Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Shen Yu paused in his reading, as if he had noticed something, and turned his head to look out the window.

Having just crawled in from outside, barely surviving, Shen Yu saw it clutching its ball-shaped body, secretly pleased. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "What were you doing just now?"

Gouqie Tousheng was startled: "I just went outside for a walk. There are too many safety hazards in this world lately, so I should always go out and investigate more."

Shen Yu was half-believing and half-doubting. His gaze swept across the edge of the window again, and he could vaguely feel that a certain power in his body was rapidly disappearing.

That was the energy left behind when the coal ball first bound him; now… that energy is rapidly disintegrating and has almost vanished.

Shen Yu lowered his eyes. He didn't say anything more to Gouqie Tiaosheng. He simply closed the red book and put it aside, then turned to the side and closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Gouqietousheng slowly floated back to his sleeping place and placed the mechanical bed on the edge of the window.

After faking her death and escaping, Wen Yu and Shen Yu came to this secluded forest to live in seclusion. The place where they now live is lush with vegetation and is next to a stream. Because the journey is bumpy and the road is rugged, and because giant pythons and wild beasts often appear, few outsiders come to visit.

Wen Yu's decision to choose this place as their secluded retreat already revealed his true intentions. Shen Yu had no objections; having experienced the apocalypse, this place, with its beautiful scenery, perfectly met his expectations.

He had once imagined a secluded mountain forest as his place of retreat. He would build a small wooden cabin, cultivate dozens of medicinal herbs, and fish by the stream when he had free time, perhaps even encountering some new and interesting things along the way.

Although Wen Yu was a few years younger than him, their thoughts and ideas remained unchanged after so many years.

Shen Yu closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought, while absently groping the skin between his thumb and forefinger.

There were rustling sounds coming from outside, and dark shadows moved, occasionally brushing against Shen Yu. Shen Yu noticed them, but he still didn't move, not even lifting his eyelids.

"Shen Yu?" Wen Yu burrowed into the covers, hugged Shen Yu from behind, and rubbed his face against his back. "Asleep?"

Shen Yu lay half-on his side without moving, letting Wen Yu hold him like that, as if he had already fallen asleep.

Wen Yu called out softly a couple more times, but still received no response. He hummed and stroked Shen Yu's chest and abdomen with both hands through his inner garment for a moment, until Shen Yu's legs moved slightly, at which point he stopped his actions as if to restrain himself.

"Pretend." Wen Yu bit Shen Yu's earlobe and threatened in a low voice, "Are you going to keep pretending?"

Shen Yu turned over, grabbed Wen Yu and hugged him tightly, biting his skin in return.

“I wasn’t pretending.” Shen Yu’s lips pressed tightly against Wen Yu’s flesh, a slight smile curving his lips. “How can anyone fall asleep when you’re touching me like that? It’s all your fault…”

"Say that again? You're getting more and more shameless." Wen Yu wrapped her arms around Shen Yu's waist and snorted coldly.

He was pinned down by Shen Yu, his body completely hidden in the darkness. Yet, he showed no sign of being at a disadvantage. Instead, he tightened his grip, his palms moving downwards, with an inexplicable air of certainty that he was going to win.

"Do you believe I'll teach you a lesson?" Wen Yu's breath was hot and moist, all of it spraying against Shen Yu's ear. It was half threat and half indulgence.

Shen Yu felt a tickle in his ear, and his eyes curved into a smile as he buried his face in Wen Yu's neck: "What did I do wrong? Why are you lecturing me? How are you going to lecture me?"

Wen Yu narrowed her eyes: "You think I'm joking with you?"

“No, I know you’re not joking.” Shen Yu turned his face to the side and said softly, “I know you want to hit me.”

He deliberately emphasized a certain word, adding a touch of allure to Wen Yu's ears. Wen Yu's heart skipped a beat, and a fleeting moment of panic flashed in his eyes, only to be immediately concealed.

How could Shen Yu possibly know these things? Wen Yu gripped his clothes tightly, and he frowned secretly, guessing that Shen Yu had just said it casually.

"What are you talking about? I said I wouldn't let you suffer, how could I bear to hit you?" Wen Yu snapped out of his thoughts and said calmly, "Don't talk nonsense."

"Really?" Shen Yu looked up at him, his tone changing as he spoke, "But you just said you were going to teach me a lesson."

“Teaching you a lesson and beating you are two different things,” Wen Yu said mysteriously.

"for example?"

"For example, we could switch identities."

Shen Yu: "?"

The fragrance applied to Wen Yu's neck became even stronger, and Shen Yu felt dizzy for a moment. When he looked up again, the world was spinning, and he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pressed onto the bed by the person beneath him.

