Chapter 6

Chapter 6

He was smiling, his dark eyes curving into charming crescents.

"Xing Shu, don't run."

"Aaaah—!"

In an instant, Lin Xingshu's terrified screams echoed through the empty stairwell.

"Sir?! Sir!"

The woman's anxious voice came through the phone. Lin Xingshu didn't even have time to hang up before he raced down the stairs.

He swore he had never run so fast in his life. Xu Yuan was chasing him like a man possessed, their pounding footsteps and Lin Xingshu’s gasping breaths filling the vast stairwell.

"Help! Help! Is anyone there—?!"

Lin Xingshu screamed, trying to draw the attention of the residents. But for some reason, not a single door opened. The entire apartment building was deathly quiet, as if only he and Xu Yuan existed.

Floor after floor, Lin Xingshu was on the verge of collapse, panting heavily. When he glanced back, Xu Yuan was still right behind him, wearing that same fixed grin.

Lin Xingshu’s heart felt like it was about to pound out of his chest. He checked the floor indicator on the wall—Xu Yuan had chased him all the way to the 10th floor. If he slowed down even slightly, Xu Yuan would catch him!

Lin Xingshu couldn't afford to slow down. Before the police arrived, he had to stall for time!

He reached the 10th floor first. The unit there was under renovation, with discarded construction materials and paint cans piled against the wall.

Without hesitation, Lin Xingshu gritted his teeth and, with a loud "bang," leaped down several steps at once.

Just as Xu Yuan was about to catch him, Lin Xingshu shoved the pile of construction materials over and flung paint cans wildly at Xu Yuan.

"Ugh!"

Caught off guard, Xu Yuan raised his arms to block, letting out a pained grunt. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Xingshu took off, gripping the handrail and leaping down multiple steps toward the 9th floor.

Wheezing, Lin Xingshu glanced back—Xu Yuan hadn’t caught up yet. Taking advantage of the moment, he ducked into the 9th-floor hallway.

There was a storage room on this floor, where the cleaning lady usually kept brooms. It was always unlocked—maybe he could hide there for a while.

In a straight race, he was no match for Xu Yuan. If he kept running, it was only a matter of time before Xu Yuan caught him.

Xu Yuan’s footsteps echoed from above again. There was no time—he had to hide now!

Clenching his teeth, Lin Xingshu tiptoed into the storage room and carefully pulled the door shut. As Xu Yuan’s rapid footsteps drew closer to the 9th floor, his heart pounded in his throat.

Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Lin Xingshu froze, instinctively covering his mouth and nose, not daring to breathe. But his body trembled violently, his grip on the doorknob slick with sweat.

Cautiously, he moved closer to the door, peering through the ventilation gap to scan the hallway.

The 9th floor was completely still. The motion-sensor light was still on, meaning Xu Yuan was here.

The next second, Xu Yuan appeared in the hallway. He stood still, sniffed the air, then abruptly turned his head—his dark eyes meeting Lin Xingshu’s through the vent.

…Xu Yuan had seen him.

Lin Xingshu’s mind went blank. He jerked back, gripping the doorknob tightly. Even with his mouth covered, his panicked breathing echoed in the cramped space.

Outside, Xu Yuan took measured footsteps toward the storage room. Lin Xingshu clamped a hand over his mouth, struggling to stay quiet.

"Tap."

Xu Yuan stopped right in front of the door, his dark eyes lowered, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Lin Xingshu could *feel* Xu Yuan’s hand resting on the doorknob—one twist, and he’d be inside.

Lin Xingshu squeezed his eyes shut.

Then, at the last possible moment, police sirens wailed from downstairs. Lin Xingshu nearly wept with relief, his legs giving out.

Xu Yuan heard it too. He froze, brow furrowing, then reluctantly released the doorknob. With one last lingering glance at the storage room, he turned and left quickly.

As the footsteps faded, Lin Xingshu slumped against the wall, drained. His phone rang again—it was the police.

"Hello, sir. We’ve arrived at XX Single Apartments. Are you injured? Are you alright?!"

"I’m fine, unharmed… He ran when he heard your sirens…"

"That’s good. Where are you now? We need to get your statement!"

*

After getting his statement, the police reviewed the security footage with the property management. Confirming Lin Xingshu’s account, they immediately contacted Xu Yuan.

To their surprise, Xu Yuan claimed ignorance of the incident over the phone and refused to come to the station for mediation.

With no other options, the officers accompanied Lin Xingshu to Xu Yuan’s apartment.

On the third knock, Xu Yuan finally opened the door—wearing headphones. Seeing the uniformed officers, he looked bewildered.

Lin Xingshu stood frozen too.

It was clear now—the man before him and the one who had harassed him were *not* the same person.

This Xu Yuan wore a skimpy, sheer top. Though their faces were identical, their builds were completely different.

This Xu Yuan was pale and slender, his face caked with makeup. His exposed arms showed not an ounce of muscle, and he was slightly shorter.

But the Xu Yuan who had chased him was built like a tank and very tall, easily over 190 cm…

Not the same person. Absolutely not.

"Mr. Xu, we’ve received a report from Mr. Lin. You’re accused of harassment, and the evidence is substantial—"

"What?!"

Xu Yuan tore off his headphones. "I already told you—it wasn’t me! It wasn’t me! I’ve been streaming from home this whole time! How could it be me?!"

"But the surveillance footage clearly shows you."

"Bullshit! My stream has timestamps—I never left! It wasn’t me at all! Show me the footage!"

Xu Yuan was defiant, not intimidated by the cops. Without argument, one handed him a phone displaying the recording.

