My Boyfriend is the Heartthrob, and I’m Just a Passerby.

Bo Zhehan initially only glanced at the post.

But the title immediately caught his attention.

His fingers frantically scrolled down, and the content of the main post filled his screen in an instant.

[Terrifying! Did anyone record it? Totally inexplicable. He wrote down his academic fraud on the blackboard and then…]

[I took a photo.]

[Some say the fraud is real. Apparently, he even used his students’ papers to pave the way for his child.]

[Wow, I checked, and elementary school students are already supposed to use models?]

[This is academic tyranny.]

…

Bo Zhehan’s hand trembled.

[Is this related to that so-called “source of infection” again?]

After witnessing that eerie, faceless woman on a rainy night, those magical, surreal experiences rushed back into his mind.

After leaving the dorm building, he had been taken by those two people to a strange place.

Someone claimed he had the “right to know.”

Thus, they laid out a rough version of the truth to prevent him from spiraling into panic later.

As a result, his brain was crammed with information he would never normally encounter, shattering his existing worldview.

Monsters.

Sources of infection.

…

What even were these? Was this really not a novel?!

They should have just kept it from him!

After learning that he might also be infected, he panicked, almost screaming, unable to accept what was happening before him.

But the trained personnel simply shoved him back into a chair, forcing him to calm down.

Bo Zhehan just wanted to scream his lungs out.

Nevertheless, he was forced to stay in that white room.

According to the staff, the standard observation period was seven days.

Seven days…

Bo Zhehan felt a wave of despair.

If he were deemed to have a risk of infection, who knew what would happen next?

He wasn’t ready to be trapped for life!

However, what he didn’t expect was that he was released on the very first day.

During the initial testing phase, there was a minor issue.

At first, the instrument was silent, but then a swarm of people rushed in with equipment, repeatedly testing him as though verifying something. Their expressions grew increasingly grave.

Just when he thought he might be sentenced to death, they informed him he could leave.

Leave? That was fantastic news!

Before leaving the room, someone handed him something resembling a contract, with clear confidentiality clauses.

One clause was repeatedly emphasized:

[You must not disclose this to anyone.]

But even if he told others…

No one would believe him.

Even if he posted about it, people would only think he was mentally ill or attention-seeking.

Given his family background, if this really caused a stir online, his big brother would kill him!

Gritting his teeth, Bo Zhehan signed his name on the thin sheet of paper, pressed his fingerprint, and was escorted out in the same black car.

Even now, during class, his mind was still adrift.

Mechanically sitting in his seat.

Not understanding what those around him were saying, simply agreeing and laughing, pretending nothing had changed.

Yet, his brain told him this wasn’t real.

After glimpsing the truth of that world, his normal life could never return.

If not for Ye Jishu sitting beside him, his thoughts might have remained chaotic. His focus had already shifted to the other.

The loud talking earlier? Just to deliberately catch his attention…

What was happening?

But ever since witnessing the faceless woman, his mental state had been off.

Yet as long as Ye Jishu’s gaze fell on him, as long as he felt noticed by the other, the weight on his shoulders lightened. His stiff thoughts could start moving again, as if he had returned to his pre-incident self.

That blissfully unaware, monster-free version of himself.

In other words—

Simply being near Ye Jishu made his pain vanish without a trace.

Math has many formulas.

No matter how complicated the process, simplifying your thinking yields the final result.

The conclusion—

He was the real reason Bo Zhehan’s mind stayed functional.

But…

[Why… would I have such an absurd idea?]

[No matter how you look at it, Ye Jishu is just a passerby! Last night, he didn’t even see anything, let alone enter that world!]

Seeing Bo Zhehan frozen, staring blankly at his screen, his classmate leaned closer and whispered, “I saw people online saying it might be a monster! Like in those sanity-draining game settings.”

Bo Zhehan: “…Enough, I don’t believe in things like that.”

Noticing his extremely displeased expression, the other person quickly backed off, embarrassed.

Distracted, Bo Zhehan only came to his senses when the class bell rang.

Those around him had already stood up and begun packing their things.

