Chapter Summaries

Plot points

• Chu Xuanzhen carries the still-bound Shen Yangge to relieve himself, teasing him along the way. Afterward, he unties him.
• Furious at Chu’s mockery and unwanted handling, Shen attacks by biting his neck, drawing blood. He then panics, pushes Chu away, and runs off, claiming he will accept punishment.
• Alone, Chu reveals an intense, possessive desire for Shen. Two children have overheard him. He orders the older child to pass along what he said, while making sure the child does not reveal who sent them.
• Shen catches his breath in the courtyard and is startled when the children approach. Mistaking them briefly for something supernatural, he learns they overheard a conversation and asks what they came to tell him. Their account leaves him speechless.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge shifts from helplessly enduring Chu’s control to openly retaliating, though he still flees once his anger gives way to alarm. His confusion about Chu’s intentions remains.
• Chu Xuanzhen moves from teasing and controlled behavior to exposing the depth of his fixation on Shen. He also carefully manages who learns about it.
• The older child shows fear and obedience, but follows Chu’s instructions while concealing their source.

Interactions and themes

• Shen and Chu’s encounter mixes coercion, provocation, and physical retaliation; their relationship remains volatile and unequal.
• Chu’s possessive longing contrasts with Shen’s resistance and desire to escape.
• The chapter uses comic misunderstandings—especially Shen mistaking the children for ghosts—to offset the darker themes of obsession, power, and secrecy.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge discovers two children, He Yimo and his younger sister, He Nuan, hiding in the residence after they overhear a private conversation.
• Yimo fears they will be killed for what they heard. Shen reassures them, and Yimo—hoping to improve their chances of survival—asks to become Shen’s servant.
• Shen takes them in partly to protect them from the spreading plague and partly because he could use their help. He leads them to an empty room and tries holding Yimo’s hand to relieve his skin hunger syndrome.
• The contact does not work. Shen’s symptoms worsen, and he rushes to Chu Xuanzhen for help.
• System 615 discovers that a bug has changed the punishment: Shen must endure this episode for it to end, though he may postpone it and seek someone else’s touch. Before Shen can decide or escape, someone grabs his wrist and pulls him back into the room, slamming the door.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge shows compassion by taking in the vulnerable children, while also viewing their presence pragmatically as protection against future trouble and possible help with his condition. His symptoms leave him increasingly desperate and conflicted about needing Chu Xuanzhen.
• He Yimo is resourceful and protective of his sister. Though frightened, he boldly seeks Shen’s protection and is struck by Shen’s informality and kindness.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains an intimidating presence in Shen’s thoughts, but the unresolved ending places him directly in Shen’s immediate crisis.
• System 615 admits that a system error caused the unexpected episode and offers Shen a choice, but its explanation comes too late for him to act.

Significant themes

• Survival and vulnerability: The children’s plea for shelter reflects the danger facing the poor amid the plague and political violence.
• Compassion mixed with self-interest: Shen’s decision to help the children is sincere but also practical.
• Loss of control and dependence: Shen resents Chu Xuanzhen yet is physically driven to seek relief from him.
• Uncertainty and malfunction: The system’s bug disrupts Shen’s expectations and leaves the outcome in someone else’s hands.

Character interactions

• Shen comforts the frightened children and accepts them as servants; Yimo responds with gratitude and cautious trust.
• Shen’s attempt to relieve his symptoms by holding Yimo’s hand fails, revealing that the condition is not easily managed with anyone else.
• In desperation, Shen approaches Chu Xuanzhen, but then tries to flee. The chapter ends with an unidentified—or not yet confirmed—person pulling him back and shutting the door.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge recovers from a skin-hunger-syndrome episode after Chu Xuanzhen covers him with kisses and holds him. Chu Xuanzhen promises, “As long as you behave,” he will give him whatever he wants.
• The system confirms that the punishment has been withdrawn, but warns Shen not to break character again. Shen suppresses his urge to strike Chu Xuanzhen and tries repeatedly to get him to let go.
• Chu Xuanzhen refuses, carries him to a couch, and reveals a renewed, unsettlingly intense episode. He demands that Shen beg to be released.
• Shen tries to escape by claiming he may have been exposed to the plague and should fetch a physician, but Chu Xuanzhen stops him.
• Chu Xuanzhen says his hidden secret is Shen, then forcibly kisses him until Shen is nearly unable to breathe, beginning again whenever he recovers.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains defiant and resentful, but the system’s warning forces him to restrain himself. His fear rises as Chu Xuanzhen’s behavior shifts from possessive to openly obsessive.
• Chu Xuanzhen displays a more extreme loss of control than Shen has seen recently. His tenderness during Shen’s recovery gives way to domination, confession, and forced intimacy.
• System 615 continues to caution Shen and offers comic encouragement to endure the situation.

Significant themes

• Control and coercion: Chu Xuanzhen physically restrains Shen and makes release conditional on submission.
• Performance versus inner feelings: Shen must maintain his role despite his anger and fear.
• Obsession and instability: Chu Xuanzhen’s declaration that Shen is his “secret” underscores his fixation and unpredictable behavior.
• Dark comedy: Shen’s furious inner commentary and awkward attempt at politeness contrast with the threatening scene.

