The more Chi Yao thought about it, the more intense his hatred grew. He clenched his fists, wanting to turn around and punch that fake smile right off Shen Ling’s face, smashing it to pieces.

Chi Yao gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn’t let his anger explode here. He had no choice but to hold it in.

To the others watching, nobody knew the truth. They just assumed Chi Yao was full of regret and self-blame for losing control in front of his “white moonlight,” Shen Ling. Wanting to pursue someone as gentle and kind as Shen Ling while having such a bad temper was a fool’s dream.

Since Chi Yao had his head lowered, some people didn’t bother hiding their expressions anymore, showing sympathetic looks toward Shen Ling.

Fu Rong stared at Chi Yao’s back from a distance. Why did he feel that Chi Yao wasn’t upset because he hurt someone in front of Shen Ling, but for some other reason?

Chi Yao stood there alone for a while, then turned and walked up to Shen Ling. “I’m going to change my clothes.”

Shen Ling glanced at Chi Yao, whose wet clothes clung to his thin frame. Ignoring Chi Yao’s gloomy and erratic personality, his body was undeniably appealing.

“Alright,” Shen Ling nodded, watching as Chi Yao quickly left.

Once Chi Yao was gone, Fu Rong came over to Shen Ling. Shen Ling’s smile immediately changed, dropping any pretense, becoming as sly and playful as a fox. “You’re really not interested?”

“What do you mean?” Fu Rong asked, pretending not to know.

“What else? The cute little dog, of course.”

“And what do you think?” Fu Rong countered.

Leaning back in his chair, Shen Ling crossed his legs. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by sheer amusement. “Me? I don’t play with real emotions. If someone ever took things too seriously and jumped off a building, that’d be a big sin on me.”

Fu Rong gave him a cold look. “And what you’re doing now is any different?”

He was still toying with people’s feelings. If he were truly kind, he’d reject them outright when they confessed their love instead of letting them get closer, basking in the attention and ambiguity.

“When did you become so righteous?” Shen Ling met Fu Rong’s piercing gaze. They were both the same—neither any better than the other.

“If it bothers you so much, why not play the hero and tell Chi Yao the truth? Let him know you’re just playing him,” Shen Ling said with a smirk.

Fu Rong turned away, picking up a skewer of grilled meat from the barbecue. The juices burst in his mouth; it was delicious.

“When did I ever say I was a hero?”

He was no hero.

Shen Ling blinked in surprise before bursting out laughing.

Meanwhile, Chi Yao sat in his car, not stopping to buy new clothes but heading straight home.

Once there, he immediately went to the bathroom, quickly showering to scrub away the smell of barbecue and the places where people had touched him. He scrubbed his wrist so hard it almost broke the skin before finally stopping.

Walking out naked, he found a fresh set of clothes in his bedroom and changed.

Sitting on the sofa, Chi Yao pulled out his phone and stared at the names in his contact list. He wanted to block everyone, including his family, but after thinking about it, he stopped. It would be easier just to throw the phone away. Grabbing his phone, he hurled it at the wall, shattering it into pieces.

He picked up the broken phone, removed the SIM card, snapped it in two, and tossed everything in the trash.

Without his phone, Chi Yao suddenly felt much lighter.

After resting on the sofa for a while, he eventually got up, grabbed his wallet and keys, and drove straight to the hospital.

Lying on the examination table, Chi Yao watched the ultrasound screen. The doctor soon made a surprised sound, but Chi Yao felt calm—so calm it even felt strange to him.

After completing a series of tests, the final results confirmed what Chi Yao had suspected deep down. He had indeed been reborn, and sure enough, he had something extra inside him—an extra female organ that shouldn’t exist.

Leaving the ultrasound department, Chi Yao also went for a gastroscopy, which revealed the same thing as in his previous life: a growth in his stomach. The doctor suggested further tests, but Chi Yao turned and walked out.

As he walked along the sidewalk, people bustled around him. Occasionally, someone would glance at his face but quickly look away, intimidated by the coldness he radiated.

Chi Yao kept walking and walking. When he finally got tired, he sat down on a bench by the roadside. His hands folded over his stomach.

Should he schedule the surgery to remove that organ first, or deal with the tumor? If he had the tumor removed, he’d need time to recover before he could have the other surgery. But if he didn’t sleep with anyone, there was no risk of pregnancy.

After the pain and suffering of his last life, there was no way he would let that happen again.

Two surgeries: one for the tumor and one to remove the unnecessary organ. He really hated pain, though—he could barely stand a scratch. Having both surgeries would mean constant painkillers, but the pain would still be unbearable.

He was really terrified of pain.

One surgery would be bad enough. Two would be too much.

Chi Yao tilted his head back to look at the sky. The sunlight wasn’t as harsh now, and he covered his eyes with his hand. His head throbbed.

The tumor surgery needed to happen as soon as possible—no sense delaying that. As for the organ, that could wait.

He refused to believe that, in this new life, he would make the same mistakes again. If he did, he would truly be hopeless.

Later that evening, when Chi Yao returned home, a man was waiting outside—his stepmother’s driver. She had been trying to call him, but of course, the phone had been disconnected.