Wen Yu straddled Shen Yu's waist and abdomen, pinched Shen Yu's chin, and asked, "Does it smell good?"

"..." Shen Yu felt weak all over. He clenched his fists and his tone was ambiguous. "You drugged me?"

Wen Yu seemed not to hear him. He used his fingertips to loosen Shen Yu's belt, pulled off his underpants, and threw them aside: "This is just a lesson."

Shen Yu's skills are unmatched, and Wen Yu's power has not yet fully recovered. If they go head-to-head, Wen Yu will still be at a disadvantage.

He had to resort to safer methods.

"Don't worry, I won't make you feel too much pain. I've prepared the ointment." Wen Yu was certain that Shen Yu couldn't move. He took out a white porcelain bottle from under his pillow and dipped his fingertip in the ointment.

The pure white ointment with a faint fragrance turned transparent on his fingertip in no time. Wen Yu deliberately showed it to Shen Yu, as if intentionally trying to scare him.

Shen Yu pursed his lips, his eyes flickering, and still asked, "What did I do wrong? Why are you treating me like this?"

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” Wen Yu wiped his fingertips on the bedding and said calmly, “I just wanted to.”

After saying that, he grabbed Shen Yu's thigh with one hand and turned him over. Shen Yu's head was spinning, and he said in a deep voice, "Are you serious?"

"Otherwise what?" Wen Yu chuckled, reassuring Shen Yu, "I've been studying books these past few days and memorized a lot of techniques, unlike you. You know, I've learned a lot..."

He caught a whiff of another fragrance. It was a light scent mixed with sandalwood, similar to the one he had applied to his neck, yet subtly different.

Wen Yu frowned slightly and continued, "I've learned a lot, completely different from what you learned before. I know everything you know, and now it's time for me to..."

Shen Yu's eyes were hidden in the darkness. He lay silently beneath Wen Yu, watching her slender figure outlined in the night.

Wen Yu's voice gradually slowed down. His legs went weak, and he grabbed the bedpost next to him with his hand.

Shen Yu didn't move. He watched as Wen Yu's figure swayed for a moment, then she leaned down and pressed her arm against Shen Yu's face, panting heavily.

"...Shen Yu, you drugged me?!" Wen Yu belatedly realized that something was wrong. His throat was dry, and he felt his sense of control over his body was rapidly slipping away from his consciousness.

Shen Yu smiled silently, then pulled Wen Yu down and let him rest his head on his chest: "I'll treat you the same way you treat me. You have a problem with that?"

"You!" Wen Yu's voice was filled with gritted teeth; he simply couldn't believe it. "You knew all along?"

"Lanyu, I know everything you're thinking." Shen Yu half-embraced Wen Yu, his hand slipping inside Wen Yu's clothes, and sure enough, he heard Wen Yu let out a muffled groan.

Wen Yu was particularly persistent; he had been hiding his intentions ever since he arrived at Kunning Palace, never revealing them in the slightest.

How did Shen Yu find out?

As if knowing what Wen Yu was thinking, Shen Yu smiled and said, "Lan Yu, how many times did you drug me in Kunning Palace?"

Wen Yu: "What?"

"How did you manage to climb into my bed in the middle of the night?" Shen Yu gripped the soft flesh beneath him tightly, but said in a serious tone, "Shameless."

Wen Yu trembled, his mind a jumble of thoughts, and he murmured hoarsely, "Shen Yu... no..."

Another wave of dizziness washed over them, and they switched places. Shen Yu used only a little force to press Wen Yu back onto the bed.

He took the small white porcelain bottle that Wen Yu was clutching tightly, and applied some to his fingertip to observe it. Just like not long ago, the ointment melted quickly upon contact with warmth, turning into a pool of transparent liquid on Shen Yu's fingertip.

"Not bad." Shen Yu was very satisfied. He turned his gaze to Wen Yu and chuckled softly in her trembling eyes. "Let's see how it goes tonight. We can't let all your efforts go to waste."

As Shen Yu spoke, he seemed to remember something, and he pinched Wen Yu's chin like Wen Yu did, and said, "You said you've read a lot of books and learned a lot of useful things, so teach me tonight?"

Wen Yu pursed his lips, his expression remained unchanged, but his toes curled up, revealing a sense of utter embarrassment.

Shen Yu didn't give him a chance to struggle anymore. He grabbed Wen Yu's ankle and pulled him down to his front.

……

It was already past midnight when everything was over. Wen Yu's face was flushed, and she hadn't recovered yet.

As usual, Shen Yu dried Wen Yu's body and then sat down beside him. Wen Yu closed his eyes slightly in the darkness, only hearing the sound of Shen Yu rummaging through clothes at the table.