Even the guy who had been napping earlier was now blending into the crowd, disappearing toward the classroom door with a speed that surprised him.

Pointing to his own drawer, Bo Zhehan said to his friend, “Pack my stuff and bring it to my dorm later.”

Without waiting for their surprised questions, he dashed after the departing figure.

Struggling through the crowd, he finally found himself behind Ye Jishu.

Even though his face remained expressionless, his bangs were slightly messy from sleep, sticking up on one side.

Moreover, he was looking at his phone.

Judging by his conflicted expression, he had received a message.

“What is it?”

Interrupted, the other person jumped in surprise.

“You’re actually talking to me! Then why walk so fast? Couldn’t you tell I was chasing you?!”

“…”

“Starting today, I’m staying in the dorms.”

Ye Jishu stopped, turning to look at him properly for the first time.

“I—I didn’t want to! It’s just because of this!” Bo Zhehan angrily gestured at his broken arm. “My brother said I’m impulsive and always causing trouble, so I’m not allowed home. I have to stay at school and improve myself!”

“Oh,” Ye Jishu replied.

Bo Zhehan choked on his indifference.

For a moment, he stared silently, but seeing no reaction, he tugged at his hair in frustration and shouted into the air.

“You—”

“You like Yan Mei, don’t you?”

The abrupt question caught him off guard.

“Huh?”

Seeing Ye Jishu still looking at him, Bo Zhehan recovered and blurted out without thinking, “Of course! Who doesn’t like Yan Mei? Even if you ask a random stranger, just saying his name would make them like him!”

He was certain.

[That’s what it means to embody the word ‘love.’]

After a few seconds of silent staring, Ye Jishu asked,

“Why did you throw away my book before?”

Why bring that up now?

Was he really going to rehash old grievances?

Facing those scrutinizing eyes, Bo Zhehan panicked, his feverish admiration abruptly fading, replaced by the dull ache in his injured arm.

“That… I didn’t do it on purpose,” he stammered, forcing the words through gritted teeth. “I just wanted you to stay away from Yan Mei… My friends did everything else… I was only—”

It was the truth.

There was no way he’d handle it personally; he had his friends do it instead.

As for their methods, they didn’t matter. All that mattered was the outcome: Ye Jishu breaking up with Yan Mei and giving up his place.

After observing and waiting for a while, he realized that wasn’t going to happen.

So, he lost patience.

The one time he tried to handle it himself, his arm got broken…

But that wasn’t even the worst part.

Later that night, something creepy had appeared in his dorm.

And all of it had started with his initial actions.

A painfully harsh lesson.

If possible, he never wanted to face it again…!

“You’re trash.”

“…”

Ye Jishu: “Don’t ever do that again.”

His calm tone sent chills down Bo Zhehan’s spine.

“…Got it.”

He thought Ye Jishu might demand more from him.

But Ye Jishu merely scrutinized him, scanning his face as though evaluating his worth.

Bo Zhehan: “…?”

Why was he looking at him like that? Like he was assessing his value…

After a few seconds of silence, Ye Jishu suddenly asked,

“Do you have any general classes this afternoon?”

“No,” Bo Zhehan quickly replied, relieved. “I’m on the same schedule as you, heading to the cafeteria for lunch.”

Ye Jishu hummed softly and started walking again.

Relieved by his shifted attention, Bo Zhehan hurried to follow.

Though unsure what Ye Jishu was observing, he figured he had passed the test—barely.

Still, something felt off.

Even though he’d never gone to the cafeteria before, he realized this wasn’t the path to it.

“Aren’t you eating lunch?”

“No.”

Encouraged by Ye Jishu’s response, Bo Zhehan grew chattier.

But not a word entered Ye Jishu’s ears.

[Such energy…]

Ye Jishu glanced at him.

Since waking up with a cold, his body had felt unwell.

Even napping through class didn’t clear his throbbing headache.

So he decided to skip lunch entirely.

With no afternoon classes, he planned to sleep straight through till morning.

“You go ahead.”

“…I’m not eating either.”

