Shen Jing and his wife had been married for many years without conceiving a child. After medical examinations, it was revealed that Shen Jing had fertility issues, making it difficult for them to have a biological child. Thus, they decided to adopt.
At the orphanage, they chose a three-year-old boy—no particular reason, except that the child seemed quiet, obedient, and intelligent, promising an easy upbringing. After completing the necessary procedures, they brought him home and named him "Shen Chi."
The name "Chi," meaning "late," seemed to embody the couple’s regret—their own child had come too late, leaving them to raise another’s as their own.
Initially, Shen Jing and his wife saw Shen Chi as their hope for old-age support and cared for him well. He lacked nothing in terms of food or clothing, and while his life wasn’t the most privileged among children, it was far from the worst.
But this relative comfort ended the moment the couple had a biological son.
Shen Chi became a burden in the household. Yet Shen Jing, who prided himself on being a respectable man, couldn’t bear the thought of gossip. Moreover, since Shen Chi had been legally adopted, abandoning him wasn’t an option.
But raising an extra child meant extra expenses.
Under these circumstances, Shen Chi became the least favored in the family. Behind closed doors, he was forced to do all the dirty, exhausting chores. Before he was even tall enough to reach the counter, he had already learned to handle all kinds of household tasks.
Yet once the door opened, Shen Jing and his wife transformed into doting, fair parents. To outsiders, they were nothing but kind and harmonious—only their eldest son was seen as reclusive and antisocial.
Those who knew Shen Chi was adopted often praised the Shen couple for their generosity, remarking how fortunate the orphan was to have landed in such a good family.
They didn’t see how the Shens took out their frustrations on the boy, leaving him covered in scars, big and small.
From a very young age, Shen Chi had one goal: to escape this household, to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Shens, to sever all ties.
So he studied relentlessly, ensuring that the image-conscious Shen Jing and his wife couldn’t force him to drop out.
Shen Chi still remembered how, during high school, he had used every spare moment outside of studying to work odd jobs and save money. Once, Shen Jing discovered his hidden savings and beat him mercilessly.
Shen Jing had roared, "Starting today, you’re not going back to school! You’ll work full-time, and every penny you earn goes to the family—for your brother’s education!"
His wife had muttered beside him, "I always wondered why he ran off during holidays. So he was making money. Are these all your savings, or do you have more stashed away?"
Their biological son, lounging on the sofa playing video games, had added casually, "Look how meticulous he is with everything. I bet he’s got more hidden somewhere."
Shen Jing had yanked off his belt and brought it down hard. "Tell me! Where else have you hidden money?"
For days afterward, Shen Chi, covered in wounds, was locked in his room, cut off from the outside world. He lay still, as if already dead—beyond fear, beyond worry.
In truth, he was drowning in terror. He feared he’d never return to school, that all his efforts would be for nothing.
But his hard work paid off. His high school teachers came to the Shen household, asking why their top student had stopped attending classes. No teacher wanted to give up on him.
Not wanting a scandal, Shen Jing had no choice but to let him return to school.
From that moment on, Shen Jing cut off all financial support. Before, Shen Chi had received little from the family, but at least his meal card was funded. Now, with all pretenses gone, even a single meal depended on his own efforts.
Even his university tuition was earned through every winter and summer break.
Shen Chi thought that by attending a university far from the Shens, he could finally sever all ties.
He worked tirelessly to build a life, but his upbringing left him perpetually sensitive and insecure. Yet he was lucky—now he had Xia Miao, and with her came dreams and hope for the future. Everything was finally looking up.
Until the Shens reappeared.
The hand around Shen Jing’s throat tightened. His bloodshot eyes bulged with terror. The man who had always prided himself on his dignity now twisted grotesquely under the threat of death.
He had never seen Shen Chi like this.
His face was deathly pale, his black eyes hollow like abysses—nothing but endless darkness, swirling with an eerie black mist that reeked of death.
His ashen skin cracked like dried bark, black fissures spiderwebbing from his face down his neck, disappearing beneath his collar. A putrid stench seeped from within, as if thick black blood might ooze out at any moment.
"Y-you… what are you…?"
A snap. Shen Jing’s head lolled to the side. The last word—"monster"—died in the frigid air.
Shen Chi lowered his hand, standing motionless, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
"Shen Chi!"
From within the black mist, a girl’s voice called for her lover.
"Shen Chi, where are you?"
"Shen Chi!"
Slowly, the boy regained control of his body. His stiff limbs moved mechanically as he lifted his head toward the sound.
Gradually, a tiny light pierced the fog.
Xia Miao, phone flashlight in hand, groped forward, calling his name with every step.
The light grew brighter. Her figure broke through the mist, her outline sharpening.
"Shen Chi!"
She rushed into his arms.
Dazed, Shen Chi let her embrace him. His dull eyes lowered, taking in the top of her head, the red bow in her hair—the one he had tied for her that morning.
Bit by bit, light returned to his pitch-black eyes. The cracks on his face vanished. As his heart began to beat again, warmth seeped back into his body, color returning to his deathly skin.
"Miao Miao."
He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his cheek to hers. Her scent filled him, and with it, his soul thawed.
The mist dissipated. Streetlights flickered on. Pedestrians hurried past, their footsteps light with the promise of home. The city buzzed back to life.
