Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• During the journey, Chu Xuanzhen examines the faint bite mark on Shen Yangge’s cheek, teasing him about his supposed physical strength. Shen becomes flustered by the closeness.
• At the night camp, Shen Zhi vents his anger over the Crown Prince’s unexpected decision and blames Shen Yangge for disrupting his plans. He threatens to get rid of him. Song Lianrong also complains about Shen Yangge, while Shen Rongfei tries unsuccessfully to quiet her.
• Shen Yangge roasts meat rather than eat the hard travel rations. Chu Xuanzhen watches him from inside the carriage, also keeping an eye on others nearby.
• Shen Yangge’s mysterious illness suddenly returns, leaving him weak and struggling to breathe. He rushes toward Chu Xuanzhen and, after grabbing his hand, quickly recovers.
• In the carriage, Chu asks what is wrong. Shen gives a deliberately vague explanation: he needs more physical contact with people to improve, but insists it will not interfere with his duties. Chu orders him to stay by his side from then on.

Character development and interactions

• Shen Yangge is embarrassed by Chu’s attention but is increasingly dependent on his touch during his episodes. He tries to disguise the illness with a convenient, evasive explanation, while privately blaming Chu for being its cause.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains composed and observant. He notices Shen’s distress, helps him recover, and responds to the explanation by keeping him close—suggesting both concern and growing interest.
• Shen Zhi grows more hostile toward Shen Yangge, seeing him as the reason his plans have failed.
• Song Lianrong openly criticizes Shen Yangge and argues with Shen Rongfei, who attempts to restrain her. Their family’s tense, resentful atmosphere contrasts with Chu’s quiet attention to Shen.

Significant themes

• Hidden truth and deception: Shen conceals the real nature of his illness, while Chu listens closely and seems to sense more than he says.
• Growing intimacy and dependence: Physical contact brings Shen immediate relief, deepening his connection to Chu.
• Family hostility and political frustration: Shen Zhi’s thwarted ambitions turn into threats against Shen Yangge, amid open family conflict.
• Humor amid vulnerability: Shen’s irreverent inner monologue and banter with the system undercut the seriousness of his frightening symptoms.

Key plot points

• Shen Yangge’s roasted meat is ruined when his touch-starvation condition flares up, leaving him with only a few crumbled pastries.
• Chu Xuanzhen eats the pastry Shen was saving, claiming he has never seen such pastries and that they taste good. Shen suspects he is simply being deliberately cruel.
• Chu asks Shen to trim excess fabric from a black gauze hat. After Shen does so, the Crown Prince gives him the hat and orders him not to show his face in public while traveling.
• An assassin suddenly drags Shen out of the carriage. Chu rescues him, pulls him back inside, and kicks the attacker away.
• Chu orders Shen to stay put, then goes out to fight. He returns with blood on his clothes but apparently no injuries. When he notices Shen watching him, he offers his hand to help manage Shen’s condition—then abruptly pulls him into his arms.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains hungry, sarcastic, and inwardly defiant, though he becomes visibly frightened when the Crown Prince turns threateningly serious. During the attack, he instinctively clings to Chu.
• Chu Xuanzhen continues to tease and control Shen, but his fierce, immediate rescue suggests strong protectiveness. His bloodied return and sudden embrace hint at a disturbing reaction to killing, consistent with Shen’s recollection that Chu can become mentally unstable after a fight.

Character interactions

• Shen’s complaints about the stolen pastry and unevenly trimmed hat clash with Chu’s calm, provocative responses.
• During the assassination attempt, Chu physically protects Shen and insists he remain in the carriage.
• After the violence, Chu offers contact to address Shen’s condition, but turns the moment into an unexpected embrace.

Significant themes

• Comedic tension and hidden thoughts: Shen’s irreverent internal curses contrast with his careful, obedient words and Chu’s composed manner.
• Power, dependence, and protection: Chu commands Shen and treats him roughly, yet also saves him and keeps him close.
• Violence beneath the banter: The attack interrupts the lighter exchanges and reveals the danger surrounding their journey, as well as the possibility that Chu’s violence affects his state of mind.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge mistakenly thinks Chu Xuanzhen needs comforting, but the Crown Prince instead holds him close and bites his neck, leaving a bloody mark. Shen is angry and unnerved; Chu’s violent mood visibly settles afterward.
• Chu insists Shen accompany him, using a strained argument about repaying kindness. He releases Shen when they leave the carriage, but Shen stays wary of his unpredictable behavior.
• Chu reveals that both their clothes are soaked with blood and says they are going to wash at the river.
• Shen reluctantly follows through the dark woods. Near the river, he catches his trouser leg on something and tears it badly, exposing part of his calf and underdrawers.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge remains sarcastic and defiant in his thoughts, but fear and uncertainty make him increasingly cautious around Chu. Despite wanting distance, he follows him through the woods.
• Chu Xuanzhen is possessive and physically controlling, yet his aggression seems to ease after he marks Shen’s neck. He maintains an aloof manner while directing Shen where to go.
• Their interaction mixes coercion, teasing, and irritation: Chu provokes Shen, while Shen silently insults him and tries to resist without openly escalating matters.

