Chapter Summaries

Tong Zhao secured compensation and contacted Shu Sizhuo’s uncle, Hua Ruolin, who came to bring his nephew back to City A. As Hua Ruolin began preparing Shu Sizhuo for his future role, he grew irritated by the boy’s attachment to Tong Zhao and ordered him back to his own room.

• Tong Zhao told the system about his hardship, and the General Institute approved twenty thousand yuan in emotional-distress compensation and an advance on his wages.
• Tong Zhao called Shu Sizhuo’s uncle, Hua Ruolin, who agreed to help and traveled to Grinding Cloud City with lawyers and bodyguards.
• Shu Sizhuo greeted Hua Ruolin warmly, and the uncle embraced him before taking him and Tong Zhao to City A.
• Hua Ruolin bought them new clothes and stayed with them at a luxury hotel while his lawyers handled matters concerning Shu Sizhuo.
• Hua Ruolin found Shu Sizhuo sleeping in Tong Zhao’s bed, pulled him out from under the covers, and ordered him to return to his own room.

Shu Sizhuo and Tong Zhao accepted Hua Ruolin’s rules while secretly preserving their closeness, as Hua Ruolin dismantled the schemes against the Shu Family. After Uncle Ou and Qin Yan were dealt with, Tong Zhao told Hua Ruolin he was worried about Shu Sizhuo because he would not be able to stay much longer.

• Shu Sizhuo argued that he should be allowed to sleep beside Tong Zhao, but Hua Ruolin ordered him to return to his own room and warned Tong Zhao about his clothing.
• Tong Zhao reassured Shu Sizhuo that he could secretly come to his room on frightening nights, and they agreed on a secret knock.
• Hua Ruolin’s team uncovered Uncle Ou’s crimes and Qin Yan’s inheritance scheme; Uncle Ou received a twenty-five-year sentence, and Qin Yan’s son lost his inheritance rights.
• Tong Zhao and Shu Sizhuo returned to the Shu Family residence as Uncle Ou was taken away, while Hua Ruolin’s bodyguards expelled Qin Yan and Shu Yaoxi.
• Hua Ruolin moved into the residence to guard Shu Sizhuo and manage the family business, repeatedly catching Shu Sizhuo sneaking into Tong Zhao’s room.
• Tong Zhao shared a drink with Hua Ruolin in the courtyard and said he wanted more time with Shu Sizhuo because he would not be able to stay much longer.

Tong Zhao grew close to Shu Sizhuo and Hua Ruolin while living with the Shu Family, but he eventually decided to return to his own home. He left without saying goodbye to Shu Sizhuo, who ended the chapter unable to reach him by phone.

• Tong Zhao and Hua Ruolin repeatedly drank together, while Shu Sizhuo interrupted them and tried to keep Tong Zhao from drinking too much.
• Tong Zhao gave Shu Sizhuo a golden retriever puppy for his eleventh birthday, and Shu Sizhuo named it Little Loofah.
• Shu Sizhuo went to the United Kingdom to study, and Tong Zhao traveled there as well before spring arrived the following year.
• Tong Zhao told Hua Ruolin he was going home and asked him to comfort Shu Sizhuo after he left.
• Shu Sizhuo searched the house for Tong Zhao, learned from Hua Ruolin that he had gone home, and repeatedly called until he realized he could not reach him.

After Shu Sizhuo believed Tang Xu had died, he grew quiet and withdrawn, while Hua Ruolin mourned Tong Zhao’s absence. Eight years later, Shu Sizhuo confronted Tong Zhao, revealed he had recognized him as Tang Xu, and abused him; the chapter ended with Tong Zhao agreeing to let him apply medicine only if he left afterward.

• Shu Sizhuo cried for Tang Xu until he developed a high fever, then asked Hua Ruolin to find Tang Xu’s hometown near Grinding Cloud City.
• Hua Ruolin learned from the orphanage that Tang Xu had died in an accident the previous month.
• Shu Sizhuo confronted Tong Zhao and called him Tang Xu, or Xia Zhen, revealing that he had recognized him for a long time.
• Tong Zhao accused Shu Sizhuo of manipulating him, and Shu Sizhuo said he was exacting revenge for being abandoned and deceived.
• Shu Sizhuo continued hurting Tong Zhao, then cleaned him and carried him to bed.
• Tong Zhao refused further abuse but allowed Shu Sizhuo to apply medicine, telling him to leave afterward.

Tong Zhao woke to find himself chained and captive in Shu Sizhuo’s home, and confronted Shu Sizhuo about imprisoning people. Shu Sizhuo agreed to release everyone at Wind House on the condition that Tong Zhao stay in his place, then ordered his assistant to dismiss them and get them home safely.

• Tong Zhao woke hungry and weak after Shu Sizhuo had sex with him, ate the meal Shu Sizhuo prepared, and asked to be released.
• Shu Sizhuo refused to let Tong Zhao leave, and they argued about their past and Shu Sizhuo’s plans to keep him captive.
• Tong Zhao asked Shu Sizhuo to release the people he believed were imprisoned at Wind House, and Shu Sizhuo agreed on condition that Tong Zhao take their place and stay.
• Tong Zhao demanded proof, so Shu Sizhuo called his first assistant and ordered everyone at Wind House dismissed and safely sent home.
• Shu Sizhuo told Tong Zhao the phone was for internal calls only, then pulled him close and kissed him.

