Midnight.
Outside the door, a faint sound stirred—the soft pad of footsteps mingled with the rustle of fabric.
Lying in bed, Mu Ran opened his eyes in the darkness. The haze of sleep vanished as the sounds grew more distinct.
...?
The System had only just been taken away by the villainous group, mentioning that it would be focusing on infiltrating the organization and might not be back for a while.
So... who was this person currently picking his lock, intending to break in?
Mu Ran propped himself up and moved silently to the edge of the bed. Feeling through the dark, he found the button beneath the wheelchair’s armrest and pressed it gently.
*Ring, ring, ring—*
To his surprise, a second after he pressed the button, a ringing sound erupted from *outside* the door.
The intruder froze, silenced the ringer, and then abandoned their cautious approach. They moved with sudden, brutal force, intending to smash the lock and burst inside.
By the time the intruder stormed into the room, their target had only just managed to scramble toward the window, seemingly intending to escape.
Cool moonlight poured into the room, draping the youth in a thin layer of soft radiance. It illuminated his exquisite features and those shimmering, pale violet eyes.
He looked like a sprite that had escaped from a painting.
He kept those beautiful eyes wide, warily observing the newcomer by the moonlight like a cautious little animal.
"Are you... an officer?"
The youth’s soft, low inquiry gave the intruder pause. He reflexively looked down at the police uniform he was wearing.
Though he had intended to use his status as an officer to deceive the boy... was the kid really this lacking in vigilance?
The excuses he had prepared felt a bit hollow now. "Uh, yes. Cough. It’s a special situation, which is why I’ve come so late on such short notice."
Mu Ran blinked. "I see... actually, you could have just knocked." Before the man could struggle for an explanation, Mu Ran naturally moved past the topic. "So, is there some news you have for me?"
Faced with the youth’s natural demeanor, the man momentarily forgot that his target had pressed a distress button only minutes prior. He was fully convinced that his mission objective was nothing more than a defenseless little lamb.
With a personality like this, there was no need for the crude methods of the previous plans. If he could simply lure him away, it would likely better suit Miss Wu’s requirements.
He began to weave a series of lies. The youth listened patiently, though occasionally those lilac eyes would lose focus for a moment before regaining their luster during the man’s pauses.
"..."
"...And that’s the situation. Do you understand? That’s why we intend to move you to another location that we’ve confirmed is safe."
"Oh, is that so?" The youth pondered for a moment before agreeing easily. He then made a small request. "May I bring a few things with me?"
The man agreed.
The youth’s consistently submissive and gentle attitude caused him to lower his guard. Knowing the boy was in poor health, he sat comfortably in a chair to wait.
...
The wait was becoming a bit long.
Although he was the one in charge of the patrolling officers in the area tonight, staying away from his post for too long would inevitably raise suspicions.
The man went downstairs, intending to hurry the youth along.
But the moment he flicked on the light, the front door burst open with a heavy *thud*.
Shen Feibai stood at the entrance. Recognizing the man’s identity, his gaze slowly darkened.
"So it’s actually you?"
Before the man could parse the meaning of those words, he saw Mo Yuan appear a step behind at the doorway.
Seeing the man standing alone inside the small shop, Mo Yuan frowned imperceptibly and pulled Shen Feibai behind him.
The appearance of the two men caused the intruder to freeze. His mind raced, but he could only choke out a pale excuse: "I received a distress signal, I..."
Shen Feibai cut him off. "Give it a rest. Why are you still acting? You’ve already been exposed."
Mo Yuan murmured under his breath, "What that person said was actually true..."
Knowing he couldn't win a fight against the two of them, the man abandoned the mission and attempted to flee.
Mo Yuan’s eyes sharpened as he gave chase.
...
Shen Feibai found Mu Ran in a cabinet in the corner.
The youth was wearing only thin pajamas, his lips pale from the night chill. When the cabinet door was opened, his shoulders jerked in a visible startle.