Significant themes

• Possession and control: Chu’s bite and handling of Shen make their unequal, coercive dynamic explicit.
• Contrasting inner and outer behavior: Shen’s irreverent internal commentary contrasts with his guarded politeness aloud.
• Tension and dark humor: The bloody clothes and ominous night setting create danger, while Shen’s misfortunes and sharp thoughts add comedy.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge, separated from his trouser leg, discovers a wolf staring at him and freezes in fear. System 615 urges him to run toward the male lead, but he cannot move.
• Chu Xuanzhen shouts for him to get down and kills the wolf with a precisely thrown sword. Shen Yangge survives, though he is splattered with blood.
• Chu Xuanzhen grabs Shen’s wrist and urgently checks that he is unharmed. He then confronts a hidden guard, kicks him, and dismisses him for failing to prevent the danger. The guard breaks a black token and leaves.
• Chu Xuanzhen leads Shen to the river. When Shen prepares to wash, Chu tries to open his clothes to inspect him. Shen misreads the gesture as threatening and insists on undressing himself, then washes while keeping his inner robe on.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains comically fearful and eager to escape, imagining the worst even when Chu’s actions may come from concern. His near-death encounter leaves him shaken, and he is especially uncomfortable with Chu’s physical closeness.
• Chu Xuanzhen reveals intense concern for Shen: his grip trembles after the rescue, and he reacts furiously to the guard’s failure. His protective instincts come across as controlling and intimidating.
• The hidden guard accepts responsibility but appears resigned rather than simply afraid. He leaves believing his dismissal is the best outcome, given how severely Chu might have reacted if Shen had been hurt.

Significant themes

• Danger and protection: Shen’s wilderness peril shows how precarious his situation is, while Chu’s intervention establishes him as both protector and source of fear.
• Misunderstanding and dramatic irony: Chu’s apparent attempt to check Shen for injuries is interpreted by Shen as a sinister threat, creating comic tension.
• Power and loyalty: Chu’s authority over the guard is absolute, and the guard’s departure underscores the high stakes of serving him.
• Fearful survival: Shen’s constant thoughts of escape and execution contrast with the serious danger around him, blending suspense with dark humor.

Character interactions

• Shen and Chu: Chu saves Shen and holds onto him afterward, but his forceful concern clashes with Shen’s suspicion and desire for distance. Shen’s spoken deference and panicked inner commentary sharply contrast.
• Chu and the hidden guard: Chu punishes the guard for failing to protect Shen and dismisses him; the guard accepts the decision and leaves.
• Shen and System 615: The system advises him to run toward Chu, but Shen is too frozen by fear to act.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge bathes in a river and finds Chu Xuanzhen watching him. When Chu joins him in the water, he grabs Shen by the shoulder and asks what kind of person he likes and when he plans to marry.
• Shen says he wants a pretty woman who is easy to support and can bear children, and that he will marry when he meets someone he likes. Chu’s expression darkens, but he tells Shen to let him know when the time comes so he can “vet” the woman.
• Taking that as proof Chu is not romantically interested in him, Shen relaxes and offers to scrub Chu’s back—partly to cultivate their relationship and, in Shen’s private scheme, move closer to his goal of being killed.
• Shen uses a torn trouser leg as a washing cloth. When he realizes he has accidentally touched Chu with it, he recoils. Chu catches his wrist and pulls him close, warning him not to stray because danger remains nearby.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains irreverent and self-protective, interpreting Chu’s questions as harmless matchmaking rather than signs of attraction. He is focused on provoking Chu into killing him before the system erases him.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows jealousy or displeasure at Shen’s stated preference for women, while also displaying strong physical attraction. His concern for Shen’s safety gives his possessiveness a protective edge.
• System 615 briefly jokes about helping with its postgraduate entrance exam, then goes offline in mock hurt.

Significant themes

• Misunderstood intentions: Shen consistently misreads Chu’s interest, while the gap between his assumptions and Chu’s reactions creates comic tension.
• Duty versus desire: Shen’s determination to die before the system’s deadline conflicts with ordinary expectations of marriage and a future.
• Possessiveness and protection: Chu’s grip, attention, and warning suggest both attraction and a desire to keep Shen close.
• Comedy through contrast: Shen’s blunt inner monologue and schemes undercut the chapter’s intimate, romantic atmosphere.

Character interactions

• Chu physically restrains Shen and questions him about love and marriage; Shen answers plainly and tries to reassure himself that Chu is only being friendly.
• Shen offers to scrub Chu’s back, while Chu watches him closely and reacts to their contact.
• The scene ends with Chu holding Shen’s wrist and telling him to stay near, leaving their relationship’s tension unresolved.