Character interactions

• Chu Xuanzhen comforts Shen physically, but then pins him down, taunts him, and kisses him against his will.
• Shen tries to push him away, placate him, and invent an excuse to escape, while privately venting to the system.
• System 615 urges Shen to keep his temper and preserve his character, leaving him to navigate Chu Xuanzhen’s escalating behavior without retaliating.

Plot points and events

• After Chu Xuanzhen’s frenzied kissing, Shen Yangge fights back by kicking him and headbutting him. The blow briefly knocks out Chu Xuanzhen’s primary consciousness, leaving him blank and unusually passive.
• Shen Yangge assumes he has escaped the immediate danger, but System 615 warns that he has broken character. It identifies the headbutt—and the momentary loss of consciousness it caused—as the offense, triggering another punishment. The punishment will last ten days and is due to begin shortly.
• The now-blank Chu Xuanzhen still follows Shen Yangge and insists that he stay. Shen Yangge tries to get away, then runs back to the room where the two children are staying and tells them to prepare to leave that night.
• The children have no belongings to pack, but Shen Yangge realizes his own things are in another room. When he tries to go retrieve them, he finds the door locked from outside by Su Shang, Chu Xuanzhen’s hidden guard. Su Shang refuses to let him leave, saying he cannot risk losing his head if Shen Yangge abandons the Crown Prince.
• As the punishment countdown reaches its final minute, Shen Yangge remains trapped and unable to carry out his escape plan.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge is furious, frightened, and increasingly desperate to escape both Chu Xuanzhen and the system’s punishments. Though he tries to act practical, his thoughts reveal his panic and resentment.
• Chu Xuanzhen shifts from obsessive, uncontrolled intensity to a vacant, childlike state after being headbutted. Even without his primary consciousness, he continues to cling to Shen Yangge’s presence.
• System 615 is unsettled by Chu Xuanzhen’s behavior and initially cannot explain the new character-break warning, but ultimately confirms that Shen Yangge’s headbutt triggered it.
• Su Shang emerges as an obstacle to Shen Yangge’s escape, prioritizing his own survival and his duty to the Crown Prince.

Character interactions

• Shen Yangge resists Chu Xuanzhen physically, then tries to leave while Chu Xuanzhen follows and asks him to stay.
• Shen Yangge attempts to negotiate with Chu Xuanzhen, offering to stand guard outside, but gives up and runs away.
• He relies on the two children’s trust as he orders them to leave with him.
• Su Shang blocks Shen Yangge’s exit, turning his attempted escape into a standoff as the punishment countdown continues.

Significant themes

• Control and powerlessness: Shen Yangge’s choices are constrained by Chu Xuanzhen, the hidden guard, and the system.
• Unwanted intimacy and blurred boundaries: Shen Yangge views the kiss as a violation and resents the Crown Prince’s fixation on him.
• Punishment for nonconformity: The system treats even a desperate act of self-defense as breaking character, underscoring its arbitrary control over Shen Yangge’s behavior.
• Dark comedy amid danger: Shen Yangge’s sarcastic inner monologue and the absurdity of the situation provide humor, even as his escape and impending punishment create tension.

Plot points and events

• A new punishment activates: Shen Yangge develops “vampire syndrome,” requiring him to drink blood and avoid sunlight for ten days. Its symptoms include red eyes, lengthening teeth, hunger for blood, and intermittent stinging pain.
• Shen Yangge discovers the physical changes and reassures the two children in the room by explaining that his condition is porphyria. He then tries in vain to get the shadow guard Su Shang to unlock the door.
• After an uneasy night, sunlight reaches the room. When Shen Yangge accidentally steps into a beam, his ear begins to sting. Chu Xuanzhen shields it with his sleeve.
• Shen Yangge realizes Chu remembers the previous night’s events—and their intimate encounter—despite his hopes that he had forgotten. Chu pulls him close and orders him to open his mouth, leaving his intentions unclear.

Character development

• Shen Yangge is frustrated and alarmed by the punishment, but remains quick-witted, improvising an explanation for the children and using sarcasm to mask his discomfort. His growing blood hunger and sensitivity to sunlight leave him increasingly vulnerable.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains composed and commanding, but shows attentive concern by shielding Shen Yangge from the sun. His pointed remarks confirm that he remembers the night before.
• System 615 is embarrassed and increasingly bewildered by the strange punishments and the ways the story has deviated from its expected course.
• The two children are wary of Shen Yangge’s altered appearance at first, but accept his explanation and behave politely.

Character interactions

• Shen Yangge’s attempts to communicate with Su Shang go unanswered.
• The children cautiously greet Shen Yangge and accept his reassurance.
• Shen Yangge and Chu Xuanzhen exchange barbed remarks about Chu’s night, suggesting unresolved tension over what happened while Chu was unconscious.
• Chu’s physical closeness and protective gesture contrast with his stern, authoritative tone.

