Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Confined to the palace, Shen Yangge fills his time by wandering indoors and watching the outside world. He privately wonders why Chu Xuanzhen has not taken the throne, suspecting the answer may involve him, though he eventually assumes Chu is waiting until rivals Chu Xuanzhi and Chu Tianyin—and threats to his control of the Imperial Secret Guards—are dealt with.
• Shen Yangge’s mother visits. Tearful and worried, she checks that he is well and asks him to take leave next month so he can help assess a young man who plans to propose to Shen Yangge’s younger sister. Shen agrees, but the guards refuse to let him leave the palace.
• At dinner, Shen Yangge pointedly rejects the food Chu Xuanzhen serves him. Chu threatens that refusing will jeopardize his request for leave, so Shen reluctantly eats. In return, he is allowed to walk in the courtyard.
• During their walk, Shen worries that Chu’s failure to become emperor may trigger a major change in the world. He considers whether the Bug, Ruthis, or Chu Xuanzhi could become a dangerous replacement for the world’s destined protagonist. Distracted, he nearly walks into a tree; Chu pulls him back and takes his hand.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains resentful of his confinement and tries to resist Chu through small acts of defiance, but he compromises when his family and future freedom are at stake. His thoughts also reveal growing anxiety about the world’s deadline and the dangers gathering around Chu.
• Chu Xuanzhen continues to control Shen’s movements and uses the promise of leave to make him eat. Yet he also quietly accommodates Shen’s wish to walk outside and protects him when he is distracted.
• Shen Yangge’s mother is affectionate and deeply concerned, though she carefully avoids saying what she thinks about his situation with Chu.

Significant themes

• Confinement versus freedom: Shen’s limited movement makes even a short courtyard walk feel precious.
• Power, care, and control: Chu’s actions blend coercion with practical concern, leaving Shen uncertain how to interpret his attention.
• Duty and looming change: Shen’s concern about Chu’s delayed coronation connects personal uncertainty to the possible fate of the entire world.
• Family bonds: The visit reminds Shen of his responsibilities and emotional ties beyond the palace.

Character interactions

• Shen and his mother share a tender reunion; she worries over his condition and asks him to support his sister’s upcoming marriage.
• Shen and Chu clash indirectly at dinner, with Shen showing displeasure by rejecting Chu’s food and Chu countering with a threat tied to Shen’s request for leave.
• On their walk, Chu stays close, rescues Shen from colliding with a tree, and takes his hand—an understated gesture that contrasts with his controlling behavior.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xuanzhen takes Shen Yangge by the hand and carries him into a room, using a familiar magical touch to leave him unable to resist. He teases Shen about getting stuck in a doorway before setting him down.
• Chu admits, “I missed you,” and hints at wanting greater intimacy. Shen, unsettled by Chu’s possessiveness, backs away.
• Chu says he will not force Shen to reveal his secrets, then presents the farewell letter Shen left when he went to the Northern States. The line promising he would return promptly has been blurred out.
• Chu summons a man Shen recognizes as the subordinate he ordered to lie in his bed under the quilt the night he left. The man, terrified, pleads that he followed orders and did nothing.
• Shen tries to defend both himself and the innocent subordinate, explaining that the bedding was unused. He then challenges Chu, arguing that Chu owes him an explanation too: Shen had saved him from danger, and they had agreed to call matters even.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is wary of Chu’s advances and uncomfortable with his growing possessiveness, but he also shows concern for the subordinate and pushes back against what he sees as Chu’s unfairness.
• Chu Xuanzhen reveals his longing and desire for closeness, while confronting Shen over his unexplained departure through the letter and the subordinate’s testimony. His calm, teasing manner masks hurt and jealousy.
• Their exchange shifts from flirtatious physical teasing to a tense reckoning over trust, absence, and what each owes the other.

Significant themes

• Possessiveness versus autonomy: Shen resists Chu’s controlling intimacy and fears the implications of Chu’s attachment.
• Trust and communication: Shen’s departure without a proper explanation has left unresolved hurt.
• Accountability and reciprocity: Shen insists Chu cannot demand answers without facing questions about his own actions.
• Embarrassment and misinterpretation: The subordinate’s presence and Shen’s awkward explanations make the confrontation both comic and uncomfortable.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xuanzhen confronts Shen Yangge about his unexplained trip to the Northern States and threatens the two men involved in helping him.
• Shen claims he acted on an imperial decree—suggesting it may have been forged—and urges Chu to investigate. His convincing performance, aided by rumors that he is a divine dragon, wins the room’s belief.
• Shen promises to explain himself, easing Chu’s anger. Chu then announces that Shen will stay in the Eastern Palace for an “intimate talk,” alarming the witnesses and prompting palace gossip that they will share a bed.
• Shen tries to ignore the rumors and waits for Chu, who does not appear until late at night. Chu wakes Shen while he is undressed; startled, Shen punches at him, but Chu catches his hand and kisses him.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen remains clever, evasive, and outwardly composed, using a forged-decree implication and his public reputation to protect himself and the two kneeling men. Privately, he is irritated by Chu’s possessiveness and embarrassed by the servants’ gossip.
• Chu is stern and controlling, but his anger softens when Shen offers an explanation. His declaration of an “intimate talk” and sudden late-night kiss turn their confrontation into a charged, intimate encounter.
• The two frightened men serve as witnesses to the pair’s unnervingly calm interrogation, while palace staff spread rumors about what Chu’s announcement means.