Key plot points and events

• After bathing in the river, Shen Yangge discovers that his boots are covered in blood. He goes downstream to rinse them and sees the bodies left from the violence, which renews his fear of what Chu Xuanzhen might intend for him.
• While distracted, Shen loses his boots to the current. Cold, barefoot, and increasingly miserable, he blames his run of bad luck on the Crown Prince.
• Chu Xuanzhen pulls him back when he slips, and Shen accidentally steps on his feet. Chu holds him longer than necessary, prompting Shen to wonder whether the prince is attracted to men.
• As they return, grit cuts Shen’s bare feet. Chu Xuanzhen lifts him into his arms and carries him toward the carriage.
• Shen falls asleep in Chu’s arms amid a cloud of fireflies. Believing the sleeping Shen belongs to him, Chu secretly kisses his lips and nose.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains anxious and self-protective, but expresses his distress through sarcastic inner complaints. His physical vulnerability—cold, barefoot, and exhausted—leaves him dependent on Chu.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows increasing tenderness and possessiveness. He helps Shen and carries him gently, but his secret kisses reveal an attraction and sense of ownership he does not openly acknowledge.

Significant themes

• Vulnerability and dependence: Shen’s injuries and lost boots make him reliant on the very person he distrusts.
• Possession and desire: Chu’s private conviction that Shen belongs to him contrasts with Shen’s uncertainty about Chu’s intentions.
• Intimacy amid danger: The bloodied setting gives way to a quiet, romantic scene illuminated by fireflies.

Character interactions

• Shen voices his practical concerns and asks Chu to release him; Chu lets go, but soon carries him when walking becomes painful.
• Their physical closeness—first through Chu’s grip, then the carry—creates tension. Shen is unaware of Chu’s final kisses, while Chu cherishes the unguarded closeness of Shen asleep in his arms.

Key plot points and events

• Chu Xuanzhen carries the unconscious, feverish Shen Yangge into the carriage and discovers that he is burning up.
• Shen Yangge is delirious and uncomfortable, while Chu Xuanzhen keeps him close and cools him with a damp cloth and his own arm soaked in water.
• Physician Liu examines Shen Yangge and teaches Chu Xuanzhen how to administer acupuncture. The treatment lowers the fever, but Shen Yangge must wait until dawn to take medicinal broth.
• Chu Xuanzhen spends the night holding and tending to him. When morning comes, Shen Yangge wakes in the Crown Prince’s arms, remembers little of the night, and finds that the system is malfunctioning.

Character developments

• Chu Xuanzhen shows unusually open tenderness and concern, personally caring for Shen Yangge throughout the night and learning how to treat him.
• Shen Yangge is powerless and delirious during the fever. On waking, he is confused and wary, wondering what he may have said while unconscious.
• Physician Liu is startled by the Crown Prince’s closeness to Shen Yangge, but cautiously focuses on providing medical care.

Significant themes

• Care and vulnerability: Shen Yangge’s illness leaves him dependent on Chu Xuanzhen, whose attentive care contrasts with their usual antagonism.
• Growing intimacy: Their physical closeness and Chu Xuanzhen’s tenderness hint at a deepening bond, while others recognize how startling their behavior would seem.
• Uncertainty and comic tension: Shen Yangge’s memory gap and the system’s failure leave him anxious about what happened while he was delirious.

Character interactions

• Chu Xuanzhen tends to Shen Yangge gently, holding him, cooling his forehead, and following Physician Liu’s instructions.
• Physician Liu advises the Crown Prince, discreetly reacts to their closeness, and leaves him to continue caring for Shen Yangge.
• After waking, Shen Yangge silently observes Chu Xuanzhen and tries, unsuccessfully, to get information from the malfunctioning system.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge wakes from a fever in Chu Xuanzhen’s arms. Chu has been caring for him, and keeps him on his lap despite Shen’s attempts to get down.
• Shen notices faint bite marks on his hands and wonders whether his sleepwalking body hurt itself during the night.
• Chu covers Shen with a black gauze hat whenever someone approaches, claiming that Shen’s fever means he should not see anyone. Shen suspects the explanation is dubious.
• Chu personally feeds him bitter medicine and wipes it from his chin. Shen is too weak to take the bowl himself.
• Shen realizes one leg is bare beneath Chu’s sleeve and becomes embarrassed. When he asks to relieve himself, Chu insists on helping, leaving Shen alarmed about his intentions.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains anxious, irreverent, and suspicious, using sarcastic inner commentary to manage his embarrassment. His weakness and dependence on Chu leave him increasingly vulnerable.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows unusually personal attentiveness: he holds Shen, conceals him from others, feeds him medicine, and offers to help him. His motives remain unclear, making his care feel both intimate and unsettling.

Significant themes

• Care versus control: Chu’s attentiveness may be genuine, but he makes decisions for Shen and ignores his objections.
• Vulnerability and intimacy: Illness, physical dependence, and the close setting of the carriage create awkward, charged proximity.
• Comic misunderstanding and suspicion: Shen interprets Chu’s actions through exaggerated, anxious speculation, while Chu’s inscrutable behavior leaves room for doubt.

Character interactions

Shen repeatedly tries to preserve his dignity and independence, but Chu keeps him in his arms and directs his care. Their exchange balances Chu’s calm authority against Shen’s flustered resistance, ending with Shen fearing that Chu intends to help him with a deeply private need.