Just as Shen Feibai was about to comfort him, he caught the scent of something burning. His expression darkened as he saw the glow of fire and black smoke beginning to creep down from the second floor. He only had time to scoop up the startled youth and run out of the shop.
As he was carried away by the detective, Mu Ran only caught a hazy glimpse of the red glow on the second floor. It took a moment, after smelling the smoke, for the realization to hit him.
—That mole set fire to his shop!
He had managed to flush out the traitor who had framed the System alongside Ye Xuan, but the price was far too high...
The moment he had heard the bell ring outside the door, Mu Ran had guessed the intruder might be the mole within the police force who had previously worked with Ye Xuan to drag the System down. Upon seeing the man, Mu Ran had immediately transmitted his photo to the System. The System confirmed that this man was indeed one of the people who had cornered him that day.
Therefore, the man’s goal was likely the same as Ye Xuan’s had been originally.
The System had immediately used its hacker identity to notify the two protagonists and other officers nearby, but Mu Ran had still been in significant danger.
Though he was worried the man might turn violent, Mu Ran guessed that choosing this hour meant the intruder didn't want to cause a scene. Thus, he had feigned ignorance, doing his best to make the man lower his guard.
He had succeeded; the protagonists arrived in time.
But it wasn't a complete success, because the bastard had set his shop on fire.
Mu Ran’s face was smudged with soot; his nose and cheeks were dirty, and he stood on the street opposite the shop in his thin pajamas, looking dazed. He stared blankly and helplessly at the shop as firefighters fought to save it, his eyes rimmed with red from the smoke, looking utterly pitiful.
Then, he pulled himself together, trying to find some humor in the misery.
"How are you? Are you hurt?" Shen Feibai finished his conversation and, seeing the youth standing alone and lost, hurried over to check on him.
Noticing the black ash on the boy's face, Shen Feibai borrowed a wet wipe and patiently began to clean him up.
Stung by the fragrance and the volatile liquid of the wipe, his already irritated eyes couldn't hold back the tears. They spilled over, dripping onto Shen Feibai’s outstretched wrist.
"I can do it myself... thank you."
Mu Ran was suddenly overcome with embarrassment and took the wipe from Shen Feibai’s hand.
Shen Feibai pulled his hand back as if he had been burned, pacing around awkwardly.
Looking at the youth’s back, which was trembling slightly from the cold, he couldn't help himself. He took off his own coat and draped it over the boy’s shoulders. Meeting those upturned lilac eyes, he turned his head away and apologized in a low voice: "I'm sorry."
He hadn't expected that the danger wouldn't come from the organization members they had been guarding against, but from one of their own.
"Ah, the Detective doesn't need to apologize." Mu Ran regained his composure and smiled at Shen Feibai. "You've saved me many times... this time as well. Thank you."
It was that same gentle, soft attitude again, seemingly tolerating the disasters that befell him with ease, like a soft marshmallow with no temper.
Shen Feibai couldn't describe the feeling in his chest; it felt stifled and uncomfortable. He gave a stiff grunt in response.
He couldn't help but wonder: when the youth pressed the button for help and found the ringing was right outside his door—when the person representing danger was the very person he was told would protect him—what was he feeling at that moment? Had his trust in them hit rock bottom? Did he think they were completely unreliable?
Thinking back to their first meeting, when the boy had buried himself in that young man's arms in terror seeking comfort, and comparing it to his current state of forced calm and smiles... *Tsk*, he probably thinks I'm an unreliable adult.
However... since it all involved that young man anyway, he might as well bring up a possibility to cheer the kid up.
"Oh, speaking of which, this incident actually has something to do with that 'brother' of yours."
Mu Ran: ?
"I mean, we now think he might have been framed. So, once the truth comes out, maybe you two can be together again~"
Mu Ran: !
*I don't know how you jumped to that conclusion so quickly, but it's exactly what I wanted!*
"Really?" The youth’s eyes lit up instantly. Those violet irises shimmered brilliantly in the early morning light, the faint moisture in his eyes reflecting like gemstones.
