Jiang Hezhou’s consciousness went blank for a brief moment, then over the next two or three seconds, his thoughts gradually drifted back from afar.
There had been a case once where the killer was a genius in the sciences with an exceptionally high IQ. After committing the crime, he’d disguised the scene so flawlessly that it misled the investigating detectives at the time.
Jiang Hezhou had been assisting with the autopsies throughout. After several meetings to discuss the case, he noticed a discrepancy between the condition of the body and the traces left at the scene.
He immediately suggested that the detectives change the direction of their investigation. And sure enough, as they dug deeper, it became increasingly clear that his judgment was correct.
When the killer realized there was no escape, before the officers could reach his home, he’d stewed in a bellyful of venomous resentment and tracked down Jiang Hezhou.
His reasoning was that if it weren’t for Jiang Hezhou’s “meddling,” he would have absolutely evaded the law.
He’d come at Jiang Hezhou with a fruit knife as he was leaving the police unit after work.
It was from that injury onward that Jiang Hezhou developed a level of wariness surpassing that of even frontline detectives—a vigilance that remained even when he was asleep.
Chu Luyu’s inexplicable words swirled around in his ears a couple of times. Once his mind was fully clear, his brow furrowed instinctively. His cold, deep eyes locked onto her, as if silently demanding with great seriousness: What are you doing?
Chu Luyu really felt like crying right now.
Sure, the mission was technically complete, but this was absolutely not how she’d wanted it to go.
It had all happened so suddenly. She’d never expected him to wake up, and she certainly hadn’t prepared an excuse for if he did.
System Cuihua: [Hmph. You had to be all soft-hearted and not torment him, and now you’re the one suffering for it.]
Chu Luyu: [Shut up…]
Chu Luyu’s mind was a bit of a mess. Her wrists were still firmly gripped in the man’s hands.
She thought for a moment, then fabricated an utterly ridiculous lie with the utmost seriousness.
“There was a fly on your face. I was trying to shoo it away.”
On the 26th floor… a fly?
Jiang Hezhou didn’t seem to indicate whether he believed her or not. His eyes remained deep and fathomless, carrying a heavy weight of scrutiny.
“And what about the TV?” His voice was a little husky from just waking up. “Weren’t you watching a documentary earlier?”
Chu Luyu kept spinning lies: “I got scared again while watching that documentary, but I didn’t want to wake you up to keep me company, so I found a short drama to lighten the mood.”
“And what did you mean by what you said just now?”
Chu Luyu felt her scalp tingle at the question.
She did her best to ignore the sound of the male and female leads’ heavy breathing from the TV and continued lying through her teeth: “You woke up so suddenly that I got scared and didn’t even know what I was saying. You can think of it as me just blurting out nonsense in a panic.”
Jiang Hezhou seemed to believe her—or maybe he didn’t.
But after gazing at her for a moment, he let go of her, as if he wasn’t going to press further.
Chu Luyu let out a breath of relief.
She still felt bad about having woken him up and said sheepishly: “You can go back to sleep. I promise I won’t disturb you again.”
But Jiang Hezhou sat up on the sofa, all trace of sleepiness gone from his brow.
“I won’t sleep for now. I think I slept quite deeply just then, and I feel much more alert. Let me watch that documentary with you first.”
Chu Luyu hadn’t expected this at all. She couldn’t tell whether she felt touched or guilty. When she spoke again, she sounded a little flustered.
“You really don’t have to keep me company. I don’t even want to watch it that much anymore. Why don’t you just go back to your room and sleep?”
Jiang Hezhou didn’t give her a chance to refuse.
He expertly operated the remote, found the forensic documentary Chu Luyu had been watching from the viewing history, and played it.
The documentary was called Silent Testimony, a somewhat older film. Judging by its content, many of the professional tools and techniques shown were far less advanced than those of today.
“He’s looking for trace evidence now. In any case, even the most inconspicuous spot on a victim’s body could be key evidence.”
“That lividity he just mentioned—you’ve probably heard of it in crime shows before, right? Lividity is the discoloration that forms under the skin after a person stops breathing, as blood settles due to gravity. Forensic doctors can estimate the approximate time of death based on the color of the lividity.”
“This victim’s fatal wound has clean edges, which usually indicates a sharp object. Most likely a knife, or maybe glass.”
