin's soft, steady breathing.
He stared at the ceiling and let out a long sigh.
Forget it. He'd deal with it tomorrow.
Considering how much had happened in just one hour tonight, a wave of exhaustion crashed over him.
Then—
He slowly closed his eyes.
...
...
Click...
Click...
Click!
Half-conscious, Jiang Huai's eyes fluttered open.
He found himself in a strange office.
Above him, an old ceiling fan creaked noisily, its rusted blades casting twisted shadows against the dim yellow glow of the incandescent light. The flickering lightbulb itself seemed eerie, as if something unseen lurked behind the glow, watching him.
A musty stench filled the air, mixed with an indescribable foul odor that made his stomach churn.
The walls were covered in peeling paint, revealing the cold, grimy cement underneath.
But none of this surprised Jiang Huai.
After all, this place had been with him since he was five.
This was his dream.
The first time he entered this place at five years old, he had been terrified.
To a child, this place was no different from a haunted house.
So, he had always hated sleeping.
As he grew older, he understood that a place with desks, filing cabinets, and stacks of documents was called an office.
Yet, the door leading out of this office—he could never open it.
"Here again, huh..."
Jiang Huai sighed, preparing to do what he always did—sit in the soft office chair, count the rotations of the ceiling fan, and wait until he woke up.
"...Huh?"
Since he had been here countless times, he could instantly notice even the slightest change.
Something was different.
The heavy, ice-cold filing cabinet against the wall—
It was open.
Inside, rows upon rows of neatly organized drawers lined the cabinet.
He walked over.
As he pulled one open, a document slipped out and landed at his feet.
Jiang Huai picked it up and flipped it open.
Inside, it described something completely incomprehensible to him.
**[The battle between Awakened Ones and Beasts has lasted for millennia. Every few decades, a catastrophe known as the "Beast Tide" occurs.
Countless Rifts bring forth endless swarms of Beasts.
They emerge in densely populated human cities, launching brutal and merciless invasions.
Curiously, observations show that the Beasts do not claim human cities as their own. After destroying them, they return to the Rifts, silently waiting for the next assault.]**
The rest of the text was obscured by a dense fog, making it unreadable.
But wasn't this similar to what Lu Wanyin had mentioned about Awakened Ones and Infected?
Could it be that the seemingly ordinary world he lived in…
Was actually hiding something this surreal and terrifying?
He turned to the cabinet and saw that many more documents were sealed within.
At that moment, with a slow, creaking sound—
The office door, which had remained shut for over ten years—
Opened.
A sharp ringing buzzed in his head, and a girl's voice whispered softly into his ear.
[You… can't escape.]