Xia Miao listened to the screams around her, her mind still in a daze.
["Your task is simple—find the most dazzling man in this world and win him over. Remember, the one who leaves an unforgettable impression at first sight is your target."]
She vaguely recalled being curled up in her room playing video games when this mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her head. The next moment, her eyes closed and opened, and she found herself in this unfamiliar place.
The night was deep, the moon hung high, and the towering school building stood with cold, rigid lines. The swaying shadows of trees intertwined with the structure, making it resemble a beast ready to devour the innocent at any moment.
The vast campus was pitch-black at night, not a single light on. Strange noises echoed from the distance now and then, as if a horror movie were being filmed.
Xia Miao stood still for a while until a gust of cold wind snapped her back to reality.
Looking down at herself, she realized she was now wearing a school uniform—a black blazer, a red pleated skirt, knee-high socks, and leather shoes. It was identical to the uniform she wore at the elite high school she attended in her youth.
But she had already graduated. Why was she suddenly in an unknown high school again?
Xia Miao’s sharp mind quickly arrived at an answer—she had traveled through time!
Just then, a man stumbled out of the school building in panic. He was middle-aged, with a scruffy beard, yet he wore a male student’s uniform, making him look utterly ridiculous.
The man seemed to be fleeing from something, terrified out of his wits. When he saw Xia Miao standing there dumbfounded, he shouted, "Why aren’t you running? The Slaughterer is coming!"
A lightbulb went off in Xia Miao’s head—she had been transported into a role-playing survival game!
She quickly moved, following behind the man while stealing glances at him. His face was forgettable, clearly not the kind to leave a lasting impression. Definitely not her target.
Xia Miao asked, "What’s this 'Slaughterer' you’re talking about?"
The man looked surprised but didn’t have time to question her further. He ran until he could no longer move, dragging Xia Miao behind a bush to hide. Gasping for breath, it took him a while to recover.
Once he had calmed down, he took a proper look at Xia Miao, and his eyes flickered with amazement.
Had there been such a beautiful girl in the school during the day? Had he just not noticed?
Assuming she was just a frightened girl whose mind had gone blank, he explained, "The Slaughterer is today’s Butcher."
Xia Miao tilted her head. "Butcher? Like, the meat seller?"
The man choked, unsure if she was feigning ignorance. "The Butcher is the killer—the monster hunting us. Today’s Butcher is the Slaughterer, an especially cruel one!"
"His face is wrapped in bandages. If he catches a survivor alone, he’ll peel them back to reveal a mouth split open to his ears. Then he’ll ask if he’s handsome. Whether you say yes or no, he’ll slit your throat with his knife."
"Other Butchers might spare you if you strike a deal, but the Slaughterer? He won’t give you a single chance to escape!"
If fifty survivors were trapped in this night, other Butchers might leave seven or eight alive. But with the Slaughterer? The survival rate was zero.
No wonder the man was so terrified.
Xia Miao pointed. "Is that the Slaughterer you mentioned?"
Not far away, a bloodied man lay on the ground, desperately crawling backward as he screamed, "Don’t kill me… don’t kill me… I can make a contract! I’ll lure more prey for you!"
A shadowy figure stood over him, idly picking at his ear as if bored. "Same old, same old. How tedious."
He stomped on the man’s chest. From behind, all that was visible was his silhouette bending down—then came the man’s shrieks, blood splattering across the ground.
The Slaughterer rummaged through the man’s body before finally pulling out a heart. Then, abruptly, he turned around.
The middle-aged man beside Xia Miao let out a muffled scream. Consumed by fear, he shoved her forward without hesitation and bolted in the opposite direction.
Xia Miao stumbled, barely regaining her balance when she felt something cold press against her neck.
A bloodstained hand held a bloodstained knife, its tip grazing her throat. The slightest movement would send blood gushing from her fragile skin.
"You’re alone now."
Xia Miao had to tilt her head all the way back to meet the gaze of the towering young man before her.
He was lean but tall, dressed simply in blood-splattered sneakers. Under his hood, black hair framed a face wrapped in white bandages, revealing only a pair of pitch-black eyes.
His gaze darkened with murderous intent. Deciding her heart might taste better, he casually tossed aside the one he’d just dug out and freed a hand to peel back a strip of his bandages.
"Hey, am I handsome?"
Xia Miao had never faced anything like this before. She stood frozen, speechless.