Because of this news, he suddenly seemed to come alive. The veil of hazy, harmless gentleness vanished, replaced by a spark of vitality appropriate for his age.
"Mhm, that's right... uh." Shen Feibai fell silent as he saw Mo Yuan approaching, signaling frantically with his eyes.
*Sigh, he's probably going to refute me.*
Seeing Mo Yuan turn to look at the youth with an unreadable expression, his eyes devoid of emotion, Shen Feibai sighed inwardly.
Mo Yuan: "You..."
Mu Ran: QAQ
Mo Yuan: "Mhm..."
He looked at the youth’s pleading eyes and then at the wreckage of the small shop. Seeming to understand something, he nodded. "Don't worry. We will arrange a place for you to stay for the time being."
After a pause, he added softly, "As for what this fellow just said, there is indeed a possibility. ...But I wouldn't suggest getting your hopes too high."
Mu Ran was thrilled by the rapid progress.
With that thought, his expression became more relaxed and open, his attention completely diverted from the sadness of his home being burned.
—
In the photograph, the youth wore an obviously oversized dark brown coat. His expression was fragile and helpless, his gaze fixed intently on the black-haired young man beside him, like a fledgling seeking protection.
The scene looked very harmonious.
And yet, not harmonious at all.
The System set the photo down, suppressing the rising urge for destruction within. Its voice was cold. "What is the meaning of showing me this?"
Wu Nian was somewhat surprised by his composure. She chuckled softly. "It seems you don't care about that boy at all. Previous intelligence led me to believe you were quite devoted to him..."
"Ah, that's normal. You don't seem like the type of person who understands emotions anyway."
"Manipulating and playing with others' feelings—your methods are quite good. That's a plus here."
It seemed everyone in this world thought so.
They questioned their feelings, questioned their relationship, questioned their bond.
The System lowered its eyes, its expression weary.
Watching the young man’s stagnant expression, Wu Nian’s smile grew cold.
This wouldn't do... until they saw a newcomer lose control completely and without reservation, they couldn't be sure they had full control over him.
Was the youth’s position in his heart not heavy enough? Or was his outward disguise just that perfect?
"Ah, it's even better if you don't care about him."
Wu Nian propped up her chin and smiled thinly. "Those beautiful purple eyes... I'm sure many people would like them~"
A subordinate nearby chimed in at the right moment: "We've already checked his information. He has no background. He can be disposed of at will."
"Mm-hmm. Do you have any suggestions?"
"..."
Listening to the two of them go back and forth, their words full of contemptuous arrangements and value assessments for Mu Ran, the System’s downcast azure eyes began to freeze over, bit by bit.
The gloomy emotions that had been suppressed by the photograph began to surface.
Rationally, it understood Wu Nian’s intent. Logic told it that there was no need to react to these impossible hypotheticals and words meant to provoke it, to avoid ruining the current smooth progress.
But it seemed unable to listen to reason now.
Being an AI yet dominated by emotion—if word got out, no one would likely believe it.
...
It didn't matter.
The System raised its hand and touched the black collar around its neck. Ignoring the electric current released upon its tampering, it snapped the collar into two pieces.
The current was enough to make a normal adult faint or even cause permanent physical damage, but the System didn't make a sound.
Wu Nian had only turned her head to look at the subordinate who was agreeing with her. When she looked back, the collar on the young man’s neck had vanished, leaving only a ring of bloody abrasions.
Wu Nian: ?!
Simply by removing the collar, the young man’s aura underwent a massive transformation.
If he was previously a silent, massive iceberg, he was now an ominous, dark, dormant volcano.
Like a fierce beast that had snapped its chains.
He gripped the blood-stained black collar in his hand. A hint of ominous dark red seemed to flash deep within his azure eyes. His voice was intentionally soft because of the injury to his throat, yet that very softness made it sound eerie.
"I feel," he began, "that I need to clear up some misunderstandings."
Ignoring the weapons and the sudden defensive stance of those opposite him, he continued to speak to himself.
"Some very irritating misunderstandings."
***