…
Perhaps because it was his area of expertise, Jiang Hezhou spoke with a calm, focused demeanor.
He sat on the sofa, leaning slightly forward. Chu Luyu remained seated on the carpet beside him. When her gaze occasionally drifted over, she could see the sharp, clean lines of his jaw and the prominent Adam’s apple on his neck.
There really wasn’t a single part of this man that wasn’t exquisitely proportioned. With that handsome face paired with his current serious, professional bearing, Chu Luyu couldn’t help but be drawn in.
She murmured to the system: [The male lead is clearly very handsome when he’s focused and serious. How could the female supporting character hate him for this?]
System Cuihua: [She’s missing a few screws upstairs.]
System Cuihua: [But I should warn you as a friend—in less than half a year, the male lead will despise you and break off the engagement. Don’t go getting stupid and falling for him.]
Chu Luyu: [You’re overthinking it. I’m just admiring him as a superficial looks-based fan. The male lead belongs to the female lead, not someone like me. I’ll always remember that.]
System Cuihua: [Good girl!]
The documentary was three hours long.
At first, Chu Luyu listened attentively to the professional knowledge Jiang Hezhou was sharing. But as the content grew increasingly complex, she began to struggle.
His pleasant, low, magnetic voice seemed to circle around her head. She felt like she was hearing everything, yet nothing was actually sinking in.
When Jiang Hezhou looked back, Chu Luyu had fallen asleep on the sofa.
Her upper body was pressed against the edge of the couch, one arm tucked underneath, her cheek resting on it.
Because of her position, her sleep dress had bunched up and ridden short. What usually covered her to her calves now barely reached the tops of her thighs.
When Jiang Hezhou glanced over, his gaze somehow felt scorched. He immediately averted his eyes upward.
The woman looked truly docile when asleep. Her cheeks had a faint pink flush, her eyes gently closed, her lashes like two tiny brushes casting shadows beneath her lower lids.
For some reason, Jiang Hezhou thought of that Ragdoll cat again.
As his mind wandered, his phone suddenly rang.
He quickly hit mute and checked on Chu Luyu first. Seeing she hadn’t been woken, he stepped lightly to a farther corner to take the call.
It was Chu Luyu’s mother calling.
After a few polite pleasantries, which Jiang Hezhou responded to patiently, the person on the other end finally couldn’t hold back and carefully asked about how Chu Luyu had been doing over the past few days.
“Is Xiaoyu adjusting well at your place? Her temper’s a bit spoiled—I’ve indulged her too much. If she’s done anything offensive, please bear with her.”
Chu Luyu’s mother was a kind woman who deeply loved her daughter.
Her first marriage had ended due to domestic abuse. When she divorced, she gave up all assets just to keep custody of her daughter.
After a difficult period, she reconnected with a childhood friend she’d grown up with. He was also divorced by then. Over time, they rekindled the feelings they’d shared in their youth.
After remarrying, Chu Luyu’s mother moved with her daughter into her new husband’s home. He had a son two years older than the original owner.
Perhaps because of the blended family situation, the original owner felt extremely insecure in her new home. She began to demand and extract endlessly from her mother, and after her mother and stepfather had a child together, she only grew more difficult.
The original owner had once overheard someone mention the engagement between her stepfather’s family and the male lead’s family.
The story was that an elder in her stepfather’s family had once saved the male lead’s grandfather’s life. Originally, it was said that if the child born to Chu Luyu’s mother later turned out to be a girl, the two families would be betrothed.
But unfortunately, the youngest was a boy, so the matter was dropped.
Upon hearing this news, the original owner exploded.
She demanded to know why her mother hadn’t thought of her for such a good thing. Her brother wasn’t a girl, but she was!
So even though over a decade had passed, she’d cried and begged her mother and stepfather to go reclaim that marriage contract. She wanted to marry the male lead.
On the other end, Jiang Hezhou listened to Chu Luyu’s mother’s words in silence.
“Since she moved in with me, have you not been in contact with her?”
There was a pause on the other end. After a long moment, her voice came through again, sounding awkward and deflated.
“She got upset with me over something before. I was afraid she wouldn’t pick up if I called.”
Jiang Hezhou could sense her predicament. He figured this was a private matter between mother and daughter, and his relationship with Chu Luyu wasn’t close enough for him to pry further.