Significant themes

• Punishment and loss of control: Shen Yangge’s body is transformed by a system-imposed condition he cannot easily escape.
• Appearance and perception: His red eyes frighten the children, though he tries to explain them rationally.
• Tension between care and control: Chu shields Shen Yangge from harm while also issuing a forceful command.
• Comic frustration amid danger: Shen Yangge’s sarcasm and the system’s confusion undercut the unsettling supernatural situation.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge realizes his blood-drinking condition could expose him as a monster, so he resolves to hide it from Chu Xuanzhen. He learns his eyes are red only at night and plans to avoid sunlight and secretly drink animal blood.
• Chu Xuanzhen insists on examining his mouth, but Shen refuses. To his surprise, Shen has gained enough strength to push Chu away and retreat into a shaded corner.
• Shen takes the children, He Yimo and He Nuan, to the kitchen for breakfast. They gradually relax around him, and he asks them to keep his illness secret.
• Chu’s subordinate Su Shang reports Shen’s strange remarks from the night before. Chu privately considers the clues—“porphyria” and red eyes.
• At breakfast, Shen’s teeth begin to ache and blood runs from his mouth. He grows weak and is drawn toward Chu’s neck. Chu catches him, but Shen bites him before he can explain what is happening.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is frightened of being discovered but gains new physical strength from his condition. His thoughts remain irreverent toward Chu, though he is bluntly polite to his face. As the symptoms worsen, he loses control.
• Chu Xuanzhen is suspicious and increasingly concerned about Shen’s unusual symptoms. He questions him, receives Su Shang’s report, and responds quickly when Shen becomes ill.
• He Yimo and He Nuan move from fear to playful trust as they follow Shen to the kitchen. Both agree to protect his secret.
• Su Shang serves as Chu’s informant, relaying what he overheard.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and exposure: Shen’s efforts to conceal his condition are undermined by visible, escalating symptoms.
• Loss of control: His new strength offers independence, but the bloodlust ultimately overtakes his will.
• Tension and dark humor: Shen’s anxious scheming and the system’s absurd story about a punished host contrast with the danger of his condition.
• Growing intimacy and suspicion: Chu’s physical closeness and concern sit alongside his investigation into Shen’s identity and illness.

Plot points and events

• In a dazed state, Shen Yangge bites Chu Xuanzhen’s neck and instinctively drinks his blood. He realizes too late that Chu’s blood is poisonous and fears he may now share Chu’s dangerous condition.
• Chu puts him down when asked, but questions whether the blood tasted good and examines Shen’s fangs. Shen claims the fangs are symptoms of an old illness, and Chu presses one, triggering a strange bodily reaction.
• Sunlight burns Shen’s exposed arm, forcing him to retreat. Chu corners him, but their tense encounter is interrupted by a hidden guard’s report: Lu Guangchen is gathering men, and agents sent by the Eighth Prince have arrived.
• Chu orders Lu Guangchen watched and says there is no need to monitor the prince because “Little Eight” is coming. Shen wonders whether the prince’s involvement signals another deviation from the novel’s plot.
• Shen asks permission to go see how the common people are faring, despite expecting Chu to refuse.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is alarmed by his apparent transformation but relieved that Chu seems to interpret it as an illness rather than discovering what he has become. His fear and embarrassment coexist with his usual irreverent inner commentary.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows intense interest in Shen’s bite and fangs, alternating composed control with possessive, intimate attention. He also lets Shen hear sensitive reports, hinting that he may trust him—or at least no longer treat him as an outsider.
• Their interaction is physically close and charged: Chu questions and touches Shen, while Shen resists, retreats, and tries to regain some independence.
• The hidden guard remains deferential and avoids looking directly at Shen, reflecting Chu’s authority and his protectiveness or possessiveness toward him.

Significant themes

• Transformation and danger: Shen’s fangs, blood-drinking, and reaction to sunlight suggest a frightening new nature he does not understand.
• Trust and control: Chu’s apparent confidence in sharing secrets contrasts with his attempts to manage Shen’s movements and reactions.
• Comedy amid tension: Shen’s panicked thoughts and sarcastic judgments undercut the threatening, intimate situation.
• Fate and disrupted plot: The Eighth Prince’s unexpected involvement makes Shen suspect the events are diverging from the original story.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge asks to go outside to learn more about the plague and visit Physician Liu, but his real aim is to find a chance to escape before returning to the capital.
• Chu Xuanzhen initially refuses. When he finally agrees, he insists on accompanying Shen Yangge, frustrating Shen’s attempts to get away alone.
• After Shen asks about the Eighth Prince’s men, Chu Xuanzhen dismisses the hidden guard and leads him to the bedroom.
• Chu notices Shen’s severe sunburn, orders him to wear a hat, and returns with ointment and gauze to treat it.
• While Chu applies the ointment, Shen notices the bite marks on Chu’s neck and struggles against a growing urge to drink his blood. Chu deliberately exposes more of his neck, apparently tempting him.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains focused on escaping and distrusts Chu, interpreting his care as possessiveness rather than kindness. At the same time, he is unexpectedly touched by Chu’s attention and increasingly tempted by his blood.
• Chu Xuanzhen is protective and controlling: he refuses to let Shen travel alone, tends to his sunburn himself, and seems to use Shen’s attraction to his blood to draw him closer.
• He Yimo and He Nuan, eating nearby, provide a brief comic interlude. Yimo jokingly advises his younger sister that being a little foolish may help her survive.

