Episode 1: A Morbid Awakening (Part 1)
At Wenshi University, dusk settled slowly over the campus, staining the sky in muted shades of gray-blue.
Han Xingchen stood alone at the rooftop railing in a loose white shirt, the evening wind tugging softly at the fabric. Under the dim light, his features looked even sharper-beautiful in an almost unreal way.
From a distance, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary college student.
Harmless. Gentle, even.
But his eyes ruined the illusion completely.
There was something deeply wrong hidden inside them. Something reckless. Unstable.
"Remember who you are."
"Don't cause trouble for me again."
His father's words echoed endlessly inside his head, over and over like a curse. And every time they resurfaced, they dragged along the memories attached to them-the disgust in his father's eyes, the disappointment carved into his face, the slap that came without explanation or mercy.
Just because he was an illegitimate son.
Just because his existence was nothing more than a tool for his father to ease his guilt toward another woman.
Han Xingchen lowered his gaze toward the dizzying height below.
Oddly enough, he felt no fear at all.
Instead, the corner of his lips lifted slightly as a dangerous thought crossed his mind.
If he jumped right now...
Would anyone cry for him?
The answer came almost immediately.
No one would.
No one cared whether he lived or died.
The cold wind swept across his forehead, pushing back his dark bangs and revealing the sharpness in his eyes even more clearly. The faint cut across his cheekbone stood out beneath the fading light.
Slowly, he spread his arms open and let the freezing wind crash against him.
Every breath eased the suffocating pressure in his chest just a little more.
Then-
Footsteps.
Fast. Panicked.
Han Xingchen's hearing had always been sharp, but before his body could properly react, someone suddenly grabbed him around the waist from behind.
The grip wasn't particularly strong.
But it was enough.
Enough to yank him down from the railing.
Bang!
His body lurched backward violently before he hit the ground hard, instinctively throwing out a hand to catch himself. A sharp sting spread across his palm where the skin scraped roughly against the concrete.
The pain was minor.
Still, irritation instantly flared in his chest.
Dragged down for no reason and injured in the process?
What kind of lunatic.
Just as Han Xingchen lifted his head, ready to explode, the person responsible beat him to it.
"Are you insane?!"
A woman's voice rang sharply through the rooftop air.
Strong.
Yet trembling slightly.
Han Xingchen looked up.
The woman standing before him was dressed simply-a pale pink blouse paired with a denim skirt. Her worn-out sneakers looked noticeably old compared to the rest of her outfit.
Seeing him stare blankly for a second too long, she suddenly looked nervous.
"Wait... did I hurt you somewhere?"
She hurried closer and crouched down in front of him, clearly unsure where to place her hands. She wanted to help him up, but seemed afraid he might actually be injured.
Han Xingchen froze.
The anger that had been boiling moments ago disappeared strangely fast the second he met her eyes.
They were clear.
Too clear.
Filled with genuine worry and panic.
Not fake.
Not forced.
Even the slight trembling of her lips proved it.
It had been a very long time since someone had looked at him like that.
For a brief moment, he didn't know how to react.
"Hey... are you okay?"
She lightly tapped his shoulder, pulling him back to reality.
"Do you need help getting up?"
Her voice was unexpectedly soft despite the scolding from earlier.
Han Xingchen lowered his gaze for a second before answering quietly.
"I'm fine."
Only then did she finally let out a relieved breath.
"Careful..."
She helped him over to a nearby wooden bench before gently brushing the dust off his clothes.
"You're a student here, right?"
Han Xingchen paused briefly before nodding.
"Yeah."
The woman leaned closer without warning, carefully examining the injury on his cheekbone. Her fingertips lightly brushed against the cut.
It looked fresh.
Then her eyes shifted lower-to the split skin near the corner of his lips and the faint swelling on his cheek.
Someone had slapped him.
Recently.
That gentle touch lit something dangerous deep inside him.
Han Xingchen stared at her face quietly.
She wasn't exceptionally beautiful.
But her eyes…
Her eyes were painfully clean.
Different from everyone around him.
Most people looked at him with fear.
Or disgust.
Nothing else.
The woman's expression slowly turned serious.
"What department are you from?"
Han Xingchen immediately recognized that look.
If he refused to answer, she would absolutely keep asking questions.
"Psychology," he replied lazily. "Fourth year."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"You're already a senior and still getting bullied?"
Han Xingchen nearly laughed out loud.
Bullied?
At this university, nobody dared mess with him.
The thought made his gaze sharpen subtly.
People around him were always pretending. Anyone who approached him usually wanted something.
Maybe she was the same.
The suspicion returned instantly.
Tilting his head slightly, Han Xingchen lowered his lashes and deliberately softened his expression.
"I'm not being bullied."
The woman looked even more conflicted after hearing that answer.
"Don't tell me those injuries happened because you 'fell over.'"
Han Xingchen blinked once.
Interesting.
Victims usually said that exact lie.
So she was testing him now?
He stayed silent on purpose, wanting to see her next reaction.
If she had approached him with ulterior motives, she would eventually slip up.
Instead, the woman only looked more troubled.
After hesitating briefly, she pulled out a work badge from her pocket and showed it to him.
"I'm an assistant lecturer from the Art Department." She paused softly. "My name is Lin Yue."
Then she gently patted his shoulder.
"You can tell me the truth now."
Her sincerity didn't feel fake.
Unless she was an incredible actress.
For the first time in a long while, Han Xingchen found himself unable to read someone.
"Really," he said quietly, continuing the act, "I'm not being bullied."
Lin Yue bit down lightly on her lip before immediately pressing further.
"Then how do you explain the injuries on your face?" she demanded.
"And what exactly were you doing standing on the railing like that with your arms open?"
Her voice trembled slightly with anger.
Not performative anger.
Real anger.
Han Xingchen could tell.
Maybe he really had been overthinking things.
Still, one detail continued bothering him.
Why had she come to the rooftop in the first place?
He lifted his eyes slightly and smiled faintly.
"My dad hit me earlier today."
He paused.
"As for the rooftop... I was just clearing my head."
Lin Yue stared at him in disbelief.
The first explanation was understandable.
The second was ridiculous.
"You clear your head by standing on a rooftop railing?"
Han Xingchen nodded calmly.
"It helps me de-stress."
Lin Yue tried very hard to understand that statement.
She failed completely.
Crossing her arms, she frowned at him.
"You call that stress relief? That was dangerous!"
Han Xingchen chuckled softly before suddenly turning the question back on her.
"What about you, teacher?" he asked casually. "Why were you on the rooftop this late?"
Lin Yue looked confused by the question.
"Because I saw you standing up there like you were about to jump!"
There was obvious frustration in her voice now.
Yet somehow, hearing it made Han Xingchen want to smile.
This woman was unexpectedly interesting.
After a moment, Lin Yue sighed and held out her hand toward him.
"Forget it. Let's just get out of here first."
Han Xingchen rose slowly to his feet, brushing the dust off his clothes.
He made no move to take her hand.
Lin Yue stared at him for half a second before directly grabbing his wrist herself.
"Hey-"
Ignoring his resistance completely, she dragged him toward the stairwell.
Han Xingchen hated physical contact.
Normally, his first instinct would've been to shake her off immediately.
But strangely enough.
The warmth of her hand wrapped around his wrist made him hesitate.
And somewhere deep down, against all reason, he found himself
wondering what she would do next.
