Pretend to be crazy

Blaze’s words sounded nice, but in reality, he was just moving Shen Yan to a different place to imprison him.

Shen Yan watered the plants while gazing out the window at the simulated sunlight and the bustling street.

The scene was created using materials downloaded from the internet, processed by Blaze and his team, and displayed on top-tier screens—almost indistinguishable from reality.

Of course, sixty meters underground, there could be no real sunlight.

Shen Yan stared at the little boy repeatedly appearing on the street, begging his mother to buy him candy. With a sigh, he shut off the holographic simulation.

The busy streets and pedestrians outside the window instantly vanished, replaced by a stark white wall.

This was his second day underground.

The place was designed like a small villa with three floors. The first floor was a functional area, the second was for rest, with two large bedrooms—one for him and one for Blaze.

As for the third floor, he had no idea. The elevator leading there was locked with a password, and Blaze hadn’t told him what it was.

He grabbed a random magazine and slumped onto a beanbag by the bookshelf, limbs relaxed as he tilted his head back to look at the star-shaped chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

It was hard to imagine there would come a day when he would willingly be imprisoned.

Ever since they left the castle, Blaze had been acting strange. Though he appeared the same as usual, his words and actions carried a subtle but constant anxiety.

Shen Yan could sense it.

He suspected that his presence had accelerated the plot’s original development. Blaze, who was supposed to set the Mobius family on fire two years later, now had the idea much earlier and was seriously considering carrying it out.

Shen Yan thought of him as a friend, and Blaze thought the same of him. But the twisted upbringing Blaze had endured made him different from normal people—his way of treating friends was… unique.

His extreme possessiveness toward Shen Yan was, in truth, a projection of all his unmet desires and forcibly suppressed longings from childhood.

Shen Yan hated being controlled, let alone imprisoned. But he also knew that if he tried to leave now, Blaze might completely break down.

And he couldn’t bear to see that happen.

He wasn’t the type to let his friends suffer.

Lowering his gaze, he flipped a page of the magazine in his hands. It was covering news from Sector Seven:

 Eternal Technology and Daylight Technology have reached their first collaboration, making new advancements in biotechnology.

The Rose Laboratory suffered a terrorist attack. Some escaped test subjects were shot on the spot. Residents are advised to stay vigilant against unknown organisms and contact the security team immediately if anything suspicious is found.

— The highly anticipated Federal Military Academy competition is about to begin. Online ticket sales will open soon. Stay tuned.

Shen Yan’s fingertips paused over the Rose Laboratory headline.

This was the first time this month that he had thought of Ruan Zhixian.

The last call he made before being taken had been to him. Given Ruan Zhixian’s abilities, if he had wanted to rescue him, he would have done so by now.

The fact that he was still locked up likely meant two things:

One, Ruan Zhixian was too occupied elsewhere. In the original novel, after getting off the ship, he had gone straight to Rose Laboratory to rescue Warren, and it had taken him considerable effort to win Warren over.

Two, he was still observing.

Observing him.

Before transmigrating into this world, Shen Yan’s only understanding of the male lead, based on the book, could be summed up in a single word: madness.

Recklessly doing whatever he pleased, harming others on a whim, keeping both strangers and acquaintances at arm’s length.

But after actually interacting with him, he felt that Ruan Zhixian wasn’t as simple as he seemed.

It was as if he was searching for something, and all of his actions were just ways to support that search.

This was merely a vague theory Shen Yan had developed from real-life experience—using it to explain Ruan Zhixian’s behavioral logic felt a bit far-fetched.

He chuckled.

Just as Ruan Zhixian was trying to figure out his logic, he was trying to figure out his.

In a way, they were quite similar.

Shen Yan ran his fingers over his wrist, where the scar had faded to a faint white mark. His recovery ability was decent, and most of the traces Ruan Zhixian had left on him were gone.

Staying here wasn’t so bad. At least, for the time being, he didn’t have to worry about getting caught by someone else.

He suddenly realized his own thought process and immediately cut himself off.

He could not jinx it!

Good omens never work, but bad ones always come true.

He hadn’t believed in this sort of thing before, but now he had no choice but to take it seriously.

Shivering slightly, he quickly knocked twice on his electronic wooden fish for spiritual protection.

A few days later, Blaze returned.

The moment Shen Yan heard movement, he rushed to the entrance.

As the elevator doors opened, Blaze stood there, his face pale, dark circles under his eyes. He forced a weak smile.

“Why aren’t you asleep? Did I wake you?”

“No, I was already awake.” Shen Yan moved closer, concerned. “You look terrible. How long has it been since you last rested?”

“I’m fine.”

Blaze didn’t say much else and took a couple of steps forward.

Afraid he might collapse, Shen Yan hurried to support him.

Blaze pushed him away and slowly shook his head.

“I’m fine. Just… a little tired.”

Shen Yan grew even more worried, hovering around him as he walked, afraid he might lose focus and run into a wall.

Luckily, Blaze made it to his bed without incident, changed into his sleepwear, and fell asleep perfectly in place.

Shen Yan stayed by his bedside for a while. Only after confirming that he was sound asleep did he return to his own room.

In the middle of the night.

