Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

At that time, Cheng Jingyi was still facing the choice of adoptive parents. He stood on the stairs and looked down, and saw that Shen Heng had returned to the Cheng family. They were talking and behaving intimately, and they were truly a family.

The colorful ball understood everything in no time. Although its body was severely damaged, it still retained some consciousness and used its remaining energy to bind itself to Cheng Jingyi.

Don't abandon me.

It murmured in the air.

The crisis facing Cheng Jingyi was suddenly reversed. The Cheng couple, who had been hesitant, finally put aside their concerns and decided to continue adopting Cheng Jingyi.

Cheng Jingyi looked at the colorful ball, the light emanating from it was dazzling. It clung tightly to Cheng Jingyi, repeating the same sentence.

Don't abandon me.

It crashed again shortly afterward and fell from the sky.

This ball system had undoubtedly been severely damaged by something. Cheng Jingyi didn't know how to repair it; she only noticed several dark gray cracks on its surface when she hid it away.

The surface of the system sphere is covered by an energy shield, the material of which is perhaps similar to iron on Earth. Cheng Jingyi leaned closer to look and saw black spots on the protective surface of the colorful sphere, as if they had been burned.

Cheng Jingyi was puzzled by the reason.

During the years that this colorful ball system was bound to Cheng Jingyi, it was in a drowsy state of repair. Its core was fatally damaged, and it relied on absorbing the charm value from Cheng Jingyi to obtain energy.

Cheng Jingyi had to admit that Caiqiu had given him a lot of boosts during those years. His adoptive parents never gave up on him, and he was a popular figure at school, even gaining many fans and admirers along the way.

If the apocalypse hadn't come, he might have entered the entertainment industry.

Shen Yisui became interested upon hearing this. He lowered his head and gently stroked Cheng Jingyi's cheek with his hand: "Enter the entertainment industry?"

Cheng Jingyi lifted her eyelids in the cramped space of the wardrobe: "No? My charm level was 97 back then."

Shen Yisui's eyes crinkled into a smile. He ignored the second half of Cheng Jingyi's sentence and said quite seriously, "Cheng Jingyi... are you very handsome?"

"...What do you mean?" Cheng Jingyi sneered. "Oh—in your eyes, I'm just an ugly monster, right?"

"I didn't say that, and I can't see it anyway." Shen Yisui rubbed the skin beneath his fingertips, sensing that Cheng Jingyi had deliberately turned his face to the side and buried it, and said helplessly.

“Cheng Jingyi, what I said was based on the basic situation of low-level zombies, and it did not include you.”

Cheng Jingyi didn't answer. His bangs fell down his forehead, and he only glanced up when he heard this.

"If I really thought you were a monster, I wouldn't have slept with you." A male voice rang out in the darkness, and Shen Yisui touched Cheng Jingyi's cheek with his fingertips again. "You can't force me."

Cheng Jingyi froze, suddenly recalling some things from long ago, and realized that Shen Yisui was indeed two-faced.

"You weren't the first one to cry?" Cheng Jingyi sneered.

Shen Yisui laughed and said, "I can't help it, you really hurt me."

Cheng Jingyi: "..."

He swallowed twice, hesitated for a moment, then lowered his head and decided not to say a word.

Shen Yisui's fingers gently stroked Cheng Jingyi's face, from his forehead, the corners of his eyes, the bridge of his nose, his lips... downwards, sensing and tracing the contours of Cheng Jingyi's features.

Having tried these things I'd never done before, I finally understand the detailed profile of the person in front of me.

Cheng Jingyi lowered his eyes; he didn't object to Shen Yisui's actions. Shen Yisui's palms were icy cold, and the touch on Cheng Jingyi's face still left a cool and comfortable feeling.

“I’ll let you touch me, and you have to let me touch you too.” Cheng Jingyi suddenly spoke during the brief silence.

Shen Yi paused in his hand movements.

"Let me touch your face."

Cheng Jingyi seemed to be emphasizing it intentionally, deliberately raising his tone.

Shen Yisui's expression remained unchanged; Cheng Jingyi was indeed keenly aware of what he had been avoiding.

"Why?" Shen Yisui resumed his previous posture and continued speaking as if it were normal, "I can't see, so I want to know what you look like."

“A fair trade, an exchange of touches,” Cheng Jingyi said, turning her gaze. “Otherwise, don’t touch me at all.”

“…” Shen Yisui snorted, “I’ll let you touch me, and then I’ll let you touch me again.”

Cheng Jingyi then closed his eyes again. He finally felt a little better and stopped arguing with Shen Yisui.

Shen Yisui still remembered what had happened before. Seeing that Cheng Jingyi remained silent, he could only ask himself, "You haven't finished yet. How did that colorful ball end up on Shen Heng?"

Cheng Jingyi's eyes remained closed. He heard Shen Yisui's question and replied in an ambiguous tone, "Do you believe what I'm saying?"

Shen Yi nodded: "I believe you."

"Don't you find it strange? What I'm saying doesn't sound normal at all."

“…A little.” Gouqietousheng moved suggestively in Shen Yisui’s pocket. Shen Yisui remembered what Gouqietousheng had said before, paused for a moment, and then said, “But it’s acceptable.”

It was clear that it didn't want others to discover its existence. It had been loitering in front of Cheng Jingyi for quite some time, and it was unknown whether Cheng Jingyi could see its form.

After all, Cheng Jingyi was a host who had been bound to the colored ball. He could see the colored ball, and perhaps he could also see the cowardly life.

However, Cheng Jingyi had not shown any special behavior before.

Gouqie Tusheng had been keeping an eye on him all along, guessing that unless Cheng Jingyi had exceptional acting skills, he probably hadn't discovered Gouqie Tusheng's existence based on the previous situation.

After hearing Shen Yisui's answer, Cheng Jingyi did not ask any further questions. He seemed to be recalling some things from the past, and after a long silence, he continued.

"Caiqiu was unconscious most of the time when it was with me. It was very resistant to talking to me, and it seemed timid and withdrawn."

"It was seriously injured before and has been recuperating for years. But it has a charming quality that has made me successful and loved by everyone, even if it does nothing."

Shen Yisui: "..."

Cheng Jingyi was completely unaware that there was anything wrong with what he said. He lived surrounded by people and enjoyed the superior feeling of being admired and treated as the center of attention.

“But what these colorful balls gave me was all external and unreliable.” Cheng Jingyi lowered his eyes, recalling the past, and said, “Those were all just illusions.”

The colorful ball helped him attract attention and affection from others, enabling him to gain a foothold in the Cheng family.

No matter how much one tries to conceal it, externally imposed emotions can never overcome human nature.

After the apocalypse, zombies stormed the building, tearing at people and devouring their flesh. Cheng Jingyi fled home, only to watch helplessly as his parents pulled Shen Heng back and shut the door in front of him.