Summary

Plot and events: After Shen Yangge’s fever subsides, Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen tends to him in the carriage, gives him medicine, and provides clean clothes. Shen objects to the intimate attention but is too weak to do much about it. Chu forbids him from opening the window because he is still recovering. When the carriage jolts, Chu catches him and seats him beside him—also reminding Shen that his “skin hunger” makes physical contact necessary. Shen reluctantly accepts, determined to endure the remaining days of the punishment without giving Chu what he wants.
After five or six more days of travel, they reach a border town near Lingnan. Shen is exhausted from the journey, and Chu makes him wear the awkward black gauze hat Shen once altered for Chu’s embarrassment. Because Shen cannot stay alone while the skin-hunger punishment remains in effect, they take a room for two at the inn. The chapter ends with System 615 returning after an upgrade, much to Shen’s annoyance.
Character developments: Shen remains defiant and suspicious of Chu’s intentions, insisting he is straight and internally urging Chu to pursue a conventional family instead. At the same time, his illness and supernatural need for contact leave him increasingly dependent on Chu, and he finds himself reacting to Chu’s coaxing presence despite his resolve. Chu shows attentive, protective behavior—seeing to Shen’s medicine and clothes, guarding him from the wind, and catching him when he stumbles—while maintaining a composed, commanding manner.
Interactions: Their exchanges are shaped by Shen’s formal protests and Chu’s quiet insistence. Chu’s reminders about Shen’s need for touch force Shen to choose between avoiding him and protecting his life. The awkward closeness is repeatedly undercut by Shen’s irreverent inner commentary.
Themes: The chapter develops the tension between duty and desire, outward propriety and private intimacy, and personal resolve versus dependence. Its humor comes from the contrast between Chu’s dignified demeanor and Shen’s blunt, often ridiculous internal thoughts.

Key plot points and events

• At an inn, Shen Yangge discovers there is only one quilt. He proposes sleeping on the floor, but Chu Xuanzhen rejects the idea and insists they share the bed, partly to avoid paying for another quilt.
• Shen tries to leave to fetch another quilt, then asks to explore the town and get food. Chu refuses both requests, saying he needs to rest and will accompany him later.
• Shen stays beside the sleeping Chu, periodically touching him to manage his skin-hunger condition. The system accidentally mentions another system, 614, prompting Shen to wonder why he got a “courting-death” system.
• As Shen reaches to touch Chu again, Chu suddenly catches him, pulls him into an embrace, and bites his neck. Shen is startled and confused about whether Chu is awake.
• When Shen notices Chu’s body pressing against him, he angrily calls out. Chu releases him, and Shen bolts from the room, flustered. A waiter sees his flushed, breathless appearance.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains wary of Chu and eager to preserve his personal space, but his attempts to escape are repeatedly thwarted. His embarrassment and irritation grow as Chu handles him possessively.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows a controlling, physically intimate side beneath his composed manner. He keeps Shen close, touches his sensitive neck, and appears to bite him while ostensibly asleep; his brief reaction when Shen protests leaves his awareness unclear.
• System 615 reveals that it knows of another system, 614, then tries to explain away the slip.

Significant themes

• Forced proximity and boundary tensions: The single bed, lack of a second quilt, and Chu’s refusal to let Shen leave keep them physically close.
• Comedy through dramatic irony and inner monologue: Shen’s anxious thoughts contrast with Chu’s calm actions, while the system’s accidental disclosure adds humor.
• Dependence and vulnerability: Shen’s condition requires him to touch others, making closeness both necessary and uncomfortable.
• Ambiguous intimacy: Chu’s embrace and bite blur the line between care, control, and desire, while his true awareness remains uncertain.

Character interactions

• Shen repeatedly negotiates for distance—asking to sleep on the floor, get another quilt, or go out—but Chu blocks each attempt and directs him back to the bed.
• Shen privately complains about Chu’s behavior and the system, while the system comments on the situation.
• Chu’s sudden embrace and bite provoke Shen’s embarrassed protest; Chu lets him go, allowing Shen to flee the room.

Chapter summary

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge is still required by Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen to hide his face beneath a veiled hat and stay out of sight. Chu leads him by the wrist to dinner, where Shen insists he isn’t hungry—until his stomach loudly betrays him. Chu makes him finish his meal, warning that there may be no food later.
• At night, Shen must share the bed with Chu, though he keeps to the far corner. Chu burns a secret letter and tells Shen to remain in the carriage the next day while the party passes Yong’an, a bandit-controlled stronghold.
• At Yong’an, the travelers disguise themselves and pay the bandits to pass. Chu leaves Shen in the carriage and is delayed. As Shen’s touch-starvation condition nears its next flare-up, System 615 suggests he find someone else to touch, despite the risk that Chu might react violently.
• Just as Shen considers calling someone into the carriage, an enemy attack breaks out. The party flees in confusion, and the carriage is swept along, leaving Shen jolted and alarmed.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge remains resentful of Chu’s control, masking his complaints with sarcastic inner thoughts and exaggerated deference. He is also increasingly anxious that Chu’s desire for him may interfere with his plan to provoke his own execution and return to his original world.
• Chu Xuanzhen continues to exercise authority over Shen, directing his movements, meals, and safety. His concern for Shen’s condition is mixed with secrecy and an intimidating, possessive manner.
• System 615 urges Shen to seek another person’s touch, framing Chu’s jealousy as a possible way to advance Shen’s goal—while warning that Shen could die if his condition reaches its final stage without relief.

