Chu Luyu didn’t know if the system had arranged something again, but she genuinely felt that her body had changed after the shower—there really was a sense that her period was coming early.
She felt completely stuck between a rock and a hard place, frantically calling out to the system in her head: [Cuihua! What do I do, what do I do! The male lead seems to have taken my words seriously!]
System Cuihua: [Well, you were practically crying when you said it. With his old-fashioned, straight-laced personality, he definitely thought you were genuinely in pain. Out of a sense of responsibility, he’d want to help you out.]
Chu Luyu felt like crying but had no tears left—she had no idea what to do.
The man behind her was still pressed close, his arm like a brand—hot, firm, and unyielding—crossed just below her neck.
They remained frozen for about four or five seconds. When Jiang Hezhou saw that she wasn’t speaking, he paused, then suddenly asked, “Are you uncomfortable because I’m watching you? Is that why you don’t want me to help?”
Chu Luyu didn’t catch his meaning and let out a confused “Huh?” But Jiang Hezhou ignored her reaction. He straightened up, rewrapped the towel around her from behind, and led her to sit on the edge of the bed.
“Wait for me.”
Chu Luyu had no idea what he was planning. She sat there anxiously, not daring to move.
A moment later, Jiang Hezhou returned to the room, holding a black tie.
“If you feel embarrassed being seen by me at this stage, use this to cover my eyes.” He handed the tie toward her, his gaze dark and deep. “Tie it on, and I won’t be able to see.”
Was that even the issue here?!
Her face flushed red. She bit her lip and looked up at him with watery eyes, making no move to take it.
Jiang Hezhou seemed to have all the patience in the world.
When she didn’t act, he took her hand and placed the tie directly into her palm.
Once her small, pale hand gripped both ends of the tie, he slowly guided her down onto the bed. He hovered above her to the side, like the most patient guide in the world, teaching her how to bind the tie over his eyes.
His glasses had long been removed and set aside. With his cool, impassive face and his eyes now covered, the rest of his features still revealed his exceptional bone structure.
Yet despite appearing to be the one blindfolded and passive, everything that followed was still led by him—
“Take my hand, like before, and place it… there.”
Chu Luyu lay there, her heart pounding like a drum. She didn’t want to do anything like before… but Jiang Hezhou had been holding her wrist ever since and hadn’t let go. She couldn’t escape even if she wanted to.
“Jiang Hezhou… I actually…”
“Be good.” He cut her off. Perhaps because he was so close, his voice seemed to carry an electric current, grazing her ear. “We’re going to get married in the future. If you’re in pain and come to me with your needs, that’s perfectly normal. There’s no need to endure discomfort out of shyness. Just listen to me, okay?”
His low, coaxing voice by her ear made Chu Luyu feel as if she’d been bewitched. Despite her nerves and embarrassment making her scalp tingle, the next second she actually guided his hand along, all the way up to her front.
The towel was gently pulled away. What happened after that, Chu Luyu didn’t dare to watch.
She squeezed her eyes shut, turned her head to the side, her face burning so hot it could drip blood.
“Does it hurt here?”
“No…”
The man paused for a moment. “Then here?”
“No…”
As soon as she said that, she felt a fingertip brush across the very top.
She couldn’t help but arch her body, and a soft, uncontrollable whimper escaped her lips.
“So it’s here.”
His voice was still as hoarse as before, but his tone was even and calm, as if he were genuinely serious about relieving her pain.
The next ten seconds or so passed in a blur for Chu Luyu.
All she remembered was flashes of white light in her mind, her lower lip clamped between her teeth, and her hand beside her unconsciously clutching the bedsheet.
After a few more seconds, Chu Luyu finally spoke up to stop him: “That’s enough. I don’t feel sore anymore.”
Jiang Hezhou paused. When he spoke again, his voice was also a little rough: “Are you sure? The spot where you were hurting still seems quite off. Are you certain you don’t need me to help you further?”