Significant themes

• Deception and reputation: Shen’s performance and dragon-associated image help him persuade others, even as he conceals the truth.
• Power and mutual blame: Chu questions Shen’s conduct, but Shen recognizes that Chu may be guilty of similar dereliction.
• Tension between public image and private intimacy: A formal reprimand becomes palace gossip, then a private encounter marked by surprise, anger, and attraction.

Chapter summary

Key events

• Chu Xuanzhen restrains Shen Yangge by binding his arms and sealing his pressure points, then pierces his earlobe and gives him an ear stud. He explains that, in a border tribe’s custom, precious earrings signify a betrothal and lifelong commitment.
• Shen is furious at being treated this way and at the implication that he is a woman. Chu tells him he desires him regardless of his gender.
• When Chu produces permanent cinnabar and a brush, Shen fears he is about to be tattooed and protests fiercely. Before Chu can proceed, Shen develops a nosebleed. Chu immediately panics, covers him, and summons an imperial physician.
• The physician diagnoses Shen with excess liver heat and depleted vitality, brought on by anger, and prescribes medicine. Shen tries to obtain leave to rest, but Chu’s intimidating reaction prompts the physician to say leave is unnecessary.
• Shen’s system, System 615, begins reassuring him that Chu did not tattoo him, but Chu picks up the cat-like system before Shen can hear the rest. The chapter ends with Chu showing Shen a mirror.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge remains defiant and quick-witted despite being physically helpless. He uses dramatic complaints and calculated acting to try to make Chu release him, while privately plotting ways to retaliate or escape.
• Chu Xuanzhen displays intense, possessive affection: he frames the earring as a betrothal-like gift and declares that his desire is not dependent on Shen’s gender. Yet he ignores Shen’s objections and restrains him, creating a sharp conflict between romantic gestures and coercive behavior. His alarm at Shen’s nosebleed reveals genuine concern.
• System 615 provides comic commentary and tries to reassure Shen, but is interrupted and exposed to Chu.
• Shen and Chu’s exchanges alternate between flirtatious declarations, anger, teasing, and mistrust. The imperial physician recognizes Chu’s displeasure and quickly avoids granting Shen leave.

Significant themes

• Consent versus possessive affection: Chu presents his actions as gifts and devotion, but Shen clearly objects, making the chapter’s romantic gestures unsettling as well as intimate.
• Gender and desire: Chu explicitly says he wants Shen whether Shen is male or female, while Shen resents being treated as a woman.
• Humor amid tension: Shen’s irreverent inner monologue and the physician’s cautious evasions temper the scene’s threatening moments.
• Uncertainty and suspense: The mirror and interrupted reassurance leave unresolved what Chu intends to show Shen—and whether any mark has actually been placed on him.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge examines his reflection and notices a vivid red stud in his ear, alongside the Dragon Horns that remain on his head.
• Still unable to move because Chu Xuanzhen has sealed his acupoints, Shen Yangge tries to talk his way out of Chu’s plans by appealing to the Imperial Physician’s order that he rest.
• Chu dresses him in several layers, then proposes a game: they take turns guessing, and each correct guess earns Shen one request.
• Shen eagerly accepts the reward but tries to make the guessing fairer by suggesting questions with concrete answers, such as how Chu found him on the island.
• Instead, Chu asks why he has delayed ascending the throne. Shen honestly says he does not know.
• Chu explains there are penalties as well as rewards. When he starts removing Shen’s clothes, Shen realizes the penalty is sexual and fears the game will become even more humiliating.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is strategic and defiant, looking for a way to regain control, but his hope of bargaining for freedom quickly gives way to excitement at the prospect of winning requests. He remains wary of Chu’s possessive attention and anticipates the consequences of losing.
• Chu Xuanzhen stays calm and teasing, refusing to release Shen or agree to his proposed rules. His playful game is also a means of maintaining control and intimacy.
• Their interaction blends banter, negotiation, and coercion: Shen protests and tries to set terms, while Chu indulges him only enough to keep the game going.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Shen’s sealed acupoints make the apparent game unequal, despite its promise of fair turns.
• Bargaining and desire: Shen sees the chance to earn requests as a possible route to agency, while Chu turns the bargain toward intimacy.
• Possessiveness and vulnerability: Shen is unsettled by Chu’s hungry, claiming gaze and recognizes how deeply it has affected him.
• Playfulness shading into danger: The lighthearted premise carries an escalating threat of embarrassment and sexual punishment.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge asks Chu Xuanzhen why he knew Ruthis was in the Northern States. Chu admits he does not know, so Shen wins a request that Chu promises to grant.
• Chu begins another round by asking why he spared Shen at their first meeting and why Shen alone has his affection.
• Shen guesses Chu withheld killing him because of his stupidity and the political commotion his death might cause. Chu says he is completely wrong: he wanted to see whether someone else would kill Shen.
• After Shen angrily points out how cruel that was, Chu admits he later felt both regret for ignoring Shen and relief that he survived. He confesses that Shen unexpectedly entered his heart.
• Shen tries to answer the affection question to force a draw. Though embarrassed, he eventually guesses correctly—while suspecting Chu deliberately coaxed him into praising himself.
• Chu reveals the game has fifteen rounds. Shen then loses three rounds in a row, costing him more clothes and leaving him worried about how much further the game will go.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains wary and strategically minded, trying to use clever questions and the promised request to protect himself. Yet his feelings for Chu repeatedly disrupt his composure, especially when Chu speaks sincerely.
• Chu Xuanzhen reveals a darker past motive—he once wanted to see Shen killed—but also genuine regret and deep affection. His tenderness coexists with a teasing, manipulative streak.