Even if he didn’t fully understand, it was clear Bo Zhehan was deliberately matching his actions.

Ye Jishu’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

He had received a text upon waking, another during class, and now likely the same person was messaging again.

Opening the screen, their chat history popped up.

[Feeling better?]

[Mm.]

[I’ll come by this afternoon to keep you company.]

[…]

[Jishu, all you need to do is rest. I’ll bring lunch for you.]

Ye Jishu turned off the screen and stuffed the phone back into his jacket.

He had assumed he’d have the dorm to himself today.

Now, though, he had Bo Zhehan as company.

Which meant the dorm would soon host him, Yan Mei, and Bo Zhehan.

[What a classic setup.]

[A sick husband, a caregiving wife, and a problematic roommate.]

All the elements were in place.

Only…

Ye Jishu glanced at Bo Zhehan out of the corner of his eye.

Would Yan Mei like someone like him?

He would just have to wait and see.

Unknowingly, the two of them had reached the dormitory building.

Staring at the old dorm, Bo Zhehan inwardly lamented, “Am I really stuck living here?” when Ye Jishu’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

“Why do you like Yan Mei?”

“Why wouldn’t I like him?” Bo Zhehan responded without hesitation. “After all, if I didn’t…”

His words trailed off.

He froze, a flicker of confusion surfacing in his eyes.

Why… did he like Yan Mei?

Of course, he liked him!

It wasn’t just simple “liking.” Perhaps “love” would be more appropriate—a burning, all-consuming passion strong enough to crush all self-respect and reason, driving a person to declare such admiration with reckless abandon.

Love!

It was love!

From the first moment he laid eyes on Yan Mei, feelings of [love], [adoration], and [the willingness to give everything] had flooded his mind instantaneously, leaving no room for thought or deliberation. A tidal wave of emotion had crashed through him, shattering his defenses.

What need was there for a reason?

Before Ye Jishu posed the question, Bo Zhehan had never even considered it.

But now, forced to confront the notion, every attempt to think in that direction caused his temples to throb violently. It felt as though a thousand silver needles were simultaneously stabbing into his brain, his muscles convulsing, rebelling against the very act of pondering why he felt this way.

The pain in his head!

What should he do?

What could he do?

“I just… like him,” Bo Zhehan murmured, as though convincing himself. “I like him, really like him. From the very first moment I saw him…”

Gripping his head, he unconsciously repeated these words.

“Scratch, scratch.”

His scalp had already been clawed raw.

Yet the dreadful, suffocating anxiety in his heart refused to dissipate.

It was as though he felt nothing of the pain.

Bo Zhehan’s fingers dug into his skin, his knuckles turning pale from exertion, while his insides felt hollow, terrifyingly empty.

The next moment—

“Clap.”

The movement stopped.

Ye Jishu grabbed his wrist.

The instant their skin made contact, all the chaotic thoughts in Bo Zhehan’s head receded like the tide, vanishing completely.

It was like a drowning man.

At the moment the rescuer pulled him to the surface, he could breathe again.

Bo Zhehan felt reborn.

His chest heaved, gulping in air as if it were life itself.

“I see,” Ye Jishu said simply.

Compared to Bo Zhehan’s terror,

Ye Jishu… was already somewhat used to it.

[So many people like Yan Mei with such intensity.]

Ye Jishu had simply thought he should hear Bo Zhehan’s reason.

But…

From the other man’s rambling, it was evident:

It was a love without reason.

He couldn’t articulate a specific cause. Perhaps it could be summed up as love at first sight, but there was always a lingering strangeness in his heart.

[There’s no difference between him and anyone else.]

Bo Zhehan stared blankly at Ye Jishu.

A few seconds later, his mouth moved, and he asked, “Then why do you like Yan Mei?”

Ye Jishu suddenly turned his head and stared at him for a few seconds.

For reasons unknown, Bo Zhehan felt a wave of nervousness.

Since he was Yan Mei’s official boyfriend—the only one he’d accepted among so many confessions—and their relationship had lasted four months without any sign of breaking up, there had to be something Bo Zhehan hadn’t noticed. He was unusually curious about Ye Jishu’s answer.