“No, really, it’s fine. I’m really not in pain anymore.”
Chu Luyu couldn’t take it any longer. She was afraid that if this continued, she’d become even stranger.
Summoning her courage, she shoved Jiang Hezhou away and stumbled into the bathroom.
Hearing the bathroom door open and close, Jiang Hezhou finally lay flat on the bed. He reached up with one hand and pulled the blindfold off his eyes, letting out a long breath. His lean, solid chest rose and fell repeatedly under the light. He frowned hard, struggling to contain himself, then after a moment, as if resigning to fate, let out a quiet, helpless laugh.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Chu Luyu wasn’t faring much better.
The sensation just now had been too foreign, too overwhelming—she’d never experienced anything like it.
Now she had put on her pajamas and was sitting on the toilet, holding a tissue she’d just pulled out, hesitating whether to wipe herself.
The system finally seemed to come back online, suddenly speaking up.
System Cuihua: [Oh my god, you two are finally done!]
Chu Luyu: […What do you mean ‘done’! Don’t make it sound so ambiguous! He was purely helping me with the pain—didn’t you see his eyes were covered?!]
System Cuihua: [I know, I know. He’s the male lead, he still dislikes you, and it’s not like he’d actually have any real feelings for you. But that scene just now… ah, mommy, I really couldn’t bear to watch.]
Chu Luyu tightened her grip on the tissue in her hand. She didn’t know if it was because she’d suddenly secreted an excess of useless hormones, but her mind was still reeling, unable to settle.
She asked the system: [Cuihua, what do you think the male lead meant this time? Did he help the original host like that in the original plot?]
System Cuihua: [How could that be? In the original plot, the original host didn’t have as many accidents as you. Her towel didn’t fall off. After she placed his hand on her, the male lead reacted strongly and pushed her away immediately.]
Chu Luyu: [Then why didn’t he follow the plot just now?]
System Cuihua: [Didn’t I already tell you? In the original plot, the original host’s towel didn’t come off! I think this turned out this way largely because your towel slipped. The male lead probably thought you were up to something again, got annoyed, and wanted to scare you—to let you know he’s not someone to be trifled with! That way, if you had some fear, you wouldn’t keep going out of your way to disgust him!]
Chu Luyu’s mind was a mess. She felt that what the system said didn’t quite match what she’d experienced, but for now, she couldn’t come up with another explanation.
After all, the male lead’s disgust value was still glaringly obvious above his head. He truly did despise her deep down. In that case, how could he possibly have any other intentions?
Chu Luyu took a deep breath, forcing herself to stop overthinking.
Chu Luyu: [Whatever. There’s still a little over a month left. As long as I get through this phase and complete the last task, I’ll be able to part ways with the male lead for good!]
By then, whatever he thought or did would have nothing to do with her anymore.
After taking care of herself, Chu Luyu listened carefully for any sounds outside. Sensing that the bedroom was indeed empty, she pushed open the bathroom door again.
Jiang Hezhou was indeed gone. The bedroom door had been carefully closed from the outside, leaving only Chu Luyu in the room.
She let out a sigh of relief and was about to lie down when the bedroom door suddenly knocked from outside.
A bit surprised, she called out tentatively, “What is it?”
“Can I come in? I have something urgent to discuss with you.”
Chu Luyu got up and opened the door. The male lead had changed clothes—long pants and a shirt, with a long black trench coat draped over his arm.
“Another homicide occurred in the outskirts near the development zone. There’s an eyewitness who may have seen the killer, but the team’s hired sketch artist can’t make it in time for now. Sister Yao asked me to bring you along for the job.”
Chu Luyu was taken aback, a troubled look crossing her face. “But I’ve never worked on forensic sketches before—I don’t know if I can do it well…”
Jiang Hezhou’s expression was serious as he replied, “It’s urgent. If the sketch artist could make it, Sister Yao probably wouldn’t have asked me to bring you. Just do your best at the scene—don’t feel pressured. The eyewitness will go back and forth with you to confirm the sketch until it’s as close as possible.”