Significant themes

• Care versus control: Chu’s thoughtful treatment of Shen is intertwined with his refusal to give Shen independence.
• Distrust and misinterpretation: Shen reads Chu’s concern through his expectations of the Crown Prince’s possessive nature, leaving him unsure whether to feel touched or wary.
• Temptation and restraint: Shen fights his craving for Chu’s blood, while Chu appears to exploit that desire.
• Comic irony: Shen’s polite excuses and anxious inner monologue sharply contrast with Chu’s blunt decisions and the hidden guard’s silent observations.

Character interactions

• Shen tries flattery and concern for Chu’s safety to persuade him to stay behind; Chu dismisses the arguments and decides to come along.
• Chu physically guides Shen away from the others, then treats his sunburn with unexpected gentleness.
• Shen silently battles his urge to bite Chu again as Chu draws closer and exposes his neck, ending the chapter on a charged, teasing moment.

Key plot points and events

• While Chu Xuanzhen tends Shen Yangge’s sunburned hand, Shen struggles to resist the urge to bite him and drink his blood.
• Chu asks how often Shen needs blood. Shen admits he does not know, then invents a story that his mother treated the condition when he was young.
• Chu asks what kind of blood Shen drank before. Shen first claims it was animal blood, prompting Chu to offer a supply; Shen then changes his answer to human blood.
• Chu offers to have servants find human blood. Shen accepts rather than ask Chu for his own, insisting to himself that he can do without Chu’s blood.
• As Shen finishes treating the bite wound on Chu’s neck, Chu’s restrained, increasingly cold reactions suggest he is displeased. He abruptly grabs Shen and bites his neck.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge is increasingly ruled by his new vampiric craving, especially for Chu’s blood. He tries to conceal his ignorance and resist dependence, but his shifting answers reveal how badly he wants more.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains controlled and inquisitive, probing Shen about his condition. His coldness and final sudden bite expose a possessive or retaliatory edge beneath his composure.

Significant themes

• Desire versus self-control: Shen repeatedly fights the urge to bite Chu, even while his hunger grows.
• Deception and vulnerability: Shen lies to hide how little he understands about being a vampire, while Chu’s questions steadily corner him.
• Power and reciprocity: Chu has previously bitten Shen; Shen briefly considers biting back, but Chu ultimately takes control of the encounter.
• Unspoken jealousy or possessiveness: Chu’s reactions to the idea of Shen drinking other people’s blood hint that his concern may be more personal than practical.

Character interactions

• Chu gently treats Shen’s injured hand, but ties the bandage so tightly that Shen jokes he may need Chu to cut it off.
• Shen applies ointment to Chu’s neck wound while struggling with the physical closeness and the scent of his blood.
• Their conversation about Shen’s blood needs becomes a tense exchange: Chu offers alternatives, Shen tries to conceal his preference, and Chu ends the scene by biting him without warning.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge is bitten painfully on the neck by Chu Xuanzhen. He worries the bite has infected Chu, but System 615 confirms the vampiric condition affects only Shen. Chu remarks that Shen’s blood tastes good, leaving Shen to suspect he is being flirted with.
• Later, Shen cannot stomach animal blood and expects Chu to provide human blood. Chu brings him a bowl of unusually dark, foul-smelling blood and orders him to drink it.
• Shen refuses, suspecting the blood may be unsafe. Chu presses him, reminding him that he used to drink human blood. Shen claims he was young and does not remember, then denies ever drinking anyone else’s blood.
• Chu abruptly throws the bowl out the window and opens his own collar, exposing his neck. Shen realizes he can smell the sweet blood in Chu’s body.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge is frightened by his new hunger and repulsed by both animal and human blood. He uses evasions and lies to protect himself, though he recognizes that Chu is testing him.
• Chu Xuanzhen shifts from forceful, teasing behavior to an unexpectedly intimate gesture, suggesting he may be offering his own blood.
• System 615 provides practical clarification but offers little help with Chu’s motives.

Significant themes

• Power and consent: Chu uses his authority to pressure Shen, while Shen tries to refuse and preserve his autonomy.
• Identity and transformation: Shen’s vampiric condition conflicts with his former habits and sense of self.
• Suspicion and trust: The strange blood and Chu’s questions make Shen wary, while Chu’s final gesture may signal a change in their relationship.
• Dark humor and romantic tension: Shen’s anxious, irreverent inner commentary contrasts with Chu’s controlled, provocative behavior.

Character interactions

• Chu bites and teases Shen, while Shen protests and interprets the encounter as unwanted flirtation.
• During the feeding attempt, Chu commands and questions Shen; Shen resists, makes excuses, and finally denies drinking anyone else’s blood.
• After accepting that denial, Chu discards the suspicious blood and exposes his own neck, leaving Shen startled and drawn to the scent.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge, overwhelmed by the scent of Chu Xuanzhen’s blood, moves toward his exposed neck intending to bite him. Chu stops him by kissing him instead.
• Chu kisses Shen forcefully and orders him to keep his eyes open. Shen is flustered and internally protests, insisting he is straight and does not like Chu, though the kiss clearly unsettles him.
• When Chu asks whether his kissing was good and why Shen seemed distracted, Shen gives an awkward excuse: his illness makes him tired during the day.
• A hidden guard’s report interrupts the tension. Afterward, Chu offers Shen blood, and Shen accepts because his hunger takes priority.
• Shen drinks from Chu’s neck and is delighted by the taste. Chu wipes the blood from his lips and tells him to come to him whenever he needs more.
• Chu reveals that an earlier bowl of blood came from a corpse. Shen is horrified and asks him not to repeat the prank, saying he would rather drink animal blood.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains sarcastic and resistant to his growing attraction—or at least his physical reaction—to Chu. His hunger for blood, however, is strong enough to make him accept Chu’s help.
• Chu Xuanzhen becomes more openly possessive and provocative, using kissing and blood-sharing to draw Shen closer. He maintains a composed exterior even while showing intense interest.
• System 615 begins to doubt its advice that Shen should attach himself to the male lead. It suggests finding another way to complete the death-seeking mission, since Chu’s attention may prevent Shen from dying as intended.

