Chapter Summaries

After dying in a truck accident, Chen Han awakened in the rules-horror instance Happy Family, where he had to survive for twelve hours amid contradictory rules. Mommy summoned him to breakfast, and he faced a warning that his choice could trigger a death rule.

• Chen Han received the Happy Family instance rules, including contradictory instructions about eating Mommy's food and a requirement to stay near her.
• Mommy broke into Chen Han's room, greeted him affectionately as Xiaomi, and left with a blood-mouthed golden shaded cat that smiled at him.
• Livestream viewers mistook Chen Han's terror-induced stillness for the composure of an experienced player.
• Mommy called Chen Han to breakfast, and his watch warned that the meal would be served in thirty seconds and a wrong choice would trigger a death rule.

Chen Han survived the lethal hunger by eating cat food instead of Mom’s cooking, then was confronted by Mom for touching Xiaomi’s things. The chapter leaves him facing Mom at close range, with her knife raised.

• Chen Han’s hunger grew so severe that his watch warned he would fail to survive unless he replenished his energy.
• Chen Han stumbled toward the cat house and ate two cans of cat food, avoiding the rules against eating Mom’s food.
• The livestream viewers praised Chen Han for finding a loophole, though he did not realize they thought his actions were calculated.
• Chen Han’s watch warned him to return to Mom’s line of sight, and Mom suddenly appeared behind him.
• Mom saw the empty cans and demanded to know who had given Chen Han permission to touch Xiaomi’s things.

Chen Han received the cat-feeding rules and discovered a starving silver shaded cat and a dangerous golden shaded cat. After another player died feeding the golden shaded cat, Chen Han accidentally slapped it away when it lunged at him, leaving both him and the livestream viewers stunned.

• Mom left Chen Han with the golden shaded cat, and the system ended the beginner tutorial before displaying the cat-feeding rules.
• Chen Han found the silver shaded cat in the cat house and realized he had earlier eaten cat food by mistake.
• Chen Han fed both cats, but the golden shaded cat overturned its can while the silver shaded cat ate cautiously.
• A player in a parallel livestream fed the golden shaded cat and was killed when it transformed into a huge monster.
• When the golden shaded cat lunged at Chen Han, he instinctively slapped it across the floor and feared he had killed his only chance to survive.

Chen Han fed the two cats, studied the rules, and fell asleep on the sofa while waiting for lunch. Mom nearly transformed into an anomaly when she woke him, but Chen Han mistook her for his real mother and asked to sleep longer.

• Chen Han accidentally slapped the golden-shaded cat, which backed down and watched him from a shelf.
• Chen Han gave the silver-shaded cat the leftover canned food and noted the golden-shaded cat’s feeding deadlines and the silver-shaded cat’s required white pill.
• Chen Han found the pill, put it in his pocket, and sat on the sofa to avoid triggering danger while staying near Mom.
• Chen Han fell asleep, and at noon Mom carried bloody meat to the dining table before approaching him.
• Mom briefly revealed a monstrous face, then returned to normal and woke Chen Han, who rolled over and told her to let him sleep.

Chen Han faced Mom’s basin of raw meat while trying to hide his terror, and viewers realized he was the last surviving player in the solo instance. Another player was consumed by the meat and his own body, leaving Chen Han apparently trapped in a guaranteed-death situation.

• Chen Han remembered he was in a horror challenge, got up despite his trembling legs, and told Mom he was hungry before sitting at the table.
• Mom mistook Chen Han’s earlier behavior for a calculated act and became intrigued by him.
• Mom affectionately offered Chen Han a basin of raw meat, and he spotted a human thumb among it.
• In another livestream, a starving player ate the raw meat as chunks of his own flesh vanished until only his head remained.
• Viewers realized that the other players had died and Chen Han was the solo instance’s last survivor, facing the meat-eating rule that seemed impossible to survive.