Significant themes

• Control versus autonomy: Chu’s orders restrict Shen’s freedom, while Shen resists through sarcasm and attempts to preserve his independence.
• Comedy through contrast: Shen’s irreverent thoughts and bodily mishaps clash with Chu’s polished, composed behavior.
• Danger and dependence: Shen wants to escape Chu’s influence but relies on him for protection and relief from his condition.
• Uncertainty and escalating peril: The secret letter and sudden attack suggest that threats beyond the bandits may disrupt the journey.

Plot points and events

• As the wedding convoy is attacked, Shen Yangge’s touch-starvation symptoms flare up. He leaves the carriage hoping to find someone who can help.
• Shen Zhi, captured and injured, falsely identifies Shen Yangge as the Crown Prince. The bandits believe him, seize Shen Yangge, and are astonished by his beauty.
• At the stronghold, the second chief announces that Shen Yangge will be his “stronghold bride.” Shen is bound and dressed in red wedding robes, then brought to a wedding ceremony.
• Chu Xuanzhen appears disguised and quietly tells Shen to play along until his men arrive. Shen reluctantly goes through the ritual with him.
• As Chu carries Shen toward the bridal chamber, an arrow knocks away Shen’s veil. A shout reveals that the second chief has been killed. Chu sets Shen down, removes his disguise, and draws his sword as the bandits move to seize them.

Character developments

• Shen remains sharp-tongued and self-preserving, but his distress grows as he is repeatedly kidnapped, mistaken for someone else, and subjected to unwanted handling. His attraction to Chu’s touch is mixed with resentment at being left in danger.
• Chu Xuanzhen is revealed to be nearby in disguise and takes charge of the escape, though Shen is alarmed by how convincingly he plays the role of groom.
• Shen Zhi’s attempt to save himself by identifying Shen as the Crown Prince makes Shen the bandits’ target.

Character interactions

• Shen vents his fears and sarcasm to System 615, which urges him to act when his symptoms flare.
• The bandits treat Shen as a spectacle and then as the second chief’s bride, ignoring his objections.
• Chu and Shen cooperate in the staged wedding: Chu gives Shen instructions, holds his hand, and carries him toward the bridal chamber while Shen privately questions his intentions.

Significant themes

• Mistaken identity and role reversal: Shen is falsely labeled the Crown Prince and forced into the role of a bandit bride.
• Appearance and objectification: His beauty attracts attention but also makes him a target.
• Powerlessness and performance: Bound and surrounded by enemies, Shen must pretend to comply until help arrives.
• Comic contrast: Shen’s irreverent inner commentary clashes with the dangerous, melodramatic events around him.

• The battle at Yong’an Stronghold turns: Chu Xuanzhen fights off the bandits while Shen Yangge stays close, wearing cumbersome wedding robes. Chu’s hidden guards arrive and overwhelm the attackers, but a concealed archer then targets Chu. Shen spots the arrows and knocks him out of their path; Chu shields him as they roll clear, suffering several scrapes. Chu kills the assassin with a concealed weapon.
• The bandits learn who the Crown Prince really is: The bandit chief mistakes Shen for the Crown Prince and assumes Chu is merely his guard. Shen corrects him, revealing that Chu is the Crown Prince. The chief cannot believe someone so capable could be the ruler he had dismissed as useless—a remark that angers Shen.
• Chu orders severe punishment: The chief boasts that Chu might as well join the bandits, since the journey to Lingnan is supposedly a death sentence. Chu orders the guilty bandits executed and the chief subjected to brutal mutilation for abducting women and men. Shen, who had only meant to kick the bound chief, is caught off guard by Chu’s swift violence. Chu also says he already cut off the dead second-in-command’s fingers.
• The aftermath: Chu asks who touched Shen at the stronghold. Shen remembers the second-in-command but cannot identify anyone else amid the chaos. Chu grips and strokes the vulnerable nape of Shen’s neck, unnerving him, then takes him toward a bamboo house. He orders his men to execute everyone in the stronghold who has killed someone.
• Character developments and interactions: Shen shows quick instincts by saving Chu from the ambush, yet his irreverent inner commentary and desire to retaliate against the chief contrast with his alarm at Chu’s cruelty. Chu’s protectiveness is clear in how he shields and checks Shen, but it is paired with possessiveness and frightening control. Their exchanges mix concern, teasing, and tension, especially as Shen wonders whether Chu would punish him just as harshly if he ever betrayed him.
• Themes: The chapter explores mistaken identity and reputation, contrasting the supposedly “useless” Crown Prince with Chu’s formidable power; protection intertwined with possessiveness; and the uneasy boundary between justice and vengeance in Chu’s treatment of the bandits.