Significant themes

• Desire versus denial: Shen insists he dislikes Chu, but his bodily reactions and embarrassment complicate that claim.
• Power and control: Chu dictates the terms of the kiss, while Shen struggles to resist and make sense of his attention.
• Hunger and dependence: Shen’s need for blood draws him toward Chu, making their relationship both intimate and uneasy.
• Dark comedy: Shen’s irreverent inner commentary clashes with Chu’s intensity and the grotesque revelation about corpse blood.

Character interactions

• Chu’s forceful kiss leaves Shen flustered; Shen’s embarrassed protests contrast with Chu’s direct questions and commands.
• The hidden guard’s report briefly breaks their awkward intimacy.
• During the feeding, Shen drinks from Chu’s neck, while Chu calmly wipes his lips and offers himself as a future source of blood.
• Shen then confronts Chu about the corpse blood, setting a clear boundary even as he accepts blood from him.

Plot points

• At night, Shen Yangge wakes to find the courtyard under attack and burning. Chu Xuanzhen is missing, while the main gate is locked.
• Shen gets He Yimo and He Nuan to safety through a back exit, then returns to search for Chu.
• He finds Chu hiding in a cramped wardrobe, vacant and seemingly overcome by another episode of madness.
• As the fire spreads and falling debris separates them, Shen urges Chu to come out by threatening to drink other people’s blood and marry someone else.
• Chu responds, crosses through the flames, and follows Shen out. He remains strangely composed—and completely unsoiled.
• Shen explains to the children that Chu was drugged and dazed. He Yimo suspects something is amiss, but Chu silently warns him to keep quiet.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge proves brave and protective: despite fearing for himself, he rescues the children and goes back for Chu. His panic and coaxing reveal how deeply he cares about Chu, even as he hides that concern behind irritation and jokes.
• Chu Xuanzhen appears mentally absent and vulnerable while hiding, yet reacts to Shen’s threats and follows him. His kisses during the escape suggest an intimate attachment that persists even in his altered state. His icy warning to He Yimo shows that he remains dangerous and intent on concealing his condition.
• He Yimo and He Nuan are frightened by the fire and rely on Shen for help. He Yimo’s curiosity nearly exposes the secret, but Chu’s threat silences him.

Significant themes

• Care expressed through teasing: Shen’s exaggerated threats mask genuine fear of losing Chu.
• Trust and attachment: Shen risks returning to a burning building for Chu, while Chu responds specifically to Shen’s words and presence.
• Secrecy and vulnerability: Chu’s episode must be concealed from potential observers, leaving Shen to manage both the danger and the explanation.
• Contrast between appearance and reality: Chu seems helpless while hidden, but his effortless escape hints at formidable ability; Shen’s “rescue” is also more complicated than it appears.

Plot points and events

• After fleeing the burning compound, Shen Yangge finds a secluded place for himself, Chu Xuanzhen, and the two children to shelter. He plans to investigate the drug affecting Chu once the man regains his senses.
• He Yimo keeps He Nuan close, while Su Shang quietly moves farther away. Shen then takes Chu out of the children’s sight to examine him.
• Shen teases the unresponsive Chu about their past conflicts and reaches for his neck. Chu suddenly grabs Shen by the throat and refuses to let go.
• Shen bites Chu’s arm to defend himself and drink his blood. Chu not only allows it but holds Shen in place and pushes him to bite again. After Shen pulls away, Chu licks the blood from his own wound.
• Shen wonders whether his bite has turned Chu into a vampire. System 615 reassures him that the database and Supreme God made no basic error—though its smugness only irritates Shen.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge remains wary of Chu but is also hungry and drawn to his blood. His irritation and attraction surface together, especially as he notices Chu’s attention on him.
• Chu Xuanzhen, still mentally impaired, behaves in a disturbing, possessive way: he grips Shen’s throat, watches him closely, and actively encourages him to drink. His reactions suggest an intense fixation beneath his vacant appearance.
• He Yimo takes responsibility for protecting He Nuan and warns her to avoid upsetting Chu, fearing they might be driven away.
• He Nuan is confused but quickly agrees once she fears losing their shelter.
• System 615 is defensive and oddly proud of its reliability, prompting more sarcastic banter from Shen.

Character interactions

• Shen guides Chu by the wrist after Chu stops following him, while the children observe their increasingly unusual dynamic.
• He Yimo comforts and instructs his sister, and Su Shang deliberately gives them space.
• Alone, Shen and Chu trade physical dominance: Chu restrains him, while Shen bites him. Chu’s cooperation turns the encounter from self-defense into something unsettlingly intimate.
• Shen’s sarcastic exchanges with System 615 provide comic relief amid the danger.