Chu Luyu was silent for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement.
It was already very late, and the night outside was thick and pitch black.
They drove for about an hour and a half before reaching the crime scene. The area was cordoned off with yellow tape, and the atmosphere was solemn. Jiang Hezhou had Chu Luyu wait outside while he put on his badge and ducked under the tape.
As she waited, Chu Luyu couldn’t help asking the system again: [Cuihua, is this homicide one of the cases that later causes the male lead to develop psychological trauma?]
System Cuihua: [Yes. These recent cases are serial homicides—the methods and details are extremely similar. Although the original plot never revealed the outcome of these cases, from the crumbs scattered throughout, it’s safe to say they were all committed by the same killer.]
Chu Luyu: [Then where did the male lead start making wrong judgments? And after the main story began, were these cases ever solved? Did the writer reveal who the killer was?]
She’d fast-forwarded through almost everything except the romance lines, so she had no idea how the rest of the plot unfolded.
System Cuihua: [It wasn’t written… I guess the writer thought these side plots weren’t interesting enough. After all, the main story is a heartwarming, sweet little romance—the most important thing is the male and female leads being all lovey-dovey. As for which case the male lead started making wrong calls on—I don’t know either. The main story only mentioned it in passing, with no details!]
Chu Luyu opened her mouth, her mood suddenly growing heavier. [So that means all the police officers here are sacrificing their time and energy just to serve as transitional filler? And when the cases eventually go cold, they’ll doubt their own abilities and end up with varying degrees of negative feelings?]
System Cuihua: [If you put it that way, it’s not wrong. But in the main story, they’re just insignificant background characters.]
Chu Luyu: [But right now, they’re real living people. Every single one of them is working hard to uncover the truth. They could actually succeed, but because the plot dictates otherwise…]
The system interrupted her: [Sweetie, this isn’t your concern. Just focus on your tasks. When the time comes, you’ll be free. As for everything else, it’s not your place to think about or get involved in. Don’t pile all that pressure and emotion onto yourself—it breaks my heart to see it.]
Chu Luyu knew she understood the logic, but she simply couldn’t stand by and do nothing, knowing full well how the plot would unfold and end.
Later, an officer brought the eyewitness over.
Jiang Hezhou was still processing the scene and collecting evidence, unable to step away, so another officer handled the coordination with Chu Luyu.
The eyewitness said he lived nearby. He looked simple and honest, dressed plainly.
He described the suspected killer’s figure to Chu Luyu over and over again: “That person was real tall, real skinny, wearing jeans, with a belt around his waist. He had a hat on, big eyes, kinda sunken eye sockets, and looked real mean—you could tell at a glance he wasn’t a good person!”
Chu Luyu revised the sketch repeatedly based on his descriptions. Two full hours passed, and even the eyewitness said it looked about right, but she still felt it needed more refinement.
“Do you remember any other facial details? This sketch will affect the direction and progress of the investigation—it’s better if we can make it even more specific.”
Chu Luyu sat there, a temporary lamp hung overhead casting a dim yellow glow down on her. Her figure was slender and delicate, yet her expression and gaze were stubborn and resolute, radiating a quiet strength.
The officer who had been accompanying her seemed to notice something off and, after a moment’s hesitation, went to find Jiang Hezhou.
As the man approached, he saw the young girl still earnestly holding her sketchpad, comparing details with the eyewitness. The witness was clearly growing impatient, but she remained persistent, continuing to ask questions.
“Thank you for your hard work. There’s an empty police car nearby—you can rest there with our colleague for now. Someone will take you to the station later to give a formal statement.”
As Jiang Hezhou spoke to the eyewitness, he naturally reached out and took Chu Luyu’s wrist, pulling her to her feet.
