Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Yet he himself was somewhat confused: "I don’t know what happened either."

"It just suddenly appeared on its own."

Because of the sudden crowd, even though it desperately wanted to cling to the human male it inexplicably felt drawn to, the Mimosa could only huddle tightly together, even its leaves curling up.

Humans and Horrors couldn’t communicate, and the Ability User Association had no way of figuring out what was going on with this Horror. Fu Nanyao withdrew his gaze, seeing that nothing useful could be learned, and prepared to take "No. 233" away. Yet the next moment, under everyone’s watchful eyes, the people-shy "No. 233" stretched out its green leaves again—this time cautiously wrapping around a nearby stone pillar.

Shi Yu: "..."

Fu Nanyao: "..."

The air was thick with silence.

Han Chuyi’s lips twitched. "This thing looks like it’d rather die than leave. Guess it doesn’t want to go back to the culture dish?"

The Mimosa clung stubbornly to the pillar, clearly unwilling to return. It had probably sought out Shi Yu because it sensed he was the only ordinary person in the entire building, hoping to hide on him unnoticed and escape.

This explanation perfectly explained the Mimosa’s earlier behavior.

Fu Nanyao no longer questioned it. Frowning slightly, he simply tapped the flowerpot, and the little Mimosa, as if startled, grudgingly retracted its leaves.

The man who had come to retrieve the Mimosa nodded at the two of them and left with the flowerpot in hand. But Shi Yu couldn’t shake the feeling that, as Fu Nanyao walked away, the man had given him a probing glance—or was it just his imagination?

Han Chuyi raised an eyebrow slightly. Seeing the matter resolved, he responded into the walkie-talkie.

"Forget it, no need to keep searching."

"Captain Fu found the Mimosa. Let’s wrap it up."

A colleague replied, "That’s good. Thought we’d have to work overtime again tonight."

"Captain Fu’s always quick."

After a few crackling responses over the walkie-talkie, Han Chuyi put it away and finally turned his attention back to Shi Yu. "Weren’t you supposed to have gone back after your check-up earlier?"

Seeing that the other hadn’t forgotten about him, Shi Yu had no choice but to explain, "Something came up after the results came out. Mr. Wang asked me to wait in the lounge for a bit."

Who knew he’d end up stumbling into something so bizarre?

Han Chuyi understood, then couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Running into Horrors twice in one day—this guy had the worst luck.

Still, he averted his gaze from Shi Yu’s eyes, restraining himself from looking again to avoid being drawn in.

After all, his heart belonged to Brother Sang. As for this little streamer surnamed Shi, he merely appreciated the guy’s feline pupils.

Han Chuyi cleared his throat and came back to his senses. "Whatever, I’ll walk you back."

"Not like I’ve got anything else to do right now."

He’d planned to see Brother Sang, but the man wasn’t around. Staying here would just mean more restless waiting, so he might as well walk him back.

…Huh?

Had he heard that right?

Shi Yu immediately cast a suspicious glance at Han Chuyi: Didn’t this guy dislike him? Why would he offer to give him a ride?

Yet Han Chuyi seemed genuinely intent on driving Shi Yu home. After speaking, he picked up his car keys and locked eyes with Shi Yu.

Their eyes met. Though wary of this motor-mouthed college kid, the thought of what just happened made Shi Yu grit his teeth. He really didn’t want to stay here any longer—who knew what else might happen?

"Fine."

Han Chuyi: …

Why did he sound so reluctant?

His face fell for a second, but seeing Shi Yu follow, he bit back his annoyance.

Shi Yu trailed behind Han Chuyi, and as soon as they took the elevator to the parking lot, a row of identical black company cars came into view. One of them even seemed to be the same car they’d arrived in.

Shi Yu assumed Han Chuyi would drive the previous car, but to his surprise, the man walked past it and pressed a button to unlock a sleek sports car instead.

The car’s sleek design and throaty purr instantly captured Shi Yu’s attention, drawing his gaze.

Shi Yu’s eyes widened in disbelief—wasn’t this the limited-edition sports car he and his fans had freaked out over online just days ago?

He declared right then: What guy wouldn’t drool over this?