Significant themes

• Power and vulnerability: Shen tries to take advantage of Chu’s helplessness, but Chu’s sudden strength reverses their roles.
• Desire entwined with danger: Their physical struggle carries an intimate undertone, leaving Shen unsettled by his own attraction and hunger.
• Care amid crisis: Even in the darkness and chaos, Shen shelters the children, while He Yimo tries to keep his sister safe.
• Dark humor: Shen’s blunt internal commentary and the system’s self-congratulation undercut the scene’s horror and tension.

Plot points and events

• After feeding, Shen Yangge tries to take Chu Xuanzhen back, but Chu remains still and, apparently still delirious, asks to kiss him.
• When Shen jokes that he plans to resign and marry someone else, Chu reacts possessively: he lifts Shen, pins him against a wall, and kisses him at length. He then insists, “Let me kiss,” having remembered Shen’s earlier words.
• Shen is exhausted and unable to leave, with two children to care for and his belongings destroyed. He eventually falls asleep.
• Chu quietly drapes his robe over the sleeping Shen and holds him. Hidden guards withdraw, while He Yimo and He Nuan nervously pretend not to have witnessed anything.
• At dawn, Shen wakes beneath Chu’s robe, which shields him from the sunlight. He watches Chu gazing at the sunrise, then approaches him after He Yimo is frightened by Chu’s stare.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge is exasperated by Chu’s unpredictable behavior and tries to command, bargain with, and finally placate him. Despite his irritation, he watches Chu closely and approaches him the next morning.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains in an altered, vacant state, but his actions reveal intense possessiveness and a desire for Shen’s affection. His quiet care—covering and holding Shen—contrasts with his forceful kiss. At dawn, he appears composed yet lonely.
• He Yimo and He Nuan are frightened by Chu and keen to avoid drawing his attention. He Yimo reassures Chu that he knows nothing; both children kowtow.
• System 615 teases Shen about finding Chu even harder to handle when lucid, while silently noting Shen’s obliviousness to his own attractiveness.

Significant themes

• Possessiveness and consent: Chu’s delirious demand becomes a forceful kiss, unsettling Shen and highlighting the imbalance between them.
• Care amid volatility: Chu’s gentler gestures—covering Shen and holding him—complicate his threatening behavior.
• Humor and embarrassment: Shen’s sarcastic inner commentary and failed attempts to manage Chu provide comic relief.
• Isolation and vulnerability: Shen is stranded, exhausted, and responsible for the children, while Chu’s solitary gaze at dawn suggests loneliness beneath his authority.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge, sheltered from sunlight in Chu Xuanzhen’s robe, thinks Chu is about to fall from a wall and reaches to catch him. Chu lands safely, takes hold of Shen’s wrists, and shields his injured hands from the sun.
• Chu asks whether Shen was worried about him. Shen hesitates, then deflects by claiming it is simply his duty as Chu’s subject. He also suspects Chu staged the fall to provoke a reaction.
• Reflecting on their past moments together, Shen realizes he may have begun to fall for Chu, but fears the consequences: he still longs for execution, and believes Chu cannot remain devoted to one person forever.
• Chu insists Shen will never escape him—even in the underworld—and urges him to stay by his side. He offers his neck, and Shen drinks his blood.
• Afterward, Chu claims his “interest” in return and kisses Shen. Shen is dazed and flustered, but instinctively clutches Chu’s robe during the kiss. Chu then takes him back to the courtyard and keeps him out of the sunlight.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge becomes aware that his feelings for Chu may be more than reluctant tolerance: he worries when Chu appears to fall, feels comfortable in his arms, and responds physically to the kiss. He nevertheless hides his vulnerability behind sarcasm and duty, while remaining caught between attraction and his wish to die.
• Chu Xuanzhen shows tenderness by protecting Shen from the sun and calmly letting him drink his blood, but this care is paired with possessiveness. His declaration that Shen cannot escape him reveals an intense, potentially frightening attachment.

Significant themes

• Feelings versus denial: Shen’s actions expose emotions he is not ready to acknowledge.
• Care and control: Chu’s protection feels gentle, yet his insistence that Shen remain with him makes it possessive.
• Vulnerability and dependence: Shen depends on Chu for shelter and blood, while Chu willingly offers himself.
• Life and death: Shen’s growing attachment conflicts with his desire for execution and his belief that lasting love is impossible.

Character interactions

• Their exchange blends teasing, deflection, and mounting intimacy: Chu presses Shen to admit concern, while Shen disguises it as duty and privately accuses him of trickery.
• Blood-drinking and kissing deepen their physical closeness. Chu directs the interaction with confidence; Shen is initially stunned but responds involuntarily, revealing a shift in their relationship.