Significant themes

• Affection entangled with danger: Chu’s love is sincere, but it grows out of a history of cruelty and threatened death.
• Power and vulnerability: Their question game gives Shen a little leverage, but Chu controls its terms and turns it into an intimate contest.
• Emotional defenses and embarrassment: Shen’s sarcasm and tactical thinking help him conceal how strongly Chu’s confession affects him.

Character interactions

• Shen and Chu trade questions in a clothing-removal game, with Shen winning a promise and Chu using pointed questions to draw out his feelings.
• Shen confronts Chu over having once hoped he would die; Chu answers frankly, then softens the exchange with his confession of regret and relief.
• Their banter continues as Shen tries to avoid losing more clothes, while Chu appears to enjoy both his embarrassment and the game’s imbalance.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge, bound and nearly out of clothes after losing their guessing game, changes tactics: instead of trying to guess Chu Xuanzhen’s thoughts, he asks about Chu’s preferences, which he remembers from fragments of the novel’s plot.
• Chu correctly lists several foods Shen likes—including dishes Shen has never actually eaten. The list nearly makes Shen suspect Chu is also a transmigrator, but Chu’s uncertainty about the foods convinces him otherwise.
• When Chu asks where the dishes come from, Shen claims they are from his hometown. Chu refutes this with detailed knowledge of Shen’s family history and travels, revealing how thoroughly he has investigated Shen.
• Shen avoids explaining further, calls Chu’s answer partly wrong, and bargains for a draw. Chu accepts, then teases him by asking why he isn’t curious how Chu knows his preferences.
• The game continues. Shen asks what he has liked most since entering the palace. Chu answers: the golden coffin he gave the Empress. Shen’s reaction confirms the guess—despite his outrage at Chu, Shen had secretly admired and touched the costly coffin.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge becomes more strategic, using his plot knowledge rather than trying to read Chu directly. He remains anxious about exposing his transmigrator identity to the Database, so he lies and dodges questions even when intensely curious.
• Chu Xuanzhen demonstrates how closely he has studied Shen, while keeping his own motives hard to read. His calm teasing and playful handling of Shen’s hair add intimacy to their tense game.
• The palace eunuchs’ brief exchange shows their fear of Chu’s authority: replacing the candles could be dangerous, but failing to do so could be just as dangerous.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and mistrust: Shen’s hidden identity shapes his every answer, while Chu’s investigation makes deception difficult.
• Power and vulnerability: Shen is physically restrained and at Chu’s mercy, yet tries to regain control through cleverness and negotiation.
• Knowledge and intimacy: Chu’s detailed knowledge of Shen is unsettling but also reveals a close, focused attention.
• Humor amid danger: The eunuchs’ impossible choice and Shen’s concealed fondness for an extravagant coffin undercut the scene’s tension with comedy.