Plot points and events

• In the bamboo house, Crown Prince Chu Xuanzhen insists on examining Shen Yangge’s injuries, undressing him despite his protests. He eventually covers Shen Yangge in one of his own robes and orders him to cooperate with Physician Liu’s treatment.
• Chu then shows Shen Yangge the captured second-in-command, who is still alive but horribly tortured and disfigured. The sight unsettles Shen Yangge, though he privately concludes the man deserved punishment for his crimes.
• During the descent from the mountain, Shen Yangge stays quiet and nearly stumbles several times. Chu catches him and ultimately carries him.
• At the foot of the mountain, Physician Liu and his colleagues begin treating the injured. Shen Zhi demands priority, arguing that he remains an official and that the servants should wait.
• Shen Yangge points out that Shen Zhi knowingly helped put Chu in danger. Physician Liu agrees that Shen Zhi should not be treated first. When Shen Zhi calls Shen Yangge an unfilial son, Chu says he had planned to keep Shen Zhi alive until Lingnan—but now sees no reason to do so.

Character development

• Shen Yangge remains wary of Chu and looks for a chance to escape, but his reaction to the tortured criminal shows that he can recognize deserved consequences despite being disturbed by their severity. He also openly challenges Shen Zhi rather than accepting his demands.
• Chu Xuanzhen is protective and controlling toward Shen Yangge, yet his treatment of the captured second-in-command reveals a frightening, vengeful side. He also makes clear that Shen Zhi’s survival is conditional.
• Shen Zhi is entitled and defiant, demanding preferential treatment even after his role in endangering Chu is exposed.

Significant themes

• Protection versus control: Chu tends to Shen Yangge’s injuries, but does so in a forceful, possessive manner.
• Justice and vengeance: Shen Yangge and Chu both regard the second-in-command as deserving punishment, though Chu’s methods suggest justice can become brutality.
• Power and privilege: Shen Zhi invokes his official status to claim priority, while Shen Yangge and Physician Liu reject his entitlement.
• Appearance and inner reality: Chu’s composed manner masks a barely restrained violence that Shen Yangge recognizes.

Character interactions

• Shen Yangge resists Chu’s intimate examination, while Chu uses calm insistence and physical closeness to override his objections.
• Chu’s display of the tortured captive leaves Shen Yangge shaken, though he says nothing to Chu about it.
• Shen Yangge confronts Shen Zhi’s demands with an accusation of treasonous conduct; Chu backs him and escalates the threat against Shen Zhi.

Plot points and events

• Shen Zhi realizes the Crown Prince will not spare him and tries to bargain with an offer of lodging and property in Lingnan.
• He then invokes his authority as Shen Yangge’s father, insisting Yangge must kneel and plead for him. Yangge rejects this, recalling that Shen Zhi divorced his mother, expelled him, and promised to remove his name from the family genealogy.
• Shen Susu tries to win the Crown Prince’s favor by offering to serve him, but Chu Xuanzhen ignores her. He orders Shen Zhi dragged away.
• As Shen Zhi is taken, he insults Yangge and reveals that Yangge’s mother never told him something about his birth, calling him a “monster.” Yangge is unsettled by the remark.
• Shen Rongfei also pressures Yangge to forgive their father, but Yangge refuses and leaves the Shen family behind.
• Yangge’s touch-starvation symptoms begin to return. He accidentally brushes Chu Xuanzhen’s hand, then retreats to the carriage—only for Chu to follow and reach for his neck, ending the chapter on a suggestive cliffhanger.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge stands firm against his abusive family, refusing to accept the obligations they invoke after years of mistreatment. Shen Zhi’s final outburst, however, leaves him wondering about his past. His involuntary touch-starvation also complicates his efforts to avoid Chu.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains cold and unmoved by Shen Susu’s attempted seduction and enforces his order without hesitation. His quiet response to Yangge’s accidental touch contrasts with his forceful behavior in the carriage.
• Shen Zhi shifts from pleading to bargaining and emotional blackmail, then lashes out when his tactics fail.
• Shen Susu performs helplessness and offers herself to Chu, while Shen Rongfei appeals to filial duty; neither persuades Yangge or changes the Crown Prince’s decision.
• The chapter’s central tension is between Yangge’s rejection of the Shen family and his increasingly charged, physically complicated connection with Chu Xuanzhen.