Key plot points and events

• After Chu Xuanzhen leaves, Shen Yangge confesses his growing feelings to System 615—while pretending he is talking about a friend. He admits that, although Chu is nothing like his former ideal, he worries about him and feels his heart race when something happens to him.
• The system cautions that a relationship with no future may bring pain. Shen agrees that he should not get attached, then becomes preoccupied with the possibility that Chu would expect him to take the submissive role in a relationship.
• Shen briefly considers staging a secret affair to provoke Chu into executing him and complete his mission. He rejects the plan as too risky: Chu might not kill him, and an innocent person could be harmed. He decides instead to flee or resign once they return to the capital.
• Shen asks why he is a “bug” in the book. System 615 admits it does not know; the world has behaved strangely since the mission began, and disruptions in its data about Chu have become more frequent.
• Chu returns with a new black gauze hat, puts it on Shen, and smooths his hair. At their new, modest lodgings, Shen notices that the party has dwindled to roughly a hundred or two people, with fewer than ten Shen family members remaining.
• Seeing Shen struggle in the heat, Chu holds an umbrella over him. Shen is astonished by the unexpected kindness. Chu then asks whether Shen would mind being kissed in front of everyone.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge recognizes that his attraction to Chu is real, though he insists it is only slight. He is torn between affection and self-preservation, and his pride and fear of intimacy shape his plans as much as his mission does.
• Chu Xuanzhen remains domineering, but his quiet attentiveness—bringing Shen a hat, fixing his hair, and shading him—suggests a more tender side. His public-kiss question hints at possessiveness and a desire to make their relationship visible.
• System 615 is no longer confident it understands the mission or the world. It suspects an unseen force is interfering with events and cannot explain why Chu has not killed Shen.

Significant themes

• Affection versus survival: Shen believes he must leave to live, even as his feelings for Chu begin to complicate that choice.
• Fate and the possibility of a scripted world: The system’s unexplained glitches raise doubts about how much of the story is predetermined—and whether something is altering it.
• Comic contrast: Shen’s melodramatic worries about his sexuality, sexual role, and mission clash with Chu’s unexpectedly considerate gestures.
• Possessiveness and intimacy: Chu’s offer of a public kiss turns a small act of care into a potentially bold declaration.

Character interactions

• Shen uses the “friend” story to test his feelings with System 615, which responds with cautious, awkward advice.
• Chu’s ordinary kindness makes Shen newly self-conscious, since he now interprets even minor gestures through the lens of attraction.
• The chapter ends with Chu directly challenging Shen’s expectations by asking if he would object to a public kiss.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge rejects Chu Xuanzhen’s teasing, though Chu’s attention leaves him privately questioning his own attraction. Chu tells him he must leave the city for two days and promises to leave enough blood for Shen to drink, along with Su Shang and other guards to protect him.
• Shen tells Chu he will wait for his return, but secretly plans to escape. He believes Chu’s feelings make it unlikely that Chu will kill him, while remaining near Chu also prevents anyone else from doing so.
• With the plague in Lingnan partly under control, Shen joins Physician Liu’s work, helping examine patients and prepare medicine. He observes the city’s desperate, starving people and learns that Physician Liu left his young assistant, Little Bamboo Shoot, safely in the capital.
• Shen uses the work to study routes out of the city and distract Su Shang, who is assigned to watch him. He persuades Su Shang to help with tasks and eventually gets permission to accompany Liu outside the city—though Su Shang insists on coming too.
• The chapter ends as Shen enters an emergency ward and sees something so disturbing that he nearly vomits.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge remains determined to escape, but his attraction to Chu unsettles him. He conceals his intentions while using his medical work and Su Shang’s protective duties to advance his plan.
• Chu Xuanzhen shifts from teasing to serious concern, holding Shen’s hand and arranging blood and protection for his absence. His feelings appear to make Shen’s escape—and the system’s demand that Shen be executed—more complicated.
• Su Shang faithfully follows his orders to protect Shen, but his constant presence also makes him an obstacle. Shen finds ways to turn that surveillance into useful assistance.
• Physician Liu continues treating the sick despite the danger and explains his decision to leave Little Bamboo Shoot behind. Shen asks to assist him and becomes more involved in the relief effort.

Significant themes

• Care versus confinement: Chu’s concern protects Shen but also keeps him under guard.
• Survival and deception: Shen’s escape plan depends on hiding his intentions and exploiting circumstances.
• Duty amid catastrophe: Physician Liu and the relief workers continue helping the sick despite the epidemic’s danger.
• Attraction and resistance: Shen’s growing awareness of his feelings clashes with his insistence that he must get away.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Yangge assists Physician Liu in treating the plague’s worst cases, helping lift a patient whose face is badly rotted. When the frightened man asks if he will die, Shen offers reassurance. The patient is so moved that he promises Shen his daughter as a concubine; Su Shang records, without comment, that Shen did not refuse.
• Trouble erupts when County Magistrate Lu Guangchen arrives and tries to take Shen away. He threatens to kill the patients and civilians if Shen resists, then orders his soldiers to seize him.
• Su Shang fights the soldiers, but they have the advantage of numbers and take civilians hostage. Shen realizes Lu must have powerful allies and deduces that he serves the Seventh Prince. Lu confirms the prince’s camp is acting while the Crown Prince is supposedly captured.
• The patients and townspeople rally around Shen and Physician Liu, refusing to let the soldiers reach them. Their resistance unnerves the soldiers, who fear catching the plague.
• Shen sees that the standoff cannot last: Lu could cut off the city’s food supply, leaving the people to starve. As his bloodlust resurfaces, System 615 urges him to ask the shadow guard for help.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge moves from brief revulsion at the patients’ condition to focused, compassionate care. He reassures the sick man and becomes openly furious at Lu’s callousness, while keeping his composure long enough to identify Lu’s political allegiance.
• The townspeople and patients show their gratitude by protecting Shen and Physician Liu, risking their lives despite their illness.
• Su Shang remains fiercely protective of Shen, revealing that Chu Xuanzhen assigned him to prevent Shen from escaping. He fights Lu’s men and stays at Shen’s side.
• Lu Guangchen reveals himself as corrupt and ruthless, willing to threaten the sick and use civilians as hostages to advance the Seventh Prince’s interests.