Character interactions

• Shen and Chu use the guessing game to probe and unsettle each other: Shen tries to conceal what he knows, while Chu reveals his knowledge and presses for explanations.
• Shen bargains for a draw to avoid further punishment; Chu agrees but immediately renews the pressure with a personal question.
• Outside the room, the old eunuch scolds his subordinate over the perilous decision of whether to replace the candles, reflecting the fear surrounding Chu’s household.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge continues a guessing game with Chu Xuanzhen while restrained. Losing means surrendering an item of clothing; Chu Xuanzhen carefully folds each garment and keeps the growing pile beside him, which Shen finds unsettling.
• Asked what Chu Xuanzhen has taken from his body, Shen guesses repeatedly but fails. Chu Xuanzhen reveals he has kept one of Shen’s dragon scales.
• Shen realizes the scale has been smoothed by repeated handling, noticing faint scratches on Chu’s fingers. The discovery suggests Chu has spent considerable time holding or rubbing the scale.
• Shen also loses a round by failing to identify Chu’s preferred scented sachet, information he had apparently heard but forgotten.
• After Shen complains about lying down, Chu turns him onto his side and later allows him to sit upright against a pillow. Shen wins several rounds and spends two of his victory conditions to avoid losing more clothes.
• With seven rounds left, Chu’s questions become harder. Shen wins another round using his partial knowledge of the story, but the chapter ends as the next rounds begin.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen tries to mask his anger and embarrassment, but his inner monologue reveals growing frustration at being tied up and subjected to Chu’s rules. He also looks for excuses for his nervousness and poor guesses.
• Chu remains composed and controls the game, yet responds to Shen’s complaints by repositioning him and letting him sit up. His attachment to Shen’s dragon scale is revealed through its wear and his scratched fingers.
• Their interaction blends coercion and teasing: Shen protests and negotiates, while Chu sets the pace but occasionally accommodates him. Shen’s small wins restore his confidence, though he knows his advantage comes partly from story knowledge.

Significant themes

• Control and resistance: Chu dictates the game and Shen’s circumstances, while Shen uses protests, guesses, and victory conditions to reclaim small measures of agency.
• Hidden attachment: Chu’s carefully preserved, repeatedly handled dragon scale hints at a private emotional investment that neither character openly discusses.
• Knowledge and uncertainty: Shen’s plot-derived information can help him, but gaps in his memory and questions about things he could not know leave him vulnerable.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge continues a guessing game with Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen, wagering his clothes. Chu rejects most of Shen’s guesses, and Shen loses nearly everything, though he manages to win a round or two.
• An elderly eunuch enters to tend the lamps, overhears their intimate conversation, and retreats in shock. Outside, he slaps his young attendant twice—first for asking what happened, then for reasons the young eunuch cannot fathom.
• Shen realizes Chu had no intention of letting him win and protests that the game is unfair: he cannot know whether Chu is telling the truth.
• Chu calmly insists that he has never wanted the throne, even since becoming Crown Prince. The game continues despite Shen having lost all his clothes, and Chu announces that Shen has lost again.
• Shen accepts the result and asks what condition Chu will set next. System 615 watches anxiously as a new stage begins.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge shifts from embarrassment and suspicion to weary resignation, but retains his defiant wit and refuses to surrender emotionally.
• Chu Xuanzhen appears playful and deliberately teasing, yet speaks sincerely about not wanting the throne. His intimate gestures reveal how closely Shen understands his habits.
• The old eunuch is overwhelmed by what he overhears and tries to protect himself by keeping silent.
• The young eunuch remains dutiful and confused, enduring his godfather’s unexplained slaps.

Significant themes

• Power and control: Chu controls both the game and its stakes, while Shen tries to preserve agency through protest and humor.
• Appearance versus truth: Shen’s assumptions about Chu’s ambition clash with Chu’s claim that he never wanted the throne.
• Intimacy and tension: Their teasing game sits alongside anger, vulnerability, and unresolved grievances.
• Secrecy and gossip: The eunuchs’ overheard conversation highlights the risks of private moments becoming court rumors.

Character interactions

• Shen challenges Chu’s fairness and questions his motives; Chu answers calmly, then continues the teasing game.
• The elderly eunuch overhears the pair, flees, and rebukes his young attendant, who promises not to reveal anything.
• System 615 silently sympathizes with Shen and wonders what Chu’s next condition will be.

Plot points

• System 615’s observation is interrupted when Little Orange Cat takes over its consciousness, forcing another brief repair.
• After their clothing game, Shen Yangge admits defeat and expects Chu Xuanzhen to name a harsh condition.
• Chu Xuanzhen instead says he wants to dress Shen Yangge himself. Shen is suspicious but agrees, since he gave his word.
• Chu Xuanzhen puts a pair of unfamiliar, loose underpants on him. Shen is stunned and begins to protest, realizing the condition is stranger than he expected.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge tries to appear composed, but his fear and confusion show through his frantic inner thoughts and awkward attempts to retreat. He accepts his loss honorably, yet recognizes that he cannot match Chu Xuanzhen’s cunning—whether in games or intimacy.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains controlled and unreadable, using Shen’s promise to carry out a surprising, teasing condition.

Character interactions

• Chu Xuanzhen watches Shen closely, touches his chest to calm him, and later brightens the room before approaching the bed.
• Shen’s nervous smile only seems to make Chu Xuanzhen move faster. Their exchange mixes tension, suspicion, and playful power imbalance.
• At the palace entrance, the old eunuch sneezes and theatrically searches for a handkerchief; his adopted son reluctantly offers one.