Shen Yan, lying in the adjacent room, was suddenly startled awake by the sound of bang bang bang—gunfire.

He didn’t even bother putting on shoes before sprinting into Blaze’s bedroom barefoot.

Blaze was gripping a gun with both hands, his expression ice-cold, his forehead damp with sweat. His pupils trembled, and the moment he heard Shen Yan enter, he instantly turned the gun on him.

But the gun was empty. The magazine had been completely emptied, and repeated trigger pulls produced only the hollow clicks of an empty chamber.

Shen Yan remained in his position by the doorway, unmoving, waiting for himto snap out of his daze.

The moment Blaze suddenly woke up, he flung the gun away and lowered his head, biting his lip hard.

His breathing was ragged.

Shen Yan carefully placed a hand on his back, gently guiding his breath.

After the stiffness in his back muscles completely relaxed, Shen Yan playfully leaned in to look at him.

“Oh, look at that, crying already? Our little princess turned into a little kitten.”

Blaze’s eyes were red, but there were no tears. He slowly pushed Shen Yan’s smiling face away, his voice calm and cold.
“Shen Yan, I’ve arranged an identity and pass for you in District 8. You don’t have to wait for me.”

He took a sharp breath, so fast that it almost sounded like a sob.

“I’ll get you killed.”

Shen Yan propped his head up, not even thinking before he responded, “No.”

Blaze stared at him for a while before letting out a cold laugh. “You don’t understand what I mean?”

“Let me put it plainly—you’re a burden. I hate you. I want you gone. Got it now?”

Shen Yan was speechless. “Princess, your mood swings are too fast. So fake.”

Blaze: “Who’s joking with you?”

“If you’re so tough, stop crying.” Shen Yan leaned in and brushed against his damp eyelashes. He really couldn’t stand seeing others in this state. Casually throwing an arm around Blaze’s shoulder, he said, “Tell me what’s going on with you, and I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Blaze, who had just barely started to relax, tensed up instantly at those words. He turned his head sharply, glaring at Shen Yan, his voice trembling.
“Do you want to die?”

Shen Yan was stunned by the intensity of his glare, looking confused. “No?”

“Then don’t say such suicidal things.” Blaze’s voice was icy. “What do you think you are? Helping me? With what?”

“Shen Yan, can you stop being so arrogant? It’s disgusting.”

Shen Yan didn’t speak, just looked at him quietly.

The air became unbearably still.

A warm yellow nightlight hung by the bed, but the atmosphere wasn’t softened by its glow.

He waited a little longer. Seeing that Blaze neither looked at him nor spoke, he got up and said flatly:

“If you don’t need me, then forget it. Get some rest. I’m going to sleep.”

He turned to leave. Blaze’s head jerked up, his lips parted, wanting to call out Shen Yan’s name, to apologize, to ask him to stay a little longer.

But in the end, he forced that urge back down.

He had already prepared himself to let him go. He shouldn’t hold on any longer.

It was his misplaced desires that had put Shen Yan in danger, that had caused him to wake up from nightmares every night for the past while.

He was terrified of seeing him end up like the things he had once loved—lying in front of him, bloodied and lifeless.

He pressed the heel of his hand hard against his forehead. His brain felt like it was sloshing inside his skull, and every breath brought a stabbing pain.

Tomorrow, he still had to face that troublesome Bosson. He had no idea how that old bastard, who had been exiled, had the audacity to return.

And now he had his eyes on Shen Yan, stirring up a mess with the family.

His methods had also improved, inciting the other idiots in the family to go against him under the guise of “doing what’s best for him.”

The worst part was that, for now, Blaze couldn’t touch him. If he did, it would alert the others too soon and cost him his advantage.

The explosives hadn’t been fully set up yet, and he didn’t know when the right time to detonate them would be. He had to make sure every last one of those Mobius scum was wiped out—so they’d never pose a threat again.

He lay down, closing his eyes, his eyeballs shifting under his lids. His nerves were stretched so tight that he couldn’t sleep at all. Lying in bed, tossing and turning, was pure agony.

Every sound was amplified to an unbearable degree. Countless real and imagined images from his past flickered through his mind, tormenting every part of him. For some reason, they felt particularly vivid tonight.

Knock, knock.

His eyes snapped open. He sat up, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

“Come in.”

Dressed in soft white pajamas, Shen Yan opened the door and silently walked in.

Under Blaze’s frozen stare, he lifted the blanket, climbed into the bed, and very naturally pushed Blaze’s pillow aside to make room for himself.

Blaze’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You…”

Shen Yan: “What, what?”

“I never said I was going to sleep anywhere else.” Shen Yan reached up and brushed away a stray lock of hair that was about to poke into Blaze’s eye. “You don’t mind sharing a blanket with me, right?”

Blaze spoke before he could think, staring straight at Shen Yan. “I don’t mind.”

“I figured.”

Shen Yan lay down facing him, rubbing his eyes. “Setting aside all the complicated stuff, you probably have something you want to say to me.”

Blaze lay back down too, hesitantly reaching out to grasp the sleeve of Shen Yan’s shirt. His gaze flickered. After a long pause, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Shen Yan leaned in, kissed him lightly, and pulled the blanket up to cover them both up to their chins. “Sleep.”