Xu Yuan grabbed it, his expression going from scorn to disbelief, ending in a scowl.

"Look, okay, he looks like me, but I swear it's *not* me."

"This person wore a white sweater. I’m in black."

He plucked at his mesh shirt, but the officer wasn't buying it. "It’s been nearly an hour since the incident. You had plenty of time to change clothes by now."

"Wait... look again. The person in the video is so much taller than Lin Xingshu. Look at me again."

Xu Yuan stood beside Lin Xingshu and gestured between them. "See? I'm even shorter than him. I couldn’t have chased him wearing lifts! And that guy was obviously way more muscular than me. If height can be faked, what about build?"

The group fell silent. It was obvious that, aside from the similar face, the Xu Yuan in the surveillance footage was tall and powerfully built—nothing like the lean man in front of them now.

"Still skeptical? Check my livestream records. I was live at that exact time. My viewers can confirm it."

With solid evidence from Xu Yuan, the police refocused on Lin Xingshu. One of the female officers pulled him aside and murmured,

"Mr. Lin, are you sure the person you saw was Mr. Xu?"

Lin Xingshu’s lips trembled slightly, unsure how to answer. If it wasn’t Xu Yuan, then who was chasing him?

Xu Yuan scanned the crowd, then gave an exasperated eye-roll. "If that’s all, I’m going back to my stream."

"Sorry to bother you..."

Lin Xingshu apologized sincerely. Xu Yuan waved him off and turned to leave. As the door shut behind him, the hallway fell silent again.

"Mr. Lin, try not to worry. We’ll keep looking into this. Just be extra careful from now on," the female officer reassured him softly.

Lin Xingshu knew this was going nowhere. He lowered his head and murmured, "Mm."

"I’m sorry for the trouble..."

"It’s no trouble at all. Protecting people is our job. But I’d suggest keeping some self-defense tools on hand. If anything like this happens again, contact us immediately."

After saying goodbye, Lin Xingshu returned home. His once-cozy apartment now left him unsettled.

Who was that guy? Why was he disguising himself as Li Yun and Xu Yuan, obsessively declaring love?

He wracked his brain but came up empty. All he knew was that his home wasn’t safe anymore.

Next time, he might appear differently to approach him. He had to be careful...

*

In the silent darkness of night, a towering, broad-shouldered man stood before a dressing table.

His hands braced against the surface, sleeves slightly rolled up to reveal corded muscles straining, veins bulging as if holding back something primal.

He leaned in slightly, his broad back straining against the fabric of his sweater, outlining his lean waist. Frowning, he leaned closer to the mirror, studying his own unnaturally pale, delicate features.

BANG—!

Suddenly, as if spotting something unbearable, his face contorted in rage. His fist slammed onto the table, causing the already shaky legs to tremble before collapsing entirely. The mirror shattered, dust settling over the broken shards in a wreck of splintered wood and glass.

Staring at the wreckage, the man’s facial muscles suddenly twitched. Slowly, his mouth stretched open—wider, wider—until his entire face distended grotesquely, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. His skin stretched backward until his features vanished, replaced entirely by a yawning, fanged abyss.

Apart from his humanoid body, his face was barely human now. To be precise, he was a monster.

"Creak—"

The door opened quietly. A young woman stepped in, holding a takeout box. As if oblivious to his horrifying appearance, she dropped it indifferently in front of him.

"What’s wrong? Why so angry?"

"I came to check on you. Brought you some food."

The container opened slightly, revealing glistening, bloody meat with matted fur still attached, the iron tang of blood heavy in the air.

The monster remained silent. The woman crossed her legs and settled onto the couch, eyeing him with detached curiosity.

"Look at you. If you’re determined to live among humans, keep your real face hidden. If anyone sees you, our situation will become difficult."

"...I just don’t know what form would make him happy."

The monster hung his head, exuding misery. His massive frame stood frozen, adrift, like a helpless child.

"Still no luck? Is the human playing hard to get? Tell me what happened. Maybe I can help."

The monster hesitated. This woman was like him—a monster passing as human. Her human alias: Shi Zheng.

She’d assimilated perfectly into human society—married a human, even had a child with him.

"You don’t trust me?"

Shi Zheng smiled, pulling out her phone. She turned the screen toward him, displaying her homescreen—a picture of her nestled against a human man, a child standing beside them, all three grinning ear-to-ear. Her diamond ring glinted brightly.

*Envy.*

The monster couldn’t help but imagine it—himself and Lin Xingshu in that photo. Lin Xingshu, unfazed by his monstrous visage, leaning against him, arms wrapped around his waist. Him lowering his head to gently lick Lin Xingshu’s fair, sweet skin…

Just the thought sent his pulse racing.

So he told her everything.

Shi Zheng took it all in, her expression shifting from neutral to a frown, then finally settling into something complicated.

"This is your idea of courtship?"

"Mm..." The monster mumbled, fingers twisting together like a lovestruck kid.

Shi Zheng massaged her temples. "You’re just coming off as a creep. Is this really how you court a mate?"

"A creep?" The monster tilted his head, genuinely confused. "I don’t understand... Our males claim mates far more aggressively…"

Shi Zheng cut him off impatiently.

"He’s *human*, not one of us. Humans are complicated. All you’re doing is making him hate you. Understand?"

*Hate.*

The word sent panic surging through him. He dropped to his knees, bowing his head, clutching desperately at the hem of her clothes.

"Please... help me. I don’t want him to hate me. I love him. I *need* him."

His voice was barely a whisper.

"Anything... I’d do anything to be with him…"