Their eyes met midway.

However, Ye Jishu simply averted his gaze again and didn’t answer the question.

“The dormitory is here.”

“…” Bo Zhehan.

Was it that he didn’t want to answer, or that he was unwilling to say it aloud?

Whatever the reason, Ye Jishu gave no reply.

He simply…

Avoided the question.

The two entered the dormitory.

Almost immediately, they were struck by a chilling atmosphere.

Was it because the place was designed to block out sunlight, or was there another reason…?

Out of the corner of his eye, Bo Zhehan caught sight of the elevator.

A rumor he’d heard suddenly popped into his head. Shivering, he subconsciously moved closer to Ye Jishu.

The effect was immediate.

The heavy, oppressive feeling disappeared.

He glanced sideways at Ye Jishu, who still looked impassive. The slight furrow in his brows seemed to stem from discomfort, not any reaction to Bo Zhehan. His proximity didn’t seem to bother him, which was a relief.

Feeling emboldened, Bo Zhehan sidled even closer.

[The closer he got, the more effective it seemed.]

Was it just psychological?

Whatever the case, it helped clear his head. So, even though he didn’t understand the reason, he allowed himself to indulge.

Despite his small movements, Ye Jishu ignored him completely, showing neither aversion nor annoyance. This indifference only made Bo Zhehan’s anxious heart calm down.

Just being near Ye Jishu made the oppressive feeling vanish.

But what about direct physical contact?

Would that completely dispel the sensation?

As they neared the dormitory door, a strange impulse struck Bo Zhehan. Without thinking, he blurted out, “You’re not feeling well, are you? Is that why you didn’t want to eat? Because it’s a hassle? I can have lunch and medicine prepared for you, and I can even take care of you, but… could you let me touch you for a moment later?”

Ye Jishu: “…”

He stopped walking.

Silently, he turned his gaze toward Bo Zhehan.

“Ah!” Bo Zhehan exclaimed, his face flushing red from his ears to his neck as he realized what he’d just said. “I didn’t mean it like that, I just—”

Should he explain? Should he mention the thing he’d seen—the “monster”?

He couldn’t say it!

Ye Jishu hadn’t seen anything.

So how could he explain?

As Bo Zhehan stammered and struggled to find an answer, ready to grit his teeth and admit he did mean it that way, a sudden sound interrupted them.

“Creak.”

The dormitory door was pushed open from the inside.

Ye Jishu’s attention shifted, his gaze turning toward the source.

The next moment, Yan Mei appeared in his line of sight.

Beyond him, the dormitory table was already set with lunch and a medicine box. A steaming glass of water was prepared for taking medicine, and beside it, the pills had been carefully sorted.

“You’re back,” Yan Mei said. “Put your backpack down first, then eat before you sleep.”

Ye Jishu stared at him for a while.

[How did he get in without a key…?]

Never mind.

That didn’t seem to be the point.

“Okay,” Ye Jishu said.

He glanced at Yan Mei before slowly entering the dormitory. After hesitating, he turned to look at Bo Zhehan, then sat down and picked up the medicine.

Yan Mei leaned in briefly to touch his forehead.

“You’re still feverish.”

“…Mm.”

Bo Zhehan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He stood dumbfounded in the doorway.

At the same time, his disbelieving gaze shifted repeatedly between Yan Mei and Ye Jishu. Finally, he muttered to himself, “This… impossible, absolutely impossible…”

Why was Yan Mei so considerate?

Yet, even with this, Ye Jishu’s attitude remained as normal as ever, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary.

In Bo Zhehan’s imagination, Ye Jishu should’ve been the one fussing over Yan Mei, worried and anxious.

After all, Yan Mei was Yan Mei!

Previously, Bo Zhehan had dared to provoke them because he subconsciously believed Ye Jishu was the weaker party in their relationship, someone who could be cast aside at any moment.

Even though they were still dating, he thought it was only a matter of time before they split up. After all, they came from two completely different worlds.

Four months might seem long.

But perhaps Yan Mei just couldn’t bring himself to say it yet.