Themes

• Power and consent within a game: Shen’s promise to accept the condition gives Chu Xuanzhen leverage, while the game’s rules shape their interaction.
• Composure versus vulnerability: Shen’s calm outward manner contrasts with his panicked thoughts.
• Teasing and intimacy: Chu Xuanzhen’s seemingly modest condition becomes an unexpected source of embarrassment and disorientation for Shen.

Plot points

• In the final round of their contest, Chu Xuanzhen wins and dresses the immobilized Shen Yangge in trousers that are obviously too long—and, Shen Yangge suspects, the pair Chu had just been wearing.
• Chu’s final condition is that Shen pleasure himself in front of him. Mortified, Shen refuses and asks for another condition, but Chu reminds him that Shen had insisted a “real man” should take responsibility for his actions.
• Shen tries to avoid the demand by citing the Imperial Physician’s orders to rest. Chu massages his sore wrists and implies he will respect his limits, so Shen eventually agrees on the condition that Chu turn around.
• Afterward, Shen is too embarrassed to wear the trousers and asks for fresh clothes and another bath. Chu refuses, making him sleep in the same trousers.
• The next morning, Shen wakes to something cool against his lips and instinctively pushes it away. His hand touches Chu’s face, and he opens his eyes in surprise.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains embarrassed and exasperated by Chu’s shamelessness, but he also recognizes that Chu can outmaneuver him at every turn. He gives in reluctantly, negotiating only what small privacy he can.
• Chu Xuanzhen reveals a teasing, controlling side that sharply contrasts with Shen’s memory of him as cold and abstinent. He presses his advantage, but also tends Shen’s sore wrists and claims he knows Shen’s limits.

Themes

• Power and consent: Chu’s control of the contest, Shen’s restricted movement, and Chu’s demands create an uneasy imbalance, even as Shen attempts to set boundaries.
• Intimacy through embarrassment: Their closeness is expressed through teasing and physical proximity, but Shen experiences much of it as mortifying.
• The gap between reputation and reality: Shen reflects on how little Chu’s former image prepared him for this newly mischievous, provocative side.

Character interactions

• Chu repeatedly provokes Shen, dresses and restrains him, and insists he fulfill the wager; Shen curses him internally, bargains, and tries to preserve his dignity. Chu’s massage and his decision to turn around offer limited accommodation, while refusing Shen’s requests afterward lets him maintain control.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge wakes after an intimate night with Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen, embarrassed and initially resisting his kisses, but soon gives in to them.
• A minister’s early request for an audience interrupts them. While Chu handles the interruption, Shen dresses and privately curses him for arranging soothing ointment for his hands.
• Chu helps Shen wash, then takes him out of the courtyard to breakfast. Shen enjoys being outdoors after days confined there and longs for more freedom.
• Over breakfast, Shen shifts easily between discussing state affairs and affectionately praising Chu. Their closeness is obvious to the servants, who know better than to pursue Shen themselves.
• Chu refuses Shen’s requests to move freely around the residence, claiming Shen’s health is poor. Shen begins considering other ways to get out.
• On the way back, Shen stumbles on the stairs and discovers he is wearing Chu’s oversized underpants. The old eunuch recognizes them too, leaving Shen mortified and furious.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge moves from embarrassed resistance to affectionate surrender, while retaining his sharp tongue and desire for independence. His awareness of his feelings for Chu is clearer than before.
• Chu Xuanzhen is tender and attentive—helping Shen wash and arranging ointment—but also controlling, refusing to let him roam. He indulges Shen’s behavior during breakfast and is comfortable with their intimacy.
• Their relationship is presented as unusually close and mutually familiar: they kiss, share personal routines, and converse as both lovers and political partners.
• The servants observe their bond from a cautious distance. The old eunuch’s accidental discovery of Shen wearing Chu’s clothing adds comic embarrassment.

Significant themes

• Intimacy and trust: Shen’s instinctive resistance gives way to comfort and affection with Chu.
• Freedom versus protection: Chu’s concern for Shen’s health also functions as confinement, prompting Shen to seek a way out.
• Public status and private life: Shen’s revered “Divine Dragon” identity contrasts humorously with his vulnerable, flustered behavior as Chu’s lover.
• Comic embarrassment: The mistaken clothing and the eunuch’s effort to hide his reaction turn the couple’s private intimacy into an awkward near-discovery.