He led her to a quiet corner. The night breeze was chilly, the temperature around them bitingly cold. The girl’s hair whipped about in the wind, her slender shoulders looking exceptionally frail.
“You’re too tense.” He took off his coat and draped it over her, a hint of tenderness in his eyes. “I know this is your first time dealing with something like this, and you’re probably afraid of making a mistake that could affect the case. But like I said before we came, you don’t need to put so much pressure on yourself. Once we’re back at the station, all the information will be compiled. If there are any errors, the other officers will help correct them.”
Chu Luyu shook her head. She didn’t know how to explain it to him.
Even though she knew the plot, and knew that everyone at the scene—herself included—was essentially doing useless work, she still wanted to try a little harder.
What if, just what if, there was some miracle?
“I just want to make the sketch a little closer, a little more accurate…” That way, maybe the chances of solving the case would increase. Maybe a tiny deviation from the original plot could save the later victims and clear the innocent person from suspicion right from the start.
And even the male lead…
Jiang Hezhou had no idea what was going through her mind. He thought she was just overly anxious and tense.
His heart ached for her. He pulled her into his arms, the night dark and desolate around them, and she heard his voice from above.
“So when you were talking to that eyewitness just now, did you notice anything?”
Chu Luyu shook her head in his embrace, replying, “No. Every sketch I drew afterward, he seemed to think looked like the suspect. But when I pressed for more details, he’d recall something else and add more specifics… That’s why I couldn’t decide—I was afraid of getting it wrong.”
“That’s actually quite common. Eyewitnesses can experience memory confusion due to stress after witnessing a crime scene. Once we’re back at the station, our colleagues will use your sketch to compare and revise with him again.”
“Mm.” Chu Luyu hummed in response, then muttered quietly, “But that eyewitness seemed to have really good eyesight. He remembered so many details about the suspect—he even noticed a tear mole under the killer’s eye.”
Jiang Hezhou froze, his brow furrowing sharply.
Something occurred to him. He suddenly took Chu Luyu by the shoulders and guided her toward the car.
“It’s cold and windy out here. Wait for me in the car. I need to go talk to them about something.”
After settling her in, he shut the car door and hurried back toward the yellow tape.
At the same time, in the nursing department dormitory at Zhouhua University, a few girls were still awake at this hour, gossiping among themselves.
“There were so many posts on Little Red Book tonight that got taken down. Seems like there’s been another homicide nearby. Some people posted about it, but all the threads were deleted.”
“Yeah, yeah, I saw them too. Several of them. As soon as I clicked in, it said the original post was gone.”
Meng Wantian had been about to go to sleep, but hearing her roommates’ conversation, she froze mid-motion.
Memories from her previous life surged into her mind like a tide.
She remembered that around this time in her past life, Jingzhou had also seen a series of homicides—a serial killer case. And it was during these cases that Jiang Hezhou had made some wrong judgments, leading to an innocent person being wrongly accused.
She’d heard that the person couldn’t bear the pressure and took his own life in detention. Because of that, Jiang Hezhou was suspended from duty, and after breaking off his engagement with that woman, he completely shut himself off from the world…
Meng Wantian’s mind raced.
She thought: if something had deviated with that woman in this life, didn’t that mean other things might change too?
If that were the case, what if she gave Jiang Hezhou some crucial leads—using the knowledge she had from her previous life to tell him that the eyewitness in this case was a fraud? Would his judgment then stop making the same mistakes?
If she could actually change the predetermined outcome of some events, perhaps Jiang Hezhou would see her in a new light, and no longer keep her at arm’s length the way he did now.
Meng Wantian’s emotions were in turmoil.
She weighed the idea, wondering if she should wait a little longer. But then again, she was afraid that if she let things continue, everything in this life would change entirely.
After all, even she herself was a variable.
With that thought, she suddenly made up her mind. Grabbing her clothes and putting them on, ignoring her roommates’ calls, she rushed downstairs—
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