Yes, that had to be it. Even though Yan Mei ignored him, it might’ve just been because he was kind…

In Bo Zhehan’s mind, Yan Mei wasn’t cruel or terrible—he was only someone to love, to adore.

Before Yan Mei could say “break up,” Bo Zhehan had only wanted to step in and speed up the process.
　　　　
But now…
　　　　
Who is really the one who should be feeling uneasy?
　　　　
Did he get it wrong?!
　　　　
How could that be? Ye Jishu is just a passerby!
　　　
While Bo Zhehan was dazed, Ye Jishu, who had been drinking water, put down his cup and glanced in his direction.
　　　　
Though his face remained expressionless, Bo Zhehan could read a sense of urging in his eyes.
　　　　
“…”
　　　　
Bo Zhehan hesitated but eventually stepped inside and closed the door.

Now, only the three of them remained in the room.

For some reason, the air felt heavy. When Yan Mei’s expressionless gaze landed on him, Bo Zhehan felt a wave of inexplicable dizziness.

Was it suffocation caused by his overwhelming affection?

In the past, he would’ve been overjoyed, unable to restrain himself. But after Ye Jishu’s question—“Why?”—his feelings of admiration hadn’t diminished, but they were now tinged with unease and confusion. A voice echoed in his mind, persistently asking, “Why?”

The [love] within him still pulsed strongly.
　　　　
Bo Zhehan’s heart raced; his mouth felt dry.
　　　　
He didn’t know whether to stand or sit.
　　　　
Eventually, drenched in sweat, he slowly moved to his assigned bunk and sat down stiffly on the hard bedframe.
　
He tried to stay quiet, minimizing his presence as much as possible.
　　　
The dorm fell into an awkward silence.

　　　　
Ye Jishu suddenly spoke.
　　　　
“I’m tired.”
　　　　
“…Is that all you’re going to eat?”
　　　　
“Mm, thank you.”
　　　　
“…”
　　　　
“I want to sleep.”
　　　　
“Do you need to lie down on the bed? I can help you change into sleepwear.”
　　　　
Ye Jishu shook his head.
　　　
From past experience, when he caught a cold, it wouldn’t take long for him to develop a fever and stomach pain.
　　　　
If he lay flat on the bed to sleep, it would feel uncomfortable.
　　　　
So instead, he planned to rest for a bit in the lower bunk with his small pillow.

However, before he could voice his thoughts, Yan Mei had already cleared the table.

Then, he opened Ye Jishu’s cabinet.

From a pile of game cartridges, he precisely retrieved the pillow Ye Jishu had not mentioned and placed it in front of him.

Ye Jishu was momentarily stunned by the scene, unsure how to react.
　　　　
“…Thank you.”

He rested his forehead on the pillow, burying his entire face.

After about thirty seconds, still lying with his face pressed into the pillow, he muffled a question:
　　　　
“…Why are you staring at me?”

Ye Jishu had expected Yan Mei to do something else.

What he didn’t anticipate was for Yan Mei to sit right beside him and fix his gaze firmly on him.

Even without looking, Ye Jishu could imagine the way Yan Mei propped his head on one hand, lowering his gaze.

“Is that not allowed?” Yan Mei retorted.

Compared to the gentleness from before, his tone had turned unexpectedly assertive, and the gaze that bore down on him seemed even more intense.

Ye Jishu grew alert.

After spending time with Yan Mei, he had developed a rough sense of his mood swings.

This was—

A precursor to Yan Mei falling into a negative emotion.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t matter. But now, with Bo Zhehan also present…

“…You can look.”

Yan Mei said nothing more.

Ye Jishu closed his eyes, his breathing gradually calming.

Soon, he got used to that tangible gaze, forgetting the presence of the person beside him, and drifted into a state of semi-consciousness.

He didn’t know how much time had passed.

Suddenly, he snapped out of his dream and woke up with a jolt.

Confused, he was about to sit up when the sound of a faint conversation reached his ears, making him pause mid-movement.
　　　　
[…Yan Mei was talking to Bo Zhehan.]