Plot points and events

• After returning to his room, Shen Yangge notices Chu Xuanzhen standing in the doorway. Chu says nothing, studies him, and leaves when summoned by the Minister of Works. Shen suspects he may be under guard but avoids making trouble, mindful that his presence in the palace already draws political scrutiny.
• Shen changes clothes and sleeps. Later, when he tries to contact System 615, a severe headache strikes and his nose bleeds heavily.
• The Virus System announces that Shen has delayed the mission to help Chu ascend the throne. It threatens further punishments and warns that three punishments will exile his soul fragments; failing the mission by the deadline will erase his soul entirely.
• System 615 reappears, alarmed by Shen’s condition, but says it received no instruction about the punishment. Shen hides the bloodied clothes and bedding so Chu will not discover what happened and alarm the Imperial Physicians.
• Shen and System 615 consider their options: pursue the Virus System’s mission or search for Ruthis. Shen suspects Ruthis, a self-developing “bug” in the world, may be accumulating power by siphoning Chu’s stagnant fortune.
• Shen realizes that his wish to remain beside Chu has made him resist helping him take the throne. As he tries to speak with System 615, he suddenly loses the ability to understand its meows.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains outwardly cautious and composed, but the punishment exposes how vulnerable he is to the system’s control. His attachment to Chu is increasingly at odds with his assigned mission.
• Chu Xuanzhen appears watchful and possibly possessive, lingering at Shen’s door without explaining himself. Shen’s concern about his reaction suggests Chu’s behavior has become unpredictable.
• System 615 is concerned and confused, apparently unable to prevent or explain the Virus System’s interference.

Significant themes

• Control and coercion: The system enforces its agenda through bodily punishment and threats of erasure.
• Loyalty versus assigned duty: Shen’s desire to stay with Chu conflicts with the mission to secure Chu’s ascent.
• Power and instability: The contrast between Chu’s fixed fortune and Ruthis’s growing influence hints that the world’s balance may be shifting.
• Isolation and broken communication: Shen’s sudden inability to understand System 615 leaves him increasingly cut off from his usual support.

Character interactions

• Chu and Shen share a tense, silent exchange at the doorway; neither explains what they want.
• System 615 tries to comfort and question Shen after the punishment, while Shen hides the incident from Chu.
• Shen and System 615 reason together about the Virus System, Ruthis, and Chu’s fortune, but their partnership is abruptly disrupted when Shen can no longer understand the cat.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge’s punishment begins and lasts five days. It makes him appear and feel extremely old: his skin wrinkles, his hair grays, his eyesight blurs, his voice turns hoarse, and his body becomes frail and unsteady.
• He adapts by moving carefully, padding a hard chair, and resting on a chaise longue. He also discovers that his appetite has changed: greasy food makes him nauseated, and he can eat only a little.
• After dark, Shen Yangge struggles to get food without revealing his altered voice. The old eunuch’s routine offer of a meal lets him respond with a brief “Mm” and avoid suspicion.
• Chu Xuanzhen returns, sees Shen Yangge’s aged appearance, and is visibly alarmed. Shen reassures him that he will recover in five days, though Chu’s anxious grip hurts his already fragile body.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge meets the punishment with dry humor and practical resourcefulness, though his new frailty unsettles him. He tries to reassure both himself and System 615, the Little Orange Cat.
• System 615 stays close and responds with worried meows, showing its concern even though Shen Yangge cannot understand it.
• Chu Xuanzhen’s composure falters when he sees Shen Yangge. He reaches out to touch him and grips his hand tightly; Shen’s gentle reassurance calms him, while a joking complaint prompts him to handle Shen more carefully.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability and aging: The punishment transforms ordinary actions—walking, sitting, eating—into painful challenges.
• Care and reassurance: Shen comforts the cat and Chu Xuanzhen despite his own distress, while their concern makes his vulnerability clear.
• Humor amid hardship: Shen’s wry thoughts and teasing remarks soften the fear and discomfort of the punishment.

Plot points and events

• Chu Xuanzhen asks Shen Yangge whether he has eaten; Shen changes the subject after repeating an earlier point.
• Shen’s unfamiliar, elderly body makes ordinary movements difficult. When the lamp goes out, Chu takes his hand and checks whether he feels unwell.
• Chu admits he has not eaten, then shamelessly eats from Shen’s bowl and chopsticks despite Shen having used them.
• After Shen bathes, he stumbles while dressing and suspects Chu was watching him. Their teasing turns suggestive, though Shen’s frail old body leaves him eager only for sleep.
• To avoid being woken by Chu moving around at night, Shen settles on a chaise longue. Once he falls asleep, Chu quietly carries him to the bed and joins him.
• Chu notices a dark mark on Shen’s pillow and detects the scent of fresh blood. He checks Shen for injuries, finds his nose red, and suspects another nosebleed. Searching the room, he discovers bloodstained clothes and bedding, and his concern intensifies.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is adapting to the weakness and indignities of old age, showing caution, humor, and a desire to preserve his rest. He responds to Chu’s intimacy with teasing but remains wary of being disturbed.
• Chu Xuanzhen is affectionate and attentive: he holds Shen’s hand, checks on his health, carries him to bed, and investigates the blood. His composure gives way to visible alarm when he finds the stains.
• Their relationship is marked by playful provocation and physical closeness, alongside Chu’s quiet caretaking and Shen’s mock exasperation.