After a moment’s pause, he said something to put her at ease: “Don’t worry. While she’s with me, I’ll make sure to take good care of her.”
—
Chu Luyu woke up the next morning in the master bedroom’s large bed.
She was still a bit dazed. Sitting up with the blanket wrapped around her, the stray tufts of hair sticking up on her forehead made her look adorably clueless.
Chu Luyu: [Cuihua, what happened? Wasn’t I watching a documentary with the male lead in the living room?]
System Cuihua: [That was last night. You were out cold like a little piglet that’d been drugged. The male lead carried you back to your room.]
Chu Luyu: [Oh my god, I don’t remember that at all.]
System Cuihua: [How could you? I called you so many times, but you just kept swatting your hands around annoyedly and wouldn’t wake up. Back in the real world, did you have to set a whole row of alarms for work? Bet five wouldn’t even be enough to rouse you.]
Chu Luyu let out an embarrassed little chuckle: [No, I’ve never had a regular job. After graduation, I’ve always been a freelancer—my schedule’s totally flexible.]
In the real world, she was a little comic artist. She’d majored in fine arts in college and went straight into the field after graduation, signing with a webcomic platform.
Since she was a full-time artist, her time was entirely her own. She could wake up whenever she wanted.
After chatting and joking around with the system for a bit, Chu Luyu threw off the covers and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
While brushing her teeth, her phone suddenly buzzed. She padded out with her toothbrush still in her mouth, bent down, and picked it up. It was a message from Jiang Hezhou.
Jiang Hezhou: [If you’re awake, come out and eat.]
Chu Luyu paused mid-brush.
Chu Luyu: [So the male lead saw me asleep last night and just carried me to my room without saying anything?]
System Cuihua: [Yep.]
System Cuihua: [But when he was carrying you, I don’t know if it’s just my motherly filter talking, but I felt like you two looked so perfect together. Dammit, why aren’t you the female lead?]
Chu Luyu: […] [Don’t say such wild things.]
Chu Luyu had always been clear-headed about this.
In a constructed story world, everything revolved around the protagonists.
And in a romance story, the protagonists were the male lead and the female lead.
No matter how things stood between her and the male lead now, in six months, she’d be leaving.
Since she already knew the ending, she shouldn’t let any unnecessary, unwarranted feelings creep in.
After washing up, Chu Luyu padded out of her room in her slippers and made her way toward the dining area.
Jiang Hezhou had already prepared breakfast: a basket of small steamed buns, a basket of steamed dumplings, two perfectly fried sunny-side-up eggs, two cups of freshly blended something-or-other, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.
Curious, she pointed at the reddish paste in the cup: “What’s this? Why is it red?”
“Five-red soybean milk.” Jiang Hezhou leaned over and set the chopsticks in front of Chu Luyu. “I heard you might have some anemia? This helps replenish your blood and energy.”
Chu Luyu froze for a moment, then immediately wailed to the system: [Wuwu Cuihua, I think you were right just now—why aren’t I the female lead!!! The male lead is so attentive and considerate! That damn husband material energy!]
Just moments ago, she’d been reminding herself not to let her thoughts cross the line. And now, one cup of soybean milk had turned her into a jealous lemon.
She couldn’t help but think of the female lead from the main story.
That girl was lively, bright, and always positive—like a little ray of sunshine. Chattering away beside the male lead, she really did seem like a perfect match.
With that thought, she sighed: [Never mind, I’m not jealous anymore. Someone as good as the male lead really only deserves the female lead. I don’t measure up.]
The system wasn’t having it: [What are you saying? The female lead is great, but you’re great too! You’re kind and warm. Sure, sometimes you seem like you’re missing a few screws too, but overall, you’re a wonderful girl! I won’t let you be insecure!]
Chu Luyu: [Wuwu Cuihua…]
System Cuihua: [Alright, hold it in. No crying.]
Chu Luyu: […] [Okay.]
At the table, Jiang Hezhou spoke up first.
“I’m off today. After we eat, I can take you to the mall to pick up some more daily necessities.”
Chu Luyu didn’t need anything and quickly declined: “You’ve already prepared so much for me. I don’t need anything else—no need to go to the trouble.”
Jiang Hezhou picked up a piece of pickled melon and put it on his plate without looking up: “It’s no trouble. You’ve been here a few days now but haven’t gone out because of your ankle. It’s also a chance to get some fresh air.”