Chen Han spilled the basin of raw meat instead of eating it, and the golden shaded cat devoured it while Mom let him off. The livestream viewers credited Chen Han with a clever plan, but Chen Han believed he was about to die, and Mom began to suspect his apparent fear was an act.

• Chen Han tried to lift the basin of raw meat but dropped it, scattering the meat across the table and floor.
• The golden shaded cat ate the raw meat, and Mom calmly stroked it instead of punishing Chen Han.
• Li Chen told the livestream viewers that Chen Han had intentionally fed Xiaomi—the golden shaded cat—to satisfy the cat-feeding rule and avoid eating the meat himself.
• The viewers praised Chen Han, while he closed his eyes and prepared to die, still trembling despite keeping a calm expression.
• Mom noticed Chen Han's peaceful smile and rhythmic trembling and concluded that he had spilled the meat on purpose and was pretending to be afraid.

Chen Han waited for the time to give the silver shaded cat its medicine while the golden shaded cat grew increasingly agitated. When Chen Han stood up to approach the cat house, the golden shaded cat reacted like it had gone rabid, and Li Chen anticipated another wild move from him.

• Mom watched the golden shaded cat tenderly as it ate the raw meat, while Chen Han worried about meeting its feeding deadlines.
• After the golden shaded cat finished eating, Mom returned to the kitchen and continued chopping what Chen Han suspected was human flesh.
• For nearly five hours, the golden shaded cat kept its distance from Chen Han and watched him from atop a cabinet.
• As five o'clock approached, the golden shaded cat paced, yowled, and bounced away when it tried to enter the cat house.
• Chen Han clutched the white pills and stood to approach the silver shaded cat, causing the golden shaded cat to spring up in a seemingly rabid state.
• Li Chen noticed Chen Han's rhythmic trembling and expected him to pull off another wild move.

Chen Han accidentally dropped two white pills, which the golden shaded cat swallowed, while Li Chen reasoned that Chen Han had deliberately used them to neutralize a threat and help the silver shaded cat. The pills took effect as the golden shaded cat jumped, leaving it unconscious on the floor and the silver shaded cat awake in its house.

• Chen Han startled the golden shaded cat while crouching, dropped the white pills, and watched it swallow them.
• Li Chen concluded that Chen Han had intentionally fed the golden shaded cat the pills because rule 4 was likely false and the silver shaded cat was on the player's side.
• The golden shaded cat tried to leap from the cart to the cabinet but lost consciousness in midair and crashed to the floor.
• The crash startled the silver shaded cat, which gave a weak meow from inside the cat house.

Chen Han kept Mom from discovering that he had drugged the golden-shaded cat, then waited out the evening as Mom began transforming into Dad. With one hour left before the instance’s clearance time, he spotted a man’s head on the kitchen table.

• The golden-shaded cat collapsed after Chen Han gave it the two white pills, and he placed it on the sofa while he and the silver-shaded cat ate cat food.
• Chen Han passed the time until seven in the evening, when Mom left the kitchen and questioned him about the sleeping golden-shaded cat.
• Chen Han told Mom the cat was tired, and she sat beside him without detecting his deception.
• As the final hour wore on, Mom scratched out handfuls of hair and began to look increasingly like a man, alarming Chen Han about the rule against staying in the same room as Dad.
• Chen Han moved toward the cat house and looked into the kitchen, where the camera revealed a tape-bound man’s head on the table; the head blinked.

Chen Han faced Dad after Mom transformed into an anomaly, but the silver shaded cat leaped out of its cat house and drove the anomaly back. The man’s head in the kitchen reacted tenderly to the cat, leaving Li Chen wondering what role the head played in the meaning of “a happy family.”

• Chen Han noticed the man’s head on the kitchen table blink and saw that Mom had completely transformed into Dad.
• Dad stood up and approached Chen Han as the final three minutes began, while Chen Han was too frightened to move.
• The silver shaded cat sprang from its cat house and advanced on Dad, making the anomaly retreat in fear until the three minutes passed.
• Chen Han realized the silver shaded cat had rescued him, though he did not know why it was so powerful.
• The man’s head stared furiously at the anomaly, then softened its gaze when the silver shaded cat appeared.
• Li Chen noticed Chen Han glance at the head and wondered whether it had a part in the family’s story.