Significant themes

• Aging and vulnerability: Shen’s altered body affects his balance, strength, comfort, and independence.
• Intimacy and care: Small gestures—sharing food, holding hands, carrying Shen to bed—show closeness beneath their teasing.
• Humor amid unease: Their flirtatious banter contrasts with the chapter’s ominous discovery of blood and the possibility that Shen is seriously unwell.

Plot points and events

• Chu Xuanzhen struggles to maintain his composure as he watches Shen Yangge suffer the effects of the punishment. He cannot accept seeing Shen grow old, frail, or hurt, and feels helpless to protect him.
• Chu takes the sleeping Little Orange Cat—secretly System 615—from the room, threatening it into silence.
• The next morning, Shen wakes in bed, suspecting Chu carried him there. He realizes that even simple movements now strain his aged body.
• Shen discovers 615 trembling and unusually silent. Though he checks for injuries and tries to comfort it, he cannot learn what happened because their communication is disrupted. He suspects the Virus System frightened 615 during the night.
• Shen stays indoors under the punishment, waiting for Chu to return. Instead, he receives word that Consort Xue wants to see him. Hearing the Eighth Prince and the consort outside, he realizes his aged appearance may make him unrecognizable and hesitates to answer the door.

Character developments and interactions

• Chu Xuanzhen’s usual self-control is increasingly giving way to distress and irrationality when Shen is involved. His helplessness over Shen’s decline weighs heavily on him.
• Shen Yangge remains caring and resourceful despite his weakness: he checks 615 for harm, offers food and medical help, and tries to reassure it. He also worries about being discovered.
• System 615 appears deeply frightened after an unexplained encounter, while Shen’s inability to communicate with it leaves both of them isolated.
• Chu treats 615 harshly when taking it away; later Shen handles the frightened cat gently, highlighting the contrast between their approaches.

Significant themes

• Love and helplessness: Chu’s devotion cannot shield Shen from suffering, and witnessing that suffering erodes his composure.
• Vulnerability and concealed identity: Shen’s aging body limits him and may prevent others from recognizing him, complicating his relationships and safety.
• Communication and isolation: Shen cannot understand 615, while 615’s distress and severed connection leave its experience inaccessible to him.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge, currently transformed into an old man, tries to avoid meeting Consort Xue and the Eighth Prince, who have come to his residence.
• Consort Xue refuses to leave, insisting she has an urgent favor to ask. Shen stalls behind a closed door while the old eunuch tries to keep her waiting until the Eighth Prince can return.
• Consort Xue explains that her niece has suffered some kind of misfortune and asks Shen to help, offering payment or whatever he requires.
• Shen agrees only with a vague hum, hoping to learn more about Consort Xue and the changing plot without revealing his altered appearance.
• When Consort Xue presses to meet in person, Shen stays silent. The Eighth Prince mocks her insistence, implying Shen’s agreement was merely a way to avoid seeing her.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is wary and physically exhausted. He carefully avoids exposing his transformation, balancing self-protection against his curiosity about the important figures and the plot.
• Consort Xue remains outwardly polite and gentle but is persistent and determined to secure Shen’s help. Her request suggests her niece’s situation matters greatly to her.
• The Eighth Prince appears distant from Consort Xue despite addressing her as “Mother Consort.” His dry remark signals hostility or contempt beneath their formal relationship.
• The old eunuch understands Shen’s wish to avoid the visitors and discreetly tries to buy him time, though Consort Xue’s status limits how directly he can refuse her.

Significant themes

• Concealment and performance: Shen hides his transformation while the visitors maintain courtly manners that disguise tension.
• Power and social obligation: Consort Xue’s rank makes it difficult for the household to deny her access, even when Shen does not want to meet.
• Hidden relationships and shifting plots: The strained bond between Consort Xue and the Eighth Prince hints at deeper political or personal conflict.

Key plot points and events

• Consort Xue waits outside Shen Yangge’s room, insisting she must speak with him about her niece’s health.
• The Eighth Prince tries to enter through the window, falls awkwardly, and injures himself. Shen Yangge offers tea and medicine, but the prince refuses treatment to avoid being mocked.
• The prince tells Shen Yangge that rumors are spreading that he is not the real Divine Dragon and that the Crown Prince may not be the true Child of Destiny. Most people still believe in Shen Yangge’s identity.
• The Eighth Prince suspects the Second and Fourth Princes’ networks are behind the rumors. People who spread them seem unaware that they said them, suggesting something unusual is influencing them.
• He asks Shen Yangge to perform a ritual to beseech the gods, hoping to counter the rumors. Shen Yangge doubts he can help while trapped in an old body, but the prince notes an auspicious day falls in five days.
• The Eighth Prince warns Shen Yangge to be cautious, especially around Consort Xue, then struggles to leave without further injuring himself.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge remains wry and skeptical, gives the prince a vague explanation for his changed appearance, and resists being treated as a miracle-worker. Despite his humor, he is concerned about the Crown Prince and the source of the rumors.
• The Eighth Prince shows concern for Shen Yangge and shares what he has learned, but his warnings are tempered by comic embarrassment over his injury. He is wary of Consort Xue and suspects danger may be near.
• Consort Xue is determined to see Shen Yangge and uses her concern for her niece to justify waiting outside. The prince hints that she may be suspicious.