Tong Zhao tried to resist Shu Sizhuo, then realized his system had gone silent again and began piecing together why Shu Sizhuo had recognized him. He was left horrified and angry after recalling that Shu Sizhuo had imprisoned and abused other young men who resembled him.

• Shu Sizhuo kissed Tong Zhao, injured his lip, and forced him to let him check and treat the wound.
• Tong Zhao scratched Shu Sizhuo's face while resisting, then endured Shu Sizhuo applying medicine and kissing him.
• After Shu Sizhuo left, Tong Zhao called for his system and found it unresponsive, then tried to understand why he had been imprisoned.
• Tong Zhao wondered whether Shu Sizhuo had discovered the truth about his repeated appearances in different lives and worlds.
• Tong Zhao recalled that Shu Sizhuo had imprisoned and abused young men who resembled him, and became furious and distressed.

Tong Zhao questioned whether Shu Sizhuo’s other companions were willing and felt jealous, while Shu Sizhuo watched him through surveillance and kept him confined. Shu Sizhuo had Xiaoguang deliver dinner, and Tong Zhao learned the robot could only call his husband, Shu Sizhuo.

• Tong Zhao wondered whether the young men Shu Sizhuo brought to Wind House had agreed willingly, then grew angry and jealous as he recalled Shu Sizhuo’s kisses.
• Shu Sizhuo watched Tong Zhao through surveillance on his way to a shareholder meeting, where Hua Ruolin noticed the scratches on his face and hand.
• Shu Sizhuo asked Hua Ruolin to meet a young man, but Hua Ruolin refused and ended their call.
• Shu Sizhuo watched Tong Zhao search his room for a way out and thought about how Tong Zhao had broken promises since childhood.
• Shu Sizhuo had Xiaoguang bring Tong Zhao dinner; Tong Zhao asked the robot to unlock his ankle chain or call someone, and Xiaoguang said it could only call his husband, Shu Sizhuo.

Tong Zhao remained confined with Shu Sizhuo, who tried to resume their intimacy despite Tong Zhao’s pain and resistance. After Tong Zhao told him he was terrible at it, Shu Sizhuo stopped for the night, leaving Tong Zhao held in his arms as memories of Shu Sizhuo at nineteen brought him to tears.

• Tong Zhao learned from Xiaoguang that it was October 27 and found he could not use the robot to contact Shi Ruohe or learn about the outside world.
• Shu Sizhuo returned, shared dinner with Tong Zhao, and showed him how to use the projector while Tong Zhao stayed distant.
• After dinner, Shu Sizhuo carried Tong Zhao from the bathroom to bed and began kissing him despite Tong Zhao’s soreness and protests.
• Shu Sizhuo insisted Tong Zhao had promised to stay if he released the people from the Wind House, but Tong Zhao shouted that Shu Sizhuo was terrible at sex and had made him hurt.
• Shu Sizhuo stopped, held Tong Zhao through the night, and Tong Zhao recalled Shu Sizhuo at nineteen before quietly crying.

Shu Sizhuo tried to learn how to make sex less painful for Tong Zhao, while Tong Zhao grew increasingly frustrated with his confinement. When Shu Sizhuo returned with cake, Tong Zhao told him to leave and said he never wanted to see him again, but Shu Sizhuo vowed to visit every day.

• Shu Sizhuo went to work brooding over Tong Zhao calling him lousy in bed and searched online for advice about his pain.
• Tong Zhao explored the sealed room, found no way out, and repeatedly played gomoku before sweeping the pieces onto the floor in frustration.
• Shu Sizhuo asked Hua Ruolin for instructional videos, studied them carefully, and concluded he understood why he had hurt Tong Zhao.
• Shu Sizhuo bought a tiramisu for Tong Zhao after seeing a popular cake shop, but arrived home to find Tong Zhao upset after falling when his ankle chain caught on a chair.
• Tong Zhao threw a pillow at Shu Sizhuo and shouted that he wanted him to leave and never wanted to see him again.
• Shu Sizhuo grabbed Tong Zhao's wrist and said he would come back and appear before him every day.

Shu Sizhuo kept Tong Zhao imprisoned and became increasingly possessive, while Tong Zhao considered how to escape and leave the world. When Tong Zhao greeted Shu Sizhuo warmly on his return, he noticed a bandage on Shu Sizhuo’s left forearm but was prevented from asking about it.

• Shu Sizhuo pinned Tong Zhao down and kissed him, but stopped when he saw Tong Zhao trembling and crying.
• Tong Zhao woke exhausted and sore, counted the marks on his body, and learned from Xiaoguang that Shu Sizhuo had gone to work.
• Tong Zhao thought about his week in confinement, his unfinished system task, and his responsibility for Shu Sizhuo’s resentment, then decided to focus on escaping the room.
• Shu Sizhuo returned late, and Tong Zhao greeted him without anger; Shu Sizhuo embraced him and believed he had accepted staying with him.
• In the bathroom, Tong Zhao noticed a black bandage around Shu Sizhuo’s left forearm and asked about it, but Shu Sizhuo claimed his muscles hurt and kissed him before he could ask more.