Chu Luyu sensed something was off.
She quickly asked the system: [Cuihua, what’s going on? Why do I feel like the male lead is acting strange?]
System Cuihua: [You were asleep, so you didn’t know. The original owner’s mother called the male lead. She’s worried about her and asked him to take good care of you.]
Ah, so that was it.
Chu Luyu felt reassured.
—
After the meal, Jiang Hezhou gave Chu Luyu time to get ready.
He expected her to take a while before coming out again, since every time he’d met her before, her heavy makeup didn’t look like something that could be applied quickly.
He was debating whether to head to the study and work for a bit when the master bedroom door suddenly opened again, and Chu Luyu walked out without warning.
Her face was still make-up free, as if she’d only applied a light layer of sunscreen. The clothes she’d changed into were also vastly different from before—still a short skirt, but she’d paired it with a long-sleeved sun-protection top.
The original owner’s wardrobe was almost entirely clubwear.
Chu Luyu couldn’t stand it. After rummaging around for a good while, she’d barely managed to find a white strappy short dress.
There was no way she was wearing that out on its own. She’d searched for ages and finally found a sun-protection jacket tucked away in the corner.
Seeing Jiang Hezhou staring at her without moving, she felt a bit awkward: “What’s wrong? Is this outfit too ugly?”
Jiang Hezhou shook his head, his gaze behind his glasses calm and undisturbed.
“It’s just that I’ve never seen you dressed like this before.”
“Ah…” Chu Luyu felt a twinge of guilt and let out a sheepish laugh. “We girls are all like this. What we like today we might not like tomorrow.”
Jiang Hezhou was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, there was a barely perceptible note of something meaningful in his voice: “Is that so?”
“Mm-hmm!”
At the mall, Chu Luyu had planned to just wander around a bit, grab a meal with Jiang Hezhou, and then head back.
But when they reached the women’s clothing floor, he suddenly stopped.
“Want to take a look inside?”
“Huh? No, I have enough clothes—”
She’d been about to say she had enough to wear, but then she remembered that wardrobe full of scandalously skimpy dresses and promptly choked on her words.
“Taking a look… sure.”
Jiang Hezhou didn’t say anything more. He simply led her silently into the nearest women’s clothing store.
The store had a fresh, bright aesthetic. Chu Luyu could barely take a step in without stopping to admire something. She picked out a set to try on, and when she emerged from the fitting room, she looked completely transformed.
Jiang Hezhou was sitting on the sofa in the waiting area. From his angle, he had a direct view of Chu Luyu as she came out.
The hair she’d had tied up earlier had been let down by the store assistant. Her softly wavy locks fell like lush seaweed from the crown of her head all the way down to her waist.
She’d chosen a black long dress. The black bodice had a strapless design, and from above her chest up to her neck, it was accented with white lace.
Her fair, delicate skin was enveloped by the lace, faintly visible with every movement.
The dress is beautiful, and it suits her well.
The words suddenly crossed Jiang Hezhou’s mind.
Back in the real world, Chu Luyu had always been indecisive. Every time she bought clothes, she’d instinctively ask for her companion’s opinion.
Right now, she’d completely forgotten her current circumstances and simply treated Jiang Hezhou as a shopping buddy. She trotted over to him and twirled around.
“How does this look?”
The expression on her face was so vivid—her clean, rosy face paired with equally bright, clear eyes, gazing at him expectantly.
Jiang Hezhou’s Adam’s apple moved involuntarily. His breathing inexplicably lightened under her gaze.
He subconsciously looked away, not understanding why her stare had made him feel so tense all of a sudden. When he spoke, he tried to keep his tone as normal as ever.
“Beautiful.”
Huh… She felt like he’d said that kind of half-heartedly. He’d barely even taken a proper look!
Chu Luyu voiced her confusion to the system.
System Cuihua: [Well, what do you expect? You’re the supporting character, he’s the male lead. The fact that he even came out with you is already decent of him. Why would he have the patience to carefully pick out clothes for you?]
Chu Luyu came to her senses: [Right. All the good treatment the male lead gives the supporting character is based purely on his own personal character. Helping her pick out clothes really is a bit over the top. It’s not like he likes me or anything.]
With that realization, Chu Luyu stopped overthinking it and decided to only ask the store assistant for opinions on the rest of the clothes.
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