Significant themes

• Rumor and belief: Public faith in Shen Yangge is strong, yet political rumors threaten the Crown Prince’s legitimacy.
• Hidden influence and uncertainty: The rumor-spreaders’ apparent lack of awareness suggests manipulation beyond ordinary political scheming.
• Public image and private vulnerability: Shen Yangge’s revered status contrasts with his present helplessness, while the Eighth Prince’s royal authority is undercut by his slapstick injury.
• Humor amid danger: Banter and physical comedy soften a chapter filled with political intrigue and warnings of possible danger.

Plot and events

• The Eighth Prince escapes through the window despite his injuries and warns Shen Yangge that the palace is unsettled, advising him to stay inside.
• Consort Xue comes to see Shen Yangge. After he refuses her repeatedly, she insists on speaking to him through the closed door and persuades him to dismiss the people nearby.
• Once alone with him, Consort Xue reveals that she knows he is a shapeshifting monster rather than the Divine Dragon. She warns that an enlightened monk from Maitreya Temple is on the way and that, during a sacrificial ceremony in five days, others intend to force Shen Yangge to reveal his true form.
• Consort Xue offers to help Shen Yangge escape, but demands that he kill Chu Xuanzhen and promote the Eleventh Prince as the true Child of Destiny. If that fails, she says he can support the Fourth Prince instead.
• As Shen Yangge approaches the door after hearing her proposal, Chu Xuanzhen appears and pulls him into his arms, leaving Consort Xue’s plan unresolved.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge tries to avoid Consort Xue but agrees to hear her out when she proves persistent. He remains skeptical and amused by her brazen attempt to recruit him against Chu Xuanzhen.
• Consort Xue reveals herself as a calculating political player. She uses sympathy for her niece as an opening, then turns to leverage, offering rescue in exchange for treason and support for her preferred princes.
• Chu Xuanzhen returns at a dramatic moment, physically drawing Shen Yangge away from the door. His forceful, intimate intervention contrasts with Consort Xue’s political maneuvering.
• The eunuchs and Death Soldiers withdraw as requested but remain watchful, while the old eunuch suspects Consort Xue is manipulating the situation.

Significant themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Shen Yangge’s public image as a divine figure masks his true nature, and Consort Xue claims to know his secret.
• Political ambition and loyalty: Consort Xue’s offer makes clear that claims of destiny and divine status can be used to advance rival heirs.
• Power and control: The chapter centers on attempts to control Shen Yangge—through imprisonment, threats, promises of escape, and Chu Xuanzhen’s sudden physical intervention.

Key plot points and events

• Consort Xue approaches Shen Yangge outside the room, urging him to consider helping her against Chu Xuanzhen. She claims Chu is dying from an incurable gu poison and warns that Shen may die alongside him.
• Shen questions her about the poison. Consort Xue hints that the emperor and empress were involved in past events that led to Chu’s suffering, and says the empress was driven mad by Chu’s revenge.
• Shen suspects Chu is letting Consort Xue talk freely because he intends to use her to draw out the real conspirators—the Second and Fourth Princes.
• After hearing Xue’s claims, Shen notices lingering signs of poison in Chu’s fingernails and fears that Chu’s illness may be real.
• Chu reassures Shen that he is all right and promises, “I will never abandon you.”

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge masks his alarm with wry inner complaints about Chu’s sudden, intimate behavior, but his humor gives way to genuine fear when he hears Chu may be dying. He examines Chu’s hand and reaches for him.
• Chu Xuanzhen is intensely protective and unusually forceful with Shen, keeping him still and holding him close. Beneath his calm response to Consort Xue, he appears to be suppressing anger and possibly pursuing a larger plan.
• Consort Xue presents herself as confident and politically shrewd, trying to turn Shen against Chu by exploiting his fears.
• Shen and Chu share a tender moment: Shen seeks reassurance, and Chu responds with physical comfort and an explicit promise of loyalty.

Significant themes

• Love and fear of loss: Shen’s concern about Chu’s poison exposes how deeply he fears losing him.
• Trust amid deception: Consort Xue’s claims may be part of a political maneuver, while Chu’s apparent composure suggests a hidden strategy.
• Power and revenge: The chapter points to past imperial schemes and ongoing rivalries among the royal family.
• Protection and commitment: Chu’s promise to never abandon Shen anchors the chapter emotionally.