Significant themes

• Family duty versus earned loyalty: The Shen family demands filial obedience despite its cruelty; Yangge rejects the idea that biological ties excuse abuse.
• Manipulation and hypocrisy: Shen Zhi and his relatives invoke morality only when it serves them.
• Power and control: Chu’s authority ends Shen Zhi’s bargaining, while Yangge’s touch-starvation creates a separate vulnerability in his relationship with Chu.
• Unanswered identity: Shen Zhi’s “monster” remark hints at a concealed truth about Yangge’s birth or nature.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge asks Chu Xuanzhen what happened to the captives from Yong’an Stronghold. Chu says they were released, but a flashback shows the stronghold drenched in blood, with only a few recently captured children surviving.
• Five days later, the party reaches plague-stricken Lingnan. They disguise themselves, but locals warn them that the city is dangerous and leaving may be impossible. Shen Susu enters despite her fear, knowing the Crown Prince would kill her if she refused.
• The city is overwhelmed by sickness and death: beggars, corpses, and makeshift coffins fill the streets. Chu warns Shen that the plague spreads through contact.
• When supposed starving beggars block their carriage, Chu orders the driver to run them over. Shen briefly objects, then realizes the group is faking their desperation; they scatter before the carriage reaches them. Shen wonders whether Chu had seen through the scam from the start.
• The party settles in a courtyard house. Chu claims only one room has a bed, and after checking several rooms, Shen accepts this is true. The chapter ends with Chu telling Shen he wants to kiss him in every corner of the house.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains wary of Chu and eager to escape his touch, but catches himself finding Chu increasingly attractive and immediately denies it.
• Chu Xuanzhen stays composed and ruthless, yet shows an increasingly intimate interest in Shen. His parting remark makes that interest explicit.
• Shen Susu is frightened and increasingly aware of Chu’s brutality, but enters Lingnan because she feels she has no choice.

Significant themes

• Cruelty and survival: The massacre at Yong’an and Lingnan’s plague-ravaged streets reveal the violence and suffering surrounding the characters.
• Appearance versus reality: The beggars’ apparent desperation is a ruse, while Chu’s claim about the lack of beds proves true.
• Denial and attraction: Shen’s private thoughts contrast with his outwardly cautious, formal behavior, as unwanted attraction grows.
• Power and coercion: Shen Susu’s forced decision to enter Lingnan highlights the Crown Prince’s control over others.

Character interactions

• Shen tries to question Chu and maintain formal distance, while Chu continues to hold and guide him, disregarding Shen’s discomfort.
• Shen and Chu respond differently to the beggars: Chu is immediately uncompromising; Shen initially objects, then recognizes the deception.
• In the courtyard, Shen challenges Chu’s claim about the rooms, but their search leaves him exhausted—and Chu turns the close quarters into a direct expression of desire.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge arrives at a courtyard residence with Chu Xuanzhen and learns that only one room has a bed, prompting him to worry about how they will manage. His thoughts return to an earlier bath-related incident with Chu, which he suspects was evidence of the man’s strange interest in him.
• A guard reports that Lu Guangchen, the local magistrate, has come to visit. Chu orders Shen to wear his hat: he must attend the meeting but cannot reveal his face.
• In the reception hall, Chu seats Shen beside the place of honor, despite Shen’s reluctance. Lu assumes Chu is a powerful capital official and treats both men with deference.
• Lu arrives with several beautiful women and proposes a welcoming banquet. Shen objects, pointing out the city’s dire condition amid the epidemic. Lu realizes he has misjudged the visitors and apologizes.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains flustered by Chu’s closeness and suspicious of his motives, but tries to hide his discomfort behind indignant inner commentary. He is also alert to the mismatch between the magistrate’s hospitality and the city’s crisis.
• Chu Xuanzhen continues to act possessively and decisively: he holds Shen’s hand, insists on where Shen sits, and watches him closely when he looks at the women. He maintains a cold, commanding public manner.
• Lu Guangchen quickly shifts from casual hospitality to caution and respect once he recognizes Chu’s authority and sees that the visitors intend to address the epidemic seriously.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and romantic tension: Chu’s watchful reactions and Shen’s growing self-consciousness suggest attraction neither openly acknowledges.
• Appearance and concealment: Shen must hide his face beneath a damaged hat, while Chu’s unmistakable authority shows through even plain clothing.
• Duty versus indulgence: Shen challenges Lu’s banquet proposal because the epidemic demands attention, contrasting practical responsibility with the officials’ apparent habits of feasting instead of helping.

Character interactions

• Chu’s intimate physical attention unsettles Shen, who pulls away and tries to act as if he heard nothing suggestive.
• Chu’s seating choice and sharp stare at Lu establish a protective, possessive dynamic around Shen.
• Lu’s attendants admire Shen’s visible hand, but Chu’s glare makes Lu avert his eyes.
• Shen’s rebuke forces Lu to acknowledge his mistake and signals that these visitors expect meaningful action, not ceremonial welcomes.

Key plot points and events

• Magistrate Lu Guangchen kneels before Shen Yangge and Chu Xuanzhen, claiming his limited abilities prevented him from managing the plague. Shen Yangge suspects he is making excuses but lacks proof.
• Lu tries to ingratiate himself by sending beautiful women to serve the officials. Shen draws his sword and orders them to keep their distance; Lu quickly withdraws with the women when the gesture fails.
• Shen’s skin-hunger syndrome eases when Chu holds his hand. Though Shen pulls away once he feels better, Chu lets him go without anger.
• Shen wonders whether Chu’s apparent restraint means his madness is improving. He doesn’t realize Chu is only suppressing it: once Shen leaves, Chu violently sweeps the tea service to the floor.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains suspicious and sharp-tongued, but becomes increasingly aware of Chu’s touch and restraint. He notices Chu seems calmer than before, though he misreads this as recovery.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows a gentler, more controlled side with Shen, but his violence and instability remain severe. He is forcing himself to contain his impulses rather than overcoming them.
• Lu Guangchen appears self-serving and ineffectual, attempting to manipulate the officials with excuses, wealth, and female attendants.

