Chapter One: The Enthusiastic Female Colleague

In the brightly lit conference room, a group of people sat around a table, engrossed in a meeting. The leader, wearing half-rimmed glasses, spoke with vibrant enthusiasm at the front. In a nondescript corner, Bai Yuze’s gaze was vacant, his expression blank. It wasn’t quite zoning out—rather, they simply existed in entirely different worlds.

Deep within mounds of purplish-brown flesh and blood caverns, glowing creatures from the abyss clung to the ceiling above. They absorbed nutrients from the flesh in waves, their bodies emitting a faint green light that illuminated the damp, cold caverns. A rancid stench of decay filled the air and assaulted the nostrils.

At the cavern’s center stood several disaster beasts, arranged in clear hierarchical order, gathered in conversation. Bai Yuze was among them, not far from the creatures, their foul odor unmistakable. The leader of the beasts was several times larger than the others, with two or three sharp spikes protruding from the back of its head. Its dark green skin stretched over massive limbs, and it stood atop the group, roaring in fury.

Bai Yuze rested his chin on his hand, his eyes dreamy as he gazed through the dim light of the cavern, taking in the strange scene before him. The cold, shadowy glow brushed his cheek, a slight chill lingering there.

A soft sound interrupted the moment—the leader in the conference room had reached a climax in his speech.

The dank, gloomy cavern transformed back into a clean, bright conference room. The terrifying disaster beasts became ordinary humans once more, and the nauseating stench vanished without a trace.

They sat on opposite sides of the room; the enraged beast leader was now a sharply dressed executive pointing out various issues of the month. Yet, the scene before Bai Yuze lasted only minutes before his vision shifted again. The stench returned, filling his nostrils and twisting his expression into something subtle and uneasy.

Half an hour passed. The sound of chairs scraping the floor echoed as his eyes gradually focused. He walked out of the conference room with the crowd, like a walking corpse in the corridor.

Ah, another blissfully wasted day.

No girlfriend, no parents, no money, and a troubled mind.

But it didn’t matter. With just a gentle effort, he could show life exactly how useless he was. Life had always been miserable; so why not just embrace it?

“Mr. Bai, are you feeling unwell?”

Bai Yuze calmed the unease and fear inside him. A stiff smile appeared on his face as he glanced at the female beside him and replied.

“My health is fine, thank you for your concern, Ms. Hoshino.”

He turned back to look at the female creature beside him—one that seemed completely grown from his XP.

The female monster’s figure was elegant and smooth, her skin a glossy pale gray. Her eyes were like bottomless lakes, glowing with a deep blue light, as if they could peer into the depths of one’s soul. From her head sprouted slender, graceful antennae, gently swaying and emitting a strange, enchanting fragrance.

Her limbs were long and strong, tipped with sharp claws. From her back extended a pair of massive wings, their feathers pristine white.

Overall, this creature was both mysterious and captivating—unlike the repulsive disaster beasts, she inspired a strange mix of awe and longing.

After a moment, his vision returned to normal. The female beside him transformed into a gentle, lovely human woman.

For some reason, whenever this female teacher was near, his headaches eased considerably.

This human woman was Hoshino Seri, from Higashi City in the Summer Kingdom. Like him, she was a teacher at Yeqiu City No. 1 Middle School, and they shared adjacent offices.

Ms. Hoshino was very gentle—a wonderful mathematics and psychology teacher, though somewhat introverted and not fond of talking to strangers. Yet, over the past few months, their shared passion for otaku culture had drawn them closer, fostering a relatively close relationship.

“Usually, Mr. Bai, although you’d zone out during meetings, your recent state these past few weeks seems different,” Hoshino Seri said seriously, her bright eyes fixed on him.

“Eh? Is my zoning out that obvious? I’ll try to improve,” Bai Yuze replied half-heartedly.

Seeing his casual attitude, Hoshino sighed with a hint of grievance. “If you ever need psychological support, you can ask me for help.”

“Really?” Bai Yuze suddenly stopped, his eyes shining with hope as he looked at Hoshino, who froze momentarily before nodding solemnly.

“If I can help, I will do my best.”

“No, you already do. Seeing your pure and sincere smile every morning gives me hope and energy for the day!” Bai Yuze’s lips curled into a faint smile, trying to make his expression convincing.

“Mr. Bai, with such smooth talk, were you a playboy before?” The young Ms. Hoshino blushed slightly, embarrassed by the compliment.

Her gaze lingered on the cartoon pig glasses in Bai Yuze’s hand for a few seconds. With just a few strokes, she had captured the character’s expression perfectly—no different from the look the leader had shown during his speech.

Unfortunately, Bai Yuze soon crushed the sketch of the leader’s portrait and tossed it into the trash.

“No, not at all. I say that because whenever I leave or return home, my rebellious little sister never gives me a good look.”

“So...” Bai Yuze paused, shifting his gaze to the adorable teacher’s face, a slight smile playing on his lips.

“I just hope to see Ms. Hoshino’s smile—it heals the psychological haze caused by my sister’s cold words.”

Upon hearing this, Hoshino’s eyes deepened, shifting through a range of emotions: strange, disdainful, understanding... and finally—embarrassed.

Seeing the young teacher’s changing expression, Bai Yuze knew exactly what she was thinking. Her thoughts were veering dangerously. He had to stop her before she tagged him as a perverse little brother fanatic.

“Ms. Hoshino, please stop looking at me like I’m a pervert. Although I’ve watched some sibling-themed anime, I swear by Luoshui, I am definitely not a siscon!”

Seeing the determination in Bai Yuze’s eyes, Hoshino nodded seriously, seemingly convinced, though her suspicion never fully faded.

“In that case, I have a small request. Mr. Bai, could you share your sister’s contact information with me? Caring for teenagers’ mental health is an unavoidable responsibility for teachers.”

Unconsciously, they had descended from the second-floor conference room to the first-floor office.

Hoshino set down her books and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Bai.”

Writing down his sister’s contact details, Bai Yuze handed the note to her, feeling a weight lift from his chest.

Just as he was about to open the door and leave, Hoshino suddenly called after him.

Bai Yuze turned.

The adorable Hoshino puffed out her cheeks, staring intently at him with a tone tinged with playful grievance.

“Senior Bai, I know the legend of the Oath of Luoshui. Please don’t try to fool me~”

“Uh...” Bai Yuze coughed awkwardly, wishing he had said the Yellow River or Yangtze instead.

Damn those Sima guys—they had soiled the noble Luoshui.

Looking into Hoshino’s eyes, he saw warmth and laughter, a beauty so intoxicating it seemed to make one forget all troubles.

For some reason, every conversation with Ms. Hoshino was a heavy burden.

Today was no different. His physical discomfort had apparently been noticed by the caring teacher. He could only use the shield of his sister as a diversion, at least for now.