Chen Han brought the man's head from the kitchen to the silver shaded cat, triggering the pair’s reunion and revealing a hidden ending in which their phantoms destroyed the anomaly. As the instance closed, Li Chen realized that “Happy Family” referred to the player, Mom, and Dad, and that Chen Han had reunited the family.

• Chen Han placed the man's head in front of the silver shaded cat, and both began to burn while the anomaly cowered in fear.
• A translucent man and woman emerged from the flames, thanked Chen Han for letting them reunite, and approached the anomaly.
• The phantoms ignored the anomaly’s pleas, touched him, and turned him into black mist as the clock struck eight.
• Li Chen understood that the cat and the head represented Mom and Dad, and that Chen Han had discovered the instance’s hidden ending.

Chen Han perfectly cleared the solo instance “Happy Family,” triggered the hidden ending “Reunion,” and received a Cat Paw Badge and improved physical abilities. After choosing to skip his rest period, he followed the Rules Horror Story Map to Happy Kids Swimming Pool.

• Chen Han learned that he had perfectly cleared “Happy Family” and triggered the hidden ending “Reunion,” while gaining 7,358 followers.
• Chen Han received a permanent Cat Paw Badge that removed the need to eat in rules horror stories and increased his energy by 20%.
• Chen Han’s perfect-clear reward increased all aspects of his physical capabilities by 10%, and the system explained how System Space worked.
• Chen Han chose to skip his twenty-four-hour rest period and returned to the now-empty home from “Happy Family.”
• Chen Han followed the Rules Horror Story Map through the eerie Happiness Residential Complex to Happy Kids Swimming Pool.

Chen Han entered the Happy Kids Swimming Pool multiplayer instance and waited with four other players for it to begin at midnight. After introductions revealed that most players were newcomers, the veteran auntie planned to use them to test the rules.

• Chen Han arrived at the swimming pool facility and found a ticket seller and three wary players waiting inside.
• A girl with a high ponytail arrived, completing the five-player group, and the ticket seller announced that the instance and its rules would begin at 00:00.
• Chen Han's livestream opened, where returning viewers praised him and newcomers questioned his abilities.
• The auntie introduced herself as a veteran who had cleared three instances, while the others said they were in their first or second instance.
• Chen Han confirmed that this was his second instance, and the auntie decided that the newcomers could test the rules for her.

Chen Han entered Happy Kids Swimming Pool, read its rules, and narrowly avoided a collision with a mischievous child in yellow by crouching to tie his shoelaces. The players continued toward ticket inspection as the children’s hostility and the attendant’s reaction hinted at trouble ahead.

• At midnight, Chen Han and the other players changed into swimwear, received tickets, and read the swimming pool’s rules on their watches.
• The players headed for ticket inspection, where four children in different-colored clothes appeared and the attendant briefly frowned at them.
• Chen Han took the second-to-last place in line so he could observe the others while avoiding the most exposed positions.
• A child in yellow charged at Chen Han, but Chen Han crouched to tie his shoelaces, causing the child to fall and injure his teeth.
• Li Chen explained in the livestream comments that Chen Han had seen the child’s approach reflected on the floor and had deliberately ducked.

Chen Han thwarted the children’s attempts to steal a ticket and entered the swimming pool, while the middle-aged man became convinced Chen Han was a powerful player. Before going inside, Chen Han spotted a strange fifth child hiding behind the glass door.

• Chen Han mistook a reflection for an item and failed to realize the child in yellow had fallen because of him.
• The children in red and orange tried to steal the middle-aged man’s ticket, but Chen Han’s movements foiled their attempt and protected the man.
• The middle-aged man concluded Chen Han had deliberately saved him twice and decided to follow him.
• Chen Han took candy at the ticket check, left his swimming ticket with the ticket seller for safekeeping, and headed to the pool.
• Chen Han noticed a fifth child in a stained white shirt hiding behind the glass door and felt uneasy about him.