Character interactions

• Lu’s submissive performance and failed attempt at bribery meet Shen’s distrust and Chu’s intimidation.
• Chu takes Shen’s hand to ease his condition; their tense, intimate exchange mixes reluctant contact, teasing, and unspoken attraction.
• Shen’s private comparison of Chu to the women, overheard by Chu, provokes a dangerous surge of jealousy and murderous impulse.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Lu’s excuses conceal suspected corruption, while Chu’s elegant composure hides uncontrollable brutality.
• Restraint and madness: Chu’s calm is an effortful mask, not evidence of healing.
• Growing intimacy: Shen’s physical dependence on Chu and their charged interactions suggest a deepening bond, though Shen remains wary and oblivious to the danger beneath Chu’s control.

Key plot points and events

• After arranging food, Shen Yangge notices two ragged children watching the courtyard. They flee when he looks at them; their muddy clothes suggest they may have followed the group into the city.
• Returning to the hall, Shen sees that the tea set is gone and the floor has been cleaned, hinting that something—or someone—has recently upset Chu Xuanzhen.
• Chu says he is agitated and insists Shen can resolve the problem. He takes Shen’s hand and smells his wrist, unnerving him.
• Chu reveals that he knows Shen’s secret: Shen has a condition that makes him need to touch other people’s skin. He claims he will share one of his own secrets in exchange.
• Despite Shen’s protests, Chu draws him close, strokes his wrist, and presses him for an explanation. Shen says the condition appeared suddenly and that he does not know its cause.
• Chu’s grip tightens as Shen silently insults him and grows increasingly frightened. The scene ends with Shen tense and braced for Chu to go further.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains anxious, sarcastic, and wary of Chu. His irreverent inner commentary contrasts with his hesitant spoken replies, and he is especially uncomfortable with Chu’s possessive, intimate behavior.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows an unsettling mix of calmness and intensity. His fixation on Shen’s scent and skin, along with his insistence on learning about Shen’s condition, suggests a growing personal obsession.

Significant themes

• Secrets and mistrust: Chu uses the promise of reciprocal disclosure to draw out Shen’s secret, while Shen doubts his motives.
• Appearance versus reality: Chu appears composed, yet behaves in ways Shen finds alarming and abnormal.
• Power and boundaries: Chu’s physical control of Shen contrasts with Shen’s inability—or reluctance—to openly resist.
• Comic tension: Shen’s blunt internal monologue provides humor amid an increasingly uncomfortable encounter.

Character interactions

• Shen and Chu’s conversation is shaped by a stark mismatch: Shen tries to deflect and escape the discussion, while Chu presses closer both verbally and physically.
• Shen’s thoughts reveal far more hostility and fear than he expresses aloud, creating a comic contrast with Chu’s measured, intimate manner.

Plot and events

• After Chu Xuanzhen stops short of going further, Shen Yangge realizes he has been teased and touched without learning the secret Chu promised to share. Embarrassed and furious, he storms away from dinner.
• He keeps replaying Chu’s intimate attention to his wrist, wondering whether it relates to his skin-hunger syndrome, then tries to put the thought out of his mind.
• Dreading their shared bed, Shen Yangge lies as far from Chu as possible. During the night, however, he wakes held in Chu’s arms and tied up.
• System 615 explains that Shen Yangge sleepwalked, climbed on top of Chu, called him a pervert, and tried to leave. Chu restrained him to stop him from wandering off.
• Shen Yangge needs to use the toilet but is too anxious about Chu’s ruthless reputation to wake him. When he finally does, Chu refuses to untie him unless he begs. Shen responds by threatening to pee on him.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains defiant and quick-tempered, but his embarrassment and fear of Chu’s power complicate his bravado. His sleepwalking also creates an awkward gap between what he does and what he remembers.
• Chu Xuanzhen is teasing and physically possessive, yet also restrains Shen to keep him safe during a sleepwalking episode. His calm refusal to release him pushes their power struggle into flirtatious, uncomfortable territory.
• System 615 provides the explanation for Shen’s predicament, then goes offline and leaves him to face it alone.

Character interactions

Shen alternates between accusing Chu in his thoughts and addressing him formally when he needs help. Chu responds with languid teasing rather than immediate assistance, while Shen’s final threat restores some of his defiant spirit.

Significant themes

• Embarrassment and miscommunication: Shen’s confused interpretations and forgotten sleepwalking behavior create much of the humor.
• Power and vulnerability: Chu has physical and political authority over Shen, who fears the consequences despite resisting him.
• Intimacy and boundaries: Their shared bed and Chu’s touch bring them closer, but Shen’s discomfort and Chu’s teasing make the closeness contentious.