The boy’s expression shifted. He flung his knife aside, and it pierced the thigh of a man who’d been hiding in the bushes, now attempting to flee.
This man had stayed hidden the whole time, not daring to move until Xia Miao became the Slaughterer’s distraction. But he’d only taken one step before the dagger pinned him down. He collapsed with a thud.
Compared to this fleeing coward, Xia Miao—standing dumbly in place—seemed like an utter fool. So the terrifying bandaged boy chose to deal with the man first.
He stomped on the wound, eliciting a scream like a slaughtered pig.
Seemingly amused, the boy bared his lips again—pale, stretched to his ears like a gaping abyss, lined with jagged teeth sharp enough to crush even the toughest prey.
"Hey, am I handsome?"
The man trembled violently, too afraid to speak.
The boy pressed harder, blood gushing from the wound.
"Say it. Am I handsome?"
The man shrieked, "Yes! Yes, you are!"
A flash of steel answered him—the man’s eyes were gouged out in an instant.
"Liar."
The boy giggled, yanking the knife free before kicking the half-dead man back into the bushes. Then, grinning, he turned to Xia Miao.
"Now, it’s your turn." His voice trembled with excitement. "Am I handsome?"
Given his deranged demeanor, saying "no" would undoubtedly end badly.
If you said he was handsome, the gruesome state of that man earlier was the best warning.
Xia Miao recalled the words of that damn system.
[The man you can’t forget at first sight is your target to conquer.]
The boy’s appearance was bizarre, his mouth even stranger, and the blood dripping from his hands made him seem like a harbinger of doom.
But that one glance—she’d remember it for the rest of her life.
Suddenly, a spark of brilliance flashed in Xia Miao’s eyes, shimmering as if filled with starlight.
The boy froze. He’d never seen someone on the verge of death look so exhilarated—like a cat spotting a mouse!
"Listen up! Starting today, you’ll work hard to please me. I don’t just want to be impressed at first glance—I want you to make me fall for you for life!"
The boy blinked in confusion. "Huh? Why the hell should I?"
"Because I’ve fallen for you at first sight, obviously!"
His grip on the bandages loosened, the wrappings sealing his mouth shut again. His dead-fish eyes stared blankly. "What are you talking about?"
Xia Miao stomped her foot in frustration. "Don’t make a lady repeat embarrassing things! Can’t you understand? I’m in love with you!"
His expression turned vacant. "Love… at first sight?"
Xia Miao frowned, crossing her arms. Though petite, her haughty glare made her seem towering. "What’s that supposed to mean? I remembered you the moment I saw you! You should be honored I even like you!"
The knife in his hand trembled. "You—you’re insane! How could you possibly like me?!"
"Seriously? You don’t realize how attractive you are?"
"Att… attractive?"
"Of course! Your fingers are gorgeous—so strong and elegant when holding a knife, with such refined bone structure. And your shoulders are broad, your waist narrow. When you swung that blade earlier and bent down, your waistline was perfect. Oh, and your legs! So long and graceful, sprinting over here in seconds—your stamina must be incredible. And your skin… that pale, cool tone—is it natural?"
His ears burned. "I… I guess it’s natural?"
Xia Miao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smirking imperiously. "In this world, you’re the first man I’ve ever remembered at first sight."
As the esteemed young lady of the Xia family, she’d been adored by thousands since childhood. If others were mere stars, she was the one and only moon.
Some ridiculous system telling her to chase after a man?
Pathetic.
In this world, people fought to win her favor—not the other way around. She’d never debase herself by begging for someone’s affection!
The murderous wraith was still dazed.
The fiery girl kept staring up at him, her long, wavy hair cascading like dark moonlight, the crystal hairpin glinting under the night sky. Her delicate features, porcelain skin, and the way her uniform accentuated her slender frame—especially those shapely calves in knee-high socks—were flawless.
Her eyes sparkled with a brainless, overconfident glow, as if she’d already claimed him as her possession, ready to unwrap him like a gift.
Behind the bandages, his face burned crimson. He instinctively covered it with bloodstained hands, only smearing more red onto the wrappings. Hunched over, he looked nothing like the terrifying killer he was supposed to be.
Xia Miao planted her hands on her hips. "Mark my words—from today onward, you’ll strive for one goal: to marry me and have babies!"
"B-B-Babies?!"
The night air shattered with a sound like a shrieking teakettle.