"Lanyu, go back to sleep later. I have something to give you." Shen Yu's voice rang in Wen Yu's ear. They always liked to talk to each other so close at night, as if they wanted to cross all distances and merge everything into one.

Wen Yu was already used to it. He felt weak, but he turned his head to look beside him and asked, "What is that?"

Shen Yu lit the red candles in the room. The flickering candlelight illuminated his face, which was almost identical to Wen Yu's. Wen Yu's dark eyes were fixed on Shen Yu's appearance. Shen Yu's features, which were noticeably more striking than his own, were always eye-catching, making it difficult for him to look away.

Shen Yu handed the wooden box to Wen Yu. The box was quite large and felt a little heavy in Wen Yu's hands.

Wen Yu looked at Shen Yu, who raised an eyebrow at him and said, "Open it and take a look."

"They're just being deliberately mysterious." Wen Yu muttered a couple of words, but then obediently lowered her head to fiddle with the wooden box and used the key to open the gold lock on it.

Inside the wooden box was half a pure black mask wrapped in red silk. It was carved from pure black jade hidden in a deep valley; it was thin, cool, and unlikely to pierce the skin.

Wen Yu's eyelashes trembled as he covered the right side of his face with the mask, already feeling the coolness slowly seeping into his scar.

"Lanyu, these scars... I will repair them for you in the future. It may take a long time, three years, five years, ten years... but one day they will all be repaired."

Shen Yu grasped Wen Yu's hand and said, "You can wear this mask if you want, or not if you don't. It's all up to you. Today... it's just a gift from me to you."

Wen Yu's fingertips were slightly cool, but warmed up in Shen Yu's palm. He smiled and said, "What day is it today? You're going to give me a gift."

Seeing Wen Yu constantly stroking the mask with her other hand, Shen Yu couldn't help but laugh: "Today is my birthday."

Wen Yu asked in surprise, "May 23rd?"

“Yeah, right.” Shen Yu said, feigning displeasure. “I remember your birthday. Look at you, you never remember mine. I have to come over and give you a gift to remind you.”

Wen Yu's lips parted slightly, he blinked, and asked, "You're not lying to me?"

Shen Yu: "What would I lie to you about?"

"Is this really your birthday?" Wen Yu asked suspiciously. "It can't be."

"You don't believe me?" Shen Yu asked, intrigued. "Then tell me, what's my birthday?"

Wen Yu stroked the mask in his hand. His thick eyelashes, when lowered, obscured most of the thoughts in his eyes: "You and I were born on the same day."

Shen Yu tilted his head.

After Wen Yu finished speaking, she looked at Shen Yu again, her eyes calm yet carrying a hint of something indescribable: "Because you are me."

Shen Yu smiled, his eyes crinkling: "Aren't you afraid?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Wen Yu scoffed.

He had already noticed clues from all the previous events.

How could anyone know him so well? Know all the hidden scars on his body, all the suffering he endured, and his spiritual helplessness?

No one knows him better than himself. The fact that Shen Yu and Wen Yu look almost identical further hints at a potential connection between them.

"Shen Yu, what were you like in your past life?" Wen Yu's fingertips touched the lines of Shen Yu's face. He kissed Shen Yu's right cheek and asked, "Were you doing well?"

Shen Yu's pupils trembled. He stood there, stunned, looking at Wen Yu, unsure of what to say. After a long while, he smiled calmly: "He lived a very good life, passing away peacefully in his old age."

Wen Yu didn't ask any more questions. He seemed to know the answer in an instant. He simply stepped forward and hugged Shen Yu, letting him bury his head in the crook of his neck.

"You're just lying."

Shen Yu's eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. He frowned and hugged Wen Yu tightly around the waist.

"I will in this lifetime," he mumbled.

Wen Yu chuckled, his fingers running through Shen Yu's now much longer black hair, and he closed his eyes: "Of course, of course I will in this lifetime."

"I am here."

Shen Yu's heart skipped a beat. He inhaled the faint fragrance emanating from Wen Yu's neck and finally detected a hint of bittersweet joy in it: "Good."

Those intimate whispers exchanged between the bedchamber flowed out slowly, only to dissipate into the air shortly afterward.

While clinging to life and feigning sleep by the window, it automatically blurred the faces of the two people beside the bed, yet still managed to hear some vulgar language.

Grievously turning over, it took out the black book it had given Shen Yu earlier and glanced at its contents.

The fonts on the black book slowly disappeared, gradually being replaced by other newly emerging fonts.

I am a madman. May 23rd is the anniversary of my death.

He watched the line of words disappear from the paper, then yawned, closed the black book, and tossed it aside.

tomorrow is a new day.