Chu Chen emerged from the water.

His AI assistant, “Xiao Mutou,” reported his burned calories and heart rate during exercise. After confirming his body data was normal, Chu Chen climbed out of the pool.

This was the private pool on the second floor of his apartment. Usually, no one came here, and Chu Chen liked to swim a few laps as a way to relax from work.

That day, however, was different.

On one of the lounge chairs near the pool, there was a plush rabbit toy. The rabbit held a carrot in its mouth, facing the pool.

Chu Chen sat on the chair to the left of the rabbit, drying his hair. Before he forgot, he adjusted the rabbit’s eyes to face him directly, as if deliberately showing off his body to it.

And he did have something worth showing off.

His fair skin, inherited from his mother, now glistened under the pool lights, beads of water sliding down his black hair, tracing along his neck and pooling at his collarbone before trickling into the forbidden depths below.

“I was looking all over for you—why are you here?”

An unexpected guest arrived.

Chu Chen draped a towel over himself, instinctively turning to shield the plush toy behind him.

“Uncle?”

The visitor was his mother’s younger brother—the notorious troublemaker of the family.

Over the years, every disturbance in Chu Chen’s otherwise peaceful life could be traced back to this uncle.

“Perfect timing, I needed some exercise too.”

Since they lived in the same apartment complex, his uncle had also come for a swim. He wore only a pair of swim trunks.

He and Chu Chen were completely different types of men.

His tanned skin was the result of years spent outdoors. Even in his forties, his physique was well-maintained—strong pectoral muscles, well-defined abs—free of the greasiness and world-weariness that plagued most men his age.

He stood at the poolside stretching, raising his arms above his head, revealing his strong arms. At the same time, his lean waist became even more prominent.

Chu Chen adjusted his posture, trying to completely block the plush rabbit behind him. But he wasn’t quite able to shake the feeling that those beady rabbit eyes were peering past him, focusing instead on his dashing, wealthy, and ever-charismatic uncle.

The simple warm-up routine looked increasingly inappropriate in Chu Chen’s eyes.

“Uncle, you’re in your forties. Are you really going to wander around the apartment complex in just your swim trunks?”

“No wonder you’ve been single for years. Women won’t like a man as shameless as you.”

“Ever heard this saying? ‘Men who don’t behave themselves end up with broken d—s.'”

…What the hell?

His uncle, in the middle of his warm-up, looked up in confusion.

What the hell did he do to offend this kid?

“What nonsense are you spouting? And besides, you—”

Before he could finish, Chu Chen had already pulled a T-shirt from his bag and thrown it on.

Then, with a look of pure disdain—like he was above associating with such a “shameless flirt”—he shot his uncle a glare, scooped up the plush rabbit, and swiftly left the poolside.

“You’re a grown man still playing with plush toys—aren’t you embarrassed?!”

Chu Chen hugged the plush rabbit even tighter, making sure not to leave even a single gap exposed.

“I’m young. It’s not embarrassing.”

That remark nearly made his uncle choke on his own blood.

He cursed, saying he should’ve strangled this brat in the womb when he had the chance.

Chu Chen ignored him completely and disappeared around the hallway corner.

…..

“He spends his days gardening, swimming, and hugging his stuffed toys to sleep,” Luo Lin complained bitterly about his current mission. “That’s it! Oh, and Chu Chen has a really fit uncle. That’s all I saw. Believe me, this time, I didn’t see any d—s. Chu Chen covered up real tight.”

He also wanted to know what Professor Chu’s latest research topic was, but Chu Chen lived like a retired old man—there was nothing interesting about his life.

“No, you guys better find someone else to take over. I can’t do this job.”

Luo Lin had been in a terrible state lately.

His whole body felt uncomfortable. Last night, he spent the entire night at the training grounds, shooting until he turned a perfectly good target into a piece of honeycomb. Now, his arm throbbed with a dull pain, as if the rejection reaction of the “Gillifischer” serum was about to flare up early.

He usually wasn’t like this. Even when dealing with his greasy, self-important father, Luo Lin could still put on a smile, get things done, and settle the score afterward. But when it came to Chu Chen, he just couldn’t keep his emotions in check.

Shen Yunhe had also noticed the change. He knew Luo Lin well—this kid was the type to save face at all costs, even if it meant suffering in silence. This was the first time he had ever heard Luo Lin say, “I can’t do this.”

“We’re in the process of uploading another colleague’s brainwave data. It’ll take three more days to complete. Until then, please hang in there. If you’re feeling unwell, I can give you half a day off. Rest in the dormitory and come back when you’re ready.”

“I’m going out for a smoke.”

Luo Lin didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either.

He went up to the rooftop—the designated smoking area for the Investigation Bureau staff.

The bureau was located on a hillside, offering an unobstructed view of the entire city.

The original reason for setting up the bureau here was to keep it far away from residential and commercial districts.

After all, most of the people working here were failed monsters in some way. Every colleague had, whether intentionally or not, been injected with “Gillifischer” and had evolved into enhanced humans.

Compared to the evolutionary abilities depicted in sci-fi novels, these powers were far less dramatic. For most people, the initial effect was merely an enhancement of their physical abilities.

Of course, there were some with more extreme abilities—those who could control water and fire, or even fly—but they were rare.

The most powerful known enhanced human still alive was the highest-ranking classified investigator of the International League, codenamed Hydrangea.

But Hydrangea had become more of an urban legend. No one knew if he actually existed.

Luo Lin lit a cigarette.

Just then, a distant “ding-dong, ding-dong” sound rang out, reminiscent of the school bell from their high school days.