Significant themes

• Compassion versus corrupt authority: Shen’s hands-on care contrasts sharply with Lu’s contempt for ordinary people.
• Solidarity and gratitude: Those Shen helps become his defenders, turning a vulnerable crowd into a barrier against armed soldiers.
• Political intrigue and precarious power: Lu’s move exploits the apparent crisis surrounding the Crown Prince, while Shen recognizes that the danger extends beyond the city.
• Duty under pressure: Shen must protect the people even as he confronts his own dangerous bloodlust and the limits of what he can do alone.

Plot points and events

• Shen Yangge’s craving for blood intensifies until he nearly collapses. Su Shang catches him and gives him a bottle of blood provided by the prince, reviving him. Shen Yangge hides how unwell he was.
• Corrupt official Lu Guangchen withdraws after the townspeople stand against him, but threatens to return.
• The townspeople thank Shen Yangge. One man offers his sister as a concubine on behalf of his gravely ill father; Shen says the father will recover and refuses to treat the offer as necessary. Su Shang privately notes that Shen has again failed to reject such an arrangement outright.
• The villagers recognize that they must resist the authorities to survive. Shen rallies them, promising that while he lives, they still have hope, and vows that Lu will face their wrath.
• They organize teams to investigate Lu’s residence, the city gates, the government granary, and the medicinal-herb storehouse. Physician Liu distributes remaining herbs to patients with milder symptoms.
• Shen wants to join the team leaving the city, but Su Shang and the townspeople persuade him to stay. He instead volunteers to scout Lu’s residence.

Character developments and interactions

• Shen Yangge struggles to control his blood craving but conceals his weakness. He shifts from managing the crisis to openly leading the townspeople’s resistance.
• Su Shang remains protective of Shen, giving him the blood and preventing him from leaving the city. His attention to Shen’s personal life is also evident in his private notes about the concubine offer.
• The townspeople move from fear and resignation toward solidarity and action, placing their trust in Shen.
• Lu Guangchen retreats under pressure but remains a threat.
• A child’s fierce declaration of hatred toward the officials underscores how deeply their abuse has affected even the youngest residents.

Significant themes

• Collective resistance: The townspeople unite when survival leaves them no alternative.
• Hope amid despair: Shen’s leadership gives the sick and frightened a reason to keep fighting.
• Power and injustice: Lu’s control of soldiers, food, and medicine contrasts with the villagers’ vulnerability—and their determination to resist.
• Protection and trust: Su Shang and the townspeople try to keep Shen safe, even as he insists on taking part in the danger.

Plot points

• Shen Yangge insists on helping the war effort, despite Su Shang’s concern. Physician Liu agrees to search for medicinal herbs, while Shen and Su Shang scout Lu Guangchen’s residence.
• Shen reveals their aim: assess whether Lu can be assassinated and gather intelligence about his alliance with the Seventh Prince and their plans. Su Shang warns that Lu is protected by formidable death warriors.
• The pair infiltrate the lavish residence, where they find Lu indulging in food and companions while ordinary people outside suffer. A beautiful, feminine-presenting man named Liang Yu catches Shen’s eye but keeps their presence secret.
• While Lu is distracted, Shen and Su Shang search his room and find useful evidence. Shen then has Su Shang prepare an explosive scheme: they set the room alight using oil lamps and escape through a window.
• They offer Liang Yu a chance to leave. He accepts despite Lu’s threat to harm his family. Shen helps him over the wall and taunts Lu, then triggers an explosion as they flee.

Character developments

• Shen Yangge asserts his willingness to contribute rather than rely on others. He also shows resourcefulness, nerve, and compassion by devising a diversion and rescuing Liang Yu.
• Su Shang remains protective of Shen but follows his lead, demonstrating trust and cooperation. His earlier failure to kill Lu is explained by Lu’s powerful bodyguards.
• Liang Yu moves from fearful compliance to a decisive choice to escape, even in the face of threats.
• Lu Guangchen is exposed as corrupt, indulgent, and abusive; the fire and explosion reduce him to panicked helplessness.

Significant themes

• Shared responsibility: Shen argues that everyone must contribute to the struggle.
• Resistance to corruption and abuse: The stark contrast between Lu’s luxury and the people’s hardship fuels the mission.
• Agency and courage: Liang Yu chooses freedom despite the danger to his family.
• Cunning over brute force: Shen’s plan uses stealth, fire, and misdirection against Lu’s guarded residence.

Character interactions

• Shen persuades Su Shang to let him participate, and the two work closely through the infiltration and escape.
• Liang Yu silently protects the intruders’ cover, then accepts Shen’s rescue.
• Lu treats Liang Yu as property and threatens him when he tries to leave; Shen openly defies and mocks Lu on Liang Yu’s behalf.