The first thing Chen Youzai felt upon regaining consciousness—was pain.
He blinked, only to see his mother standing over him, brandishing a shoe sole and smacking it squarely onto his head, all the while shouting at the top of her lungs:
“The college entrance exam is almost here, and you’re still playing games?! Planning to starve in the future?!”
Chen Youzai lowered his head. Sure enough, his laptop had been dug out from under the desk. Its back was still cleverly disguised with the cover of a Chinese textbook—so that when opened, it looked as though he were studying.
Ah… still my old style, he thought, letting out a short laugh.
“You’re still laughing?!”
Another fierce smack came down, his mother grinding her teeth in fury.
“There’s only one week left until the exams, and you act like nothing’s wrong! Other parents are comforting their kids, telling them not to stress—yet you? Eating and lazing around like a fool! How did I give birth to such a heartless child?!”
Chen Youzai’s expression shifted. He looked up sharply.
“Mom… what did you say? One week until the exams?”
That single sentence seemed to recharge her anger. She grabbed his ear and yanked hard.
Chen Youzai yelped like a trapped mouse, hopping around in pain, begging for mercy—yet even as he did, his thoughts raced.
Of all times to come back… it had to be now? Even a few days later would’ve been better…
Wait… something’s not right.
Wasn’t I only in second year of high school when I left?
Swallowing nervously, he ventured, “Mom… did I… skip a grade?”
“Skip your head!”
Smack!
The blow left him momentarily breathless.
The calendar…
He scrambled to the computer and checked the date at the bottom corner.
And froze.
A year… and more than two months had passed.
Could it be that the fleeting moment of that strange journey had actually consumed an entire year? There and back again—half a year spent simply crossing between worlds…
He lifted his head to look at his mother. Aside from a slight change in her hair, everything was the same.
Then he glanced around the room.
More posters of beautiful women had appeared on the walls. The desk was still a chaotic mess. Even the hair gel from a year ago remained—though half-used and replaced with newer, more expensive styling products.
His mother continued scolding him, but Chen Youzai simply looked up and said calmly,
“Mom, I’ll study properly. You can confiscate the laptop.”
She froze, stunned, looking him up and down.
Chen Youzai smiled faintly, closed the laptop, and handed it to her. Then he lowered his head and began reading.
He had noticed earlier—the screen had been full of blinking chat icons.
Right… I used to pretend to be a handsome guy online, chatting up girls…
His mother muttered a few more words before finally leaving, her heavy steps fading down the hall.
Chen Youzai stared at his notebook.
The pages were filled with dense scribbles.
The irony was sharp—his handwriting had always been messy, readable only to himself.
Now—even he could not understand it.
He picked up a few textbooks and flipped through them. The content might as well have been heavenly scripture—utterly incomprehensible.
He sighed.
Then suddenly—
He jerked his head up.
Half his mother’s face was pressed against the glass door, watching him.
“Try sneaking around and doing anything bad—I dare you!”
Chen Youzai quickly lowered his head again, heart thumping.
Though he had been gone for so long, that familiar fear remained unchanged.
And yet… strangely, he no longer found it irritating.
Instead, there was a faint sense of comfort.
After a futile morning of studying, he was driven out to school in the afternoon. Not knowing what books to bring, he simply stuffed everything on his desk into his bag and set off, swaying under the weight.
“Hey… isn’t that our ‘campus heartthrob’?”
“Hahaha—”
Mockery followed him all the way.
At the school gate, a boy kicked his already overstuffed bag. The seam tore open instantly, books spilling everywhere.
Laughter erupted.
A group of boys rushed forward, trampling over the scattered books.
“Step on the caveman’s books—guaranteed to get into a top university!”
They jeered wildly, others joining in—even strangers passing by would step on a book for fun, laughing as they left.
Once upon a time, Chen Youzai might have admired such behavior.
If the target weren’t himself, he might have joined in.
But now—
Why do they all look so ridiculous?
He frowned, watching silently.
The leader grew angry and punched him in the chest.
“What, not convinced?!”
The insults grew harsher, baiting him into striking first.
Then—
A fist shot forward.
The boy doubled over.
Silence fell.
“You wanna die?!” the boy roared, kicking Chen Youzai in the stomach.
Chen Youzai staggered—but felt little pain.
After everything he had endured before… this was nothing.
As the boy lunged again, Chen Youzai instinctively extended two fingers and tapped his chest.
Whether by luck or something more—
The boy froze.
Unable to move.
Chen Youzai kicked him down and straddled him, fists raining down.
The boy’s eyes bulged in disbelief, mouth opening and closing without sound.
“The campus heartthrob’s gone mad…” someone whispered.
The others rushed forward, attacking him all at once.
No matter how quick his fingers were, he could not fend them all off.
Fists, kicks—spittle—
Chaos.
The disturbance drew a supervisor.
At his approach, the crowd scattered instantly.
Even the fallen boy was dragged away.
In moments, only Chen Youzai remained.
He wiped his face and looked up.
The supervisor cast him a cold glance.
“Come to my office.”
Then left.
Chen Youzai picked up his books, dusting them off—only to realize his bag was beyond repair.
Spotting a nearby shop, he went to buy plastic bags.
By the time he returned—
He froze.
Everything was gone.
Books.
Bag.
All of it.
In the distance, a cart marked Scrap Collection turned a corner.
Qinyi Courtyard
Mu Xueshi opened his eyes.
Night had fully fallen.
The empty room carried the mingled scent of indulgence and blood.
His senses were sharp.
He knew exactly what had happened before he lost consciousness.
Disgusting…
His gaze fell upon the marks scattered across his body. A cold smile curved his lips.
Shall I carry these into the underworld…
Or erase them first?
If he carried them…
What expression would that man wear upon seeing them?
“Grand Tutor Mu… your son fell in love with his own father—only to be defiled by his own brother…”
He murmured the words again and again, a bleak smile flickering in his eyes.
Shards of broken porcelain still littered the ground.
One piece would be enough—
To cut away every place that had been sullied.
But he could not move.
Perhaps… this is fate.
He closed his eyes.
The door creaked open.
The Third Prince stood at the threshold, killing intent spilling from his gaze.
Something struck Mu Xueshi’s mouth, forcing it open. A thin line of blood marked his tongue, trailing slowly downward.
“When did this coward, so afraid of death, learn to take his own life?” the prince said softly.
Mu Xueshi swallowed the blood.
As though nothing had happened.
The prince’s brow twitched faintly.
Then, in a voice deceptively gentle:
“Whatever you do… your servants will share your fate.”
The door opened wider.
Qingya and Qingzhu were dragged in, trembling violently as they knelt.
The prince held Mu Xueshi, turning his face so he could see them.
Under the prince’s gaze, the two maids opened their mouths, each holding a small blade—raising it toward their own tongues.
The prince watched Mu Xueshi.
Waiting.
Even the slightest reaction—
Would have ended it.
But none came.
Not a flicker.
Tears fell as the blades cut. Suppressed cries filled the room. Blood was swallowed as they looked toward Mu Xueshi—pain and sorrow in their eyes.
Still—
He did not move.
Only after they were dragged away did the prince lower his gaze.
In his arms, Mu Xueshi remained calm as still water.
As though even their deaths—
Would mean nothing to him.
Futile Devices Scans 
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