It was in a similar evening glow, in an empty classroom, that he once picked up a wounded, dust-covered boy.

At first, Luo Lin had no intention of helping him.

For one reason alone: in that school, everyone was against him.

Anyone who could get into that school, to put it bluntly, was either rich or noble.

Luo Lin was an illegitimate child. Entering such an elite school meant he would never truly fit in.

He had once come across an internet post that claimed wealthy kids were inherently kind because they had never experienced the darkness of human nature, allowing them to retain their innocence.

Every time Luo Lin saw something like that, he just wanted to say, “Bullshit.” And maybe dump a bucket of slop over the poster’s head.

He had seen the cruelty of those kids firsthand—their pure malice.

From the moment he entered that school, he had been targeted and ostracized. These so-called modern, free-spirited teenagers clung to outdated ideas of lineage even more than medieval aristocrats.

When they found out that he was the illegitimate child of President Luo and a woman from the countryside, they openly mocked him and his mother, calling them shameless gold-diggers after the family fortune.

They would pinch their noses and say that a bastard like him didn’t belong with them, that he should keep his distance so he wouldn’t dirty their sight.

They prided themselves on their noble lineage, as if they were vampires from a gothic novel.

After all, without pure bloodlines, how could they guarantee the eternal prosperity of their wealth and power?

On top of that, Luo Lin had grown up in a small town and didn’t know how to speak with their affected, polished accents. Over time, he became the outcast of the class.

At least he had good grades.

Which was why his favorite time of the school year was when test results were announced.

It was a little provocative, but there was just something satisfying about seeing those rich kids seething with jealousy because they couldn’t outperform him.

“Luo Lin, can’t you wear your uniform properly? Pay attention to your appearance!” The class president always liked to lecture him, picking on his dress code since there was nothing else to criticize. “You’re always so sloppy. Doesn’t your family teach you how to dress? You have no manners.”

And Luo Lin would always retort during the test result announcements, “I bet your mom’s going to scold you again. Imagine not even being able to beat a bastard in grades.”

Luo Lin never let himself be at a disadvantage.

Even though people would talk behind his back, spill water on his books, or secretly damage his belongings, he didn’t mind. He knew those pampered rich kids didn’t have the guts to confront him directly. In a real fight, they weren’t his match.

Besides, his father, Luo Zhengxing, wasn’t just a nobody. Before picking a fight, those brats still had to consider his weight.

But not everyone was as fortunate as him—like Chu Chen at the time.

Covered in dust, his white school uniform smeared with shoe prints, it was clear he had been bullied.

Luo Lin wasn’t the type to stick his nose in other people’s business. He had enough on his plate already. But for some reason, Chu Chen kept clinging to him.

“Hey, classmate, if you don’t want your bread, can I have it?”

Luo Lin had money from Luo Zhengxing, but he was too proud to spend it. He could survive on the school’s provided lunches and dinners, and in the mornings, he used the pocket change he earned by doing elementary school kids’ homework to buy some bread.

There were three slices left in the plastic bag, meant for the next day.

Chu Chen thought he was about to throw them away and asked if he could have them.

“Are you Chu Chen?”

Luo Lin had heard of a student with blue eyes, a mixed-race kid, and now that he saw him in person, it turned out to be true. Paired with those long eyelashes, they looked like butterfly wings.

Luo Lin searched his brain for the right words: Damn, he’s good-looking.

“Mm.” Chu Chen swallowed. “I’m a little hungry. Just one piece is fine, I won’t bother you.”

The way he said it tugged at the heartstrings—careful, with a hint of pleading.

“You didn’t have breakfast?”

“No.”

Teenage boys were at the age of rapid growth, and with a full morning of classes, skipping breakfast would leave anyone starving.

Luo Lin glanced at his bread and remembered that he had just made ten bucks yesterday by doing someone’s homework. He wasn’t exactly broke at the moment, so he stuffed all the remaining slices into Chu Chen’s arms.

Chu Chen took the bread and started shoving it into his mouth, clearly starving. He didn’t even bother to take a sip of water to help swallow the dry bread, forcing it down until his eyes turned red.

Students at this school weren’t supposed to end up in this kind of situation.

Back then, Luo Lin didn’t think much of it—everyone had their own struggles.

It wasn’t a big deal.

“Drink some water.”

Luo Lin unscrewed his water bottle and handed it over. “Don’t drink straight from the bottle.”

Chu Chen took the bottle, and his eyes turned even redder.

“Thank you.”

“What’s there to thank me for? It’s just a few lousy pieces of bread.” Luo Lin pulled out a chair, wiped off the dust, and sat down. “You—this can’t be right. Doesn’t anyone buy breakfast for you?”

Chu Chen shook his head.

Luo Lin barely remembered much from that time, but he did remember Chu Chen’s eyes—red like watercolors bleeding onto paper. Say what you will, but his face was really something. Years later, Luo Lin had been in and out of high-end clubs and met plenty of socialites, but he’d never seen anyone more stunning than Chu Chen.

There was a trendy term online later—”a fragile beauty.” Luo Lin thought it fit Chu Chen perfectly.

Delicate, vulnerable, yet stubborn.

Seeing Chu Chen climb out of the water today, Luo Lin thought he looked just like an ancient Greek sculpture, crafted from the finest porcelain.

He took a drag of his cigarette, watching the smoke curl upwards, and felt a tightness in his throat.

Damn, he really was getting old—actually reminiscing about this kind of trivial, sentimental stuff.

Who knew if Professor Chu would still appreciate the bread he had once given him?

Since he finally had a day off, Luo Lin decided to head back to the dorm and get some proper sleep.