It was just too stunning!

Shi Yu was practically ogling, as if beholding his dream car.

Han Chuyi opened the door and noticed Shi Yu still frozen in place, fighting back a cocky grin. He thought: See? No one could say no to this car. All the effort to haul it back was worth it.

This small-fry streamer, clearly unaccustomed to such luxuries, was totally starstruck.

"What are you waiting for? Get in."

Shi Yu, finally snapping out of it: …

Wait.

"We’re taking this back?" Isn’t this overkill?

Han Chuyi scoffed. "What’s there to worry about? That business car killed my back on the way here. Can’t I splurge for once? There’s no rule saying we have to drive a company car."

"Get in."

With that, Shi Yu stopped arguing and, for the first time, didn’t give Han Chuyi any lip as he climbed into his dream car.

Sure, Mr. Third Wheel had a sharp tongue, but his car was undeniably amazing.

Shi Yu muttered under his breath, clicking his seatbelt the moment he settled in.

"Let’s go. I’m ready."

Han Chuyi turned to him first. "Fair warning—sports cars are fast. You gonna be okay?"

He didn’t want this guy barfing from the speed and blaming him later. If needed, he had a backup ride nearby.

Thinking back, Shi Yu shook his head. "Motion sickness? Never had it."

"Just drive. I’ll speak up if I need to."

However, as Han Chuyi drove out of the parking lot, Shi Yu suddenly remembered something he had forgotten earlier: "Oh, right, aren't you supposed to dull my senses or something?" He had done it on the way here—what if Shi Yu saw some distinctive landmarks on the way back?

Before Shi Yu could finish speaking, Han Chuyi’s voice, laced with amusement, cut in: "If you can still see anything at this speed, I’ll take whatever punishment you want when we get back."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the sports car took off like a rocket, disappearing in the blink of an eye. For Shi Yu, experiencing a sports car for the first time, not only was he unable to see clearly—he couldn’t even keep his eyes open.

All that remained in his ears was the roaring wind.

Since they were driving through an uninhabited area, the journey that had taken over an hour on the way there was slashed to just over fifty minutes—though the price was an intense adrenaline rush.

Han Chuyi kept waiting for Shi Yu to say something, but even as they approached the city, Shi Yu remained silent. He thought maybe the guy wasn’t scared at all.

Relieved, he hit the brakes and came to a stop.

Only after the car fully stopped did Shi Yu release his grip on the handle and slowly exhale.

"Are we here?"

"Yeah, this is your place, right?"

Seeing the guy still had his eyes shut tight, Han Chuyi couldn’t help but chuckle. "Just open your eyes and see for yourself."

The young man blinked a few times before finally opening them—sure enough, they had arrived.

And the car was already parked right below their building.

Once they entered the city, Han Chuyi eased off the gas, so they arrived a bit later than expected. But in reality, the speed was still far faster than on the way there.

Han Chuyi raised an eyebrow, waiting for Shi Yu's reaction, but when he turned his head, he saw Shi Yu frowning deeply, clamping his mouth shut as if fighting back nausea.

He froze.

"Whoa, you okay?"

"Wait—you get carsick?"

He had assumed Shi Yu wasn’t prone to motion sickness since he hadn’t said a word the entire ride. Now, seeing him visibly struggling, Han Chuyi grabbed a water bottle in a panic from the car.

Shi Yu took a deep breath. After a few dry heaves, he started feeling better. He wasn’t actually carsick—just unaccustomed to the intensity of a first-time sports car ride. Overall, it had been thrilling.

But his sudden retching startled Han Chuyi. The normally cocky guy looked shaken, silently passing him the open bottle.

"Thanks."

Shi Yu exhaled deeply, taking off his mask to sip the water, not noticing Han Chuyi staring.

Handing over the water had been instinctive, and Han Chuyi didn’t think much of it until Shi Yu removed his mask. It wasn’t until after he drank and lifted his head that Han Chuyi suddenly froze.

The young man’s lashes were still wet from reflex tears, the corners of his eyes slightly red. And only now… did Han Chuyi finally see his full face, unobscured by the mask for the first time.