Chen Han entered the pool after handing his swimming ticket to the ticket seller, while Li Chen guessed the ticket might be needed to leave. Inside, Chen Han discovered eerie beings among the swimmers and sensed that the pool held new dangers as someone rushed up behind him.

• Chen Han took candy and gave his swimming ticket to the ticket seller, prompting the middle-aged man to copy him.
• Li Chen guessed that players might need their swimming tickets to escape the pool, but kept his theory out of the livestream chat.
• Chen Han crossed a dark passage, heard a child crying, and emerged at a fenced swimming pool.
• Chen Han spotted a lifeguard and five eerie beings who briefly stared at him before resuming their swimming.
• Someone hurried up behind Chen Han and slapped a hand onto his shoulder.

Chen Han entered the swimming pool with Fang Lei, who mistook him for an expert and pledged to follow him. As Chen Han tried to interpret the contradictory rules, the players split into factions and an auntie warned others against him and Fang Lei.

• The middle-aged man, Fang Lei, thanked Chen Han for supposedly helping him keep his ticket and offered to become his lackey.
• Chen Han accepted Fang Lei's offer, and the two entered the pool with the other players gathered in the shallow end.
• Fang Lei suggested that rule 4 was fake because following it would require players to stay in the pool forever, and Chen Han praised his reasoning.
• Chen Han noticed contradictions among the rules about leaving the pool and asking children or lifeguards for help, but could not yet confirm how to clear the instance.
• The auntie whispered to the blond guy and the girl with the high ponytail that Chen Han was dangerous and had allied with Fang Lei.

Chen Han and Fang Lei watched as supernatural entities began approaching the players, while the older woman continued plotting against her companions. A supernatural entity challenged the older woman’s group to a race, then began transforming when nobody answered.

• The older woman turned Blondie against Chen Han, while Fang Lei trusted Chen Han and believed he had chosen him for his potential.
• Chen Han reviewed the remaining rules and noticed black, ribbon-like objects gathering around the pool drains; Fang Lei observed that they seemed to be increasing over time.
• A supernatural entity swam stiffly from the deep end toward the players and stopped near the older woman’s group.
• The entity asked the older woman, Blondie, and the girl with the high ponytail to race him, and the other supernatural entities turned toward them with eerie smiles.
• When the group remained silent, the entity twisted and began dripping black sludge while giving off a nauseating smell.

A middle-aged woman shoved Blondie forward to race the entity, which took control of his body and forced him into a fifty-meter swimming contest. Chen Han hinted that the deepest part of the pool was the key, but as Blondie seemed to take the lead, he suddenly disappeared.

• The middle-aged woman pushed Blondie toward the entity, and it forced him to accept a race.
• The entity and Blondie took their places as the lifeguard sounded the whistle and the race rules were announced.
• Red boundary lines and team markers appeared, and a countdown began the fifty-meter race.
• Chen Han told Fang Lei that Blondie would only have a chance if he got past the deepest hurdle.
• Blondie swam ahead while the entity moved calmly beside him, but Blondie suddenly disappeared.

Chen Han correctly inferred that black ribbon-like creatures in the pool’s drainage area had drowned the blond swimmer, impressing Fang Lei and alarming the auntie and the high-ponytailed girl. As the first hourly blackout began, a small pool of light appeared beside Chen Han, leaving the players facing an unknown danger in the dark.

• The eerie entities watched the pool’s deepest drainage area until the blond’s corpse surfaced, wrapped in black ribbon-like objects.
• Fang Lei praised Chen Han for predicting the blond’s death, while the auntie and the high-ponytailed girl grew wary and regretful about their choices.
• Chen Han realized the first blackout was imminent as the pool’s lights suddenly went out.
• A patch of light about three meters across appeared close to Chen Han’s right.